翻譯二級筆譯綜合能力閱讀分類模擬題151

翻譯二級筆譯綜合能力閱讀分類模擬題151ReadingComprehension

EntitlementMythsbyMichaelKinsley

ThePeterG.Peter（江南博哥）sonfoundation,anewandwelcomearrivalonthenationalscoldscene,announcedinaDecemberpressreleasethattheU.S.isbankrupt.Notthegovernmentbutthewholecountryandeveryoneinit.AsofSept.30,thePGPfolksreported(usingfiguresfromtheFederalReserve),thevalueofeverybody'sassetswas$56.5trillion.Thevalueofourliabilities(publicandprivate)was$56.4trillion.GivenwhathashappenedtorealestateandthestockmarketsinceSept.30,itseemscertainthatwenowowemorethanweareworth.

Itseemscertain,thatis,ifthePGPfolksarecorrect.Now,I'mallfordoom'n'gloom—they'vedoneverywellformeinthejournalismbusinessovertheyears—butthisstruckmeastoobadtobetrue.Andoncloserexamination,itis.About$40trillionofPGP's$56trillioninliabilitiesisitscalculationoffutureMedicareandSocialSecuritybenefits($34trillionofitisMedicarealone),whichCongresshaspromisedtofutureseniorcitizensbuthasmadenoprovisiontopayfor.Thisistheentitlementsnightmarewehearsomuchabout.Troubleis,thePGPfolksseemtohaveforgottenaboutthis$40trillionofdubiouspromiseswhentottinguptheassetsofpeoplewhowill(orpossiblywon't)getthebenefits.Iftheseentitlementpromisesarerealgovernmentdebts,theyarealsorealassetsforthepeoplewhowillenjoythem.If(aswegloomsterssuspect)theyaren'trealforthefuturerecipients,thentheyaren'trealforthegovernmenteither.

Americanfamiliesmayhaveborrowedirresponsibly,andmayhaveelectedpoliticianswhoborrowevenmoreirresponsiblyontheirbehalf,butthetypicalAmericanfamilyisnotbankrupt.Theaveragecoupleage65-74hasaccumulatedanetworth(notcountingentitlementpromisesaseitherassetsorliabilities)of$691,000,accordingtotheFederalReservein2004.Shortlythereafter,ofcourse,theystarttodieinlargenumbers.Andwhathappenstothe$691,0007Generallyitgoestothechildrenandgrandchildren.

It'softensaid,onthesubjectofunderfundedentitlements,thatweare"robbingfuturegenerations."Thisisnotcompletelytrue.Youcan'tliterallysteal,say,avacationhomefromtheyear2050andplantitnexttoabeautifullakein2009.Norcanyoubeg,borroworstealmoneyin2050andspenditin2009.Butyoucanreduceyoursavingsratein2009,spendthemoneyinsteadandleavealessprosperouscountryin2050.Andifyouborrowmoneyfromforeignersin2009,aswehavebeendoingmoreandmore,theycanindeedcomeknockingin2050anddemandtheirmoneyback.Withinterest.

Meanwhile,though,families—middle-classfamilies,notjustrichones—arepassinghundredsofthousandsofdollarsontothenextgenerationintheirwills.Fairenough,iftheyworkedforthemoneyandsavedit.Infact,wonderful.Butmuchofthisgenerosity,itturnsout,ismadepossiblebySocialSecurityandMedicare.Howmuch?Hardtosay.Whatiseasiertosaywithcertaintyisthatmostpeopletodayandinthefuturewillgetmorebackfromtheseentitlementprogramsinretirementthantheyputinduringtheirworkinglives.

MedicareandSocialSecurityaresupposedtobeinsuranceagainsttheperilsofoldage:povertyandillness.Theyarenotsupposedtobegiftsorsubsidiestothechildrenofretirees.Yetthatiswhat,inlargepart,theyhavebecome.Thereasonforinsuranceisthatyoucan'tpredictthefuture.Ifanelderlywomanhasdiabetesandherhusbandneedsheartsurgery,thendiesanyway,leavingherimpoverished,MedicareandSocialSecurityshouldbethereforher.Andifitallcostsfarmorethansheeverputintothesystem,that'sO.K.too.

Butifourelderlywomandieswith$691,000inthebank,it'sevidentthatshedidn'tneedthegovernmentmoneytopayforherhealthcareortoavoidplungingintopoverty.Shewasn'tlyingorcheating—shemighthavebeenlegitimatelyworried—butherworriesturnedouttobeunnecessary.Andsociety,havingkeptitspromisetoher,shouldgetatleastpartofthatmoneyback.Oh,yes,designingasystemtoachievethiswouldbeanightmare—maybeimpossible.Theincentiveforoldfolkstosquandertheirsavingswouldbeenormous.Maybeitcan'twork.ButthepointisworthkeepinginmindasweenterPresidentObama's"newage"of"hardchoices."Andthechildren?Letthemrobtheirownchildren,justastheirparentsdid.(Time,February9,2009)1.

Thetopicofthepassagecanbestbegeneralizedas______.A.economiccrisisinAmericaB.medicareandsocialsecurityinAmericaC.American'sconsumptionconceptD.thePeterG.Petersonfoundation'sreport正確答案：B[解析]主旨題。文章從彼得·喬治·彼得森基金會關(guān)于美國“全民破產(chǎn)”的報告入手，分析了當(dāng)前的“福利神話”：旨在保障老年公民生活的社會與醫(yī)療保險面臨嚴重危機。首先是政府準備金不足，難以兌現(xiàn)賠付承諾；其次是當(dāng)代關(guān)國人享受的醫(yī)療與社會保險屬于過度消費，政府與個人“不負責(zé)任的借款”讓后代人不堪重負；再次是保險金走向不理想：受損者得到賠償保障，但一大部分保險金變成投保人的遺產(chǎn)(或許只是留給后代的不能兌現(xiàn)的支票)。保險制度急需改革，但既可兌現(xiàn)承諾又可追回部分“盈余”保險金的目標幾乎不可能實現(xiàn)，改革陷入兩難，醫(yī)療與社會保險陷入“搶劫”后代人的惡性循環(huán)。由此可見，只有B項抓住了核心議題：醫(yī)療與社會保險。A項“經(jīng)濟危機”為語篇所處的大背景，C項“消費觀”只是問題的一部分；D項為開篇之詞，易被解為“中心詞”，但實為文章“引子”。

2.

Theunderlinedphrase"entitlementnightmare"inparagraph2refersto______A.thegovernmentdoesnotpossesssufficientreservedfundtorealizeitspromise.B.thegovernmentisuncertainofitspromiseorpossiblydishonest.C.theproportionoffuturemedicarebenefitsinliabilitiesistoolarge.D.thePGPhasforgotten$40trillionwhencalculatingpeople'sassets.正確答案：A[解析]語義題。解題關(guān)鍵在于明確代詞this的所指為“國會為日漸老去的公民許下了福利諾言，但沒有保留相應(yīng)的準備金”，了解provision與dubiouspromise在本語篇中的含義分別為“準備金”與“不可靠的諾言”。A項直擊主題，其余三項均為事實，但非entitlementnightmare所指。

3.

Whichofthefollowingstatementmightbetheauthor'spointofviewon"weare'robbingfuturegenerations.'"?A.Wearerobbingfuturegenerationsthroughexcessiveconsumptionandirresponsibleborrowing.B.Wearerobbingfuturegenerationsbecausewhatweareleavingacountrywithheavyentitlementburden.C.Wearenotrobbingfuturegenerationsbecausewecannotstealavacationhomeormoneyfromtheyearof2050in2009.D.Wearenotrobbingfuturegenerationsbecauseweareleavinghundredsofthousandsofdollarstothenextgenerationinourwills.正確答案：A[解析]推斷題。文章第四段開頭指出，人們認為這種資不抵債的福利享受是在“搶劫后代”，作者認為這種說法“不完全正確”，因為“你確實不能從2050年偷一個度假屋，于2009年建在美麗的湖畔，也不能從2050年偷取或者借用金錢，在2009年花掉?！苯又P鋒一轉(zhuǎn)，指出“但你可以降低存款率，花掉你的積蓄，從而讓2050年的國家不再那么富有，也可以在2009年向外國借款，等他們在2050年連本帶利一起要回，大家已經(jīng)在這么做了”?？梢钥闯?，作者認為“我們的過度消費與不負責(zé)任的借款是搶劫后代的行為”。

4.

Whatistheauthor'sattitudetowardsPeterG.Petersonfoundation'sreport?A.SkepticalB.ImpartialC.AffirmativeD.Derogatory正確答案：C[解析]態(tài)度題。文章第一段末尾提出根據(jù)彼得·喬治·彼得森基金會的報告，“看來我們已經(jīng)資不抵債了”。觀點并不明確；第二段段首提出假設(shè)：“如果這份報告是正確的，我肯定是玩完了，但這消息太糟糕了，簡直難以置信”，但接著指出“細細考察，這確實是真的”，并以數(shù)據(jù)說明?？梢娮髡邔蟾娉挚隙☉B(tài)度，C答案正確。

5.

ItcanbesafelyinferredfromthepassageallthefollowingEXCEPT______.A.thesystemofmedicareandsocialsecurityinAmericaisnowinadilemmaandeagerforreforming.B.Americansaredeprivingtheirfuturegenerationsofthedevelopmentpotentialthroughthewayofexcessiveconsumption.C.thefuturegenerationsinAmericamightinheritalargesumoffortunefromtheirancestorsthroughthewayofmedicare.D.socialsecuritywascreatedtoprotectelderlycitizens,butitturnsoutthatit'sjustahandouttotheirkids.正確答案：D[解析]推斷題。由第三段和第六段可知，醫(yī)療與社會保險金走向分為兩種情況：投保人受損并獲得賠償；投保人無損失，所獲返還保險金由繼承人繼承?？梢?，D項說法過于絕對，失于片面。

6.

Accordingtotheauthor,theproblemsofthecurrentsecuritysystemconsistinallthefollowingEXCEPT______.A.mostpeoplegetmorebenefitsfromthesecuritysysteminretirementthanthey'veeverputin.B.insurancefortheelderincaseofsomethingurgentturnsouttobeinheritancetotheirkids.C.theseniorcitizenismotivatedtosquandertheirsavingsenormously.D.itisalmostimpossibleforittoachievetheaimofkeepingitspromiseandgetextrabenefitsbackatthesametime.正確答案：C[解析]推斷題。根據(jù)第五段最后一句可知，當(dāng)前大多數(shù)人退休后可通過福利制度獲取高于他們在工作階段付出的保險金，但作者認為這不公平，所以A項正確；第六段指出醫(yī)療與社會保險的本意是為人們的生老病死提供保障，而不是留給后代的禮物或資助，但事實是一大部分保險金最后確實只是遺產(chǎn)，B項正確；D項為倒數(shù)第二段的主要觀點，正確；C項偷換主題，老年人大把揮霍積蓄是作者設(shè)想的保險制度改革后的結(jié)果，并非現(xiàn)行制度存在的問題，故錯誤。

SexualReproduction

Birdsdoit.Beesdoit.Butdandelionsdon't.Theprodigiousspreadofthesewinsomeweedsunderscoresalittle-appreciatedbiologicalfact.Contrarytohumanexperience,sexisnotessentialtoreproduction.Asexualorganismscanoftenchurnoutmultiplegenerationsofclones,gainingadistinctedgeintheevolutionarynumbersgame.Andthereinliesthepuzzle:Ifsexissuchaninefficientwaytoreproduce,whyisitsowidespread?

Sexalmostcertainlyoriginatednearly3.5billionyearsagoasamechanismforrepairingtheDNAofbacteria.Becauseancientearthwassuchaviolentplace,thegenesoftheseunicellularorganismswouldhavebeenfrequentlydamagedbyintenseheatandultravioletradiation."Conjugation"—theintricateprocessinwhichonebacteriuminfusesgeneticmaterialintoanother—providedaningenious,ifcumbersome,solutiontothisproblem,althoughbacteriacontinuedtorelyonasexualreproductiontoincreasetheirnumbers.

Animalsex,however,isamorerecentinvention.BiologistLynnMargulisoftheUniversityofMassachusettsatAmherstbelievestheevolutionaryrootsofeggandspermcellscanbetracedbacktoagroupoforganismsknownasroteststhatfirstappearedsome1.5billionyearsago.(Modernexamplesincludeprotozoa,giantkelpandmalariaparasite.)Duringperiodsofstarvation,Margulisconjectures,onerotestwasdriventodevouranother.Sometimesthiscannibalisticmealwasincompletelydigested,andthenucleiofpreyandpredatorfused.Byjoiningforces,thefusedcellswerebetterabletosurviveadversity,andbecausetheysurvived,theirpenchantforunionwaspassedontotheirdistantdescendants.

Fromthisvantagepoint,humansexualityseemslittlemorethanawondrousaccident,bornofakindoforiginalsinamongprotozoa.Mostpopulationbiologists,however,believesexwasmaintainedoverevolutionarytimebecauseitsomehowenhancedsurvival.Themixingandmatchingofparentalgenes,theyargue,provideorganismswithanovelmechanismforgeneratinggeneticallydifferentoffspring,therebyincreasingtheoddsthattheirprogenycouldexploitnewnichesinachangingenvironmentand,byvirtueoftheirdiversity,haveabetterchanceofsurvivingtheassaultsofbacteriaandothertinygermsthatrapidlyevolvetricksforeludingtheirhosts'defenses.7.

Theword"underscore"underlinedinParagraph1mostprobablymeans______.A.overestimateB.underestimateC.underlineD.underlie正確答案：C[解析]詞義題型。underscore此處意為“強調(diào)、凸顯”，A選項意為“高估”，B選項意為“低估”，C選項意為“強調(diào)”，D選項意為“構(gòu)成……的基礎(chǔ)或原因”，故選C。本題核心：1．充分利用上下文語境推測詞義；2．區(qū)分單詞之間的細微差異。本題中underscore、underline、underlie前綴相同，對三者表意異同的甄別要依賴于平時對常見常用詞匯的積累。

8.

By"alittle-appreciatedbiologicalfact",theauthormeans______.A.mostpeoplearenotfamiliarwiththereproductionofdandelionsB.mostpeoplearenotfamiliarwithasexualreproductionC.sexualreproductionisseldomfavoredbybiologistsD.asexualreproductionisseldomfavoredbybiologists正確答案：B[解析]句子主旨題型。本題考察對文中特定句子主旨的理解。考察句在詞匯理解層面存在兩個關(guān)鍵點：一是appreciate一詞，該詞為大家所熟悉的義項是“感激，欣賞”，而此句適合的義項則是“知曉，領(lǐng)會”，整句可直譯為“一個鮮為人知的生物學(xué)事實”，C、D選項將appreciate錯誤理解為favor，將biological一詞錯誤理解為“生物學(xué)家的”，故先排除；二是fact一詞，該詞行使的是指代功能，此句本身未說明所指，故需聯(lián)系上下文加以理解。從冠詞a一詞可判斷此概念在文中屬于首次提及，可推知具體的闡釋會出現(xiàn)在此句之前而非之后，而A選項“蒲公英的繁衍”出現(xiàn)在該句之前，為作者所要陳述事實的證據(jù)，故排除。緊隨其后的Contrarytohumanexperience,sexisnotessentialtoreproduction.一句對考察句進一步加以解釋說明，可見大多數(shù)人認為性對于繁衍而言是必要條件，由此推定C選項“大多數(shù)人對無性繁衍不熟悉”符合作者的表意主旨。本題核心：留意常見詞匯的特殊義項，同時善于運用語法知識鎖定正確的信息點所在。

9.

AccordingtoParagraph1,asexualreproductionisadvantageousforits______.A.largeoffspringnumbersB.creationofoffspringwithoutamateC.creationofgeneticallyidenticaloffspringD.creationofgeneticallydifferentoffspring正確答案：A[解析]段落主旨題型。本題考察點“無性繁衍的優(yōu)點”與段落的主旨密切相關(guān)。本段為全文引段，旨在點明主題。作者采用的具體策略是反面對照法，對照的兩方分別為有性和無性繁衍，意在通過彰顯無性繁衍的優(yōu)點來引發(fā)讀者思考有性繁衍存在的必要性。段中涉及無性繁衍的敘述有兩處，一是Theprodigiousspreadofthesewinsomeweeds，二是Asexualorganismscanoftenchurnoutmultiplegenerationsofclones,gainingadistinctedgeintheevolutionarynumbersgame.從prodigiousspread(瘋狂的傳播)、churnoutmultiplegenerations(大量制造子子孫孫)和numbersgame(數(shù)字游戲)等描述詞可見作者意在突出其繁衍數(shù)量多這一優(yōu)點，故選A。本題核心：B、C選擇項的內(nèi)容(無須交配；與后代基因相同)同樣屬于無性繁殖的特征，盡管在原文中亦有所提及，但甄選正確答案有賴于把握段落的論證邏輯，找準表意重心，明確作者在此處提及無性繁殖的用意。

10.

Wecaninferfromthepassagethatsexfirstappearedin______.A.bacteriaB.multicellularorganismsC.rotestsD.protozoa正確答案：A[解析]細節(jié)題型。本題考察有性繁衍最早出現(xiàn)在哪種生物形態(tài)上。根據(jù)第二段第一句Sexalmostcertainlyoriginatednearly3.5billionyearsagoasamechanismforrepairingtheDNAofbacteria.中的originate一詞可基本鎖定A選項“細菌”。B選項中的organisms一詞同樣出現(xiàn)在第二段，但修飾詞unicellular被置換為multicellular，為干擾項。C選項rotests出現(xiàn)在第三段，對應(yīng)的時間點為1.5billionyearsago。D選項protozoa亦出現(xiàn)在第三段，對應(yīng)的時間點為modern。依次排序可確定A為正確答案。本題核心：此題涉及時間排序，可通讀全文尋找時間標識詞確定答案。

11.

WhichstatementisNOTtrueaboutconjugation?______A.Conjugationisaprocesswherebythegenesofbacteriaaretransferred.B.Conjugationisaprocesswherebythegenesofbacteriaarerecombined.C.Conjugationisaprocesswherebythegenesofbacteriaarerepaired.D.Conjugationisaprocesswherebythegenesofbacteriaaredamaged.正確答案：D[解析]概念主旨題型。此題考察對conjugation這一概念的理解。原文第三段將其描述為theintricateprocessinwhichonebacteriuminfusesgeneticmaterialintoanother(一個細菌將遺傳物質(zhì)注入另一個細菌的微妙過程)。選擇項并未照搬原文文字，因此需基于原文的描述把握概念的實質(zhì)。給出的四個選擇項分別為：在這個過程中，細菌的遺傳因子A“發(fā)生轉(zhuǎn)移”、B“進行重組”、C“得到修復(fù)”、D“遭到損害”。A、B選項涉及過程描述，從定義本身可推定此兩選項無誤。C、D選項涉及結(jié)果/后果描述，從上下文可知，遠古地球生存環(huán)境惡劣，細菌遺傳因子常因高熱和紫外線輻射而遭受損害，conjugation則提供了一種解決方案，可見結(jié)果應(yīng)當(dāng)是細菌的遺傳因子得到修復(fù)，C選項描述無誤。正確答案應(yīng)為D。本題核心：1．注意題干是以否定形式出現(xiàn)的，要求選出的是描述不正確的選項；2．不可因原文中出現(xiàn)damage原詞而斷章取義將其視為正確理解，而應(yīng)圍繞正確的邏輯關(guān)系作答。

12.

AccordingtobiologistLynnMargulis,______.A.rotestshavebotheggandspermcellsB.rotestsdevouredeachotherbecauseofstarvationC.rotestsdevouredeachotherforthesurvivalofitsspeciesD.protozoans,liketheirdistantancestors,devoureachother正確答案：B[解析]觀點主旨題型。本題考察生物學(xué)家LynnMargulis的具體觀點。原文給出的信息大意如下：精子和卵子產(chǎn)生的源頭可追溯到rotests。該類生物因為饑餓而相互吞噬，由于吞噬不完全，吞噬者和被吞噬者的細胞核發(fā)生了聚合。兩者的合力使得聚合后的細胞在惡劣環(huán)境中更容易存活，而這種相互結(jié)合的傾向也隨著其存活被其繼承下來。逐一對比選擇項可見：A選項與原文不符，盡管原文出現(xiàn)了roots一詞，但并非指rotests本身具有精子和卵子細胞，而是指這種生物在相互吞噬過程中產(chǎn)生了細胞核聚合，導(dǎo)致后來同類生物之間精子和卵子細胞存在結(jié)合的傾向。C選項與原文不符，根據(jù)原文邏輯，“物種存續(xù)”是“互相吞噬”的結(jié)果而非原因。D選項與原文不符，盡管根據(jù)modernexamples一詞可判定protozoa和rotests之間存在共性，但原文protozoa一詞出現(xiàn)在作者探討rotests的吞噬現(xiàn)象之前，可見其共性并非吞噬本能，而只是從物種分類上可大致劃歸一類。本題核心：完整理解段落邏輯，而非孤立依據(jù)單獨字句斷章取義。

13.

Paragraph4impliesthathumansexualityistheresultof______.A.geneticmutationB.gradualevolutionC.germprotectionD.bacterialtransformation正確答案：B[解析]段落主旨題型。本題考察人類性的來源，需準確把握段落的論證邏輯。第四段開頭前兩句提及了兩種截然相反的觀點，第一種認為人類性的出現(xiàn)可歸于偶然事件，第二種認為人類性的出現(xiàn)是為了存續(xù)逐漸進化而來。從Fromthisvantagepoint一詞可知，第一種觀點是對上段內(nèi)容的總結(jié)，從however一詞可見本段論證重心發(fā)生轉(zhuǎn)變，之后整段的論述都圍繞后一種觀點展開?？梢娫贏(基因突變)、B(逐漸進化)、C(胚芽保護)、D(細菌轉(zhuǎn)變)四個選項中，B是正確答案。本題核心：重點關(guān)注段落開頭以有效把握主旨。

14.

Theword"elude"underlinedinParagraph4isclosestinmeaningto______.A.escapeB.confrontC.recognizeD.attack正確答案：A[解析]詞義題型。elude此處意為“逃避、逃開”，A選項意為“逃避”，B選項意為“面臨、遭遇”，C選項意為“認出、承認”，D選項意為“攻擊”，故選A。本題核心：充分利用上下文語境推測詞義。

15.

ThefollowingcanbeinferredfromthepassageaboutsexualreproductionEXCEPT______.A.becauseofthemixingofgenesinsexualreproduction,alloffspringhavegeneticvariationsB.becauseofsexualreproduction,aspeciescanadaptmorequicklytochangesinitssurroundingsC.withthehelpofsexualreproduction,humansarebetterabletocombatbacteriaandspermsD.sexualreproductionleadstoagreatervarietyinpopulation正確答案：C[解析]是非題型。本題涉及對有性繁衍的描述，可采用排除法逐一考察。從第四段anovelmechanismforgeneratinggeneticallydifferentoffspring一句可知，A選項陳述無誤；從第三段thefusedcellswerebetterabletosurviveadversity、第四段increasingtheoddsthattheirprogenycouldexploitnewnichesinachangingenvironment等句可知，B選項陳述無誤；D選項“有性繁衍可使種群種類更多樣”是基于原文信息的合理推斷。C選項對應(yīng)原文第四段的haveabetterchanceofsurvivingtheassaultsofbacteriaandothertinygerms一句，選擇項以sperms一詞替代原文中的germs一詞以混淆視聽，故為有錯選項。本題核心：重點關(guān)注選擇項的陳述細節(jié)，需與文中相應(yīng)字句一一對照以鎖定出錯點。

16.

Thepurposeofthepassageisto______.A.justifythenecessityofsexualreproductionB.explaintheoriginofsexualreproductionC.tracethehistoryofsexualreproductionD.demonstratethedifferencesbetweensexualandasexualreproduction正確答案：A[解析]篇章主旨題型。本題考察全文主旨。文章除了開頭，主干部分基本未提及無性繁殖，可見無性繁殖只是引子，不是作者的論證重心，由此排除D選項“闡釋有性繁衍和無性繁衍之間的差異”。其余三個選項總結(jié)的內(nèi)容原文均有涉及，需細讀原文考察作者的論證邏輯。從第一段最后一句Ifsexissuchaninefficientwaytoreproduce,whyisitsowidespread?(如果有性繁殖是低效的，為何會如此普遍?)可初步推定，作者的論證重點是有性繁殖存在的必要性。再考察隨后三段論證，盡管三段文字依次談到了生物、動物以及人類的有性繁殖，并在段落開頭提及了三者的起源，但在具體論證過程中，突出的是有性繁殖發(fā)生的環(huán)境、原因以及生物進化帶來的結(jié)果，可見“必要性”才是作者的論述主旨，應(yīng)選A。本題核心：應(yīng)同時關(guān)注兩方面內(nèi)容，一是文章的開頭和結(jié)尾，二是具體段落的論證重點，以得出正確結(jié)論。

Atthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,NorthAmericansocietyheld,asanideal，theNuclearFamily.Thispresumablyperfectresidential,social,andeconomicunitconsistedofanadultmale,anadultfemaleandtheirminorchildren.Thisstructurewasthoughttobestableandlonglasting.

However,afewdecadeslater,thestructureofthatidealfamilywasbeingalteredradicallyevenwhileitwasbeingtoutedasthestructuretobeaimedfor.PopularmagazinesbemoanedthelossoftheNuclearFamilyanditsreplacementwithinferiorforms.

ThereareanumberoffactorsthatareactinginconcerttoapplypressureontheNuclearFamilyandgenerateavarietyofnewstructures.Someoftheseare:

Thedefinitionofmarriagehaschangedsomewhatinthatfewpeoplenowconsiderittolast"untildeathdouspart".Theconceptofmonogamy(themarriageofonemanandonewoman)hasbeenmodifiedtoaformnowreferredtoasserialmonogamy(themarriageofonemanandonewomanatatime).Thisreflectstheincreasingequalityofwomenandmenintermsofeconomicadvantageandtherecognitionthatmanywomennolongerdependonmenfortheirsurvival.Womenareacquiringindependenceandhavebecomeempoweredtomaketheirownchoices.Withthisindependence,theneedtoformarelationshipwithamanbecomeslessimportant.Thischangeembodiestheconceptthatthemarriageistemporaryandcanbeterminatedbyeitherpartneratanytime.Associatedwiththis,ofcourse,istherelaxationofthedivorcelawsandthesignificantreductionoftheshamethathadonetimebeenattachedtodivorce

TheeconomyofNorthAmericahasresultedinatwo-tiersystemofafewrichwhocontrolmostoftheresourcesandalargeportionofthepopulationwhocontrolalmostnoneoftheresources.Becauseofthis,manycouplesareforcedtohavebothpartnerswithfull-timejobsoutsidethehome.Thereareunintendedbyproductsoftheneedforadoubleincome.Themostimportantoftheseisthereplacementofamother-orientedsocializationofchildrentoa"stranger-oriented"socializationsystemreflectedinthegrowthofthechildcareindustry.Also,eitherpartnerisfinanciallyabletoendthemarriagewithoutsignificanthardship.

ThecombinationofthesechangeswillinthecomingdecadeshaveaprofoundeffectonthestructureofthefamilyofNorthAmerica.Asaresult,thefamilywillbeafluid,constantlychangingstructurewithvariablehouseholdarrangementsasthenorm.17.

Inthe1910smostNorthAmericansbelievedthattheNuclearFamily______.A.wouldn'tlastlongB.wasthenormalfamilystructureC.hadnosocialandeconomicbasisD.wasunworthy正確答案：B[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第一段第一句“Atthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,NorthAmericansocietyheld,asanideal,theNuclearFamily.”可知，B項為正確答案。根據(jù)第一段最后一句“Thisstructurewasthoughttobestableandlonglasting.”可知，A項不正確；C、D兩項在文中并未提及。

18.

WhathappenedtotheNuclearFamilyinthemiddleOfthetwentiethcentury?A.Itchangedgreatly.B.Itwascriticized.C.Itremainedanormalstructure.D.Itwaslost.正確答案：A[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第二段第一句“However,afewdecadeslater,thestructureofthatidealfamilywasbeingalteredradically.”可知，幾十年后，理想家庭結(jié)構(gòu)有了根本性改變。所以，答案是A。

19.

Inthemiddleofthetwentiethcentury,peopleinNorthAmerica______.A.weretiredoftheNuclearFamilyB.wantedtogiveuptheNuclearFamilyC.believedthattheNuclearFamilywashopefulD.wereindifferenttotheNuclearFamily正確答案：C[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第二段第一句“However,afewdecadeslater,thestructureofthatidealfamilywasbeingalteredradicallyevenwhileitwasbeingtoutedasthestructuretobeaimedfor.”可知，人們吹捧核心家庭是他們的目標家庭結(jié)構(gòu)。據(jù)此推斷，答案是C。

20.

WhathaschangedtheNuclearFamilyinNorthAmerica?A.Peoplehavechangedtheirideasaboutmarriage.B.Womenbecomemoreindependent.C.Theeconomyischanging.D.Alloftheabovefactorsareactingtogether.正確答案：D[解析]本題考查文章主旨。根據(jù)文章第四、五段內(nèi)容可知，這兩段主要講述了是哪些因素導(dǎo)致了核心家庭的改變，其中有人們的婚姻觀、婦女的獨立和社會經(jīng)濟狀況的改變。由此可知，答案是D。

21.

WhatisthemajorfactorthathasraisedthedivorcerateinNorthAmerica?A.Theincreasingequalityofwomen.B.Relaxationofthedivorcelaws.C.Thesignificantreductionoftheshameondivorce.D.Menhavingmorechancestoknowwomen.正確答案：A[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第四段第三句“Thisreflectstheincreasingequalityofwomenandmenintermsofeconomicadvantageandtherecognitionthatmanywomennolongerdependonmenfortheirsurvival.”可知，正確答案是A。

22.

InParagraph4,"untildeathdoaspart"probablymeansremainingmarried______.A.untildeathB.totheparticularpersonuntildeathC.toonepersonatatimeD.untiloneleaves正確答案：B[解析]本題考查短語意義。根據(jù)文章第四段第二句中的monogamy和serialmonogamy可知，"untildeathdouspart".的意思是至死都和某個人保持婚姻關(guān)系，所以，答案是B。

23.

InParagraph5,"two-tiersystem"meanssome______.A.menhavemanywiveswhileothershavenoneB.peopleareveryrichwhileothersareverypoorC.peoplehavetoomuchworktodowhileothershavenothingtodoD.peoplecontrolothers正確答案：B[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第五段的第一句話“TheeconomyofNorthAmericahasresultedinatwo-tiersystemofafewrichwhocontrolmostoftheresourcesandalargeportionofthepopulationwhocontrolalmostnoneoftheresources.”可知，正確答案是B。

24.

Manywivesworkoutsidetheirhomebecausethey______.A.wanttobeindependentB.don'twanttostayathomeC.don'thavetotakecareoftheirchildrenD.wanttomakemoneyfortheirhome正確答案：D[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第五段前兩句“TheeconomyofNorthAmericahasresultedinatwo-tiersystemofafewrichwhocontrolmostoftheresourcesandalargeportionofthepopulationwhocontrolalmostnoneoftheresources.Becauseofthis,manycouplesareforcedtohavebothpartnerswithfull-timejobsoutsidethehome.”可知，因為產(chǎn)生了雙重體系，所以，很多夫婦被迫雙雙出去工作。據(jù)此推斷，答案是D。

25.

"'Stranger-oriented'socializationsystem"inParagraph5probablymeans______.A.strangerscomehometotakecareofchildrenB.neighborsdon'tknoweachotherC.mothersworkoutsidetheirhomeandbecomestrangetotheirchildrenD.childrenbecomestrangetotheirparents正確答案：A[解析]本題考查事實細節(jié)。根據(jù)文章第五段第四句“Themostimportantoftheseisthereplacementofamother-orientedsocializationofchildrentoa'stranger-oriented'socializationsystemreflectedinthegrowthofthechildcareindustry.”可知，媽媽無暇照顧孩子，而是由陌生人來家中照顧孩子。所以，答案是A。

26.

Theauthor'spurposeisto______.A.givethebasicfactsofmarriageinNorthAmericaB.explainthereasonswhythedivorcerateishighinNorthAmericaC.introducewhybothhusbandandwifehavetoworkoutsidetheirhomeD.giveapictureoffamilystructuralchangeinNorthAmerica正確答案：D[解析]本題考查文章主旨。通讀全文可知，文章主要是講述北美家庭結(jié)構(gòu)的變化，所以，答案是D。而A、B、C三項內(nèi)容在文中都有介紹，故不選。

Celebrate.Celebrate.PhysiciansaredelightedwithaFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)advisorypanel'srecommendationearlierthisyearthatVioxxanditscousinsBextraandCelebrex(allmedicinesknownasCox-2inhibitors)shouldremainonthemarket,despiteevidencetheyincreaseheartdiseaseriskinsomepeople.Thepanelistsreachedtheirdecisionafterweighingallthedataandconcludingthebenefitsofthesepain-relievingdrugsoutweighedtherisks.

Specifically,thesescientistsacknowledgedthat,forsomepatients,theseprescriptiondrugswereuniquelyeffectiveinreducingpainfromarthritisandothercauses.Forothers—concernedaboutulcersassociatedwithaspirinandotherOTCanalgesics—theCox-2inhibitorsofferedtheadvantageofminimizingpotentiallyseriouseffectsofstomachirritation.

Nowisanappropriatetimeforeveryonetotakeafreshlookatthebenefit-riskequationforVioxxandtheotherCox-2inhibitors.

Therisks—increasedriskofheartdiseaseinsomewhousethedrugs—havebeenwellpublicized.Muchlesspublicityhasbeengiventoaspectrumofrealandpotentialbenefitsthatgowaybeyondreducedriskofstomachirritation.Theselittle-discussedbenefitswouldhavebeenlost,perhapspermanently—hadVioxx,BextraandCelebrexbeendrivenfromshelvesinpursuitofperfectsafety,anunattainablegoal.

Forexample,thereissubstantialevidenceCox-2inhibitorscanreducedevelopmentofcolonpolyps,whichmaybecomecoloncanceLIndeed.CelebrexisFDA-approvedforthosegeneticallypronetocoloncancer.Ironically,the2004studythatrevealedtheelevatedheartattackriskofVioxxwasprimarilydesignedtofurtherestablishthedrug'seffectivenessinprotectingagainstcoloncancer.Andwhiletheresultsofthatinterruptedtrialhavenotyetbeenpublished,thereisgoodreasontobelievetheywillconfirmtheprotectiveeffectsagainstcoloncancerestablishedinresearchoverthelast10years.

Atthetimeofitswithdrawalfromthemarketlastfall,studiesofVioxxaswellastheotherCox-2drugssuggestthattheyhadotheranti-cancerpropertiesaswell,possiblyreducingtheriskofmalignanciesofanumberofsites,includingthelungandesophagus.

Hadthesedrugsbeendismissed,theiruntappedpromiseforpreventionwouldhaveevaporatedwellbeforeitwasevaluatedandappliedtosavelives.Fortunately,coolerandwiserheadsprevailed.27.

Thephase"onthemarket"underlinedinParagraph1isclosestinmeaningto______.A.forsaleB.sellC.tobelistedD.gopublic正確答案：A[解析]根據(jù)文中第一段的內(nèi)容“VioxxanditscousinsBextraandCelebrex(allmedicinesknownasCox-2inhibitors)shouldremainonthemarket”可知，它們可在市場上銷售。選項中的A項為“出售”符合文意。B項“賣”，C項“上市”，D項“公開”，這三項均不符合題意。

28.

TheFDAadvisorypanelrecommendsthatCox-2inhibitorsshouldbe______.A.givenclinictestB.takenwithgreatcautionC.usedtotreatheartproblemsD.madeavailabletothepatients正確答案：D[解析]根據(jù)文中第一段的內(nèi)容“PhysiciansaredelightedwithaFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)advisorypanel'srecommendationearlierthisyearthatVioxxanditscousinsBextraandCelebrex(allmedicinesknownasCox-2inhibitors)shouldremainonthemarket,”可知，Cox-2抑制劑應(yīng)該在市場上繼續(xù)銷售，所以D項正確。A項“Cox-2抑制劑應(yīng)該被用于臨床試驗”，B項“Cox-2抑制劑應(yīng)該被小心利用”，C項“Cox-2抑制劑應(yīng)該被用來治療心臟病”，這三項和文中第一段內(nèi)容不符。

29.

Theword"outweighed"underlinedinParagraph1isclosestinmeaningto______.A.outbalanceB.exceedC.predominateD.rule正確答案：B[解析]根據(jù)文中第一段的內(nèi)容“thebenefitsofthesepain-relievingdrugsoutweighedtherisks”可知，這些藥物的好處大大超過其風(fēng)險。選項中的