2003年英语一阅读理解Text3

第一段

①In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.②As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails.③Next 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.

单词&词组

1. combine  v. 联合，结合

2. merge  v. （使）合并，并入

3. heighten  v. （使）加强，提高，增加

4. account for  占（总数某个百分比）

5. a series of  一系列的

6. merger  n. （机构或企业的）合并，归并

7. freight  n. 货运

8. carrier  n. 运输公司

本段翻译

近年来，铁路公司一直在彼此合并，兼并成超级体系，这引起对垄断的极大担忧。近至1995年，四家主要铁路公司(还只)占整个铁路运营量的70%不到。(但)到明年，一系列兼并活动完成之后，仅仅四家铁路公司掌控主要铁路公司总货运业务的比例将远超90%。

第二段

①Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.②Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks.③But 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 the throat.

单词&词组

1. allow for  使有可能

2. substantial  a. 大量的，可观的

3. coordinate  v. （使）协调

4. monopoly  n. 垄断

5. remove  v. 移开，除去

6. bulk  a. （货物购买、运输等）大批的，大量的

7. costly  a. 昂贵的

8. have... by the throat  牵制，控制

本段翻译

这些新的超级体系的支持者认为，这些兼并肯定会带来大幅度的成本降低和更加协调的服务。他们认为，任何垄断的威胁都会通过来自公路运输的激烈竞争得以消除。但许多托运商却抱怨说，对于像煤炭、化学制品和谷物这类需要长途运输的大宗货物，公路运输成本太高，因而铁路公司会扼住其(托运商)咽喉。

第三段

①The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.②Railroads typically charge such“captive”shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business.③Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.

单词&词组

1. consolidation  n. 合并，联合
   

2. captive  a. 受控制的

3. overcharged  a. 被过高索价的

4. appeal  v. 上诉，申诉

5. relief  n. （税收、费率等的）减免

6. time consuming  耗费时间的，旷日持久的

7. compete for  为争取……展开竞争

8. have the right to  有权……

9. appeal to  向……申诉

10. extreme cases  极端情形

本段翻译

铁路运输行业内的大规模合并意味着多数托运商仅由一家铁路公司服务。通常，铁路公司对这些“受制”托运商的收费要比存在另一家铁路公司竞争时高出20%至30%。如果托运商觉得被索价过高，他们有权上诉到联邦政府的“地面运输委员会”，要求降低费率，但这个过程既耗财又耗时，并且只有在真正极端的情况下才有效。

第四段

①Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.②If 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.③It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail.④“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 shipper.

单词&词组

1. justify  v. 辩解；证明……正当

2. on the grounds that  鉴于……理由

3. in the long run  从长远看

4. line  n. 运输公司，航运公司

5. arbiter  n. 仲裁人，裁决人

6. switch to  转向……

7. keep sth. up  维持某事物

本段翻译

铁路公司对“向受制托运商实行费率歧视”给出的理由是，从长远来看，这样做会降低所有人的成本。他们认为，如果铁路公司向所有托运商都收取同样的平均费率的话，那么可以选择使用公路运输或其它运输方式的托运商将会转而选择其它方式，(这就会)使剩余的托运商继续承担铁路运营的成本费用。这正是许多经济学家支持的理论，但实际上，该理论常常使得铁路公司处于有权决定哪家公司赢利哪家公司亏损的地位。“难道我们真的想让铁路公司成为市场上决定谁败谁荣的裁决者?”一位华盛顿的经常代表托运商的律师马丁·贝科维奇问道。

第五段

①Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.②The 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.③Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.④Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year.⑤Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just $427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.⑥Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?⑦Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.

单词&词组

1. a round of  一轮

2. keep up with  跟上，保持同步发展

3. surge  v. （需求、利润、价格等）急剧增加，飞涨

4. acquire  v. 购得，得到

5. transaction  n. 交易

6. grip  n. 抓牢；（对某人或某事物的）控制

7. cover the cost of  支付成本

8. cheer sb. on  为……加油

9. carrying costs  置存成本，企业资产的损耗费用

本段翻译

许多“受制”托运商还担心他们很快将遭受一轮费率大幅上涨的打击。就整个铁路行业来说，尽管前景大好，但它的收入目前依然不足以支付为满足不断增长的运输需要而投入的资金。然而铁路公司依然继续贷款数十亿美元来进行相互合并，华尔街则在一旁打气叫好。想一想今年南诺弗克公司和CSX公司耗资102亿美元兼并康雷尔公司的投标案例吧。康雷尔公司1996年铁路运营纯收入为4.27亿美元，还不足这宗交易的运作成本的一半。谁来支付其余的费用呢?许多“受制”托运商担心，随着南诺弗克和CSX公司对市场的控制力的加强，他们得承担这部分费用。

五道题

31. According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because       .

[A] cost reduction is based 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.

32. What is many captive shippers' attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry?

[A] Indifferent.    

[B] Supportive.    

[C] Indignant.   

[D] Apprehensive.

33. 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 business.

34. 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.

35. According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by        . 

[A] the continuing acquisition.  

[B] the growing traffic.

[C] the cheering Wall Street.

[D] the shrinking market.

选项单词

1. call for 要求，需要

2. indignant  a. 愤慨的，义愤的

3. apprehensive  a. 忧虑的

4. acquisition  n. 收购

5. shrinking  a. 萎缩的

参考答案

CDCBA

答案解析

31、【定位】根据题干关键词who support mergers定位到第二段①②句， 也即铁路合并支持者的观点。正确项的信息隐含于②句中，由“垄断的威胁通过来自公路运输的激烈竞争而消除”，可以判断出[C]正确。

32、【定位】第二段末句以及第五段首尾句都指出了托运商对铁路行业合并的担忧，前者托运商抱怨合并会带来垄断威胁，后者托运商担心进一步的合并趋势会使铁路公司转嫁合并成本。由此可判断出托运商对铁路合并的态度是“忧虑”，而不是“愤怒”，更不是“漠不关心”或“支持”。正确项为[D]。

33、【定位】第三段末句提到，申诉过程既耗财又耗时，并且只有在极端情况下才有效，从而暗示多数托运商不太可能因为收费高而申诉。所以[C]正确。

34、【定位】第四段③句提到，铁路公司处于决定托运商谁荣谁衰的地位。④句紧接着提出了疑问：难道我们真的想让铁路公司成为市场上决定谁败谁荣的……?显然， ③句中which companies will flourish， which will fail与④句中who wins， who loses是同义表达。因此可以得出， ④句中arbiters主要扮演裁决、仲裁者的角色， 同③句determining意义相近， 选项[B] 的含义最接近。

35、【定位】第五段②句提到，铁路公司的收人仍然不足以支付为满足不断增长的运输需要而投人的资金。③句yet转折之后围绕“铁路公司在并购过程中耗资巨大”展开。该段最后谈到托运商担心铁路方会把并购开支转嫁到他们身上。由此可知，铁路公司的相互收购耗资巨大，造成成本大增，因此[A]是铁路行业成本增加的主要原因。