考研英语阅读理解真题解析第三篇中产阶级

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.在过去的十几年里，美国那些曾经可以依靠辛勤劳动和公平条件以维持其收入稳定的中产阶层家庭被经济风险和新现实改变了。如今，一份解雇通知书、一个不利的诊断结果或者配偶的去世都可能在几个月之内将一个家庭从稳定的中产阶层家庭降格成为一个新贫困家庭。middle-class adj.中层社会的, 中产阶级的count on v.依靠, 指望spouse n.配偶(指夫或妻)1、During the past generation, the American middle-class family that onc

3、e could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities.【译文】 在过去的一代，美国的中产阶级家庭曾经依靠努力工作和平等公正以保持财政安全，但是却被经济风险和新的现实所改变。【析句】 句子的主干结构是the American middle-class family.has been transformed by economic risk and new realities，family后接

4、一个定语从句。【讲词】 generation指一代人，一般为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帮助。）fair play原是体育用语，意为公平比赛，转义指公正的待遇或公平竞赛的条件。secure作形容词表示安全的,可靠的,放心的,无虑的。transform意为转变；转换；变形，其名词是transformation。In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. S

5、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. Todays families have budgeted to the limits of theirs new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachuted th

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

7、es. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.在仅仅一代人的时间里，数百万母亲出去工作，改变了基本的家庭经济状况。学者、决策者以及各类批评人士对这些变化的社会意义争论不休，但是，很少有人关注这些变化的副作用：家庭的风险增加了。如今的家庭根据其新的双收入限度安排开支。因此，它们失去了它们在经济萧条时期曾经有过的缓解举措一个后备挣钱者（通常是妈妈），如果家庭的主要挣钱者失业了或者病倒了，她

8、可以出去工作。这种“额外工人效应”可以支撑失业保险或残疾保险提供的安全网，以便帮助家庭渡过难关。但现在，家庭财产的损失再也不可能通过呆在家里的其他伴侣的额外收入弥补了。 debate v. n.争论, 辩论【巧】debate=de（强调）+ bat（打）+e辩论【联】combat（v.n.战斗，格斗）com一起+bat。【例】Debate is the best catalyst of thought.争论是思想最好的催化implication n.牵连, 含意, 暗示【巧】im + plic（fold）+ationimplication（话没有明着说出来）【例】Whats the impli

9、cation of the statement.这份声明的含义是什么？parachute n.降落伞setback n.挫折, 退步, 逆流unemployment insurance 失业保险disability insurance 残废保险disruption n.中断, 瓦解, 破坏【记】disrupt v. 使中断,使瓦解, 使陷于混乱, 破坏【例】market disruption市场混乱；environmental disruption 公害, 环境失调；The state was in disruption.国家处于分崩离析之中。2、Scholars, policymakers,

10、 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.【译文】 学者、政策制定者和各行各业的批评者对这些变化的社会意义进行了辩论，但是几乎没有人关注次要的影响：家庭风险也增加了。【析句】 全句是一个转折句，冒号之后的成分是一个完整的句子，作the side effect的同位语。【讲词】 stripe意为斑纹,条纹，all stripes意为al

11、l walks（各行各业）。implication表示牵连，涉及；含意；暗示，如：his implication in the crime（他涉及这起罪行）。It is important to consider the wider implications of making such a decision.（很有必要考虑作出这一决定的深远意义。）implication的动词是implicate。side effect通常表示药物等的副作用，在句中表示次要的影响。3、As a result,they have lost the parachute they once had in times

12、 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.【译文】 因此，他们已经失去了经济困难时曾有的保障，即家中主要的挣钱人一旦失业或生病，预备挣钱人（通常是妈妈）可以加入劳动大军。【析句】 as a result作状语，表示某种结果。a back-up earner (usually Mom)在句中作the parachute的同位语，后面接一个定语从句。【讲词】 parachute

13、的字面意思是降落伞，但在句中表示保障。setback意为挫折，financial setback表示财政或经济上的困难。primary意为主要的；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，即挣钱人。workforce指就业大军；劳动力（工人的总数）。lay off意为失业。4、Thisadded-worker effect could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help

14、 families weather bad times.【译文】 这种附加工人效应可以支持失业保险或残疾保险所提供的保障制度，以帮助家庭渡过困难时期。【析句】 句子的主干是Thisadded-worker effect could support the safety net，过去分词offered引导的结构作定语修饰the safety net。【讲词】add意为增加，added可以表示附加的，如：added value（附加值，净增值）。safety net指社会保障制度。unemployment insurance指失业保险，disability insurance指残疾保险。weath

15、er在句中作动词，表示抵御；承受；平安渡过，如：weather a crisis（渡过危机）。bad times意为坏时光；艰苦的日子，其反义词是good times。During the same period, 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 worr

16、y about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement 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 de

17、pending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of 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 an

18、d a large new dose of investment risk for families future healthcare. 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.在同一时期，要求家庭在其退

19、休收入中承担更多风险。钢铁厂的工人、航空公司的职员以及汽车产业工人加入了数百万不得不担心利率、股市波动以及可能比其退休收入存在时间更长的严酷现实家庭。在去年的大部分时间里，布什总统一直致力于将社会保险体制转变成一种储蓄存款账户模式，要求退休人员将其大多数或所有保障报酬用来交换依靠投资回报所得的报酬。对于更年轻的家庭来说，前景不容乐观。卫生保健和家庭承担份额的绝对成本都上涨了而且，最近实施的健康储蓄计划正在从立法机关扩展到沃尔玛员工，包含大量更高的减免，并且给家庭未来的卫生保健带来许多新投资风险。甚至人口统计状况也对中产阶层家庭不利，因为有一个体弱、年迈的父母以及由此而产生的所有物资和经济援助就

20、在仅仅一代人的时间里增长了8倍。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 they may outlive their retirement money.【译文】 钢铁工人、航空公司的雇员，以及在汽车工业中就业的人，他们现在和数百万的家庭一样，必须操心利率

21、和股票市场的升降，担心他们的退休金不够用的严峻现实。【析句】 句子的主干结构是Steelworkers.are joining millions of families，families后面跟一个定语从句。而在定语从句中，主语是who，谓语是worry about，宾语是interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the hash reality。that they may outlive their retirement money是一个定语从句，修饰the harsh reality。【讲词】worry about表示操心；担心。intere

22、st rates指利率，stock market指股票市场，fluctuation指股票市场的波动，retirement money指退休金。outlive意为比.长命；比.耐久；经受住，如：This regulation has outlived its usefulness.（这一规则没用却仍然存在。）6、For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a savings-account model, with retirees trading much or all of th

23、eir guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns.【译文】 在过去的大部分时间中，布什总统推行社会保障制度的改革，力图把它变成储蓄帐户的模式，让退休人员拿出大部分或所有的确定付款，以换取依赖于投资回报的付款。【析句】 句子的主干结构是President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a savings-account model，介词with所接的成分作状语，说明储蓄帐户模式。【讲词】campaign作名词表示竞选；战役；政治或商业的活动，作动词表示打

24、仗；竞选；开展某种活动，如：campaigned for human rights（开展人权运动）。social security指社会保障（制度）。guarantee意为保证，如：The government guaranteed to free the captives.（政府保证释放俘虏。）guarantee freedom of speech（保证言论自由）。7、Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen-and newly fashionable healt

25、h 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.【译文】 绝对医疗保险费用和家庭所承担的（部分）费用均已经上涨，而新型的医疗储蓄计划正从立法机构推广开来，（甚至）涵盖沃尔玛超市的工人，这一计划出现了更多的扣除条款，并给家庭未来的医疗保险又增加了一笔很大的投资风险。【析句】 全句包括两个并列分句，介词

26、with所引导的成分说明newly fashionable health-savings plan的内容，一是更高的扣除条款（就像保险公司的做法一样，广告上说大病保险，但实际上所谓的大病并不是所有的大病，保险合同中的扣除条款太多），一是增加了一笔很大的投资风险（缴纳的医疗保险费用被拿去投资）。【讲词】absolute意为绝对的，反义词是relative。healthcare（医疗保险），health-savings（医疗储蓄，类似中国的医保卡），legislative halls（立法机构，在美国指国会）。deductible可减免的，可扣除的，文中指保险合同的扣除条款。dose作名词表示剂量

27、；(一)服，作动词表示服药。a dose of表示一定量的。From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overbur

28、dened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.从中产阶层家庭的角度来看，大多数情况是可以理解的，这根本不像一种发挥更多支付能力的机会，而是像一种将经济风险大规模转向那些已经负担过重的家庭的令人恐惧的加速行为。经济副作用已经开始，政治副作用可能也将开始。8、Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elder

29、ly parent-and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance-have jumped eightfold in just one generation.【译文】 甚至人口分布的数据也与中产阶级家庭作对，因为家中有一位体弱高龄的父亲或母亲的可能性在仅仅一代人的时间里增加了8倍，照顾家中的老人就需要体力和财力的付出。absorb vt.吸收, 吸引【记】be absorbed in= concentrate on=集中【例】This job absorbs all of my time. 这件工作占用了我的全部

30、时间。retirement income 退休收入stock market n.股票市场fluctuation n.波动, 起伏【记】fluctuate vi.波动, 动摇 vt.使动摇, 使波动, 使起伏【例】fluctuation in the exchange rates兑换率的波动；fluctuation of temperature 温度的变动Harsh adj. 粗糙的；刺耳的；严厉的【例】harsh terms苛刻的条件；a harsh climate 令人难受的气候；harsh to the taste 味涩outlive v.比.长命, 比.耐久,渡过而存在,经受住【例】Th

31、e ship outlived the storm.这只船从暴风雨中脱险了。legislative adj.立法的, 立法机关的 n.立法机关deductible adj.可扣除的【记】deduct vt. 扣除, 演绎demographic adj.人口统计学的odds n.可能的机会, 成败的可能性, 优势, 不均, 不平等, 几率, 差别【析句】 全句是一个复合句，主句是Even demographics are working against the middle class family，as所引导的从句表示原因。两个破折号之间的成分和a weak elderly parent一样作

32、having的宾语。【讲词】 demographics人口统计状况，人口分布数据。work against表示与.作对。odds意为成败的机率或可能；几率；差别，句中的意思是possibility。又如：The odds are that she will get the nomination on the first ballot.（她在第一轮选票中获得提名的可能性大。）at odds意为争执；意见冲突，by all odds表示毫无疑问地。9、From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, lo

33、oks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders.【译文】 从中产阶级家庭的角度来看，不难理解，这在很大程度上看上去不大像是承担更多的经济责任，而更像是加速把大部分的经济风险转移到已经负担过重的肩膀上，这种情况确实让人感到恐惧

34、。perspective n.透视画法, 透视图, 远景, 前途, 观点, 看法, 观点, 观察【例】see thing in perspective正确地观察事物；a perspective of lakes and hills湖山远景acceleration n.加速度【巧】ac（加强前缀）+celer（速度）+ation（名词后缀）【反】deceleration减速：de向下+celer+ation。【例】abrupt acceleration 突然加速wholesale n.批发, 趸售 adj.批发的, 喻 大规模的【例】wholesale prices 批发价格；a wholesa

35、le slaughter 大屠杀wholesale westernization“全盘西化”overburden vt.装载过多, 负担过多, 使过劳 n.过重的负担【例】The trees are overburdened with fruit. 树上果实累累, 压得树枝都弯了。fallout n.辐射微尘, 原子尘, 附带结果【析句】此句的主语是much of this，谓语是looks.like，介词like有两个宾语：an opportunity和a frightening acceleration。不定式结构to exercise. 修饰opportunity，of介词结构（of t

36、he wholesale shift of financial risk）修饰acceleration，onto介词结构（onto their already overburdened shoulders）作shift的逻辑状语。【讲词】 perspective意思较多，如透视画法；远景；前途；观点；视角。exercise作动词，表示承担。所谓承担经济责任，即要往外掏钱。acceleration意为加速，其动词是accelerate。wholesale可作名词、动词、形容词和副词，意为批发；大量地，成批地；大量的，成批的。overburden作动词意为装载过多；负担过多，作名词表过重的负担。o

37、verburdened表负担过重的。31.Todays double-income families are at greater financial 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 dis

38、ability insurance.31.C细节事实题为什么今天的双职工家庭会面临更大的经济风险?根据原文第二段第四、五、六句可知选项C“他们更易于受到家庭经济变化的影响”是原文的同义替换，故为正确答案。选项A讲“过去的安全网已经消失了”。 disappear是一个文中未提及的信息;选项B“被解雇的机会增加”属于答非所问;选项D“他们不能享受失业保险”与原文第五句中的“support”，明显相反。（注意：这个解释不怎么好。）解析本文提到了美国中产阶级家庭，因国家经济衰落而要面临的巨大风险。本题目问：今日这种夫妻双收入家庭会面临更大的财务风险是因为什么原因？我们从前两段中可以看出：由于经济原因现

39、在的夫妻双方都要出去找工作。这样，原来妻子在家里操持家务，同时万一丈夫生了病或者失业了也可以出去找工作以帮助家庭渡过难关的这把保险伞就没有了。所以选C。32.As a result of President Bushs reform, retired people may haveA a higher sense of security.B less secured payments.C less chance to invest.（B）D a guaranteed future.32.B细节事实题。由于布什总统的改革，退休职工可能会如何?根据题干中的布什总统定位到原文第三段。根据第二段第四句

40、“For younger.families, the picture is not any better.年轻家庭日子也不会好过”，既然年轻人日子也不好过，马上得知退休职工日子不好过。选项B“安全性变差”与原文意思相符。选项A“更有安全感”和选项D“将来有保证”都说明退休职工过得好，与原文意思相反;选项C“更少的投资机会”文中未提及退休职工是否投资。（注意：这个解释不怎么好。）解析众所周知，钱存在银行比较保险可以稳定拿利息，但是把钱投入股市或者用于创业风险要大很多，但一旦获益也比存银行要强很多。在去年的大多数时间里，布什总统一直致力于将社会保险体制转变成一种储蓄存款账户模式-要求退休人员将其大

41、多数或全部有保障的收入变成必须依靠投资收益的收入。对于略为年轻的家庭来说，情况也好不到哪去。医疗的绝对费用和家庭必须承担的份额都在上升。这说明，退休人员的可靠收入可能更少。因此B为正确选项。冯卓个人解释，解题的关键是“not any better”, any better是好一些的意思，“年轻的比（退休的）也不会好一些”，向上推得到意思“退休的人遭遇不好”。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 families investment risk.33.D细节事实题。根据作者观点，健康储蓄账户计划如何?选项A“有利于减少健康护理的成本”属于对词义的曲解，文中saving指的是“储蓄账