考研英语阅读理解精读选编----社会文化类

Jim Boon is a hybrid kind of guy. He drives a Toyota hybrid to work, a Honda hybrid on weekends and, as a manager for Seattle public transit he recently placed the world's largest order for hybrid electric buses.

Now, with the biggest hybrid-bus fleet in the world, Seattle has become the main testing ground for a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption. In the 1990s, demo fleets of 35 buses or fewer started cropping up in cities such as Tempe, Ariz. Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures. But no city has gone as far as Seattle, which last year bought 235 GM hybrid buses at $645,000 a pop. When the final one rolls out this December, the region's bus system will be 15 percent hybrid.

But why Seattle, and why now? The Pacific Northwest has long been a hotbed of both Green politics and cutting-edge technology. Fourteen years ago the Seattle area bought 236 Italian-made Breda buses to service a mile-long downtown tunnel. They were supposed to operate as clean electric trolleys underground, but the switching mechanism often failed and "the bus drove through the tunnel as a diesel," says Boon. "It was pretty loud and smoky."

When the Bredas hit retirement age in 2002, Boon went shopping. He chose the GM buses because they use an automatic transmission and diesel boosters that provide power to scale inclines without strain. In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus. "The days of seeing a diesel pull away and pour out smoke are over," says Boon. "After we drove these hybrid buses across the country, I wiped a handkerchief inside the tailpipe. It came out spotless."

Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air. It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year. GM claims that compared with conventional diesels, its new buses also churn out 90 percent less particulate matter--a known carcinogen. "Buses are a major source of pollution in any city," says Dave Kircher of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. "They operate where people are breathing this exhaust, so this is a major step forward in terms of emissions."

And a major step forward in the marketplace: Philadelphia; Honolulu; Long Beach, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M., have all bought the GM buses in recent months. GM is now touting itself in ads as the top hybrid-bus innovator, but Siemens is among the global giants dueling GM for new business, and New York plans to deploy 325 BAE Systems hybrids by 2006. "There's room for competition," says James Cannon, editor of Hybrid Vehicles newsletter. Seems Seattle isn't the only city trying to leave grunge behind.

注（1）：本文选自Newsweek; 9/20/2004；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年Text 1.

1． How does Genoa protect its architectural treasures?

[A]Following Seattle’s steps to reduce pollution.
Using electric power of the car when crossing.
[C]Shifting the power of the hybrids when crossing.
[D]Reducing the number of the buses crossing there.

2． Which of the following can be the main advantage of hybrid bus?

[A]Cutting air pollution and fuel consumption
Producing less smoke and noise.
[C]Owning strong switching mechanism.
[D]Producing less dangerous matter.

3． The expression “churn out”(Line 4, Paragraph 5) most probably means ______.

[A]increase
destroy
[C]reduce
[D]produce

4． Why buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of higher efficiency?

[A]Buses are a major source of pollution.
A single bus saves much more gas than a single car.
[C]Buses carry more passengers.
[D]New buses produce less harmful material.

5． Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A]Many cities plan to buy GM buses.
GM buses have the incomparable advantages over other buses.
[C]There is severe competition in the field of hybrid vehicles.
[D]The best way to keep the city clean is to buy hybrid buses.

答案：CADBC

篇章剖析
本文采用的是提出问题——分析问题的模式，指出混合动力公交车的优点，并分析了西雅图为什么会成为世界上拥有这种汽车最多的城市。第一段介绍了西雅图公共交通系统经理吉姆•布恩；第二段指出西雅图是世界上拥有混合动力公交车最多的城市；第三段和第四段分析了为什么会是西雅图这座城市，而且又是现在购买这么多GM公交车的原因；第五段介绍了同柴油机相比，混合动力公交车的性能优点；第七段介绍了其市场经营情况。

词汇注释
hybrid[]n.杂种, 混血儿, 混合物adj.混合的, 杂种的
place an order for sth. with  v.向...定购某物
drastically adv.激烈地, 彻底地
demo[]n.演示, 民主党员, 样本唱片
crop up  v.突然出现
diesel[]n.柴油机
a pop每个，各
roll out  v.铺开, 低沉地讲出, 离开, 动身, 大量生产, 滚出
hotbed[]n.温床
cutting-edge  尖端的，先进的
trolley[]n.电车
accelerate[]v.加速, 促进
belch[]v.打嗝, (火山、炮等)冒烟、喷出
tailpipe[]n.[汽]排气管
churn out 大量产出；以一种丰富的和自动的方式产生
carcinogen[]n.致癌物质
exhaust[]n.废气
tout[]v.吹捧
duel[]v.决斗
deploy[]v.展开, 配置
grunge[]n.<美俚>蹩脚货,难看的东西,乏味的东西

难句突破
1．In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus.
主体句式：… the prospect … helped justify a price …
结构分析：这句话的主语是“the prospect of a hybrid”，之后跟的是由that引导的定语从句来修饰“a hybrid”。在这个定语从句中，“climb”和“accelerate”都是谓语动词。“help”是谓语，后面经常跟“to do sth”， 其中“to”常被省略。“$200,000 higher than that of a regular bus”修饰“a price”，其中 “that”指代的是“price”。
句子译文：在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures.”
2.答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是第二段第一句话“a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption”。第五段第一句话“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”又进一步印证了这一点。
3.答案为D，属猜词题。本段的主题句是“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”其中已经介绍过了高功效，接下来要介绍高清洁。 “churn out”所在的句子是在说明这种新型公交车在减少大气污染方面的优良性能，根据语境可猜出词组的含义。
4.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year.”作对本题的关键是对此句的正确理解。参照“难句突破”部分的解释。
5.答案为C，属推理判断题。本段指出虽然美国通用汽车公司自诩是最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是GM在这一市场中做的并不是独家生意，也还存在着激烈的竞争，其中主要竞争对手是劲敌西门子公司，而且纽约作为一大客户，准备订购的是BAE系统混合动力车，而不是GM公司的车。由此我们可作出判断。

参考译文
吉姆•布恩是个混血儿。他上班开丰田混合动力车，周末开本田混合动力车。作为西雅图公共交通系统经理，他最近订购了世界上最大一批混合电力公交车。

现在，拥有世界上最大的混合动力公交车车队的西雅图已经成为一项技术的主要试验地。这项技术据说能大幅度降低空气污染和燃料消耗。在二十世纪九十年代，就有35辆或再少几辆这样的示范车突然出现在诸如亚利桑那州滕比这样的城市里。这些早年的混合动力车至今仍有16辆服务于意大利的热那亚。在热那亚，途经城市市区的建筑瑰宝时，司机就会把柴油动力转换成电力动力。但是没有哪座城市的做法赶得上西雅图，去年它以每辆645，000美元的价格购买了235辆美国通用汽车公司生产的混合动力公共汽车。今年十一月，当最后一辆车生产出来的时候，这个地区的公交汽车系统中混合动力车将占到15%。

可为什么是西雅图？为什么又是现在呢？美国太平洋西北部长期以来一直是绿色政治和尖端科技产生的摇篮。十四年前，西雅图地区曾购买了236辆意大利制造的布雷达（Breda）公共汽车用于一英里长的市区隧道的使用。本指望能把它们当作洁净的电力有轨电车在地下使用，但是车上的转换装置经常出毛病，“而且汽车在穿越隧道时就像是辆柴油机，”布恩说，“噪音太大，烟雾太多。”

2002年，当布雷达汽车到了“退休”的年龄时，由布恩进行新的采购。他之所以选择美国通用汽车是因为他们使用的是自动转换装置和能够提供动力来测量没有张力的斜坡的柴油推进器。在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。“看着柴油机冒着黑烟开走的日子终于结束了，”布恩说，“我们开车驶过乡村，我拿出手绢擦拭排气管的内部。手绢洁白无暇。”

专家认为汽车是实现高功效和高清洁梦想的关键。上千辆混合动力小汽车节省下来的汽油（750，000加仑）才和布恩预计他的汽车每年为西雅图节省的石油一样多。美国通用汽车公司声称，同传统柴油机相比，他们的这种新型汽车还能把产生的某种物质—— 一种已知的致癌物减少90%。“公共汽车在任何一座城市里都是主要的污染源，”普吉特海湾清洁空气监测站（the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency）的戴夫•奇瑟说，“汽车一开动，人们就开始在呼吸这种废气。因此这是在汽车排放物方面迈出的重大一步。”

在市场方面也向前迈出了重大一步：最近几个月，费城、火奴鲁鲁、长堤、加州和新墨西哥州的阿尔伯克基都购买了美国通用公共汽车。现在，美国通用汽车公司在广告中把自己吹嘘成最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是与通用公司竞争这一新生意的还有全球性的大公司西门子公司；纽约计划到2006年配备325辆BAE系统的混合动力车。“这大有竞争的余地。”《动力机动车时事通讯》的编辑詹姆士•坎农是这样说的。看来好象不只西雅图一座城市想要把肮脏抛在身后。

Imagine asking a presidential candidate to sit down for a sensitivity session on gay and lesbian issues. That's exactly what we did last week in Austin, Texas. George W. Bush invited us, a dozen gay Republicans, after he'd refused to meet with a gay Republican group that had criticized him. Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.

Bush didn't like everything we had to say. I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn. I described how my partner, Rob Morris, and I have been in a 17-year relationship. We both come from healthy, strong, religious families. Rob grew up in a conservative Republican family in Georgia; I come from a longtime Republican family in Wisconsin. I'm now the vice president of my Lutheran church. I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community.

Our stories had an impact. Bush admitted that, growing up in Texas, he had not been as open to elements of America's diverse culture. He had a narrow set of friends and a firm set of traditions. But he was surprised and dismayed to hear that people saw him as intolerant. "What have I said that sent that signal?" he asked repeatedly. We confronted him about his reported statement that if you were openly gay or lesbian you would not be considered for a job in his administration. "I never said that," he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.

Our perspective was clearly eye-opening to him. When one of us talked about his lesbian sister and her partner adopting children, the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt. "Now you're telling me of a very loving, caring relationship," he said. "I really appreciate hearing that." We stressed that a Bush administration could not roll back any of the progress made in recent years. We talked about AIDS funding and research. Though Bush was attentive--and does show a willingness to hear all sides--I don't think we changed his positions. He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes. To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.
注（1）：本文选自Newsweek，04/24/2000, p43
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2003年真题Text 4

1.      What is implied in the first paragraph?

[A]A gay Republican group criticized Bush for his political views.
It is impossible to invite a president for discussing the gay issues.
[C]No president candidate can ignore gay and lesbian issues at the present time.
[D]Gay and lesbian issues are hot issues for the president.

2.      The author uses himself as an example to show _________.

[A]what it is like in the gay and lesbian community
what it is like to be a gay.
[C]what kind of a family the gays come from.
[D]what it is like to maintain a gay relationship

3.      The author’s attitude toward Bush’s performance at the meeting is _________.

[A]scornful
satisfactory
[C]supporting
[D]objective

4.      In spite of his careful listening, Bush still opposes the following behaviors except _________.

[A]adopting the child
getting married
[C]redefining hate crimes
[D]employing the gays and lesbians

5.      The text intends to express the idea that _________.

[A]the gays and lesbians long for the normal life
Bush has partly changed his views about the gay issues
[C]there is still a long way to go to deal with the gay issues properly
[D]the gays has had a successful talk with Bush

答案：CABDC

篇章剖析
本文可以说是一篇记叙文，作者以第一人称的身份讲述了十几个共和党人同总统候选人布什的会面，并就男女同性恋问题进行了探讨和交流。第一段指出这一会面蕴涵的意义；在第二段，作者以自己为例，向布什具体讲述有关同性恋者的家庭、宗教信仰以及他（她）们之间的关系；第三段和第四段指出这一交流对布什产生的影响和作用。

词汇注释
behind the scenes  adv.在后台, 在幕后
gay[] n.<美俚> 同性恋者, 尤指男性同性者
sit down  v.坐下, 扎营, 坐下来商讨, 停止, 降落
lesbian[]n.同性恋的女性
precedent[]n.先例
major party  n.（有竞选力量、可能入主政府或成为主要反对党的）大党；主要政党
intolerant[]adj.不宽容的, 偏狭的
eye-opening[]adj.使瞠目吃惊的, 很有启发的
acknowledge[]vt.承认, 答谢, 报偿

难句突破
Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.
主体句式：Our meeting set an important precedent…
结构分析：“Our meeting set an important precedent”和“never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues”是一种并列关系。在这个句子中，需要注意这么一个语法点：如果否定词（never, hardly, seldom, etc）位于句首，谓语动词要倒装。注意掌握词组“run for”，意为“竞选”，“address”意为“处理”。
句子译文：我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues. ”这一句话点出了此次会谈的意义。
2.答案为A，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community. ”作者以自己为例，是为了向布什更好地解释有关同性恋的问题。
3.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn.”其中“strike”的含义为“打动；感动；给…印象； 吸引”等等。文章最后两句话“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.”意为“老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。”表现出对布什的赞赏和肯定。
4.答案为D，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes.”由此我们可以确定选项B和C是正确的；从原文“the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt”，我们可以确定选项A是正确的；选项D在文中对应的信息是“he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.”
5.答案为C，属推理判断题。从文中第一段“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.”我们可看出同性恋问题的严重性。最后一段“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go.”我们可看出这一问题的长期性和复杂性。由此可作出判断。

参考译文
想象一下，要求一位总统候选人坐下来参加“敏感会议”来商讨有关男女同性恋问题。但这正是我们上周在德克萨斯州的奥斯汀所做的事情。乔治•沃特•布什在拒绝会见批判他的共和党同性恋团体之后，邀请了我们十几位同性恋共和党人。我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。

布什并不赞同我们不得不说出的一切。他对此类事情的陌生以及想要去了解的愿望使我深有感触。我向他讲述我和我的同伴罗布•莫理斯是如何处于这种长达17年的同性恋关系的。我们双方都是出自健康、健全、有宗教信仰的家庭。罗布生长在乔治亚州的一个保守的共和党家庭；我来自威斯康星州的一个老共和党人家庭。我现在是我所在的路德教堂的副会长。我想让领导人布什明白的是，男女同性恋团体拥有持久恩爱的关系，稳定的家庭，坚定的有宗教信仰的传统和共和党派选举史。

我们的讲述起了作用。布什承认，因为在德州长大，所以他对美国多元文化的构成不够敏感。他的交友圈很窄，而且他还固守传统。但是当他听说人们认为他很偏狭的时候，他还是感到吃惊和沮丧。“我说了什么话传递了这样的信息？”他反复地问。我们就他在报导声明里提到的如果你公然表示是男同性恋或女同性恋的话，那么将不予考虑你在政府部门任职这一观点进行了对质。“我从未说过这样的话。”他是这样强调的，并向我们保证他会任用那些能干并且与他政治观点相同的男、女同性恋的。

我们的看法对他而言显然是有启发性的。当我们中的一个人谈到他的同性恋姐姐和她的同伴收养孩子的问题时，这位领导人承认了他经常陈述的观点，那就是同性恋不应该收养孩子。“你们给我讲述了一种很忠情、很关爱的关系，”他说，“我真的很重视我所听到的有关情况。”我们强调说布什政府不会使我们近几年所取得的进展付之东流。我们还谈到了有关艾滋病资助和研究问题。虽然布什很专注——也确实表现出愿意倾听各方的意见——但我认为我们并没有改变他的观点。他仍然反对同性恋人结婚，反对把迫害同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视罪。老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。

Hidden valley looks a lot like the dozens of other camps that dot the woods of central Maine. There's a lake, some soccer fields and horses. But the campers make the difference. They're all American parents who have adopted kids from China. They're at Hidden Valley to find bridges from their children's old worlds to the new. Diana Becker of Montville, Maine, watches her 3-year-old daughter Mika dance to a Chinese version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." "Her soul is Chinese," she says, "but really she's growing up American."

Hidden Valley and a handful of other "culture camps" serving families with children from overseas reflect the huge rise in the number of foreign adoptions, from 7,093 in 1990 to 15,774 last year. Most children come from Russia (4,491last year) and China (4,206) but there are also thousands of others adopted annually from South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. After cutting through what can be miles of red tape, parents often come home to find a new dilemma. "At first you think, 'I need a child'," says Sandy Lachter of Washington, D.C., who with her husband, Steve, adopted Amelia, 5, from China in 1995. "Then you think, 'What does the child need?' "

The culture camps give families a place to find answers to those kinds of questions. Most grew out of local support groups; Hidden Valley was started last year by the Boston chapter of Families with Children from China, which includes 650 families. While parents address weighty issues like how to raise kids in a mixed-race family, their children just have fun riding horses, singing Chinese songs or making scallion pancakes. "My philosophy of camping is that they could be doing anything, as long as they see other Chinese kids with white parents," says the director, Peter Kassen, whose adopted daughters Hope and Lily are 6 and 4.

The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year. "When we rented out a theater for 'Mulan,' it was packed," says Stephen Chen of Boston, whose adopted daughter Lindsay is 4. Classes in Chinese language, art and calligraphy are taught by experts, like Renne Lu of the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Center. "Our mission is to preserve the heritage," Lu says.

Kids who are veteran campers say the experience helps them understand their complex heritage. Sixteen-year-old Alex was born in India and adopted by Kathy and David Brinton of Boulder, Colo., when he was 7. "I went through a stage where I hated India, hated everything about it," he says. "You just couldn't mention India to me." But after six sessions at the East India Colorado Heritage Camp, held at Snow Mountain Ranch in Estes Park, Colo., he hopes to travel to India after he graduates from high school next year.

Camp can be a learning experience for the whole family. Whitney Ning, 23, a counselor for four years, says the Korea Heritage Camp helped her become closer to her parents. "They were hesitant at first," she says, "but when they saw how much it meant to me, they became very supportive." Sometimes the most direct route around the world is across a campfire.

注（1）：本文选自Newsweek; 10/04/99, p75；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 1；

1.      Why American parents come to Hidden Valley?

[A]It has a large gathering of adopted children.
Parents want to find a place to exchange their ideas.
[C]It helps children adapt to the new culture well.
[D]It is a very good place for relaxation.

2.      Which of the following is not the advantage of the culture camp?

[A]It well reflects the increasing foreign adoptions.
Parents can find the answers to their questions in raising the adopted children.
[C]Children can learn a lot in culture camp.
[D]It helps the adopted children have a better understanding of their complex heritage.

3.      The expression “miles of red tape”(Line 5, Paragraph 2) most probably means _________.

[A]a number of choices
many hard journeys
[C]a lot of difficulties
[D]most troublesome procedures

4.      What is Alex’s attitude toward India now?

[A]Strong disapproval.
Reserved consent.
[C]Slight contempt
[D]Enthusiastic support

5.      Which of the following is true according to the text?

[A]Foreign adoption is a common phenomenon in America.
Children can do whatever they want to do in the culture camp.
[C]Both parents and their adopted children can benefit from the culture camp.
[D]Children can receive best education in the culture camp.

答案：CADBC

篇章剖析
本文可以说是一篇记叙文，主要记述了文化营对于美国父母和他们收养的外国孩子的意义和作用。第一段指出一些美国父母来“隐谷”文化营的目的；第二段指出收养人数的增加以及养父母的困惑；第三段、四段、五段和六段指出文化营活动带给孩子和家长的启示和收获。

词汇注释
red tape  n（捆扎文件的）红带；繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风
dilemma[]n.进退两难的局面, 困难的选择
calligraphy[]n.书法
Boulder[]n.玻尔得,美国科罗拉多州中南部一城市

难句突破
After cutting through what can be miles of red tape, parents often come home to find a new dilemma.
主体句式：…parents often come home to find a new dilemma.
结构分析：介词“after”之后跟了一个名词性动词短语“cutting through”，意思是“抄近路走过”；介词“through”后面跟的是由“what”引导的名词性从句；习语“red tape”的意思是“繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风；繁文缛节，尤指当其令人感到难以忍受的、复杂且浪费时间的”。
句子译文：做父母的尽快办完各种异常繁琐的手续回到家后，却发现他们又陷入了新的困境。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“They're at Hidden Valley to find bridges from their children's old worlds to the new.”这一句话点出了父母参加文化营活动的目的。
2.答案为A，属事实细节题。选项B对应信息是“The culture camps give families a place to find answers to those kinds of questions.”选项C对应信息是“The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year.”选项D对应信息是“Kids who are veteran campers say the experience helps them understand their complex heritage.”选项A只是阐述一个事实，与题意不符。
3.答案为D，属猜词题。这道题目考察的是对习语“red tape”的理解。“red tape”的意思是“繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风；繁文缛节，尤指当其令人感到难以忍受的、复杂且浪费时间的”。
4.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“But after six sessions at the East India Colorado Heritage Camp, held at Snow Mountain Ranch in Estes Park, Colo., he hopes to travel to India after he graduates from high school next year.”亚历克斯最开始厌恶印度，甚至都不能跟他提起印度，到后来希望今后能去印度看看。我们能看出他对印度的态度的转变，但还没有达到选项D中提到的那种态度。
5.答案为C，属事实细节题。从句子“Hidden Valley and a handful of other "culture camps" serving families with children from overseas reflect the huge rise in the number of foreign adoptions, from 7,093 in 1990 to 15,774 last year.”我们可看出在美国收养外国子女人数的增加，但我们不能就说这是一种普遍现象，因此选项A不正确。句子"My philosophy of camping is that they could be doing anything, as long as they see other Chinese kids with white parents,"只是其中一位家长的观点，而且也不是说“孩子想做什么就做什么”，因此选项B不正确。文中提到“The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year.”，而且还说“Classes in Chinese language, art and calligraphy are taught by experts”，但是这些并不能说明孩子在文化营接受的教育就是最好的，因此选项D也不正确。文中阐述了在通过文化营活动，父母和孩子都是受益非浅，因此选项C是正确的。

参考译文
隐谷看起来和其它几十个露营地一样，点缀在缅因州中部的树林。这里有一条湖泊，几个足球场，还有一些马匹。但是这里的露营者不同于其它地方的露营者。他们都是美国父母，都收养了中国孩子。他们到隐谷来的目的是为了寻找架起孩子的旧世界通往新世界的桥梁。来自缅因州蒙特维尔的戴安娜•贝克尔看着她三岁的女儿米卡随着中国版本的歌曲“一闪一闪亮晶晶，满天都是小星星”翩翩起舞。“虽然她骨子里是中国人，”她说，“但实际上她在长成一个美国人。”

隐谷和其它几个为收养国外孩子的家庭服务的“文化营”反映出收养人数的剧增，从1990年7，039人到去年的15，774人。大部分孩子来自俄国（去年4，491人）和中国（4，206人），但是每年也都有数千个孩子是来自南美、亚洲和东欧的。做父母的尽快办完各种异常繁琐的手续回到家后，却发现他们又陷入了新的困境。“开始时你想，‘我想要个孩子’，”华盛顿的桑迪•拉奇特和她的丈夫史蒂夫1995年从中国收养了五岁的阿米莉娅，她是这样说的，“然后你又想，‘孩子她需要什么？’”。

文化营活动给家庭提供了寻找这类问题答案的地方。文化营大多是由当地支持团体发展而来的。“领养中国孩童家庭团体”（Families with Children from China）的波士顿支部于去年成立了隐谷这一文化营，其中包括650个家庭会员。当父母忙着商讨类似如何在混合人种的家庭里抚养孩子这样重要的问题时，孩子们却自得其乐，他们骑马，唱中文歌或做香煎葱油饼。“我对露营的理解就是只要孩子们看到其他中国孩子能和他们的白人父母在一起做的，他们都可以做。”作为组织者的彼得•卡森是这样说的。他自己收养了两个女儿，一个是六岁的霍普，一个是四岁的莉莉。

营地是孩子们在一年里所上的语言课和舞蹈课的一种延续。“我们出租剧院播放“木兰”时，剧场都爆满了。”波士顿的斯蒂芬•陈是这样说的。他收养的女儿林赛今年四岁了。在这里，汉语课、艺术课和书法课都是由专家讲授的，比如来自大波士顿区中华文化中心的伦尼•卢。卢是这样说的：“我们的使命是来保护传统。”

那些已是老露营者的孩子们认为，这种经历有助于理解他们复杂的传统。今年16岁的亚历克斯出生在印度，七岁时由玻尔得市的凯西和大卫•布尔顿夫妇收养。“我曾有段时期很讨厌印度，讨厌所有跟印度相关的东西，”他说，“你甚至都不能跟我提起印度。”但是参加了六期在科罗拉多伊斯特公园的雪山大牧场举行的“东印度科罗拉多传统文化营”之后，他表示希望明年高中毕业后能去印度看看。

文化营对全家来说也是一种学习机会。23岁的惠特尼•宁在文化营已担任了四年管理员。她说“韩国传统文化营”使她和父母的关系更为紧密。“刚开始时他们还比较犹豫，”她说，“但当他们看到这对我有多么重要时，他们就非常支持我了。”有时通往世界最直接的路仅仅是越过一团篝火。

I am a hip-hop head for life. I have tagged my moniker-- "kepo1"--on walls; break-danced on cardboard; bumped elbows with fellow hip-hoppers at legendary clubs like The Rooftop, Union Square and Latin Quarter in New York City, and done everything from organizing rap shows to working as a hip-hop journalist and managing music producers. This culture has not only rescued the lives of countless masses who look like me, but it has empowered more young, working-class black and Latino cats than the civil-rights movement.

Yet something peculiar erupts when you've been around hip-hop for a while. Although you still love it, you look at its culture from a more critical perspective, particularly if you have studied other music genres, traveled widely and reflected intensely. You realize that what began as party music has come to be the soundtrack for post-civil-rights America. You realize that hip-hop is urban folk art, and as much an indication of the conditions in impoverished areas as bluesman Robert Johnson's laments in the 1930s. Naturally, you see a connection between the lives of Johnson and Tupac Shakur, not to mention a not-so-funny link between the mainstream hyping of Elvis and Eminem as innovators of black music forms. And, for sure, you wonder, loudly, if what happened to rock and roll will happen to hip-hop, if it hasn't already.

That is the external battle for hip-hop today: corporate control and cooptation. But there is also a civil war going on within the hip-hop nation. Part of it, unquestionably, has to do with this corporate stranglehold. Part of it has to do with the incredibly apolitical times in which we live: for some white Americans the current economic boom has created the myth that things are swell for all Americans. Not the case; 20 years after the Reagan backlash on civil rights, the influx of crack and guns and the acceleration of a disturbing class divide in black America, hip-hop has come to symbolize a generation fragmented by integration, migration, abandonment, alienation and, yes, self-hatred. Thus, hip-hop, once vibrant, edgy, fresh and def, is now as materialistic, hedonistic, misogynistic, shallow and violent as some of the films and TV shows launched from Hollywood.

It wasn't always that way. But, unfortunately, the golden era of hip-hop--that period in the late '80s and early '90s when such diverse artists as Public Enemy, N.W.A, Queen Latifah, MC Hammer, LL Cool J and De La Soul coexisted and there was no such thing as "positive" or "negative" rap--has long been dead. Gone as well is an embrace of hip-hop's four elements: graffiti writing, the dance element (or what some call break-dancing), DJing and MCing. The MC or "rapper" has been singled out to be his own man in this very male-centered arena, and the formula for a hit record is simple: fancy yourself a thug, pimp or gangster; rhyme about jewelry, clothing and alcohol; denigrate women in every conceivable way, and party and b.s. ad nauseam.

注（1）：本文选自Newsweek; 10/09/2000, p66；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2005年真题Text 1;

1.In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by

[A]posing a contrast.
justifying an assumption.
[C]explaining a phenomenon.
[D]making a comparison.

2.Paragraph 2 implies that

[A]blues, rock and roll and hip-hop are all urban folk music.
the fates of the music represented by these singers are quite similar.
[C]the singers with the same background have the same fate.
[D]a wide knowledge about the lives of singers makes you well understand their music.
3.The music the author has loved for his life has been ruined because of

[A]corporate control and apolitical times.
the Reagan backlash.
[C]the degenerated generation.
[D]the influence of Hollywood’s films.

4.Today’s hip-hop and some of Hollywood’s films and TV shows are quite

[A]related
opposite
[C]similar
[D]different

5.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

[A]The four elements of hip-hop have broken up.
The hip-hop has lost its characteristics as vibrant, edgy, fresh and def.
[C]The MC or "rapper" is misleading for the youngsters.
[D]The hip-hop will regain its glory in the future.
答案：CBACB

篇章剖析
本文采用的是记叙文模式，讲述了作者作为一名嘻哈乐爱好者，亲眼目睹了公司控制和对政治冷漠的时代是如何侵犯了他一生所钟爱的音乐的。第一段作者以自己作为一名嘻哈乐爱好者的经历入手，着重说明嘻哈乐对于无数爱好者和年轻人的影响和意义；第二段指出嘻哈乐是一种城市民间音乐，以及它代表的音乐与其它音乐形式的联系；第三段指出是什么原因使嘻哈乐失去了往日的辉煌；第四段指出今日的嘻哈乐是怎样的一种情形。

词汇注释
Hip-Hop:街头说唱，中文翻译为“嘻哈乐”。嘻哈文化(Hip-Hop Culture)是一种源自rap(饶舌音乐)的文化运动，主要包含4个主要部分：打碟(DJing)、说唱(MCing)、breaking(跳霹雳舞)和街头涂鸦艺术(Graffiti或Writing)。这些同时代产生的黑人地下文化并称为嘻哈四大元素。从英文字面意义来看，hip是臀部，hop是单脚跳，所以可以理解为轻扭臀部摇摆，Hip-Hop含有rap(饶舌)和R&B(rhythm and blues节奏蓝调)的复杂的节奏以及电唱机的音效，它随意而又健康。大约近20年来，这种原为美国特有的文化现象已经风靡全世界。
encroach [] vi. 侵犯，侵占；侵害
head n. 【俚语】经常服用毒品的人；狂热爱好者
for life 终生，直到生命终结
tag vt, vi. -gg- 加上标签，贴标签；尾随，紧随 (tag along with)；(常与on, on to连用)附上；给...起浑名，
tag sth. on [onto, to] 把某物附加于...上面
moniker [] n. 名字, 绰号
cat [美俚]娼妓; 流动工人; 爵士乐演奏者[爱好者]
soundtrack 电影配乐
bluesman [] n. 演奏(或演唱)布鲁斯音乐(或歌曲)的人
lament [lE5ment] n. 悲叹；哀悼；哀歌，挽歌
hype [haip] vt. 大肆宣传，大做广告；炒作；[俚](用刺激针剂等)强行刺激, 使兴奋(up)
cooptation招降，吸收，吸纳；增选
cooptate=co-opt vt. 增选，将…选为(指定为)新成员；指定…为新同事(或助手)；吸收，同化；强占，征用；拉拢，笼络(对手等)，招降，收买，
stranglehold [] n. 掐住脖子；束缚; 压制, 严格控制
apolitical [] adj. 不关心政治的，对政治不感兴趣，与政治无关的，无政治意义的
incredible [] adj. 不能采纳的；难以相信的，不真实而令人难以置信的；惊人的
swell n. 大浪，巨浪；声音的增强，音量的增加；肿胀，膨胀；丰满；
backlash [] n. 反冲; 后冲力; (政治等方面)强烈的反响; 对抗性的反应
influx [] n. 流入(量), 注入(量); 汇集; 涌进
not the case 实际情况并非如此
crack n. 缺陷脑力或体力上的弱点；缺陷；试图，尝试；俏皮话，挖苦话；【俚语】快克(一种经过高度化学提纯的可卡因药丸，通过玻璃烟管吸取，很容易使人上瘾)
integration [] n. [美]取消种族隔离; 给以种族上的平等待遇
abandonment [] n. 放弃, 放荡, 断念，自暴自弃；放肆，放纵
self-hatred自我仇恨
vibrant [] adj. 鲜明的，明快的；活泼的；生气勃勃的，有活力的; 激动的
edgy adj. 有锐利刀刃的，锋利的；尖锐的；轮廓分明的
fresh adj. 新鲜的，清爽的；年轻的，有活力的；健壮的
def=definite 确定的，一定的，明确的；有定数的，有界限的
materialistic adj. 实利主义，物质主义，物质中心主义(认为物质上的富足、世俗财物的拥有是人生中最有价值的、最美好的事物的理论或信条)
hedonistic adj. 快乐主义者的, 快乐论的, 快乐主义的
misogynist [] adj. 憎恶女人(者)的
shallow adj. 浅的；浮浅的，浅薄的；缺少智力、感情或知识、实质深度的
embrace []n.热忱，热切的接受
the dance element n. D舞元素
Graffiti Writing涂鸦
single out vt. 选中，选出，是突出(经常与out连用)
DJ (disc jockey) 唱片骑士，播放唱片的人；流行音乐节目主持人
hit n.成功
party vi. 参加社交聚会
B.S. (=bull shit) n. vi. 胡说，胡说八道
ad nauseam [] adv. 令人作呕地

Notes:
Hip-Hop(嘻哈乐)的由来
HIP-HOP单纯作为一种音乐形式而言产生于上世纪70年代的美国，那时DISCO音乐统治着人们的耳朵。就在其他酒吧和俱乐部都在跟随潮流大肆播放热门舞曲的时候，一位叫做KOOL的DJ(disc jockey，流行音乐节目主持人)却独辟蹊径，为人们播放R&B(节奏与)和funk(乡土音乐)。并且他在放这些音乐时，常常将歌曲中没有歌词的换音点(Break独奏华彩段)反复播放，于是，人们就在这期间摇摆跳舞，尽情欢乐。同时，Kool为了渲染现场热闹气氛还会在音乐中大喊大叫，内容并没有什么特别之处，这是所谓说唱rapping的开始。人们便把KOOL称为break-boy(霹雳舞者)，而把在音乐中进行的舞蹈称为break-dancing(霹雳舞)。之后，KOOL另外请人来负责中间的说唱部分，自己则专注于Djing(打碟)，由此第一个可以被称为HIP-HOP的音乐团体诞生了。随着他们的不断努力与大胆尝试，说唱部分由简单的几句话发展成为大段大段的歌词与独白，而且说唱与音乐配合得也日趋完美。于是，有很多DJ也开始从事这种新颖的音乐风格的创作，为HIP-HOP的发展做出了贡献，他们当中也出现了一些相当有名的DJ。而HIP-HOP这个词被广泛接受则要归功于好莱坞，他在歌词中频繁地使用“hip-hop”这个词，所以人们就用它来命名这种音乐了。

难句突破
1．You realize that hip-hop is urban folk art, and as much an indication of the conditions in impoverished areas as bluesman Robert Johnson's laments in the 1930s.
主体句式：you realize that …
结构分析：本句是“that”引导的宾语从句，其中“as much an indication of the conditions in impoverished areas as bluesman Robert Johnson's laments in the 1930s.”和“urban folk art”是并列结构。在这个结构中，需要注意词组“as … as”的用法，意思是“同…一样”。
句子译文：嘻哈乐是一种都市民间艺术, 它像上个世纪30年代的布鲁斯歌手罗伯特•约翰逊演唱的哀歌一样，对贫困地区的环境和条件具有强烈的暗示作用。
2．Not the case; 20 years after the Reagan backlash on civil rights, the influx of crack and guns and the acceleration of a disturbing class divide in black America, hip-hop has come to symbolize a generation fragmented by integration, migration, abandonment, alienation and, yes, self-hatred.
主体句式：after the … backlash …, hip-hop has come to symbolize a generation …
结构分析：本句是一个复杂的简单句。关键在于理解介词“after”之后的名词，其中“backlash”和“divide”都是名词；“fragmented”之前省去了“which is”，这个过去分词是来修饰“a generation”的。
句子译文：里根政府曾对民权运动、泛滥成灾的快克和枪支以及美国黑人群体中加速出现的令人不安的阶级划分进行了限制。20年后，嘻哈乐逐渐成为被取消种族隔离、移民、自暴自弃，还有自我仇恨所瓦解一代的象征。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属事实细节题。作者以自己作为一名嘻哈乐爱好者的经历入手，着重说明嘻哈乐对于无数爱好者和年轻人的影响和意义。
2.答案为B，属推理判断题。第二段提到的歌手分别是有名的布鲁斯歌手、摇滚乐歌手和说唱歌手。他们虽然演绎着不同的音乐形式，但在他们之间却存在着某些联系。这也就不难理解这句话“And, for sure, you wonder, loudly, if what happened to rock and roll will happen to hip-hop, if it hasn't already.”，译为：“而且，如果摇滚乐遭遇到的境况也将发生在嘻哈乐身上，如果这种情况现在还没有发生，你一定会感到惊讶的。”暗含的意思是摇滚乐和嘻哈乐遭遇的情况应该是一样的。
3.答案为A，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“That is the external battle for hip-hop today: corporate control and cooptation.”和“Part of it has to do with the incredibly apolitical times …”。
4.答案为C，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“Thus, hip-hop, once vibrant, edgy, fresh and def, is now as materialistic, hedonistic, misogynistic, shallow and violent as some of the films and TV shows launched from Hollywood.”
5.答案为B，属推理判断题。原文中提到“The golden era of hip-hop has long been dead.”，而且现在的嘻哈乐是这样一种情况：“the formula for a hit record is simple: fancy yourself a thug, pimp or gangster; rhyme about jewelry, clothing and alcohol; denigrate women in every conceivable way, and party and b.s. ad nauseam.”它已失去了昔日热情奔放、充满活力、敏锐犀利、鲜明生动、棱角分明的特点。

参考译文
我是一名嘻哈乐的终生狂热爱好者。我把我的浑名“kepo1”作为标签贴在墙上；我在纸板上跳霹雳舞；在纽约市的“屋顶”、“联合广场”和“拉丁区”等传奇俱乐部与嘻哈歌手们跳碰肘舞……总之，从组织街头说唱演出到当嘻哈乐记者到管理音乐制作商，我什么都做。这种嘻哈文化不仅挽救了无数看起来像我一样的人的生活, 而且它赋予那些年轻、处于工人阶层的黑人和拉丁美洲爵士乐爱好者比民权运动更多的权力。

但当你接触了一段嘻哈乐后，你会有种奇怪的感觉。虽然你仍然喜欢嘻哈乐，但是你会以更为挑剔的眼光去看待这种文化，尤其是当你研究了其它的音乐流派、四处周游并加以认真思考的话。你会意识到最早以晚会音乐形式出现的音乐现在开始成为民权运动后美国的电影配乐。你会意识到，嘻哈乐是一种都市民间艺术, 它像上个世纪30年代的布鲁斯歌手罗伯特•约翰逊演唱的哀歌一样，对贫困地区的环境和条件具有强烈的暗示作用。你自然会看到在约翰逊和图派克•沙克的生活之间有某种联系, 更不用说在黑人音乐形式的革新者埃尔维斯和阿姆的主流炒作之间有着并不难以解释的联系。而且，如果摇滚乐遭遇到的境况也将发生在嘻哈乐身上，如果这种情况现在还没有发生，你一定会感到惊讶的。

应对公司控制和收买是当今嘻哈乐所面临的外部战斗。但嘻哈乐内部也在进行一场内战。其中部分原因无疑与公司的严格控制有关，部分是与我们所生活的难以置信的对政治冷漠的时代有关：对有些美国白人而言，当前的经济繁荣为所有的美国人创造了一个美妙的神话。实际情况并非如此。里根政府曾对民权运动、泛滥成灾的快克和枪支以及美国黑人群体中加速出现的令人不安的阶级划分进行了限制。20年后，嘻哈乐逐渐成为被取消种族隔离、移民、自暴自弃，还有自我仇恨所瓦解一代的象征。因此，曾一度热情奔放、充满活力、敏锐犀利、鲜明生动、棱角分明的嘻哈乐，如今像好莱坞发行的一些电影和电视节目一样，成了一堆推崇物质主义、快乐主义、憎恶女人和宣扬暴力的肤浅之作。

事情并非总是这样。但不幸的是，嘻哈乐的黄金时代(即上个世纪80年代后期90年代初期。在这一时期，像“公敌”、“N.W.A”、“奎因-拉蒂法”、“饶舌汉默”、“LL Cool J”和“迪拉索”等不同风格的艺术家和平共处，根本没有所谓的“正面”或“反面” 嘻哈歌手之说)早已不复存在。跟它一起销声匿迹的还有嘻哈乐四大元素热：涂鸦、D舞元素(或叫霹雳舞)、打碟和说唱。说唱或饶舌艺人在这个以男人为中心的竞技场上一枝独秀, 而且获得唱片成功的法则再简单不过了，这就是：把自己想象成一名恶棍、皮条客或匪徒；说首饰、衣物和烈酒时都押上韵；以你所能想象得出的方式侮辱妇女；以令人作呕的样子参加社交聚会并胡说八道。

Tanna Oldfield's software company needed to establish rapport between some new hires and the firm's old guard. She says the company, which is based in Austin, Texas, wanted to do something different--to "step out of the box." So she asked her employees to step out of a plane. At 14,000 feet. Oldfield says the sky-high bonding exercise left the workers "exhilarated" and "more confident" in just one day. "If they could conquer fears about sky diving," she says, "they could overcome work issues."

Even in a climate of corporate cost-cutting, Oldfield's company (she prefers that it remain unidentified) and many other New Economy survivors continue to invest money in training sessions that do not involve blackboards, computers or conference rooms. Instead, they send their employees on increasingly elaborate, and even risky, "team-building" trips. From white-water rafting to caving and rock climbing, corporate trainers are raising the difficulty level on challenges for the cubicle set.

Hard times may even persuade some companies to loosen their purse strings. Diane Katz, who has a doctoral degree in conflict resolution, says half the clients who go on her year-old Working Circle team-building exercises in Arizona are there because bosses want to reward them for good work. "People need to let off steam in harder times," says Katz, who uses horse whisperers--who claim to speak to the animals, a practice popularized by Robert Redford's movie "The Horse Whisperer"--as facilitators on singing trail rides in the Sonoran desert (the people sing, not the horses).

After an office shake-up, Elizabeth Burg, a project coordinator for Visa U.S.A. in Foster City., Calif., staged a regatta to help employees learn how to work together in a new environment. A corporate training firm, Adventure Associates of El Cerrito, Calif., taught boating basics to Burg and 20 landlubber co-workers and then set them loose on 34-foot sailboats for a race on San Francisco Bay (with a professional skipper aboard each yacht, just in case). "As adults, we don't usually get to play in areas where we're not experts," Burg says. "People cooperated and interacted differently."

After a reorganization last fall, DMR, a New Jersey-based telecommunications consulting firm, flew more than 100 employees of various ages to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia for a four-and-a-half-day program run by the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership School. "I expected a total disaster," recalls John Tedesco, a fiftysomething sales executive. But after dangling 90 feet above the ground in a rope harness on a granite rock face, Tedesco learned to rely on much younger colleagues. "You're taking risks you usually don't deal with, and suddenly your co-workers are helping you," he recalls. "Nothing has been the same since." That's because rugged outdoor challenges can topple rigid office hierarchies and encourage the sort of camaraderie often missing from traditional off-site work events. "You see people in a different light," says Tedesco. And when the most junior employee turns out to be more wilderness-savvy than the CEO, everyone relaxes--except possibly the CEO.

注（1）：本文选自Newsweek; 04/16/2001, p61;
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年Text 1;

1.What does Oldfield expect her software company to be rewarded by the trip?

[A]A good spirit of confidence.
The ability to overcome difficulties.
[C]A good relationship among the employees.
[D]The courage to jump at a high height.

2.Which of the following is not the advantage of team-building excursions?

[A]A good place to know your strong points compared with the CEO.
A good place to vent one’s feelings.
[C]A good place to learn how to work together.
[D]A good place to improve your exchange with colleagues.

3.The expression “let off steam”(Line 4, Paragraph 3) most probably means _________.

[A]solving the problems
saving themselves
[C]getting out of the difficulty
[D]releasing one’s offensive feelings

4.What effect does a four-and-a-half-day program bring to John Tedesco ?

[A]A total disaster fell on him.
His ideas have been totally changed.
[C]He cares about his colleagues.
[D]He is dependant on his colleagues.

5.What can we infer from the text?

[A]Team-building trips can solve the employee’s problems.
Team-building trips are popular with many companies.
[C]There are risks, as well as rewards in the team-building trips.
[D]Employees are able to overcome the difficulty after the trips.

答案：CADBC

篇章剖析
本文采用提出问题——分析问题的模式，指出“团队建设”旅行丰富的旅行项目尽管有一定的危险，但是带给旅行者的收益却很大。第一段和第二段指出奥德菲尔德软件公司和其它新经济的兴存者进行的形式多样的旅行项目；第三段、四段和五段分别指出旅行者在不同形式的旅行中的收获和启示。

词汇注释
cubicle [] n. 隔间，小卧室
rapport [] n. 友好；和睦；友善，友好关系；和睦
be on [in] rapport with 跟...和睦相处
sky-high adv. 非常高地，极高地；高入云霄地
sky diving n.<美俚> 尽量延缓张伞的跳伞运动；天空蹦极
skydiving跳伞运动，高空跳伞特技表演(从飞机上跳下来并自由降落，在拉降落伞伞绳之前表演各种动作)
white-water rafting急流漂筏运动；滑水
caving n. 洞穴探险
purse string  n. 系钱袋口上的细绳；金钱
hold (control, tighten) the purse strings 控制[节省](家庭、公司等的)开支
loosen the purse strings 放松对钱的控制
hard times 市况萧条，市面萧条，不景气
working circle 施业区, 事业区，林区(按照特别经营计划经营的森林区域)
let off steam散发多余的精力; 发牢骚; 发泄郁积的情感
shake-up [] n. [俚]机构的大改组; 人员大变动
regatta[] n. 赛船大会，划船比赛，赛舟会
landlubber [] n. “旱鸭子”(指新水手, 不习惯航海、乘船的人)
set loose v. 出发, 使爆炸, 引起, 招致；(使)开始(做某事)
skipper [5skIpE(r)] n. 船长；运动队队长
run （take） a risk(s) 冒险
topple [] vi.,vt. (高的东西)摇晃, 摇摇欲坠, 向前倒；推翻, 颠覆
camaraderie [] n. [法]同志间的友谊与忠诚，同志情谊；友爱
off-site adj.不在现场的，离开事发地点的
light n. 见解，见识，眼光
Savvy [] n. [俚]见识; 处世才能, 机智; 本领, 专门技能；adj. 精明的; 能干的; 有见识的

Notes:
Visa U.S.A (维萨美国)：Visa U.S.A是一家业界领先的支付公司，拥有美国最大的支付系统，在发展新的支付手段和技术方面起着至关重要的作用，为14000家成员金融机构和持卡人提供服务，并为电子商务提供安全的在线处理方式。

难句突破
After a reorganization last fall, DMR, a New Jersey-based telecommunications consulting firm, flew more than 100 employees of various ages to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia for a four-and-a-half-day program run by the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership School.
主体句式：DMR flew …employees…
结构分析：“DMR”是本句的主语，“a New Jersey-based telecommunications consulting firm”是“DMR”的同位语；“flew”是句子的谓语，需要注意的是“flew”在句子里用做及物动词，意思是“用飞机或飞行器运载、运输、运送”；“run”之前省去了“which is”。
句子译文：在去年秋天公司重组以后，总部设在新泽西州的电信咨询公司——DMR公司——安排100 多名不同年龄的员工乘飞机到弗吉尼亚兰岭山参加由野外领导能力培训学校开办的为期四天半培训课程。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属事实细节题。作者在文章开头就提出“Tanna Oldfield's software company needed to establish rapport between some new hires and the firm's old guard.”，正是出于想要融洽新、老员工之间的关系的原因，奥德菲尔德才做出这件与众不同的事情。至于员工们感到“exhilarated and more confident”，那是这次旅行所带来的意想不到的收获。
2.答案为A，属事实细节题。选项B在文中对应的信息是“People need to let off steam in harder times”；选项C对应的信息是“…staged a regatta to help employees learn how to work together in a new environment.”；选项D在文中对应的信息是“That's because rugged outdoor challenges can topple rigid office hierarchies and encourage the sort of camaraderie often missing from traditional off-site work events.”选项A与文中对应信息“And when the most junior employee turns out to be more wilderness-savvy than the CEO, everyone relaxes--except possibly the CEO.”蕴涵意思不相符合。
3.答案为D，属猜词题。本题主要是考察对习语“let off steam”的掌握。时世艰难，市况萧条，人们进行“singing trail rides”是要来“发泄他们郁积的情感”。
4.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“Nothing has been the same since.”
5.答案为C，属推理判断题。文中提到旅游探险公司带领新经济的员工在旷野中进行艰难的“团队建设”旅行。旅行中不乏危险，但是员工在旅行中收获很大。

参考译文
塔纳•奥德菲尔德的软件公司需要在新雇员工和老员工之间建立和睦融洽的关系。她说她设在德克萨斯州奥斯汀的公司想要做些与众不同的事情——“走出小隔间”。因此她要求员工走出飞机。奥德菲尔德说，在14,000英尺的高度进行这种高空蹦极，只需一天时间就能使员工“精神振奋”，“倍感自信”。她说，“如果他们能征服高空跳伞的恐惧，那么，他们也就能够克服工作中的难题。”

即使在公司削减费用的大环境下，奥德菲尔德的公司(她希望不透漏公司名称)和其他许多新经济的幸存者还继续在一些不用黑板、计算机或会议室的培训课程上投资。他们宁愿派员工进行精心安排的、有时甚至具有危险性的“团队建设”旅行。从急流漂筏到洞穴探险、攀岩，公司培训人员正在给这些在小隔间工作的人逐渐增加训练难度。

市况萧条也使得一些公司对钱财的控制有所松动。持有解决冲突博士学位的黛安•卡茨说，她的“事业区”团队建设训练项目设在亚利桑那州，至今已运行了一年时间。在她的客户当中，有一半的人来这儿参加培训是因为他们的老板以此作为对他们出色工作的奖赏。“在市况萧条时期，人们需要发泄郁积的情感。”卡茨如是说。在培训中，她利用马语者——这些人宣称能同动物交流，罗伯特•里德福德的电影《马语者》使这一行为广为流行——来推动索诺兰沙漠骑马游歌唱活动的进行（当然是人唱，不是马唱）。

在办公室人员进行大的变动以后，维萨美国(Visa U.S.A.)公司加州福斯特城项目协调员伊丽莎白•伯格发起了一次赛舟会，以帮助公司员工学会如何在一个新环境里合作共事。一家培训公司——设在加州埃尔塞里托的冒险联合公司——对伯格和另外20名“旱鸭子”同事进行了划船基本知识教练，然后让他们分乘34英尺长的帆船(每艘船上配一名专业船长，以防万一)参加在旧金山海湾举行的赛艇比赛。“作为成年人，我们一般不习惯在我们不懂行的领域里玩”，伯格说，“每个人的合作和反应方式也都不一样。”

在去年秋天公司重组以后，总部设在新泽西州的电信咨询公司——DMR公司——安排100 多名不同年龄的员工乘飞机到弗吉尼亚兰岭山参加由野外领导能力培训学校开办的为期四天半培训课程。“我当时认为这绝对是一场灾难。”年逾半百的销售经理约翰•特戴斯克回忆道，但自从有了在花岗岩上方离地面90 英尺高的绳索上晃来晃去的经历后，特戴斯克学会了如何依靠年轻的同事。“突然间，你遇到了你从未经历过的风险，而恰在此时，你的同事及时来帮你。”他回忆说，“打那以后一切都改变了。这是因为艰难的野外挑战可以消除严格的办公室等级制度，鼓励那种经常在传统的办公室以外工作现场所缺乏的同事友情。特戴斯克说：“通常你都是以不同的眼光看待别人。”而当得知大多数低级员工原来比首席执行官更精于野外生存，每个人——可能除了首席执行官以外——都感到轻松了许多。

At the end of last week, Bodega Aurrerá, a Mexican subsidiary of the world's biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, opened a new store in the village of San Juan Teotihuacán, just north of Mexico City. Normally, such an event would cause little stir. Wal-Mart is already Mexico's biggest retailer too. And its shops seem to go down very well with its millions of bargain-hungry customers. But this particular opening was, in fact, the culmination of months of protests, legal actions, hunger strikes and hyperbole by those determined to stop it.

The reason is the location. Just 2.5km (1.6 miles) away is the ancient city of Teotihuacán, probably Mexico's most famous archaeological site. Amongst other attractions, it boasts the third-largest (by volume) pyramid in the world. For many Mexicans, the ancient site, abandoned by its mysterious inhabitants centuries before the Spanish conquerors arrived, remains the ultimate symbol of Mexican identity and nationhood. Thousands troop up to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun to celebrate the summer solstice.

To them, the idea of having a Wal-Mart next door is abhorrent. In the words of Homero Aridjis, a writer and one of the leading opponents, "it is like driving the stake of globalisation into the heart of old Mexico." The controversy is only the latest in a string of protesters' attempts to save Mexican culture from what they see as a creeping menace. They won a famous victory by blocking a McDonalds restaurant from opening in the main square of the pretty southern colonial town of Oaxaca.

But this time they were on much thinner ground. For a start, Wal-Mart went through all the appropriate regulatory hoops, even getting permission from the Paris-based International Council on Monuments and Sites, which judged that the store would cause no harm to the nearby ruins. A small stone platform was indeed found during construction of the new car park, but was preserved.

Just as importantly, the claim that the new store spoils the famous view from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun is clearly bogus, as anyone who cares to get to the top can testify. The problem is not so much that you can see the Wal-Mart, but one of trying to distinguish it from the 30-odd other ugly, squat buildings that litter the surrounding countryside--to say nothing of the car parks, the electricity pylons and the large power station. Sadly, unrestricted building long ago ruined this particular view, as well as many others in Mexico.

To the diehards, the issue counts more than the view. But neither mattered much to the hundreds of locals who queued up for the opening, delighted to be freed of the small and expensive local shops. Despite a legal case pending against Wal-Mart and local officials, brought by an irate local left-wing politician, this is one battle that the American retailer has probably won.

注（1）：本文选自Economist; 11/13/2004, p42；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2001年真题Text 4（其中因2001年真题Text 4只有四个题目，所以本文第4题模仿参照对象为2003年Text 1的第四题）；

1.      Why the opening of Wal-Mart caused stir?

[A]Wal-Mart would have severe competition with the local stores.
War-Mart would provide them with a larger choice and more benefits.
[C]It was said to have ruined the scene of the ancient site.
[D]There shouldn’t be a store near the ancient site.

2.      From Paragraph 2 we can infer that _________.

[A]the ancient city means a lot to the Mexicans
a store will be too noisy for the ancient city
[C]the ancient city is very mysterious
[D]the pyramid is a good place for holding big ceremony

3.      According to Wal-Mart, it has a good reason to build store there because _______.

[A]it proves no harm to the nearby ruins
the scene of the ancient sites has been damaged
[C]customers want to buy some cheap products
[D]it has been widely accepted by the customers there.

4.      It can be learned from Paragraph 5 that _________.

[A]the famous view is not as good as it used to be
the city lacks planning in building
[C]the ancient site is littered with ugly buildings
[D]Wal-Mart shouldn’t be fully responsible for the ruined view.

5.      Toward the fate of Wal-Mart, the writer’s attitude can be said to be _________.

[A]objective
optimistic
[C]pessimistic
[D]biased

答案：CADDB

篇章剖析
本文采用提出问题——分析问题的模式，指出世界上最大的零售商沃尔玛在墨西哥开设分店时所遇到的麻烦、问题产生的原因以及最终的结果。第一段指出沃尔玛设在墨西哥的子公司Bodega Aurrerá在墨西哥城北部的圣胡安特奥帝瓦坎村开了一家新店所引起的强烈反响；第二段指出事件产生的原因；第三段指出反对者的看法及举动；第四段指出沃尔玛充分的前期工作；第五段指出这座古城的实际情况；第六段指出这个事件最有可能的结果是什么。

词汇注释
subsidiary[]n.子公司
retailer[]n.零售商人, 传播的人
go down with  vt.为...所接受,为...相信
culmination[]n.顶点;结果
hyperbole[]n.[修辞]夸张法
summer solstice夏至
creeping[]adj.爬行的；在一段时间内逐步发展的：
bogus[]adj.<美>假的, 伪造的
diehard[]n.顽固分子
irate[]adj发怒的；生气的

难句突破
1.But this particular opening was, in fact, the culmination of months of protests, legal actions, hunger strikes and hyperbole by those determined to stop it.
主体句式：the … opening was … the culmination …
结构分析：本句是一个简单句。“months of protests, legal actions, hunger strikes and hyperbole”跟在介词“of”后面来修饰“culmination”；“by”意思是“由…”；“determined”之前省去了“who are”。
句子译文：这次开张实际上是那些决心阻止它成立的人数月以来进行反对、合法行动、绝食抗议和其它一些偏激行为无效而落得的最终结果
2.For many Mexicans, the ancient site, abandoned by its mysterious inhabitants centuries before the Spanish conquerors arrived, remains the ultimate symbol of Mexican identity and nationhood.
主体句式：the ancient site …remains …the symbol
结构分析：本句是一个简单句。“abandoned”之前省去了“which was”。
句子译文：数百年前在西班牙征服者到来之前被这里的神秘居民所抛弃的这座古城，对很多墨西哥人来说依然是墨西哥民族和国家身份的根本象征。

题目分析
1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。从句子“Normally, such an event would cause little stir.”，我们可以看出沃儿玛开业这样的事情一般不会引起什么反响的。但是作者笔锋一转，“But this particular opening was, in fact, the culmination of months of protests, legal actions, hunger strikes and hyperbole by those determined to stop it.”那么为什么反对在沃儿玛开业，原因在于“The reason is the location.”和“the claim that the new store spoils the famous view from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun”。
2.答案为A，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“For many Mexicans, the ancient site, abandoned by its mysterious inhabitants centuries before the Spanish conquerors arrived, remains the ultimate symbol of Mexican identity and nationhood.”
3.答案为D，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“Wal-Mart is already Mexico's biggest retailer too. And its shops seem to go down very well with its millions of bargain-hungry customers.”
4.答案为D，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“Just as importantly, the claim that the new store spoils the famous view from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun is clearly bogus, as anyone who cares to get to the top can testify.”
5.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“Despite a legal case pending against Wal-Mart and local officials, brought by an irate local left-wing politician, this is one battle that the American retailer has probably won.”

参考译文
上周末，世界上最大的零售商沃尔玛设在墨西哥的子公司Bodega Aurrerá在墨西哥城北部的圣胡安特奥帝瓦坎(San Juan Teotihuacán)村开了一家新店。通常情况下，这样的事情是不会引起什么反响的。沃尔玛已经是墨西哥最大的零售商了。设在这里的商店倍受那些想买廉价货的上百万顾客的欢迎。这次开张实际上是那些决心阻止它成立的人数月以来进行反对、合法行动、绝食抗议和其它一些偏激行为无效而落得的最终结果。

事件的原因在于地段的选择问题。商店地址选在了离特奥蒂瓦坎（Teotihuacán）古城仅2.5公里（1.6英里）的地方。特奥蒂瓦坎古城可能是墨西哥最为出名的古文化遗址，除了别的景观之外，它还拥有世界上第三大金字塔（体积上）。数百年前在西班牙征服者到来之前被这里的神秘居民所抛弃的这座古城，对很多墨西哥人来说依然是墨西哥民族和国家身份的根本象征。每逢夏至都有上千人一起登上太阳金字塔的顶部以示庆祝。

对于这些人来说，在古城附近建沃尔玛超市这样的主意简直太可恶了。奥梅罗•阿里迪斯是一位作家，也是其中的一位主要反对者，用他的话来说：“这好比是把全球化的树桩子插到了古老的墨西哥的心脏上。”这是最近的一场争端，是反对者为了使墨西哥文化免受在他们看来是一种潜在的危险而做出的多方努力。他们曾赢过一场令人满意的胜利，成功阻止了麦当劳餐厅在美丽的南部殖民城镇瓦哈卡（Oaxaca）的主要广场上开店。

但是这次他们的底气就没那么足了。因为从一开始，沃尔玛就通过了所有相关的规章制度的审核，甚至还得到了驻巴黎的国际古迹遗址理事会的认可，他们判定在那里设店对周边遗迹是不会造成任何损害的。在新停车场施工过程中确实发现了一个小的石头平台，这已被保存起来了。

同样重要的是，声称新店破坏了太阳金字塔从塔顶往下望的良好的视觉效果，这显然是不对的，任何人只要登上塔顶就可以证实这一点。问题并不在于你是否能看到沃尔玛，而是你得从三十多个凌乱地散布在郊区的丑陋、低矮的建筑中努力去辨认沃尔玛——更不用提那里的停车场、电缆塔和大型发电站了。令人遗憾的是，那些随意建成的建筑很早以前不但毁坏了墨西哥其它的景观，也毁了这处风景。

对于顽固分子来说，事件本身要比风景问题重要。但是对于许许多多排队等候它开业，因为再不用受又小又贵的当地商店的限制而开心不已的当地居民来说，这些都不重要了。虽然当地一名愤怒的左翼政客对沃尔玛和当地官员提起的诉讼案件还悬而未决，但是在这场战斗中，美国零售商差不多已胜券在握了。