提升閱讀和翻譯能力要打好基礎，要做到這一點，一定要學會精讀，以歷年真題為依託，仔細研究每個句子，日積月累，堅持百日，相信會有很大的提升。下面是小編給大家準備的考研英語閱讀理解的真題及解析，一起來看看吧!
A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.
It was inevitable that this primacy should have narrowed as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid 1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea's LG Electronics in July.)Foreign made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America's machine tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.
All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid 1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America's industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.
How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. "American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted," according to Richard Cavanagh, executive dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses are improving their productivity," says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, a think-tank in Washington, DC. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as "a golden age of business management in the United States."
1. The U.S. achieved its predominance after World War II because ________.
[A] it had made painstaking efforts towards this goal
[B] its domestic market was eight times larger than before
[C] the war had destroyed the economies of most potential competitors
[D] the unparalleled size of its workforce had given an impetus to its economy
2. The loss of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s is manifested in the fact that the American ________.
[A] TV industry had withdrawn to its domestic market
[B] semiconductor industry had been taken over by foreign enterprises
[C] machine tool industry had collapsed after suicidal actions
[D] auto industry had lost part of its domestic market
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
[A] It is human nature to shift between self-doubt and blind pride.
[B] Intense competition may contribute to economic progress.
[C] The revival of the economy depends on international cooperation.
[D] A long history of success may pave the way for further development.
4. The author seems to believe the revival of the U.S. economy in the 1990s can be attributed to the ____
[A] turning of the business cycle [B] restructuring of industry
[C] improved business management [D] success in education
>>>>>>答案解析<<<<<<
重點詞彙：
icap (v.阻礙;使不利)←hand+i(n)+cap，據說源自古代一種賭博：將罰金置於帽子裡，手進入帽子抽籤，抽中者處不利地位。cultural handicap 文化障礙;language handicap 語言障礙。
ralleled(無可比擬的)←un+parallel+ed;parallel(n.v.a.平行;相似)即para+llel，para-字首“在旁邊”=beside，llel三個l看作是“平行線”。parallel points in the characters of different men 不同人的個性的相同之處。
perous(繁榮的)←prosper(v.繁榮)+ous;prosperity←prosper+ity名詞字尾。T
predominance(優勢)即pre+domin+ance，pre-“在前”，domin詞根“支配”(如dominate→domin+ate動詞字尾→支配;佔優勢)，-ance名詞字尾;predominant(佔優勢的;起主要作用的)←pre+domin+ant形容詞字尾。the predominant feature of sb.'s character 某人性格的主要特徵。
ational ?(感動的;引起轟動的)即sens(e)+ation+al，sense詞根“感覺”，-sation名詞字尾，-al形容詞字尾。sensational literature 令人激動的作品;a sensational crime 駭人聽聞的罪行。
attribute (屬性v.歸因於)即at+tribute，at-(=to)，tribute詞根“給”，於是“把屬性給某物”→歸因於;contribute(v.貢獻;捐獻;投稿)即con一起+tribute，“一起給”→捐獻→引申為“投稿”。
utive?(執行的;執行官)可看作exe+cut+ive，exe即“可執行檔案”字尾名，cut切，-ive字尾，“執行(exe)官的任務是——如果你不聽話，就把你cut掉”。The business system is blessed with a built-in corrective, namely, that one executive's mistakes become his competitor's assets.商界有一條天然的校正法則，即：決策者的失誤會變成競爭對手的資產。executive — a person who always decides; sometimes he decides correctly 管理人員——總在做決定的人;有時候他也能做出正確決定。
uctivity (生產率)即produc(e)+tiv(e)+ity，produce生產，-tive形容詞字尾，-ity名詞字尾。raise the labour productivity 提高勞動生產率。
tus(n.推動;推動力)可看作im+pet+us，im-即in-(in-在p前變形為im-)，pet寵物，us我們，寵物(pet)裡面(im)有我們(us)的動力(impetus)。the primary impetus behind the economic recovery 促使經濟復甦的主要推動力。
fest ?(明白的;v.表明)看作man+if+est，man男人，if是否，est形容詞最高階，“男人是否最明白”。No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.無論明顯的荒唐有多大……都無法阻止那些由於相信而相信的人。
draw(v.撤銷;縮回;提取)←with+draw，with-(=back, against)，draw拉，“拉回來”。
9. restructure (v.重組)←re+structure，re-再=again，structure(v.n.構造)。The past has revealed to me the structure of the future.過去向我揭示了未來的結構。
a loss 不知所措;
the ropes 岌岌可危;
sth. for granted 認為理所當然;
k-witted 機智的;
k-tank 智囊團。
難句解析：
① A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force.
該句是一個並列句，由前後兩個轉折關係的分句組成，其間的連詞為but。but與後一個分句之間又插入一個由if引導的條件狀語if properly handled，該狀語原來是一個if引導的條件狀語從句，即if it(a history of long and effortless success) is properly handled，其中的it is由於和該分句的主句部分主謂語一致而被省略掉了。
本句結構比較簡明，只需注意but與it may become a driving force之間的if結構是一個插入語，並且是一個省略了主語和系動詞的被動語態。此外handicap意為“不利條件”。
② Its scientists were the world's best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.
前一句中its workers the most skilled是一個伴隨狀語，省略了其中的being，補齊成分後應為its workers being the most skilled。後一句中beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians作prosperous的狀語，beyond為介詞，是“超越，超出”的意思。而whose economies the war had destroyed作定語從句修飾the Europeans and Asians，原形是the war had destroyed the economies of the Europeans and Asians。
注意beyond一詞的意思，它表示“在……之外”。
③ For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.
該句帶有一個表語從句，其表語從句中又套有兩個並列的定語從句。全句主句部分的主謂結構是it looked...，as though(即as if好像)引導的從句是looked(看上去)的表語。表語從句中主語為the making of semiconductors，謂語為was going to be，而逗號之間的兩個which從句是the making of semiconductors的非限定性定語，同時又是插入語。
注意理解the next casualty的含義，casualty本意為“傷亡”，此處是“被國外產品擊敗的美國本土產業”。
④ Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.
英語的句式詞彙一般都比較簡練，如果將本句用中國人習慣的語式講出應該如下：Their sometimes surprising findings about the causes of American's industrial decline are full of the warnings about the growing competition from overseas nations.
sensational即surprising。另外注意本句的中心意思在句末的the growing competition from overseas。
⑤ Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride.
attribute... to...將……歸功或歸咎於……。solely作狀語修飾attribute，this指代上一句中的five years of solid growth，此外as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle作賓語such obvious causes的補語。
yield to是“向……屈服”，即“被取代”。此處使用了現在完成時，證明這種狀態到現在已成型。
試題解析：
1.【正確答案】 [C]
意為：戰爭摧毀了多數潛在的競爭國的經濟。提問中predominance意為“優勢”。第一段指出，第二次世界大戰以後，美國進入一個欣欣向榮的(glowing)發展時期，它擁有八倍於其他任何一個競爭國家的市場，工業經濟發展到空前規模，它擁有世界上最優秀的科學家和技術最高的工人。美國的繁榮和美國人的富裕水平，是歐洲人和亞洲人做夢也達不到的，因為戰爭摧毀了他們的經濟。
A意為：它已經為實現這一目標付出了艱苦的努力。B意為：其國內市場比以前大八倍。D意為：其勞動力(數量)空前的規模促進了經濟的發展。
2. 【正確答案】 [D]
意為：汽車工業失去了部分國內市場。第二段第六句提到，進口車和紡織品湧進(美國)國內市場。
A意為;電視工業萎縮回到了國內市場(即：該工業失去了國際市場)。根據第二段，到80年代中期，面對其工業競爭力的日益衰退，美國人感到無計可施(at a loss)，美國某些大的行業——如電子消費品——在園際競爭的壓力下，面臨萎縮或消亡的威脅。到1987年為止，美國僅存的電視製造商只有Zenith一家了(現在已蕩然無存：Zenith於7月份(指文章寫作年代的7月份)被韓國LG電子有限公司購買)。這裡並沒有直接提到美國電視失去國際市場，事實上，它連國內市場也保不住了。B意為：半導體行業被外國公司接管。第二段最後一句提到，在一段時間內，半導體制造業似乎要成為下一個受害者，雖然美國是半導體的發明者，而且半導體又處於新的計算機時代的核心位置(即：在新的時代中起著關鍵作用)。本句中casualty意為“傷亡”、“受害者”，與上一句中be on the ropes(美語俚語，意為“即將完蛋”)相照應。這裡所說的是半導體制造商似乎(as though)要失去國內外市場.而不是被國外企業接管。C意為：機床製造業自取滅亡。第二段提到了機床製造業“即將完蛋”(on the ropes)。這顯然也是說它正在失去國內外市場，並未提到它的滅亡是由其自身原因造成的。
3【正確答案】. [B]
意為：激烈的競爭可能促進經濟的發展。第三段提到，嚴峻的現實(this指上一段中提到的諸多現狀)使美國人失去了自信，他們不再認為繁榮是自然而至的事，他們開始認識到自己的經營方式存在嚴重問題(failing)。在80年代中期，他們開始挖掘美國經濟衰退的原因，他們有時有些驚人的(sensational)發現，其中往往提示人們警惕外來競爭。第四段提到了90年代的經濟復甦。其中的含義是：在競爭的壓力下，美國人在80年代進行了自我反思和產業結構調整，因此帶來了90年代的經濟復甦。
A意為：在自我懷疑和盲目驕傲之間擺來擺去是人的本性。(即：人傾向於在這兩種心態之間搖擺)。C意為：經濟的復甦取決於國際間的合作。D意為：長期的成功可以為進一步的發展鋪平道路。
4. 【正確答案】 [A]
意為：經濟週期的轉機。在第四段，作者指出，截止到1995年，美國已經經歷了五年的穩定(經濟)增長，而日本卻在困境中掙扎，但是，美國人並不將這一增長看做是美元貶值或經濟週期的轉機等明顯的因素直接帶來的.，而是由自我懷疑變為盲目的驕傲。這裡作者實際上對當前美國人的盲目樂觀情緒進行了批評，認為，90年代的增長是由美元貶值或經濟週期的轉機等因素造成的。
B意為：產業結構的調整。根據Richard Cavanaugh的看法，美國經濟的持續增長是由產業結構的調整造成，他認為美國的產業正在“節食”(go on a diet)，正在變得更加理智。但這並不是作者的觀點。參閱第四段。C意為：經營管理的改善。根據Stephen Moore的看法，美國的經濟正在提高其生產率。但這也不是作者的觀點。參閱第四段。D意為：教育上的成功。
全文翻譯：
一段長時間並且不費力而成功的歷史可能成為一種可怕的不利因素，但若處理得當，這種不利因素也有可能轉化為一種積極的推動力。二戰結束後，美國恰好進入了這樣的一 個輝煌時期，當時，它擁有比任何競爭者大8倍的市場，這使其工業經濟具有前所未有的規模經濟。美國的科學家是世上最優秀的，它的工人是最富於技術的。美國的國富民強是那些經濟遭到戰爭破壞的歐亞諸國做夢也無法達不到的。
隨著其他國家日益強盛，美國的這一優勢地位逐漸下降是不可避免的。從優勢地位上退出的痛苦也同樣是不可避免的。到了80年代中期，面對其日益衰退的工業競爭力，美國人感到不知所措。面對國外競爭，一些大型的美國工業，如消費電子產業，已經萎縮或漸漸消失。到1987年，美國只剩下Zenith這一家電視生產商。(現在一家也沒有了：Zenith於當年7月被韓國LG電器公司收購。)外國製造的汽車和紡織品正在大舉進入國內市場。美國的機床工業也即將滅亡。人們曾一度感覺下一個在海外品牌面前全軍覆沒的似乎該輪到美國的半導體制造業了，而在新計算機時代有著核心作用的半導體正是美國人發明的。
所有這一切導致了信任危機。美國不再視繁榮為理所當然之事。他們開始相信自己的商業經營方式不靈了，也相信不久他們的收入也會因此而下降。80年代中期，人們對美國工業衰退的成因作了一次又一次的探尋。在美國人那些有時聳人聽聞的發現中充滿著對其他國家日益增長的經濟競爭的警告之詞。
情況的變化真快!1995年，當日本還在奮力拼搏的時候，美國卻可以對5年的穩固發展作一回顧了。沒幾個美國人將這一鉅變單純歸因於美元貶值或商業週期迴圈這些顯而易見的原因。到如今，對自身的懷疑已被盲目樂觀所取代。“美國的工業已經改變了結構，消除了滯脹，學會了明智”，這是哈佛大學肯尼迪管理學院行政院長理查德?卡佛納的看法。華盛頓特區的智囊團——卡託研究院的史蒂芬?莫爾說：“看到我們的企業正在提高自身的生產率，作為一個美國人，我感到自豪。”哈佛商學院的威廉?薩爾曼相信人們將會把這一時期視為“美國企業管理的黃金時代。