基礎(chǔ)提升考研真題閱讀每日一篇(43)(2013.4.18)

1、2007 Text 3 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 risk and new realties. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from soli

2、dly middle class to newly poor in a few months.In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family

3、risk has risen as well. Todays families have budgeted to the limits of theirs new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachuted they 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

4、. This “added-worker effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. 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,

5、 families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirem

6、ent 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 of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost o

7、f healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen and newly fashionable health-saving plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families future healthcare. Even demographics are working against

8、 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 eightfold in just one generation.From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise m

9、ore financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.31.Todays double-income families are at greater fina

10、ncial 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 vulnerable to changes in family economics.（C）D they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance.32.As a result of President Bushs reform, retired pe

11、ople may haveA a higher sense of security.B less secured payments.C less chance to invest.（B）D a guaranteed future.33.According to the author, health-savings plans willA help reduce the cost of healthcare.B popularize among the middle class.C compensate for the reduced pensions.（D）D increase the fam

12、ilies investment risk.34.It can be inferred from the last paragraph thatA financial risks tend to outweigh political risks.B the middle class may face greater political challenges.C financial problems may bring about political problems.（C）D financial responsibility is an indicator of political statu

13、s.35.Which of the following is the best title for this text?A The Middle Class on the AlertB The Middle Class on the CliffC The Middle Class in Conflict（B）D The Middle Class in Ruins【答案解析】31.C細(xì)節(jié)事實(shí)題為什么今天的雙職工家庭會(huì)面臨更大的經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)?根據(jù)原文第二段第四、五、六句可知選項(xiàng)C“他們更易于受到家庭經(jīng)濟(jì)變化的影響”是原文的同義替換，故為正確答案。選項(xiàng)A講“過(guò)去的安全網(wǎng)已經(jīng)消失了”。 disappear

14、是一個(gè)文中未提及的信息;選項(xiàng)B“被解雇的機(jī)會(huì)增加”屬于答非所問(wèn);選項(xiàng)D“他們不能享受失業(yè)保險(xiǎn)”與原文第五句中的“support”，明顯相反。32.B細(xì)節(jié)事實(shí)題。由于布什總統(tǒng)的改革，退休職工可能會(huì)如何?根據(jù)題干中的布什總統(tǒng)定位到原文第三段。根據(jù)第二段第四句“For younger.families, the picture is not any better.年輕家庭日子也不會(huì)好過(guò)”，既然年輕人日子也不好過(guò)，馬上得知退休職工日子不好過(guò)。選項(xiàng)B“安全性變差”與原文意思相符。選項(xiàng)A“更有安全感”和選項(xiàng)D“將來(lái)有保證”都說(shuō)明退休職工過(guò)得好，與原文意思相反;選項(xiàng)C“更少的投資機(jī)會(huì)”文中未提及退休職工是否

15、投資。33.D細(xì)節(jié)事實(shí)題。根據(jù)作者觀點(diǎn)，健康儲(chǔ)蓄賬戶計(jì)劃如何?選項(xiàng)A“有利于減少健康護(hù)理的成本”屬于對(duì)詞義的曲解，文中saving指的是“儲(chǔ)蓄賬戶”，而非“減少成本”的概念;選項(xiàng)B“在中產(chǎn)階級(jí)中非常普及”這一信息在文中未提及;原文第硯段第三句中“their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns”既然取決于投資，那么肯定是具有不確定性的，因此與選項(xiàng)C“補(bǔ)償減少的養(yǎng)老金”意義相反;而選項(xiàng)D“增加了家庭投資的不確定性”是原文的同義替換。34.C推理題。從最后一段，我們推斷出什么?根據(jù)選項(xiàng)，很明確應(yīng)該對(duì)應(yīng)原文末

16、句“The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.經(jīng)濟(jì)上的副作用已經(jīng)顯現(xiàn)，那政治上的副作用可能也不遠(yuǎn)了?！边x項(xiàng)A“經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)加劇了政治風(fēng)險(xiǎn)”與原文意思相反;選項(xiàng)B“中產(chǎn)階級(jí)會(huì)面臨更大的政治挑戰(zhàn)”是一個(gè)無(wú)中生有的比較;選項(xiàng)D“經(jīng)濟(jì)責(zé)任心是政治身份的象征”，其中的“responsibility和status”是文中沒(méi)有出現(xiàn)過(guò)的概念。選項(xiàng)C“經(jīng)濟(jì)問(wèn)題可能引發(fā)政治問(wèn)題”為原文的同義替換。35.B主旨題。文章最好的標(biāo)題是什么?選項(xiàng)A on the Alert警告”，既然是警告，說(shuō)明問(wèn)題還沒(méi)出

17、現(xiàn)，與原文意義相反;選項(xiàng)C in Conflict沖突”，文章中沒(méi)有講過(guò)沖突的概念;選項(xiàng)Din Ruins毀滅”說(shuō)明中產(chǎn)階級(jí)已經(jīng)崩潰，與原文不符。選項(xiàng)B on the Cliff岌岌可?！狈显?，選項(xiàng)B為正確答案?！救姆g】在過(guò)去的十幾年里，美國(guó)那些曾經(jīng)可以依靠辛勤勞動(dòng)和公平條件以維持其收入穩(wěn)定的中產(chǎn)階層家庭被經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)和新現(xiàn)實(shí)改變了。如今，一份解雇通知書(shū)、一個(gè)不利的診斷結(jié)果或者配偶的去世都可能在幾個(gè)月之內(nèi)將一個(gè)家庭從穩(wěn)定的中產(chǎn)階層家庭降格成為一個(gè)新貧困家庭。在僅僅一代人的時(shí)間里，數(shù)百萬(wàn)母親出去工作，改變了基本的家庭經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況。學(xué)者、決策者以及各類批評(píng)人士對(duì)這些變化的社會(huì)意義爭(zhēng)論不休，但是，很

18、少有人關(guān)注這些變化的副作用：家庭的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)增加了。如今的家庭根據(jù)其新的雙收入限度安排開(kāi)支。因此，它們失去了它們?cè)诮?jīng)濟(jì)蕭條時(shí)期曾經(jīng)有過(guò)的緩解舉措一個(gè)后備掙錢(qián)者（通常是媽媽），如果家庭的主要掙錢(qián)者失業(yè)了或者病倒了，她可以出去工作。這種“額外工人效應(yīng)”可以支撐失業(yè)保險(xiǎn)或殘疾保險(xiǎn)提供的安全網(wǎng)，以便幫助家庭渡過(guò)難關(guān)。但現(xiàn)在，家庭財(cái)產(chǎn)的損失再也不可能通過(guò)呆在家里的其他伴侶的額外收入彌補(bǔ)了。 在同一時(shí)期，要求家庭在其退休收入中承擔(dān)更多風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。鋼鐵廠的工人、航空公司的職員以及汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)工人加入了數(shù)百萬(wàn)不得不擔(dān)心利率、股市波動(dòng)以及可能比其退休收入存在時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)的嚴(yán)酷現(xiàn)實(shí)家庭。在去年的大部分時(shí)間里，布什總統(tǒng)一直致力于將社會(huì)

19、保險(xiǎn)體制轉(zhuǎn)變成一種儲(chǔ)蓄存款賬戶模式，要求退休人員將其大多數(shù)或所有保障報(bào)酬用來(lái)交換依靠投資回報(bào)所得的報(bào)酬。對(duì)于更年輕的家庭來(lái)說(shuō)，前景不容樂(lè)觀。衛(wèi)生保健和家庭承擔(dān)份額的絕對(duì)成本都上漲了而且，最近實(shí)施的健康儲(chǔ)蓄計(jì)劃正在從立法機(jī)關(guān)擴(kuò)展到沃爾瑪員工，包含大量更高的減免，并且給家庭未來(lái)的衛(wèi)生保健帶來(lái)許多新投資風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。甚至人口統(tǒng)計(jì)狀況也對(duì)中產(chǎn)階層家庭不利，因?yàn)橛幸粋€(gè)體弱、年邁的父母以及由此而產(chǎn)生的所有物資和經(jīng)濟(jì)援助就在僅僅一代人的時(shí)間里增長(zhǎng)了8倍。從中產(chǎn)階層家庭的角度來(lái)看，大多數(shù)情況是可以理解的，這根本不像一種發(fā)揮更多支付能力的機(jī)會(huì)，而是像一種將經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)大規(guī)模轉(zhuǎn)向那些已經(jīng)負(fù)擔(dān)過(guò)重的家庭的令人恐懼的加速行為。經(jīng)

20、濟(jì)副作用已經(jīng)開(kāi)始，政治副作用可能也將開(kāi)始?！倦y句注釋】1、During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities.【譯文】 在過(guò)去的一代，美國(guó)的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭曾經(jīng)依靠努力工作和平等公正以保持財(cái)政安全，但是卻被經(jīng)濟(jì)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)和新的現(xiàn)實(shí)所改變。【析句】 句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)

21、是the American middle-class family.has been transformed by economic risk and new realities，family后接一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句。【講詞】 generation指一代人，一般為20年。count on表示指望，依靠，例如：You can count on my help.（你可以指望得到我的幫助。）fair play原是體育用語(yǔ)，意為公平比賽，轉(zhuǎn)義指公正的待遇或公平競(jìng)賽的條件。secure作形容詞表示安全的,可靠的,放心的,無(wú)慮的。transform意為轉(zhuǎn)變；轉(zhuǎn)換；變形，其名詞是transformation。2、S

22、cholars, 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.【譯文】 學(xué)者、政策制定者和各行各業(yè)的批評(píng)者對(duì)這些變化的社會(huì)意義進(jìn)行了辯論，但是幾乎沒(méi)有人關(guān)注次要的影響：家庭風(fēng)險(xiǎn)也增加了?！疚鼍洹?全句是一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)折句，冒號(hào)之后的成分是一個(gè)完整的句子，作the side effect的同位語(yǔ)。【講詞】 stripe意

23、為斑紋,條紋，all stripes意為all walks（各行各業(yè)）。implication表示牽連，涉及；含意；暗示，如：his implication in the crime（他涉及這起罪行）。It is important to consider the wider implications of making such a decision.（很有必要考慮作出這一決定的深遠(yuǎn)意義。）implication的動(dòng)詞是implicate。side effect通常表示藥物等的副作用，在句中表示次要的影響。3、As a result,they have lost the parachute

24、they 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.【譯文】 因此，他們已經(jīng)失去了經(jīng)濟(jì)困難時(shí)曾有的保障，即家中主要的掙錢(qián)人一旦失業(yè)或生病，預(yù)備掙錢(qián)人（通常是媽媽）可以加入勞動(dòng)大軍。【析句】 as a result作狀語(yǔ)，表示某種結(jié)果。a back-up earner (usually Mom)在句中作the parachute的同位語(yǔ)，后面

25、接一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句?！局v詞】 parachute的字面意思是降落傘，但在句中表示保障。setback意為挫折，financial setback表示財(cái)政或經(jīng)濟(jì)上的困難。primary意為主要的；首要的，跟major，main等意思相近。如要表示次要的，英文是secondary。earner在句中指wage earner，即掙錢(qián)人。workforce指就業(yè)大軍；勞動(dòng)力（工人的總數(shù)）。lay off意為失業(yè)。4、Thisadded-worker effect could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disabi

26、lity insurance to help families weather bad times.【譯文】 這種附加工人效應(yīng)可以支持失業(yè)保險(xiǎn)或殘疾保險(xiǎn)所提供的保障制度，以幫助家庭渡過(guò)困難時(shí)期?！疚鼍洹?句子的主干是Thisadded-worker effect could support the safety net，過(guò)去分詞offered引導(dǎo)的結(jié)構(gòu)作定語(yǔ)修飾the safety net?！局v詞】add意為增加，added可以表示附加的，如：added value（附加值，凈增值）。safety net指社會(huì)保障制度。unemployment insurance指失業(yè)保險(xiǎn)，disabilit

27、y insurance指殘疾保險(xiǎn)。weather在句中作動(dòng)詞，表示抵御；承受；平安渡過(guò)，如：weather a crisis（渡過(guò)危機(jī)）。bad times意為壞時(shí)光；艱苦的日子，其反義詞是good times。5、Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that t

28、hey may outlive their retirement money.【譯文】 鋼鐵工人、航空公司的雇員，以及在汽車工業(yè)中就業(yè)的人，他們現(xiàn)在和數(shù)百萬(wàn)的家庭一樣，必須操心利率和股票市場(chǎng)的升降，擔(dān)心他們的退休金不夠用的嚴(yán)峻現(xiàn)實(shí)。【析句】 句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是Steelworkers.are joining millions of families，families后面跟一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句。而在定語(yǔ)從句中，主語(yǔ)是who，謂語(yǔ)是worry about，賓語(yǔ)是interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the hash reality。that they m

29、ay outlive their retirement money是一個(gè)定語(yǔ)從句，修飾the harsh reality。【講詞】worry about表示操心；擔(dān)心。interest rates指利率，stock market指股票市場(chǎng)，fluctuation指股票市場(chǎng)的波動(dòng)，retirement money指退休金。outlive意為比.長(zhǎng)命；比.耐久；經(jīng)受住，如：This regulation has outlived its usefulness.（這一規(guī)則沒(méi)用卻仍然存在。）6、For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned t

30、o move Social Security to a savings-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns.【譯文】 在過(guò)去的大部分時(shí)間中，布什總統(tǒng)推行社會(huì)保障制度的改革，力圖把它變成儲(chǔ)蓄帳戶的模式，讓退休人員拿出大部分或所有的確定付款，以換取依賴于投資回報(bào)的付款?！疚鼍洹?句子的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是President Bush campaigned to move Social Security

31、 to a savings-account model，介詞with所接的成分作狀語(yǔ)，說(shuō)明儲(chǔ)蓄帳戶模式?！局v詞】campaign作名詞表示競(jìng)選；戰(zhàn)役；政治或商業(yè)的活動(dòng)，作動(dòng)詞表示打仗；競(jìng)選；開(kāi)展某種活動(dòng)，如：campaigned for human rights（開(kāi)展人權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)）。social security指社會(huì)保障（制度）。guarantee意為保證，如：The government guaranteed to free the captives.（政府保證釋放俘虜。）guarantee freedom of speech（保證言論自由）。7、Both the absolute cost

32、of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen-and newly fashionable health savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families future healthcare.【譯文】 絕對(duì)醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)用和家庭所承擔(dān)的（部分）費(fèi)用均已經(jīng)上漲，而新型的

33、醫(yī)療儲(chǔ)蓄計(jì)劃正從立法機(jī)構(gòu)推廣開(kāi)來(lái)，（甚至）涵蓋沃爾瑪超市的工人，這一計(jì)劃出現(xiàn)了更多的扣除條款，并給家庭未來(lái)的醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)又增加了一筆很大的投資風(fēng)險(xiǎn)?！疚鼍洹?全句包括兩個(gè)并列分句，介詞with所引導(dǎo)的成分說(shuō)明newly fashionable health-savings plan的內(nèi)容，一是更高的扣除條款（就像保險(xiǎn)公司的做法一樣，廣告上說(shuō)大病保險(xiǎn)，但實(shí)際上所謂的大病并不是所有的大病，保險(xiǎn)合同中的扣除條款太多），一是增加了一筆很大的投資風(fēng)險(xiǎn)（繳納的醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)費(fèi)用被拿去投資）?！局v詞】absolute意為絕對(duì)的，反義詞是relative。healthcare（醫(yī)療保險(xiǎn)），health-savings（

34、醫(yī)療儲(chǔ)蓄，類似中國(guó)的醫(yī)?？ǎ琹egislative halls（立法機(jī)構(gòu)，在美國(guó)指國(guó)會(huì)）。deductible可減免的，可扣除的，文中指保險(xiǎn)合同的扣除條款。dose作名詞表示劑量；(一)服，作動(dòng)詞表示服藥。a dose of表示一定量的。8、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 eightfold in just one generation.【譯文】 甚至人口分布的數(shù)據(jù)也與中產(chǎn)階級(jí)家庭作對(duì)，因?yàn)榧抑杏幸晃惑w弱高齡的父親或母親的可能性在僅僅一代人的時(shí)間里增加了8倍，照顧家中的老人就需要體力和財(cái)力的付出。【析句】 全句是一個(gè)復(fù)合句，主句是Even demograp