2021考研英语阅读历年试题详解

In order to “change lives for the better” and reduce “dependency,” George Osbome, Chancellor of the Exchequer, introduced the “upfront work search” scheme. Only if the jobless arrive at the job centre with a CV register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit-and then they should report weekly rather than fortnightly. What could be more reasonable?

More apparent reasonableness followed. There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance. “Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on.” he claimed. “We’re doing these things because we know they help people say off benefits and help those on benefits get into work faster” Help? Really? On first hearing, this was the socially concerned chancellor, trying to change lives for the better, complete with “reforms” to an obviously indulgent system that demands too little effort from the newly unemployed to find work, and subsides laziness. What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for “fundamental fairness”-protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits.

Losing a job is hurting: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state. It is financially terrifying psychologically embarrassing and you know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get. You are now not wanted; you are now excluded from the work environment that offers purpose and structure in your life. Worse, the crucial income to feed yourself and your family and pay the bills has disappeared. Ask anyone newly unemployed what they want and the answer is always: a job.

But in Osborneland, your first instinct is to fall into dependency- permanent dependency if you can get it-supported by a state only too ready to indulge your falsehood. It is as though 20 years of ever- tougher reforms of the job search and benefit administration system never happened. The principle of British welfare is no longer that you can insure yourself against the risk of unemployment and receive unconditional payments if the disaster happens. Even the very phrase ‘jobseeker’s allowance’-invented in 1996- is about redefining the unemployed as a “jobseeker” who had no mandatory right to a benefit he or she has earned through making national insurance contributions. Instead, the claimant receives a time-limited “allowance,” conditional on actively seeking a job; no entitlement and no insurance, at £71.70 a week, one of the least generous in the EU.

21. George Osborne’s scheme was intended to _____.

[A] motivate the unemployed to report voluntarily

[B] provide the unemployed with easier access to benefits

[C] encourage jobseekers’ active engagement in job seeking

[D] guarantee jobseekers’ legitimate right to benefits

22. The phrase “to sign on” (Line 3, Para. 2) most probably means _____.

[A] to register for an allowance from the government

[B] to accept the government’s restrictions on the allowance

[C] to check on the availability of jobs at the jobcentre

[D] to attend a governmental job-training program

23. What prompted the chancellor to develop his scheme?

[A] A desire to secure a better life for all. [B] An eagerness to protect the unemployed.

[C] An urge to be generous to the claimants. [D] A passion to ensure fairness for taxpayers.

24. According to Paragraph 3, being unemployed makes one feel _____.

[A] insulted [B] uneasy [C] enraged [D] guilty

25. To which of the following would the author most probably agree?

[A] Unemployment benefits should not be made conditional.

[B] The British welfare system indulges jobseekers’ laziness.

[C] The jobseekers’ allowance has met their actual needs.

[D] Osborne’s reforms will reduce the risk of unemployment.

第一篇文章全文共4段，首先浏览五题题干，识别出各题型以便有针对性地解题，同时对文章中心有一定预判。

21.细节题【C】

根据题文同序确定定位段落为第1段，由题干关键词George Osborne’s scheme 定位到第一段第一句话，“为了更好地改变生活，减少依赖”信息不明确，无法匹配选项;故通过下文信息”Only if the jobless arrive at the jobcentre with a CV, register for online job search, and start looking for work will they be eligible for benefit”只有失业的人带着简历、网上注册开始找工作了，才能获得福利。故选择C，鼓励求职者积极地找工作。

【干扰项】A选项，促使失业的人自愿报告。对应原文破折号之后they should report weekly rather than fortnightly.他们应该每周汇报，未提及自愿的含义，排除。B选项，为失业的人提供获得福利更容易的办法，根据定位句可知，获得福利并不是容易的事，排除。D选项，保证求职者获得救济金的合法权利，无中生有，排除。

词义句意题【A】

根据题干信息定位至第二段第二句话，Those first few days should be spent looking for work, not looking to sign on. 根据语义关系为A，not B的并列结构，A为looking for work，找工作，故looking to sign on是不找工作，对应A选项，从政府注册领取津贴。

【干扰项】B选项，接受政府在津贴上的限制，结合定位句前面一句，There will now be a seven-day wait for the jobseeker’s allowance. 对于求职者津贴有七天的等待期，限制在这几天用来找工作，语义相反。C选项，检查求职中心提供的工作、D选项参加政府的求职培训项目，都是针对找工作而言，故排除。

细节题【D】

根据上下两题的定位，该题定位在第二段后面部分。由题干关键词prompted同义替换motivated定位至段末最后一句话，What motivated him, we were to understand, was his zeal for fundamental fairness—protecting the taxpayer, controlling spending and ensuring that only the most deserving claimants received their benefits. 对应选项D中，zeal&passion同义替换，fairness&taxpayer原词复现，语义上：他的动机在于对根本公平的热情，保护纳税者，控制开支。故选D确保纳税人的公平的热情。

细节题【B】

题干信息定位至第三段，being unemployed对应losing a job is hurt: you don’t skip down to the jobcentre with a song in your heart, delighted at the prospect of doubling your income from the generous state. 失业是让人很受伤的，你不可能进入求职中心还心中有歌，期待政府给以双倍的收入。对应选项B，不安的。A选项受侮辱的，C选项愤怒的，D选项内疚，有罪的，都不符合，故排除。

段落推断题【A】

根据题文同序定位至最后一段。段落推断题，找段落论点，先找转折首句But in Osborneland,可判定该句为奥斯本的观点，而不是作者观点，故不可用。因此定位至末句，Instead,the claimants receives a time-limited allowance, conditional on actively seeking a job.恰恰相反，申请人收到的是一个以找工作为条件以及时间限制的津贴。即作者观点与之恰恰相反，不应该以条件限制失业津贴，故选择A选项。