Passage 4
Question 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:
Last year’s economy should have won the Oscar for best picture. Growth in gross domestic product was 4.1 percent; profits soared; exports flourished; and inflati on stayed around 3 percent for the third year. So why did so many Americans give the picture a lousy B rating? The answer is jobs. The macroeconomic situation w as good, but the microeconomic numbers were not. Yes, 3 million new jobs were th ere, but not enough of them were permanent, good jobs paying enough to support a family. Job insecurity was wide-spread.
Yes, unemployment went down. But over 1 million workers were so discouraged the y left the labor force. More than 6 million who wanted full-time work were only partially employed; and another large group was either overqualified or sheltere d behind the euphemism of self-employment. We lost a million good manufacturing jobs between 1990 and 1995, continuing the trend that has reduced the blue-colla r work force from about 30 percent in the 1950s to about half of that today. Whi te-collar workers found out they were no longer immune. For the first time, they were let go in numbers virtually equal to those for blue-collar workers. Many r esorted to temporary work—with lower pay, fewer benefits and less status.
The Labor Department recently reported that real wages fell 2.3 percent in the 12-month period ending this March. Since 1973, wages adjusted for inflation have declined by about a quarter for high school dropouts, by a sixth for high schoo l graduates and by about 7 percent for those with some college education. Only t he wages of college graduates are up, by 5 percent, and recently starting salari es , even for this group, have not kept up with inflation. While the top 5 perce nt of the population was setting new income records almost every year, poverty r ates rose from 11 percent to 15 percent. No wonder this is beginning to be calle d the Silent Depression. Of all the reasons given for the wage squeeze[CD2]international competition, tec hnology, deregulation, the decline of unions and defense cuts[CD2]technology is probably the most critical. It has favored the educated and skilled.
America is simply not growing fast enough to tighten the labor market and push u p real wages. In the long run it is potentially self-destructive because there w ill not be enough purchasingpower to grow the economy.
36.last year’s economy should have won the Oscar for best picture. What does ths sentence mean?
A) Last year’s economy is regarded as an excellent film by the public.
B) Last year’s economy is good enough to win a prize for best picture.
C) Last year’s economy looks wonderful and is in favour of to the public.
D) Last year’s economy can be made into a good film.
37.Which statement is true according to the passage?
A) Last year, the rate of unemployment in the USA kept rising.
B) White-collar workers used to keep good and high-paying jobs much easier.
C) The development of technology is the only cause of the wage-cutting for all Americans.
D) Most Americans are completely satisfied with the economic development of last year.
38.How many blue-collar workers are there among the whole work force in USA?
A) 30%. B) 15%. C) 60%. D) 5%.
39.Who suffer the biggest wage losses among American workers today?
A) High school dropouts. B) High school graduates.
C) College graduates. D) Whitecollar workers.
40.What does the writer imply is the possible solution to the earning squeeze and the scarcity of good and high-paying jobs?
A) To slow down the development of technology.
B) To creat manufacturing jobs if possible.
C) To curb the inflation.
D) To develop economy fast enough.
Passgae Four 短文大意：上一年度美国的宏观经济状况非常好，国内生产总值，利润，出口等各方面均有骄人成绩，却仍招致许多美国人的不满。本文认为其原因是微观经济状况不佳，具体而言，虽然失业率降低，工作状况以及工资待遇并不令人满意。
36. 【参考译文】去年的经济应当获奥斯卡最佳摄影奖，这句话是什么意思?【试题分析】判断推理题。【详细解答】这句话将去年的经济用奥斯卡摄影奖打比方，表明去年经济相当好。
37. 【参考译文】根据这段文字，下列哪个说法是正确的?【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】见原文第二段“while-collar workers found out they were no longer immune”。
38. 【参考译文】在美国劳动大军中，蓝领工人占多大比例?【试题分析】细节题。【详细解答】见第二段“……has reduced the blue-collar work force from about 30 percent in the 1950s to about half of that today”。
39. 【参考译文】当今美国人中谁受到的工资损失最大?。【试题分析】推理判断题。【详细解答】见第三段“wages adjusted for inflation have declined by about 1/4 for high school dropouts……”高中辍学者工资减少最多，有四之分一。
40. 【参考译文】作者暗示解决工资减少，高薪工作紧缺的可能途径是什么?【试题分析】主旨题。【详细解答】见最后一段。美国发展得不够快。
