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12014年全国硕士研究生英语（一）试卷SectionⅡReadingComprehensionPartADirections:Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersontheANSWERSHEET.(40points)Text1InordertochangelivesforthebetterandreducedependencyGeorgeOsborne,ChancelloroftheExchequer,introducedtheupfrontworksearchscheme.OnlyifthejoblessarriveatthejobcentrewithaCV,registerforonlinejobsearch,andstartlookingforworkwilltheybeeligibleforbenefitandthentheyshouldreportweeklyratherthanfortnightly.Whatcouldbemorereasonable?Moreapparentreasonablenessfollowed.Therewillnowbeaseven-daywaitforthejobseeker’sallowance.Thosefirstfewdaysshouldbespentlookingforwork,notlookingtosignon.heclaimed.We’redoingthesethingsbecauseweknowtheyhelppeoplestayoffbenefitsandhelpthoseonbenefitsgetintoworkfaster.Help?Really?Onfirsthearing,thiswasthesociallyconcernedchancellor,tryingtochangelivesforthebetter,completewithreformstoanobviouslyindulgentsystemthatdemandstoolittleeffortfromthenewlyunemployedtofindwork,andsubsidiseslaziness.Whatmotivatedhim,weweretounderstand,washiszealforfundamentalfairness—protectingthetaxpayer,controllingspendingandensuringthatonlythemostdeservingclaimantsreceivedtheirbenefits.Losingajobishurting:youdon’tskipdowntothejobcentrewithasonginyourheart,delightedattheprospectofdoublingyourincomefromthegenerousstate.Itisfinanciallyterrifying,psychologicallyembarrassingandyouknowthatsupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;yousupportisminimalandextraordinarilyhardtoget.Youarenownotwanted;youarenowexcludedfromtheworkenvironmentthatofferspurposeandstructureinyourlife.Worse,thecrucialincometofeedyourselfandyourfamilyandpaythebillshasdisappeared.Askanyonenewlyunemployedwhattheywantandtheanswerisalways:ajob.ButinOsborneland,yourfirstinstinctistofallintodependency—permanentdependencyifyoucangetit—supportedbyastateonlytooreadytoindulgeyourfalsehood.Itisasthough20yearsofever-tougherreformsofthejobsearchandbenefitadministrationsystemneverhappened.TheprincipleofBritishwelfareisnolongerthatyoucaninsureyourselfagainsttheriskofunemploymentandreceiveunconditionalpaymentsifthedisasterhappens.Eventheveryphrasejobseeker’sallowance—inventedin1996—isaboutredefiningtheunemployedasajobseekerwhohadnomandatoryrighttoabenefitheorshehasearnedthroughmakingnationalinsurancecontributions.Instead,theclaimantreceivesatime-limitedallowance,conditionalonactivelyseekingajob;noentitlementandnoinsurance,at£71.70aweek,oneoftheleastgenerousintheEU.21.GeorgeOsborne’sschemewasintendedto2[A]providetheunemployedwitheasieraccesstobenefits.[B]encouragejobseekers’activeengagementinjobseeking.[C]motivatetheunemployedtoreportvoluntarily.[D]guaranteejobseekers’legitimaterighttobenefits.22.Thephrase,tosignon(Line3,Para.2)mostprobablymeans[A]tocheckontheavailabilityofjobsatthejobcentre.[B]toacceptthegovernment’srestrictionsontheallowance.[C]toregisterforanallowancefromthegovernment.[D]toattendagovernmentaljob-trainingprogram.23.Whatpromptedthechancellortodevelophisscheme?[A]Adesiretosecureabetterlifeforall.[B]Aneagernesstoprotecttheunemployed.[C]Anurgetobegeneroustotheclaimants.[D]Apassiontoensurefairnessfortaxpayers.24.AccordingtoParagraph3,beingunemployedmakesonefeel[A]uneasy[B]enraged.[C]insulted.[D]guilty.25.Towhichofthefollowingwouldtheauthormostprobablyagree?[A]TheBritishwelfaresystemindulgesjobseekers’laziness.[B]Osborne’sreformswillreducetheriskofunemployment.[C]Thejobseekers’allowancehasmettheiractualneeds.[D]Unemploymentbenefitsshouldnotbemadeconditional.Text2Allaroundtheworld,lawyersgeneratemorehostilitythanthemembersofanyotherprofession—withthepossibleexceptionofjournalism.ButtherearefewplaceswhereclientshavemoregroundsforcomplaintthanAmerica.Duringthedecadebeforetheeconomiccrisis,spendingonlegalservicesinAmericagrewtwiceasfastasinflation.Thebestlawyersmadeskyscrapers-fullofmoney,temptingevermorestudentstopileintolawschools.Butmostlawgraduatesnevergetabig-firmjob.Manyoftheminsteadbecomethekindofnuisance-lawsuitfilerthatmakesthetortsystemacostlynightmare.Therearemanyreasonsforthis.Oneistheexcessivecostsofalegaleducation.ThereisjustonepathforalawyerinmostAmericanstates:afour-yearundergraduatedegreeinsomeunrelatedsubject,thenathree-yearlawdegreeatoneof200lawschoolsauthorizedbytheAmericanBarAssociationandanexpensivepreparationforthebarexam.Thisleavestoday’saveragelaw-schoolgraduatewith$100,000ofdebtontopofundergraduatedebts.Law-schooldebtmeansthatmanycannotaffordtogointogovernmentornon-profitwork,andthattheyhavetoworkfearsomelyhard.Reformingthesystemwouldhelpbothlawyersandtheircustomers.Sensibleideashavebeenaroundforalongtime,butthestate-levelbodiesthatgoverntheprofessionhavebeentooconservativetoimplementthem.Oneideaistoallow3peopletostudylawasanundergraduatedegree.Anotheristoletstudentssitforthebarafteronlytwoyearsoflawschool.Ifthebarexamistrulyasternenoughtestforawould-belawyer,thosewhocansititearliershouldbeallowedtodoso.Studentswhodonotneedtheextratrainingcouldcuttheirdebtmountainbyathird.Theotherreasonwhycostsaresohighistherestrictiveguild-likeo