Text 4

　　If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servant. When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do. In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector. In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of private-sector ones are unionized.

　　There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving. First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences. Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree. Third, they now dominate left-of-centre politics. Some of their ties go back a long way. Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism. Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector unions.

　　At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions. The teachers’ unions keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care.

　　In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. But the real gains come in benefits and work practices. Politicians have repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.

　　Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most egregiously in education, where charter schools, academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.

　　As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. In Wisconsin the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. But many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.

　　John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. The only American public-sector workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United States. Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.

　　文章出处：

　　http://www.economist.com/node/18359864

　　这是出自经济学人杂志2011年3月11号的一篇文章，题为：

　　Enemies of progress ：The biggest barrier to public- sector reform are the unions

　　36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that

　　从第一段能推出什么

　　[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.

　　Teamsters依然有大量的会员

　　[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.

　　Jimmy Hoffa曾经是一名公务员

　　[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.

　　工会已经增加了其公共行业的会员

　　[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.

　　政府已经提升了其同工会会员之间的关系。

　　解析：段落推理题 优先对应主题和转折;但是都没有，只能逐个排除：

　　[A] Teamsters still have a large body of members.

　　Teamsters依然有大量的会员

　　文中没有提及

　　[B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.

　　Jimmy Hoffa曾经是一名公务员

　　he would probably represent civil servant他可能会代表公务员，并不意味着他是公务员。

　　[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.

　　工会已经增加了其公共行业的会员

　　only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do.

　　现在有36%确实增加了。正解!

　　[D]the government has improved its relationship with unionists.

　　政府已经提升了其同工会会员之间的关系。

　　没有提及政府和工会会员之间的关系排除。

　　37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2?

　　根据第二段，下面那个答案是正确的

　　[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.

　　公共行业的工会在采取行动是会更加谨慎

　　[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.

　　公共行业的工会会员需要教育

　　[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.

　　工党同公共行业的工会长期斗争

　　[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.

　　公共行业的工会很少由于他们的行为而惹麻烦。

　　解析：细节题中的which 题，只能一个个排除：

　　先看[B] Education is required for public-sector union membership.

　　公共行业的工会会员需要教育

　　文中说到了Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. A quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree.但是并没有说需要教育。

　　再看[C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions.

　　工党同公共行业的工会长期斗争

　　Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been associated with trade unionism.

　　选项和原文间的表述是相反的。

　　再看[D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.

　　公共行业的工会很少由于他们的行为而惹麻烦。

　　First, they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences.

　　首先他们可以罢工而不遭受后果。

　　同义替换成功。

　　最后看[A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions.

　　公共行业的工会在采取行动是会更加谨慎

　　这是一个很强烈的干扰项，很多同学会想对啊不遭受后果就是由于他们谨慎啊，但是文中并没有提到工会很谨慎，这就是KK在课上常常讲到的：

　　原文----选项A----选项B

　　最后答案只能选A而不能选B;B 为未提及选项NOT GIVEN!

　　38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is

　　从第四段可以推知公共行业的收入

　　[A] illegally secured.

　　非法的安全

　　[B] indirectly augmented.

　　间接的增加了

　　[C] excessively increased.

　　过度的增加了

　　[D]fairly adjusted.

　　公平的调整了

　　解析：细节题 对应keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.保持收入小幅上涨，但是增加假期特别是已经很慷慨的补助了。

　　主要是一个单词大家不认识augmented出题人开始耍无赖了，考研词汇大纲中并无此单词，不过根据另外一个副词是可以推出答案的。

　　39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions

　　威斯康辛州的工会的例子表明工会

　　[A]often run against the current political system.

　　通常和现行的政治系统相违背

　　[B]can change people’s political attitudes.

　　能够改变人们的政治态度

　　[C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.

　　可能是公共领域改革的障碍

　　[D]are dominant in the government.

　　受到政府的主导

　　解析：例证题 找观点 Reform has been vigorously opposed;之后的例子就应该围绕改革来讲。

　　40. John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of

　　John Donahue对于公共行业系统的他的态度是：

　　[A]disapproval.

　　不赞同

　　[B]appreciation.

　　欣赏

　　[C]tolerance.

　　容忍

　　[D]indifference.

　　漠不关心

　　解析：局部态度题，在转折的地方but a public-sector system that does not reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America出现bigger problem 表明了态度为disapproval.

　　2012考研真题及答案解析专题 

　　2012考研真题在线交流专区

　　2012考研成绩查询免费提醒

　　2012考研复试分数线发布通知