Part A: Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 4

If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servants. 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 notoriously 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.

36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that

[A]

Teamsters still have a large body of members. 

[B]

Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant. 

[C]

unions have enlarged their public-sector membership. 

[D]

the government has improved its relationship with unionists. 

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

[A]

Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions. 

[B]

Education is required for public-sector union membership. 

[C]

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

[D]

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

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

[A]

illegally secured. 

[B]

indirectly augmented. 

[C]

excessively increased. 

[D]

fairly adjusted. 

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

[A]

often run against the current political system. 

[B]

can change people’s political attitudes. 

[C]

may be a barrier to public-sector reforms. 

[D]

are dominant in the government. 

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

[A]

disapproval. 

[B]

appreciation. 

[C]

tolerance. 

[D]

indifference. 

Answers & Explanations (答案与深度解析)

试题精解

36. [C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership.
【解析】细节题。第一段提到，1960年只有十分之一的美国政府工作人员加入工会，现在达到 36%。2009年美国公共部门工会会员数量甚至超过了私营部门。这清晰地表明工会“扩大了其公共部门的成员数量（enlarged their public-sector membership）”。

37. [D] Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.
【解析】细节题。第二段给出了公共部门工会繁荣的三个原因。第一点是：“they can shut things down without suffering much in the way of consequences（他们可以停工而不必承担太多后果）”。D 选项 seldom get in trouble for their actions（很少因其行为惹上麻烦）是对这句话的完美同义替换。

38. [B] indirectly augmented.
【解析】推理题。第四段指出，真正的收益来自于福利和工作惯例。政客们反复将公共部门薪酬协议“延后支付（backloaded）”，即“保持工资适度增长，但增加假期，尤其是本已优厚的养老金”。这说明公共部门的收入并没有直接大幅提高工资，而是通过假期、养老金等福利“间接增加（indirectly augmented）”了。故选 B。

39. [C] may be a barrier to public-sector reforms.
【解析】例证题。第五段一直在论述改革遭到了强烈反对（Reform has been vigorously opposed）。第六段顺承前文，政客开始严厉打击（clamp down），而威斯康星州的工会集结了数千人反对州长。这一例子正是为了证明工会阻碍了政府的改革步伐，成为“公共部门改革的障碍（a barrier to public-sector reforms）”。

40. [A] disapproval.
【解析】态度题。最后一段中，John Donahue 指出西方公务员的文化规范适合那些想“留在原处（stay put，即不求进取）”的人，但对高成就者（high achievers）是不利的（is bad for）。文章结尾总结称：一个不奖励高成就者的公共部门系统可能是美国更大的问题。字里行间流露出明显的“不赞成/反对（disapproval）”态度。

考研核心句型与长难句

【长难句剖析】

1. 代词的灵活指代：
"In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow members in the private sector."
【解析】that 代指前文的 the number。fellow members 指代私营部门中的工会会员同行。

2. 让步状语与复杂宾语：
"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."
【解析】Even though 引导让步状语从句，其中 that 引导同位语从句解释 evidence。主句中 fought against 后接了两个并列的动名词短语（getting rid of 和 promoting）作宾语，批判了工会阻碍优胜劣汰的行为。