1、考研英语难词长句班 ShineKY2012-02 考研英语应试之王 商志 2010 年 10 月修订1NO. 1 ( 0403)When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isnt biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isnt cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as shed like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but l
2、ast month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. “Im a good economic indicator,” she says. “I provide a service that people can do without when theyre concerned about saving some dollars.” So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillards depa
3、rtment store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. “I dont know if other clients are going to abandon me, too” she says. Even before Alan Greenspans admission that Americas red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From
4、 car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7
5、 percent from last years pace. But dont sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economys long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening. Consumers say theyre not in despair because, despite the dreadful
6、 headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, “theres a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses,” says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still r
7、ising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. “Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three,” says John Deadly, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job. Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Pote
8、ntial home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldnt mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Gettin
9、g a table at Manhattans hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan over the past couple of years, inflation has been consistently lower than expected in Britain and America.Economists have been particularly surprised by favorable inflation figures in Bri
10、tain and the United States, since conventional measures suggest that both economies, and especially Americas, have little productive slack. Americas capacity utilization, for example, hit historically high levels earlier this year, and its jobless rate (5.6% in August) has fallen below most estimate
11、s of the natural rate of unemployment the rate below which inflation has taken off in the past.Why has inflation proved so mild? The most thrilling explanation is, unfortunately, a little defective. Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have up-ended the old economic mo
12、dels that were based upon the historical link between growth and inflation. 67. From the passage we learn that _. A) there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates B) economy will always follow certain models C) the economic situation is better than expected D) economists had
13、foreseen the present economic situation 68. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A) Making monetary policies is comparable to driving a car B) An extremely low jobless rate will lead to inflation C) A high unemployment rate will result from inflation D) Interest rates have an im
14、mediate effect on the economy 69. The sentence “This is no flash in the pan” (Line 5, Paragraph 3) means that _. A) the low inflation rate will last for some time B) the inflation rate will soon rise C) the inflation will disappear quickly D) there is no inflation at present 70. The passage shows th
15、at the author is _ the present situation. A) critical ofB) puzzled byC) disappointed atD) amazed at NO. 3 ( 0703)During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risks and
16、new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in 考研英语难词长句班 ShineKY2012-02 考研英语应试之王 商志 2010 年 10 月修订4a few months.In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics.
17、 Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Todays families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute th
18、ey once had in times of financial setback a back-up earner （usually Mom）who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad time
19、s. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry ar
20、e joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all
21、of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen and newly fashionable health-saving plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-M
22、art workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance have jumped ei
23、ghtfold in just one generation.From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overbu
24、rdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.11. Todays double-income families are at greater financial risk in thatA the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared.B their chances of being laid off have greatly increased.C they are more vulne
25、rable to changes in family economics.D they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance.12. As a result of President Bushs reform, retired people may haveA a higher sense of security. B less secured payments.C less chance to invest. D a guaranteed future.13. According to the author, health-
26、savings plans willA help reduce the cost of healthcare. B popularize among the middle class.考研英语难词长句班 ShineKY2012-02 考研英语应试之王 商志 2010 年 10 月修订5C compensate for the reduced pensions. D increase the families investment risk.14. It can be inferred from the last paragraph thatA financial risks tend to o
27、utweigh political risks.B the middle class may face greater political challenges.C financial problems may bring about political problems.D financial responsibility is an indicator of political status.15. Which of the following is the best title for this text?A The Middle Class on the Alert B The Mid
28、dle Class on the CliffC The Middle Class in Conflict D The Middle Class in RuinsNO. 4 ( 0303)In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 perce
29、nt of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers. Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions
30、and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by t
31、he throat. The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such “captive” shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcha
32、rged have the right to appeal to the federal governments Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases. Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduce
33、s everyones cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. Its a theory to which many economists sub
34、scribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. “Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?” asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents ship
35、per. Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue
36、to borrow billions to acquire one another, with 考研英语难词长句班 ShineKY2012-02 考研英语应试之王 商志 2010 年 10 月修订6Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the $ 10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrails net railway operating income in 1996 was just $ 427 million, less than h
37、alf of the carrying costs of the transaction. Whos going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market. 51. According to those who support mergers railway monopoly is unlikely because A. cost reduction is bas
38、ed 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. 52. What is many captive shippers attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry? A. Indifferent. B. Supportive. C. Indignant. D.
39、 Apprehensive. 53. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that A. shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad. B. there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide. C. overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief. D. a government board ensures fair play in railway busine
40、ss. 54. The word “arbiters” (line 6,paragraph 4)most probably refers to those A. who work as coordinators. B. who function as judges. C. who supervise transactions. D. who determine the price. 55. According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by A. the continuing acq
41、uisition. B. the growing traffic. C. the cheering Wall Street. D. the shrinking market. NO. 5 ( 0104)The world is going through the biggest wave of mergers and acquisitions ever witnessed. The process sweeps from hyperactive America to Europe and reaches the emerging countries with unsurpassed might
42、. Many in these countries are looking at this process and worrying: “Wont the wave of business concentration turn into an uncontrollable anti-competitive force?“ 考研英语难词长句班 ShineKY2012-02 考研英语应试之王 商志 2010 年 10 月修订7Theres no question that the big are getting bigger and more powerful. Multinational cor
43、porations accounted for less than 20% of international trade in 1982.Today the figure is more than 25% and growing rapidly. International affiliates account for a fast-growing segment of production in economies that open up and welcome foreign investment. In Argentina, for instance, after the reform
44、s of the early 1990s, multinationals went from 43% to almost 70% of the industrial production of the 200 largest firms. This phenomenon has created serious concerns over the role of smaller economic firms, of national businessmen and over the ultimate stability of the world economy. I believe that t
45、he most important forces behind the massive M we are genetically programmed to disintegrate and perish, even under ideal conditions. We all understand that at some level, yet as medical consumers we treat death as a problem to be solved. Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of our care, we d
46、emand everything that can possibly be done for us, even if its useless. The most obvious example is late-stage cancer care. Physicians frustrated by their inability to cure the disease and fearing loss of hope in the patient too often offer aggressive treatment far beyond what is scientifically just
47、ified. In 1950, the U.S. spent $ 12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $ 1,540 billion. Anyone can see this trend is unsustainable. Yet few seem willing to try to reverse it. Some scholars conclude that a government with finite resources should simply stop paying for medical care th
48、at sustains life beyond a certain age-say 83 or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and infirm “have a duty to die and get out of the way”, so that younger, healthier people can realize their potential. I would not go that far. Energetic people now routin
49、ely work through their 60s and beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone jokingly claims to be 53.Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his 80s.These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that come naturally with age. As a mere 68-year-old, I wish to age as productively as they have. Ye
