Question

【题目】阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, “The business of America is business.” By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.

Few would argue with Ford’s statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as“the entertainment industry”or“show business.”

The positive side of Henry Ford’s statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system creates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.

The negative side of Henry Ford’s statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business—referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many.

【1】The United States is a typical country ________.

A. which encourages free trade at home and abroad

B. where people’s chief concern is how to make money

C. where all businesses are managed scientifically

D. which normally works according to the federal budget

【2】The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that ________.

A. most newspapers are run by big businesses

B. even public organizations concentrate on working for profits

C. Americans of all professions know how to do business

D. even arts and entertainment are regarded as business

【3】Henry Ford’s statement can be taken negatively because ________.

A. working people are discouraged to fight for their fights

B. there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists

C. there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor

D. public services are not run by the federal government

【4】A company’s efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in ________.

A. reduction in the number of employees

B. improvement of working conditions

C. fewer disputes between labor and management

D. a rise in workers’ wages

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】C

【4】A

【解析】

试题分析：这篇材料的核心内容是美国无处不在的商业哲学。美国人的生活方式搭建在商业世界的价值基础之上（way of life is based on the values of the business world）。

【1】B推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句话By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.可知美国人连自己的生活方式都是基于商业世界的价值，那么他们首先关心的确实应该是赚钱——商业的本质就是赚钱。商业新闻无孔不入，说明人们非常关心这类新闻，否则刊登这类新闻的报纸的销路就会受到影响。 故B正确。

【2】D 推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句话相照应：The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry” or “show business.” 可知在美国即便是艺术和娱乐也被视为生意。故D正确。

【3】C推理判断题。福特名言的消极一面是最后一段的内容（开头即提到The negative side of Henry Ford’s statement）。最后一段先是指出进行消极理解的前提条件：business指代大公司。在这一前提下，大公司是与工人对立的（in opposition to labor），后文具体论述了二者如何对立，如工人要求提高工资待遇、资方进行裁员等等。故C正确。

【4】A 推理判断题。题干里的keep expenses low and profits high一句出现在最后一段的最后一句话：Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many，可以看出keep前面有to，表明这是一个目的状语，那么to前面的内容就是题目所问的内容。这道题可以归结为是对短语the laying off的考查。Laying off的意思是“解雇”，那么the laying off of thousands of workers就是“解雇成千上万的工人”，恰好是A所说的“减少员工数量”。