German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country was passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.
1. The world’s first workers’ compensation law was introduced by Bismarck ______.
2. We learn from the passage that the process of industrialization in Europe ______.
3. One of the problems the American injured workers faced in getting compensation in the early 20th century was that ______.
4. After 1972 workers’ compensation insurance in the U.S. became more favorable to workers so that______.
5. The author ends the passage with the implication that ______.
问题1选项
A.for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement
B.out of religious and political considerations
C.to speed up the pace of industrialization
D.to make industrial production safer
问题2选项
A.met growing resistance from laborers working at machines
B.resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs
C.was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents
D.required workers to be aware of the potential dangers at the workplace
问题3选项
A.they had to produce evidence that their employers were responsible for the accident
B.America’s average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living
C.different state in the U.S. had totally different compensation program
D.they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law
问题4选项
A.the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically
B.more money was allocated to their compensation system
C.there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims
D.the number of workers suing for damages increased
问题5选项
A.compensation benefits in America are soaring to new heights
B.people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system
C.the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system
D.money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U.S. economy
第1题:B
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
The world’s first workers’ compensation law was introduced by Bismarck ________. 世界上第一部工人赔偿法是由俾斯麦公司________提出的。
A. for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement A. 担心失去社会主义劳工运动的支持
B. out of religious and political considerations B. 出于宗教和政治考虑
C. to speed up the pace of industrialization C. 为加快工业化的步伐
D. to make industrial production safer D. 为使工业生产更安全
【答案】B
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第三句“俾斯麦总理在1884年制定了世界上第一部《工人补偿法》，部分原因是出于基督教对无助者的同情，以及削弱社会主义劳工运动支持的现实政治冲动”可知，世界上第一部工人赔偿法是俾斯麦公司出于政治和宗教因素而提出来的，B项“出于宗教和政治考虑”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“担心失去社会主义劳动运动的支持”，根据题干可知，制定《工人补偿法》是为了削弱社会主义劳工运动支持的现实政治冲动，所以不可能会担心失去社会主义劳工运动的支持，该项属于反向干扰；
C项“为加快工业化的步伐”和D项“为使工业生产更安全”没有提及，这两项属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
We learn from the passage that the process of industrialization in Europe ________. 从这篇文章中我们了解到欧洲的工业化进程________。
A. met growing resistance from laborers working at machines A. 遭到了在机器旁工作的工人们越来越强烈的抵制
B. resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs B. 导致了大众社会保险项目的发展
C. was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents C. 伴随着车间事故的增加
D. required workers to be aware of the potential dangers at the workplace D. 要求工人意识到工作场所的潜在危险
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据第二句“19世纪中叶，随着工业化的发展，德国和其他欧洲国家一起经历了前所未有的车间死亡和事故潮（an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents）”，理解可知，伴随工业化的发展，车间的死亡事故发生率大大增加，所以推断，欧洲的工业化进程伴随着车间事故的增加，C项“伴随着车间事故的增加”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“遭到了在机器旁工作的工人们越来越强烈的抵制”和D项“要求工人意识到工作场所的潜在危险”没有提及，这两项属于无中生有；
B项“导致了大众社会保险项目的发展”，根据文章可知，社会保险项目的发展的部分原因是出于社会主义劳工运动，而导致社会主义劳工运动的原因是车间事故，并不是工业化进程，该项属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
One of the problems the American injured workers faced in getting compensation in the early 20th century was that ________. 在20世纪早期，美国受伤工人在获得赔偿时面临的问题之一是________。
A. they had to produce evidence that their employers were responsible for the accident A. 他们必须拿出证据证明他们的雇主对这次事故负责
B. America’s average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living B. 美国的平均薪酬福利远低于生活成本
C. different state in the U.S. had totally different compensation program C. 美国不同的州有完全不同的补偿方案
D. they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law D. 他们必须有勇气向法庭提出索赔
【答案】A
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第四五六句“到1908年，美国是世界上唯一的一个没有工人补偿保险的工业国家。美国的受伤工人可以向法庭提出索赔，但他们仍然面临着许多棘手的法律障碍。例如，雇员必须证明他们的伤害是由雇主的疏忽直接导致的，而他们自己对工作场所的潜在危险一无所知。”，从中理解可知，在20世纪早期，美国受伤工人在向法庭索赔时，必须证明他们的伤害是因为雇主的疏忽导致的，而且雇员自己必须对工作场所潜在的危险一无所知，这也就是说美国受伤工人必须拿出证据证明他们的雇主对这次事故负责，故该题选择A项“他们必须拿出证据证明他们的雇主对这次事故负责”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B项“美国的平均薪酬福利远低于生活成本”，这是二战后美国工人的现状，并不是20世纪早期的情形，该项属于张冠李戴；
C项“美国不同的州有完全不同的补偿方案”和D项“他们必须有勇气向法庭提出索赔”在文中没有提及，这两项属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
After 1972 workers’ compensation insurance in the U.S. became more favorable to workers so that ________. 1972年以后，美国的工伤补偿保险对工人更加有利，因此________。
A. the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically A. 一个四口之家的贫困水平急剧上升
B. more money was allocated to their compensation system B. 给他们的补偿制度拨了更多的钱
C. there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims C. 当他们提出索赔时，法律障碍较少
D. the number of workers suing for damages increased D. 要求赔偿损失的工人人数增加了
【答案】D
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到倒数第三句和第二句“事实上，美国的平均薪酬福利已经从1972年各州平均周薪的55%攀升到今天的97%。但是，正如大多数研究显示的那样，补偿福利每增加10%，申请索赔的工人数量就会增加5%。”，理解可知，1972年以后，美国的工伤补偿保险对工人更加有利，所以申请索赔的工人数量也随之增加，D项“要求赔偿损失的工人人数增加了”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“一个四口之家的贫困水平急剧上升”，文章倒数第六句提到“事实上，20世纪70年代的实际福利水平比40年代要低，在大多数州，一个四口之家的最高福利水平低于贫困水平”，可知在20世纪70年代，一个四口之家的最高福利水平低于贫困水平，但是倒数第三句提到了“美国的平均薪酬福利已经从1972年各州平均周薪的55%攀升到今天的97%”，这也就是说一个四口之家的平均薪酬福利已经增加了，所以贫困水平并没有上升，该项属于反向干扰；
B项“给他们的补偿制度拨了更多的钱”，文中虽然提到越来越多的钱流入工人的补偿体系，但并没有提到这是美国的工伤补偿保险对工人更加有利的结果，该项属于张冠李戴；
C项“当他们提出索赔时，法律障碍较少”没有提及，该项属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
The author ends the passage with the implication that ________. 作者在文章结尾暗示________。
A. compensation benefits in America are soaring to new heights A. 美国的薪酬福利正飙升至新的高度
B. people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system B. 各行各业的人都能从补偿制度中受益
C. the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system C. 工人并不是唯一从补偿制度中受益的人
D. money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U.S. economy D. 在补偿制度中流动的资金对美国经济来说是一个巨大的负担
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据最后一句话“随着越来越多的钱进入了劳动者的赔偿体系，医生和律师们从不断扩大的经济蛋糕中分得一杯羹（a large slice of the growing pie），也就不足为奇了”，从a large slice of the growing pie（不断扩大的经济蛋糕中分得一杯羹）可以推断出，这一句话是在暗示，随着薪酬福利的增加，医生和律师也从中分得了一部分份额，受益的不止是工人群体，C项“工人并不是唯一从补偿制度中受益的人”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“美国的薪酬福利正飙升至新的高度”，文章结尾重点要突出描述的是医生和律师从工人赔偿体系中谋得经济份额，该项属于本末倒置；
B项“各行各业的人都能从补偿制度中受益”根据解题思路可知，该项属于曲解原文；
D项“在补偿制度中流动的资金对美国经济来说是一个巨大的负担”文中没有提及，该项属于无中生有。
【文章来源】2002年英语六级真题
【参考译文】
德国总理奥托•冯•俾斯麦最出名的可能是他的军事和外交才能，但他的遗产包括许多今天的社会保险计划。在19世纪中叶，德国和其他欧洲国家一样，由于工业化的发展，经历了前所未有的工作场所死亡和事故的激增。在某种程度上，出于基督教对无助者的同情，以及削弱社会主义劳工运动支持的实际政治冲动，俾斯麦总理在1884年制定了世界上第一部工人补偿法。到1908年，美国是世界上唯一一个没有工人补偿保险的工业国家。美国受伤的工人可以在法庭上起诉要求赔偿损失，但他们仍然面临许多严峻的法律障碍。例如，雇员必须证明他们的伤害是由雇主的疏忽直接造成的，并且他们自己对工作场所的潜在危险一无所知。1911年，美国通过了第一部国家工人赔偿法，该项目很快在全国推广。第二次世界大战后，美国工人的福利支付跟不上生活成本。事实上，20世纪70年代的实际福利水平比40年代要低，而且在大多数州，最高福利低于四口之家的贫困水平。1970年，理查德•尼克松总统成立了一个国家委员会来研究工人赔偿问题。两年后，该委员会发布了19项关键建议，其中一项呼吁将薪酬福利水平提高到各州平均周薪的100%。事实上，美国的平均薪酬福利已经从1972年各州平均周薪的55%攀升到今天的97%。但是，正如大多数研究表明的那样，赔偿福利每增加10%，申请索赔的工人数量就会增加5%。随着工人补偿体系中浮动的资金越来越多，医生和律师从不断增长的蛋糕中分得一大块也就不足为奇了。
