2000-2015年考研英语阅读真题详细解析
2000年考研英语阅读真题及解析
Text 1
①A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. ②When 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. ③Its scientists were the world s best; its workers the most skilled. ④(11)America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.
①It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. ②Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. ③By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. ④Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. ⑤By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. ⑥(Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea’s LG Electronics in July.) ⑦（12）Foreign-made cars and textiles were sweeping into the d
omestic market. America’s machine-tool industry was on the ropes. ⑧For 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.
①All of this caused a crisis of confidence. ②Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. ③They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. ④The mid-1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America’s industrial decline. ⑤Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.
①How things have changed! ②In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. ③（14）Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. ④Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. ⑤“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.
⑥“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, DC. ⑦And 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.”［429 words］
11. The U.S. 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
12. The loss of U.S. 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
13. 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.
14. The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. 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
【文章分析】
脉络。
第一段首句：阐述作者的观点。第一段②句至段末：描述二战后美国毫不费力就取得了经济霸主地位及其原因。
第二至三段：描述80年代美国经济霸主地位的丧失及其影响。第二段使用举例论证法加以证明。第三段分析影响，即美国作出了反思和调整。
第四段：描述90年代美国经济的复苏及随之而来的盲目乐观情绪。该段最后引用一些专家的话来证明这种盲目乐观的存在。
【全文翻译】
一段毫不费力就可以获得持久成功的历史可能成为一种可怕的障碍，但若处理得当，它也有可能转化为一种推动力。（句式1）二战结束后，美国恰好进入了这样的一段辉煌时期，当时，它拥有比任何竞争者大八倍的市场，使其产业经济达到了前所未有的规模。（句式2）它已拥有世界上最优秀的科学家和技术最娴熟的工人。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想像的。
随着其他国家日益强盛，美国的这一领先优势逐渐缩小，这是不可避免的。领先优势的丧失同样不可避免地令人感到痛苦。到了80年代中期，面对其日益衰退的产业竞争力，美国人感到
不知所措。面对国外竞争，一些大型的美国产业，如消费电子业，已经萎缩或倒闭。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已于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美国国内市场。美国的机床产业也岌岌可危。半导体是美国人发明的，并在计算机新时代处于核心地位，但有一段时间，半导体制造业似乎将要成为下一个“受害者”。（句式3）
所有这一切引发了一场信心危机。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会因此而下降。80年代中期，人们不断地探究美国产业衰退的原因。偶尔一些耸人听闻的发现中充满着对海外竞争压力日益增长的警告之词。
情况变化尤为神速！1995年，当日本还在奋力挣扎的时候，美国却可以对五年的稳固发展作一回顾了。很少有美国人将此仅仅归因于美元贬值或经济的周期循环这些显而易见的原因。于是，自我怀疑被盲目乐观所取代。用哈佛大学肯尼迪管理学院行政院长理查德·卡佛纳的话说就是：“美国产业已经调整了其结构，进行了精简，反应也更敏捷了”。（句式4）华盛顿特区的智囊团——卡托研究院的史蒂芬·莫尔也说：“我们的企业正在提高生产率，作为一个美国人，我感到自豪。”哈佛商学院的威廉·萨尔曼相信人们回顾这段时期时，将把它视为“美国企业管理的黄金时代”。
【核心词汇】
at a loss
困惑，不知所措例：I’m at a loss what to do next. 我对下一步做什么心里没谱。
casualty
n. 1. ［C］(事故或战斗中的)伤亡人员*2. ［C］（某特定事件或情况造成的）受害者，损坏物例：Small shops have been a casualty of the recession. 小商店在经济萧条中深受其害。 3. ［U］急救室，急诊室
fade
vi. *1.to gradually disappear逐渐消失例：Her beauty has faded a little. 她的美貌已有点失。 2. to become weaker physically(身体)变得虚弱（尤指因此导致重病或死亡）
vt.&vi.（使）褪；（使）失去光泽例：The sun had faded the curtains. 太阳把窗帘晒得褪了。
glowing
a. 1.发红光的，白热的2.热烈赞扬的，热情洋溢的，例：a glowing account/report 热情洋溢的叙述/报道*3.光明的，辉煌的；glow v.发热，发光，发红n.光亮，光辉handicap
vt. give or be a disadvantage to sb/sth对（某人、某物）设置不利条件; 被施加不利条件例：be handicapped by a lack of education 因文化水平低而吃亏n.［C］1.（由于受到损坏而产生的身体或智力上的）残障，残疾*2.障碍，不利条件例：Illiteracy is a serious handicap in life. 不能读写是生活中的严重障碍。3.（比赛或竞赛中加给强手的）不利条件（以示公平）例：She had a handicap of 7 in golf. 她在高尔夫球比赛中让了7杆。
on the ropes
岌岌可危，即将灭亡，处于困境
predominance
n.优势，主导地位；predominant a.占优势的；主要的；突出的（~over）
考研英语1真题quick-witted
a.机敏的，富于机智的；wit n. 智力，才智，智慧
retreat
n./vi. 1. ［U］（承诺的）撤回，（立场的）改变，放弃例：a retreat from hard-line policies放弃强硬政策*2. ［C，U］a movement away from a place or an enemy because of danger or defeat撤退，退却，撤离例：Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow 拿破仑从莫斯科的撤退 3. ［C］（对某个环境的）逃避，躲避，隐退
shrink
vt.&vi.1.（使）（衣物）缩水*2.（使）（数量、体积或价值）变小，减少，缩小例：The number of students has shrunk from 120 to 70.学生人数已从120减至70人。
vi.（尤指因恐惧而）退缩，畏缩例：I will not shrink from my duties.我不会逃避责任。
take for granted
1.take it for granted（that…）认为……是理所当然*
2.take sb/sth for granted（因习以为常）对……不重视，（因视为当然而）不把……当回事例：We take having an endless supply of clean water for granted. 我们想当然地认为洁净水的供应无穷无尽而不予以珍惜。
think-tank
n.智囊团，思想库
yield to
1. to stop resisting屈服，让步例：He reluctantly yielded to their demands.他不情愿地屈从于他们的要求。*
2. to be replaced by被……取代例：Barges yielded to road vehicles for transporting goods.在货物运输方面，驳船让位给了公路车辆。
【核心词组】
1.It is inevitable that…不可避免的是……
2.at a loss 茫然
3.such as…例如
4.be on the rope 举步为艰
5.for a while 一段时间
6.it looks as though…看起来仿佛……
7.sit at the heart of…处于……的重要位置
8.take…for granted 认为……是理所当然的事
9.as well 也，又
10.be filled with…充满
11.look back 回顾
12.attribute…to…把……归因于……
13.yield to…对……投降
< on a diet 节食
15.business school 商学院
16.look back on…回顾
17.make painstaking efforts 做出艰辛的努力
18.domestic market 国内市场
19.give an impetus to…推动……
20.take over…取代
21.machine-tool 模具
22.auto industry 汽车行业
24.depend on…取决于
25.pave the way for…为……铺平道路
26.be attributed to…被……归因于
【试题分析】
11本题考核的知识点是：因果细节。正确率：67%
［快速解题］根据题干时间关键词after World War Ⅱ定位到第一段②句。该段列举了美国取得霸主地位的多个原因。末句提到：美国的国富民强是欧亚国家做梦都想不到的，因为战争摧毁了后者的经济。由此可推知［C］正确。［A］中painstaking efforts与①句的effortless success相悖。［B］比较对象错误，文中指出美国的市场比竞争者大八倍，而［B］成了美国自身的前后比较。［D］出现了文中未提的对象“空前规模的劳动力”，而原文谈及的是“空前的产业经济规模”。
［篇章分析］第一段首句阐述了作者两个层次的观点：一，毫不不费力获得持久成功的历史可能成为一种可怕的障碍；二，若处理得当，则这种障碍可以成为动力。随后三句构成的义对首句的“毫不不费力获得持久成功的历史”进行具体阐述。②句的such a glowing period 回指①句的A history of long and effortless success。这三句列举了二战后美国无可比拟的五个经济优势，也就是其获得经济霸主地位的原因，从而说明二战后美国的经济繁荣时期是一段毫不费力获得成功的历史。所列举的五个原因中，前四个较明显，正面论述美国的经济优势：大市场、大规模的产业经济、最优秀的科学家、技术最娴熟的工人。最后一个间接论述美国的优势：其主要竞争对手的经济遭到战争破坏。
［正确项设置］正确答案的信息隐含于第一段末句的定语从句中。末句的主句指出了美国的经济霸主地位：美国的国富民强令欧亚国家难以望其项背，从句暗含了原因：战争摧毁了欧亚国家（美国的多数潜
在竞争对手）的经济。［C］是末句的改写，用most potential competitors 替换末句中的the Europeans and Asians。
［干扰项设置］［A］根据首句中关键词effortless以及人们的常规思维——成功往往需要巨大的努力——设置反向干扰。［B］、［D］偷梁换柱：［B］将②句中的比较对象“(U. S.) than any competitor”替换成“(then) than before”；［D］将②句中的unparalleled economies of scale和③句中的workers糅合成unparalleled size of its workforce。
12本题考核的知识点是：具体细节。正确率：46%
［快速解题］根据题干时间关键词1980s先定位到第二段③句。由于备选项涉及了四个具体产业的事实细节，因此进一步定位到⑤至⑨句，将原文与选项对比，判别事实真伪。［A］与⑤⑥句的事实不符——美国最后一家电视生产厂家都被外国公司收购（Now there is none）。
⑦句提到，“外国制造的汽车和纺织品正在大举进入国内市场”，言外之意，美国的这两个行业正在失去部分国内市场，因此［D］正确。⑧句提到美国机床工业岌岌可危（on the ropes），没有提到它“已经灭亡”或“有自杀性行动”，排除［C］。末句提到，半导体制造业似乎将要成为下一个“受害者”，（即，与其他行业一样，也将失去国内市场）。但词组looked as though和was going to说明它只是一种可能性，并未成为事实。［B］指出其已经被外国公司接管，不符合文意。
［篇章分析］继第一段“美国战后轻而易举获得成功”之后，第二段开始转入对“80年代美国丧失经济霸主地位”的描述，从而论证全文首句中第一层次的观点：毫不不费力获得持久成
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