Passage Two
　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.
　　Henry Ford, the famous U.S. inventor and car manufacturer, once said, “The business of America is business.” By this he meant that the U.S. way of life is based on the values of the business world.
　　Few would argue with Ford’s statement. A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business. For example, nearly every newspaper has a business section, in which the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily. In addition, business news can appear in every other section. Most national news has an important financial aspect to it. Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business. Moreover, business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places. The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry” or “show business.”
　　The positive side of Henry Ford’s statement can be seen in the prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life. One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job. Jobs are produced in abundance (大量地) because the U.S. economic system is driven by competition. People believe that this system crates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life.
　　The negative side of Henry Ford’s statement, however, can be seen when the word business is taken to mean big business. And the term big business—referring to the biggest companies, is seen in opposition to labor. Throughout U.S. history working people have had to fight hard for higher wages, better working conditions, and the fight to form unions. Today, many of the old labor disputes are over, but there is still some employee anxiety. Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many.
　　26. The United States is a typical country ________.
　　A) which encourages free trade at home and abroad
　　B) where people’s chief concern is how to make money
　　C) where all businesses are managed scientifically
　　D) which normally works according to the federal budget（D）
　　27. The influence of business in the U.S. is evidenced by the fact that ________.
　　A) most newspapers are run by big businesses
　　B) even public organizations concentrate on working for profits
　　C) Americans of all professions know how to do business
　　D) even arts and entertainment are regarded as business（C）
　　28. According to the passage, immigrants choose to settle in the U.S., dreaming that ________.
　　A) they can start profitable businesses there
　　B) they can be more competitive in business
　　C) they will make a fortune overnight there
　　D) they will find better chances of employment（B）
　　29. Henry Ford’s statement can be taken negatively because ________.
　　A) working people are discouraged to fight for their fights
　　B) there are many industries controlled by a few big capitalists
　　C) there is a conflicting relationship between big corporations and labor
　　D) public services are not run by the federal government（C）
　　30. A company’s efforts to keep expenses low and profits high may result in ________.
　　A) reduction in the number of employees
　　B) improvement of working conditions
　　C) fewer disputes between labor and management
　　D) a rise in workers’ wages（D）
　　这篇材料的核心内容是美国无处不在的商业哲学。这一哲学的创始者就是亨利·福特，小段引用他的话说：The business of America is business，个business应该泛指“事情”，第二个指“商业”、“买卖”，大体句意是说美国人的生活就是商业。后面的一句也对这句名言做了解释：美国人的生活方式搭建在商业世界的价值基础之上（way of life is based on the values of the business world）。
　　这句话到底因何而出呢？第二段集中笔墨对此做了详述。作者的着眼点主要在于美国的报纸。几乎所有报纸都一个商业板块，里面充斥着交易、项目、财经、管理、股价等等报道（the deals and projects, finances and management, stock prices and labor problems of corporations are reported daily）。而大多数全国性报纸的财经板块对于报纸本身来说地位至关重要。商业新闻还出现在一些貌似不可能出现的地方（business news appears in some of the unlikeliest places）。艺术与娱乐世界经常被成为娱乐产业或是演艺商业。
　　作者罗列了如此丰富的证据，看来福特的名言确实无可争辩。接下来，作者就来讨论商业社会利弊了。首先是利：商业给美国带来了繁荣（prosperity that business has brought to U.S. life）。许多人奔赴美国的重要原因之一是这里可以找到更好的工作（dream of a better job）。由于美国的经济系统是由竞争驱动的，就产生了大量的职位需求。人们相信这一系统创造了更多的财富、职位，改善了物质生活（this system creates more wealth, more jobs, and a materially better way of life）。
　　后一段讨论了商业哲学的消极影响。作者首先说明消极影响的发生条件：当business指的是big business，而big business指的是biggest companies的时候，而这种影响发生在大公司的劳方身上。在美国历史上，工人始终要为更高的工资、更好的工作条件和组织工会的权利而与资方斗争（higher wages, better working conditions, and the right to form unions）。现在，虽然旧有的劳资纠纷已经消失，但劳方依然存在某方面的忧虑，比如，为节约成本、增加利润的目的而经常发生的裁员现象（laying off词组指的是解雇），就使许多人感到不安。
　　26. B
　　题目问的是美国是一个什么样的典型国家。
　　A，鼓励国内外的自由贸易。
　　B，人们关心的问题是如何赚钱。
　　C，所有的公司都得到了科学地管理。
　　D，依赖联邦预算而正常运转的国家。
　　本文的段很短，出题的可能性不大，而结合题目来看，仅从段确实无法直接得出答案。本题的解答需要充分理解第二段。
　　虽然段内容较短，但其后一句话却是第二段整段的核心。该句的意思是美国人的生活方式基于商业世界的价值。第二段从美国社会的商业新闻无孔不入现象出发，论述了这个观点。
　　结合四个题支，可以看出本题并不是很难，因为A和C的说法在文中根本没有出现，可以直接排除。D中的federal budget在文中有所提及：the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business，意思是联邦预算要受到商业的重大影响。这一句同样是强调商业的重要性的。这样的话，D也可以排除。
　　这样就只剩下B了。B的说法实际上是段后一句话的通俗说法，因为，美国人连自己的生活方式都是基于商业世界的价值，那么他们首先关心的确实应该是赚钱——商业的本质就是赚钱。第二，商业新闻无孔不入，说明人们非常关心这类新闻，否则刊登这类新闻的报纸的销路就会受到影响。
　　27. D
　　题目问商业在美国的影响以哪一事实而得到证明。
　　A，大多数报纸都由大公司运营。第二段以大量篇幅描述了与报纸相关的内容，作者举出这些报纸的例子的目的是什么呢？第二句话是一个概括句，A brief glimpse at a daily newspaper vividly shows how much people in the United States think about business，可以看出这些报纸可以显示出美国人对商业的想法。这和由什么公司运营没有关系，所以A是错误的。
　　B，即便是公共机构也集中全力赚钱。与这句话相关的原文是：Welfare, foreign aid, the federal budget, and the policies of the Federal Reserve Bank are all heavily affected by business，这里的welfare（福利）和foreign aid（外国援助）应该和公共机关有关，但heavily affected by business仅是说受到商业影响，这不代表就是集中精力赚取利润。
　　C，所有不同职业的美国人都知道如何做生意。文中没有明确这一点，从常识上也可以判断这种说法太过武断了。
　　D，即便是艺术和娱乐也被视为生意。这一说法和第二段后一句话相照应：The world of arts and entertainment is often referred to as “the entertainment industry” or “show business.”
　　28. D
　　题目问移民选择到美国定居，怀揣什么样的梦想。
　　A，他们能在美国开展有利可图的生意。
　　B，他们能在生意上更具竞争力。
　　C，他们能在美国一夜暴富。
　　D，他们能获得更好的工作机会。
　　第三段提到了人们来到美国定居的原因：One of the most important reasons so many people from all over the world come to live in the United States is the dream of a better job，这里讲的非常明显，原因就是想要获得一份更好的工作，是job，而不是business（可排除A）。D的说法与此为接近。
　　此句之后的两句做了进一步的解释，其中提到了driven by competition，B的说法应该是源于这里的competition，不过本句意思是说竞争会促使工作机会大量出现，和增强竞争力没有关系。
　　C的说法可能源于第三段后一句中的wealth一词，不过理解文意后可以轻松排除该选项。
　　29. C
　　题目问福特的名言也可以消极地理解，是因为什么。
　　A，不鼓励工人为自己的权利而战。
　　B，许多产业被少数大资本家控制。
　　C，在大公司和工人之间存在冲突关系。
　　D，公告事业不由联邦政府运营。
　　福特名言的消极一面是后一段的内容（开头即提到The negative side of Henry Ford’s statement）。后一段先是指出进行消极理解的前提条件：business指代大公司。在这一前提下，大公司是与工人对立的（in opposition to labor），后文具体论述了二者如何对立，如工人要求提高工资待遇、资方进行裁员等等。
　　和这些内容相关的选项有A和C，其中C的说法完全符合第三段的论述。至于A，因为缺少了关键的前提条件——大公司，所以不能认为是正确的。
　　30. A
　　题目问公司压缩成本、抬高利润的行为有可能导致什么。
　　A，减少员工数量。
　　B，改善工作环境。
　　C，减少工人和管理层直接的摩擦。
　　D，提高工人工资。 　
　　题目里的keep expenses low and profits high一句出现在后一段的后一句话：Downsizing—the laying off of thousands of workers to keep expenses low and profits high—creates feelings of insecurity for many，可以看出keep前面有to，表明这是一个目的状语，那么to前面的内容就是题目所问的内容。这道题可以归结为是对短语the laying off的考查。Laying off的意思是“解雇”，那么the laying off of thousands of workers就是“解雇成千上万的工人”，恰好是A所说的“减少员工数量”。
　　如果不了解这个短语的含义，从downsizing这个单词的结构上也可以作出大致的判断（down——向下，size——尺寸）。另外，BCD三个选项都是对工人有利的情形，必然不会引起工人的忧虑，这就和原文中的feelings of insecurity（不安全感）意思相反了。从这一点也可以排除BCD三个错误选项。

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