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Woodrow Wilson was referring to the liberal idea of the economic marketwhen he said that the free enterprise system is the most efficient economicsystem. Maximum freedom means maximum productiveness; our “openness” is to bethe measure of our stability. Fascination with this ideal has made Americansdefy the “Old World” categories of settledpossessiveness versus unsettlingdeprivation, the cupidity of retention versus the cupidity of seizure, a “status quo”defended or attacked. The United States,it was believed, had no status quo ante.Our only “station” was the turning of a stationary wheel, spinning faster andfaster. We did not base our system on property but opportunity—which meant webased it not on stability but on mobility. The more things changed, that is,the more rapidly the wheel turned, the steadier we would be. The conventionalpicture of class politics is composed of the Haves, who want a stability to keepwhat they have, and the Have-Nots, who want a touchof (a touch of: 有一点) instability and change in which to scramble for the things they have not. But Americans imagined acondition in which speculators, self-makers, runners are always usingthe new opportunities given by our land. These economic leaders(front-runners)would thus be mainly agents of change. The nonstarters were consideredthe ones who wanted stability, a strong referee to give themsome position in the race, a regulative hand to calm manic speculation; anauthority that can call things to a halt, begin things again fromcompensatorily staggered “starting lines.”
“Reform” in America hasbeen sterile because it can imagine no change except through the extension ofthis metaphor of a race, wider inclusion of competitors, “apiece of the action,” as it were, for the disenfranchised（被剥夺权利）. There is no attempt to call off the race. Sinceour only stability is change, America seems not to honor the quiet work thatachieves social interdependence and stability. There is, in our legends, noheroism of the office clerk , no stable industrial work force of the people whoactually make the system work. There is no pride in being anemployee (Wilson asked for a return to the time when everyone was an employer).There has been no boasting about our social workers—they are merely signs ofthe system’s failure, of opportunity denied or not taken, of things to beeliminated. We have no pride in our growing interdependence, in the fact thatour system can serve others, that we are able to help those in need; emptyboasts from the past make us ashamed of our present achievements, make us tryto forget or deny them, move away from them. There is no honor but in the Wonderland race we must all run, all trying to win, nonewinning in the end (for there is no end). Passage 1. The primary purpose of thepassage is to (A) criticize the inflexibility of American economic mythology (B) contrast “Old World” and “New World” economic ideologies (C) challenge the integrity of traditional political leaders (D) champion those Americans whom the author deems to be neglected（A） (E) suggest a substitute for the traditional metaphor of a race 2. According to the passage, “OldWorld” values were based on (A) ability (B) property (C) family connections (D) guild hierarchies（B） (E) education 3. In the context of the author’sdiscussion of regulating change, which of the following could be most probablyregarded as a “strong referee” (line 30) in the UnitedStates? (A) A school principal (B) A political theorist (C) A federal court judge (D) A social worker（C） (E) A government inspector 4. The author sets off (set off:to set apart: make distinct or outstanding) the word “Reform” (line 35) with quotation marks in order to (A) emphasize its departure from the concept of settled possessiveness (B) show his support for a systematic program of change (C) underscore the flexibility and even amorphousness of United Statessociety (D) indicate that the term was one of Wilson’s favorites（E） (E) assert that reform in the United States has not been fundamental 5. It can be inferred from thepassage that the author most probably thinks that giving the disenfranchised “apiece of the action” (line 38) is (A) a compassionate, if misdirected, legislative measure (B) an example of Americans’ resistance to profound social change (C) an innovative program for genuine social reform (D) a monument to the efforts of industrial reformers（B） (E) a surprisingly “Old World” remedy for social ills 6. Which of the following metaphorscould the author most appropriately use to summarize his own assessment of theAmerican economic system (lines 35-60)? (A) A windmill (B) A waterfall (C) A treadmill (D) A gyroscope（C） (E) A bellows 7. It can be inferred from thepassage that Woodrow Wilson’s ideas about the economic market (A) encouraged those who “make the system work” (lines 45-46) (B) perpetuated traditional legends about America (C) revealed the prejudices of a man born wealthy (D) foreshadowed the stock market crash of 1929（B） (E) began a tradition of presidential proclamations on economics 8. The passage contains informationthat would answer which of the following questions? I. What techniques haveindustrialists used to manipulate a free market? II. In what ways are “New World” and“Old World” economic policies similar? III. Has economic policy in theUnited States tended to reward independent action? (A) I only (B) II only (C) III only (D) I and II only（C） (E) II and III only 9. Which of the following bestexpresses the author’s main point? (A) Americans’ pride in their jobs continues to give them stamina today. (B) The absence of a status quo ante has undermined United Stateseconomic structure. (C) The free enterprise system has been only a useless concept in theUnited States. (D) The myth of the American free enterprise system is seriously flawed.（D） (E) Fascination with the ideal of “openness” has made Americans aprogressive people. Passage 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. E 5. B6. C 7. B 8. C 9. D
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发表于 2015-9-15 16:49:13
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