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 3

If you’re heading for your nearest branch of Waterstones, the biggest book retailer in the UK, in search of the Duchess of Sussex’s new children’s book The Bench, you might have to be prepared to hunt around a bit; the same may be true of The President’s Daughter, the new thriller by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. Both of these books are published next week by Penguin Random House (PRH), a company currently involved in a stand-off with Waterstones.

The problem began late last year, when PRH confirmed that it had introduced a credit limit with Waterstones “at a very significant level”. The trade magazine The Bookseller reported that Waterstones branch managers were being told to remove PRH books from prominent areas such as tables, display spaces and windows, and were “quietly retiring them to their relevant sections”.

PRH declined to comment on the issue, but a spokesperson for Waterstones told me: “Waterstones are currently operating with reduced credit terms from PRH, the only publisher in the UK to place any limitations on our ability to trade. We are not boycotting PRH titles but we are doing our utmost to ensure that availability for customers remains good despite the lower overall levels of stock. We are hopeful with our shops now open again that normality will return and that we will be allowed to buy appropriately. Certainly, our shops are exceptionally busy. The sales for our May Books of the Month surpassed any month since 2018.”

In the meantime, PRH authors have been the losers. Big-name PRH authors may suffer a bit, but it’s those mid-list authors, who normally rely on Waterstones staff’s passion for promoting books by lesser-known writers, who will be praying for an end to the dispute.

It comes at a time when authors are already worried about the consequences of the proposed merger between PRH and another big publisher, Simon & Schuster—the reduction in the number of unaligned UK publishers is likely to lead to fewer bidding wars, lower advances, and more conformity in terms of what is published.

“This is all part of a wider change towards concentration of power,” says literary agent Andrew Lownie. “The publishing industry talks about diversity in terms of authors and staff but it also needs a plurality of ways of delivering intellectual contact, choice and different voices. After all, many of the most interesting books in recent years have come from small publishers.”

We shall see whether that plurality is a casualty of the current need among publishers to be big enough to take on all-comers.

31. The author mentions two books in Paragraph 1 to present

[A]

an ongoing conflict. 

[B]

an intellectual concept. 

[C]

a prevailing sentiment. 

[D]

a literary phenomenon. 

32. Why did Waterstones shops retire PRH books to their relevant sections?

[A]

To make them easily noticeable. 

[B]

To comply with PRH’s requirement. 

[C]

To respond to PRH’s business move. 

[D]

To arrange them in a systematic way. 

33. What message does the spokesperson for Waterstones seem to convey?

[A]

Their customers remain loyal. 

[B]

The credit limit will be removed. 

[C]

Their stock is underestimated. 

[D]

The book market is rather slack. 

34. What can be one consequence of the current dispute?

[A]

Sales of books by mid-list PRH writers fall off considerably. 

[B]

Lesser-known PRH writers become the target of criticism. 

[C]

Waterstones staff hesitate to promote big-name authors’ books. 

[D]

Waterstones branches suffer a severe reduction in revenue. 

35. Which of the following statements best represents Lownie’s view?

[A]

Small publishers ought to stick together. 

[B]

Big publishers will lose their dominance. 

[C]

The publishing industry is having a hard time. 

[D]

The merger of publishers is a worrying trend. 

答案与解析 (Answers)

31. [A] an ongoing conflict.
解析：第一段开头提到两本最近出版的新书在英国最大的连锁书店水石（Waterstones）里很难找到，接着在段末点明原因：这两本书都是由企鹅兰登书屋（PRH）出版的，而该公司目前卷入了与水石书店的“对峙/僵局（stand-off）”中。因此，作者提及这两本书是为了引出这场“正在进行的冲突（ongoing conflict）”。

32. [C] To respond to PRH’s business move.
解析：第二段详细描述了这场冲突的起因：去年末，PRH 证实其对水石书店引入了“极高水平（very significant level）”的信用额度限制。作为应对，水石书店的经理们被告知将 PRH 的书籍从桌子、展示区等显眼位置撤下，“悄悄地将它们退回相关的区域（quietly retiring them to their relevant sections）”。这说明水石书店撤下书籍是为了“回应 PRH 的商业举措（即信贷限制）”。

33. [A] Their customers remain loyal.
解析：第三段中水石书店发言人最后强调：“当然，我们的商店异常忙碌（exceptionally busy）。我们5月份的月度推荐书销量超过了自2018年以来的任何一个月。” 这传递出的信号是，尽管遭到了出版商的限制，但书店的生意依然非常红火，即他们的顾客仍然表现出强大的购买力和“忠诚度（remain loyal）”。

34. [A] Sales of books by mid-list PRH writers fall off considerably.
解析：第四段指出，在这场纠纷中，PRH的作者们成了输家。大牌作者可能只会受一点影响，“但是那些处于榜单中游的作者（mid-list authors），他们通常依赖水石书店员工对推广不知名作家书籍的热情，他们将会祈祷这场争端尽早结束”。这暗示着这场争端会导致他们得不到推广，从而“销量大幅下降（fall off considerably）”。

35. [D] The merger of publishers is a worrying trend.
解析：第六段引用了文学经纪人 Lownie 的话。他认为这种合并是“向权力集中转变（concentration of power）”的更广泛变化的一部分。他强调出版业需要提供知识交流、选择和不同声音的“多元化（plurality）”，并指出许多有趣的书都来自“小出版商”。这表明他对大出版商兼并导致权力集中、扼杀多元化感到担忧。选项D“出版商的合并是一个令人担忧的趋势”最符合他的观点。

核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)

1. 多个并列定语修饰及强调句型：
"Big-name PRH authors may suffer a bit, but it’s those mid-list authors, who normally rely on Waterstones staff’s passion for promoting books by lesser-known writers, who will be praying for an end to the dispute."
【解析】本句使用了强调句型 it's... who... 强调真正受伤害的群体（those mid-list authors）。在被强调的主语后，插入了一个非限制性定语从句 who normally rely on...，补充说明这些中游作者平时的销售依赖于什么，从而解释了为什么这场下架风波对他们打击最大。
【翻译】大牌的企鹅兰登书屋作者可能只会遭受一点损失，但正是那些处于榜单中游的作者（他们通常依赖于水石书店员工推广不知名作家书籍的热情），将会祈祷这场争端早日结束。

2. 破折号起解释说明作用的复杂句：
"It comes at a time when authors are already worried about the consequences of the proposed merger between PRH and another big publisher, Simon & Schuster—the reduction in the number of unaligned UK publishers is likely to lead to fewer bidding wars, lower advances, and more conformity in terms of what is published."
【解析】when 引导定语从句修饰 time。破折号后面的句子对作者们“担心的后果（consequences）”进行了详细解释：英国未结盟（独立）出版商数量的减少（主语），很可能导致（is likely to lead to）三个并列的后果：更少的竞标战、更低的预付版税、以及出版内容上更多的雷同。
【翻译】这件事发生在一个作者们已经对企鹅兰登书屋与另一家大出版商西蒙·舒斯特提议的合并后果感到担忧的时候——英国未结盟出版商数量的减少很可能导致更少的竞标战、更低的预付版税，以及在出版内容上更多的趋同。

3. 宾语从句的嵌套：
"We shall see whether that plurality is a casualty of the current need among publishers to be big enough to take on all-comers."
【解析】whether 引导宾语从句作 see 的宾语。从句中，of the current need... 作 casualty（牺牲品）的后置定语。to be big enough to take on all-comers 进一步作 need 的后置定语，说明出版商“足够大以接受一切挑战者”的需求。
【翻译】我们将拭目以待，看看那种多元化是否会成为出版商当前为了能够大到足以应对所有竞争者这种需求的牺牲品。