第七章 真题讲解四

Questions 6-10
9个小节

It was the American consumer who saved the country from becoming mired in recession last year. But some corporations have a strange way of expressing their appreciation: hiking fees and cutting services, sometimes in the wake of corporate missteps.

appreciation：欣赏、感激、货币升值
文章中的冒号表示解释说明，冒号后往往紧跟关键词，这便是考点所在。

Massive economic and political changes — including the waves of corporate layoffs, the airline bankruptcies and the Republican sweep last November-have created both opportunities and hurdles for consumers. Moving forward, the trick is knowing where you can expect to find them.

两个破折号之间的内容为插入语，阅读原则为：抓主谓、舍从属
两个逗号之间的内容也为插入语，阅读时也抓主谓、舍从属
一个破折号为解释说明，作用同冒号，后面紧跟考点

To help you navigate, here are our best recommendations for saving money in 2003.

由于前两段没有出现主题句，因此本段一定蕴涵主题句。

Throughout the year, you make down payments on your coming tax bill either through withholding from you paycheck or estimated quarterly payments. If you happen to get a refund check, you are thrilled, right? Just remember: when paying too much upfront, you are giving Uncle Sam a free loan ¬— money that should be earning interest for you, not the government. Most taxpayers make this mistake, and the number grows every year.

down payments：首付定金
remember无论在阅读或听力中，后面都紧跟考点。
a free loan ¬— 一个破折号表示解释说明，需要仔细看

Some people pay as much as $150 a year to be in rewards programs, but a growing number of cards give you the same benefits for free. If it is miles you want, there are at least two good options. The Amtrak Guest Reward MasterCard gives users one point in the Amtrak frequent-traveler program for every dollar they spend. Points can be cashed in for train tickets or air miles on United, Continental or Midwest Express.

American Express offers the Delta Sky Miles Options credit card, which gives cardholders a mile for every two dollars spent. However, people who charge a lot will probably want to pony up the $85 annual fee for a regular delta card, which offers more than twice the miles.

Don't buy the latest cell phone immediately the newest models-the ones with color screens and high-speed Web access-are finally hitting the United States. If you buy now, you'll pay a premium. Analysts expect the phones to catch on quickly, which will probably mean a major price drop later in the year.

Don't assume Treasury bonds are safe. Uncle Sam may not default on his interest payments, but if interest rates rise, T-bonds can still suffer severe short-term losses. It's happened before: Longer-term government bonds have lost money for 9 of past 30 years, even after figuring in the interest that investors earned.

Don't hang on to rotten stocks, hoping to get back to even. The market may recover, but many individual stocks will never bounce back. What to do? Consider selling your losers, which will give you a handsome tax loss if the stocks are held in a taxable account. Then reinvest the money in well-diversified, low-cost stock funds.

rotten stocks：套牢的股票

文章结构：

前三小节必定出现主题句
第三小节由recommendations引出主题句，后面是分类列举
第四小节down payment
第五、六小节rewards program：The Amtrak Guest Reward Mastercard
The Delta Sky Miles Options Credit Card < $85
第七小节：手机
第八小节：国库券
第九小节：股票
全文为总分结构

6. The word "hurdles" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to "________".
(A) chances
(B) Challenges
(C) tricks
(D) obstacles

词汇题解题技巧：
（判断和检验）：生词、熟词僻义——文中含义

7. "Uncle Sam" (para. 4) refers to the ________
(A) American government
(B) American people in general
(C) American taxpayers
(D) American bankers

8. Which of the following is NOT true about the latest cell phone?
(A) Its price may drop dramatically in the next few months.
(B) It has screens of different colors.
(C) It is expected to become popular soon.
(D) You have to pay for an insurance policy if you buy now.

9. A wise way of reinvestment is to ________
(A) buy long-term government bonds
(B) buy more rotten stocks until they get back to even
(C) sell rotten stocks and buy various low-cost stock funds
(D) deposit it in the bank because interest rates may rise

10. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
(A) The American economy was in recession last year.
(B) You should cut back on the amount of your withholding from your paycheck.
(C) A regular Delta card saves you more money than other credit cars.
(D) The chances for long-term T-bonds to suffer losses are slim.

一、重要词汇讲解

1、recession经济衰退
depression 经济大萧条
Depression特指美国1929-1933经济大危机

形容词recessive后退的
recessive gene隐性基因
dominant gene显性基因

2、in the wake of尾随、紧跟

3、layoff下岗

4、benefit好处
be beneficial to对……有好处，有利于
同义be conducive to
facilitate

词根ben好的
benediction祝福的语言

5、pony up=pay

6、default拖欠债务

二、词汇题解题技巧：

（判断和检验）：生词、熟词僻义——文中含义、词汇题解题技巧
就题做题：
3、The word “domestic” is closest in meaning to___
(A)industrial (B)agricultural
(C)natural (D)household

16.The word “anthropologist” (line 1) means someone who .
(A) studies the nature of man (B) arranges wedding ceremonies
(C) keeps account for newly weds (D) records local events

词根词缀：
17. The word “aggravate” (para 2) is closest in meaning to “ ”.
(A) make clear (B) encounter
(C) settle (D) make serious
aggravate
grav词根，坟墓
agg程度加深

30. The word “transcends” (para.1) in the sentence “highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form…” is closest in meaning to which of the following?
(A) go beyond (B) fit into (C) subject to (D) set up

transcend
trans变化
scend走

3、 语言环境——上下文原则：
同义：in other words, likewise, similarly, that is (i.e.) 同位语，插入语，定语从句
反义：otherwise, on the contrary, regardlessly, conversely
解释：specifically, accordingly

三、内容补充：

经济类词汇：

add-on 附赠品
greenback提供现金支持
bottomline 最重要的部分
downsize 裁员
corporate ladder 公司晋升制度
glass ceiling 无形的晋升极限
deep pockets 财力雄厚
creative accounting 作假帐
industrial espionage 商业间谍