In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain: trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such “captive” shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government’s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It’s theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. “Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?” asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shipper.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortuning fortunes: still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the 2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail’s net railway operating income in 1996 was just million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who’s going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.
31. According to those who support mergers railway, monopoly is unlikely because（ ）.
32. What is many captive shippers’ attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry?
33. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that（ ）.
34. The word “arbiters” (Paragraph 4) most probably refers to those（ ）.
35. According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by（ ）.
问题1选项
A.cost reduction is based on competition
B.services call for cross-trade coordination
C.outside competitors will continue to exist
D.shippers will have the railway by the throat
问题2选项
A.Indifferent
B.Supportive
C.Indignant
D.Apprehensive
问题3选项
A.shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad
B.there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide
C.overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief
D.a government board ensures fair play in railway business
问题4选项
A.who work as coordinators
B.who function as judges
C.who supervise transactions
D.who determine the price
问题5选项
A.the continuing acquisition
B.the growing traffic
C.the cheering Wall Street
D.the shrinking market
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:C
第4题:B
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to those who support mergers railway, monopoly is unlikely because ____. 支持铁路合并的人认为，垄断是不可能的，因为____。
A. cost reduction is based on competition A. 降低成本的基础是竞争
B. services call for cross-trade coordination B. 服务需要跨行业协调
C. outside competitors will continue to exist C. 外部竞争者将继续存在
D. shippers will have the railway by the throat D. 托运人将扼住铁路的咽喉
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据关键词“support mergers railway”和“monopoly is unlikely”定位到第二段第一、二句“新超级系统的支持者（Supporters of the new super systems）认为，这些合并将允许大幅降低成本和更好地协调服务。他们认为，来自卡车的激烈竞争消除了垄断的任何威胁（Any threat of monopoly they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks）。”由此可知，C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“降低成本的基础是竞争”不对，文章说支持者认为合并能降低成本，而不是竞争降低成本，属于张冠李戴；
B选项“服务需要跨行业协调”不对，因为文中只是说可以更好协调服务，而没有说跨行业，属于无中生有；
D选项“托运人将扼住铁路的咽喉”把主语和宾语弄反了，而且也不是支持者的观点，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
What is many captive shippers’ attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry? 许多受约束的托运人对铁路行业的整合持什么态度？
A. Indifferent. A. 漠不关心的。
B. Supportive. B. 支持的。
C. Indignant. C. 愤怒的。
D. Apprehensive. D. 忧虑的。
【考查点】观点态度题
【解题思路】根据关键词“shippers”和“attitude”可知，我们需要在文中寻找能够体现“shippers”态度的相关信息。其中，第五段第一句提到“许多受约束的托运人也担心（Many captive shippers also worry），他们很快就会受到一轮大幅涨价的打击。”同时，最后一句也讲“许多自营托运人担心（Many captive shippers fear that），随着诺福克南方公司和CSX公司对市场控制力的增强，他们将为此买单。”根据关键词“worry”可知，托运人对于继续增加费用的担忧，所以发货商对于铁路运输业的合并是“充满担忧的”，D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项均不符合原文内容，属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that ____. 从第三段可以推断出____。
A. shippers will be charged less without a rival railroad A. 如果没有竞争对手的铁路公司，托运人将被收取更少的费用
B. there will soon be only one railroad company nationwide B. 全国将很快只有一家铁路公司
C. overcharged shippers are unlikely to appeal for rate relief C. 被多收钱的托运人不太可能上诉要求减免费率
D. a government board ensures fair play in railway business D. 政府委员会确保铁路业务的公平竞争
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】第三段最后一句讲“认为自己被多收费用的托运人有权向联邦政府的地面运输委员会上诉，要求减免费率，但这一过程耗时费钱，只有在真正极端的情况下才会奏效（the process is expensive time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases）。”也就是说，上诉的过程费用高、耗时长，而且，也没什么作用。由此可推断，他们提出申诉的可能性比较小，故C选项符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项根据第三段第二句“Railroads typically charge such ‘captive’ shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business.”可知，费用是高了百分之二十到三十，而不是少了，属于反向干扰；
B选项根据第三段第一句“The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company.”可知，大部分托运人将由一家公司服务，但该选项是说只剩下一家公司，两者意义完全不同，属于曲解原文；
D选项虽然文中提到“认为自己被多收费用的托运人有权向联邦政府的地面运输委员会上诉”，说明这是政府委员会的职责，但并没有说“确保铁路业务的公平竞争”，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The word “arbiters” (Paragraph 4) most probably refers to those ____. “arbiters”（第4段）一词很可能是指____。
A. who work as coordinators A. 作为协调人的人
B. who function as judges B. 担任判定者的人
C. who supervise transactions C. 监督交易的人
D. who determine the price D. 决定价格的人
【考查点】语义推断题
【解题思路】根据“arbiters”定位到第四段最后一句“‘我们真的希望铁路公司成为市场上谁赢谁输的……吗（want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace）？’经常代表托运人的华盛顿律师Martin Bercovici问道。”而上一句提到“在实践中，这往往会让铁路公司处于决定哪家公司兴旺、哪家公司倒闭的地位（leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail）。”由此可知，只要铁路公司对某公司收取高额的费用，那么就可以判断这个公司失败了；相反，如果对某个公司收取较低的费用，那么，就可以判定这个公司会赢。所以，铁路公司成了市场上哪些公司能赢，哪些会输的决定者，B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“作为协调人的人”文中没有提到铁路公司进行协调，属于无中生有；
C选项“监督交易的人”文中也没有提到铁路公司监督交易，属于无中生有；
D选项“决定价格的人”根据原文可知，铁路公司决定的是市场上托运公司的命运，属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to the text, the cost increase in the rail industry is mainly caused by ____. 根据文章，铁路行业成本增加，主要原因是____。
A. the continuing acquisition A. 持续收购
B. the growing traffic B. 不断增长的运输量
C. the cheering Wall Street C. 给力的华尔街
D. the shrinking market D. 萎靡的市场
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据关键词“cost increase”和“caused”定位到最后一段。该段第二句提到“尽管铁路行业的运势越来越好，但作为一个整体，其收入仍然不足以支付为跟上激增的运输量而必须投入的资本成本（does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic）。”而“the capital it must invest”是指下一句提到的“railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another（铁路公司继续借数十亿美元进行相互收购）”。由此可知，铁路行业成本增加，主要原因是“持续收购”，A选项符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“不断增长的运输量”不是主要原因，因为第二句说了铁路公司没有足够的钱来做这件事情，属于答非所问；
C、D选项文中并没有依据，属于无中生有。
