American Dreams
There is a common response to America among foreign writers: the US is a land of extremes where the best of things are just as easily found as the worst. This is a cliché (陳詞濫調(diào)).
In the land of black and white, people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out to everyone.__(46)__ No class system or government stands in the way.
Sadly, this old argument is no longer true. Over the past few decades there has been a fundamental shift in the structure of the American economy.
The gap between the rich and the poor has widened and widened. __(47)__
Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent, however, it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top fifth of Americans had an average income 6.7 times that of the bottom fifth.__(48)__.
Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for lower class families have fallen by 4 per cent since 1969. __(49)___. This has led to an economy hugely in favor of a small group of very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the developed world.
Yet the tax burden on America’s rich is falling, not growing.__(50)__ There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.
A Nobody is poor in the US.(肯定不是答案， 句意太絕對)
B The top 0.01 percent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
答案與解析：
1.分析被選項(xiàng)， 注意被選項(xiàng)中的篇章詞匯及時態(tài)上的差異：
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
2.直接解題：
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder(梯子) towards the top.
In the land of black and white, people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out(擺脫(困難)的方法) to everyone.__(46)__ No class system or government stands in the way(擋道).
46.(最后答)F。
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap (差距)gets smaller(更小) and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
The gap (差距)between the rich and the poor has widened(加寬) and widened. __(47)__
Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent, however, it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top(的， 頂上的) fifth of Americans had an average(平均的) income(收入) 6.7 times that of the bottom(底部的) fifth.__(48)__.
47.E.
提示1：
被選項(xiàng)中如果有兩處以上的詞語或結(jié)構(gòu)與空格前后句中的詞語/結(jié)構(gòu)形成呼應(yīng)(句子結(jié)構(gòu)一致，或詞語之間彼此形成近義詞，反義詞， 家族詞匯，主題相關(guān)詞)，則該被選項(xiàng)很可能是答案。
48.D.
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class (上層社會)families they have risen (上升)41 percent.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for lower class families (下層社會)have fallen (下降)by 4 percent since 1969. __(49)___. This has led to an economy hugely(非常地) in favor of (有利于)a small group of (一小部分)very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the developed world.
提示：
反應(yīng)細(xì)節(jié)信息的語句可能接連出現(xiàn)。
B The top 0.01 percent of households(家庭) has seen its tax bite(稅的減免) fall by a full(完全的， 充滿的) 整整25 percentage points (百分點(diǎn))since 1980.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
Yet the tax burden(負(fù)擔(dān)) on America’s rich is falling, not growing.__(50)__ There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.
50.B.
提示：
涉及具體細(xì)節(jié)信息的選項(xiàng)(往往包含數(shù)字)常常是答案。
There is a common response to America among foreign writers: the US is a land of extremes where the best of things are just as easily found as the worst. This is a cliché (陳詞濫調(diào)).
In the land of black and white, people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out to everyone.__(46)__ No class system or government stands in the way.
Sadly, this old argument is no longer true. Over the past few decades there has been a fundamental shift in the structure of the American economy.
The gap between the rich and the poor has widened and widened. __(47)__
Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent, however, it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top fifth of Americans had an average income 6.7 times that of the bottom fifth.__(48)__.
Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for lower class families have fallen by 4 per cent since 1969. __(49)___. This has led to an economy hugely in favor of a small group of very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the developed world.
Yet the tax burden on America’s rich is falling, not growing.__(50)__ There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.
A Nobody is poor in the US.(肯定不是答案， 句意太絕對)
B The top 0.01 percent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
答案與解析：
1.分析被選項(xiàng)， 注意被選項(xiàng)中的篇章詞匯及時態(tài)上的差異：
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
2.直接解題：
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder(梯子) towards the top.
In the land of black and white, people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out(擺脫(困難)的方法) to everyone.__(46)__ No class system or government stands in the way(擋道).
46.(最后答)F。
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
D Now it is 9.8 times.
E As it does so, the possibility to cross that gap (差距)gets smaller(更小) and smaller.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
The gap (差距)between the rich and the poor has widened(加寬) and widened. __(47)__
Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent, however, it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top(的， 頂上的) fifth of Americans had an average(平均的) income(收入) 6.7 times that of the bottom(底部的) fifth.__(48)__.
47.E.
提示1：
被選項(xiàng)中如果有兩處以上的詞語或結(jié)構(gòu)與空格前后句中的詞語/結(jié)構(gòu)形成呼應(yīng)(句子結(jié)構(gòu)一致，或詞語之間彼此形成近義詞，反義詞， 家族詞匯，主題相關(guān)詞)，則該被選項(xiàng)很可能是答案。
48.D.
B The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
C For upper class (上層社會)families they have risen (上升)41 percent.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for lower class families (下層社會)have fallen (下降)by 4 percent since 1969. __(49)___. This has led to an economy hugely(非常地) in favor of (有利于)a small group of (一小部分)very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the developed world.
提示：
反應(yīng)細(xì)節(jié)信息的語句可能接連出現(xiàn)。
B The top 0.01 percent of households(家庭) has seen its tax bite(稅的減免) fall by a full(完全的， 充滿的) 整整25 percentage points (百分點(diǎn))since 1980.
F All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.
Yet the tax burden(負(fù)擔(dān)) on America’s rich is falling, not growing.__(50)__ There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.
50.B.
提示：
涉及具體細(xì)節(jié)信息的選項(xiàng)(往往包含數(shù)字)常常是答案。