Question

    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 eventually,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(节俭的); 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(鲁莽的) 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 mean-spirited 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 economic at Columbia University, suggests that not all people graduating into a recession see their life chances dimmed: those with degrees from elite(精英) 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(组织). But they certainly will reshape it,and all the more so the longer they extend.

1.By saying "to find silver linings" (Para.2) the author suggests that the jobless try to_____.

A.seek help from the government

B.explore reasons for the unemployment

C.make profits from the troubled economy

D.look on the bright side of the recession

2.Benjamin Friedman believes that economic recessions may_

A.impose a heavy 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

3.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

4.The author thinks that the influence of hard times on society is____

A.certain B.positive

C.unimportant D.destructive

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。大萧条也许结束了，但高失业率可能正在抬头。短文介绍了高失业率对美国大影响。

1.推理判断题。根据第二段中Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways可知许多人说，虽然痛苦，失业也能提升自己。冒号后面具体说他们从观念上，生活方式上发生了改变，由此可推知，作者在第二段中通过说“寻找一线希望”，是想建议失业者试着看到经济衰退的光明面。故选D。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中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 mean-spirited 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.可知经济史学家本杰明-弗里德曼在《经济增长的道德后果》一书中认为，他认为不管美国还是其它国家，长期的经济停滞或衰退几乎总是让社会变得更加刻薄，包容性降低，经常使得人权和自由的停滞不前或者倒退。移民情绪尤其高涨，种族矛盾，阶层矛盾也高涨。由此可推知，Benjamin Friedman认为，经济衰退可能会带来更多人性的邪恶。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中The research of Till Von Wachter, the economic 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.可知哥伦比亚大学的经济学家Till Von Wachter的研究表明，不是所有人都毕业就进入萧条，就看到自己的人生机会渺茫。从精英大学毕业的人会快速赶上他本该拥有的职位。落后的人不是别人，正是他们底下的普通大众。由此可知，Till Von Wachter的研究表明，在经济衰退中，精英大学的毕业生往往比其他大学的毕业生恢复得更快。故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中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.可知我们还得等等看，这些困难时如何重塑我们的社会结构的，但是，这些困难肯定会重塑美国，而且时间越长影响越大。由此可推知，作者认为困难时期对社会的影响是肯定的。故选A。