单选题According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ______.A cost reduction is based on competitionB services call for cross-trade coordinationC outside competitors will continue to existD shippers will have the railway by the
题目
单选题
According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ______.
A
cost reduction is based on competition
B
services call for cross-trade coordination
C
outside competitors will continue to exist
D
shippers will have the railway by the throat
相似考题
参考答案和解析
正确答案：
B
解析：
细节题。文章第二段开头提到了支持铁路合并的支持者的观点，他们阐述了合并会带来好处即降低费用，更好的协调服务。 “Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”而且他们认为铁路垄断是不太可能的，是因为铁路行业形成垄断的威胁会被来自货车运输的激烈竞争消除，因此选C。
细节题。文章第二段开头提到了支持铁路合并的支持者的观点，他们阐述了合并会带来好处即降低费用，更好的协调服务。 “Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”而且他们认为铁路垄断是不太可能的，是因为铁路行业形成垄断的威胁会被来自货车运输的激烈竞争消除，因此选C。
更多“单选题According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ______.A cost reduction is based on competitionB services call for cross-trade coordinationC outside competitors will continue to existD shippers will have the railway by the ”相关问题
-
第1题：
According to the passage, false beards were worn by those who considered themselves to be ______.
A. handsome and mature
B. too young to have beards
C. aristocrats or fashionable dandies
D. royalty
正确答案：C
第一段。14世纪的男士以戴胡子表明自己的高贵和时尚。
-
第2题：
Comparing British railway with those of Europe, the author thinks
[A] trains in Britain can run at 100 mph at least.
[B] Britain should build more express lines.
[ C] rails in Britain need further privatization.
[D] British railway is left a long way behind.
正确答案：D
54．D该题为细节题。第三段第一句“Generally，the contrasts with ma- inland Europe are stark．”通常，英国铁路与欧洲大陆铁路的对比很明显。说明作者认为英国铁路和欧洲相比还差很多。选项A 和B并不是作者的态度，选项C与作者态度相反，作者一直讲铁路私有化导致了现在英国铁路的失败，所以不可能需要进一步的私有化。故选D。 -
第3题：
According to those who welcomed the railway, the railway itself should include all the following except that ______.
A) the railway enables people travel fast
B) the railway brings comfort to people
C) the railway makes the world peaceful
D) the railway leads the world to war as well
正确答案：D
答案；D
[试题分析]细节题。
[详细解答]本题可以从第一段的内容看出来。前两句话“Those who welcomed the railway saw it as more than a rapid and comfortable means of passing．They actually saw it se a factor in world peace．”中，包括了选项A，B，C的内容，从而，可以判断正确答案为D。
-
第4题：
We may safely conclude that ______.
A) the author belongs to the anti-railway group
B) the author belongs to the pro-railway group
C) the author speaks highly of the railway
D) the author may never take train because of its potential dangers
正确答案：A
答案：A
[试题分析]事实判断题。
[详细解答]文中完全都是在谈论反对火车的人的一些论据，可以推断作者是反对者无疑。可以确定正确答案为 A。后三项都与文章内容不符或缺乏事实依据。
-
第5题：
Text 1 When I started my careef I was astonished by how superhuman some Fortune 500 executives were.It seemed they were magicians.Every decision they made based on deep market knowledge and up-to-date information.How did they do it?Thcy have marketing teams that can pull research together in hours.They have chiefs of staff who give them carefully crafied agendas for every day.These teams give Fortune 500 executives what appears to bc super-human knowledge.Foriunately for those of us who don't have Fortune 500 budgets at our disposal,it's getting easier and casier to build your own secret support staff.Within five years,most executives at any size company-and,indeed,most knowledge workers-will have tools that do much of the work of a CEO's private group.That is,"Cyborg systems,"or what I called"agents".It will make this possible,using a blend of learning algorithms and distributed labor to perform an ever-widening range of tasks at low cost.With help from these agents,we'II be able to look as smari as those CEOs do today.I got one taste of this when I started using Wonder.Wonder is like having a personal researcher,deploying a small army of experts,including trained librarians,to do small,defined research projects for me.I ask Wonder for help.For$30 to$60,Wonder saves me hours every week.More and more products and services will fuse machine intelligence with crowd work to help users get things done.To be clear,CEO support teams aren't going away.Top executives will continue to see benefits from dedicated,trusted support staff who can handle difficult,urgent,delicate work.But machine intelligence systems can take on elements of what these people do at a much lower cost,democratizing many of these capabilities.Granted,there is going to be a lot of garbage before we realize the full promise of these virtual support armies.Many ofthem fail to live up to even basic promises,like this weather bot that has trouble telling you about the weather.But if you can filter through the many new offerings to fmd valuable tools,your work will improve and you may even start to look like those CEOs with the seemingly.
Top executives will continue to benefit from support teams because________.A.they work at a much lower cost
B.they can fulfill their promise
C.they are more intelligent
D.they can deal with emergency situation答案：D解析：事实细节题。根据定位词定位到第六段第一、二句。这两句讲的是CEO的支持团队并不会消失。那些顶尖的高管会继续从忠诚可信且能够处理困难、紧急、复杂工作的支持团队那里获益。故D项为正确选项。【干扰排除】A项lower cost，第三段中提到大多数人没有足够的budget来雇佣support teams．可见他们的成本并不低，A项可排除；B项“他们能兑现诺言”，文章第七段第二句话提到许多虚拟支持团队甚至不能完成最基础的承诺，并不是指支持团队兑现诺言，可排除；C项“他们更智能”，文章中提到machine intelligence可以部分取代suppoIl teams，而且成本更低，但没有比较两者谁更智能，所以C项排除。 -
第6题：
The construction of the railway is said to have been terminated.A:resumed
B:put an end to
C:suspended
D:re-scheduled答案：B解析：本句意思：据说这条铁路的建设已经结束。terminate意为“终止，结束”，与put an end to（结束）意思相近。resume继续，重新开始；suspend延缓，推迟；re-schedule重订计划。 -
第7题：
共用题干
第二篇
Railroad Supersystem
In recent years,railroads have been combining with each other,merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.As recently as 1995,the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton一miles moved by rails.Next year,after a series of mergers is completed,just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.Any threat of monopoly,they argue,is removed by fierce competition from trucks.But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances,such as coal,chemicals,and grain,trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.Railroads typically charge such"captive"shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do
when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.If railroads charged all customers the same average rate,they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail."Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?"asks Martin Bercovici,a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.The railroad industry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes,still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just$427 million,less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?Many captive shippers fear that they will,as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that________.
A:shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad
B:there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide
C:overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief
D:a government board ensures fair play in railway business答案：C解析：根据文章第二段，支持者认为“Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。D把主语和宾语弄反了，不是支持者的观点，所以是错误的。
本题问的是托运商的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索做判断。从题干关键词“shipper , attitude”（第二段）和“Many captive shipper also worry...”（第五段）可以判断出托运商的态度是“忧虑的”，对未来的状况“忧心忡忡”，所以D正确。
A正好与原文意思相反，B缺乏事实依据，因为文中说绝大多数托运商将由一家公司服务，但并不是只剩下一家公司，所以不对；文章里说道，“托运商如果认为铁路公司收费过高，可以申诉，但是因为申诉的过程费钱耗时，只有在极端的情况下才会这么做”，所以C正确。D的说法缺乏依据。
arbiter：仲裁者。第四段的最后一句“Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?”表述的内容已在前一句已经出现，可得出答案为B0 D虽有“determine”一词，但意思表达不完整。
本题考查考生对因果关系的把握。通过关键词“cost increase , caused by” 来判断，最后一段第一句话提到：许多“‘受制”托运商担心他们很快将遭遇一轮新的费率大涨价，即使这样，铁路公司为了并购还在借很多的资金。所以，A正确。B并不是引起成本提高的主要原因，C、D没有依据，是错误的。 -
第8题：
共用题干
第二篇
Railroad Supersystem
In recent years,railroads have been combining with each other,merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.As recently as 1995,the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton一miles moved by rails.Next year,after a series of mergers is completed,just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.Any threat of monopoly,they argue,is removed by fierce competition from trucks.But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances,such as coal,chemicals,and grain,trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.Railroads typically charge such"captive"shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do
when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.If railroads charged all customers the same average rate,they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail."Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?"asks Martin Bercovici,a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.The railroad industry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes,still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just$427 million,less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?Many captive shippers fear that they will,as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.According to the text,the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by________.
A:the continuing acquisition
B:the growing traffic
C:the cheering Wall Street
D:the shrinking market答案：A解析：根据文章第二段，支持者认为“Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。D把主语和宾语弄反了，不是支持者的观点，所以是错误的。
本题问的是托运商的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索做判断。从题干关键词“shipper , attitude”（第二段）和“Many captive shipper also worry...”（第五段）可以判断出托运商的态度是“忧虑的”，对未来的状况“忧心忡忡”，所以D正确。
A正好与原文意思相反，B缺乏事实依据，因为文中说绝大多数托运商将由一家公司服务，但并不是只剩下一家公司，所以不对；文章里说道，“托运商如果认为铁路公司收费过高，可以申诉，但是因为申诉的过程费钱耗时，只有在极端的情况下才会这么做”，所以C正确。D的说法缺乏依据。
arbiter：仲裁者。第四段的最后一句“Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?”表述的内容已在前一句已经出现，可得出答案为B0 D虽有“determine”一词，但意思表达不完整。
本题考查考生对因果关系的把握。通过关键词“cost increase , caused by” 来判断，最后一段第一句话提到：许多“‘受制”托运商担心他们很快将遭遇一轮新的费率大涨价，即使这样，铁路公司为了并购还在借很多的资金。所以，A正确。B并不是引起成本提高的主要原因，C、D没有依据，是错误的。 -
第9题：
单选题The parenthetical phrase in lines 22-23 (who had., attention) suggests that ______.ARachel fears that she will be seen as proud. because of her friend's jealousy
Bmany of those who are accustomed to receiving praise are given to vanity
Cwomen who do not receive compliments are often jealous of those who do
Dpeople who are envied by others have just cause to be egotistical
EAphra realizes that the attention Rachel receives will one day make her arrogant
正确答案： D解析：
这个句子讲到Rachel的优雅，美丽和智慧使她受到人们的关注。括号中的句子表明自负经常伴随着这些关注而产生，这表明受到关注的人一般会变得傲慢或自负，故选B。 -
第10题：
单选题The author thinks good scientists are those who have all the following EXCEPT _____.Asome general cultural background
Bsome acquaintance with history or literature or the arts
Cthe knowledge in purely science
Dthe support for nationalism
正确答案： B解析：
细节题。作者在第四段第三句提到了抵抗民族主义的能力，接着对此展开论述，联系上下文可知，作者对“抵抗民族主义”持支持态度，故D项错误，为本题答案。由文章最后一段的尾句可知，A、B、C三项都是作者认为科学家应有的素质，故皆可排除。 -
第11题：
单选题According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ______.Acost reduction is based on competition
Bservices call for cross-trade coordination
Coutside competitors will continue to exist
Dshippers will have the railway by the throat
正确答案： C解析：
细节题。文章第二段开头提到了支持铁路合并的支持者的观点，他们阐述了合并会带来好处即降低费用，更好的协调服务。 “Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”而且他们认为铁路垄断是不太可能的，是因为铁路行业形成垄断的威胁会被来自货车运输的激烈竞争消除，因此选C。 -
第12题：
单选题Which of the following statements is NOT true about Harbin according to the speaker?AIt has a population of 2.16 million and borders Russia.
BIts culture is a combination of Asian ethnic minorities and other neighboring countries.
CIt is the home of many Russian refugees who fled the 1917 Revolution.
DThe Chinese Eastern Railway plays an important role in the city’s industrialization.
正确答案： D解析：
数字信息的找寻和判断。该段录音主要是对中国北方城市哈尔滨的介绍。录音开头便提到该城市是一个modern metropolis of 2.6 million people（拥有2600万人口的现代化都市）。由此可知，选项A描述的“该城市拥有2.16 million人口”的说法与录音相关内容不符。
【录音原文】
The northern Chinese city of Harbin is often called the “Ice City” and is a modern metropolis of 2.6 million people. Located along the Russian-Chinese border, the city’s culture is a rich and diverse mixture of many ethnic minorities from across Asia and other neighboring countries. Many Russian refugees who fled the Revolution in 1917 also call Harbin their home. The construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway helped to industrialize the city, making it the number one manufacturing location in northeastern China. -
第13题：
According to Gerald Corbett, British railway is structured
[A] for the benefit of commuters.
[B] to the advantage of the government.
[C] for the effect of better coordination.
[ D] as a replacement of the private system.
正确答案：B
53．B该题为细节题。文章第二段最后一句提到杰拉尔·德科贝特说的话“The railway was torn apart at privatization and the structure that was put in place was…designed, if we are honest, to maxi- mize the proceeds to the Treasury…”，意思是“铁路系统因为私有化而四分五裂，老实说，铁路结构的设计是基于最大化地增加财政收入”，由此可知杰拉尔·德科贝特认为英国的铁路结构是建立在政府受益的基础之上的。故选B。 -
第14题：
Text 4
Those who welcomed the railway saw it as more than a rapid and comfortable means of passing. They actually saw it as a factor in world peace. They did not foresee that the railway would be just one more means for the rapid movement of aggressive armies. None of them foresaw that the more we are together—the more chances there are of war. Any boy or girl who is one of a large family knows that.
Whenever any new invention is put forward, those for it and those against it can always find medical men to approve or condemn. The anti-railway group produced doctors who said that tunnels would be most dangerous to public health: they would produce colds, catarrhs(黏膜炎) and consumptions. The deafening noise and the glare of the engine fire, would have a bad effect on the nerves. Further, being moved through the air at a high speed would do grave injury to delicate lungs. In those with high blood pressure, the movement of the train might produce apoplexy. The sudden plunging of a train into the darkness of a tannel, and the equally sudden rush into full daylight, would cause great damage to eyesight. But the pro-railway group was of course able to produce equally famous medical men to say just the opposite. They said that the speed and swing of the train would equalize the circulation, promote digestion, tranquilize the nerves, and ensure good sleep.
The actual rolling-stock was anything but comfortable. If it was a test of endurance to sit for four hours outside a coach in rain, or inside in dirty air, the railway offered little more in the way of comfort. Certainly the first-class carriages had cushioned seats; but the second - class had only narrow bare boards, while the third - class had nothing at all; no seats and no roof; they were just open trucks. So that third - class passengers gained nothing from the few mode except speed. In the matter of comfort, indeed they lost; they did, on the coaches, have a seat, but now they had to stand all the way, which gave opportunities to the comic press. This kind of thing: "A man was seen yesterday buying a third - class ticket for the new London and Birmingham Railway. The state of his mind is being enquired into".
A writer in the early days of railways wrote feelingly of both second - and third - class carriages. He made the suggestion that the directors of the railways must have sent all over the world to find the hardest possible wood. Of the open third -class trucks he said that they had the peculiar property of meeting the rain from whatever quarter it came. He described them as horizontal shower - baths, from whose searching power there was no escape.
36. All boys and girls in large families know that ______.
A) a boy and a girl usually fight when they are together
B) people tend to be together more than they used to be
C) a lot of people being together makes fights likely
D) railway leads the world to peace
正确答案：C
答案：C
[试题分析]细节题。
[详细解答]第一段的最后一句话是"Any boy or girl who is one of a large family knows that．”，其中that显然指代前一句"None of them foresaw that the more we are together—the more chances there are of war．”的内容，所以，显然本题答案为C。
-
第15题：
According to the anti -railway group, all the followings are true but ______.
A) tunnels are dangerous to public health
B) the noise and the glare of the engine fire may affect people' s nerves
C) the rapid speed through the air does damage to people's lungs
D) to those with high blood - pressure, the rapid speed of the train causes them to die
正确答案：D
答案：D
[试题分析]细节题。
[详细解答]从第二段的内容我们可以找到选项A，B，C对应的内容，而D不对，因为，文中只是提到“In those with high blood-pressure，the movement of the train might produce apoplexy，”，而不是让血压高的人死去。因此，答案为D。
-
第16题：
One of our railway station attendants ___ glad to assist you with your luggage.A. have been
B. is being
C. would be
D. are being答案：C解析： -
第17题：
Text 1 When I started my careef I was astonished by how superhuman some Fortune 500 executives were.It seemed they were magicians.Every decision they made based on deep market knowledge and up-to-date information.How did they do it?Thcy have marketing teams that can pull research together in hours.They have chiefs of staff who give them carefully crafied agendas for every day.These teams give Fortune 500 executives what appears to bc super-human knowledge.Foriunately for those of us who don't have Fortune 500 budgets at our disposal,it's getting easier and casier to build your own secret support staff.Within five years,most executives at any size company-and,indeed,most knowledge workers-will have tools that do much of the work of a CEO's private group.That is,"Cyborg systems,"or what I called"agents".It will make this possible,using a blend of learning algorithms and distributed labor to perform an ever-widening range of tasks at low cost.With help from these agents,we'II be able to look as smari as those CEOs do today.I got one taste of this when I started using Wonder.Wonder is like having a personal researcher,deploying a small army of experts,including trained librarians,to do small,defined research projects for me.I ask Wonder for help.For$30 to$60,Wonder saves me hours every week.More and more products and services will fuse machine intelligence with crowd work to help users get things done.To be clear,CEO support teams aren't going away.Top executives will continue to see benefits from dedicated,trusted support staff who can handle difficult,urgent,delicate work.But machine intelligence systems can take on elements of what these people do at a much lower cost,democratizing many of these capabilities.Granted,there is going to be a lot of garbage before we realize the full promise of these virtual support armies.Many ofthem fail to live up to even basic promises,like this weather bot that has trouble telling you about the weather.But if you can filter through the many new offerings to fmd valuable tools,your work will improve and you may even start to look like those CEOs with the seemingly.
How can CEOs work like superman?A.They have the knowledge of superman.
B.They pull research together.
C.They have their team support them.
D.They have clear agenda everyday.答案：C解析：事实细节题。根据定位词CEOs和superman定位到第一、二段。第二段详细列出了有哪些团队帮助CEO们．如marketing teams（营销团队），chiefs of staff（主管）等为他们处理各种事务，所以他们有像超人一样工作的能力是因为他们有团队支持，故C项为正确选项。【干扰排除】A项“他们具备超人一样的知识”，前两段中多次出现superman-词，事实上，superman是作者对CEO们的比喻，并不是说CEO们真的是超人；B项“他们齐心协力完成研究”，第二段第一句出现pull research together，但这只是CEO们其中的团队之一所做的事，不是CEO们做的事；D项agenda（议事日程）是指CEO们的团队每天给他们安排清晰的日程安排，使他们更有效地工作。日程安排是CEO们的团队的工作内容，并非CEO们的。 -
第18题：
共用题干
第二篇
Railroad Supersystem
In recent years,railroads have been combining with each other,merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.As recently as 1995,the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton一miles moved by rails.Next year,after a series of mergers is completed,just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.Any threat of monopoly,they argue,is removed by fierce competition from trucks.But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances,such as coal,chemicals,and grain,trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.Railroads typically charge such"captive"shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do
when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.If railroads charged all customers the same average rate,they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail."Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?"asks Martin Bercovici,a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.The railroad industry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes,still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just$427 million,less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?Many captive shippers fear that they will,as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.What is many captive shippers' attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry?
A:Indifferent.
B:Supportive.
C:Indignant.
D:Apprehensive.答案：D解析：根据文章第二段，支持者认为“Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。D把主语和宾语弄反了，不是支持者的观点，所以是错误的。
本题问的是托运商的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索做判断。从题干关键词“shipper , attitude”（第二段）和“Many captive shipper also worry...”（第五段）可以判断出托运商的态度是“忧虑的”，对未来的状况“忧心忡忡”，所以D正确。
A正好与原文意思相反，B缺乏事实依据，因为文中说绝大多数托运商将由一家公司服务，但并不是只剩下一家公司，所以不对；文章里说道，“托运商如果认为铁路公司收费过高，可以申诉，但是因为申诉的过程费钱耗时，只有在极端的情况下才会这么做”，所以C正确。D的说法缺乏依据。
arbiter：仲裁者。第四段的最后一句“Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?”表述的内容已在前一句已经出现，可得出答案为B0 D虽有“determine”一词，但意思表达不完整。
本题考查考生对因果关系的把握。通过关键词“cost increase , caused by” 来判断，最后一段第一句话提到：许多“‘受制”托运商担心他们很快将遭遇一轮新的费率大涨价，即使这样，铁路公司为了并购还在借很多的资金。所以，A正确。B并不是引起成本提高的主要原因，C、D没有依据，是错误的。 -
第19题：
共用题干
第二篇
Railroad Supersystem
In recent years,railroads have been combining with each other,merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.As recently as 1995,the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton一miles moved by rails.Next year,after a series of mergers is completed,just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.Any threat of monopoly,they argue,is removed by fierce competition from trucks.But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances,such as coal,chemicals,and grain,trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.Railroads typically charge such"captive"shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do
when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.If railroads charged all customers the same average rate,they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail."Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?"asks Martin Bercovici,a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.The railroad industry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes,still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just$427 million,less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?Many captive shippers fear that they will,as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.According to those who support mergers,railway monopoly is unlikely because________.
A:cost reduction is based on competition
B:services call for cross-trade coordination
C:outside competitors will continue to exist
D:shippers will have the railway by the throat答案：C解析：根据文章第二段，支持者认为“Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。D把主语和宾语弄反了，不是支持者的观点，所以是错误的。
本题问的是托运商的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索做判断。从题干关键词“shipper , attitude”（第二段）和“Many captive shipper also worry...”（第五段）可以判断出托运商的态度是“忧虑的”，对未来的状况“忧心忡忡”，所以D正确。
A正好与原文意思相反，B缺乏事实依据，因为文中说绝大多数托运商将由一家公司服务，但并不是只剩下一家公司，所以不对；文章里说道，“托运商如果认为铁路公司收费过高，可以申诉，但是因为申诉的过程费钱耗时，只有在极端的情况下才会这么做”，所以C正确。D的说法缺乏依据。
arbiter：仲裁者。第四段的最后一句“Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?”表述的内容已在前一句已经出现，可得出答案为B0 D虽有“determine”一词，但意思表达不完整。
本题考查考生对因果关系的把握。通过关键词“cost increase , caused by” 来判断，最后一段第一句话提到：许多“‘受制”托运商担心他们很快将遭遇一轮新的费率大涨价，即使这样，铁路公司为了并购还在借很多的资金。所以，A正确。B并不是引起成本提高的主要原因，C、D没有依据，是错误的。 -
第20题：
共用题干
第二篇
Railroad Supersystem
In recent years,railroads have been combining with each other,merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly.As recently as 1995,the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton一miles moved by rails.Next year,after a series of mergers is completed,just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service.Any threat of monopoly,they argue,is removed by fierce competition from trucks.But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances,such as coal,chemicals,and grain,trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.Railroads typically charge such"captive"shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do
when another railroad is competing for the business.Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board for rate relief,but the process is expensive,time consuming,and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone's cost.If railroads charged all customers the same average rate,they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.It's a theory to which many economists subscribe,but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail."Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?"asks Martin Bercovici,a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases.The railroad industry as a whole,despite its brightening fortunes,still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic.Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another,with Wall Street cheering them on.Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail's net railway operating income in 1996 was just$427 million,less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction.Who's going to pay for the rest of the bill?Many captive shippers fear that they will,as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.The word"arbiters"(Line 6,Paragraph 4)most probably refers to those________.
A:who work as coordinators
B:who function as judges
C:who supervise transactions
D:who determine the price答案：B解析：根据文章第二段，支持者认为“Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”意思是“因为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”。所以C最符合文章的意思。D把主语和宾语弄反了，不是支持者的观点，所以是错误的。
本题问的是托运商的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索做判断。从题干关键词“shipper , attitude”（第二段）和“Many captive shipper also worry...”（第五段）可以判断出托运商的态度是“忧虑的”，对未来的状况“忧心忡忡”，所以D正确。
A正好与原文意思相反，B缺乏事实依据，因为文中说绝大多数托运商将由一家公司服务，但并不是只剩下一家公司，所以不对；文章里说道，“托运商如果认为铁路公司收费过高，可以申诉，但是因为申诉的过程费钱耗时，只有在极端的情况下才会这么做”，所以C正确。D的说法缺乏依据。
arbiter：仲裁者。第四段的最后一句“Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?”表述的内容已在前一句已经出现，可得出答案为B0 D虽有“determine”一词，但意思表达不完整。
本题考查考生对因果关系的把握。通过关键词“cost increase , caused by” 来判断，最后一段第一句话提到：许多“‘受制”托运商担心他们很快将遭遇一轮新的费率大涨价，即使这样，铁路公司为了并购还在借很多的资金。所以，A正确。B并不是引起成本提高的主要原因，C、D没有依据，是错误的。 -
第21题：
单选题It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that ______.Ashippers will be charged less without a rival railroad
Bthere will soon be only one railroad company nationwide
Covercharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief
Da government board ensures fair play in railway business
正确答案： C解析：
推断题。第三段最后一部分主要论述的是托运商如果感觉要价过高可以上诉，但是“the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases”，也就是说上诉的整个过程费用昂贵，浪费时间，并且只能在非常极端的案例上才能起到作用。因此可推断，被要价过高的托运商是几乎不可能去进行这一费时费钱却很少起作用的上诉过程，故选C。第三段第二句提到，铁路公司向这些“受制”的托运人收取的费用通常比有竞争对手时高出20%到30%，即没有竞争的铁路公司，托运人会多付费用，因此A与原文相矛盾。B无法从原文推断出。原文提到托运人可以向联邦政府水路运输委员会提出上诉，但并没有说这个委员会保证了铁路行业的公平竞争，排除D。 -
第22题：
单选题AYes, because they are faster.
BNo, because they cost more.
CYes, because they are very good.
DNo, because they don’t operate outside the United States.
正确答案： D解析：
细节题。录音结尾提到隔夜邮递服务仅限美国境内，而男士想要邮寄到南美，因此不能使用这项服务。故选D。
【录音原文】
M: Give me a pack of first-class stamps, please.
W: Here you are. That will be five dollars. Anything rise?
M: Yes, I want some postcards and some foreign airmail stamps. I want to send letters to South America.
W: Just a moment, I’ll look up the rate for airmail letters to South America.
M: Can you tell me how much it will cost to send a package to Colombia? Also, I want to know how long it will take.
W: Do you have the package with you? I would have to weigh it to see how much it would cost. There are several ways to send packages to foreign countries. The fastest way costs the most, of course. I’ll give you an example. If you had a two-pound package and you wanted to send it the fastest way, it would cost about six dollars, and it would take about a week to get there.
M: Do you insure packages?
W: Yes. All you have to do is declare the value. Of the package and decide how much you want to insure it for. The rates are reasonable.
M: Is there a way I can be sure that the people in South America receive my package?
W: The post office rarely loses a package. You can, however, request a return receipt. With a return, when the delivery person gives your friend the package, your friend has to sign for it. Then we will notify you that he or she has it.
M: What about these overnight delivery services I see advertised on television?
W: They’re usually as good as the post office, but they may cost more. Also, remember that they only have service within the United States.
M: Thank you, you helped me a lot.
Questions 1 to 3 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
1. According to the woman, for how long will the man’s package get to Colombia by the fastest way?
2. How can the man know that his friend has received the package?
3. Will the man send the package using the overnight delivery services and why? -
第23题：
单选题Which of the following conclusions does information in Paragraph 2 support?AMen are more susceptible to colds than women.
BWomen having babies are more susceptible to colds.
CPeople who live in a cold climate have more colds than those who live in a warm one.
DPeople who don’t have children are more susceptible to colds than those who do in their thirties or forties.
正确答案： A解析：
细节题。第二段第三句提到“especially women, who show a rise in cold infections, because people in this age group are most likely to have young children.”，由此可知有小孩的女性更易患感冒，因此选项B为正确推测。 -
第24题：
单选题According to Mr. Blauer, by using the new technology, _____.A91% of the women successfully give birth to girls
B76% of the women get pregnant with boys
Cit is more successful for those who want to have girls
Dit is more successful for those who want to have boys
正确答案： A解析：
文章的第六段作者提到Blauer说该公司的成功率令人瞩目：91%想要生女孩的妇女成功受孕，76%想要男孩的妇女成功受孕。