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

名师解析

11. the u.s. achieved its predominance after world war ⅱbecause_____。

美国在二战后获得优势方位是因为_____。

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

它为该方针付出了艰巨的尽力。

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

它的国内商场比早年大8倍。

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

战争摧毁了大大都潜在竞赛对手的经济。

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

它无与伦比的劳作力规划给了经济推进力。

【答案】 c

【考点】实际细节题。

【分析】第一段指出，“二战后，美国就进入了这样的一个光辉的前史时期。它具有比任何竞赛者大8倍的商场，这使其工业经济规划史无前例。它的科学家是世上最优良的，它的工人是技能最佳的。美国及其民众的富庶是那些经济遭到战争损坏的欧洲人和亚洲人连做梦也不敢想的”。因而使用打扫法，断定答案是[a]。

12. the loss of u.s. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the american_____。

上个世纪80年代美国优势方位的损失可以从美国_______实际中看出来。

[a] tv industry had withdrawn to its domestic market

电视工业现已退到国内商场

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

半导体工业现已被外国公司接收

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

机床业现已自撤消亡

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

轿车工业现已损失了有些国内商场

【答案】 d

【考点】实际细节题。

【分析】 [a]选项差错，因为第二段中说“到1987年，美国只剩下zenith这一家电视出产商。(如今这一家也没有了:zenith于7月被韩国lg电器公司收购。)”阐明它连国内商场也保不住了。[b]选项差错，文中第二段最终一句说到，“在一段时刻内，半导体系造业如同要变成下一个受害者”，可是实际上没有。[c]选项中谈到的机床业现已自撤消亡的说法差错，因为文中说到机床制造业“危如累卵”(on the ropes)，可是还没有消亡呢。[d]是适合的，因为第二段第六句说到，“进口车和纺织品横扫国内商场”。

13. what can be inferred from the passage?

从这篇文章中可以揣度出哪个选项？

[a] it is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride。

在自我置疑和盲目骄傲之间摇晃是人的赋性。

[b] intense competition may contribute to economic progress。

剧烈的竞赛会致使经济的打开。

[c] the revival of the economy depends on international cooperation。

经济的复苏依托世界的协作。

[d] a long history of success may pave the way for further development。

一个长时刻成功的阅历会为进一步的打开铺平路途。

【答案】 b

【考点】揣度题。

【分析】第三段说到，“一切这悉数致使了决心危机。美国人不再视昌盛为不移至理之事。他们初步置疑自个的商业运营方法出了疑问，也置疑不久他们的收入就会降低。20世纪80年代中期对美国工业衰退的缘由作了一次又一次的查询。那些有时耸人听闻的成果中充溢着对来自国外的加剧的经济竞赛的警告”。第四段说到了“90年代的经济复苏。其间的意义是:在竞赛的压力下，美国人在80年代工业规划调整，美国的工业现已改动了断构，消除了滞胀，学会了急智，因而带来了90年代的经济复苏”。因而可以得出剧烈的竞赛会致使经济的打开。另外三个选项都不适合。

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

作者如同信赖美国经济在上个世纪90年代的复苏可以归结于____。

[a]turning of the business cycle 经济周期的转机

[b]restructuring of industry 作业重组

[c]improved business management 改进了的工商打点

[d]success in education 教育的成功

【答案】 a

【考点】作者观念题。

【分析】在第四段，作者指出，“1995年，美国可以对曩昔5年的稳步打开作一回想，而日本还在奋力挣扎。很稀有美国人将这一剧变单纯归因于美元价值降低或商业周期循环这些清楚明晰的缘由。如今，对本身的置疑已被盲目旷达所替代”。这儿作者实践上对其时美国人的盲目旷达心境进行了批判，认为90年代的增加是由美元价值降低或经济周期的起色等要素构成的。[b]是“richard cavanaugh”的观点。[c]是“stephen moore”的观点。[d]选项文中没有提及。

难句解析:

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。

【规划分析】本句的主句是:“it looked as though the maki

ng of semiconductors was going to be the next casualty”。有两个定语从句，别离是:“which america had invented”和“which sat at the heart of the new computer age”。

全文翻译:

长时刻不吃力而成功的前史可以变成一种可怕的妨碍，但若处置稳当，它也有可以转化为一种活泼动力。二战后，美国就进入了这样的一个光辉的前史时期。它具有比任何竞赛者大8倍的商场，这使其工业经济规划史无前例。它的科学家是世上最优良的，它的工人是技能最佳的。美国及其民众的富庶是那些经济遭到战争损坏的欧洲人和亚洲人连做梦也不敢想的。

当其他国家逐步赋有，美国从这一抢先方位逐步降低是不可以避免的。相同不可以避免的是其从抢先方位上退出的苦楚。到了20世纪80年代中期，日益衰退的工业竞赛力让美国人感到茫然不知所措。一些大型的美国工业，如花费电子工业，在国外竞赛面前，现已萎缩或不见。到1987年，美国只剩下zenith这一家电视出产商。(如今这一家也没有了:zenith于当年7月被韩国lg电器公司收购。)外国制造的轿车和纺织品正横扫国内商场。美国的机床工业也危如累卵。有一段时刻，如同下一个在海外品牌面前三军消除的如同该轮到美国的半导体系造业了，而在新核算机年代有着中心作用的半导体正是美国人创造的。

一切这悉数致使了决心危机。美国人不再视昌盛为不移至理之事。他们初步置疑自个的商业运营方法出了疑问，也置疑不久他们的收入就会降低。20世纪80年代中期对美国工业衰退的缘由作了一次又一次的查询。那些有时耸人听闻的成果中充溢着对来自国外的加剧的经济竞赛的警告。

情况的改变可真快啊！1995年，美国可以对曩昔5年的稳步打开作一回想，而日本还在奋力挣扎。很稀有美国人将这一剧变单纯归因于美元价值降低或商业周期循环这些清楚明晰的缘由。如今，对本身的置疑已被盲目旷达所替代。“美国的工业现已改动了断构，消除了滞胀，学会了急智”，哈佛大学肯尼迪打点学院行政院长理查德·卡佛纳如是说。华盛顿特区的智囊团——卡托研讨院的史蒂芬·莫尔说:“作为一个美国人我感到骄傲，因为看到咱们的公司正在前进本身的出产率。”哈佛商学院的威廉·萨尔曼信赖我们将会把这一时期视为“美国公司打点的黄金年代”。

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