1997年全國(guó)碩士學(xué)位研究生入學(xué)考試英語(yǔ)試題
Part IIIReading Comprehension
Directions： Each of the passages below is followed by some questions. For each question there are four answers marked A， B， C and D. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each of the questions. Then mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET 1 by blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets. （40 points）
Passage 1
It was 3：45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates， Australias Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up， half a world away， by John Hofsess， executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the groups on line service， Death NET. Says Hofsess： "We posted bulletins all day long， because of course this isnt just something that happened in Australia. Its world history."
The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally III law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief， others， including churches， right to life groups and the Australian Medical Association， bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia - where an aging population， life extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part - other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada， where the right to die movement is gathering strength， observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.
Under the new Northern Territory law， an adult patient can request death - probably by a deadly injection or pill - to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a "cooling off" period of seven days， the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson， a 54 year old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer， the NT Rights of Terminally III law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering： a terrifying death from his breathing condition. "Im not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view， but what I was afraid of was how Id go， because Ive watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks，" he says.
51. From the second paragraph we learn that .
A. the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries
B. physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia
C. changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law
D. it takes time to realize the significance of the laws passage
52. When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling， he means .
A. observers are taking a wait and see attitude towards the future of euthanasia
B. similar bills are likely to be passed in the US， Canada and other countries
C. observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes
D. the effect taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop
53. When Lloyd Nickson dies， he will .
A. face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasia
B. experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient
C. have an intense fear of terrible suffering
D. undergo a cooling off period of seven days
54. The authors attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of .
A. opposition B. suspicion
C. approval D. indifference
Passage 2
A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly， courteous， and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair， this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians， and should best be considered North American. There are， of course， exceptions. Small minded officials， rude waiters， and ill mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.
For a long period of time and in many parts of the country， a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion， and brought news of the outside world.
The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone， if hungry， injured， or ill， often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life： if you didnt take in the stranger and take care of him， there was no one else who would. And someday， remember， you might be in the same situation.
Today there are many charitable organizations， which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet， the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US， especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through， got talking with this American， and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner - amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon， but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial， but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.
As is true of any developed society， in America a complex set of cultural signals， assumptions， and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And， of course， speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example， when an American uses the word "friend"， the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitors language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet， being friendly is a virtue that many American value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.
55. In the eyes of visitors from the outside world， .
A. rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US
B. small minded officials deserve a serious comment
C. Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors
D. most Americans are ready to offer help
56. It could be inferred from the last paragraph that .
A. culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship
B. courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated
C. various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends
D. social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions
57. Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers .
A. to improve their hard lifeB. in view of their long distance travel
C. to add some flavor to their own daily lifeD. out of a charitable impulse
58. The tradition of hospitality to strangers .
A. tends to be superficial and artificial
B. is generally well kept up in the United States
C. is always understood properly
D. was something to do with the busy tourist trails
Passage 3
Technically， any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts. They dont realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase "substance abuse" is often used instead of "drug abuse" to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine.
We live a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances （drugs） is pervasive： an aspirin to quiet a headache， some wine to be sociable， coffee to get going in the morning， a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses？ First of all， most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence. Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance， with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect， and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued.
Drugs （substances） that affect the central nervous system and alter perception， mood， and behavior are known as psychoactive substances. Psychoactive substances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants， depressants， or hallucinogens. Stimulants initially speed up or activate the central nervous system， whereas depressants slow it down. Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception， distorting and altering it in a variety of ways including producing hallucinations. These are the substances often called psychedelic （from the Greek word meaning "mindmanifesting"） because they seemed to radically alter ones state of consciousness.
59. "Substance abuse" （Line 5， Paragraph 1） is preferable to "drug abuse" in that .
A. substances can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally used
B. "drug abuse" is only related to a limited number of drug takers
C. alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaine
D. many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous
60. The word "pervasive" （Line 1， Paragraph 2） might mean .
A. widespread B. overwhelming
C. piercing D. fashionable
61. Physical dependence on certain substances results from .
A. uncontrolled consumption of them over long periods of time
B. exclusive use of them for social purposes
C. quantitative application of them to the treatment of diseases
D. careless employment of them for unpleasant symptoms
62. From the last paragraph we can infer that .
A. stimulants function positively on the mind
B. hallucinogens are in themselves harmful to health
C. depressants are the worst type of psychoactive substances
D. the three types of psychoactive substances are commonly used in groups
Passage 4
No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation. "Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers？" Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week. "You have sold your souls， but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well？" At Time Warner， however， such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. Its a self examination that has， at various times， involved issues of responsibility， creative freedom and the corporate bottom line.
At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin， 56， who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. On the financial front， Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the companys mountainous debt， which will increase to 17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company， but investors are waiting impatiently.
The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the companys rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992， when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice Ts violent rap song Cop Killer. Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture， which deserves an outlet. "The test of any democratic society，" he wrote in a Wall Streel Journal column， "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude， however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We wont retreat in the face of any threats."
Levin would not comment on the debate last week， but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard line stand， at least to some extent. During the discussion of rock singing verses at last months stockholders meeting， Levin asserted that "music is not the cause of societys ills" and even cited his son， a teacher in the Bronx， New York， who uses rap to communicate with students. But he talked as well about the "balanced struggle" between creative freedom and social responsibility， and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.
The 15 member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. "Some of us have known for many， many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited，" says Luce. "I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this."
63. Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for .
A. its raising of the corporate stock price B. its selfexamination of soul
C. its neglect of social responsibility D. its emphasis on creative freedom
64. According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
A. Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner.
B. Gerald Levin is liable to compromise.
C. Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate.
D. Stever Ross is no longer alive
65. In face of the recent attacks on the company， the chairman .
A. stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expression
B. softened his tone and adopted some new policy
C. changed his attitude and yielded to objection
D. received more support from the 15member board
66. The best title for this passage could be .
A. A Company under Fire B. A Debate on Moral Decline
C. A Lawful Outlet of Street Culture D. A Form of Creative Freedom
Passage 5
Much of the language used to describe monetary policy， such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes"， makes it sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there are long， variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy.Hence the analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen， a cracked rear view mirror and a faulty steering wheel.
Given all these disadvantages， central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year， close to its lowest level in 30 years， before rising slightly to 2.5% this July. This is a long way below the double digit rates which many countries experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s.
It is also less than most forecasters had predicated. In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist polls each month said that Americas inflation rate would average 3.5% in 1995. In fact， it fell to 2.6% in August， and expected to average only about 3% for the year as a whole. In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentage point below the rate predicted at the end of last year. This is no flash in the pan； over the past couple of years， inflation has been consistently lower than expected in Britain and America.
Economists have been particularly surprised by favorable inflation figures in Britain and the United States， since conventional measures suggest that both economies， and especially Americas， have little productive slack. Americas capacity utilization， for example， his historically high levels earlier this year， and its jobless rate （5.6% in August） has fallen bellow most estimates of the natural rate of unemployment - the rate below which inflation has taken off in the past.
Why has inflation proved so mild？ The most thrilling explanation is， unfortunately， a little defective. Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have up ended the old economic models that were based upon the historical link between growth and inflation.
67. From the passage we learn that .
A. there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates
B. economy will always follow certain models
C. the economic situation is better than expected
D. economists had foreseen the present economic situation
68. According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
A. Making monetary policies is comparable to driving a car
B. An extremely low jobless rate will lead to inflation
C. A high unemployment rate will result from inflation
D. Interest rates have an immediate effect on the economy
69. The sentence "This is no flash in the pan" （Line 5， Paragraph 3） means that .
A. the low inflation rate will last for some time
B. the inflation rate will soon rise
C. the inflation will disappear quickly
D. there is no inflation at present
70. The passage shows that the author is the present situation.
A. critical ofB. puzzled by
C. disappointed atD. amazed at
51. 「D」問(wèn)題是：從第二段我們可知。
第二段第一句是解答本題的關(guān)鍵。"The full import may take a while to sink in."意思為：整個(gè)事情的重要性還需要一段時(shí)間才能被人了解。選D.
52. 「B」問(wèn)題是：當(dāng)作者說(shuō)到"observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling"是什么意思？
該題是一道句意解釋題，關(guān)鍵在于前半句話的褒貶。前半句話說(shuō)美國(guó)和加拿大，爭(zhēng)取死亡權(quán)利的運(yùn)動(dòng)在不斷發(fā)展壯大，潛臺(tái)詞就是安樂(lè)死的合法化是遲早的事。"domino"的意思是多米諾骨牌。
53. 「A」問(wèn)題是：當(dāng)Lloyd Nickson死的時(shí)候，他會(huì)怎么樣？
文章的最后一段話之所以列舉這個(gè)例子，是為了說(shuō)明安樂(lè)死能幫患者化解對(duì)死亡痛苦的憂慮，從容的死去。所以選擇A——他會(huì)從容地面對(duì)死亡，這是接受安樂(lè)死病人的特征。
干擾選項(xiàng)D是原文的意思，但不是發(fā)生在死的那一刻，而是決定采取安樂(lè)死的方式。
54. 「C」問(wèn)題是：作者對(duì)安樂(lè)死的態(tài)度是。
從最后一段列舉的例子來(lái)看，是支持安樂(lè)死的，否則會(huì)舉一個(gè)反對(duì)安樂(lè)死的患者的例子。
投票最終進(jìn)行是在凌晨3點(diǎn)45分。在經(jīng)過(guò)了6個(gè)月的討論和議會(huì)16個(gè)小時(shí)的激烈辯論之后，最終澳大利亞的北部地區(qū)成為世界上第一個(gè)允許醫(yī)生合法幫助無(wú)藥可治的病人進(jìn)行安樂(lè)死的地區(qū)。這項(xiàng)法案最終是以15比10的多數(shù)票通過(guò)。這個(gè)消息立刻就在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上傳開了，在地球的另一邊，加拿大死亡權(quán)利協(xié)會(huì)執(zhí)行主席 John Hofsess 馬上把這個(gè)消息發(fā)到了該組織的網(wǎng)站Death NET 上。Hofsess 說(shuō)："我們整天都在貼子，因?yàn)檫@件事并不只是澳大利亞的事，這是整個(gè)世界歷的大事。"
人們還需要一段時(shí)間才能了解這整個(gè)事件的重要性。澳大利亞北部地區(qū)制定的這項(xiàng)關(guān)于晚期病人的法律使得醫(yī)生和普通公民都在考慮它在道德和實(shí)際生活方面的意義。有些人放心地松了一口氣，有些人，包括教會(huì)、生存權(quán)利組織和澳大利亞醫(yī)藥協(xié)會(huì)，則猛烈抨擊這項(xiàng)法案，認(rèn)為它的通過(guò)太草率。但是潮流不可能再逆轉(zhuǎn)了。在澳大利亞——那里的人口老齡化問(wèn)題，生命延長(zhǎng)技術(shù)，和社會(huì)態(tài)度的轉(zhuǎn)變，都在分別施加各自的影響——其他地區(qū)也將考慮通過(guò)類似的有關(guān)安樂(lè)死的法案。在美國(guó)和加拿大，隨著死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)不斷發(fā)展壯大，觀察家們正靜候著連鎖反應(yīng)的發(fā)生。
新的北部地區(qū)法律規(guī)定，成年患者可以要求用注射或藥片結(jié)束自己的痛苦?；颊弑仨氂蓛晌会t(yī)生診斷為患有不治之癥，并且在冷靜七天之后，病人就可以簽署申請(qǐng)書。這之后的48小時(shí)之后，病人的愿望就可以實(shí)現(xiàn)。對(duì)于54歲身患肺癌的達(dá)爾文市居民Lloyd Nickson 來(lái)說(shuō)，這項(xiàng)法案意味著他不用再成天擔(dān)心因?yàn)橹舷⒍纯嗟厮廊チ?。他說(shuō)："從精神上來(lái)說(shuō)，我并不害怕死亡；但我擔(dān)心的是將會(huì)怎樣死去，因?yàn)槲以吹竭^(guò)醫(yī)院里的病人因?yàn)榇簧蠚鈦?lái)，抓著氧氣面具痛苦地死去。"
55. 「D」問(wèn)題是：在來(lái)自外界游客的眼里。
文章第一段第一句指出，去過(guò)美國(guó)的人所帶回來(lái)的印象總是：大多數(shù)美國(guó)人表現(xiàn)為友好、禮貌、樂(lè)于助人，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
56. 「A」問(wèn)題是：本文最后一段，可以推斷出。
文章最后一段第1句是本段中心句，像其他發(fā)達(dá)社會(huì)一樣，在美國(guó)構(gòu)成社會(huì)人際關(guān)系的是一系列復(fù)雜的文化符號(hào)、信念和習(xí)俗。句中的"cultural signals， assumptions， conventions" 全都是屬于 "culture" （文化范疇）。由此我們可推斷文化大可影響社會(huì)人際關(guān)系， 即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
57. 「C」問(wèn)題是：邊疆地區(qū)的家庭過(guò)去一直招待陌生人。
文章第2段指出，在美國(guó)歷史的很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)期（即所謂"拓荒"時(shí)代），對(duì)許多地區(qū)來(lái)說(shuō)，一個(gè)旅行者的到來(lái)是很受歡迎的，因?yàn)樗梢詫?duì)平時(shí)單調(diào)的生活起一個(gè)調(diào)節(jié)（break） 作用。離群索居的家庭共同的問(wèn)題是日常生活的單調(diào)與寂寞，陌生人或旅行者的到來(lái)可以使他們暫時(shí)擺脫這種生活狀況。另外，他們也可以因此獲得外界信息。
58. 「B」問(wèn)題是：這種對(duì)陌生人友善客觀的傳統(tǒng)。
文章第4段第2句便給出了答案，"友善好客的老傳統(tǒng)在美國(guó)仍根深蒂固"，即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容：在美國(guó)得以廣泛的保持。
旅游者對(duì)美國(guó)做出的評(píng)價(jià)經(jīng)常是：友好、禮貌和樂(lè)于助人。公平地說(shuō)，這一評(píng)價(jià)對(duì)加拿大人也適用，因此可以說(shuō)游客對(duì)整個(gè)北美地區(qū)的印象都是這樣。當(dāng)然，也有例外的情況。比如說(shuō)美國(guó)官員的心胸狹窄，飯店服務(wù)員的態(tài)度粗魯，出租車司機(jī)沒有禮貌，這些都是眾所周知的。然而，既然美國(guó)人得到了那么多良好的評(píng)價(jià)，這就值得我們說(shuō)上兩句。
曾經(jīng)有很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間，在美國(guó)的很多地方，旅行者的來(lái)訪能打破往日沉悶的生活，因此是很受歡迎的。對(duì)于那些居住得比較分散的家庭來(lái)說(shuō)，沉悶和孤獨(dú)是很普遍的問(wèn)題。陌生人和旅行者帶來(lái)了外面世界的信息，解除了生活的煩悶。
同時(shí)，邊疆地區(qū)生活的嚴(yán)酷性也造成了這種好客的傳統(tǒng)。當(dāng)獨(dú)自旅行的人受到饑餓和傷病的威脅時(shí)，只有到最近的小屋和居民點(diǎn)求助。這并不是說(shuō)旅行者選擇這樣做，或者邊疆居民一時(shí)發(fā)了善心。它反應(yīng)了日常生活的嚴(yán)酷性：如果你不接納和照顧陌生人，就沒有人去管他們。而且，記住，總有一天你也會(huì)處在和他們一樣的處境。
今天，有很多慈善組織專門幫助疲勞的旅行者。但是美國(guó)仍然有很強(qiáng)的對(duì)陌生人好客的傳統(tǒng)，尤其是在遠(yuǎn)離旅游區(qū)的小城鎮(zhèn)里。經(jīng)?？梢月牭接慰蛯?duì)美國(guó)這樣的評(píng)論："我在旅行中碰到一個(gè)美國(guó)人，只和他談了幾句，他就邀請(qǐng)我回家吃晚飯了，真奇怪。"旅行者對(duì)這種現(xiàn)象的理解往往不正確，很多美國(guó)人隨意的友善表示，并不應(yīng)該理解成膚淺或做作的舉動(dòng)，而應(yīng)該看成是有歷史根源的文化傳統(tǒng)。
正如在任何發(fā)達(dá)社會(huì)中一樣，在美國(guó)的一切社會(huì)關(guān)系背后也有一套復(fù)雜的文化符號(hào)和傳統(tǒng)。當(dāng)然，會(huì)說(shuō)一門語(yǔ)言并不意味著了解其社會(huì)文化。旅游者曲解文化含義往往得出錯(cuò)誤的結(jié)論。例如當(dāng)一個(gè)美國(guó)人使用"朋友"這個(gè)詞時(shí)，其文化含義與旅游者的語(yǔ)言文化中這個(gè)詞的含義是不一樣的。公共汽車上的簡(jiǎn)短一晤，你是無(wú)法分辨出禮貌的客氣和個(gè)人的真正興趣的。然而，對(duì)人友好是很多美國(guó)人很看重的一個(gè)優(yōu)點(diǎn)，他們也期望從鄰居和陌生人身上看到這種品質(zhì)。
59. 「D」問(wèn)題是："物質(zhì)濫用"（第1段第5行）這個(gè)詞比 "藥物濫用" 更可取是因?yàn)椤?BR> 文章第一段最后一句作者指出，許多醫(yī)生（physician）和心理學(xué)家常使用"物質(zhì)濫用"而不是"藥物濫用"這一概念，他們想以此說(shuō)明：濫用像煙酒這樣的物質(zhì)與濫用海洛因和可卡因一樣有害。常識(shí)告訴我們 "heroin"和 "cocaine"對(duì)人體是有害的，而像 "alcohol" 和 "tobacco" 這樣的物質(zhì)可以同它們劃等號(hào)（作者用as…… as 句型）?？梢?，除 "heroin" 和 "cocaine"外，還有許多物質(zhì)是有害的，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
60. 「A」問(wèn)題是："pervasive" 這個(gè)詞（第2段第1行）的意思可能是。
文章 "pervasive" 出現(xiàn)那一句的翻譯是"在我們生活的社會(huì)里，物質(zhì)的醫(yī)用和社交用廣泛存在，如：用阿司匹林制止頭痛，用酒交際，早晨用咖啡振作一下精神，抽支煙定定神。"只有A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容廣泛普遍，才是作者舉例要說(shuō)明的。
61. 「A」問(wèn)題是：造成對(duì)某種物質(zhì)心理上依賴的原因是。
用藥量和用藥時(shí)間是造成藥物依賴的兩個(gè)重要因素。文中"tolerance" 一詞指的是長(zhǎng)時(shí)間無(wú)節(jié)制地對(duì)于某物質(zhì)的撮取，即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
62. 「B」問(wèn)題是：從文章最后一段我們可以推斷出。
文章第三段第四、五句，迷幻劑主要影響人的知覺，以各種方式（包括產(chǎn)生幻覺）將它扭曲、改變。它們被稱作"引起幻覺的藥物"，因?yàn)樗鼈兯坪鯊母旧细淖兞巳说囊庾R(shí)狀態(tài)。這是個(gè)常識(shí)問(wèn)題。作者沒有直接在文中指出，但我們都知道，幻覺劑本身就對(duì)人體有害，即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
從技術(shù)角度來(lái)講，除了食物之外，任何能夠改變我們的身體和思維功能的物質(zhì)都是藥物。很多人錯(cuò)誤地認(rèn)為"藥物"這個(gè)詞指的就是某種藥或者癮君子們服用的非法化學(xué)藥品。他們沒有意識(shí)到很多熟悉的物質(zhì)如煙、酒也是藥物，這也是為什么醫(yī)生和心理學(xué)者使用"濫用"這個(gè)比較中性的詞?，F(xiàn)在人們經(jīng)常用"濫用物質(zhì)"來(lái)代替 "濫用藥物"，以便能夠清楚地說(shuō)明像煙和酒這樣的物質(zhì)如果濫用，能和海洛因和可卡因一樣有害。
我們居住的社會(huì)里，不論是醫(yī)療用還是日常生活中，濫用物質(zhì)（藥物）的現(xiàn)象都十分普遍：吃片阿司匹林來(lái)緩解頭痛，喝杯酒來(lái)促進(jìn)交際，早起喝杯咖啡來(lái)打起精神，抽支煙來(lái)緩解緊張。使用這些物質(zhì)是被社會(huì)認(rèn)可的，而且明顯對(duì)我們有幫助，怎么會(huì)變成濫用了呢？首先，大部分的物質(zhì)，一旦使用過(guò)量，就會(huì)產(chǎn)生負(fù)面影響，比如中毒或?qū)е轮X扭曲。反復(fù)使用一種物質(zhì)會(huì)導(dǎo)致上癮或?qū)υ撐镔|(zhì)的依賴。這種依賴首先表現(xiàn)為耐藥性增強(qiáng)，要想達(dá)到預(yù)期的效果就需要越來(lái)越多的這種物質(zhì)；然后當(dāng)一旦終止使用這種物質(zhì)，就會(huì)出現(xiàn)停藥后的不適癥狀。
能影響中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)，改變?nèi)藗兊闹X、情緒和行為的藥物（物質(zhì)）被稱作"作用于精神的物質(zhì)".人們通常把這些物質(zhì)區(qū)分為興奮劑、鎮(zhèn)靜劑和迷幻劑。興奮劑會(huì)加速或刺激中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)，而鎮(zhèn)靜劑減慢神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的工作。迷幻劑主要作用于人的知覺上，使其扭曲變形，產(chǎn)生幻覺等。這些物質(zhì)通常被稱為"迷幻藥"（這個(gè)詞來(lái)自希臘語(yǔ)，意思是"展示思想的"），因?yàn)樗鼈兯坪跄軌蚝芸旄淖円粋€(gè)人的意識(shí)狀態(tài)。
63. 「C」問(wèn)題是：參議員Robert Dole譴責(zé)Time Warner公司是因?yàn)椤?BR> 文章第一段指出，沒有哪個(gè)公司喜歡別人說(shuō)它導(dǎo)致了全國(guó)道德的敗壞。多爾參議員所指責(zé)時(shí)代華納公司的正是這一點(diǎn)。他說(shuō)：難道這就是你們的經(jīng)營(yíng)目標(biāo)嗎？你們出賣了自己的靈魂，難道你們也想毀了國(guó)家、危及我們的孩子嗎？ 這種行為當(dāng)然屬于對(duì)社會(huì)責(zé)任的忽視。
64. 「D」問(wèn)題是：根據(jù)文中內(nèi)容，以下哪一項(xiàng)是正確的？
"late"除其他意思外，該詞有"前"，"已故的"等意思。一般來(lái)講，該詞加在人名或稱呼前時(shí)譯作"已故的"，如：the late Mr.Green已故格林先生，her late husband她的前夫（已故）。若加在頭銜前，則要據(jù)情況而譯，如：the late president前總統(tǒng)（也可能已故，也可能僅指剛剛卸職）。
65. 「B」問(wèn)題是：面對(duì)近期外界對(duì)公司的攻擊，主席。
文章第3段講到公司主席Levin持強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)，他還辯護(hù)說(shuō)，街頭音樂(lè)不過(guò)是一種文化，是值得推廣的。但第4段作者指出，Levin對(duì)上周的爭(zhēng)議拒絕評(píng)價(jià)，但有跡象表明他正在放棄自己的強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)——至少在某種程度上可以這樣說(shuō)。即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
66. 「A」問(wèn)題是：本文的標(biāo)題可能是。
從以上的分析可以看出，本文主要是評(píng)述了時(shí)代華納公司因發(fā)行新音樂(lè)專輯而受到的責(zé)難及其反應(yīng)。B題目太廣泛，C和D都不可能概括文章內(nèi)容。沒有一家公司希望被指責(zé)為導(dǎo)致了國(guó)家道德水平的墮落。Robert Dole參議員在上周的會(huì)議中向時(shí)代華納公司的執(zhí)行長(zhǎng)官發(fā)問(wèn)："你們的事業(yè)就是為了達(dá)到這樣的結(jié)果嗎？你們已經(jīng)出賣了自己的靈魂，難道還要腐化我們的國(guó)家，危及我們的孩子嗎？"在時(shí)代華納，這自我反省的一幕自從公司1990年創(chuàng)建時(shí)就在不斷上演，而這次的這個(gè)問(wèn)題只是一種最新的發(fā)問(wèn)形式而已。在不同時(shí)期，這種自我檢查涉及的內(nèi)容包括責(zé)任、創(chuàng)作自由和公司能容忍的底線。
處于這場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)論中心位置的是公司主席，56歲的Gerald Levin，他于1992年從已故主席Steve Ross 手中接過(guò)這個(gè)重任。在財(cái)政問(wèn)題上，Levin 的壓力很大，他必須提高公司的股價(jià)，并減少公司的巨額債務(wù)，而這一債務(wù)在購(gòu)買兩條電纜的交易完成之后將達(dá)到一百七十三億美元。他承諾出售公司的一些產(chǎn)業(yè)，并對(duì)公司進(jìn)行重組，但是投資者已經(jīng)等得不耐煩了。
人們關(guān)于rap 音樂(lè)的抨擊使Levin 的日子更加不好過(guò)。Levin 一直以rap 音樂(lè)只是一種表達(dá)方式來(lái)維護(hù)該公司的rap 音樂(lè)。1992年，華納公司因?yàn)槌銎妨薎ceT 樂(lè)隊(duì)充滿暴力的rap 歌曲《警察殺手》，而受到了猛烈的指責(zé)。這時(shí)，Levin把rap音樂(lè)描述成街頭文化的一種合法表現(xiàn)形式，因?yàn)榻诸^文化也需要宣泄。他在《華爾街時(shí)報(bào)》的專欄中寫道："任何民主社會(huì)面臨的考驗(yàn)并不是它是否能控制言論，而是它是否能給予思想和言論限度的自由，盡管有時(shí)這樣做的結(jié)果是非常令人爭(zhēng)議和不快的，但是我們不會(huì)在任何威脅面前退縮。"
Levin不愿對(duì)上周進(jìn)行的這次爭(zhēng)論發(fā)表評(píng)論，但是種種跡象顯示這位主席的強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)有所減弱，至少是在某種程度上的減弱。在上周股東會(huì)議討論搖滾音樂(lè)內(nèi)容時(shí)，Levin強(qiáng)調(diào)說(shuō)"音樂(lè)并不是社會(huì)弊端的根源"，他甚至還舉了兒子的例子。他的兒子是紐約Bronx的一名教師，曾用rap音樂(lè)來(lái)和學(xué)生進(jìn)行交流。但是在會(huì)議上，他也談到了要在"創(chuàng)作自由"和"社會(huì)責(zé)任"之間努力保持平衡，他還宣布華納公司將開始制定標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，對(duì)可能引起非議的音樂(lè)予以標(biāo)記，并對(duì)其發(fā)行進(jìn)行控制。
時(shí)代華納董事會(huì)的15名成員基本上支持Levin和他的策略。但內(nèi)部人士透露，董事會(huì)中有些人表達(dá)了對(duì)此事的關(guān)注。Luce說(shuō)："我們有些人多年以來(lái)一直知道第一修正案授予的自由并不是完全沒有限制的，但我想可能有些人直到最近才意識(shí)到這一點(diǎn)。"
67. 「C」問(wèn)題是：從文中我們可以得出。
第三段指出，它（指平均通貨膨脹率）也比多數(shù)預(yù)測(cè)者預(yù)測(cè)的低?！督?jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》雜志每月調(diào)查的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家小組稱：1995年美國(guó)平均通貨膨脹率會(huì)達(dá)3.5%左右，但是，8月份它實(shí)際降至2.6%，全年也不過(guò)3%左右；在英國(guó)和日本，平均通貨膨脹率比上年底預(yù)測(cè)的低0.5百分點(diǎn)（或：半個(gè)百分點(diǎn)）。而且，在過(guò)去幾年里一直是如此（this is no flash in the pan）：在英美兩國(guó)，平均通貨膨脹率一直比預(yù)測(cè)的要低。
68. 「B」問(wèn)題是：根據(jù)本文內(nèi)容，以下哪一項(xiàng)是正確的？
第四段指出，從傳統(tǒng)的（衡量）標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)看，英美兩國(guó)（特別是美國(guó)）的經(jīng)濟(jì)生產(chǎn)并沒有滑坡（productive slack），例如：美國(guó)的設(shè)備（能力）利用率（capacity utilization）今年初達(dá)到歷史水平，其失業(yè)率已低于多數(shù)正常失業(yè)率所允許的數(shù)字——過(guò)去認(rèn)為：失業(yè)率低于正常失業(yè)率時(shí)通貨膨脹率就開始上升（take off）
69. 「A」問(wèn)題是：第3段第5行中"this is no flash the pan" 這句話的意思是。
a flash in the pan意為：曇花一現(xiàn)，偶然出現(xiàn)的情況。"this is no flash the pan"意為"不是曇花一現(xiàn)"，結(jié)合上文，就是低通脹會(huì)持續(xù)，即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
70. 「D」問(wèn)題是：文章表明了作者對(duì)于現(xiàn)今的局勢(shì)。
本文主要評(píng)述了目前良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)，它是由持續(xù)低的通貨膨脹率造成的，是始料未及的。因此作者的態(tài)度是"驚奇的"，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
有很多這樣的語(yǔ)言被用來(lái)形容貨幣政策，例如"引導(dǎo)經(jīng)濟(jì)軟著陸"或者"踩剎車"，這使它聽上去像是一門精確的科學(xué)。但事實(shí)遠(yuǎn)非如此。利率和通貨膨脹之間的聯(lián)系無(wú)法確定，政策調(diào)整對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)的影響既滯后又難以確定。因此有人將貨幣政策的作用比喻成：開著一輛擋風(fēng)玻璃漆黑、反光鏡破碎、方向盤失靈的車。
盡管有這些不足之處，主要銀行家對(duì)近來(lái)的局勢(shì)似乎相當(dāng)自豪。去年七個(gè)主要工業(yè)國(guó)的通貨膨脹率下降至2.3%，接近30年來(lái)的最低水平；到今年7月，這個(gè)數(shù)字略微上升到2.5%.這遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)低于七八十年代很多國(guó)家曾經(jīng)經(jīng)歷過(guò)的兩位數(shù)的通貨膨脹率。
這個(gè)數(shù)字也低于大多數(shù)觀察家的預(yù)期。1994年末《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》雜志每月調(diào)查的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家小組預(yù)測(cè)，1995年美國(guó)的通貨膨脹率將是3.5%.實(shí)際上，到8月份時(shí)，這個(gè)數(shù)字降至2.6%，全年的平均水平也不會(huì)超過(guò)3%.在英國(guó)和日本，通貨膨脹都比上一年的預(yù)期要低半個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。這種情況并不是曇花一現(xiàn)。在過(guò)去的幾年中，英國(guó)和美國(guó)的通貨膨脹率一直低于預(yù)期水平。
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家對(duì)英國(guó)和美國(guó)的這種樂(lè)觀的通貨膨脹數(shù)據(jù)感到尤為吃驚，因?yàn)閭鹘y(tǒng)的計(jì)算方法顯示，這兩個(gè)國(guó)家，尤其是美國(guó)，已經(jīng)沒有太大的生產(chǎn)彈性。例如，美國(guó)的生產(chǎn)能力利用率年初達(dá)到了歷史水平，而它的失業(yè)率（8月份為5.6%）已經(jīng)低于了大多數(shù)人預(yù)計(jì)的自然失業(yè)率——在過(guò)去，當(dāng)這種情況出現(xiàn)時(shí)，通貨膨脹就要發(fā)生了。
為什么通貨膨脹的情況如此輕微呢？不幸的是，即使是最令人振奮的解釋也有一些缺陷。一些經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家認(rèn)為傳統(tǒng)的經(jīng)濟(jì)模式是建立在分析增長(zhǎng)與通貨膨脹的歷史聯(lián)系的基礎(chǔ)之上的，而當(dāng)今世界格局的巨大變化已經(jīng)徹底*了這種舊的經(jīng)濟(jì)模式。
Part IIIReading Comprehension
Directions： Each of the passages below is followed by some questions. For each question there are four answers marked A， B， C and D. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each of the questions. Then mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET 1 by blackening the corresponding letter in the brackets. （40 points）
Passage 1
It was 3：45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates， Australias Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up， half a world away， by John Hofsess， executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the groups on line service， Death NET. Says Hofsess： "We posted bulletins all day long， because of course this isnt just something that happened in Australia. Its world history."
The full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally III law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief， others， including churches， right to life groups and the Australian Medical Association， bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia - where an aging population， life extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part - other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada， where the right to die movement is gathering strength， observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.
Under the new Northern Territory law， an adult patient can request death - probably by a deadly injection or pill - to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a "cooling off" period of seven days， the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson， a 54 year old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer， the NT Rights of Terminally III law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering： a terrifying death from his breathing condition. "Im not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view， but what I was afraid of was how Id go， because Ive watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks，" he says.
51. From the second paragraph we learn that .
A. the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries
B. physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia
C. changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law
D. it takes time to realize the significance of the laws passage
52. When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling， he means .
A. observers are taking a wait and see attitude towards the future of euthanasia
B. similar bills are likely to be passed in the US， Canada and other countries
C. observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes
D. the effect taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop
53. When Lloyd Nickson dies， he will .
A. face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasia
B. experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient
C. have an intense fear of terrible suffering
D. undergo a cooling off period of seven days
54. The authors attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of .
A. opposition B. suspicion
C. approval D. indifference
Passage 2
A report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly， courteous， and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair， this observation is also frequently made of Canada and Canadians， and should best be considered North American. There are， of course， exceptions. Small minded officials， rude waiters， and ill mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.
For a long period of time and in many parts of the country， a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence. Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion， and brought news of the outside world.
The harsh realities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality. Someone traveling alone， if hungry， injured， or ill， often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life： if you didnt take in the stranger and take care of him， there was no one else who would. And someday， remember， you might be in the same situation.
Today there are many charitable organizations， which specialize in helping the weary traveler. Yet， the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US， especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. "I was just traveling through， got talking with this American， and pretty soon he invited me home for dinner - amazing." Such observations reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon， but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial， but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.
As is true of any developed society， in America a complex set of cultural signals， assumptions， and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And， of course， speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to "translate" cultural meanings properly often draw wrong conclusions. For example， when an American uses the word "friend"， the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitors language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual interest. Yet， being friendly is a virtue that many American value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.
55. In the eyes of visitors from the outside world， .
A. rude taxi drivers are rarely seen in the US
B. small minded officials deserve a serious comment
C. Canadians are not so friendly as their neighbors
D. most Americans are ready to offer help
56. It could be inferred from the last paragraph that .
A. culture exercises an influence over social interrelationship
B. courteous convention and individual interest are interrelated
C. various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among friends
D. social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions
57. Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers .
A. to improve their hard lifeB. in view of their long distance travel
C. to add some flavor to their own daily lifeD. out of a charitable impulse
58. The tradition of hospitality to strangers .
A. tends to be superficial and artificial
B. is generally well kept up in the United States
C. is always understood properly
D. was something to do with the busy tourist trails
Passage 3
Technically， any substance other than food that alters our bodily or mental functioning is a drug. Many people mistakenly believe the term drug refers only to some sort of medicine or an illegal chemical taken by drug addicts. They dont realize that familiar substances such as alcohol and tobacco are also drugs. This is why the more neutral term substance is now used by many physicians and psychologists. The phrase "substance abuse" is often used instead of "drug abuse" to make clear that substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be just as harmfully misused as heroin and cocaine.
We live a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances （drugs） is pervasive： an aspirin to quiet a headache， some wine to be sociable， coffee to get going in the morning， a cigarette for the nerves. When do these socially acceptable and apparently constructive uses of a substance become misuses？ First of all， most substances taken in excess will produce negative effects such as poisoning or intense perceptual distortions. Repeated use of a substance can also lead to physical addiction or substance dependence. Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance， with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect， and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued.
Drugs （substances） that affect the central nervous system and alter perception， mood， and behavior are known as psychoactive substances. Psychoactive substances are commonly grouped according to whether they are stimulants， depressants， or hallucinogens. Stimulants initially speed up or activate the central nervous system， whereas depressants slow it down. Hallucinogens have their primary effect on perception， distorting and altering it in a variety of ways including producing hallucinations. These are the substances often called psychedelic （from the Greek word meaning "mindmanifesting"） because they seemed to radically alter ones state of consciousness.
59. "Substance abuse" （Line 5， Paragraph 1） is preferable to "drug abuse" in that .
A. substances can alter our bodily or mental functioning if illegally used
B. "drug abuse" is only related to a limited number of drug takers
C. alcohol and tobacco are as fatal as heroin and cocaine
D. many substances other than heroin or cocaine can also be poisonous
60. The word "pervasive" （Line 1， Paragraph 2） might mean .
A. widespread B. overwhelming
C. piercing D. fashionable
61. Physical dependence on certain substances results from .
A. uncontrolled consumption of them over long periods of time
B. exclusive use of them for social purposes
C. quantitative application of them to the treatment of diseases
D. careless employment of them for unpleasant symptoms
62. From the last paragraph we can infer that .
A. stimulants function positively on the mind
B. hallucinogens are in themselves harmful to health
C. depressants are the worst type of psychoactive substances
D. the three types of psychoactive substances are commonly used in groups
Passage 4
No company likes to be told it is contributing to the moral decline of a nation. "Is this what you intended to accomplish with your careers？" Senator Robert Dole asked Time Warner executives last week. "You have sold your souls， but must you corrupt our nation and threaten our children as well？" At Time Warner， however， such questions are simply the latest manifestation of the soul searching that has involved the company ever since the company was born in 1990. Its a self examination that has， at various times， involved issues of responsibility， creative freedom and the corporate bottom line.
At the core of this debate is chairman Gerald Levin， 56， who took over for the late Steve Ross in 1992. On the financial front， Levin is under pressure to raise the stock price and reduce the companys mountainous debt， which will increase to 17.3 billion after two new cable deals close. He has promised to sell off some of the property and restructure the company， but investors are waiting impatiently.
The flap over rap is not making life any easier for him. Levin has consistently defended the companys rap music on the grounds of expression. In 1992， when Time Warner was under fire for releasing Ice Ts violent rap song Cop Killer. Levin described rap as a lawful expression of street culture， which deserves an outlet. "The test of any democratic society，" he wrote in a Wall Streel Journal column， "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude， however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be. We wont retreat in the face of any threats."
Levin would not comment on the debate last week， but there were signs that the chairman was backing off his hard line stand， at least to some extent. During the discussion of rock singing verses at last months stockholders meeting， Levin asserted that "music is not the cause of societys ills" and even cited his son， a teacher in the Bronx， New York， who uses rap to communicate with students. But he talked as well about the "balanced struggle" between creative freedom and social responsibility， and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.
The 15 member Time Warner board is generally supportive of Levin and his corporate strategy. But insiders say several of them have shown their concerns in this matter. "Some of us have known for many， many years that the freedoms under the First Amendment are not totally unlimited，" says Luce. "I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this."
63. Senator Robert Dole criticized Time Warner for .
A. its raising of the corporate stock price B. its selfexamination of soul
C. its neglect of social responsibility D. its emphasis on creative freedom
64. According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
A. Luce is a spokesman of Time Warner.
B. Gerald Levin is liable to compromise.
C. Time Warner is united as one in the face of the debate.
D. Stever Ross is no longer alive
65. In face of the recent attacks on the company， the chairman .
A. stuck to a strong stand to defend freedom of expression
B. softened his tone and adopted some new policy
C. changed his attitude and yielded to objection
D. received more support from the 15member board
66. The best title for this passage could be .
A. A Company under Fire B. A Debate on Moral Decline
C. A Lawful Outlet of Street Culture D. A Form of Creative Freedom
Passage 5
Much of the language used to describe monetary policy， such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes"， makes it sound like a precise science. Nothing could be further from the truth. The link between interest rates and inflation is uncertain. And there are long， variable lags before policy changes have any effect on the economy.Hence the analogy that likens the conduct of monetary policy to driving a car with a blackened windscreen， a cracked rear view mirror and a faulty steering wheel.
Given all these disadvantages， central bankers seem to have had much to boast about of late. Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year， close to its lowest level in 30 years， before rising slightly to 2.5% this July. This is a long way below the double digit rates which many countries experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s.
It is also less than most forecasters had predicated. In late 1994 the panel of economists which The Economist polls each month said that Americas inflation rate would average 3.5% in 1995. In fact， it fell to 2.6% in August， and expected to average only about 3% for the year as a whole. In Britain and Japan inflation is running half a percentage point below the rate predicted at the end of last year. This is no flash in the pan； over the past couple of years， inflation has been consistently lower than expected in Britain and America.
Economists have been particularly surprised by favorable inflation figures in Britain and the United States， since conventional measures suggest that both economies， and especially Americas， have little productive slack. Americas capacity utilization， for example， his historically high levels earlier this year， and its jobless rate （5.6% in August） has fallen bellow most estimates of the natural rate of unemployment - the rate below which inflation has taken off in the past.
Why has inflation proved so mild？ The most thrilling explanation is， unfortunately， a little defective. Some economists argue that powerful structural changes in the world have up ended the old economic models that were based upon the historical link between growth and inflation.
67. From the passage we learn that .
A. there is a definite relationship between inflation and interest rates
B. economy will always follow certain models
C. the economic situation is better than expected
D. economists had foreseen the present economic situation
68. According to the passage， which of the following is TRUE？
A. Making monetary policies is comparable to driving a car
B. An extremely low jobless rate will lead to inflation
C. A high unemployment rate will result from inflation
D. Interest rates have an immediate effect on the economy
69. The sentence "This is no flash in the pan" （Line 5， Paragraph 3） means that .
A. the low inflation rate will last for some time
B. the inflation rate will soon rise
C. the inflation will disappear quickly
D. there is no inflation at present
70. The passage shows that the author is the present situation.
A. critical ofB. puzzled by
C. disappointed atD. amazed at
51. 「D」問(wèn)題是：從第二段我們可知。
第二段第一句是解答本題的關(guān)鍵。"The full import may take a while to sink in."意思為：整個(gè)事情的重要性還需要一段時(shí)間才能被人了解。選D.
52. 「B」問(wèn)題是：當(dāng)作者說(shuō)到"observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling"是什么意思？
該題是一道句意解釋題，關(guān)鍵在于前半句話的褒貶。前半句話說(shuō)美國(guó)和加拿大，爭(zhēng)取死亡權(quán)利的運(yùn)動(dòng)在不斷發(fā)展壯大，潛臺(tái)詞就是安樂(lè)死的合法化是遲早的事。"domino"的意思是多米諾骨牌。
53. 「A」問(wèn)題是：當(dāng)Lloyd Nickson死的時(shí)候，他會(huì)怎么樣？
文章的最后一段話之所以列舉這個(gè)例子，是為了說(shuō)明安樂(lè)死能幫患者化解對(duì)死亡痛苦的憂慮，從容的死去。所以選擇A——他會(huì)從容地面對(duì)死亡，這是接受安樂(lè)死病人的特征。
干擾選項(xiàng)D是原文的意思，但不是發(fā)生在死的那一刻，而是決定采取安樂(lè)死的方式。
54. 「C」問(wèn)題是：作者對(duì)安樂(lè)死的態(tài)度是。
從最后一段列舉的例子來(lái)看，是支持安樂(lè)死的，否則會(huì)舉一個(gè)反對(duì)安樂(lè)死的患者的例子。
投票最終進(jìn)行是在凌晨3點(diǎn)45分。在經(jīng)過(guò)了6個(gè)月的討論和議會(huì)16個(gè)小時(shí)的激烈辯論之后，最終澳大利亞的北部地區(qū)成為世界上第一個(gè)允許醫(yī)生合法幫助無(wú)藥可治的病人進(jìn)行安樂(lè)死的地區(qū)。這項(xiàng)法案最終是以15比10的多數(shù)票通過(guò)。這個(gè)消息立刻就在互聯(lián)網(wǎng)上傳開了，在地球的另一邊，加拿大死亡權(quán)利協(xié)會(huì)執(zhí)行主席 John Hofsess 馬上把這個(gè)消息發(fā)到了該組織的網(wǎng)站Death NET 上。Hofsess 說(shuō)："我們整天都在貼子，因?yàn)檫@件事并不只是澳大利亞的事，這是整個(gè)世界歷的大事。"
人們還需要一段時(shí)間才能了解這整個(gè)事件的重要性。澳大利亞北部地區(qū)制定的這項(xiàng)關(guān)于晚期病人的法律使得醫(yī)生和普通公民都在考慮它在道德和實(shí)際生活方面的意義。有些人放心地松了一口氣，有些人，包括教會(huì)、生存權(quán)利組織和澳大利亞醫(yī)藥協(xié)會(huì)，則猛烈抨擊這項(xiàng)法案，認(rèn)為它的通過(guò)太草率。但是潮流不可能再逆轉(zhuǎn)了。在澳大利亞——那里的人口老齡化問(wèn)題，生命延長(zhǎng)技術(shù)，和社會(huì)態(tài)度的轉(zhuǎn)變，都在分別施加各自的影響——其他地區(qū)也將考慮通過(guò)類似的有關(guān)安樂(lè)死的法案。在美國(guó)和加拿大，隨著死亡權(quán)利運(yùn)動(dòng)不斷發(fā)展壯大，觀察家們正靜候著連鎖反應(yīng)的發(fā)生。
新的北部地區(qū)法律規(guī)定，成年患者可以要求用注射或藥片結(jié)束自己的痛苦?；颊弑仨氂蓛晌会t(yī)生診斷為患有不治之癥，并且在冷靜七天之后，病人就可以簽署申請(qǐng)書。這之后的48小時(shí)之后，病人的愿望就可以實(shí)現(xiàn)。對(duì)于54歲身患肺癌的達(dá)爾文市居民Lloyd Nickson 來(lái)說(shuō)，這項(xiàng)法案意味著他不用再成天擔(dān)心因?yàn)橹舷⒍纯嗟厮廊チ?。他說(shuō)："從精神上來(lái)說(shuō)，我并不害怕死亡；但我擔(dān)心的是將會(huì)怎樣死去，因?yàn)槲以吹竭^(guò)醫(yī)院里的病人因?yàn)榇簧蠚鈦?lái)，抓著氧氣面具痛苦地死去。"
55. 「D」問(wèn)題是：在來(lái)自外界游客的眼里。
文章第一段第一句指出，去過(guò)美國(guó)的人所帶回來(lái)的印象總是：大多數(shù)美國(guó)人表現(xiàn)為友好、禮貌、樂(lè)于助人，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
56. 「A」問(wèn)題是：本文最后一段，可以推斷出。
文章最后一段第1句是本段中心句，像其他發(fā)達(dá)社會(huì)一樣，在美國(guó)構(gòu)成社會(huì)人際關(guān)系的是一系列復(fù)雜的文化符號(hào)、信念和習(xí)俗。句中的"cultural signals， assumptions， conventions" 全都是屬于 "culture" （文化范疇）。由此我們可推斷文化大可影響社會(huì)人際關(guān)系， 即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
57. 「C」問(wèn)題是：邊疆地區(qū)的家庭過(guò)去一直招待陌生人。
文章第2段指出，在美國(guó)歷史的很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)期（即所謂"拓荒"時(shí)代），對(duì)許多地區(qū)來(lái)說(shuō)，一個(gè)旅行者的到來(lái)是很受歡迎的，因?yàn)樗梢詫?duì)平時(shí)單調(diào)的生活起一個(gè)調(diào)節(jié)（break） 作用。離群索居的家庭共同的問(wèn)題是日常生活的單調(diào)與寂寞，陌生人或旅行者的到來(lái)可以使他們暫時(shí)擺脫這種生活狀況。另外，他們也可以因此獲得外界信息。
58. 「B」問(wèn)題是：這種對(duì)陌生人友善客觀的傳統(tǒng)。
文章第4段第2句便給出了答案，"友善好客的老傳統(tǒng)在美國(guó)仍根深蒂固"，即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容：在美國(guó)得以廣泛的保持。
旅游者對(duì)美國(guó)做出的評(píng)價(jià)經(jīng)常是：友好、禮貌和樂(lè)于助人。公平地說(shuō)，這一評(píng)價(jià)對(duì)加拿大人也適用，因此可以說(shuō)游客對(duì)整個(gè)北美地區(qū)的印象都是這樣。當(dāng)然，也有例外的情況。比如說(shuō)美國(guó)官員的心胸狹窄，飯店服務(wù)員的態(tài)度粗魯，出租車司機(jī)沒有禮貌，這些都是眾所周知的。然而，既然美國(guó)人得到了那么多良好的評(píng)價(jià)，這就值得我們說(shuō)上兩句。
曾經(jīng)有很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間，在美國(guó)的很多地方，旅行者的來(lái)訪能打破往日沉悶的生活，因此是很受歡迎的。對(duì)于那些居住得比較分散的家庭來(lái)說(shuō)，沉悶和孤獨(dú)是很普遍的問(wèn)題。陌生人和旅行者帶來(lái)了外面世界的信息，解除了生活的煩悶。
同時(shí)，邊疆地區(qū)生活的嚴(yán)酷性也造成了這種好客的傳統(tǒng)。當(dāng)獨(dú)自旅行的人受到饑餓和傷病的威脅時(shí)，只有到最近的小屋和居民點(diǎn)求助。這并不是說(shuō)旅行者選擇這樣做，或者邊疆居民一時(shí)發(fā)了善心。它反應(yīng)了日常生活的嚴(yán)酷性：如果你不接納和照顧陌生人，就沒有人去管他們。而且，記住，總有一天你也會(huì)處在和他們一樣的處境。
今天，有很多慈善組織專門幫助疲勞的旅行者。但是美國(guó)仍然有很強(qiáng)的對(duì)陌生人好客的傳統(tǒng)，尤其是在遠(yuǎn)離旅游區(qū)的小城鎮(zhèn)里。經(jīng)?？梢月牭接慰蛯?duì)美國(guó)這樣的評(píng)論："我在旅行中碰到一個(gè)美國(guó)人，只和他談了幾句，他就邀請(qǐng)我回家吃晚飯了，真奇怪。"旅行者對(duì)這種現(xiàn)象的理解往往不正確，很多美國(guó)人隨意的友善表示，并不應(yīng)該理解成膚淺或做作的舉動(dòng)，而應(yīng)該看成是有歷史根源的文化傳統(tǒng)。
正如在任何發(fā)達(dá)社會(huì)中一樣，在美國(guó)的一切社會(huì)關(guān)系背后也有一套復(fù)雜的文化符號(hào)和傳統(tǒng)。當(dāng)然，會(huì)說(shuō)一門語(yǔ)言并不意味著了解其社會(huì)文化。旅游者曲解文化含義往往得出錯(cuò)誤的結(jié)論。例如當(dāng)一個(gè)美國(guó)人使用"朋友"這個(gè)詞時(shí)，其文化含義與旅游者的語(yǔ)言文化中這個(gè)詞的含義是不一樣的。公共汽車上的簡(jiǎn)短一晤，你是無(wú)法分辨出禮貌的客氣和個(gè)人的真正興趣的。然而，對(duì)人友好是很多美國(guó)人很看重的一個(gè)優(yōu)點(diǎn)，他們也期望從鄰居和陌生人身上看到這種品質(zhì)。
59. 「D」問(wèn)題是："物質(zhì)濫用"（第1段第5行）這個(gè)詞比 "藥物濫用" 更可取是因?yàn)椤?BR> 文章第一段最后一句作者指出，許多醫(yī)生（physician）和心理學(xué)家常使用"物質(zhì)濫用"而不是"藥物濫用"這一概念，他們想以此說(shuō)明：濫用像煙酒這樣的物質(zhì)與濫用海洛因和可卡因一樣有害。常識(shí)告訴我們 "heroin"和 "cocaine"對(duì)人體是有害的，而像 "alcohol" 和 "tobacco" 這樣的物質(zhì)可以同它們劃等號(hào)（作者用as…… as 句型）?？梢?，除 "heroin" 和 "cocaine"外，還有許多物質(zhì)是有害的，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
60. 「A」問(wèn)題是："pervasive" 這個(gè)詞（第2段第1行）的意思可能是。
文章 "pervasive" 出現(xiàn)那一句的翻譯是"在我們生活的社會(huì)里，物質(zhì)的醫(yī)用和社交用廣泛存在，如：用阿司匹林制止頭痛，用酒交際，早晨用咖啡振作一下精神，抽支煙定定神。"只有A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容廣泛普遍，才是作者舉例要說(shuō)明的。
61. 「A」問(wèn)題是：造成對(duì)某種物質(zhì)心理上依賴的原因是。
用藥量和用藥時(shí)間是造成藥物依賴的兩個(gè)重要因素。文中"tolerance" 一詞指的是長(zhǎng)時(shí)間無(wú)節(jié)制地對(duì)于某物質(zhì)的撮取，即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
62. 「B」問(wèn)題是：從文章最后一段我們可以推斷出。
文章第三段第四、五句，迷幻劑主要影響人的知覺，以各種方式（包括產(chǎn)生幻覺）將它扭曲、改變。它們被稱作"引起幻覺的藥物"，因?yàn)樗鼈兯坪鯊母旧细淖兞巳说囊庾R(shí)狀態(tài)。這是個(gè)常識(shí)問(wèn)題。作者沒有直接在文中指出，但我們都知道，幻覺劑本身就對(duì)人體有害，即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
從技術(shù)角度來(lái)講，除了食物之外，任何能夠改變我們的身體和思維功能的物質(zhì)都是藥物。很多人錯(cuò)誤地認(rèn)為"藥物"這個(gè)詞指的就是某種藥或者癮君子們服用的非法化學(xué)藥品。他們沒有意識(shí)到很多熟悉的物質(zhì)如煙、酒也是藥物，這也是為什么醫(yī)生和心理學(xué)者使用"濫用"這個(gè)比較中性的詞?，F(xiàn)在人們經(jīng)常用"濫用物質(zhì)"來(lái)代替 "濫用藥物"，以便能夠清楚地說(shuō)明像煙和酒這樣的物質(zhì)如果濫用，能和海洛因和可卡因一樣有害。
我們居住的社會(huì)里，不論是醫(yī)療用還是日常生活中，濫用物質(zhì)（藥物）的現(xiàn)象都十分普遍：吃片阿司匹林來(lái)緩解頭痛，喝杯酒來(lái)促進(jìn)交際，早起喝杯咖啡來(lái)打起精神，抽支煙來(lái)緩解緊張。使用這些物質(zhì)是被社會(huì)認(rèn)可的，而且明顯對(duì)我們有幫助，怎么會(huì)變成濫用了呢？首先，大部分的物質(zhì)，一旦使用過(guò)量，就會(huì)產(chǎn)生負(fù)面影響，比如中毒或?qū)е轮X扭曲。反復(fù)使用一種物質(zhì)會(huì)導(dǎo)致上癮或?qū)υ撐镔|(zhì)的依賴。這種依賴首先表現(xiàn)為耐藥性增強(qiáng)，要想達(dá)到預(yù)期的效果就需要越來(lái)越多的這種物質(zhì)；然后當(dāng)一旦終止使用這種物質(zhì)，就會(huì)出現(xiàn)停藥后的不適癥狀。
能影響中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)，改變?nèi)藗兊闹X、情緒和行為的藥物（物質(zhì)）被稱作"作用于精神的物質(zhì)".人們通常把這些物質(zhì)區(qū)分為興奮劑、鎮(zhèn)靜劑和迷幻劑。興奮劑會(huì)加速或刺激中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)，而鎮(zhèn)靜劑減慢神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的工作。迷幻劑主要作用于人的知覺上，使其扭曲變形，產(chǎn)生幻覺等。這些物質(zhì)通常被稱為"迷幻藥"（這個(gè)詞來(lái)自希臘語(yǔ)，意思是"展示思想的"），因?yàn)樗鼈兯坪跄軌蚝芸旄淖円粋€(gè)人的意識(shí)狀態(tài)。
63. 「C」問(wèn)題是：參議員Robert Dole譴責(zé)Time Warner公司是因?yàn)椤?BR> 文章第一段指出，沒有哪個(gè)公司喜歡別人說(shuō)它導(dǎo)致了全國(guó)道德的敗壞。多爾參議員所指責(zé)時(shí)代華納公司的正是這一點(diǎn)。他說(shuō)：難道這就是你們的經(jīng)營(yíng)目標(biāo)嗎？你們出賣了自己的靈魂，難道你們也想毀了國(guó)家、危及我們的孩子嗎？ 這種行為當(dāng)然屬于對(duì)社會(huì)責(zé)任的忽視。
64. 「D」問(wèn)題是：根據(jù)文中內(nèi)容，以下哪一項(xiàng)是正確的？
"late"除其他意思外，該詞有"前"，"已故的"等意思。一般來(lái)講，該詞加在人名或稱呼前時(shí)譯作"已故的"，如：the late Mr.Green已故格林先生，her late husband她的前夫（已故）。若加在頭銜前，則要據(jù)情況而譯，如：the late president前總統(tǒng)（也可能已故，也可能僅指剛剛卸職）。
65. 「B」問(wèn)題是：面對(duì)近期外界對(duì)公司的攻擊，主席。
文章第3段講到公司主席Levin持強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)，他還辯護(hù)說(shuō)，街頭音樂(lè)不過(guò)是一種文化，是值得推廣的。但第4段作者指出，Levin對(duì)上周的爭(zhēng)議拒絕評(píng)價(jià)，但有跡象表明他正在放棄自己的強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)——至少在某種程度上可以這樣說(shuō)。即B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
66. 「A」問(wèn)題是：本文的標(biāo)題可能是。
從以上的分析可以看出，本文主要是評(píng)述了時(shí)代華納公司因發(fā)行新音樂(lè)專輯而受到的責(zé)難及其反應(yīng)。B題目太廣泛，C和D都不可能概括文章內(nèi)容。沒有一家公司希望被指責(zé)為導(dǎo)致了國(guó)家道德水平的墮落。Robert Dole參議員在上周的會(huì)議中向時(shí)代華納公司的執(zhí)行長(zhǎng)官發(fā)問(wèn)："你們的事業(yè)就是為了達(dá)到這樣的結(jié)果嗎？你們已經(jīng)出賣了自己的靈魂，難道還要腐化我們的國(guó)家，危及我們的孩子嗎？"在時(shí)代華納，這自我反省的一幕自從公司1990年創(chuàng)建時(shí)就在不斷上演，而這次的這個(gè)問(wèn)題只是一種最新的發(fā)問(wèn)形式而已。在不同時(shí)期，這種自我檢查涉及的內(nèi)容包括責(zé)任、創(chuàng)作自由和公司能容忍的底線。
處于這場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)論中心位置的是公司主席，56歲的Gerald Levin，他于1992年從已故主席Steve Ross 手中接過(guò)這個(gè)重任。在財(cái)政問(wèn)題上，Levin 的壓力很大，他必須提高公司的股價(jià)，并減少公司的巨額債務(wù)，而這一債務(wù)在購(gòu)買兩條電纜的交易完成之后將達(dá)到一百七十三億美元。他承諾出售公司的一些產(chǎn)業(yè)，并對(duì)公司進(jìn)行重組，但是投資者已經(jīng)等得不耐煩了。
人們關(guān)于rap 音樂(lè)的抨擊使Levin 的日子更加不好過(guò)。Levin 一直以rap 音樂(lè)只是一種表達(dá)方式來(lái)維護(hù)該公司的rap 音樂(lè)。1992年，華納公司因?yàn)槌銎妨薎ceT 樂(lè)隊(duì)充滿暴力的rap 歌曲《警察殺手》，而受到了猛烈的指責(zé)。這時(shí)，Levin把rap音樂(lè)描述成街頭文化的一種合法表現(xiàn)形式，因?yàn)榻诸^文化也需要宣泄。他在《華爾街時(shí)報(bào)》的專欄中寫道："任何民主社會(huì)面臨的考驗(yàn)并不是它是否能控制言論，而是它是否能給予思想和言論限度的自由，盡管有時(shí)這樣做的結(jié)果是非常令人爭(zhēng)議和不快的，但是我們不會(huì)在任何威脅面前退縮。"
Levin不愿對(duì)上周進(jìn)行的這次爭(zhēng)論發(fā)表評(píng)論，但是種種跡象顯示這位主席的強(qiáng)硬立場(chǎng)有所減弱，至少是在某種程度上的減弱。在上周股東會(huì)議討論搖滾音樂(lè)內(nèi)容時(shí)，Levin強(qiáng)調(diào)說(shuō)"音樂(lè)并不是社會(huì)弊端的根源"，他甚至還舉了兒子的例子。他的兒子是紐約Bronx的一名教師，曾用rap音樂(lè)來(lái)和學(xué)生進(jìn)行交流。但是在會(huì)議上，他也談到了要在"創(chuàng)作自由"和"社會(huì)責(zé)任"之間努力保持平衡，他還宣布華納公司將開始制定標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，對(duì)可能引起非議的音樂(lè)予以標(biāo)記，并對(duì)其發(fā)行進(jìn)行控制。
時(shí)代華納董事會(huì)的15名成員基本上支持Levin和他的策略。但內(nèi)部人士透露，董事會(huì)中有些人表達(dá)了對(duì)此事的關(guān)注。Luce說(shuō)："我們有些人多年以來(lái)一直知道第一修正案授予的自由并不是完全沒有限制的，但我想可能有些人直到最近才意識(shí)到這一點(diǎn)。"
67. 「C」問(wèn)題是：從文中我們可以得出。
第三段指出，它（指平均通貨膨脹率）也比多數(shù)預(yù)測(cè)者預(yù)測(cè)的低?！督?jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》雜志每月調(diào)查的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家小組稱：1995年美國(guó)平均通貨膨脹率會(huì)達(dá)3.5%左右，但是，8月份它實(shí)際降至2.6%，全年也不過(guò)3%左右；在英國(guó)和日本，平均通貨膨脹率比上年底預(yù)測(cè)的低0.5百分點(diǎn)（或：半個(gè)百分點(diǎn)）。而且，在過(guò)去幾年里一直是如此（this is no flash in the pan）：在英美兩國(guó)，平均通貨膨脹率一直比預(yù)測(cè)的要低。
68. 「B」問(wèn)題是：根據(jù)本文內(nèi)容，以下哪一項(xiàng)是正確的？
第四段指出，從傳統(tǒng)的（衡量）標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)看，英美兩國(guó)（特別是美國(guó)）的經(jīng)濟(jì)生產(chǎn)并沒有滑坡（productive slack），例如：美國(guó)的設(shè)備（能力）利用率（capacity utilization）今年初達(dá)到歷史水平，其失業(yè)率已低于多數(shù)正常失業(yè)率所允許的數(shù)字——過(guò)去認(rèn)為：失業(yè)率低于正常失業(yè)率時(shí)通貨膨脹率就開始上升（take off）
69. 「A」問(wèn)題是：第3段第5行中"this is no flash the pan" 這句話的意思是。
a flash in the pan意為：曇花一現(xiàn)，偶然出現(xiàn)的情況。"this is no flash the pan"意為"不是曇花一現(xiàn)"，結(jié)合上文，就是低通脹會(huì)持續(xù)，即A項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
70. 「D」問(wèn)題是：文章表明了作者對(duì)于現(xiàn)今的局勢(shì)。
本文主要評(píng)述了目前良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)，它是由持續(xù)低的通貨膨脹率造成的，是始料未及的。因此作者的態(tài)度是"驚奇的"，即D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容。
有很多這樣的語(yǔ)言被用來(lái)形容貨幣政策，例如"引導(dǎo)經(jīng)濟(jì)軟著陸"或者"踩剎車"，這使它聽上去像是一門精確的科學(xué)。但事實(shí)遠(yuǎn)非如此。利率和通貨膨脹之間的聯(lián)系無(wú)法確定，政策調(diào)整對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)的影響既滯后又難以確定。因此有人將貨幣政策的作用比喻成：開著一輛擋風(fēng)玻璃漆黑、反光鏡破碎、方向盤失靈的車。
盡管有這些不足之處，主要銀行家對(duì)近來(lái)的局勢(shì)似乎相當(dāng)自豪。去年七個(gè)主要工業(yè)國(guó)的通貨膨脹率下降至2.3%，接近30年來(lái)的最低水平；到今年7月，這個(gè)數(shù)字略微上升到2.5%.這遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)低于七八十年代很多國(guó)家曾經(jīng)經(jīng)歷過(guò)的兩位數(shù)的通貨膨脹率。
這個(gè)數(shù)字也低于大多數(shù)觀察家的預(yù)期。1994年末《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》雜志每月調(diào)查的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家小組預(yù)測(cè)，1995年美國(guó)的通貨膨脹率將是3.5%.實(shí)際上，到8月份時(shí)，這個(gè)數(shù)字降至2.6%，全年的平均水平也不會(huì)超過(guò)3%.在英國(guó)和日本，通貨膨脹都比上一年的預(yù)期要低半個(gè)百分點(diǎn)。這種情況并不是曇花一現(xiàn)。在過(guò)去的幾年中，英國(guó)和美國(guó)的通貨膨脹率一直低于預(yù)期水平。
經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家對(duì)英國(guó)和美國(guó)的這種樂(lè)觀的通貨膨脹數(shù)據(jù)感到尤為吃驚，因?yàn)閭鹘y(tǒng)的計(jì)算方法顯示，這兩個(gè)國(guó)家，尤其是美國(guó)，已經(jīng)沒有太大的生產(chǎn)彈性。例如，美國(guó)的生產(chǎn)能力利用率年初達(dá)到了歷史水平，而它的失業(yè)率（8月份為5.6%）已經(jīng)低于了大多數(shù)人預(yù)計(jì)的自然失業(yè)率——在過(guò)去，當(dāng)這種情況出現(xiàn)時(shí)，通貨膨脹就要發(fā)生了。
為什么通貨膨脹的情況如此輕微呢？不幸的是，即使是最令人振奮的解釋也有一些缺陷。一些經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家認(rèn)為傳統(tǒng)的經(jīng)濟(jì)模式是建立在分析增長(zhǎng)與通貨膨脹的歷史聯(lián)系的基礎(chǔ)之上的，而當(dāng)今世界格局的巨大變化已經(jīng)徹底*了這種舊的經(jīng)濟(jì)模式。