歷年英語一閱讀真題考研Text4

TheU.S.PostalService(USPS)continuestobleedredink.Itreportedanetlossof$5.6billionforfiscal2023,the10thstraightyearitsexpenseshaveexceededrevenue.Meanwhile,ithasmorethan$120billioninunfundedliabilities,mostlyforemployeehealthandretirementcosts.Therearemanybankruptcies.Fundamentally,theUSPSisinahistoricsqueezebetweentechnologicalchangethathaspermanentlydecreaseddemandforitsbread-and-butterproduct,first-classmail,andaregulatorystructurethatdeniesmanagementtheflexibilitytoadjustitsoperationstothenewreality

Andinterestgroupsrangingfrompostalunionstogreeting-cardmakersexertself-interestedpressureontheUSPS’sultimateoverseer-Congress-insistingthatwhateverelsehappenstothePostalService,aspectsofthestatusquotheydependongetprotected.Thisiswhyrepeatedattemptsatreformlegislationhavefailedinrecentyears,leavingthePostalServiceunabletopayitsbillsexceptbydeferringvitalmodernization.

Nowcomeswordthateveryoneinvolved---Democrats,Republicans,thePostalService,theunionsandthesystemsheaviestusers—hasfinallyagreedonaplantofixthesystem.LegislationismovingthroughtheHousethatwouldsaveUSPSanestimated$28.6billionoverfiveyears,whichcouldhelppayfornewvehicles,amongothersurvivalmeasures.Mostofthemoneywouldcomefromapenny-per-letterpermanentrateincreaseandfromshiftingpostalretireesintoMedicare.Thelatterstepwouldlargelyoffsetthefinancialburdenofannuallypre-fundingretireehealthcare,thusaddressingalong-standingcomplaintbytheUSPSanditsunion.

IfitclearstheHouse,thismeasurewouldstillhavetogetthroughtheSenate–wheresomeoneisboundtopointoutthatitamountstothebare,bareminimumnecessarytokeepthePostalServiceafloat,notcomprehensivereform.There’snochangetocollectivebargainingattheUSPS,amajoromissionconsideringthatpersonnelaccountsfor80percentoftheagency’scosts.AlsomissingisanydiscussionofeliminatingSaturdayletterdelivery.Thatcommon-sensechangeenjoyswidepublicsupportandwouldsavetheUSPS$2billionperyear.Butpostalspecial-interestgroupsseemtohavekilledit,atleastintheHouse.Theemergingconsensusaroundthebillisasignthatlegislatorsaregettingfrightenedaboutapoliticallyembarrassingshort-termcollapseattheUSPS.Itisnot,however,asignthatthey’regettingseriousabouttransformingthepostalsystemforthe21stcentury.

36.ThefinancialproblemwiththeUSPSiscausedpartlyby

[A].itsunbalancedbudget.

[B].itsrigidmanagement.

[C].thecostfortechnicalupgrading.

[D].thewithdrawalofbanksupport.

37.AccordingtoParagraph2,theUSPSfailstomodernizeitselfdueto

[A].theinterferencefrominterestgroups.

[B].theinadequatefundingfromCongress.

[C].theshrinkingdemandforpostalservice.

[D].theincompetenceofpostalunions.

38.Thelong-standingcomplaintbytheUSPSanditsunionscanbeaddressedby

[A].removingitsburdenofretireehealthcare.

[B].makingmoreinvestmentinnewvehicles.

[C].adoptinganewrate-increasemechanism.

[D].attractingmorefirst-classmailusers.

39.Inthelastparagraph,theauthorseemstoviewlegislatorswith

[A]respect.

[B]tolerance.

[C]discontent.

[D]gratitude.

40.Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthetext?

[A].TheUSPSStartstoMissItsGoodOldDays

[B].ThePostalService:KeepAwayfromMyCheese

[C].TheUSPS:ChronicIllnessRequiresaQuickCure

[D].ThePostalServiceNeedsMorethanaBand-Aid

英語一考研歷年英語一閱讀真題考研3

Text4

Twoyearsago.RupertMurdochsdaughter,spokeattheunsettlingdearthofintegrityacrosssomanyofourcollapsed,sheargued,becauseofacollectiveacceptancethatthemechanisminsocietyshouldbeprofitandthemarketwethepeoplewhocreatethesocietywewant,notprofit.

Drivingherpointhome,shecontinuedItsincreasinglyabsenceofpurpose，ofamorallanguagewithingovernment,couldbecomeoneofthemostdangerousgoalsforcapitalismandfreedom.Thissameabsenceofmoralpurposewaswoundingcompanies,suchasInternational,shethought,makingitmorelikelythatitwouldforehadwithwidespreadillegaltelephonehacking.

Asthehackingtrialconcludes-findingguiltyoneex-editoroftheNewsoftheWorld,AndyCoulson,forconspiringtohackphones,andfindingthepredecessor,RebekahBrooks,innocentofthesamecharge-thewidedearthofintegritystillstands.Journalistsareknowntohavehackedthephonesofupto5,500people.Thisishackingonanindustrialscale,aswasacknowledgedbyGlennMulcaire,themanhiredbytheNewsoftheWorldin2023tobethepointpersonforphonehacking.Othersawaittrial.Thislongstorystillunfolds.

Inmanyrespects,thedearthofmoralpurposeframesnotonlythefactofsuchwidespreadphonehackingbutthetermsonwhichthetrialtookplace.OneoftheastonishingrevelationswashowlittleRebekahBrooksknewofwhatwentoninhernewsroom,howlittleshethoughttoaskandthefactthatsheneverinquiredhowthestoriesarrived.Thecoreofhersuccessfuldefencewasthatsheknewnothing.

Intodaysworld,ithasbecomenormalthatwell-paidexecutivesshouldnotbeaccountableforwhathappensintheorganizationsthattheyrun.Perhapsweshouldnotbesosurprised.Forageneration,thecollectivedoctrinehasbeenthatthesortingmechanismofsocietyshouldbeprofit.Thewordsthathavematteredareefficiency,flexibility,shareholdervalue,business-friendly,wealthgeneration,sales,impactand,innewspapers,circulation.Wordsdegradedtothemarginhavebeenjustice,fairness,tolerance,proportionalityandaccountability.

ThepurposeofeditingtheNewsoftheWorldwasnottopromotereaderunderstanding,tobefairinwhatwaswrittenortobetrayanycommonhumanity.Itwastoruinlivesinthequestforcirculationandimpact.MsBrooksmayormaynothavehadsuspicionsabouthowherjournalistsgottheirstories,butsheaskednoquestions,gavenoinstructions-norreceivedtraceable,recordedanswers.

36.Accordigntothefirsttwoparagraphs,Elisabethwasupsetby

(A)theconsequencesofthecurrentsortingmechanism.

(B)companiesfinanciallossduetoimmoralpractices

(C)governmentalineffectivenessonmoralissues.

(D)thewidemisuseofintegrityamonginstitutions.

37.ItcanbeinferredfromParagraph3that

(A)GlennMulcairemaydenyphonehackingasacrime.

(B)morejournalistsmaybefoundguiltyofphonehacking.

(C)AndyCoulsonshouldbeheldinnocentofthechar