German Chancellor (首相) Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy (遗产) 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 (怜悯) 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 worker’s 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 worker’s compensation law in this country 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 19th 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 states in the U. S. had totally different compensation programs
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Bismarck出于______目的而创立的。
A. for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement A. 因为担心失去社会主义劳工运动的支持
B. out of religious and political considerations B. 出于宗教和政治的考虑
C. to speed up the pace of industrialization C. 加快工业化步伐
D. to make industrial production safer D. 提高工业安全生产水平
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词可精确定位到文章第一段第三句提到“部分出于基督教的同情以及为了削弱社会主义劳工运动的支持,俾斯麦总理在1884年制定了世界上第一部工人补偿法,这是一种无助的现实政治冲动。”(Motivated in part by Christian compassion (怜悯)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 worker’s compensation law in 1884.),因此本题正确答案为选项B。
【干扰项排除】
A选项对应原文第一段第三句“为了削弱社会主义劳工运动的支持”(impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement),与原文描述相反,属于曲解原文;
C、D选项原文未提及,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 ______. 我们从这篇文章中了解到,欧洲的工业化进程______。
A. met growing resistance from laborers working at machines A. 遇到了在机器前工作的工人越来越多的抵制
B. resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs B. 导致了流行的社会保险项目的发展
C. was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents C. 与之相伴的是车间事故的增加
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
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可精确定位到原文第一段第二句“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。”(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.),因此本题正确答案为选项C。
【干扰项排除】
A、B选项原文未提及,属于无中生有;
D选项对应原文第二段第三句“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,他们自己对工作场所的潜在危险一无所知。”(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.),但并没有说要求工人意识到工作场所的潜在危险,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 19th century was that ______. 19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应对这次事故负责
B. America’s average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living B. 美国的平均薪酬效益远低于生活成本
C. different states in the U. S. had totally different compensation programs C. 美国不同的州有完全不同的补偿计划
D. they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law D. 他们必须有勇气在法庭上要求赔偿损失
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词可精确定位到原文第二段第三句“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,他们自己对工作场所的潜在危险一无所知。”(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.),因此本题正确答案为选项A。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项原文未提及,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,美国的工伤保险对工人越来越有利,因此______。
A. the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically A. 一个四口之家的贫困程度急剧上升
B. more money was allocated to their compensation system B. 更多的钱被分配到他们的薪酬体系中
C. there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims C. 当他们申请索赔时,法律障碍更少
D. the number of workers suing for damages increased D. 要求赔偿损失的工人人数增加了
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词可精确定位到原文最后一段第二句提到“但是,正如大多数研究表明的那样,赔偿福利每增加10%,申请索赔的工人人数就会增加5%。”(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.),因此本题正确答案为选项D。
【干扰项排除】
A、C选项原文未提及,属于无中生有;
B选项对应原文最后一段最后一句“随着工人薪酬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。”(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.),这里描述的是医生和律师的薪酬,不是工人的,属于张冠李戴。
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. 美国的薪酬福利正在飙升到新的高度
B. people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system B. 各行各业的人都可以从薪酬制度中受益
C. the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system C. 工人并不是唯一从薪酬制度中受益的人
D. money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U. S. economy D. 薪酬体系中流动的资金对美国经济来说是一个巨大的消耗
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词可精确定位到原文最后一段最后一句“随着工人薪酬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。”(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.),可见,工人们并不是唯一从赔偿体系中获益的人,因此本题正确答案为选项C。
【干扰项排除】
A选项对应原文最后一段第一句“事实上,美国的平均薪酬福利已经从1972年占各州平均周薪的55%上升到今天的97%。”(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.),这是原文事实,不属于推断出来的;
B选项对应原文最后一段最后一句“随着工人薪酬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。”(And with so much more money …the growing pie.),这里提到受益的是医生和律师,并不是各行各业的人,属于曲解原文;
D选项原文未提及,属于无中生有。