1999年考研英语真题阅读详解

1999年阅读真题精解(2011-05-3010:22:15)转载标签：黄涛考研真题答案教育分类：阅读篇1999Text1It'saroughworldoutthere.Stepoutsideandyoucouldbreakalegslippingonyourdoormat.Lightupthestoveandyoucouldburndownthehouse.Luckily,ifthedoormatorstovefailedtowarnofcomingdisaster,asuccessfullawsuitmightcompensateyouforyourtroubles.Orsothethinkinghasgonesincetheearly1980s,whenjuriesbeganholdingmorecompaniesliablefortheircustomers'misfortunes.外面是一个危险的世界。如果你走出去，可能会滑倒在门垫上，摔伤一条腿。如果你点燃炉灶，可能会把房子烧掉。但是假如门垫或炉灶上没有警示语告诉你可能发生的危害，那么你或许可以就自己所受的伤害通过法律诉讼，成功地获得赔偿。大约自80年代初以来人们就不再（guangxian注：此处“不再”二字应删除！）这样认为了，当时陪审团已开始认为更多的公司应对其顾客所遭受的不幸负责。Feelingthreatened,companiesrespondedbywritingever-longerwarninglabels,tryingtoanticipateeverypossibleaccident.Today,stepladderscarrylabelsseveralincheslongthatwarn,amongotherthings,thatyoumight—surprise!—falloff.Thelabelonachild'sBatmancapecautionsthatthetoydoesnotenableusertofly.公司因此感到了威胁，便做出了反应，写出越来越长的警示标识语，力图预先标明种种可能发生的事故。现在，梯子上警告标签有几英寸长，除了警告你其他可能发生的意外情况外，还警告你可能会摔下来，简直是莫名其妙！印在儿童蝙蝠侠披风上的标识语竟然也告诫说，本玩具“无法让用户飞行”。虽然警示语常常是合理而必要的，如对药物副作用而产生的危险的警示语，并且很多是州或联邦法规所要求的，但是当消费者受伤，这些警示语能否真正保护制造商和销售商使之免于责任，这还很难说。被受伤的消费者告上法庭的公司中，大约一半的情况是公司败诉。现在看来这种趋势正在转变。尽管个人伤害的指控一如既往地继续着，但有些法庭已开始站到被告一方，特别是在处理那些有警示语也无法避免伤害的案件时。五月份，伊利诺斯州的Shutt体育公司总裁朱利·尼蒙斯就成功地打赢了这样一场官司。一名橄榄球队员戴着该公司的头盔在一场比赛中受伤瘫痪，遂将该公司告上法庭。公司总裁朱利·尼蒙斯说：“他成了瘫痪，我们非常难过，但头盔的设计不是为了预防这类伤害的。”陪审团也认为造成该运动员受伤的是这项运动本身的危险性，而不是头盔。与此同时，美国法学会——该学会由一群举足轻重的法官、律师、学者所组成——签署了新的民事侵害法纲要，宣布公司不必警示顾客那些显而易见的危险，或者给顾客列出一份冗长的可能造成的危险的清单。康奈尔大学法学院一位参与起草新纲要的教授说，“重要的信息会淹没在细枝末节的汪洋之中”。如果该法律团体的这一适中的目的能够实现，产品上提供的警示信息实际上是用来保护消费者利益的，而不是为了避免公司承担法律责任的。Whilewarningsareoftenappropriateandnecessary—thedangersofdruginteractions,forexample—andmanyarerequiredbystateorfederalregulations,itisn'tclearthattheyactuallyprotectthemanufacturersandsellersfromliabilityifacustomerisinjured.About50percentofthecompanieslosewheninjuredcustomerstakethemtocourt.Nowthetideappearstobeturning.Aspersonalinjuryclaimscontinueasbefore,somecourtsarebeginningtosidewithdefendants,especiallyincaseswhereawarninglabelprobablywouldn'thavechangedanything.InMay,JulieNimmons,presidentofSchuttSportsinIllinois,successfullyfoughtalawsuitinvolvingafootballplayerwhowasparalyzedinagamewhilewearingaSchutthelmet.We'rereallysorryhehasbecomeparalyzed,buthelmetsaren'tdesignedtopreventthosekindsofinjuries,saysNimmons.Thejuryagreedthatthenatureofthegame,notthehelmet,wasthereasonfortheathlete'sinjury.Atthesametime,theAmericanLawInstitute—agroupofjudges,lawyers,andacademicswhoserecommendationscarrysubstantialweight—issuednewguidelinesfortortlawstatingthatcompaniesneednotwarncustomersofobviousdangersorbombardthemwithalengthylistofpossibleones.Importantinformationcangetburiedinaseaoftrivialities,saysalawprofessoratCornellLawSchoolwhohelpeddraftthenewguidelines.Ifthemoderateendofthelegalcommunityhasitsway,theinformationonproductsmightactuallybeprovidedforthebenefitofcustomersandnotasprotectionagainstlegalliability.51.Whatwerethingslikein1980swhenaccidentshappened?[A]Customersmightberelievedoftheirdisastersthroughlawsuits.[B]Injuredcustomerscouldexpectprotectionfromthelegalsystem.[C]Companieswouldavoidbeingsuedbyprovidingnewwarnings.[D]Juriestendedtofindfaultwiththecompensationscompaniespromised.52.Manufacturersasmentionedinthepassagetendto________.[A]satisfycustomersbywritinglongwarningsonproducts[B]becomehonestindescribingtheinadequaciesoftheirproducts[C]makethebestuseoflabelstoavoidlegalliability[D]feelobligedtoviewcustomers'safetyastheirfirstconcern53.ThecaseofSchutthelmetdemonstratedthat________.[A]someinjuryclaimswerenolongersupportedbylaw[B]helmetswerenotdesignedtopreventinjuries[C]productlabelswouldeventuallybediscarded[D]somesportsgamesmightlosepopularitywithathletes54.Theauthor'sattitudetowardstheissueseemstobe________.[A]biased[B]indifferent[C]puzzling[D]objective核心词汇1.rough粗糙的，不平坦的；粗野的；tough艰巨的；艰难的2.step走3.slip滑到4.lightup点燃5.burndown烧毁6.failto没有7.lawsuit=suit起诉；诉讼8.compensatefor为…作出补偿9.jury陪审团10.holdsb.liablefor让…对…负责11.misfortune不幸12.respond做出反应13.warninglabels警告标识14.caution警告15.while尽管，而，当…时候16.appropriate合适的17.interaction相互作用18.regulation规则19.claim索赔20.sidewith支持21.defendant被告；22.involving涉及到23.paralyze瘫痪24.nature本质；bynature天性25.carrysubstantialweight具有相当的分量26.issue发布了；发行了27.bombardwith大量提供28.aseaof大量的29.trivialities琐事30.end目的31.haveone’sway得以实现32.legalliability法律责任33.misfortune难句精解①Whilewarningsareoftenappropriateandnecessary—thedangersofdruginteractions,forexample—andmanyarerequiredbystateorfederalregulations,itisn'tclearthattheyactuallyprotectthemanufacturersandsellersfromliabilityifacustomerisinjured.▲在这个主从复合句中，前一个分句是由while引导的让步从句，这个从句由两个并列句组成，中间用and连接。破折号之间的部分是举例说明warnings的内容，and后面的many省略了warnings，state与federal共用regulations。主句部分本身也是一个主从复合句，主句用了一个形式主语it，真正的主语是that引导的从句，注意这个从句中有个动词短语protect...from...，后面是一个if引导的条件从句。△首先要把握这个句子的主旨，那就是主句中所阐明的warnings对manufacturersandsellers的保护作用还很不明朗。注意破折号之间的部分对warnings的解释作用以及it作为形式主语的替代作用。②Aspersonalinjuryclaimscontinueasbefore,somecourtsarebeginningtosidewithdefendants,especiallyincaseswhereawarninglabelprobablywouldn'thavechangedanything.▲在这个主从复合句中，前一个分