A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When 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. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed. 

　　It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July。) Foreign-made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market America's machine-tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty。

　　All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid-1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas。

　　How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. “ American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted,” according to Richard Cavanagh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government,“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. And 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。”

　　11. The U.S. achieved its predominance after World War Ⅱbecause_____。

　　[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

　　名師解析

　　11. The U.S. achieved its predominance after World War Ⅱbecause_____。

　　美國在二戰(zhàn)后取得優(yōu)勢地位是因為_____。

　　[A] it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal。

　　它為該目標付出了艱巨的努力。

　　[B] its domestic market was eight times larger than before。

　　它的國內(nèi)市場比以前大八倍。

　　[C] the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors。

　　戰(zhàn)爭摧毀了大多數(shù)潛在競爭對手的經(jīng)濟。

　　[D] the unparalleled size of its workforce had given an impetus to its economy。

　　它無與倫比的勞動力規(guī)模給了經(jīng)濟推動力。

　　【答案】 C

　　【考點】 事實細節(jié)題。

　　【分析】 第一段指出，“二戰(zhàn)后，美國就進入了這樣的一個輝煌的歷史時期。它擁有比任何競爭者大八倍的市場，這使其工業(yè)經(jīng)濟規(guī)模前所未有。它的科學家是世上比較優(yōu)秀的，它的工人是技術(shù)比較好的。美國及其民眾的富庶是那些經(jīng)濟遭到戰(zhàn)爭破壞的歐洲人和亞洲人連做夢也不敢想的”。因此利用排除法，確定答案是[A]。

　　12. The loss of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the American_____。

　　上個世紀80年代美國優(yōu)勢地位的喪失可以從美國_______事實中看出來。

　　[A] TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic market

　　電視工業(yè)已經(jīng)退到國內(nèi)市場

　　[B] semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprises

　　半導體產(chǎn)業(yè)已經(jīng)被外國公司接管

　　[C] machine-tool industry had collapsed after suicidal actions

　　機床業(yè)已經(jīng)自取滅亡

　　[D] auto industry had lost part of its domestic market

　　汽車工業(yè)已經(jīng)喪失了部分國內(nèi)市場

　　【答案】 D

　　【考點】 事實細節(jié)題。

　　【分析】 [A]選項錯誤，因為第二段中說“到1987年，美國只剩下Zenith這一家電視生產(chǎn)商。(現(xiàn)在這一家也沒有了：Zenith于7月被韓國LG電器公司收購。)”說明它連國內(nèi)市場也保不住了。[B]選項錯誤，文中第二段比較后一句提到，“在一段時間內(nèi)，半導體制造業(yè)似乎要成為下一個受害者”，可是事實上沒有。[C]選項中談到的機床業(yè)已經(jīng)自取滅亡的說法錯誤，因為文中提到機床制造業(yè)“岌岌可�！�(on the ropes)，但是還沒有滅亡呢。[D]是合適的，因為第二段第六句提到，“進口車和紡織品橫掃國內(nèi)市場”。

　　13. What can be inferred from the passage?

　　從本文中可以推斷出哪個選項？

　　[A] It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride。

　　在自我懷疑和盲目驕傲之間搖擺是人的本性。

　　[B] Intense competition may contribute to economic progress。

　　激烈的競爭會導致經(jīng)濟的發(fā)展。

　　[C] The revival of the economy depends on international cooperation。

　　經(jīng)濟的復蘇依靠國際的合作。

　　[D] A long history of success may pave the way for further development。

　　一個長期成功的經(jīng)歷會為進一步的發(fā)展鋪平道路。

　　【答案】 B

　　【考點】 推斷題。

　　【分析】 第三段提到，“所有這一切導致了信心危機。美國人不再視繁榮為理所當然之事。他們開始懷疑自己的商業(yè)經(jīng)營方式出了問題，也懷疑不久他們的收入就會下降。20世紀80年代中期對美國工業(yè)衰退的原因作了一次又一次的調(diào)查。那些有時聳人聽聞的結(jié)果中充滿著對來自國外的加劇的經(jīng)濟競爭的警告”。第四段提到了“90年代的經(jīng)濟復蘇。其中的含義是：在競爭的壓力下，美國人在80年代產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)調(diào)整，美國的工業(yè)已經(jīng)改變了結(jié)構(gòu)，消除了滯脹，學會了急智，因此帶來了90年代的經(jīng)濟復蘇”。因此可以得出激烈的競爭會導致經(jīng)濟的發(fā)展。另外三個選項都不合適。

　　14. The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the____。

　　作者似乎相信美國經(jīng)濟在上個世紀90年代的復蘇可以歸結(jié)于____。

　　[A]turning of the business cycle   經(jīng)濟周期的轉(zhuǎn)折

　　[B]restructuring of industry   行業(yè)重組

　　[C]improved business management  改善了的工商管理

　　[D]success in education  教育的成功

　　【答案】 A

　　【考點】 作者觀點題。

　　【分析】 在第四段，作者指出，“1995年，美國可以對過去5年的穩(wěn)步發(fā)展作一回顧，而日本還在奮力掙扎。很少有美國人將這一巨變單純歸因于美元貶值或商業(yè)周期循環(huán)這些顯而易見的原因。如今，對自身的懷疑已被盲目樂觀所取代”。這里作者實際上對當前美國人的盲目樂觀情緒進行了批評，認為90年代的增長是由美元貶值或經(jīng)濟周期的轉(zhuǎn)機等因素造成的。[B]是“Richard Cavanaugh”的看法。[C]是“Stephen Moore”的看法。[D]選項文中沒有提及。

　　難句解析：

　　For 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。

　　【結(jié)構(gòu)分析】 本句的主句是：“it looked as though the making of semiconductors was going to be the next casualty”。有兩個定語從句，分別是：“which America had invented”和“which sat at the heart of the new computer age”。

　　全文翻譯：

　　長時間不費力而成功的歷史可能成為一種可怕的障礙，但若處理得當，它也有可能轉(zhuǎn)化為一種積極動力。二戰(zhàn)后，美國就進入了這樣的一個輝煌的歷史時期。它擁有比任何競爭者大八倍的市場，這使其工業(yè)經(jīng)濟規(guī)模前所未有。它的科學家是世上比較優(yōu)秀的，它的工人是技術(shù)比較好的。美國及其民眾的富庶是那些經(jīng)濟遭到戰(zhàn)爭破壞的歐洲人和亞洲人連做夢也不敢想的。

　　當其他國家逐漸富有，美國從這一領先地位逐漸下降是不可避免的。同樣不可避免的是其從領先地位上退出的痛苦。到了20世紀80年代中期，日益衰退的工業(yè)競爭力讓美國人感到茫然不知所措。一些大型的美國工業(yè)，如消費電子產(chǎn)業(yè)，在國外競爭面前，已經(jīng)萎縮或消失。到1987年，美國只剩下Zenith這一家電視生產(chǎn)商。(現(xiàn)在這一家也沒有了：Zenith于當年7月被韓國LG電器公司收購。)外國制造的汽車和紡織品正橫掃國內(nèi)市場。美國的機床工業(yè)也岌岌可危。有一段時間，好像下一個在海外品牌面前全軍覆沒的似乎該輪到美國的半導體制造業(yè)了，而在新計算機時代有著核心作用的半導體正是美國人發(fā)明的。

　　所有這一切導致了信心危機。美國人不再視繁榮為理所當然之事。他們開始懷疑自己的商業(yè)經(jīng)營方式出了問題，也懷疑不久他們的收入就會下降。20世紀80年代中期對美國工業(yè)衰退的原因作了一次又一次的調(diào)查。那些有時聳人聽聞的結(jié)果中充滿著對來自國外的加劇的經(jīng)濟競爭的警告。

　　情況的變化可真快��！1995年，美國可以對過去5年的穩(wěn)步發(fā)展作一回顧，而日本還在奮力掙扎。很少有美國人將這一巨變單純歸因于美元貶值或商業(yè)周期循環(huán)這些顯而易見的原因。如今，對自身的懷疑已被盲目樂觀所取代�！懊绹�的工業(yè)已經(jīng)改變了結(jié)構(gòu)，消除了滯脹，學會了急智”，哈佛大學肯尼迪管理學院行政院長理查德·卡佛納如是說。華盛頓特區(qū)的智囊團——卡托研究院的史蒂芬·莫爾說：“作為一個美國人我感到自豪，因為看到我們的企業(yè)正在提高自身的生產(chǎn)率�！� 哈佛商學院的威廉·薩爾曼相信人們將會把這一時期視為“美國企業(yè)管理的黃金時代”。