Question

According to sociologists（社会学家）, every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification（阶层）. Class, power and status are important in deciding people’s rank in society.
  Class means a person’s economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning ＄500,000 a year and a bus driver earning ＄50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!
   Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise（行使）big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding （相应的）economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class.

To our knowledge, there aren’t too many people who aren’t millionaires in the U.S. Senate! Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.

54. What can we learn about “the middle class” from Paragraph 2?

A. People earning ＄50,000 a year belong to the middle class.

B. Nearly half Americans belong to the middle class.

C. People generally consider bus drivers as the middle class.

D. Sociologists have a clear definition of the middle class.

55. According to the text, we know that _____.

A. power and class do not always correspond with each other

B. status refers to a person’s economic position in society

C. people with high status have a lot of control over others

D. class is less important in deciding a person’s social rank

56. Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?

                                      

                                                

                                       

            A.                B.             C.           D.

Answer 1

【语篇解读】本文是一篇议论文，题材是政治话题。作者论述了阶级、权力和社会地位的定义及它们之间的关系。阶级、权力和社会地位在判断人们社会等级中起着重要作用。

段落		关键词、句	大意推测
第一部分 （Para. 1） 总述	Para. 1	form of social stratification （阶层）；Class，power and status；people’s rank	总述：每个现代工业社会都有一个社会阶层结构。阶级、权力和社会地位在判断人们社会等级中起着重要作用。
第二部分（Para. 2——4）分述	Para. 2	Class means a person’s economic position in society; lower class, middle class and upper class; the United Slates	阶级即是人们在社会中的经济地位。一般地分为低收入阶级、中收入阶级和高收入阶级。美国三个阶级的比例结构。
	Para. 3	Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people; Power and class do not always go hand in hand; Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class.	权力指一个人对其他人实行控制的程度。权力和阶级不总是一致的。一般地说，它们之间有一定的关系。
	Para 4	Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society；affected by power and class；not necessarily	地位指依附于一个人在社会中位置的荣誉和尊敬。

【解析】

54. B。推理判断题。难度：中等。根据文章第二段中的One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1 % the upper class可知，美国46%的人属于中收入阶层。这里的46%和Nearly half是同意表达。故选B。

干扰项排除：A项说一年挣$ 50,000的人属于中收入阶层。这与文章中的“一年挣$ 50,000的司机自认为是中收入阶层”不一致；C项说人们普遍认为公共汽车司机属于中收入阶层。这与文章中的“收入$ 50,000的司机属于中收入阶层”相悖；D项说社会学家对中收入阶层有一个清晰的定义。这与文章第二段中的“sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined”相悖。

55. A。推理判断题。难度：中等。根据文章第三段中的Power and class do not always go hand in hand可以推知：权力和阶级不总是一致的。此处采用了同义句表达的手段，关键词定位：correspond with each other和go hand in hand同意。故选A。

干扰项排除：B项犯了偷梁换柱的错误。与文章中的Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society内容不符；C项犯了相同的错误。根据文章内容正确的表述应为：people with great power have a lot of control over others；D项与文章第一段中的Class，power and status are important in deciding people’s rank in society内容相悖。

56. A。考查文章结构题。难度：中等。根据语篇解读中表格可以清晰的看出文章的整体结构。第一段总述：阶级、权力和社会地位在判断人们社会等级中起着重要作用；第二段分述阶级即是人们在社会中的经济地位；第三段分述权力指一个人对其他人实行控制的程度；第四段分述地位指依附于一个人在社会中位置的荣誉和尊敬。故选A。

【难句学习】

1. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well.

翻译：尽管社会学家不同意如何把这些术语进行准确的定义，但是他们的确很好地描述了像美国这样的社会阶层。

分析：句中while引导一个让步状语从句，在让步状语从句中how引导一个介词on的宾语从句；主句中的do是表强调的助动词。

2. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise （行使）big power, but people who take orders from others have less power.

翻译：显而易见，位居大权的人们（比如政府官员）行使大权，但执行别人命令的人们拥有较小的权力。

分析：句中but是并列连词，连接两个并列分句，在第二个分句中含有一个who引导的定语从句。