Though the number of the upper class is a mere one third of the population, they make up at least 25 percent of the nation’s wealth. This class has two parts: upper-upper and lower-upper. 1, the upper-upper class is the “old rich”—families that have been wealthy for several generations—a nobility of 2 and wealth. A few are known across the nation, such as the Rockefellers, and the Vanderbilts. Most are not 3 to the general public. They have no 4 to the rest of the community, 5their income from the investment of their inherited wealth. By 6, the lower-upper class is the “new rich”. 7 they may be wealthier than some of the old rich, the new rich have been 8 to make their money like 9 else beneath their class. 10 their status is generally 11than that of the old rich, who have not found it necessary to lift a finger to make their money, and who 12 to look down upon the new rich. However its wealth is 13, the upper class is very rich. They have enough money and leisure time to 14an interest in the arts and to 15 rare books and paintings. They generally live in exclusive areas, belong to exclusive social clubs, communicate with each other, and marry their own kind, all of which keeps them so 16 from the masses that they have been called the out-of-sight class. More than any other class, they tend to be 17 of being members of a class. They also 18 an enormous amount of power and influence here and abroad, as they 19 many top government positions. Their actions 20 the lives of millions.
1. [A] Consequently[B] Accordingly[C] Regularly[D] Basically
2. [A] beginning[B] birth[C] infancy[D] foundation
3. [A] visible[B] noticeable[C] obvious[D] apparent
4. [A] contact[B] association[C] communication[D] relation
5. [A] pulling[B] abstracting[C] drawing[D] making
6. [A] comparison[B] contrast[C] contrary[D] difference
7. [A] Although[B] Because[C] Therefore[D] However
8. [A] greedy[B] indifferent[C] sympathetic[D] depressed
9. [A] nobody[B] everybody[C] somebody[D] anybody
10.[A] Then[B] But[C] Thus[D] Whereas
11.[A] superior[B] inferior[C] higher[D] lower
12.[A] want[B] select[C] hate[D] tend
13.[A] retained[B] benefited[C] acquired[D] rewarded
14.[A] reproduce[B] yield[C] cultivate[D] rear
15.[A] collect[B] gather[C] assemble[D] accumulate
16.[A] distant[B] far[C] separate[D] remote
17.[A] doubtful[B] conscious[C] sensitive[D] sensible
18.[A] demand[B] control[C] direct[D] command
19.[A] seize[B] abuse[C] hold[D] sustain
20.[A] attract[B] affect[C] effect[D] incline
【译文】尽管人数只占人口的百分之一到百分之三,但上层阶级占据了国家总财富的至少百分之二十五。这个阶层可以分为两部分:上上层和下层。上上阶层主要是富起来很久的人,一些好几代都富裕的家庭,家族很富有,出身很高贵。有几个家族在全国享有盛誉,例如Rockefellers家族和Vanderbilts家族。这些富有的家族公众一般看不到,与社区中其他人没什么联系,他们主要从他们所继承遗产的投资中得到收入。相比之下,下层富有的人是一些新富起来的人。虽然这些新富起来的人比一些早就富起来的人更富有,但是他们阶层的人更热衷于挣钱。但是新富裕起来的人比早富裕起来的人地位要低,这些早富裕起来的人没有必要再去挣钱,并且他们通常看不起新富起来的人。然而,上层阶级获得了大量财富,他们非常富有。他们有足够的钱来培养在艺术品方面的兴趣、收集古书和古画。他们通常住在一个专有的地区,加入专门的俱乐部,和专门的人士交谈,娶自己圈内的人士。所有的这一切让他们远离大众,因此他们被称为隐性人。相比于其他的阶级,他们更倾向于把自己认同于某一个阶级。他们掌握权力,在国内外具有影响力。他们占据着政府中的显赫职位。他们的决定对大众产生深刻影响。
【解析】1. [D] 语境词汇题。上上阶层主要是很久就富起来的人,一些好几代都富余的家庭,因此答案选[D] Basically“基本上,主要地”。[A] Consequently“因此,所以”。[B] Accordingly“因此,从而”。[C] Regularly“有规律地,有规则地,整齐地,匀称地”。
2. [B] 语境词汇题。家族很富有,因此出生很高贵,答案选[B] birth“出身,出生”。
3. [A] 语境词汇题。这些富有的家族公众一般是看不到的,因此答案选[A] visible“看得见的”。[B] noticeable“显而易见的,值得注意的”。[C] obvious“明显的”。[D] apparent“显然的,外观上的”。
4. [D] 固定搭配题。have no relation to为惯用表达,意为“与……毫无关系”。从上题的分析可以看出这些富有的人公众一般看不到,与社区中其他人没什么联系。
5. [C] 语境词汇题。从投资中得到收入,因此,答案选[C] drawing“赢得,获得”。[A] pulling“掏出,拔出(武器)”。[B] abstracting“提取,抽取”。
6. [B] 语境词汇题。前文讲述的是upper-upper class,下文是对比讲述lower-upper class,因此答案选[B] 。by contrast为固定短语,指“对比之下”。
7. [A] 逻辑推理题。虽然这些新富起来的人比一些早就富起来的人更富有,但是他们更贪婪地挣钱,两个分句之间是转折让步的关系,因此答案选[A] 。[D] However表转折之意时只能做副词,不能做连词连接两个分句。
8. [A] 语境词汇题。富有的人还像没有他们富裕的人那样挣钱,这可用greedy形容。[B] indifferent“漠不关心的”,后接介词to。其他两项一般也不与不定式连用。
9. [B] 语境词汇题。从句子的含义来看此处需填一表示肯定的代词,[C] somebody含有特指的意思,故排除,因此答案选[B] 。由此也可突出新富裕起来的人对挣钱的贪婪。
10.[C] 语境词汇题。新富裕起来的人和比他们阶层低的所有人一样热衷挣钱,而早富裕起来的人不屑于挣钱,由此可见两者地位的不同,因此答案选[C] 。
11.[D] 语境词汇题。根据上题的分析可以判断新富裕起来的人比早富裕起来的人地位要低。
12.[D] 固定搭配题。地位高的人一般容易歧视地位比他低的人,因此答案选[D] 。tend to do sth.指“趋向做某事”。
13.[C] 语境词汇题。wealth为所填词的逻辑宾语,因此答案选[C] acquired“得到”。[A] retained“保持,保留”。[B] benefited“受益”。[D] rewarded“酬劳,奖赏”。
14.[C] 语境词汇题。cultivate an interest on指“培养对……的兴趣”。[C] cultivate“培养,养成”。[A] reproduce“繁殖”。[B] yield“出产,生长,生产”。[D] rear“培养,饲养”,指养育孩子或者饲养家畜。
15.[A] 语境词汇题。收藏某物用动词collect,[A] collect表示的是把零散的东西收拾放在一起。[B] gather指经过努力把事物或人集中。[C] assemble指人员或零部件的集中。[D] accumulate“累积,积聚”。
16.[A] 语境词汇题。从out?of?sight可以推断上层阶层所从事的这些事情会使得他们远离大众,因此答案选[A] distant“疏远的,冷漠的”。[C] separate“分开的,分离的”。[D] remote“遥远的,偏僻的”。
17.[B] 固定搭配题。be conscious of sth.指“意识到……”。[A] doubtful“怀疑的”。[C] sensitive“敏感的”,和介词to搭配。[D] sensible“明智的”。
18.[D] 语境词汇题。作为一个富有的上层阶级,他们在国内外拥有很大的权力和影响,因此答案选[D] command“掌握,控制,支配”。
19.[C] 语境词汇题。positions为所填词的宾语,因此答案选[C] hold“占据,拥有”。[A] seize“抓住”。[B] abuse“滥用”。[D] sustain“维持,持续”。
20.[B] 语境词汇题。上层阶级在国内外拥有很多的权力和影响,占据着政府很多高级职位,控制着许多跨国公司,由此可见他们的行动会影响许多人的生活,因此答案选[B] affect“影响”。[A] attract“吸引”。[C] effect“招致,实现,达到”。[D] incline“倾向”。