Question

    The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to be in the red. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for 2016 alone, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has the debts of more than $120 billion, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.

Interest groups ranging from postal unions to postcard makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s final supervisor—Congress (参议院), insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the present legal situation they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation (立法) have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by postponing vital modernization.

Now comes word that everyone involved—Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the systems heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the White House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely reduce the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.

If it clears the White House, this measure will still have to get through the Senate—where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to make the Postal Service stay afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major mistake considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of getting rid of Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the White House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 2lst century.

1.The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by ________.

A.its rigid management. B.its unbalanced budget.

C.the cost for technical innovation D.the suspension of bank support.

2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A.protecting every interest group benefits the USPS

B.the USPS will invest more money in retiree health care

C.the White House has already approved the reform

D.the author seems to be discontent with legislators

3.What does the underlined words “stay afloat” mean in Paragraph 4?

A.Boom. B.Survive.

C.Decline. D.Expand.

4.Which of the following is probably the best title for the text?

A.The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days

B.The USPS Starts to cooperate with Legislators

C.The USPS Needs Comprehensive Aid and Reform

D.The USPS Is Bound to Get out of the Dilemma

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。本文讲述美国邮政总局连年赤字，却由于受到利益集团的抵制而无力改革的现象。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality,可知，管理结构方面没能够灵活地将自己的生产模式试用到现实生活中，表明财政问题的部分原因在于“僵化的管理”。故A选项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据文章第四段But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the White House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 2lst century.可知，围绕该法案出现的共识表明，立法议员们对USPS可能在进期出现破产担惊受怕。然而，这无法表明他们正在认真对待二十一世纪邮政系统的变革。由此可知，作者对于立法议员持否定态度，故D选项正确。

3.词句猜测题。根据第四段中If it clears the White House, this measure will still have to get through the Senate和后面的not comprehensive reform可知，改革措施如果获得众议院通过，它还需要经过参议院的审查，有的参议员会提出不必进行全面的改革。结合邮政总局目前的处境，可推断出有的参议员认为只需要做出最低限度的变革“the bare minimum necessary”，就可以使其维持运营，survive意为“生存”。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段最后一句Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.可知，美国邮政总局连年赤字，它已经站在了历史的十字路口，它必须做一个彻底的变革，以适应新的现实。从文章的写作结构可以看出，文章是谈一个问题以及它的解决办法的。故选C。