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英语真题阅读理解试题及名师解析（
17
）
In recent years,
railroads have been combining with each other,
merging into supersystems,
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 supersystems 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
”
sh
ippers 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
a
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 shippers.
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
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
＄
10.2
billion
bid
by
Norfolk
Southern
and
CSX
to
acquire
Conrail
this
year.
Conrail's
net
railway
operating
income
in
1996
was
just
＄
427
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
[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.
32.
What is many captive shippers' attitude towards
the consolidation in the rail industry?
[A] Indifferent.
[B] Supportive.
[C] Indignant.
[D] Apprehensive.
33. It can be inferred from paragraph 3
that
[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.
34. The word
“arbiters”
(Line 7,
Paragraph 4) most probably refers to those
[A] who work as
coordinators.
[B] who function as
judges.
[C] who supervise
transactions.
[D] who
determine the price.
35. According to
the text, the cost increase in the rail industry
is mainly caused by
[A] the
continuing acquisition.
[B]
the growing traffic.
[C]
the cheering Wall Street.
[D] the shrinking market.
名师解析
31. According to those who support
mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because
在那些支持铁路公司合并的人看来，垄断之所以不可能发生，
是因为
[A] cost reduction is
based on competition.
成本的降低源于竞争。
[B]
services call for cross-trade coordination.
服务需要跨行业协调。
[C] outside competitors will continue
to exist.
外部竞争者将继续存在。
[D]
shippers will have the railway by the throat.
托运商将掐住铁路公司的咽喉。
【答案】
C
【考点】
事实细节题。
【分析】
题目问的是支持并购的人为
什么认为铁路行业内不会形成垄断。
根据题干关键
词
“支持者，
合并，
不可
能”
可以定位到第二段。
支持者认为
“
Any threat of
monopoly, they
argue, is removed by fierce competition from truck
s.
”意思是“因
为要和卡车竞争，所以不存在垄断的可能”<
/p>
。所以
[C]
最符合文章的意思。
[A]
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。
[B]
不对
是因
为文中只是说可以更好协调服务，而不是跨行业。
[D]<
/p>
把主语和宾语弄反了，
而且也不是支持者的观点，所以也是错误的
。
32. What is many captive
ship
pers’
attitude towards
the consolidation in the rail industry?
许多受控制的托运商对铁路行业合并的态度是
[A] Indifferent.
冷淡的。
[B]
Supportive.
支持的。
[C] Indignant.
义愤的。
[D]
Apprehensive.
担心的。
【答案】
D
【考点】
态度题。
【分析】
本题问的不是作者的态度，
而是货主的态度，要求考生根据文中所提供的线索
做判断。通过题干关键词“
shipper
，
attitude
”来定位，如：
“
But many
shippers