1、英语真题阅读理解试题及名师解析（17）In recent years, railroads have been combining with eachother, merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns aboutmonopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted forunder 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year,after a series of mergers
2、 is completed, just four railroads willcontrol well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major railcarriers.Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergerswill allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinatedservice. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fi
3、ercecompetition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavybulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals,and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore havethem by the throat.The vast consolidation within the rail industry means thatmost shippers are se
4、rved by only one rail company. Railroadstypically charge such“captive”shippers 20 to 30 percent more thanthey do when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right toappeal to the federal governments Surface Transportation Board forrate re
5、lief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and willwork only in truly extreme cases.Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shipperson the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyones cost. Ifrailroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue,shippers who h
6、ave the option of switching to trucks or other formsof transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers toshoulder the cost of keeping up the line. Its a theory to whichmany economists subscribe, but in practice it often leavesrailroads in the position of determining which companies willflour
7、ish and which will fail. “Do we really want railroads to bethe arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?” asksMartin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently representsshippers.Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with around of huge rate increases. The railroad i
8、ndustry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes, still does not earn enough tocover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with itssurging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions toacquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Considerthe 10.2 billion bid by Norfo
9、lk Southern and CSX to acquireConrail this year. Conrails net railway operating income in 1996was just 427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of thetransaction. Whos going to pay for the rest of the bill? Manycaptive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSXincrease their
10、grip on the market.31. According to those who support mergers, railway monopolyis unlikely becauseA cost reduction is based on competition.B services call for cross-trade coordination.C outside competitors will continue to exist.D shippers will have the railway by the throat.32. What is many captive
11、 shippers attitude towards theconsolidation in the rail industry?A Indifferent.B Supportive.C Indignant.D Apprehensive.33. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 thatA shippers will be charged less without a rivalrailroad.B there will soon be only one railroad companynationwide.C overcharged shippers a
12、re unlikely to appeal for raterelief.D a government board ensures fair play in railwaybusiness.34. The word “arbiters” (Line 7, Paragraph 4) most probablyrefers to thoseA who work as coordinators.B who function as judges.C who supervise transactions.D who determine the price.35. According to the tex
13、t, the cost increase in the railindustry is mainly caused byA the continuing acquisition.B the growing traffic.C the cheering Wall Street.D the shrinking market.名师解析31. According to those who support mergers, railway monopolyis unlikely because在那些支持铁路公司合并的人看来，垄断之所以不可能发生，是因为A cost reduction is based
14、on competition. 成本的降低源于竞争。B services call for cross-tradecoordination. 服务需要跨行业协调。C outside competitors will continue toexist. 外部竞争者将继续存在。D shippers will have the railway by thethroat. 托运商将掐住铁路公司的咽喉。【答案】C【考点】事实细节题。【分析】题目问的是支持并购的人为什么认为铁路行业内不会形成垄断。根据题干关键词“支持者，合并，不可能”可以定位到第二段。支持者认为“Anythreat of monopoly
15、, they argue, is removed by fierce competitionfromtrucks.”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。A不对，文章说支持者认为合并能降低成本，而不是竞争降低成本。B不对是因为文中只是说可以更 协调服务，而不是跨行业。D 语和 语 ，而 不是支持者的 点，所以 是 的。32. What is many captive shippers attitude towards theconsolidation in the rail industry?的托运商对铁路行业合并的 是A Indifferent. 的。BS
16、upportive. 支持的。C Indignant. 的。DApprehensive. 的。【答案】D【考点】 题。【分析】本题问的不是 者的 ，而是 的 ，要 考生根据文中所 的 断。题干关键词“shipper，attitude”来定位，“Butmany shippers complain that.”(第二段)，“Many captive shipper alsoworry.”(第段)，“Many captive shippers fearthat.”(第段)，currency1可以断 的 是“的”，对来的fi“ flfl”。所以D是 的。33. It can be inferred f
17、rom paragraph 3 that 第段中currency1可以断A shippers will be charged less without a rivalrailroad. 铁路公司的竞争，托运商”的 将会 些。B there will soon be only one railroad companynationwide.会只 铁路公司。C overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for raterelief.” 的托运商不 可能会 。D a government board ensures fair play in railway
18、business.部 铁路行业的公 竞争。【答案】C【考点】断题。【分析】A 文意思 。第段第二 中，currency1 “铁路公司合并 ，铁路公司 currency1的 以 竞争的 20 30”，所以 不是 些，而是 些。B 据，因为文中说 托运商将 公司服务，是不意 只 公司，所以 是不对的。C是 的，因为文章 说到，“ currency1 认为铁路公司 ，可以 的 降低 。是因为的 ，而 只在 的fi会么 ”。，currency1可以断currency1不 可能 。D说“能 铁路行业内的公 竞争”， 说 据。文中 及“ 运输委员会”可以调节运输 ，是和公 竞争还是不同的。34. The
19、word “arbiters” (Line 7, Paragraph 4) most probablyrefers to those单词“arbiters”(第四段第七行)可能指的是那些A who work as coordinators. 任协调员的人。B who function as judges. 行使 官职能的人。C who supervise transactions. 监督交易工 的人。D who determine the price. 决定价格的人。【答案】B【考点】词 题。【分析】词 题 般在文中都可以找到答案，要么上文，要么文。“arbiter”的意思是“仲裁者”，属于超
20、纲词汇。题人考的是看考生能否上文猜测到个单词的含 。首先定位在第四段的最 “Dowe really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and wholoses in the marketplace?”，实它要表述的内容已在 现 。“Its a theory towhich many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leavesrailroads in the position of determining which companies willflourish and wh
21、ich will fail”。，currency1可以猜测“arbiter”指的是“those who arein the position of determining something”，或者“someone who candetermine who wins and who loses in the marketplace”,可 答案B。D项虽“determine” 词，是意思不对。文中说的铁路决定 托运商的命运，是商场中的裁，能决定谁赢谁输。D项仅仅 到决定价格，无 完整的表达个单词的意思。35. According to the text, the cost increase in
22、 the railindustry is mainly caused by根据本文，铁路行业的成本增加的 要 因是A the continuing acquisition.不断的购。B the growing traffic. 逐渐增长的运输量。C the cheering Wall Street. 欢呼的华尔街。D the shrinking market. 逐渐缩小的市场。【答案】A【考点】事实细节题。【分析】本题的题思路 要是，认铁路成本 的 要 因来考查考生对文中因 关系的 握。关键词“costincrease，cause”来定位。发现最 段第 话 面 到“ 客户还 currency1
23、将遭遇 轮新的 涨价。目 的铁路公司所赚的 不足以支付固定投资的 ，是即使样，铁路公司为 并购还在借 的资金。所以，铁路的经营成本 ”。A是 的。 于B，文中 到“铁路公司还足够的 去增加投资，以满足速发展的交的需要”，是，并不是引起成本 的 要 因，文章的重点并不在。C、D毫无 据，都是 的。难 解析1. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commoditiestraveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain,trucking is too costly and
24、 the railroads therefore have them by thethroat.【结分析】本 是 个复合 ，“complain” 面接两个 语 ，第 个 语 的 干是“trucking is toocostly”，而“for”引导的是 个表示对象的语。“the railroads therefore have them bythe throat”是另外 个 语分 ，可以翻译成铁路公司会“掐住currency1的脖子”。2. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the rightto appeal to the fe
25、deral governments Surface Transportation Boardfor rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, andwill work only in truly extreme cases.【结分析】本 “but”连接的并列 。第 个分 的 干是“shippers have theright”。“shipper”的 边跟 个“who”引导的定语 。第二个分 的 语是“theprocess”，双谓语 个是系表结，另外 个是“will work”。3. Its theory to whic
26、h many economists subscribe, but inpractice it often leaves railroads in the position of determiningwhich companies will flourish and which will fail.【结分析】本 是“but”连接的两个分 。第 个分 的 干部分是“Itstheory”， 边紧跟 个“which”引导的定语 。“but” 边的分 的 语是“it”，谓语是“leaves”。“determining”的 边接 两个并列的 语 “whichcompanies will flourish
27、 and which will fail”。文翻译近 来，铁路公司 在 合，合并成超 ，引起人currency1对垄断的 关 。近 1995 ，最的四铁路公司 整个铁路运输业务量的近70。到 ， 系列 并 完成之 ，四铁路公司将90以上的铁路运输业务。支持 超 铁路 的人 ， 并将使 成本 降低，服务项目更 协调。currency1认为，于公路运输的 竞争，垄断的 已经 。是 托运商 说，对于 、 和 样 长 运输的 商 来说，公路运输 ，样铁路公司会“掐住currency1的脖子”( 住currency1)。铁路运输业内的 合意 客户将不 不 公司的服务。，铁路公司对些“ 的”客户的要 存在
28、另 铁路公司竞争业务 20-30。 托运人认为 ，currency1currency1上到 的“ 运输委员会”以争价格调，是个 “ ，并 只在真 的fi 。铁路公司对“ ”客户的fi行fl 对的 据是，长来看，样 会降低所人的成本。currency1认为， 铁路公司 所客户同样的 价格的话，那么那些可以使 公路运输或交工的客户将会 ，使的客户来 铁路 运 的。 理” 到 经 的认同，在实 中，它使铁路公司 个决定谁成谁的currency1 。“currency1是否真的铁路公司成为在市场上决定谁谁的裁决者” 问 。是 位表铁路客户的华师。“ ”客户还 currency1将遭遇 轮新的 涨价。整 来说，虽 铁路行业 目的资 ，它的 不足以支付为满足不断增长的运输需要而fi行的固定资 投资。 而铁路公司 继续 来fi行购，而华尔街 它currency1样 。 公司和CSX公司为 并 尔公司所的102 。 尔公司1996 铁路运营 为4.27 ，还不足交易运 成本的。谁来支付的 “” ”客户 和CSX公司 样， 合铁路公司 将加对市场的 。
