1、专业英语八级-阅读理解(九)及答案解析 (总分：20.00，做题时间：90分钟)一、Text A(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Last week oil prices finally stopped rising. They now hover around $43 a barrel, a 20-year high. The average American family will spend about $2,700 on gasoline this year (driving 22,000 miles). Thats twice as much as it spent on gas two
2、 years ago. These prices are having a predictable consequence. The consumer price index has risen by 4.9 percent to date, versus 1.9 percent last year. And last week President Bushs economic adviser, Gregory Mankiw, acknowledged that a $10 rise in the price of oil probably translates into a half-per
3、centage-point drag on economic growth. For countries like Japan, China and India, the effect is even greater. How did this happen? And can Washingtonor anybodyto much about it?The answer that flashed on our television screens is instability in the Middle East. Pipeline explosions in Iraq, tensions w
4、ith Iran and terror attacks in Saudi Arabia all contribute to what analysts call the security premium on the price of oil. But that premium might be exaggerated. Oil prices are rising for broader, structural reasons. The world may have to get used to expensive oil.The largest ingredient in current o
5、il prices has been a massive increase in demand. This years growth is double what it has been for the past six years (on average). Thats because the United States is in recovery, Japans economy is finally back and Asia particularly China and Indiais growing fast. In fact, this year is likely to have
6、 the strongest global growth on record in three decadesunless oil prices choke it off.While demand is up, supply cant rise much. For a variety of reasons, almost no oil- producing country has surplus capacitythe ability to put substantially more oil into tile market. Oil companies have been slow to
7、increase investments in production, and these expenditures take a few years to bear fruit. Right now oil markets are tighter than they were on the eve of the 1973 oil shocks. And they will stay tight for the next two years. That makes the geopolitics of oil crucial, says Daniel Yergin, the chairman
8、of Cambridge Energy Research Associates.If there is trouble anywhere, it will probably cause an oil shock. And think of the possibilitiesinstability in Venezuela, Nigeria, Indonesia, Libya, Saudi Arabia or, of course, Iraq. Last year the markets could absorb the loss of Iraqi oil (during the war). T
9、his year they cant. Iraq has to stay online. And all these other countries have to stay stable.There is only one country with significant surplus capacitySaudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has increased its production repeatedly over the past two years, or else prices would be higher still than they are. An
10、d the Saudis are making investments that will increase their surplus capacity by the end of the year. In a tight oil market, Saudi Arabia is the pivotal player.Consider the irony. One of the Bush administrations (privately stated) reasons for going to war in Iraq was to reduce our dependence on Saud
11、i Arabias oil power. It was a reasonable idea. But having botched the occupation, with Iraqi oil more insecure now than before the war, America is today more dependent on Saudi Arabia than ever before. Fortunately the Saudi regime has proved a responsible and reliable player, in this realm. The Saud
12、is are the central bankers of the world of oil. And they take that role seriously, says Yergin.What to do about this new reality? George Bush proposes to increase U. S. production in Alaska. John Kerry calls for increased conservation. Bush is correct to argue that some increase in American producti
13、on is important. In 1973, the United States imported one third of its oil from abroad. Today it imports two thirds. And exploration does not have to be ecologically devastating. Even if the major oilfields that are assumed to exist there were discovered in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, only a
14、 few thousand acres of the 19 million-acre refuge would be affected.But the more lasting solution to Americas oil problem has to come from energy efficiency. American demand is the gorilla fueling high oil pricesmore than instability or the rise of China or anything else. Between 1990 and 2000, the
15、global trade in oil increased by 9.5 billion barrels. Half of that was accounted for for the rise in U. S. imports.America is consuming more because it is growing morebut also because over the past two decades, it has become much less efficient in its use of gasoline, the only major industrial count
16、ry to slide backward. The reason is simple: three lettersSUV. In 1990 sport utility vehicles made up 5 percent of Americas cars. Today they make up 55 percent. They violate all energy-efficiency standards because of an absurd loophole in the law that allows them to be classified as trucks.Bashing th
17、e Saudis is easy these days. Controlling our own wastefulness is more difficult. But making no mistake as to which one will make a difference.（分数：5.00）(1).According to the passage, what is the reason for the rise of the oil price?（分数：1.00）A.Pipeline explosion in Iraq.B.Tensions with Iran.C.Terror at
18、tacks in Saudi Arabia.D.A massive increase in deman(2).Which of the following is the consequence of the US going to war in Iraq?（分数：1.00）A.America is less dependent on Saudi Arabias oil power.B.Americas dependence on Saudi Arabia is not reduced.C.The oil price is rising.D.The demand for oil is incre
19、asin(3).The following are the reasons why Saudi Arabia plays an important role in the oil market except _.（分数：1.00）A.It has significant surplus capacity.B.It will increase its investments in production.C.It helps regulate the oil market.D.There is an oil shock in the worl(4).The following might be t
20、he solutions to Americas oil problem except _.（分数：1.00）A.to criticize the Saudis for raising oil prices.B.to increase conservation.C.to increase energy efficiency.D.to increase US production in Alask(5).What can be inferred from the passage?（分数：1.00）A.The oil price will fall when peace is restored i
21、n the Middle East.B.The oil price is unlikely to fall down.C.Increased production in Alaska will help the oil price down.D.The oil price would not rise if America did not go to war in Iraq.二、Text B(总题数：1，分数：5.00)The most important thing now is for Democrats not to panic. Despite what your gut is tel
22、ling you, this is not the end of the world. The republic survived one run of the George & Dick Show. It will survive another. But I recognize that for those of us who really, really wanted to send President Bush into early retirement, its hard to stop sobbing long enough to think rationally about th
23、e next four years.The disappointment wouldnt weigh so heavily if the promise of victory hadnt swirled so tantalizingly close. John Kerrys finest days, the period when he looked the most presidential, came during the debates, with the campaign finish line twinkling on the horizon. Throughout October,
24、 as the race pulled tighter than Paris Hiltons jeans, Kerry volunteers flooded the purple states to energize their voterstens of thousands of them newly registered.And then . defeat. Now, with the image of Bushs victory speech seared into Democrats forebrain, the temptation to abandon all hope is al
25、most overwhelming, especially for those who, right up to the end, refused to entertain the possibility of a second term.Just before Election Day, I quizzed some of my liberal friends about how they would cope with a Kerry loss. Their answers were variations on the famous five stages of grief: denial
26、, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Of course, the more politically obsessive the friend, the more anger and depression were emphasized. One die-hard Bush hater couldnt even contemplate acceptance. I will be incapacitated, he declared.Bitterly divided as the country is, many Kerry suppor
27、ters instead must simply learn how to function at whatever stage of recovery they can attain. I know plenty of folks who plan to nurse their anti-Bush ire, using it as a motivating tool to work even harder for a Democratic victory next time. Such chronic rage may sound unhealthybut it did the trick
28、for Newt Gingrichs troops in the wake of Bill Clintons 1992 win.For some liberals, the first step forward will be less political than personal as they struggle to repair the damage done to relationships with friends and colleagues who backed Bush, Ive sat around listening to people I normally respec
29、t talk about how they planned to vote for him, and I just want to shake them, fumed my exceedingly gentle best friend, who spent the summer registering Kerry voters in her suburban Tampa, Fla., neighborhood. But beyond mending fences, my friend had no ideas for how to work through her blues. Its not
30、 like theres really anything you can doother than move to another country.Unfortunately, what for too many Democrats will be tempted to do is indulge in the traditional orgy of recriminations over where the party went astray. A strikingly amorphous candidate, Kerry provides more than the usual fodde
31、r for Dems eternal squabble over what they should stand for: moderates can claim Kerry was too liberal to woo swing voters; lefties will say he was too inside-the-Beltway to energize the angry, disillusioned masses; and the increasingly unbalanced Ralph Nader will declare him another loathsome Repub
32、licrat slave to corporate America.This sort of infighting may feel cathartic, but it is dangerously counterproductive, serving largely to confirm Republicans claims that Democrats lack the core values necessary to run the country. Besides, Kerrys problem wasnt his policies; it was his personality. T
33、he guy was simply too cerebral, too equivocating and too out of touch with Middle America to wrest enough purple-state voters from even a seriously tarnished Bush. Sure, his Vietnam medals were pretty, but no Democrat who attended Swiss boarding school, hails from Massachusetts and raves about his l
34、ove of French skiers had a snowballs chance of unseating good ole W.So we ran an unlikable candidate, and we lost. Theres no reason to go nuts and launch a civil war over whether to embrace A1 Sharpton or Zell (Mad Dog) Miller as our ideological guru for 2008. However we opt to handle our grief, Ker
35、ry supporters need to pull themselves together on Inauguration Daybecause if you thought the past four years have been scary, just imagine the policy atrocities to be attempted by a Bush White House freed from the concerns of re-election. With George & Dick on the loose, self-pity and finger pointin
36、g are unaffordable distractions for liberals. To paraphrase renowned political sage Jesse Ventura: Democrats havent got time to bleed.（分数：5.00）(1).According to the passage, which of the following is the reason why the Democrats are so disappointed at the election result?（分数：1.00）A.They failed to sen
37、d President Bush into early retirement.B.The votes for John Kerry and George Bush were so close.C.They have to face the next four years with Bush as President.D.John Kerry was defeate(2).According to the passage, the Democrats should do the following except _.（分数：1.00）A.They should move to another c
38、ountry.B.They should stop accusing each other of the defeat.C.They should work harder for a Democratic victory next time.D.They should reconcile with their Republican friends and colleagues.(3).Ire in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to _.（分数：1.00）A.ideaB.angerC.feelingD.determination(4).Wh
39、ich of the following is NOT the reason for Kerrys defeat?（分数：1.00）A.His personality.B.His Vietnam medals.C.His principles of action.D.His relationship with Middle Americ(5).The main purpose of the passage is to _.（分数：1.00）A.criticize John Kerry for his personalityB.explain why John Kerry was defeate
40、dC.describe the Democrats reaction to the defeatD.encourage the Democrats to overcome their depression三、Text C(总题数：1，分数：5.00)When my wife, Meg, suffered a severe stroke that immobilized her left side, I knew we would be facing a grueling odyssey involving several hospitals, dozens of doctors and cou
41、ntless therapy sessions. What I wasnt prepared for was the American Way of Managed Health Care, a system that is bureaucratic and often dysfunctional. Yes, medical practitioners in the United States are generally considered among the best in the world, and my wife primarily had first-rate care, but
42、their back-office practicea business dominated by third-party payersis badly run at worst and woefully confusing at best.Megs stroke occurred while we were vacationing in the south of France last summer. After being stabilized in the emergency room of a small hospital, she was transferred immediatel
43、y to a large teaching hospital, where she received excellent treatment in a world-renowned stroke pavilion. When I received the bill for her 21/2-week stay at the Pasteur Hospital in Nice, ! asked the deputy administrator for an itemized statement. I knew Id need to show it to our health-insurance c
44、ompanythe one-page invoice for more than 20,000. The administrator was puzzled. There were only two daily rates, he explained, one for soins intensifsor intensive careand another for non- acute care. There were no extra charges; the numerous ambulance transfers, MRI brain scans, X-rays and assorted
45、tests associated with any serious injury or illness were all- inclusive. In fact, the only supplement was 10.67about $13a day for food which, although not three-star bistro quality, was certainly a bargain, and better than anything you can eat in a U.S. hospital.Im not arguing that the French health
46、care system should be a world benchmark, but compared with what we faced when we returned home, it was a model of simplicity and efficiency. Of course, everything in American medical care is a la carte, and the invoices are so dense with codes and abbreviations, its a wonder anyone can decipher them
47、. I often wonder, how much does this cost the American public annually?At one New York hospital, we received bills from doctors wed never heard of, including one who charged for an office visit when Meg couldnt even get out of bed. The managed care providers computer sent him a check without questio
48、n. Had he not billed us for the co-payment I never would have noticed the error. Over the past few months, I spent hours clearing up these kinds of mistakes. A doctor friend who heads a department in a large hospital admitted that these kinds of complaints are all too common.Megs medical tab has reached nearly $300,000, which seems monumental, even given the nature of her catastrophic injury. Thankfully, we were covered for most of it. Yet $90,000 of that figure had little or nothing to do with patient care. Roughly 30 cents of each health-care dollar goes to administration, or
