2000 Passage 1

2000 Passage 1

 

　　A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.　

　　It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July.) Foreign-made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America's machine-tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.

　　All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid-1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.

　　How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. "American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted," according to Richard Cavanaugh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses are improving their productivity," says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as "a golden age of business management in the United States."

51. The US achieved its predominance after World War Ⅱ because________.
　　[A] it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal
　　[B] its domestic market was eight times larger than before
　　[C] the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors
　　[D] the unparalleled size of its workforce had given an impetus to its economy

52. The loss of US predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the American________.
　　[A] TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic market
　　[B] semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprises
　　[C] machine-tool industry had collapsed after suicidal actions
　　[D] auto industry had lost part of its domestic market

53. What can be inferred from the passage?
　　[A] It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride.
　　[B] Intense competition may contribute to economic progress.
　　[C] The revival of the economy depends on international cooperation.
　　[D] A long history of success may pave the way for further development.

54. The author seems to believe the revival of the US economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the________.
　　[A] turning of the business cycle
　　[B] restructuring of industry
　　[C] improved business management
　　[D] success in education

重点词汇：

handicap /5hAndikAp/ （v.阻碍；使不利）←hand+i(n)+cap，据说源自古代一种赌博：将罚金置于帽子里，手进入帽子抽签，抽中者处不利地位。cultural handicap 文化障碍；language handicap 语言障碍。

unparalleled /Qn5pArEleld/ （无可比拟的）←un+parallel+ed；parallel（n.v.a.平行；相似）即para+llel，para-前缀“在旁边”=beside，llel三个l看作是“平行线”。parallel points in the characters of different men 不同人的个性的相同之处。

prosperous /5prCspErEs/ （繁荣的）←prosper（v.繁荣）+ous；prosperity /prCs5periti/ （繁荣）←prosper+ity名词后缀。The problems to be resolved demand, and create, spiritual resources which the prosperous ease of a golden age will never inspire.等待解决的问题需要并且造成了黄金时代的繁荣安逸不可能激发的精神资源。The prosperity of a people is proportionate to the number of hands and minds usefully employed.国家的繁荣与有效使用的人手和头脑的数量成比例。If we did not something taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.如果不偶尔遭遇不幸，幸福就不会如此甜蜜。prosperity — something the businessmen create for the politicians to take credit for 繁荣——实业家发明出来让政客居功的某种东西。

predominance /pri5dCminEns/ （优势）即pre+domin+ance，pre-“在前”，domin词根“支配”（如dominate→domin+ate动词后缀→支配；占优势），-ance名词后缀；predominant（占优势的；起主要作用的）←pre+domin+ant形容词后缀。the predominant feature of sb.'s character 某人性格的主要特征。

sensational /sen5seiFEnEl/ （感动的；引起轰动的）即sens(e)+ation+al，sense词根“感觉”，-sation名词后缀，-al形容词后缀。sensational literature 令人激动的作品；a sensational crime 骇人听闻的罪行。

attribute /E5tribju:t/ （属性v.归因于）即at+tribute，at-(=to)，tribute词根“给”，于是“把属性给某物”→归因于；contribute /kEn5tribju:t/ （v.贡献；捐献；投稿）即con一起+tribute，“一起给”→捐献→引申为“投稿”。参distribution，2003年Text 1。I attribute the little I know to my not having been ashamed to ask for information, and to my rule of conversing with all descriptions of men on those topics that form their own peculiar professions and pursuits.我把自己这点知识归因于不耻于提问，归因于常常与各种各样的人谈论那些造成了他们各自专业与行当的主题。The value of a man is decided by what he has contributed, not by what he has obtained.人的价值取决于他所贡献的，而非他所获取的。

executive /i^5zekjutiv/ （执行的；执行官）可看作exe+cut+ive，exe即“可执行文件”后缀名，cut切，-ive后缀，“执行(exe)官的任务是——如果你不听话，就把你cut掉”。The business system is blessed with a built-in corrective, namely, that one executive's mistakes become his competitor's assets.商界有一条天然的校正法则，即：决策者的失误会变成竞争对手的资产。executive — a person who always decides; sometimes he decides correctly 管理人员——总在做决定的人；有时候他也能做出正确决定。

productivity /7prCdQk5tiviti/ （生产率）即produc(e)+tiv(e)+ity，produce生产，-tive形容词后缀，-ity名词后缀。raise the labour productivity 提高劳动生产率。

impetus /5impitEs/ （n.推动；推动力）可看作im+pet+us，im-即in-（in-在p前变形为im-），pet宠物，us我们，宠物(pet)里面(im)有我们(us)的动力(impetus)。the primary impetus behind the economic recovery 促使经济复苏的主要推动力。

manifest /5mAnifest/ （明白的；v.表明）看作man+if+est，man男人，if是否，est形容词最高级，“男人是否最明白”。No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.无论明显的荒唐有多大……都无法阻止那些由于相信而相信的人。

withdraw /wiT5drC:/ （v.撤销；缩回；提取）←with+draw，with-(=back, against)，draw拉，“拉回来”。This is no time for any man to withdraw into some ivory tower and proclaim the right to hold himself aloof from the problems and the agonies of his society.现在对于任何人都不是缩进某座象牙塔并声明自己有权置身于社会问题与痛苦之外的时候。

restructure /ri5strQktFE/ （v.重组）←re+structure，re-再=again，structure（v.n.构造）。The past has revealed to me the structure of the future.过去向我揭示了未来的结构。

at a loss 不知所措；on the ropes 岌岌可危；take sth. for granted 认为理所当然；quick-witted 机智的；think-tank 智囊团。

难句解析：

①A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force.
▲该句是一个并列句，由前后两个转折关系的分句组成，其间的连词为but。but与后一个分句之间又插入一个由if引导的条件状语if properly handled，该状语原来是一个if引导的条件状语从句，即if it(a history of long and effortless success) is properly handled，其中的it is由于和该分句的主句部分主谓语一致而被省略掉了。
△本句结构比较简明，只需注意but与it may become a driving force之间的if结构是一个插入语，并且是一个省略了主语和系动词的被动语态。此外handicap意为“不利条件”。

②Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.
▲前一句中its workers the most skilled是一个伴随状语，省略了其中的being，补齐成分后应为its workers being the most skilled。后一句中beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians作prosperous的状语，beyond为介词，是“超越，超出”的意思。而whose economies the war had destroyed作定语从句修饰the Europeans and Asians，原形是the war had destroyed the economies of the Europeans and Asians。
△注意beyond一词的意思，它表示“在……之外”。

③For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.
▲该句带有一个表语从句，其表语从句中又套有两个并列的定语从句。全句主句部分的主谓结构是it looked...，as though（即as if好像）引导的从句是looked（看上去）的表语。表语从句中主语为the making of semiconductors，谓语为was going to be，而逗号之间的两个which从句是the making of semiconductors的非限定性定语，同时又是插入语。
△注意理解the next casualty的含义，casualty本意为“伤亡”，此处是“被国外产品击败的美国本土产业”。

④Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.
▲英语的句式词汇一般都比较简练，如果将本句用中国人习惯的语式讲出应该如下：Their sometimes surprising findings about the causes of American's industrial decline are full of the warnings about the growing competition from overseas nations.
△sensational即surprising。另外注意本句的中心意思在句末的the growing competition from overseas。

⑤Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride.
▲attribute... to...将……归功或归咎于……。solely作状语修饰attribute，this指代上一句中的five years of solid growth，此外as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle作宾语such obvious causes的补语。
△yield to是“向……屈服”，即“被取代”。此处使用了现在完成时，证明这种状态到现在已成型。

试题解析：

51. [C] 意为：战争摧毁了多数潜在的竞争国的经济。
　　提问中predominance意为“优势”。
　　第一段指出，第二次世界大战以后，美国进入一个欣欣向荣的(glowing)发展时期，它拥有八倍于其他任何一个竞争国家的市场，工业经济发展到空前规模，它拥有世界上最优秀的科学家和技术最高的工人。美国的繁荣和美国人的富裕水平，是欧洲人和亚洲人做梦也达不到的，因为战争摧毁了他们的经济。
　　A意为：它已经为实现这一目标付出了艰苦的努力。
　　B意为：其国内市场比以前大八倍。
　　D意为：其劳动力（数量）空前的规模促进了经济的发展。

52. [D] 意为：汽车工业失去了部分国内市场。
　　第二段第六句提到，进口车和纺织品涌进（美国）国内市场。
　　A意为；电视工业萎缩回到了国内市场（即：该工业失去了国际市场）。根据第二段，到80年代中期，面对其工业竞争力的日益衰退，美国人感到无计可施(at a loss)，美国某些大的行业——如电子消费品——在园际竞争的压力下，面临萎缩或消亡的威胁。到1987年为止，美国仅存的电视制造商只有Zenith一家了（现在已荡然无存：Zenith于7月份（指文章写作年代的7月份）被韩国LG电子有限公司购买）。这里并没有直接提到美国电视失去国际市场，事实上，它连国内市场也保不住了。
　　B意为：半导体行业被外国公司接管。第二段最后一句提到，在一段时间内，半导体制造业似乎要成为下一个受害者，虽然美国是半导体的发明者，而且半导体又处于新的计算机时代的核心位置（即：在新的时代中起着关键作用）。本句中casualty意为“伤亡”、“受害者”，与上一句中be on the ropes（美语俚语，意为“即将完蛋”）相照应。这里所说的是半导体制造商似乎(as though)要失去国内外市场．而不是被国外企业接管。
　　C意为：机床制造业自取灭亡。第二段提到了机床制造业“即将完蛋”(on the ropes)。这显然也是说它正在失去国内外市场，并未提到它的灭亡是由其自身原因造成的。

53. [B] 意为：激烈的竞争可能促进经济的发展。
　　第三段提到，严峻的现实（this指上一段中提到的诸多现状）使美国人失去了自信，他们不再认为繁荣是自然而至的事，他们开始认识到自己的经营方式存在严重问题(failing)。在80年代中期，他们开始挖掘美国经济衰退的原因，他们有时有些惊人的(sensational)发现，其中往往提示人们警惕外来竞争。第四段提到了90年代的经济复苏。其中的含义是：在竞争的压力下，美国人在80年代进行了自我反思和产业结构调整，因此带来了90年代的经济复苏。
　　A意为：在自我怀疑和盲目骄傲之间摆来摆去是人的本性。（即：人倾向于在这两种心态之间摇摆）。
　　C意为：经济的复苏取决于国际间的合作。
　　D意为：长期的成功可以为进一步的发展铺平道路。

54. [A] 意为：经济周期的转机。
　　在第四段，作者指出，截止到1995年，美国已经经历了五年的稳定（经济）增长，而日本却在困境中挣扎，但是，美国人并不将这一增长看做是美元贬值或经济周期的转机等明显的因素直接带来的，而是由自我怀疑变为盲目的骄傲。这里作者实际上对当前美国人的盲目乐观情绪进行了批评，认为，90年代的增长是由美元贬值或经济周期的转机等因素造成的。
　　B意为：产业结构的调整。根据Richard Cavanaugh的看法，美国经济的持续增长是由产业结构的调整造成，他认为美国的产业正在“节食”(go on a diet)，正在变得更加理智。但这并不是作者的观点。参阅第四段。
　　C意为：经营管理的改善。根据Stephen Moore的看法，美国的经济正在提高其生产率。但这也不是作者的观点。参阅第四段。
　　D意为：教育上的成功。

全文翻译：

　　一段长时间并且不费力而成功的历史可能成为一种可怕的不利因素，但若处理得当，这种不利因素也有可能转化为一种积极的推动力。二战结束后，美国恰好进入了这样的一个辉煌时期，当时，它拥有比任何竞争者大8倍的市场，这使其工业经济具有前所未有的规模经济。美国的科学家是世上最优秀的，它的工人是最富于技术的。美国的国富民强是那些经济遭到战争破坏的欧亚诸国做梦也无法达不到的。
　　随着其他国家日益强盛，美国的这一优势地位逐渐下降是不可避免的。从优势地位上退出的痛苦也同样是不可避免的。到了80年代中期，面对其日益衰退的工业竞争力，美国人感到不知所措。面对国外竞争，一些大型的美国工业，如消费电子产业，已经萎缩或渐渐消失。到1987年，美国只剩下Zenith这一家电视生产商。（现在一家也没有了：Zenith于当年7月被韩国LG电器公司收购。）外国制造的汽车和纺织品正在大举进入国内市场。美国的机床工业也即将灭亡。人们曾一度感觉下一个在海外品牌面前全军覆没的似乎该轮到美国的半导体制造业了，而在新计算机时代有着核心作用的半导体正是美国人发明的。
　　所有这一切导致了信任危机。美国不再视繁荣为理所当然之事。他们开始相信自己的商业经营方式不灵了，也相信不久他们的收入也会因此而下降。80年代中期，人们对美国工业衰退的成因作了一次又一次的探寻。在美国人那些有时耸人听闻的发现中充满着对其他国家日益增长的经济竞争的警告之词。
　　情况的变化真快！1995年，当日本还在奋力拼搏的时候，美国却可以对5年的稳固发展作一回顾了。没几个美国人将这一巨变单纯归因于美元贬值或商业周期循环这些显而易见的原因。到如今，对自身的怀疑已被盲目乐观所取代。“美国的工业已经改变了结构，消除了滞胀，学会了明智”，这是哈佛大学肯尼迪管理学院行政院长理查德·卡佛纳的看法。华盛顿特区的智囊团——卡托研究院的史蒂芬·莫尔说：“看到我们的企业正在提高自身的生产率，作为一个美国人，我感到自豪。”哈佛商学院的威廉·萨尔曼相信人们将会把这一时期视为“美国企业管理的黄金时代”。