GMAT考试阅读资料(一)f
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Passage 6
  In the eighteenth century, Japan‘s feudaloverlords,from the shogun to the humblestsamurai, found themselves under financialstress. In part, this stress can be attributed to(5) the overlords’ failure to adjust to a rapidly ex-panding economy, but the stress was also due to factors beyond the overlords‘ control. Concen-tration of the samurai in castle-towns had actedas a stimulus2 to trade. Commercial efficiency, in(10) turn, had put temptations in the way of buyers.Since most samurai had been reduced to idlenessby years of peace, encouraged to engage inscholarship and martial3 exercises or to performadministrative tasks that took little time, it is(15) not surprising that their tastes and habits grewexpensive. Overlords’ income, despite the in-crease in rice production among their tenantfarmers, failed to keep pace with their expenses.Although shortfalls in overlords‘ income re-(20) sulted almost as much from laxity among their  tax collectors (the nearly inevitable4 outcome of  hereditary5 officeholding) as from their higher  standards of living, a misfortune like a fire or  flood, bringing an increase in expenses or a drop(25) in revenue, could put a domain6 in debt to the  city rice-brokers who handled its finances. Once  in debt, neither the individual samurai nor the  shogun himself found it easy to recover.  It was difficult for individual samurai over-(30) lords to increase their income because the  amount of rice that farmers could be made to  pay in taxes was not unlimited7, and since the in-  come of Japan’s central government consisted in  part of taxes collected by the shogun from his(35) huge domain, the government too was con-  strained. Therefore, the Tokugawa shoguns  began to look to other sources for revenue.  Cash profits from government-owned mines  were already on the decline because the most(40) easily worked deposits of silver and gold had  been exhausted8, although debasement of the  coinage had compensated10 for the loss. Opening  up new farmland was a possibility, but most of  what was suitable had already been exploited(45) and further reclamation11 was technically12 unfeasi-  ble. Direct taxation13 of the samurai themselves  would be politically dangerous. This left the  shoguns only commerce as a potential source of  government income.
  (50)Most of the country‘s wealth, or so it seemed,was finding its way into the hands of city mer-chants. It appeared reasonable that they should  contribute part of that revenue to ease the  shogun’s burden of financing the state. A means(55) of obtaining such revenue was soon found by  levying14 forced ioans, known as goyo-kin;  although these were not taxes in the strict sense,  since they were irregular in timing15 and arbitrary  in amount, they were high in yield. Unfortunately,(60) they pushed up prices. Thus, regrettably, the  Tokugawa shoguns‘ search for solvency16 for the  government made it increasingly difficult forindividual Japanese who lived on fixed17 stipends18  to make ends meet.

1. The passage is most probably an excerpt19 from
 (A) an economic history of Japan 
 (B) the memoirs20 of a samurai warrior21
 (C) a modern novel about eighteenth-century Japan
 (D) an essay contrasting Japanese feudalism with its Western counterpart
 (E) an introduction to a collection of Japanese folktales

2. Which of the following financial situations is most analogous22 to the financial situation in which Japan‘s Tokugawa shoguns found themselves in the eighteenth century?
 (A) A small business borrows heavily to invest in new equipment, but is able to pay off its debt early when it is awarded a lucrative23 government contract.
 (B) Fire destroys a small business, but insurance covers the cost of rebuilding.
 (C) A small business is turned down for a loan at a local bank because the owners have no credit history?
 (D) A small business has to struggle to meet operating expenses when its profits decrease.
 (E) A small business is able to cut back sharply on spending through greater commercial efficiency and thereby24 compensate9 for a loss of revenue.

3. Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author toward the samurai discussed in lines 11-16?
 (A) Warmly approving
 (B) Mildly sympathetic
 (C) Bitterly disappointed
 (D) Harshly disdainful
 (E) Profoundly shocked

4. According to the passage, the major reason for the financial problems experienced by Japan‘s feudal1 overlords in the eighteenth century was that
 (A) spending had outdistanced income
 (B) trade had fallen off
 (C) profits from mining had declined
 (D) the coinage had been sharply debased
 (E) the samurai had concentrated in castle-towns

5.The passage implies that individual samurai did not find it easy to recover from debt for which of the following reasons?
 (A) Agricultural production had increased.
 (B) Taxes were irregular in timing and arbitrary in amount.
 (C) The Japanese government had failed to adjust to the needs of a changing economy.
 (D) The domains25 of samurai overlords were becoming smaller and poorer as government revenues increased.
 (E) There was a limit to the amount in taxes that farmers could be made to pay.

6. The passage suggests that, in eighteenth-century Japan, the office of tax collector
 (A) was a source of personal profit to the officeholder
 (B) was regarded with derision by many Japanese
 (C) remained within families
 (D) existed only in castle-towns 
 (E) took up most of the officeholder‘s time

7. Which of the following could best be substituted for the word “This ” in line 47 without changing the meaning of the passage?
 (A) The search of Japan‘s Tokugawa shoguns for solvency
 (B) The importance of commerce in feudal Japan
 (C) The unfairness of the tax structure in eighteenth-century Japan
 (D) The difficulty of increasing government income by other means
 (E) The difficulty experienced by both individual samurai and the shogun himself in extricating26 themselves from debt

8. The passage implies that which of the following was the primary reason why the Tokugawa shoguns turned to city merchants for help in financing the  state?
 (A) A series of costly27 wars had depleted28 the national treasury29.
 (B) Most of the country‘s wealth appeared to be in city merchants’ hands.
 (C) Japan had suffered a series of economic reversals due to natural disasters such as floods.
 (D) The merchants were already heavily indebted to the shoguns.
 (E) Further reclamation of land would not have been economically advantageous30.

9. According to the passage, the actions of the Tokugawa shoguns in their search for solvency for the government were regrettable because those actions
 (A) raised the cost of living by pushing up prices
 (B) resulted in the exhaustion of the most easily worked deposits of silver and gold
 (C) were far lower in yield than had originally been anticipated
 (D) did not succeed in reducing government spending
 (E) acted as a deterrent to trade



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1 feudal cg1zq     
adj.封建的,封地的,领地的
参考例句:
  • Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
  • The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。
2 stimulus 3huyO     
n.刺激,刺激物,促进因素,引起兴奋的事物
参考例句:
  • Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
  • Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。
3 martial bBbx7     
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的
参考例句:
  • The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
  • The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。
4 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
参考例句:
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
5 hereditary fQJzF     
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的
参考例句:
  • The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
  • In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。
6 domain ys8xC     
n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围
参考例句:
  • This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
  • This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。
7 unlimited MKbzB     
adj.无限的,不受控制的,无条件的
参考例句:
  • They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
  • There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。
8 exhausted 7taz4r     
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
参考例句:
  • It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长,到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
  • Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。
9 compensate AXky7     
vt.补偿,赔偿;酬报 vi.弥补;补偿;抵消
参考例句:
  • She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
  • Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。
10 compensated 0b0382816fac7dbf94df37906582be8f     
补偿,报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 ); 给(某人)赔偿(或赔款)
参考例句:
  • The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
  • I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。
11 reclamation MkNzIa     
n.开垦;改造;(废料等的)回收
参考例句:
  • We should encourage reclamation and recycling.我们应当鼓励废物的回收和利用。
  • The area is needed for a land reclamation project.一个土地开垦项目要在这一地区进行。
12 technically wqYwV     
adv.专门地,技术上地
参考例句:
  • Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说,这是最先进的设备。
  • The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说,西红柿是一种水果,尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。
13 taxation tqVwP     
n.征税,税收,税金
参考例句:
  • He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
  • The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
14 levying 90ad9be315edeae7731b2d08f32e26d5     
征(兵)( levy的现在分词 ); 索取; 发动(战争); 征税
参考例句:
  • The high tax will be given levying to the foreign country car. 对外国汽车要予以征收高税。
  • Levying estate income tax are considered to be goods tax. 遗产税是在财产所有者死亡后所征收的税。
15 timing rgUzGC     
n.时间安排,时间选择
参考例句:
  • The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
  • The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。
16 solvency twcw5     
n.偿付能力,溶解力
参考例句:
  • Fears about the solvency of the banks precipitated the great economic crash.对银行偿付能力出现恐慌更加速了经济的崩溃。
  • Their targets,including profitability ratios,solvency ratios,asset management ratios.其指标包括盈利比率、偿债能力比率、资产管理比率。
17 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
18 stipends d4150ed6fe9b10c18fa5a3686fbff777     
n.(尤指牧师的)薪俸( stipend的名词复数 )
参考例句:
19 excerpt hzVyv     
n.摘录,选录,节录
参考例句:
  • This is an excerpt from a novel.这是一部小说的摘录。
  • Can you excerpt something from the newspaper? 你能从报纸上选录些东西吗?
20 memoirs f752e432fe1fefb99ab15f6983cd506c     
n.回忆录;回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)
参考例句:
  • Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
  • I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 warrior YgPww     
n.勇士,武士,斗士
参考例句:
  • The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
  • A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。
22 analogous aLdyQ     
adj.相似的;类似的
参考例句:
  • The two situations are roughly analogous.两种情況大致相似。
  • The company is in a position closely analogous to that of its main rival.该公司与主要竞争对手的处境极为相似。
23 lucrative dADxp     
adj.赚钱的,可获利的
参考例句:
  • He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
  • It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。
24 thereby Sokwv     
adv.因此,从而
参考例句:
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
25 domains e4e46deb7f9cc58c7abfb32e5570b6f3     
n.范围( domain的名词复数 );领域;版图;地产
参考例句:
  • The theory of thermodynamics links the macroscopic and submicroscopic domains. 热力学把宏观世界同亚微观世界联系起来。 来自辞典例句
  • All three flow domains are indicated by shading. 所有三个流动区域都是用阴影部分表示的。 来自辞典例句
26 extricating 2573223c6caa0360a91c3fff02bd9fe3     
v.使摆脱困难,脱身( extricate的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • First, this will not bring on disorder and, second, it will not make extricating oneself impossible. 大鸣大放,一不会乱,二不会下不得台。 来自互联网
  • Idea of Multhus "Two Control" and System Conditions of Extricating from "Population Trap " 马尔萨斯“两种抑制”的观点及解脱“人口陷阱”的制度条件。 来自互联网
27 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
28 depleted 31d93165da679292f22e5e2e5aa49a03     
adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
  • Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。
29 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
30 advantageous BK5yp     
adj.有利的;有帮助的
参考例句:
  • Injections of vitamin C are obviously advantageous.注射维生素C显然是有利的。
  • You're in a very advantageous position.你处于非常有利的地位。
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