1998年阅读真题精解
Text 1
Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams. Perhaps it is humankind's long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the ideal of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating. But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good.
The lesson from dams is that big is not always beautiful. It doesn't help that building a big, powerful dam has become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves. Egypt's leadership in the Arab world was cemented by the Aswan High Dam. Turkey's bid for First World status includes the giant Ataturk Dam.
But big dams tend not to work as intended. The Aswan Dam, for example, stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left — all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity.
And yet, the myth of controlling the waters persists. This week, in the heart of civilized Europe, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the Danube. The huge complex will probably have all the usual problems of big dams. But Slovakia is bidding for independence from the Czechs, and now needs a dam to prove itself.
Meanwhile, in India, the World Bank has given the go-ahead to the even more wrong-headed Narmada Dam. And the bank has done this even though its advisors say the dam will cause hardship for the powerless and environmental destruction. The benefits are for the powerful, but they are far from guaranteed.
Proper, scientific study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts. Hydroelectric power and flood control and irrigation are possible without building monster dams. But when you are dealing with myths, it is hard to be either proper, or scientific. It is time that the world learned the lessons of Aswan. You don't need a dam to be saved.
51. The third sentence of paragraph 1 implies that ________.
[A] people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality
[B] the blind could be happier than the sighted
[C] over-excited people tend to neglect vital things
[D] fascination makes people lose their eyesight
52. In paragraph 5, "the powerless" probably refers to ________.
[A] areas short of electricity
[B] dams without power stations
[C] poor countries around India
[D] common people in the Narmada Dam area
53. What is the myth concerning giant dams?
[A] They bring in more fertile soil.
[B] They help defend the country.
[C] They strengthen international ties.
[D] They have universal control of the waters.
54. What the author tries to suggest may best be interpreted as ________.
[A] "It's no use crying over spilt milk"
[B] "More haste, less speed"
[C] "Look before you leap"
[D] "He who laughs last laughs best"
核心词汇
1. few 没有几个，含否定意思，little 没有一点儿，含否定意思；
2. capture 抓住，捕获，吸引住
3. like 比如，像，喜欢
4. giant 巨人，巨型物；gigantic 巨大的
5. at the mercy of 任…摆布或控制；
6. flood and drought 洪涝和旱灾；earthquake 地震；tsunami 海啸；
7. ideal 理想，理想的
8. do our bidding 按我们的要求办事
9. fascinate 对…着迷；fascinating 着迷的
10. threaten 威胁
11. do more harm than good 弊大于利
12. lesson 教训；teach me a lesson 给我一个教训；lessen 减轻
13. symbol 象征
14. achieve 达到；获得成就；achiever 获得成就的人；achievement 成就
15. strive to 努力做
16. assert 说明，宣称，认为
17. cement 水泥引申为：巩固，加强
18. bid 投标；申请
19. tend to 易于，倾向于
20. work 起作用；
21. as 正如，复习as的六大考点
22. intended 所料想的；相当于expected=desired=anticipated =designated
23. deprive…of 剥夺…；相当于rob…of=deny sth
24. fertile 肥沃的；多产的
25. in return 作为回报
26. reserve 保留，预定；reservation; reservoir水库
27. so…that 如此…以致
28. barely=hardly=scarcely 几乎不
29. generate 产生；regenerate再生；regenerable 可再生的
30. myth 神话，不现实的东西；相当于illusion 幻觉；
31. civilized 文明的；civilization 文明
32. stop just short of 差一点儿就; be short of 缺少；缺乏
33. contention 争吵；争论
34. complex 综合工程；综合物；联合体；复杂的；
35. bid for =apply for 申请
36. go-ahead =permission容许，许可
37. cause 造成，引起；原因；事业
38. hardship 困境；苦难
39. powerless 无权利的；powerful 当权的；强大的
40. far from 远非；绝不
41. guarantee 保证；确保；担保
42. proper 恰当的，合理的
43. study 研究
44. impact 影响，相当于influence=effect
45. resolve 解决，相当于solve=settle；决心，决议
46. power 电；电源；power-off 断电；
47. irrigation 灌溉
48. monster 怪物，在此引申为巨大的
49. deal with 解决；对付，与…交往
50. hard 艰难的，困难的；强硬的；
51. wrong-headed 执迷不悟的
52. hydro-electric 水电的
难句精解
①Perhaps it is humankind's long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the ideal of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating.
▲这个句子中包含了一个强调句型，基本结构是it is... that...，强调部分的关键词是suffering，这个词就是后面that引导的从句的主语，因而这个句子的核心句其实就是Suffering makes the ideal so fascinating。名词suffering加上前后的修饰限定成分是humankind's long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought（人类受水旱灾害控制的长期的苦难）；ideal后面跟了一个of引导的分词短语：forcing the waters to do our bidding（让河水听我们吩咐［的这个理想］）；后面的so fascinating做宾补。
②It doesn't help that building a big, powerful dam had become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves.
▲这个句子中第一个单词it指代的是文章中上面的一句话，即“从大型水坝中得到的教训是：大的不一定就是好的”。help后面是一个从句，在这个从句中，主语是一个现在分词短语，核心句是Building a dam had become a symbol of achievement。分词短语striving to assert themselves是修饰nations and people的限定成分。
③The Aswan Dam, for example, stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left —all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity.
▲这个句子首先要注意的是有两个谓语：stopped和deprived；然后可以找出这个句子的核心句：The Aswan Dam stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the silt。第一个silt 后面有一个that引导的从句that floods left修饰silt；破折号后面的all代替的是破折号前面所说的the fertile silt，介词短语in return for后面的宾语带了一个which引导的从句，修饰的是这个宾语：a giant reservoir of disease，同时这个从句中还有一个so... that的结构。如果把这个which引导的从句分解开来就是The reservoir is now full of silt, so it barely generates electricity。
△此句理解的关键有三个：一是找到两个谓语：stopped和deprived；二是要明白all指的是前面所说的the fertile silt；三就是which引导的从句修饰的是the reservoir of disease这个名词短语。
④This week, in the heart of civilized Europe, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the Danube.
▲这个句子理解的困难可能出现在短语上。撇开前面的时间状语和地点状语不看，这个句子的核心句其实是Slovaks and Hungarians stopped sending troops。这里有两个短语需要理解：short of差一点就；send in派遣。后面的in their contention over a dam说的是他们sending in the troops的原因。再加上前后的状语短语，就有了一个完整理解。
△这个句子的短语和介词非常重要，除了结构分析中所说的两个短语之外，in the contentions，over a dam，on the Danube都对句子理解非常重要。
⑤Proper, scientific study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts.
▲这个句子的核心句是Study can help to resolve conflicts。但是理解的重点却在study后面的修饰成分，因为study后面有两个并列关系的of，说明了study的内容：study of the impacts of dams和study of the cost and benefits of controlling water。第三个of修饰的是the cost and benefits两个名词，of后面是个动名词短语。这个修饰成分解决了，后面的句子就好理解了，再注意一下help to do sth.的用法。
△主要是四个of的用法，注意哪两个of是并列关系（of the impacts和of the cost and benefits）。
试题解析
51. [C] 意为：过于兴奋的人容易忽视极为重要的事情。
第一段指出，在重大技术所创造的东西中，很少有比大坝更能体现人的幻想的。也许是因为人类长期遭受洪涝和干旱的袭击，使人类（通过筑坝）制服洪水的愿望显得更加令人兴奋不已（该句是一个强调句，基本句型是：it is... that makes... so fascinating）。这两句谈的是人们的愿望；本段第三、四句话锋一转，指出愿望与现实往往相反，所以，第三句应该在第一、二句意思的基础上理解。第三句可理解为：但是，兴奋有时候也表现为盲目be blind。而第三句的意思又被第四句进一步阐释为：有些大坝工程弊大于利(do more harm than good)。盲目建设大坝的危害在第三、五段都举了具体例子加以说明。
[A]人们如果无视现实就会感到高兴。[B]盲人比有眼睛的人更幸福，常识都不对。[D]兴奋使人双目失明，是对blind字义的歪曲理解。
52. [D] 意为：讷尔默达河大坝周围的平民百姓。
文章中提到，银行的顾问指出，大坝将给powerless带来苦难，给环境带来破坏，但是，银行方面却一意孤行。大坝的建设也许会给powerful(掌权有势的人)带来益处。因为Powerful 绝对不能理解为：有电的意思，只能理解为有权力的人，强大的；强势的；所以上句中的the powerless，只能理解为无权利的人，意思也就理解为平民百姓。在意思上应该对应于下一句的the powerful（有权势者）。属于反义词在上下文中同现来猜题技巧。
[A]缺电力的地区。[B]没建电站的大坝。[C]印度周边的穷国。定冠词the置于形容词之前经常指一类人，如：the poor穷人，the rich富人，the miserable受苦难的人，the young年轻人，等等。
53. [D] 意为：它们普遍能控制住洪水。
第一段第一、二句指出，人们幻想大坝来达到控制洪水的目的，但有时意识不到大坝会带来意想不到的后果。第三段也指出，大坝有时有违其建设目的，埃及的阿斯旺高坝(Aswan High Dam)就是一个例子。大坝起到了制服尼罗河洪水泛滥的作用，但也不再有洪水过后留下的肥沃的冲积土壤；换来的只是(all in return for)一个硕大的病态水库，水库被淤泥填满，几乎无法发电。
第四段指出，尽管如此，制服洪水的神话还在继续传送。这句话的意思是：人们仍然一味地幻想着通过建坝来控制水：其含义是，尽管大坝的建设有时弊多于利，会给人类带来意想不到的后果，但是，人们建坝的热情还是很高，本段下文提到了斯洛伐克和匈牙利拟在多瑙河上建坝的事。最后一段第二句指出，其实，水力发电也好，治水也好，灌溉也好，未必都只有通过建坝进行。因此文章中提到的神话也就是指建坝能控制洪水这一作用。
[A]它们带来更肥沃的土地。[B]它们有助于国防。第二段第二句指出，有些人把建设硕大的大坝看作是国家成就的象征，是一个民族独立(assert themselves)的体现，这其实是一种幻想(It doesn't help that...)；第四段第二、三、四句指出，本周，在文明的欧洲中心，为了多瑙河上的建坝事宜，斯洛伐克人和匈牙利人几乎就要派驻军队了，该大坝也可能产生其他大坝存在的所有问题，但是，斯洛伐克正在闹独立(is bidding for independence)，想脱离捷克，它想通过大坝来证明自己的能力和独立性(prove itself)。可见，人们想通过大坝证明自己的国力和独立性，并非将大坝用于国防。[C]它们增强国际联系。
54. [C] “三思而后行。”
该题实际上提问的是作者的观点：作者想通过本文说明什么道理。文章指出，人们对大坝的建设存在很多幻想，所以经常事与愿违。在最后一段最后两句，作者指出，该是我们认真吸取阿斯旺大坝的教训的时候了。言外之意，不要再存在理想化心理，我们应该变得更加理智一点，因为，我们未必非要通过大坝来拯救自己(You don't need a dam to be saved.)，这
一句回溯该段第二句：其实，水力发电也好，治水也好，灌溉也好，未必都只有通过建坝实现。言外之意，应该消除对大坝的迷恋，多动脑筋，积极寻求更好的措施解决我们的问题。
[A]“覆水难收。”比喻后悔是没有用的。[B]“欲速则不达。”
[D]“笑到最后才算笑得最好。”比喻受到挫折时不要轻易放弃，应该坚持。
参考译文
在重大技术所创造的东西中很少能像大型水坝这样让人痴迷。可能正是因为人类长期遭受旱涝灾害的摆布才使得人们治理江河为我所用的理想如此令人痴迷。但让人着迷有时也就使人盲目。有几个巨型大坝项目就有弊大于利的危险。
建造大坝的教训是：大的未必总是美的。但这个教训也无法阻止修建高大雄伟的大坝已成为那些力争得到自我肯定的国家和人民的伟大成就的象征。埃及由于建造了阿斯旺大坝而巩固了在阿拉伯世界的领导地位。土耳其在力图跻身第一世界的努力中也包括修建阿塔特克大坝。
但大坝不会像预期的那样产生效果。以阿斯旺大坝为例，它阻止了尼罗河洪水泛滥，但也使埃及失去了洪水冲击过后留下的肥沃土壤，换回来的是这么一个疾病滋生的水库。现在这个水库积满了淤泥，几乎不能发电了。
不过，控制水的神话还在继续。本周，在文明的欧洲腹地，斯洛伐克人和匈牙利人就为了多瑙河上的一处水坝引起争端，差点动用了军队。这个大型工程可能会出现大坝上所有的常见问题。但斯洛伐克正在要求脱离捷克而独立，现在他们需要建一个大坝来证明自己的实力。
与此同时，世界银行已经贷款给印度来建造问题很多的纳尔马达大坝。尽管世界银行的顾问说，该大坝将给平民带来苦难，而且也会破坏那里的环境，但世界银行已经这样做了。大坝会给有权有势者带来利益，但这种利益却没有保障。
对于水坝的影响作用、水坝控制水流的成本和收益进行恰当而科学的研究能够有助于解决这些冲突。水利发电，治理洪水以及灌溉即使不建大型水坝也是可能的，不一定非要建大坝。但当你相信神话时就很难做到合理或科学。现在是世界吸取阿斯旺大坝教训的时候了。我们未必要通过大坝来拯救自己。
Text 2
Well, no gain without pain, they say. But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.
The official statistics are mildly discouraging. They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together, productivity has grown on average by 1.2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previous decade. And since 1991, productivity has increased by about
2% a year, which is more than twice the 1978-1987 average. The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend. There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a "disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.
Some of this can be easily explained. New ways of organizing the workplace —all that re-engineering and downsizing —are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training. Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean increasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much.
Two other explanations are more speculative. First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done. Second, even if it was well done, it may have spread much less widely than people suppose.
Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bong Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much "re-engineering" has been crude. In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost. His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re-engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to long-term profitability. BBDO's Al Rosenshine is blunter. He dismisses a lot of the work of re-engineering consultants as mere rubbish — "the worst sort of ambulance-chasing".
55. According to the author, the American economic situation is ________.
[A] not as good as it seems
[B] at its turning point
[C] much better than it seems
[D] near to complete recovery
56. The official statistics on productivity growth ________.
[A] exclude the usual rebound in a business cycle
[B] fall short of businessmen's anticipation
[C] meet the expectation of business people
[D] fail to reflect the true state of economy
57. The author raises the question "what about pain without gain?" because ________.
[A] he questions the truth of "no gain without pain"
[B] he does not think the productivity revolution works
[C] he wonders if the official statistics are misleading
[D] he has conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses
58. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?
[A] Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity.
[B] New ways of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity.
[C] The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long-term profitability.
[D] The consultants are a bunch of good-for-nothings.
核心词汇
1. no gain without pain=no pains, no gains 不劳无获；pain without gain 有劳却无获；
no sweat, no sweet 先苦后甜
2. what about 怎么样？
3. tale 故事，神话
4. corporate 公司的
5. revival 复苏
6. harder 更难的
7. assume 认为；假定；承担；担任
8. preside over 主持；领导
9. for real 真实的；for sure 确定的
10. statistics 统计数字或数据；
11. mildly 适度地=modestly=moderately
12. discouraging=depressing令人沮丧的
13. show=indicate=exhibit表明
14. lump 收集起来；堆起来
15. on average 平均
16. more than 多于；不只是
17. acceleration 加速；加快；快速增长；deceleration 减速
18. be due to 是因为
19. rebound 反弹
20. business cycle 商业周期；recycle 回收；recyclable 可以回收的
21. conclusive 结论性的
22. underlying 内在的，根本的
23. disjunction 脱节，无联系
24. anecdote 奇闻异事，含否定意思，意为不现实的东西
25. point to=point out 指出
26. leap 跳跃，上升
27. reflect 反映
28. the mass of 大量的
29. between…and 在….与…之间
30. picture 图，图像，意为真实的东西
31. re-engineering 结构重组；相当于后面的reengineering
32. downsize 缩小规模
33. contribution 贡献，促成…的因素
34. overall 整个的
35. drive 驱动；driving force 驱动力
36. factor 因素
37. such as 例如
38. joint investment 联合投资；joint efforts 共同努力
39. are intended to 目的在于，旨在
40. switch to 转向；
41. matter 起作用
42. as much 同样多；as well 也
43. speculative 推测的
44. restructure 结构重组
45. ineptly 不合适地；
46. academic 学术的；学者
47. chain 链条，连锁
48. in many cases 在许多情况下；in no case 绝不；In any case 无论如何
49. mechanistic 机械的，含贬义
50. in a …fashion 以….方式
51. chop out 减少，降低
52. give thought to 考虑到
53. long-term 长期的；short-term 短期的
54. profitability 获利性
55. dismiss…as…对…不屑一顾，当做是
56. consultant 顾问
57. ambulance chasing 应急补救措施
58. revenue 收入
难句精解
①What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.
▲这个句子首先是由what引导的主语从句what is harder to establish，后面是由whether 引导的表语从句。在表语从句中，主语是the productivity revolution，核心句是Whether the productivity revolution is for real，其中主语productivity revolution后面跟了一个that引导的定语从句，这个从句中的businessmen assume是个相当于I think 这样的插入结构，不影响句子的结构，可以去掉，其后they are presiding over 做定语，修饰前面的名词revolution。
②The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend.
▲这个句子有一个很长的表语从句，由that引导。从句中有两个分句，中间用and so连接。第一个分句中又有一个that引导的定语从句，修饰的是rebound，第二个分句的主语与第一个分句的主语一样，都是part of the recent acceleration。这样我们可以得到这个句子的主干部分：The trouble is that part of acceleration is due to rebound, and so is not conclusive evidence.
△理解这个句子的关键在于要清楚表语从句中第一个分句所套的修饰rebound的定语从句，再者就是第二个分句的主语与第一个分句的主语一致，并注意conclusive的意思。
③There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a "disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.
▲理解这个句子先要找出它的核心句：There is a "disjunction" between the mass and the picture，中间的人名及其职位可以当作插入语。between后面的名词带有一个that引导的定语从句，修饰的是business anecdote，that在这个从句中充当的是主语；and后面的名词the picture后面跟的是过去分词reflected，表示的是一种被动关系。
△找出between和and的宾语（分别是the mass of business anecdote和the picture reflected by the statistics），这个句子就容易理解了。
④New ways of organizing the workplace —all that re-engineering and downsizing —are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training.
▲这个句子看似庞大，分析之下就简单了。先找出核心句：New ways are one contribution，再来看其它部分：new ways后面of organizing the workplace限定了new ways的内容；破折号之间的部分是进一步说明new ways of organizing the workplace的一些具体内容；contribution后面的to接的是名词宾语，这之后有一个which引导的定语从句，修饰的是前面的名词an economy。在这个定语从句中by后面的宾语是factors，后面的such as跟随的三个名词短语就是列举的内容。
⑤His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re-engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to long-term profitability.
▲这个句子的主要部分在于谓语says后面的宾语从句，从句中的重要成分是在状语短语部分，即in a mechanistic fashion，因为后面跟的一个现在分词短语chopping out costs是进一步说明fashion的内容，without后面的动名词短语是补充成分，表示的是一种伴随状态。
△关键在于chopping out costs这个现在分词短语的理解，要明白这是in a mechanistic fashion的进一步说明。
试题解析
55. [A] 意为：并不像表面看上去那样好。
第一段第三、四句指出，美国到处都在谈论所谓公司的振兴(tales of corporate revival)，但是，商界自认为正在进行的所谓生产率革命究竟是否名符其实(for real)，这一点却很难确定。该句实际上是全文的主旨，从反面提出了下文旨在回答的问题，所谓生产率革命根本不存在，官方的统计数字也并不怎么乐观；该段第四句指出，问题是；最近显示出的增长部分是由商业领域里此时出现的正常的反弹(rebound)造成的，因此，不能将它看作是更深层的（当指生产率）振兴的证据。由题目能够定位到第一段的这一句：What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.其意思是：商人们自认为的他们所领导的生产力革命是否确有其事，这一点更加难以确定。因此可以看出作者觉得美国经济形式并不像商人们说的那样好，因此联系到了[A]选项。
最后一段引用了几个专家的评价，对目前进行的促进生产率发展的措施进行了否定，特别是罗森伯格的评价，在他看来，目前负责调整经济的顾问们所做的工作，多数都是垃圾（没有成效），是典型的“于事无补”(ambulance-chasing)。
[B]处于转折阶段。文章中只是说经济发展并不乐观，但是还没有达到转折的地步，因此该选项属于夸张类干扰项。[C]比现状要好得多。这个和原文意思恰恰相反，同作者的中心思想相违背。换句话说，这个是作者要批驳的观点。[D]几乎要实现全面复苏了。此选项同C 选项，都是与作者思想相违背的，更何况，复苏这个词根本无从谈起。
56. [B] 意为：与商人的预想不符。或：不像商人预想的那样好。
第二段指出，官方的统计数字也并不怎么乐观，如果将制造业和服务业算在一起(lump... together)，1989年以来生产率平均增长了1.2％，比前十年的平均指数略有增长；1991年后，生产率每年增长约2％，是1978年至1987年这十年平均指数的一倍多。然而问题是：最近显示出的增长部分是由商业领域里此时出现的正常的反弹造成的，因此，不能将它看作是更深层的（当指生产率）振兴的证据。正如财政部长鲁宾所说的那样，一方面，大量的商业神话似乎表明生产率的激增(leap)，另一方面，（官方的）统计数字又是另一番景象，二者之间存在着一个“差距”(disjunction)。定位到第二段的这几句：There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a "disjunction" between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics. 其意思是：正如财政部长罗伯特?鲁宾所说的，生产力发生飞跃的商业传奇与统计数字所反映的情况之间存在着一种“脱节”。商业传奇即是说大量的商业神话似乎表明生产率的激增(leap)。因此，可以得出结论，经济发展的实际情况和商人们所塑造的神话有脱节，即联系到了B选项。
[A]意为：排除了商业领域里出现的正常的反弹。此选项定位到了原文第二段中的The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle，意思是：近年发生的生产力快速增长部分是由于商业周期通常到了这时候就会出现的反弹造成的。所以应该理解为是一个正常的反弹，把动词excludes改成includes就对了。
[C]与商人预想的一致。这个与B选项正好矛盾，参考B选项的解释。
[D]没有准确地反映经济的状况。作者在末段最后一句中指出统计数字反映的是现实，现实就是经济适度地令人沮丧，而商业界却认为生产力在快速增长，是一个传奇，这就是二者观点不一致的地方，而题干问的是有关统计数字的细节，所以作者认为是反映了现实的。
57. [B] 他认为所谓的生产率革命并未奏效。
第一段指出，人们常说：不劳则无所获，但是，要是劳而无获呢？美国到处都在谈论所谓公司的振兴，但是，商界自认为正在进行的所谓生产率革命究竟是否名符其实，这一点却
很难确定。因此作者认为生产力并未提高，就是说所谓的生产率革命并没起多大作用。
另外，从第三段来看，所谓的生产率革命包括了改组企业(business restructuring, reengineering)等一系列措施，正如第四段所指出的，近年所进行的一些重组措施也许并未奏效，而且，即使有所成效，效果也没有人们想象的那样广泛。
在最后一段，作者引用了几个专家的评价，这几位专家对目前进行的促进生产率发展的措施更是持否定态度。作者的引用当然带有很大的倾向性，用以支持自己的观点。
[A]他对“不劳则无所获”的真实性提出质疑。该选择项过于局限于字面意思。该选择项过于局限于字面意思，而与作者的真正用意无关。这是一个用字面意思来迷惑考生的干扰项。
[C]他认为官方的统计数字可能有错。正好相反，他们认为所谓的商业振兴仅仅是假象。联系上一道题，作者并未说官方的统计数据不符合实际。如果上道题明白的话，就会第一个排除此选项的。
[D]他获得了商业振兴的确凿证据。这个选项有两个大错误。首先作者压根没说商业振兴，反而在说经济情况不如想象中的好。
58. [A] 激进的改革对生产率的提高极其必要。
首先要看清楚题目，是说文章未提到的，大家一定不要犯这种低级错误，选了文章提到过的选项。作者只指出促进生产率革命的措施并未奏效，未达到人们想象的效果，而并末提到应该如何才对。这属于过度引申的干扰项。
[B]用新方法改变工作场所可以提高生产率。第三段第二句指出，重新改变工作场所仅是加快一个国家的国民经济综合生产率水平(overall productivity of an economy)的一种措施，促进生产率发展的因素还有许多，如：设备和机器投资、新技术、教育和培训投资等都会带来生产率的提高。
[C]降低成本并不能保证带来长期利润。根据第五段第三句，在比尔看来，许多公司机械地(in a mechanistic fashion)应用改革措施，降低了成本，但对长期盈利却考虑不够。可见，降低成本和长期盈利并非总是成正比。
[D]顾问们是一伙饭桶。不要以为这种骂人句肯定不会出现在原文中，那你就犯了主观主义错误了。文章最后一段指出，在罗森伯格看来，目前负责经济调整的顾问们所做的工作，多数都是垃圾（没有成效），是典型的“于事无补”。
参考译文
人们说，不劳就无获。但是，如果有劳却无获又会怎样呢？在美国，无论你走到哪里都会听到企业复苏的故事。商人们自认为的他们所领导的生产力革命是否确有其事，这一点更
加难以确定。
官方的统计数字却有点不让人乐观。这些数据表明，如果把制造业和服务业合起来算，1987年以来生产力平均增长1.2％。这比前10年的平均增长速度略快。自1991年来，生产力每年约增长2％。这比1978年—1987年的平均增长速度高两倍以上。问题在于，近年发生的生产力快速增长部分是由于商业周期通常到了这时候就会出现的反弹造成的，因而它不是经济复苏已经是潜在趋势的结论性证据。正如财政部长罗伯特·鲁宾所说的，生产力发生飞跃的商业传奇与统计数字所反映的情况之间存在着一种“脱节”。
这其中的一些原因很容易解释。企业重组的新方法——所有那些重新设计和缩小规模的做法——只是促成一个经济国家的整体生产力的唯一因素，而这种经济的发展还受到许多其他因素的驱动，如设备、机械上的联合投资，新技术，以及教育和培训上的投资。另外，公司的大部分改革是为了赢利，而达到赢利的目的不一定非要提高生产力：转入新的市场或改善产品质量也会有同样大的功效。
其他两种解释带有很大的猜测性。一种解释是近年来所进行的公司重组也许并未奏效。另一种则说，即使有所成效，效果也不像人们所设想的那样广泛。
哈佛学者，快速增长的面包连锁店Au Bon Pain的前任总裁莱昂纳多·施莱辛格说，许多“重组”是粗糙的。他认为很多情况下，企业收益的损失超出了成本的降低。他的同事迈克·比尔说，太多的公司已用机械的方式进行重组，在没有充分考虑到长期赢利能力的情况下降低了成本。BBDO的艾尔·罗森夏恩更加直率。他把许多重组咨询专家所做的工作视为垃圾——“最糟糕的那种应急补救措施”。
1998 Text 3
Science has long had an uneasy relationship with other aspects of culture. Think of Galileo's 17th-century trial for his rebelling belief before the Catholic Church or poet William Blake's harsh remarks against the mechanistic worldview of Isaac Newton. The schism between science and the humanities has, if anything, deepened in this century.
Until recently, the scientific community was so powerful that it could afford to ignore its critics — but no longer. As funding for science has declined, scientists have attacked "anti-science" in several books, notably Higher Superstition, by Paul R. Gross, a biologist at the University of Virginia, and Norman Levitt, a mathematician at Rutgers University; and The Demon-Haunted World, by Carl Sagan of Cornell University.
Defenders of science have also voiced their concerns at meetings such as "The Flight from Science and Reason," held in New York City in 1995, and "Science in the Age of (Mis)information," which assembled last June near Buffalo.
Anti-science clearly means different things to different people. Gross and Levitt find fault primarily with sociologists, philosophers and other academics who have questioned science's objectivity. Sagan is more concerned with those who believe in ghosts, creationism and other
phenomena that contradict the scientific worldview.
A survey of news stories in 1996 reveals that the anti-science tag has been attached to many other groups as well, from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research.
Few would dispute that the term applies to the Unabomber, whose manifesto, published in 1995, scorns science and longs for return to a pre-technological Utopia. But surely that does not mean environmentalists concerned about uncontrolled industrial growth are anti-science, as an essay in US News & World Report last May seemed to suggest.
The environmentalists, inevitably, respond to such critics. The true enemies of science, argues Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, a pioneer of environmental studies, are those who question the evidence supporting global warming, the depletion of the ozone layer and other consequences of industrial growth.
Indeed, some observers fear that the anti-science epithet is in danger of becoming meaningless. "The term 'anti-science' can lump together too many, quite different things," notes Harvard University philosopher Gerald Holton in his 1993 work Science and Anti-Science. "They have in common only one thing that they tend to annoy or threaten those who regard themselves as more enlightened."
59. The word "schism" (line 3, paragraph 1) in the context probably means ________.
[A] confrontation [B] dissatisfaction
[C] separation [D] contempt
60. Paragraphs 2 and 3 are written to ________.
[A] discuss the cause of the decline of science's power
[B] show the author's sympathy with scientists
[C] explain the way in which science develops
[D] exemplify the division of science and the humanities
61. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
[A] Environmentalists were blamed for anti-science in an essay.
[B] Politicians are not subject to the labeling of anti-science.
[C] The "more enlightened" tend to tag others as anti-science.
[D] Tagging environmentalists as "anti-science" is justifiable
62. The author's attitude toward the issue of "science vs. anti-science" is ________.
[A] impartial [B] subjective
[C] biased [D] puzzling
核心词汇
1. uneasy 不舒服的；不安的；紧张的；easy 不着急，舒服的
2. aspect=respect 方面
3. trial 审判；实验；尝试
4. rebelling 反叛的，抗议的
5. harsh 恶劣的，严厉的
6. remarks 话语；opening remarks 开场白；closing remarks 结束语
7. worldview世界观
8. schism 分裂
9. humanities 人文学科，人类；人性
10. if anything 如果有的话
11. deepen 加深
12. scientific community 科学界
13. ignore 忽视
14. critic 批评家
15. no longer 不再
16. funding 资金投入
17. decline 刷退，减少；委婉拒绝
18. attack 抨击，反对
19. notably 明显地
20. voice 发出，说出
21. concern 担忧，关注
22. such as 例如
23. find fault with 挑剔
24. academics 学者
25. objectivity 客观性
26. creationism 造物论；evolutionism 进化论
27. contradict 与…矛盾
28. survey 调查
29. be attached to 贴到…之上；附属于；依恋，爱上某人
30. advocate 倡导
31. elimination 消除，淘汰
32. remaining=existing 现存的，
33. smallpox 天花
34. virus 病毒
35. dispute 争议
36. term 术语，概念；in terms of 用….来说
37. apply to 适用于；向….申请
38. manifesto 申明，看法