All around the world, lawyers generate more hostility than the members of any other profession—with the possible exception of journalism. But there are few places where clients have more grounds for complaint than America.
During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation. The best lawyers made skyscrapers-full of money, tempting ever more students to pile into law schools. But most law graduates never get a big-firm job. Many of them instead become the kind of nuisance-lawsuit filer that makes the tort system a costly nightmare.
There are many reasons for this. One is the excessive costs of a legal education. There is just one path for a lawyer in most American states: a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject, then a three-year law degree at one of 200 law schools authorized by the American Bar Association and an expensive preparation for the bar exam. This leaves today’s average law-school graduate with $100,000 of debt on top of undergraduate debts. Law-school debt means that they have to work fearsomely hard.
Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them. One idea is to allow people to study law as an undergraduate degree. Another is to let students sit for the bar after only two years of law school. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so. Students who do not need the extra training could cut their debt mountain by a third.
The other reason why costs are so high is the restrictive guild-like ownership structure of the business. Except in the District of Columbia, non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm. This keeps fees high and innovation slow. There is pressure for change from within the profession, but opponents of change among the regulators insist that keeping outsiders out of a law firm isolates lawyers from the pressure to make money rather than serve clients ethically.
In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency. After all, other countries, such as Australia and Britain, have started liberalizing their legal professions. America should follow.
1. A lot of students take up law as their profession due to ________.
2. Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states?
3. Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from ________.
4. The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive” partly because it ________.
5. In this text, the author mainly discusses ________.
问题1选项
A.the growing demand from clients
B.the increasing pressure of inflation
C.the prospect of working in big firms
D.the attraction of financial rewards
问题2选项
A.Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies.
B.Admissions approval from the bar association.
C.Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major.
D.Receiving training by professional associations.
问题3选项
A.lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance
B.the rigid bodies governing the profession
C.the stem exam for would-be lawyers
D.non-professionals’ sharp criticism
问题4选项
A.bans outsiders’ involvement in the profession
B.keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares
C.aggravates the ethical situation in the trade
D.prevents lawyers from gaining due profits
问题5选项
A.flawed ownership of America’s law firms and its causes
B.the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America
C.a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it
D.the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal education
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:B
第4题:A
第5题:C
第1题:
【整体分析】
来源:The Economist《经济学人》于2013年2月2日刊登的文章Guilty as Charged(罪名成立)。
主题:本文主要探讨了美国法律行业的问题和改革。文章指出,美国法律服务成本高昂,法律教育成本过高,行业内限制性的行会式所有权结构使得收费高昂,创新缓慢。文章提出了一些改革措施,包括允许人们将法律作为本科学位来学习,让学生在法学院只读两年后就可以参加律师资格考试,允许非律师拥有律师事务所的股份等。文章认为这些改革将有助于降低成本并改善对客户的服务。
结构:
【试题解析】
【选项释义】
A lot of students take up law as their profession due to ________. 很多学生选择法律作为他们的职业是由于________。
A. the growing demand from clients A. 客户的需求越来越大
B. the increasing pressure of inflation B. 通货膨胀的压力越来越大
C. the prospect of working in big firms C. 在大公司工作的前景
D. the attraction of financial rewards D. 经济回报的吸引力
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词take up law as their profession可以定位到文章第二段第二句“最优秀的律师赚得盆满钵满(made skyscrapers-full of money),吸引了越来越多的学生涌入法学院”,说明学生选择法律作为他们的职业是因为报酬丰厚。因此D选项“经济回报的吸引力”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“客户的需求越来越大”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
B选项“通货膨胀的压力越来越大”,由During the decade before the economic crisis, spending on legal services in America grew twice as fast as inflation.(在经济危机爆发前的十年里,美国的法律服务支出增长速度是通货膨胀的两倍。)可知,文章只是说美国的法律服务费增长比通货膨胀的增长还快,与学生的就业无关,属于曲解原文;
C选项“在大公司工作的前景”,由But most law graduates never get a big-firm job.(但是,大多数法学毕业生都没有得到大型律师事务所的工作。)可知,文章只是说大多数法学毕业生找不到大公司的工作,并不是学生选择法律职业的原因,属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following adds to the costs of legal education in most American states? 在美国大多数州,以下哪项增加了法律教育的费用?
A. Higher tuition fees for undergraduate studies. A. 本科生的学费较高。
B. Admissions approval from the bar association. B. 律师协会的录取批准。
C. Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in another major. C. 攻读另一专业的本科学位。
D. Receiving training by professional associations. D. 接受专业协会的培训。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the costs of legal education可以定位到文章第三段第二、三句“其中之一是法律教育的过高成本(excessive costs of a legal education)。在美国大多数州,律师只有一条路径:先在某个与法律无关的专业完成四年的本科学位(a four-year undergraduate degree in some unrelated subject)”,说明学法律的学生需要额外攻读与法律无关的本科学位,增加了额外的费用。因此C选项“攻读另一专业的本科学位。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“本科生的学费较高。”,B选项“律师协会的录取批准。”和D选项“接受专业协会的培训。”在文中均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Hindrance to the reform of the legal system originates from ________. 阻碍法律制度改革的原因是________。
A. lawyers’ and clients’ strong resistance A. 律师和客户的强烈抵制
B. the rigid bodies governing the profession B. 管理该行业的僵化机构
C. the stem exam for would-be lawyers C. 对未来律师的严格考试
D. non-professionals’ sharp criticism D. 非专业人士的尖锐批评
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Hindrance to the reform of the legal system可以定位到文章第四段第二句“合理的主张早已存在,但管理这个行业的州一级机构过于保守,未能实施它们(the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them)”,说明阻碍法律制度改革的原因是管理机构过于保守。因此B选项“管理该行业的僵化机构”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“律师和客户的强烈抵制”和D选项“非专业人士的尖锐批评”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
C选项“对未来律师的严格考试”,由If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so.(如果律师资格考试真的是一个足够严格的测试,那就应该准许那些有能力更早参加考试的学生提前参加考试。)可知,律师资格考试很严格,但它没有阻碍法律制度改革,属于出处错位。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The guild-like ownership structure is considered “restrictive” partly because it ________. 类似行会的所有权结构被认为是“限制性”的,部分原因是它________。
A. bans outsiders’ involvement in the profession A. 禁止外人参与到这个行业中来
B. keeps lawyers from holding law-firm shares B. 使律师不能持有律师事务所的股份
C. aggravates the ethical situation in the trade C. 恶化了该行业的道德状况
D. prevents lawyers from gaining due profits D. 阻止律师获得应有的利润
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The guild-like ownership structure可以定位到文章第五段第一、二句“另一个造成成本如此高昂的原因是行业内限制性的行会式所有权结构(the restrictive guild-like ownership structure)。除了哥伦比亚特区,非律师不得拥有任何律师事务所的股份(non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm)”,说明类似行会的所有权结构的限制性体现为外行人不能拥有律师事务所的股份。因此A选项“禁止外人参与到这个行业中来”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“使律师不能持有律师事务所的股份”,由non-lawyers may not own any share of a law firm(非律师不得拥有任何律师事务所的股份)可知,不能持有律师事务所的股份的是非律师,属于反向干扰;
C选项“恶化了该行业的道德状况”和D选项“阻止律师获得应有的利润”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
In this text, the author mainly discusses ________. 在这篇文章中,作者主要讨论了________。
A. flawed ownership of America’s law firms and its causes A. 美国律师事务所的所有权存在缺陷及其原因
B. the factors that help make a successful lawyer in America B. 有助于在美国成为一个成功的律师的因素
C. a problem in America’s legal profession and solutions to it C. 美国法律界的一个问题及其解决办法
D. the role of undergraduate studies in America’s legal education D. 本科生在美国法律教育中的作用
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】本文主要讨论了美国法律界的一个问题,即法律服务成本过高,以及提出了一些可能的解决办法,如改革法律教育制度和允许非律师拥有律师事务所的股份,因此C选项“美国法律界的一个问题及其解决办法”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“美国律师事务所的所有权存在缺陷及其原因”和D选项“本科生在美国法律教育中的作用”只在文章的某部分提及,不能概括全文的主旨大意,属于以偏概全;
B选项“有助于在美国成为一个成功的律师的因素”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有。
【重点词汇】
hostility /hɒˈstɪlɪti/ n. 敌意
profession /prəˈfɛʃən/ n. 职业
journalism /ˈdʒɜːnəlɪzəm/ n. 新闻业
inflation /ɪnˈfleɪʃən/ n. 通货膨胀
skyscraper /ˈskaɪskreɪpər/ n. 摩天大楼
nuisance /ˈnjuːsəns/ n. 讨厌的人或事物
tort /tɔːt/ n. 侵权行为
undergraduate /ˌʌndərˈɡrædʒuət/ n. 本科生
fearsomely /ˈfɪəsəmli/ adv. 可怕地
implement /ˈɪmplɪmənt/ v. 实施
isolate /ˈaɪsəleɪt/ v. 隔离
ethically /ˈeθɪkli/ adv. 道德地
guild-like 行会式的
ownership structure 所有权结构
【长难句分析】
1. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them.
【结构分析】
【补充分析】
① that引导定语从句,修饰the state-level bodies,表示这些州一级机构是管理这个行业的。
【参考译文】合理的主张早已存在,但管理这个行业的州一级机构过于保守,未能实施它们。
2. If the bar exam is truly a stern enough test for a would-be lawyer, those who can sit it earlier should be allowed to do so.
【结构分析】
【补充分析】
① If引导条件状语从句,表示主句发生的条件,即如果律师资格考试确实是一个足够严格的测试;
② who引导定语从句,修饰those,表示那些有能力更早参加考试的人。
【参考译文】如果律师资格考试真的是一个足够严格的测试,那就应该准许那些有能力更早参加考试的学生提前参加考试。
【全文翻译】
在世界各地,律师比其他任何职业(可能除了新闻工作者)都会招致更多的敌意。但是,在美国,客户有更多的理由抱怨。
在经济危机爆发前的十年里,美国的法律服务支出增长速度是通货膨胀的两倍。最优秀的律师赚得盆满钵满,吸引了越来越多的学生涌入法学院。但是,大多数法学毕业生都没有得到大型律师事务所的工作。他们中的许多人反而成为了那种处理妨害案件的诉讼律师,使得民事侵权法律体系变成收费高昂的噩梦。
这种局面有很多原因,其中之一是法律教育的过高成本。在美国大多数州,律师只有一条路径:先在某个与法律无关的专业完成四年的本科学位,然后在美国律师协会授权的200所法学院之一完成三年的法学学位,并为昂贵的律师资格考试做准备。这使得今天普通的法学院毕业生除了本科债务外还背负着10万美元的债务。法学院的债务意味着他们必须非常努力地工作。
改革这个制度将有助于律师和他们的客户。合理的主张早已存在,但管理这个行业的州一级机构过于保守,未能实施它们。一个主张是允许人们将法律作为本科学位来学习。另一个主张是让学生在法学院只读两年后就可以参加律师资格考试。如果律师资格考试真的是一个足够严格的测试,那就应该准许那些有能力更早参加考试的学生提前参加考试。不需要额外培训的学生可以将他们的债务减少三分之一。
另一个造成成本如此高昂的原因是行业内限制性的行会式所有权结构。除了哥伦比亚特区,非律师不得拥有任何律师事务所的股份。这使得收费高昂,创新缓慢。行业内部有改革的压力,但监管机构中反对改革的人士坚持认为,将外部人士排除在律师事务所之外,可以使律师免受赚钱的压力,从而基于职业道德为客户服务。
事实上,允许非律师拥有律师事务所的股份将降低成本并改善对客户的服务,因为这将鼓励律师事务所使用技术并雇用专业经理人专注于提高公司的效率。毕竟,其他国家,如澳大利亚和英国,已经开始放宽他们的法律行业。美国应该效仿。