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

The great recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably beginning. Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults. And ultimately, it is likely to reshape our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years.

No one tries harder than the jobless to find silver linings in this national economic disaster. Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others. In limited respects, perhaps the recession will leave society better off. At the very least, it has awoken us from our national fever dream of easy riches and bigger houses, and put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending.

But for the most part, these benefits seem thin, uncertain, and far off. In The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, the economic historian Benjamin Friedman argues that both inside and outside the U.S., lengthy periods of economic stagnation or decline have almost always left society more meanspirited and less inclusive, and have usually stopped or reversed the advance of rights and freedoms. Anti-immigrant sentiment typically increases, as does conflict between races and classes.

Income inequality usually falls during a recession, but it has not shrunk in this one. Indeed, this period of economic weakness may reinforce class divides, and decrease opportunities to cross them—especially for young people. The research of Till Von Wachter, the economist at Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them that are left behind.

In the Internet age, it is particularly easy to see the resentment that has always been hidden within American society. More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society’s character. In many respects, the U.S. was more socially tolerant entering this recession than at any time in its history, and a variety of national polls on social conflict since then have shown mixed results. We will have to wait and see exactly how these hard times will reshape our social fabric. But they certainly will reshape it, and all the more so the longer they extend.

36. By saying “to find silver linings” (Para. 2) the author suggests that the jobless try to

[A]

seek subsidies from the government. 

[B]

make profits from the troubled economy. 

[C]

explore reasons for the unemployment. 

[D]

look on the bright side of the recession. 

37. According to Paragraph 2, the recession has made people

[A]

struggle against each other. 

[B]

realize the national dream. 

[C]

challenge their prudence. 

[D]

reconsider their lifestyle. 

38. Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions may

[A]

impose a heavier burden on immigrants. 

[B]

bring out more evils of human nature. 

[C]

promote the advance of rights and freedoms. 

[D]

ease conflicts between races and classes. 

39. The research of Till Von Wachter suggests that in the recession graduates from elite universities tend to

[A]

lag behind the others due to decreased opportunities. 

[B]

catch up quickly with experienced employees. 

[C]

see their life chances as dimmed as the others’. 

[D]

recover more quickly than the others. 

40. The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is

[A]

trivial. 

[B]

positive. 

[C]

certain. 

[D]

destructive. 

答案与解析 (Answers)

36. [D] look on the bright side of the recession.
解析：第二段紧跟这句话解释了什么是“silver linings”：许多人说失业在某些方面“改善了他们（improved them）”，使他们不那么物质主义，在财务上更加谨慎。这说明失业者在试图看到这场灾难积极的一面。“look on the bright side”正是“find silver linings（寻找乌云背后的金边/一线希望）”的完美同义替换。

37. [D] reconsider their lifestyle.
解析：第二段指出，衰退将人们从“轻松发财和买大房子的狂热梦想中唤醒（awoken us from our national fever dream...）”，并“终结了鲁莽的个人消费时代（put a necessary end to an era of reckless personal spending）”。这说明衰退使人们放弃了铺张浪费，变得更加谨慎，即“重新思考他们的生活方式（reconsider their lifestyle）”，选D。

38. [B] bring out more evils of human nature.
解析：第三段中 Benjamin Friedman 认为，长期的经济停滞总是使社会变得“更加卑鄙/心胸狭窄（more meanspirited）”和“更不包容（less inclusive）”，反移民情绪上升，种族和阶级冲突加剧。这些描述都反映了人性的负面被激发出来，即“暴露出更多的人性罪恶（bring out more evils of human nature）”，选B。

39. [D] recover more quickly than the others.
解析：第四段中 Till Von Wachter 的研究表明，精英大学的毕业生“能够相当快地赶上他们若在好光景毕业时本应达到的水平（catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been...）”，而他们底下的平民大众则被远远抛在后面。这说明精英毕业生比其他人“恢复得更快（recover more quickly than the others）”，选D。

40. [C] certain.
解析：最后一段中作者提到，我们需要拭目以待艰难时期究竟会如何重塑我们的社会结构。“但它们肯定会重塑它（But they certainly will reshape it），而且持续的时间越长，重塑的程度就越深。” 作者使用了 certainly 一词，明确表示这种影响是“确定的（certain）”，选C。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 宾语从句与比较结构的嵌套：
"The research of Till Von Wachter... suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite universities catch up fairly quickly to where they otherwise would have been if they had graduated in better times; it is the masses beneath them that are left behind."
【解析】冒号后面的部分解释了研究的发现：精英毕业生能快速赶上他们**原本应该达到**的水平（to where 引导宾语从句作 catch up to 的宾语）。在这个从句中，包含了一个由 if 引导的**对过去的虚拟条件句**（would have been... if they had graduated...），深刻揭示了阶级固化下精英抗风险能力的强大。最后一句 it is... that... 构成强调句，强调被抛下的是底层大众。

2. 倒装句与主语从句：
"More difficult, in the moment, is discerning precisely how these lean times are affecting society’s character."
【解析】这是一个完全倒装句。表语 More difficult 被提前以示强调，系动词是 is，真正的主语是动名词短语 discerning precisely how...（准确看清这些萧条岁月正如何影响社会品格）。这种倒装结构使句子语气更加凝重。

3. 比较级表达“越...越...”：
"But they certainly will reshape it, and all the more so the longer they extend."
【解析】句末的 all the more so 代表“更加如此/更加确定”，这里省略了从句结构，完整意思是 "and they will reshape it all the more the longer they extend"（它们持续的时间越长，重塑的程度就越深）。