2012年英语二阅读理解Text4

第一段

①The great recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning.②Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults.③And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years.

单词&词组

1. great recession  经济大衰退，经济萧条

2. high joblessness  高失业率

3. life course  生命历程

4. course  n. 自然的进展，通常的过程

5. reshape  v. 重塑

本段翻译

大衰退也许结束了，但高失业率时代很有可能才刚刚开始。在它结束之前，它将很可能改变年轻一代的生活轨迹及其性格。而且它最终可能会在未来许多年重塑我们的政治、文化以及社会特征。

第二段

①No one tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this national economic disaster.②Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others.③In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off.④At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending.

单词&词组

1. lining  n. 衬里，里子

2. find silver linings  寻找一线希望

3. materialistic  a. 实力主义的，物质主义的（含贬义）

4. prudent  a. 明智谨慎的，节俭的

5. respect  n. 方面

6. fever  n. 狂热，高度兴奋

7. reckless  a. 轻率的，鲁莽的，不顾后果的

8. better off  更好

9. fever dream  狂热之梦

10. put an end to...  对……作出终结

11. for the most part  就绝大部分而言

本段翻译

在这场全国性的经济灾难中，没有人比失业者更努力地在寻找一线希望。许多人说，尽管失业极其痛苦，但是它以某些方式使人进步；自己变得不再那么贪图物质享乐，而且在经济问题上更加审慎；自己比过去更能体会到别人的艰辛。在有限的几个方面，也许大萧条将使得整个社会变得更好。至少它将我们从“一夜暴富和豪宅”的民族热梦中唤醒，并且给挥金如土的个人消费时代画上了一个必要的句号。

第三段

①But for the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off.②In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S., lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive, and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms.③Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes.

单词&词组

1. far off  遥远

2. lengthy  a. 长时间的，过长的

3. stagnation  n. 经济停滞

4. mean-spirited  a. 心胸狭隘的

5. inclusive  a. 包容的，范围广阔的

6. sentiment  n. 观点，感想，意见

7. economic stagnation  经济停滞

本段翻译

然而对于大多数情况而言，这些好处似乎是微乎其微、未知且遥远的。在《经济增长的道德影响》一书中，经济历史学家本杰明·弗里德曼认为，美国国内外所经历的长期经济停滞或衰退几乎总是使社会变得更为狭隘、包容性更弱，而且往往使权利与自由的发展止步不前或逆向而行。反移民情绪往往会加剧，正如种族和阶级间矛盾一样。

第四段

①Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one.②Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross them-especially for young people.③The research of Till Von Wachter, the economic at Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them that are left behind.

单词&词组

1. shrink  v. （使）缩小，（使）收缩

2. reinforce  v. 加强，强化

3. graduate  v. 逐渐发展；升级

4. dim  v. （使）变黯淡

5. class divides  阶级分化

本段翻译

经济衰退时期的收入差距往往会有所缩小，但这一次例外。的确，此次经济疲软阶段可能加深阶级隔阂，减少阶级隔阂弥合的机会对于年轻人来说更是如此。哥伦比亚大学经济学家蒂尔·冯·瓦赫特在报告中指出，不是所有坠入衰退时期的人都认为人生机会渺茫：那些毕业于名牌大学的人会相当快地到达其繁荣时期毕业时本该置身其中的位置，落后的是那些不如他们的普通大众。 

第五段

①In the Internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden within American society.②More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society's character.③In many respects, the U.S. was more socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history, and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results.④We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric.⑤But they certainly will reshape it, and all the more so the longer they extend.

单词&词组

1. resentment  n. 怨气，怨恨，不满

2. discern  v. 识别，看清，领悟

3. lean  a. 不景气的

4. poll  n. 民意调查，民意测验

5. social fabric  社会结构

6. lean times  经济不景气时期

7. national polls  国内民意调查

8. mixed result  不同的结果

9. all the more so  更会如此

本段翻译

因特网时代，了解深藏于美国社会内部的怨气格外容易。当前难的是去弄清楚这些艰苦岁月究竟如何影响社会特征。在许多方面，步入经济萧条期的美国在社会问题上比历史上任何时期都更为宽容，而且从萧条开始时期，各种关于社会矛盾方面的全国性民意调查就显示出不同的结果。这些艰苦日子到底将如何重塑我们的社会结构，我们只能继续观望。但可以确定的是，它们一定会使社会结构得到重组，而且不利时期持续越久，重组的程度就越甚。

五道题

36. By saying “to find silver linings”(Line 1, Para.2) the author suggests that the jobless try to _______.

[A] seek subsidies from the government

[B] explore reasons for the unemployment

[C] make profits from the troubled economy

[D] look on the bright side of the recession

37. According to Paragraph 2, the recession has made people________.

[A] realize the national dream

[B] struggle against each other

[C] challenge their prudence

[D] reconsider their lifestyle

38. Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions may________.

[A] impose a heavier burden on immigrants

[B] bring out more evils of human nature

[C] promote the advance of rights and freedoms

[D] ease conflicts between races and classes

39. The research of Till Von Wachter suggests that in the recession graduates from elite universities tend to________.

[A] lag behind the others due to decreased opportunities

[B] catch up quickly with experienced employees

[C] see their life chances as dimmed as the others'

[D] recover more quickly than the others

40. The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is ________.

[A] certain   

[B] positive    

[C] trivial    

[D] destructive

参考答案

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答案解析

36、题干中to find silver linings出现在第二段①句， 而②句句首many代指失业者， 暗示②句实际在说明①句内容。②句指出失业者认为尽管失业本身很痛苦， 但它以某些方式让人进步(had improved them) ， 随后举出几个例子。可见失业者以积极视角看待经济萧条， 因此[D] 选项正确。

37、第二段主要探讨经济衰退造成的积极影响。其中②句指出失业者在价值观和消费观上均有大幅进步，④句进一步从宏观角度指出经济衰退客观上使人们明白一夜暴富的虚幻以及节俭的意义。[D]是对这些内容的概括，为正确答案。

38、根据题干中人名定位至第三段。该段①句转承上文指出，经济衰退的积极影响总的来说可以忽略不计。②句借人物观点指出长期经济停滞或衰退使社会变得更狭隘， 包容性更差(left society more mean-spirited and less inclusive) ， 即人的宽容度降低， 更加狭隘， [B] 是对该信息的同义转换。

39、根据题干中人名定位至第四段③句。该句指出精英大学的毕业生不像其他人一样认为自身前景黯淡，机会渺茫，相反会相当快得达到他们毕业于好年代时所处的水平，意即他们比其他人恢复得更快，[D]正确。

40、末段④句指出想了解萧条时期重塑社会结构的具体情况需要时间去考查，⑤句转而指出但是“社会结构将被重塑”是毋庸置疑的。they certainly will reshape it与[C] 项相统一， 为正确项。