1、1999年阅读真题精解( -05-30 10:22:15)转载标签: 黄涛考研真题答案教育 分类: 阅读篇 1999 Text 1 Its a rough world out there. Step outside and you could break a leg slipping on your doormat. Light up the stove and you could burn down the house. Luckily, if the doormat or stove failed to warn of coming disaster, a successful lawsu
2、it might compensate you for your troubles. Or so the thinking has gone since the early 1980s, when juries began holding more companies liable for their customers misfortunes. Feeling threatened, companies responded by writing ever-longer warning labels, trying to anticipate every possible accident.
3、Today, stepladders carry labels several inches long that warn, among other things, that you might surprise! fall off. The label on a childs Batman cape cautions that the toy does not enable user to fly. While warnings are often appropriate and necessary the dangers of drug interactions, for example
4、and many are required by state or federal regulations, it isnt clear that they actually protect the manufacturers and sellers from liability if a customer is injured. About 50 percent of the companies lose when injured customers take them to court. Now the tide appears to be turning. As personal inj
5、ury claims continue as before, some courts are beginning to side with defendants, especially in cases where a warning label probably wouldnt have changed anything. In May, Julie Nimmons, president of Schutt Sports in Illinois, successfully fought a lawsuit involving a football player who was paralyz
6、ed in a game while wearing a Schutt helmet. Were really sorry he has become paralyzed, but helmets arent designed to prevent those kinds of injuries, says Nimmons. The jury agreed that the nature of the game, not the helmet, was the reason for the athletes injury. At the same time, the American Law
7、Institute a group of judges, lawyers, and academics whose recommendations carry substantial weight issued new guidelines for tort law stating that companies need not warn customers of obvious dangers or bombard them with a lengthy list of possible ones. Important information can get buried in a sea
8、of trivialities, says a law professor at Cornell Law School who helped draft the new guidelines. If the moderate end of the legal community has its way, the information on products might actually be provided for the benefit of customers and not as protection against legal liability. 51. What were th
9、ings like in 1980s when accidents happened? A Customers might be relieved of their disasters through lawsuits. B Injured customers could expect protection from the legal system. C Companies would avoid being sued by providing new warnings. D Juries tended to find fault with the compensations compani
10、es promised.52. Manufacturers as mentioned in the passage tend to _. A satisfy customers by writing long warnings on products B become honest in describing the inadequacies of their products C make the best use of labels to avoid legal liability D feel obliged to view customers safety as their first
11、 concern53. The case of Schutt helmet demonstrated that _. A some injury claims were no longer supported by law B helmets were not designed to prevent injuries C product labels would eventually be discarded D some sports games might lose popularity with athletes54. The authors attitude towards the i
12、ssue seems to be _. A biased B indifferent C puzzling D objective 关键词汇1. rough 粗糙,不平坦;粗野;tough 艰巨;艰苦2. step 走3. slip 滑到4. light up 点燃5. burn down 烧毁6. fail to 没有7. lawsuit=suit 起诉;诉讼8. compensate for 为作出赔偿9. jury 陪审团10. hold sb. liable for 让对负责11. misfortune 不幸12. respond 做出反应13. warning labels 警告标识
13、14. caution 警告15. while 尽管,而,当时候16. appropriate 合适17. interaction互相作用18. regulation 规则19. claim 索赔20. side with 支持21. defendant 被告;22. involving 包括到23. paralyze 瘫痪24. nature 本质;by nature 天性25. carry substantial weight 具有相称分量26. issue 公布了;发行了27. bombard with 大量提供28. a sea of 大量29. trivialities 琐事30.
14、end 目的31. have ones way 得以实现32. legal liability 法律责任33. misfortune 难句精解While warnings are often appropriate and necessary the dangers of drug interactions, for example and many are required by state or federal regulations, it isnt clear that they actually protect the manufacturers and sellers from l
15、iability if a customer is injured. 在这个主从复合句中,前一种分句是由while引导让步从句,这个从句由两个并列句构成,中间用and连接。破折号之间部分是举例阐明warnings内容,and背面many省略了warnings,state和federal共用regulations。主句部分自身也是一种主从复合句,主句用了一种形式主语it,真正主语是that引导从句,注意这个从句中有个动词短语protect. from.,背面是一种if引导条件从句。 首先要把握这个句子主旨,那就是主句中所阐明warnings对manufacturers and sellers保护
16、作用还很不明朗。注意破折号之间部分对warnings解释作用和it作为形式主语替代作用。 As personal injury claims continue as before, some courts are beginning to side with defendants, especially in cases where a warning label probably wouldnt have changed anything. 在这个主从复合句中,前一种分句是由as引导伴随状语从句,注意这里claims是个名词;主句时态用是目前进行时,表达这种状况正在开始。这个主句有一种较长状
17、语短语,原因是cases背面跟了一种where引导定语从句修饰cases,这个定语从句主干是warning label not change anything,解释是什么样cases。 主句仍然是抓住句子大意关键,该句所要表达就是some courts beginning to side with defendants,再者要注意cases背面定语从句指出了哪类cases尤为如此。 In May, Julie Nimmons, president of Schutt Sports in Illinois, successfully fought a lawsuit involving a fo
18、otball player who was paralyzed in a game while wearing a Schutt helmet. 这个句子主干是. president. successfully fought a lawsuit.。句子主语是Julie Nimmons,背面逗号之间部分是她职位,宾语部分a lawsuit有一种较长动词目前分词involving所引导短语,involving宾语是a football player,背面跟了一种who引导定语从句,这个定语从句中有一种while引导时间状语,还原成句子就是while he was wearing a Schutt
19、helmet。找出其中关键部分:. president of Schutt. successfully fought a lawsuit involving a football player. paralyzed. while wearing a Schutt helmet。 At the same time, the American Law Institute a group of judges, lawyers, and academics whose recommendations carry substantial weight issued new guidelines for
20、tort law stating that companies need not warn customers of obvious dangers or bombard them with a lengthy list of possible ones. 这个看起来很长句子其实是一种简朴句,主干是. the. Institute. issued new guidelines for tort law.。其中破折号之间内容阐明是这个Institute人员构成,并且用一种whose引导定语从句阐明了这些组员权威。law背面跟目前分词stating有一种相称长宾语从句,这个从句主语是compani
21、es,而谓语有两个动词构造,一种是warn. of.,另一种是bombard. with.,论述了guidelines内容。 这个句子要点是在stating背面that从句,对其中两个动词构造warn. of.和bombard. with.对的了处理定了对整个句子理解。 If the moderate end of the legal community has its way, the information on products might actually be provided for the benefit of customers and not as protection ag
22、ainst legal liability. 在这个复合句中,if引导是一种条件从句,主句部分谓语用了被动形式,谓语动词provide for有两个宾语,一种是the benefits of customers,另一种是protection against legal liability,not决定了两者取舍关系:取前者,舍后者。 从句给出了前提条件,注意has its way意思是can be achieved;理解主句部分关键在于provide for两个宾语取舍关系。 补充: Or so the thinking has gone since the early 1980s中thinki
23、ng是一种思想意思,指是上面所说过大家对于通过法律获得赔偿思想。gone本意是消失,这里可以意译为变化,就是说这种思想已经变化。不过我个人认为,此前后文看,这个gone不与否认,因此应当是开始意思,也就是说应当翻译成这种思想已经形成了。 试题解析51. B 意为:受伤顾客可望得到法律制度保护。 第一段指出,外面是个危险世界,假如你走出去,也许会滑倒在门垫上,摔伤一条腿;假如点燃炉灶,也许烧毁整栋房屋。可幸是,假如门垫或炉灶没有警告你也许发生危害,你可以就自己所受伤害诉诸法律,成功地获得赔偿。或,更确切地说,自80年代初以来大家一直这样认为,从那时起,陪审团开始认为更多企业应当对其顾客遭受不幸负
24、责。 第二段提到,为了保护自己,企业开始撰写冗长标签,不过,正如第三段第二句所指出那样,这种做法无济于事,由于,假如顾客和企业对簿公堂,大概二分之一状况是企业败诉。然而,第四段第一句指出,这种时尚似乎正发生逆转。 A顾客可以通过诉讼免除自己劫难。relieve sb. of sth.意为“免除某人某事;解除某人某事;使某人挣脱某事”。relieve意思和原文表达内容不相符,根据对选择项B分析,顾客通过法律获得是对损失赔偿。看原文,顾客所有已经是出事后才找诉讼,事情既然发生了怎么可以免除呢?因此说不管从原文还是从常理所有是不对的。C企业将会通过提供新警示标签防止被起诉。该选择项有两处关键错误:一
25、是avoid使用,二是new使用,这两个词使用使C和原文表达内容很不一致。这句话用了would avoid这个词,这就是说可以逃避意思。不过原文主线没有提到与否这样做能否逃避法律制裁。更何况,从常理考虑也不应当是这样。尚有,这句话用了new这个词,原文中也找不到根据。因此C是不对的。D陪审团倾向于对企业所承诺赔偿严加挑剔。这个和原文中“when juries began holding more companies liable for their customers misfortunes”比较相象,不过原文这句话意思是:当时陪审团已开始认为更多企业应对其顾客所遭受不幸负责。可以看出,这两句
26、意思还是不同样。一句是有关赔偿严谨性,一句是有关赔偿实行度。 52. C 意为:充足运用标签防止法律责任。 第二段指出,企业感到很大威胁,它们通过撰写比此前更长警示标签保护自己,企图预料多种也许发生事故。成果,目前梯子上标签有几英寸长,除了警告你其他也许发生意外之外,还警告说你也许摔下来这种警告真是莫名其妙!孩子蝙蝠侠玩具斗篷上也警告说:本玩具“并不能使拥有者飞行”。在作者看来,这样警示语所有是多出、不必要。A通过在产品上写长长警示语满足顾客。根据上文对选择项C分析,她们这样做目的关键是防止承担责任,而不是满足顾客需要。B意为:在描述自己产品局限性上体现得更诚实。这个其实肯定不是商大家本意,毕
27、竟无奸不商,有哪个商人会这样诚实,把自己产品缺陷告诉她人?D意为:不得不将顾客安全看作头等关键事。这个问题嘛,其实想一下,商人目的就是盈利,头等关键事怎么也许是.从文章第二段可以看出,Feeling threatened, companies responded by writing ever-longer warning labels, trying to anticipate every possible accident。企业是由于受了威胁因此才开始贴标签,不过文章并未说是由于考虑到顾客安全才这样做。并且,从常理推断,企业应当是考虑到自身利益才这样做。因此D选项应当是偷梁换柱大法。 53
28、. A 意为:某些因伤害提出索赔再也受不到法律保护了。 第三段指出,时尚似乎正发生逆转,虽然因人身伤害引起索赔案像以往同样不停出现,某些法庭正逐渐开始站到被告一边(side with),尤其是在有警示标签也也许无济于事案件中。在Schutt Sports案件中,Schutt Sports企业被告生产了不安全头盔,导致一名橄揽球队员(football player)瘫痪,不过,陪审团认为,导致球员受伤不是头盔,而是橄榄球这种运动自身危险性(the nature of the game)。企业因此胜诉。这一例子用于阐明第四段第一、二句提到现象。B头盔不是设计来防止损伤。戴头盔目的当然是防止伤害,不
29、过,头盔不也许是万能。B答案是表面意思,一般考研命题中不会把答案设定给这种选项。由于“头盔不是设计来防止损伤”这个虽然从常理来讲也不对的,头盔本来就是用来防止损伤。并且原文中也没提到这点。C产品标签最终将会被淘汰。discard意为:弃而不用。D运动员也许不再会热衷于某些体育运动项目。这个从常理上来说就不太对,再对照原文,原文只是说了一次事故引起有关体育用品争论,不过没有任何地方可以看出运动员会不再热衷于某些项目。只是一次单纯事故而已,没有理由就夸张到放弃这一层,因此这个选项明显是用了夸张手法。 54. D 意为:客观。 这里所说“问题”指索赔案中孰是孰非这一问题。文章探讨了索赔案所包括顾客(
30、原告)、企业(被告)和陪审团三方反应,关键指出陪审团态度转变。文章论述客观,作者没有表达个人见解。有关态度题有诸多偏方,基础上说,ABC三项这三个词基础不也许成为任何题答案。而D这个词,绝对是首选项,基础上出现了选它就没错。由于,所有选中文章讨论大多是客观问题,作者态度更是客观。假如是主观话主线就犯了主观主义错误.A有偏见。这个单词在考研英语阅读中很难会成为对的答案,毕竟你想,既然能当选全国硕士入学考试试题,没有鲜明中心思想是不也许,像有偏见这种态度基础是不也许出现。反过来说,客观这种态度基础是放之四海而皆准。B冷漠。C困惑不解。假如对于问题是困惑不解,那么整篇文章就是说没有表明鲜明立场。不过
31、这种文章是不也许入选硕士入学考试。更何况从原文来看,作者态度相称明显,因此是客观。 参照译文 外面是一种危险世界。假如你走出去,也许会滑倒在门垫上,摔伤一条腿。假如你点燃炉灶,也许会把房子烧掉。不过假如门垫或炉灶上没有警示语告诉你也许发生危害,那么你或许可以就自己所受伤害通过法律诉讼,成功地获得赔偿。大概自80年代初以来大家就不再(guangxian注:此处“不再”二字应删除!)这样认为了,当时陪审团已开始认为更多企业应对其顾客所遭受不幸负责。 企业因此感到了威胁,便做出了反应,写出越来越长警示标识语,力图预先标明种种也许发生事故。目前,梯子上警告标签有几英寸长,除了警告你其他也许发生意外状况
32、外,还警告你也许会摔下来,简直是莫名其妙!印在小朋友蝙蝠侠披风上标识语居然也告诫说,本玩具“无法让顾客飞行”。虽然警示语常常是合理而必需,如对药物副作用而产生危险警示语,并且诸多是州或联邦法规所规定,不过当消费者受伤,这些警示语能否真正保护制造商和销售商使之免于责任,这还很难说。被受伤消费者告上法庭企业中,大概二分之一状况是企业败诉。 目前看来这种趋势正在转变。尽管个人伤害指控一如既往地继续着,但有些法庭已开始站到被告一方,尤其是在处理那些有警示语也无法防止伤害案件时。五月份,伊利诺斯州Shutt体育企业总裁朱利尼蒙斯就成功地打赢了这样一场官司。一名橄榄球队员戴着该企业头盔在一场比赛中受伤瘫痪
33、,遂将该企业告上法庭。企业总裁朱利尼蒙斯说:“她成了瘫痪,我们很难过,但头盔设计不是为了防止此类伤害。”陪审团也认为导致该运动员受伤是这项运动自身危险性,而不是头盔。和此同步,美国法学会该学会由一群举足轻重法官、律师、学者所构成签订了新民事侵害法纲要,宣布企业不必警示顾客那些显而易见危险,或给顾客列出一份冗长也许导致危险清单。康奈尔大学法学院一位参与起草新纲要专家说,“关键信息会沉没在细枝末节汪洋之中”。假如该法律团体这一适中目的可以实现,产品上提供警示信息实际上是用来保护消费者利益,而不是为了防止企业承担法律责任。 1999 Text 2 In the first year or so of
34、 Web business, most of the action has revolved around efforts to tap the consumer market. More recently, as the Web proved to be more than a fashion, companies have started to buy and sell products and services with one another. Such business-to-business sales make sense because business people typi
35、cally know what product theyre looking for. Nonetheless, many companies still hesitate to use the Web because of doubts about its reliability. Businesses need to feel they can trust the pathway between them and the supplier, says senior analyst Blane Erwin of Forrester Research. Some companies are l
36、imiting the risk by conducting online transactions only with established business partners who are given access to the companys private intranet. Another major shift in the model for Internet commerce concerns the technology available for marketing. Until recently, Internet marketing activities have
37、 focused on strategies to pull customers into sites. In the past year, however, software companies have developed tools that allow companies to push information directly out to consumers, transmitting marketing messages directly to targeted customers. Most notably, the Pointcast Network uses a scree
38、n saver to deliver a continually updated stream of news and advertisements to subscribers computer monitors. Subscribers can customize the information they want to receive and proceed directly to a companys Web site. Companies such as Virtual Vineyards are already starting to use similar technologie
39、s to push messages to customers about special sales, product offerings, or other events. But push technology has earned the contempt of many Web users. Online culture thinks highly of the notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by specific request. Once commercial promotion b
40、egins to fill the screen uninvited, the distinction between the Web and television fades. Thats a prospect that horrifies Net purists. But it is hardly inevitable that companies on the Web will need to resort to push strategies to make money. The examples of Virtual Vineyardsa. Amazon , and other pi
41、oneers show that a Web site selling the right kind of products with the right mix of interactivity, hospitality, and security will attract online customers. And the cost of computing power continues to free fall, which is a good sign for any enterprise setting up shop in silicon. People looking back
42、 5 or 10 years from now may well wonder why so few companies took the online plunge. 55. We learn from the beginning of the passage that Web business _. A has been striving to expand its market B intended to follow a fanciful fashion C tried but in vain to control the market D has been booming for o
43、ne year or so56. Speaking of the online technology available for marketing, the author implies that _. A the technology is popular with many Web users B businesses have faith in the reliability of online transactions C there is a radical change in strategy D it is accessible limitedly to established
44、 partners57. In the view of Net purists, _. A there should be no marketing messages in online culture B money making should be given priority to on the Web C the Web should be able to function as the television set D there should be no online commercial information without requests58. We learn from
45、the last paragraph that _.A pushing information on the Web is essential to Internet commerceB interactivity, hospitality and security are important to online customersC leading companies began to take the online plunge decades agoD setting up shops in silicon is independent of the cost of computing
46、power 关键词汇1. or so 左右,2. web=website 网络3. revolve around 围绕4. tap 轻打;开发;水龙头5. more than 不仅仅是;不只是6. make sense 有道理;故意义7. nonetheless 尽管如此8. reliability 可靠性9. pathway 小径,通路,途径10. supplier 供应商11. limit 限制12. conduct 进行,做13. online transaction 在线交易14. established 确定;已经有15. access to 进入;有权利做16. intranet 局域网;internet 互联网17. shift 转变,变化18. model 模式,措施19. concern 和有关20. available 可以用来;可以得到21. focus on 关注;集中22. strategy 方略;措施23. transmit 传播;发