考研英语经济类阅读理解专项训练及答案

　　找一个时间专门训练自己在遇到经济类型的英语阅读理解时的应对能力，是否能够在考研考试中应付自如呢?下面是学习啦小编给大家整理的考研英语经济类阅读理解专项训练及答案，供大家参阅!

　　考研英语经济类阅读理解专项训练及答案：Anything to declare

　　Customs officers' powers are excessive, but so is smuggling

　　RICHARD EVANS, a retired lorry driver, and his family were travelling in Spain last summer when their camper van broke down. They left it to be brought ba

　　ck by the AA. But customs officers at Dover claimed it was being used for smuggling. They seized the vehicle and all its contents, including 9,000 cigarettes and 20 bottles of spirits. The van, worth £20,000 ($30,800), is still impounded. It even took Mr. Evans six months to recover his 90-year-old mother-in-law's wheelchair.

　　Under European Union regulations, people may import an unlimited quantity of alcohol and tobacco, so long as it is for their own personal use. Had Mr. Evans been driving his van himself, he would probably have had no trouble. Cases like this are putting Customs and Excise's considerable powers under scrutiny. A recent stinging High Court judgment about another vehicle seizure said, "the mindset of those determining these policies has not embraced the world of an internal market where excise goods can move freely across internal frontiers." And, on September 18th, the EU announced that it was giving Britain two months to prove that customs officers were not breaching consumers' rights to shop freely in Europe. "Cross-border shopping...is a fundamental right under EU law and should not be regarded as a form of tax evasion," said Frits Bolkestein, the internal market commissioner.

　　Customs officers have an impossible job. Excise duty and VAT on a pack of premium brand cigarettes account for 79% of the recommended retail selling price of £4.51. An identical pack costs £1.97 in Belgium. One in every five cigarettes smoked in Britain--some 17 billion altogether--has been smuggled. The Tobacco Manufacturers' Association reckons that 80% of hand-rolling tobacco is smuggled.

　　The main weapon Customs and Excise has in tackling abuse is to seize cars in which it suspects goods are being smuggled. Guidelines suggest "personal use" can mean only up to 800 cigarettes, for example. Anyone bringing in more can be asked to explain. In the past three years, customs officers have impounded more than 22,000 vehicles. Tellingly, only a fifth of seizures are contested, and fewer than 1% of appeals are successful. Officials say the value of cross-channel smuggling has fallen sharply in the past year, from £1.6 billion to £400m.

　　Some customs officers, though, have clearly been over-zealous. And the recent High Court case ruled that the legislation under which Customs and Excise operates wrongly reverses the burden of proof. The defendant must prove that he is not bringing in tobacco and so forth for a commercial purpose. It also said that customs officers must have "reasonable grounds" for searches: suspicion and instinct are not enough. The government is appealing.

　　The minister in charge of Customs and Excise, John Healey, accepts that there is an urgent need to respond to questions about the "legitimacy" of the Customs regime. But he says the charge that Customs are abusing their powers is wrong: "Customs," he says, "never stop at random, they never do blanket searches. They always have some ground for stopping people." Tell that to Mr Evans.

　　Economist; 9/21/2002, Vol. 364 Issue 8291, p52-53, 2p

　　注(1)：本文选自Economist; 9/21/2002, p52-53, 2p;

　　注(2)：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 3;

　　1.How could Richard Evans have avoided such a trouble?

　　[A]If the camper van didn’t break down on the way.

　　[B]If the amount of alcohol and tobacco were not too large.

　　[C]If he carried cigarettes and spirits for personal use.

　　[D]If he hadn’t asked others to drive the car.

　　2.How does the EU feel about the behavior of Customs and Excise?

　　[A]Critical.

　　[B]Optimistic.

　　[C]Indifferent.

　　[D]Supportive.

　　3.How can Customs and Excise check the smuggling effectively?

　　[A]By doing blanket searches.

　　[B]By seizing the suspect cars.

　　[C]By limiting shopping in Europe.

　　[D]By stopping at random.

　　4.What is the charge against Customs and Excise?

　　[A]They are abusing their power.

　　[B]They deprive Europeans of their right to a free shop.

　　[C]They seize the car for no good reason.

　　[D]Their power is too excessive.

　　5.By “Tell that to Mr Evans.”(Last Line, Paragraph 6), the author means _____________.

　　[A]Evans should learn a lesson from his experience

　　[B]what John Healey has said is good for Evans

　　[C]he does not believe what John Healey has said

　　[D]Evans should understand what he has experienced

　　答案：DABAC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文采用提出问题——分析问题的模式，非常客观地分析了海关工作确实是一件非常棘手，但也确实非常必要的工作，但在工作中有些官员表现得过于“热情”，有滥用职权的嫌疑，所以招致了一些公民的指控。第一段以理查德·埃文斯的经历为例，指出他在海关遇到的麻烦;第二段指出海关和货物税收部门的强大权力受到了密切关注;第三段指出走私现象非常严重;第四段指出关税及国产税务部门在对付走私时使用的武器主要是没收有走私嫌疑的车辆;第五段指出最高法庭诉讼案的新规定;第六段指出海关官员的反应。

　　词汇注释

　　AA=Automodile Association of Great Britain汽车协会

　　impound [Im5paJnd]vt.关在栏中, 拘留, 扣押, 没收

　　scrutiny [5skru:tInI; (?@) 5skru:tEnI]n.详细审查

　　seizure [5si:VE(r)]n.抓, 捉, 没收, 查封, 夺取

　　breach [bri:tF]vt.打破, 突破

　　evasion [I5veIV(E)n]n.逃避, 借口

　　VAT=Value-Added Tax 增值税, 附加价值税;

　　premium [5pri:mIEm] adj 质优价高的;质量或价值极高的：

　　reverse [rI5v\:s] vt颠倒，倒转;撤消或废除(法令等)

　　burden of proof n.提供证据之责任

　　defendant [dI5fend(E)nt]n.被告

　　legitimacy [lI`dVItImEsI]n.合法(性), 正统(性), 正确(性), 合理(性)

　　at random adv.胡乱地, 随便地

　　难句突破

　　A recent stinging High Court judgment about another vehicle seizure said, "the mindset of those determining these policies has not embraced the world of an internal market where excise goods can move freely across internal frontiers."

　　主体句式：a judgment said …

　　结构分析：本句是一个简单句，关键是理解其中一些词汇的含义。“stinging”在此句的含义是“棘手的”;在引用的话中，“mindset”的意思是“思想倾向”，“determining these policies”之前省去了“who are”，这就变成了现在分词做后置定语来修饰“those”;“embrace”的意思是“接受”;“where”引导定语从句来修饰“internal market”。

　　句子译文：高级法院最近审理另一起棘手的机动车扣留案件时说明：“决定这些政策的那些人，在思想意识里并没有接受欧盟境内市场。在这个市场里，征税货物在各成员国之间是可以自由流通的。”

　　题目分析

　　1.答案为D，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“Had Mr. Evans been driving his van himself, he would probably have had no trouble.”本句是虚拟语气 。表示与过去事实相反，从句用过去完成时，主句用“would have done”。但有时会把“if”省略，把“had”提前，本句就属于这种现象。

　　2.答案为A，属情感态度题。句子“A recent stinging High Court judgment about another vehicle seizure said, "the mindset of those determining these policies has not embraced the world of an internal market where excise goods can move freely across internal frontiers."”中显然包含了批评的含义;接下来的句子也是顺承这一含义的：“And, on September 18th, the EU announced that it was giving Britain two months to prove that customs officers were not breaching consumers' rights to shop freely in Europe.”，我们可看出欧盟也是不赞成海关的一些做法的;从欧盟内部市场委员Frits Bolkestein的话：“Cross-border shopping...is a fundamental right under EU law and should not be regarded as a form of tax evasion”，我们更加看出欧盟对待海关的一些做法的态度究竟如何。

　　3.答案为B ，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“The main weapon Customs and Excise has in tackling abuse is to seize cars in which it suspects goods are being smuggled.”。从给出的数据“In the past three years, customs officers have impounded more than 22,000 vehicles. Tellingly, only a fifth of seizures are contested, and fewer than 1% of appeals are successful.”，我们可看出这一手段确实非常有效。

　　4.答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“But he says the charge that Customs are abusing their powers is wrong.”。

　　5.答案为C，属推理判断题。从文章来看，作者非常客观地分析了海关工作确实是一件非常棘手，但也确实非常必要的工作，但在工作中有些官员表现得过于“热情”，有滥用职权的嫌疑，所以招致了一些公民的指控。虽然关税及国产税务为之也做了辩解，但是并不使人信服，所以在文章最后，作者说了一句：“Tell that to Mr Evans.”。

　　参考译文

　　有东西要报关吗?

　　海关官员权利过大，走私行为过甚

　　理查德·埃文斯是一位退休的货车司机。去年夏天，他和家人在西班牙旅行的时候，他们开的露营车出了故障。他们把车留给汽车协会，由他们负责拖回去。但是多佛港口的海关官员却声称此车被用来走私。他们没收了这辆汽车以及车上的所有物品，其中包括9，000支香烟和20瓶烈性酒。直到现在，这辆价值20，000英镑(相当于30，800美元)的露营车仍然被扣押着。埃文斯先生甚至还花费了六个月的时间才得以取回他那年高九旬的岳母的轮椅。

　　欧盟法规规定，只要是个人使用，对带入境的酒和烟的数量并不限制。假如埃文斯是自己开车的话，那么他很可能就不会有任何麻烦。类似这样的案例使海关和货物税收部门的强大权力受到了密切关注。高级法院最近审理另一起棘手的机动车扣留案件时说明：“决定这些政策的那些人，在思想意识里并没有接受欧盟境内市场。在这个市场里，征税货物在各成员国之间是可以自由流通的。”9月18日，欧盟宣布：给英国两个月的时间来证明其海关官员没有侵犯消费者可以在欧洲自由购物的权利。内部市场委员Frits Bolkestein说：“根据欧盟法律，跨境购物是公民的基本权利，不应该被视为逃税行为。”

　　海关官员的工作相当棘手。一包高级香烟所征收的货物税和增值税是其建议零售价4.51英镑的79%。而同样一包烟在比利时售价1.97英镑。在英国，人们吸的每五支烟中就有一支——总共约170亿——是走私过来的。烟草制造商协会估计有80%的手卷烟是走私来的。

　　关税及国产税务部门在对付这一弊端时使用的武器主要是没收有走私嫌疑的车辆。条例规定的“个人使用”，打个比方，只限800支香烟。携带超出此数量者，将被要求做出解释。在过去三年里，海关扣留的车辆超过22，000辆。这样做有明显的效果，这些扣押案例中只有五分之一的案例是有争议的，上诉案件的胜诉率还不足1%。海关官员宣称去年跨境走私物品的价值从16亿大幅度下跌到4亿英镑。

　　然而，有些海关官员明显表现得过于积极。最近的最高法庭诉讼案规定，海关方面执行有误的那项法规把双方提供证据的责任进行了交换。被告必须证明自己没有出于商业目的而携带烟草等物品。还规定海关官员必须有进行收查的“合理依据”：光靠怀疑和直觉是不够的。政府部门也在做此呼吁。

　　关税及国产税务约翰·希利表示，确实迫切需要对海关系统合法性问题做出反应。但他认为，有关海关滥用职权的指控是错误的。“海关，”他说，“从来不随意截停，也从不做地毯式搜查。他们拦住某些人都是有理由的。”把这话说给埃文斯先生吧。

　　考研英语经济类阅读理解专项训练及答案：Free thinkers

　　Can free source-code stop Microsoft?

　　FOCUS on what you do best. This age-old strategy has worked well for RealNetworks, Microsoft's main competitor in multimedia software for the Internet. No

　　w, the smaller Seattle-based firm is trying a novel way to contain the software giant. On October 29th, it released the underlying recipe, or source-code, of its RealPlayer software and will soon do the same for its other programs--giving away a big chunk of its intellectual property.

　　This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998, when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft's chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser (an initiative that yielded few real results until this June, when the first serious new version of the open-source browser, Mozilla, was released). Yet RealNetworks is not playing defence. It is trying to encourage the creation of a common multimedia software infrastructure for every kind of file format and device, thus thwarting Microsoft's ambitions in this promising market.

　　The firm hopes that others in the industry (volunteer programmers, media firms and hardware makers) will take the code, called Helix DNA, improve it and make it run on new devices, such as mobile phones and home stereos, turning RealNetworks' software into an industry standard. Clever licensing terms are supposed to ensure that this standard does not splinter and that the firm still makes money.

　　Individual developers, universities and other non-profit organisations can modify the software as they please, and even redistribute it for free, so long as they also publish the source-code for their changes. This is a sort of payment in kind, for RealNetworks is then allowed to use these contributions. Firms, on the other hand, must pay royalty fees if they distribute more than 1m copies of the code. They also have to make sure that their software works with other Helix DNA products. The software's development community already has 2,000 members. And several hardware makers back the effort. But there are risks. Afraid of piracy, media groups are suspicious of anything that might be related to hackers (although they also do not want to depend on, and pay for, technology controlled by Microsoft). The self-created competition could also hurt RealNetworks if customers decide its commercial products, which will be based on the open source-code but with extra features, are not worth paying extra for.

　　RealNetworks' move is another sign that the software industry is going hybrid. Mixing elements of proprietary software, where the source-code is tightly controlled, with open-source programs enables firms to expand a market, harvest the ideas of others and, they hope, still make money. Even Microsoft is edging this way: it recently announced that partners can now look at--but not modify or re-use--the source-code for Passport, its controversial digital-identity service.

　　--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　Economist; 11/2/2002, Vol. 365 Issue 8297, p64-65, 2p

　　注(1)：本文选自Economist; 11/2/2002, p64-65, 2p;

　　注(2)：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 1;

　　1.What is the RealNetworks’ new way of stopping Microsoft?

　　[A]By selling its intellectual property.

　　[B]By doing what it is good at.

　　[C]By releasing the free source-code.

　　[D]By severe competition with Microsoft.

　　2.Which of the following can be a disadvantage of releasing the source-code?

　　[A]It can bring about self-created competition.

　　[B]It can defeat Microsoft’s ambitions in this market.

　　[C]It can use the improved software.

　　[D]It can get royalty fees from some firms.

　　3.The expression “a desperate echo”(Line 1, Paragraph 2) most probably means ________.

　　[A]a useless repetition

　　[B]a poor resemblance

　　[C]a shabby product

　　[D]a dangerous copy

　　4.What does the move of RealNetworks suggest?

　　[A]Microsoft fails to control the software market.

　　[B]Software market is becoming a mixed market.

　　[C]RealNetworks wants to make more money.

　　[D]Software market is not fixed and stable.

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

　　[A]Netscape had a sheer failure for its publishing the source-code.

　　[B]RealNetworks wants to occupy the source-code market.

　　[C]RealNetworks wants to make profits by releasing the free source-code.

　　[D]Microsoft has to change its managing strategy.

　　答案：CADBC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文介绍了RealNetworks网络公司如何通过公布RealPlayer播放器软件秘诀(即源码)，试图牵制微软公司的做法。第一段指出RealNetworks试图用一种新方法——公布RealPlayer播放器软件秘诀(即源码)来牵制微软这个软件届巨人;第二段指出RealNetworks网络公司主动出击，想要牵制微软的野心;第三段和第四段详细介绍这一方案如何操作、如何实施、以及如何获利;第五段指出软件业的新迹象，以及对微软的影响。

　　词汇注释

　　chokehold n. 掐脖子

　　thwart [WwC:t] vt. 反对; 阻挠, 挫败, 妨碍;成功地抵制, 顶住, 使...希望破灭, 使...企图破产

　　splinter vt., vi. (使)裂成碎片, (使)分裂，

　　royalty n. 版税，上演税;特许权使用费，专利权使用费，专利权税

　　edge vi. 徐徐移动, 侧着移动, 谨慎前进

　　难句分析

　　This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998, when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft's chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser (an initiative that yielded few real results until this June, when the first serious new version of the open-source browser, Mozilla, was released).

　　主体句式：This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998 …

　　结构分析：本句句形结构并不复杂，关键是理解个别词的含义。“desperate echo”的含义是“危险的仿效”;“when”并列连词，相当于“and just at that time”，意思是“在那时”;“struggling in Microsoft's chokehold”做伴随状语来修饰“Netscape”，其中“chokehold”的意思是“掐脖子”;“web browser”的意思是“网络浏览器”;括号里的句子做进一步的补充说明，其中an initiative之前省去了“which was”;“that”引导定语从句来修饰“an initiative”;定语从句中“when”还是并列连词，“Mozilla”是“open-source browser”的同位语。

　　句子译文：这听起来似乎像是1998年的一次危险的仿效。那年，因被微软“掐着脖子”而做生死挣扎的Netscape公司发表了其网络浏览器的源码(在今年6月它推出了真正意义上的最新版开放原码浏览器——Mozilla——之前，这种主动出击几乎没有给它带来任何实际效果)。

　　题目分析

　　1.答案为C，属事实细节题。文章在开头提到“集中注意力做你最拿手的事”这一古老的策略对微软公司在因特网多媒体软件领域的主要竞争对手RealNetworks网络公司十分奏效。现在，RealNetworks网络公司要使用一种新办法，那就是“it released the underlying recipe, or source-code, of its RealPlayer software and will soon do the same for its other programs--giving away a big chunk of its intellectual property.”。

　　2.答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“The self-created competition could also hurt RealNetworks if customers decide its commercial products, which will be based on the open source-code but with extra features, are not worth paying extra for.”

　　3.答案为D ，属猜词题。从文中“when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft's chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser”我们可判断RealNetworks网络公司和Netscape公司的做法一样;从句子“an initiative that yielded few real results until this June, when the first serious new version of the open-source browser, Mozilla, was released.”我们可判断Netscape公司的做法是极不成功的，危险的。

　　4.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“RealNetworks' move is another sign that the software industry is going hybrid.”，理解这句话的关键是要知道什么是“hybrid”。接下来的句子做出了解释“Mixing elements of proprietary software, where the source-code is tightly controlled, with open-source programs enables firms to expand a market”，在这句话中注意词组“mix … with”。

　　5.答案为C，属事实细节题。文章两次提到了“make money”，一句是“Clever licensing terms are supposed to ensure that this standard does not splinter and that the firm still makes money.”，另一句是“they hope, still make money.”。从这些句子我们可看出“赚钱”是RealNetworks网络公司实施这一新举措的目的。

　　参考译文

　　自由思想家

　　免费源码能阻止微软吗?

　　“集中注意力做你最拿手的事”这一古老的策略对微软公司在因特网多媒体软件领域的主要竞争对手RealNetworks网络公司十分奏效。目前，这家位于西雅图的公司正试图用一种新方法来牵制微软这个软件届巨人。10月29日，这家公司发布了取得领先地位的RealPlayer播放器软件秘诀，即源码，并将很快对其它程序采取同样的行动——出售其知识产权的一大部分。

　　这听起来似乎像是1998年的一次危险的仿效。那年，因被微软“掐着脖子”而做生死挣扎的Netscape公司发表了其网络浏览器的源码(在今年6月它推出了真正意义上的最新版开放原码浏览器——Mozilla——之前，这种主动出击几乎没有给它带来任何实际效果)。但RealNetworks网络公司并不是在打防御战。它正大力创建一个对每一种文件格式和装置都适用的公共多媒体软件基础结构，这样，它就在这个很使人看好的市场上有力地牵制住了微软的野心。

　　该公司希望业内其它公司(志愿参加的程序设计公司、传媒公司和硬件制造公司)将采用这种被称作Helix DNA的代码，对它加以改进，并在其新装置(如移动电话和家用音响等装置)上运行，最终把RealNetworks公司的软件变成一种行业标准。精明的许可证发放条款应保证这一标准不被像切蛋糕似的分成碎块，保证公司仍有钱可赚。

　　个体开发商、大学和其它非盈利性组织，只要他们也能把其更改后程序的源码公布于众，可根据他们的意愿对该软件进行修改，甚至可以免费发放。这实际上是一种实物支付方式，因为到了那个时候，RealNetworks公司也可使用这些改进的软件成果。另一方面，如果其它公司能销售1百万以上的源码，他们须支付特许权使用费。他们还要保证他们的软件与Helix DNA产品兼容。软件开发业已拥有2000余名成员。一些硬件制造商也支持这一举动。但存在风险。由于担心被盗版，传媒组织对一切与黑客有关的举动都表示怀疑(尽管他们也不想依赖微软、向它支付技术使用费或在技术上受控于微软)。其商业产品以开放源码为基础，但具有极佳的特点。如果客户认为这些产品不值得他们额外付钱的话，那么，自我制造的竞争也可能会伤害RealNetworks公司。

　　RealNetworks公司的举动表明了另一种迹象，即软件业正在成为混合模式。把那些源码受严格控制的专有软件成分(组件)与开放源码程序加以混合就能使公司拓展市场，集思广益，并且——他们希望——仍可赚钱。连微软公司也正以这种方式小心翼翼地行事：最近微软公司发出公告，说合伙人现在可以查看——但不能更改或重复使用——Passport(微软有争议的数字验证服务)的源码。

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