十、政府与政治
TEXT 85
In the recent proposal put forward by President Trump and two Republican Senators regarding legal immigration，it was announced that the annual number of refugees seeking political asylum would be arbitrarily capped at 50,000，rather than at a level mandated each year by the president.Asylum is a defining element of America's national identity.The United States bears a special stake in the plight of refugees，which originated well before the Statue of Liberty famously urged foreign nations to send“your tired，your poor，your huddled masses.”Today，opportunities for asylum in America stands imperiled on multiple fronts，not least owing to the priorities of President Trump.
Diverse reforms would help to improve the asylum process，including prioritizing the admission of families，especially women and children，the most common victims of abuse and the least prone to violent crime.Serious efforts need to be made not only to improve screening and to appoint larger numbers of asylum officers and judges but also to permit impoverished refugees some form of free counseling.Conversely，lawyers who knowingly facilitate fraudulent applications should be punished.
At a time when America has grown reluctant to promote democracy abroad by nation-building，the need to afford sanctuary has grown all the more acute.If we have failed，time and again，from Vietnam to Iraq，to remake foreign countries in our image，the United States should remain true to its historic identity，all the while encouraging other democracies to follow our example.The Trump administration and Congress should reaffirm not diminish America's commitment.On this issue，it is no time for the United States to lead from behind，much less succumb to nativism.The successful integration of all foreign immigrants into American society，of course，remains critical.
Admission，like citizenship，entails responsibilities as well as benefits，first and foremost the privilege of residence in the United States.Domestic opposition to immigration might subside if sustained attempts were made to offer instruction not only in English but also in the basic tenets of the American system of government，beginning with the essential premise of equality before the law，irrespective of gender，race，religion and sexual orientation.
However culturally diverse，the nation rests upon a historic commitment to democratic-republicanism，with a balance struck by the Founders between majority rule and minority rights. Americans remain bound not by religion，ethnicity，race，or，for that matter，language，but by a set of political values embedded in the Constitution.It is those same principles on which the doctrine of political asylum is predicated in a world beset by intolerance and oppression.
1.America“bears a special stake in the plight of refugees”（Para.1）in that____.
[A] accepting more refugees can benefit the country
[B] helping refugees is a defining feature of the country
[C] it is the only country that can accommodate many refugees
[D] it is the country many refugees first choose to go to
2.The word“imperil”（Para.1）most probably means____.
[A] offer
[B] endanger
[C] challenge
[D] accomplish
3.The author supports all the immigration reforms except____.
[A] giving favored consideration to women and children
[B] checking up the applications more intensively
[C] re-training immigration officers and judges
[D] punishing lawyers who consent to dishonesty
4.The author insists that no immigration policy be made____.
[A] in making other democratic countries disappointed
[B] under the excuse of enhancing America's image
[C] in hurting the interests of the immigrants
[D] at the expense of America's national identity
5.Once accepted，immigrants should____.
[A] make efforts to learn English and the culture
[B] learn how the American government works
[C] guard against any discriminatory behavior
[D] respect the rights of both the majority and minority
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.the Statue of Liberty 自由女神像
2.sanctuary 避难处
3.nativism 本土主义（论调）
4.republicanism 共和制
5.predicate 使根据于
6.intolerance 不宽容，不容忍
疑难长句注解
1.The United States bears...huddled masses.（第一段）
本句中which引导定语从句，修饰stake，这里stake意为special interest or involvement（利益攸关，关切），bears a special stake in the plight of refugees的字面意思是“难民的困境与美国利益攸关”，即对难民的关注反映了美国社会的本质特征。作者认为，对难民的这种关切是美国的一个传统，是美国之所以是美国的标志。另外，your tired，your poor，your huddled masses（那劳瘁贫贱的流民）是镌刻在位于纽约的自由女神像（the Statue of Liberty）上的铭文的一部分，其中masses指“群众，大众”。后半句话的意思是：早在自由女神像竖立之前，美国就已经成为接纳难民的象征。
2.On this issue...to nativism.（第三段）
本句中，this issue指美国对避难者的关心（commitment），为避难者提供sanctuary（避难所）；lead from behind是说做幕后领导者：作者认为美国应该在接受移民上走在世界前列，从而对世界上其他国家起到榜样作用；much less可以译作“更不”；succumb to意为“屈服于，让步于”；nativism指特朗普宣称的要把美国人的利益放在首位，包括美国人的就业机会等。
3.However culturally diverse...minority rights.（第五段）
However culturally diverse（America is）是一个省略的让步从句。在主句中，词组rests upon意为“基于”；词组strike a balance意为“在……间取得平衡”；majority rule指选举中多数获胜的规则；在minority rights中，“少数人”这里并非指少数族群，而是指在选举中自己支持的候选人没有当选、因此在政府中没有代表自己利益的人的那些人。比如，文章中提到的特朗普总统的移民政策，更多的是体现了选举他的那一部分选民的诉求，而不是所有美国人的诉求。另外，the Founders指的是美国的Founding Fathers（开国元勋）。
译文
特朗普总统及两位共和党参议员在涉及合法移民的最新提案中提出，寻求政治避难的难民人数被随意定为每年不超过五万人，而不是每年由总统批准人数。避难是美国国民性的一个决定性成分。美国特别关注难民所受的苦难，这一关注早在自由女神众所周知地敦促外国把“你们疲倦的、贫穷的、拥挤在一起的大众”送来之前就开始了。今天，在美国避难的机会在各个方面都陷入了危机，其中不得不提的原因是特朗普总统的[美国人] 优先政策。
各式各样的改革会有助于改进避难过程，包括优先考虑接受家庭，特别是妇女和儿童，他们是虐待行为最常见的受害者，而且是最不容易进行暴力犯罪的人。一方面，要做出严肃的努力，不仅改进筛查方式，任命更大数量的避难执法官员和法官，而且允许贫穷的难民接受某种形式的免费咨询。另一方面，如果律师明知故犯为欺诈性的申请提供帮助，那么他们应该受到惩罚。
在美国越来越不愿意通过国家建设推进国外民主的时代，提供庇护所的需要变得更加急迫。从越南到伊拉克，如果美国一次次都没有能够按我们的形象来再造外国，我们至少应该忠诚于我们的历史身份，时时刻刻鼓励其他民主政体向我们这样的榜样学习。特朗普政府和国会应该重申——而不是减少——美国做出的努力。在这个问题上，现在不是美国仅做幕后领导的时候，更不是屈服于本土主义的时候。让所有外来移民成功融入美国社会当然仍然是很重要的。
像公民身份一样，被接受意味着责任及利益，首先当然意味着在美国居住的特权。如果美国做出持续努力，在英语和美国政府体制的基本原则上提供指导，国内对移民的反对可能消退，这些原则可以从无论性别、种族、宗教和性取向如何，在法律面前人人都平等的基本前提讲起。
无论美国文化多么多样，它都建立在对民主—共和主义的历史忠诚之上，开国元勋们已经在多数人和少数人的权利上设定了平衡点。美国的团结不是基于宗教、民族、种族，甚或语言，而是基于一套宪法所体现的政治价值观。恰恰是这些原则，在这样一个充满不宽容和压迫的世界里为政治避难的信条提供了基础。
TEXT 86
Two weeks after Britain's EU referendum，Europe has defied predictions that the UK's vote to leave would inspire a surge in copycat breakaway movements. In Germany，the Brexit aftermath has seen Angela Merkel's popularity ratings surge to a 10-month high，almost returning to the level the chancellor enjoyed before the height of the refugee crisis last September. Rightwing populist party Alternative für Deutschland，meanwhile，has seen its ratings drop by three percentage points to 11%. “The Brexit debate has fostered a more pro-European climate among the German population，” said Infratest Dimap's managing director Michael Kunert. “The government is profiting from this trend while populist，eurosceptic parties are suffering.”
In the Netherlands，seen as one of the countries that could potentially follow Britain's example，support for the Freedom party of far-right politician Geert Wilders has fallen to its lowest level since last autumn. One poll suggests Wilders could win 30 out of the 150 seats in parliament if an election were held now，three fewer than a week ago，though his party remains the most popular in the fragmented Dutch political landscape. Wilders this week pressed ahead with his vow to make a “Nexit” referendum one of the key themes of the general election next March，calling the EU “a totalitarian institution”.
The resulting political chaos and economic uncertainty of Brexit appears to have had a direct effect on attitudes in Austria，where a eurosceptic populist candidate will stand in the repeat presidential elections on 2 October. The change in mood appears to have also affected the views of the anti-immigration Freedom party's presidential candidate. Having previously advocated a referendum if the EU were to take steps towards further integration，Norbert Hofer told Die Presse on Friday that he was “not in favour of an Austrian exit from the European Union”.
The picture is more balanced in southern Europe. In France，the far-right，anti-EU and anti-immigration Front National has remained stable in the polls. Its leader，Marine Le Pen，is widely expected to get through to the final round of the presidential race in spring 2017 but is not predicted to win the run-off. In Italy，the political landscape has shifted over the last two weeks，but there have been both losses and gains for eurosceptic parties. While there is widespread scepticism of Brussels，a majority of Italians believe they are better off in the EU. One poll carried out since the Brexit outcome found 66% of Italians would vote to remain in the EU，with just 26% opting to leave and 8% undecided.
1.Before Brexit，it had been expected that_____.
[A] Brexit would be strongly supported in Germany
[B] the German chancellor's ratings would fall after Brexit
[C] other countries would follow Britain's example
[D] most Europeans countries would benefit from Brexit
2.Wilders' party is now endeavoring to_____.
[A] get more parliament seats in the election
[B] obtain a referendum for the Nexit
[C] win the general election next March
[D] make his party the most popular one
3.Which of the following is NOT true of Norbert Hofer?
[A] He seems to have changed his attitude to the EU.
[B] He is Freedom party's presidential candidate.
[C] His attitude affects the presidential candidate's views.
[D] He is against further integration of the European Union.
4.The political situation in France and Italy is_____.
[A] less affected by the Brexit outcome
[B] radically different from each other
[C] not dominated by rightwing parties
[D] is made worse by the Brexit outcome
5.The best title of the text is_____.
[A] Who Will Be the Next One Voting to Leave
[B] The Influence of Brexit Is Not Felt by the World
[C] Britain and the Netherlands Are Ready to Exit
[D] Brexit Causes Revival in Pro-EU Feelings in Europe
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.populist 民粹主义的
2.eurosceptic 对欧盟持怀疑态度的人
3.run-off 加时赛，第二轮比赛
疑难长句注解
1.In Germany，the Brexit aftermath...last September. （第一段）
本句的主干结构是see someone/something do something，其中almost returning to...September是现在分词短语作同位语，进一步解释surge to a 10-month high。本句中，the chancellor指Angela Merkel，而the refugee crisis指2015年德国总理默克尔公开表示德国愿意接受100万来自叙利亚等战乱国家和地区的难民，结果某些难民到达德国后给德国社会带来了社会动荡，在德国的几个城市发生抢劫和强奸等犯罪活动。
2.Wilders this week pressed...institution. （第二段）
本句中，词组press ahead/forward/on （with sth.）意为continue （doing sth.） in a determined way坚决地继续（进行某事物），坚持（做某事），加紧（做某事）；不定式短语to make...next March作定语，修饰vow，表示宣誓的内容；general election指“普选，大选”。
3.The resulting political chaos...2 October. （第三段）
本句中，where引导定语从句，修饰Austria；形容词eurosceptic指对欧盟持怀疑态度的人，或反对欧洲一体化的人；词组stand in意为“参加”；因为上一次选举被判无效，故进行repeat election。
译文
在英国退出欧盟的全民公决两周后，欧洲并没有看到支持下列预测的迹象，即英国投票脱欧将引起模仿其退出行动的国家的激增。在德国，英国脱欧的结果使得默克尔的支持度剧增到10个月前的高度，几乎回到去年九月难民危机前这位总理享受的水平。同时，右翼的民粹党——德国新选择党的支持率下降了3%，到了11%。民调机构Infratest Dimap的执行总裁Michael Kunert说，“英国退欧的争论在德国人中促成了一个更支持欧盟的气氛。政府从这种倾向中受益，而民粹的、对欧盟持怀疑态度的政党遭受损失。”
荷兰被看作最可能效法英国榜样的国家之一，在那里，对极右政治家Geert Wilders领导的自由党的支持降到去年夏天以来最低水平。一次民意测验表明，假如现在举行选举，Wilders的党只能获得议会150个席位中的30个，比一周前少3席，虽然其政党仍然是四分五裂的荷兰政治状况中最受欢迎的。本周，Wilders继续推进他的誓言，要使“荷兰脱欧”的全民公投成为明年三月大选的主题之一，他称欧盟是一个“极权主义制度”。
英国脱欧所导致的政治混乱和经济不确定性，似乎对奥地利人的态度产生了直接影响，在那里，一个对欧盟持怀疑态度的民粹主义候选人将在10月2号参加重复的总统选举。情绪的变化似乎也影响到反移民的自由党的总统候选人的观点。Norbert Hofer原先曾主张，如果欧盟采取措施推进一体化，就（在奥地利）举行一次全民公决。但是本周五，他告诉《新闻报》，他“不支持奥地利退出欧盟”。
在南欧，状态更平衡一些。在法国，极右的、反欧盟的、反移民的国民阵线在民调中保持稳定地位。其党魁Marine Le Pen被广泛认为能杀入2017年春季总统选举的最后一轮，但是没有人预测她能赢得第二轮选举。在意大利，政治状态在过去两周中已经有所改变，但是对欧盟持怀疑态度的政党有得也有失。虽然对位于布鲁塞尔的欧盟普遍持怀疑态度，但是大多数意大利人相信留在欧盟中更好。英国脱欧结果后的一次民调显示，66%的意大利人会投票支持留在欧盟，只有26%的人选择离开，另有8%的人犹豫不决。
TEXT 87
Angela Merkel has significantly stiffened her rhetoric on Brexit，telling an audience of German business leaders that any exception to the EU's single market rules would represent “a systemic challenge for the entire European Union”. The German chancellor's remarks reflect an apparent toughening of positions after Theresa May announced on Sunday that the UK would begin formal divorce talks by the end of March and indicated it was heading for a “hard Brexit”.
Merkel appealed to German firms to show a united front with EU governments in negotiations over Britain's departure from the bloc，urging them to support the principle of “full access to the single market only in exchange for signing up to the four freedoms”. If any one country was allowed an exception，she said，“you can imagine how all countries will put conditions on free movement with other countries. And that would create an extremely difficult situation.”
The applause for Merkel's comments put a further question mark over the argument of British pro-Brexit politicians that German businesses will inevitably pressure their government to preserve their trade links with the UK and resist tariffs. Markus Kerber，the leader of Germany's largest industry group，said last week that trade，investments and single market solidarity with the rest of the EU were more important than the volume of business German companies do with Britain.
The four freedoms—free movement of goods，capital，services，and people—could not be decoupled. That cannot be negotiated. These principles are the basis for everything the EU does. Brexit was “not just an accounting exercise” for the EU 27. Britain's deal had to be fair，but it has to be inferior. The idea that Britain can come back with a superior deal，or even the same deal，is not acceptable. Of course，if your priority is controlling immigration，it may not be a worse deal. But it must be inferior in terms of the whole package.
The tone of Merkel's remarks in particular stands in sharp contrast to the conciliatory language coming out of Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the referendum，when leading politicians pleaded for London to be given more time to think through the consequences of the vote. Jens Spahn，a senior member of her Christian Democrat Union party，confirmed the tough line，including no pre-negotiations before article 50 is triggered. The EU 27 would take four or five weeks to confirm a common position on Brexit once Britain had triggered article 50，after which day-to-day talks would be handled by the European commission's chief negotiator，Michel Barnier，and his German deputy，Sabine Weyand.
1.Angela Merkel implies in her remarks that_____.
[A] Britain will pose threat to the EU market rules
[B] Britain won't get favorable terms in Brexit talks
[C] Britain's economy will suffer a hard landing
[D] Germany and Britain can trade in a single market
2.The principle grants countries full access to the single market only if_____.
[A] they don't want to be exceptions
[B] they unite with EU governments
[C] they don't support Britain's departure
[D] they don't restrict free movement
3.British politicians have the idea that_____.
[A] Merkel's comments are much to the point
[B] frequent trade links will break down heavy tariffs
[C] the departure from EU won't affect business much
[D] trade volume is likely to increase after Brexit
4.By saying Britain's deal must be “inferior”，the author means_____.
[A] the EU governments should regard Britain as inferior
[B] no terms with Britain should violate the general principle
[C] Britain should regard immigration issue as less important
[D] Britain's effort to control immigration is a bad policy
5.Immediately after the Brexit voting，Merkel_____.
[A] made clear her tough-line position
[B] expressed a more moderate attitude
[C] asked the EU to trigger article 50
[D] refused to pre-negotiate with Britain
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.decoupled 分离，断开
2.Christian Democrat Union 基督教民主联盟（德国党派）
疑难长句注解
1.The German chancellor's remarks...“hard Brexit”. （第一段）
句中the German chancellor指德国首相默克尔，Theresa May是英国首相；position意为“立场”，这里指德国对英国脱欧的态度立场；divorce原指“离婚”，divorce talks这里指英国与欧盟的脱欧谈判；词组head for意为“走向，动身去往”；hard Brexit区别于soft Brexit，前者指完全脱离欧洲，后者指部分脱欧。
2.Merkel appealed to...four freedoms”. （第二段）
句中a united front with EU governments是要求德国企业领导人与欧盟各国政府结成统一战线，不向英国脱欧做出任何让步；the bloc指the European Union（欧盟），departure from the bloc指脱欧；词组in exchange for意为“换取”，sign up to意为“签字同意”。“原则”是指：只有英国签字允许四大自由，欧洲市场才能向英国完全开放，言外之意，如果只允许其中的一两个自由，欧洲市场就不能向英国完全开放。four freedoms指第四段提到的货物、资本、服务和人员的自由流动。
译文
安吉拉·默克尔对英国脱欧在措辞上明显强硬起来，她在给德国商界领袖讲话时说，欧盟单一市场规则的任何例外将代表“对整个欧盟的系统挑战”。这位德国总理的话反映出一个明显强硬的立场，此前，特蕾莎·梅在星期天宣布，英国将于三月底开启正式脱欧谈判，她表示，英国正向着“硬脱欧”方向发展。
默克尔呼吁德国公司，在与各国政府有关英国脱离欧盟集团的谈判中表现出团结的立场，敦促他们捍卫“只有签约支持四大自由才能换取欧盟单一市场的完整准入”这一原则。如果任何国家被允许成为例外，她说，“你可以想象，其他所有国家都将与其他国家谈判，强加自由流动的条件。这将造成一个极其困难的形势”。
支持脱欧的英国政治家曾经认为，德国企业最终会迫使其政府保留与英国的贸易联系并抵制关税，但默克尔的评价赢得的掌声给这一观点打上了一个问号。Markus Kerber是德国最大企业集团的领袖，他上周说，贸易、投资和巩固与欧盟其他国家的单一市场，比德国公司与英国的贸易量更重要。
四大自由包括货物、资本、服务、人员的自由流动，它们不可分割。这没有商谈余地。这些原则是欧盟做事的基础。英国脱欧对欧盟27国来说“不仅仅是一次会计演练”。与英国的谈判必须是公平的，但是它是次级的。让英国带着更高级的谈判条件——甚至带着同样的条件回到欧盟，这是不可接受的。当然，如果你的首要目的是控制移民，脱欧是一个不错的选择。但是在整个一揽子谈判里，它必须是次级的。
默克尔讲话的调子与紧接公投后柏林使用的妥协语言形成特别鲜明的对比，当时，几位主要政治领导人请求给伦敦更多时间，好好思考公投带来的后果。Jens Spahn是基督教民主联盟党资深成员，她表达了强硬的立场，包括在触发第50条款前不进行任何预谈判。一旦英国触发第50条款，欧盟27国需要四五周的时间确认它们在英国脱欧上的一致立场，此后日常谈判将由欧洲委员会的主谈判人Michel Barnier和他的德国副手Sabine Weyand处理。
TEXT 88
Women have climbed further than their male counterparts at private companies，where just 16 percent of executives are women. Meanwhile，women are gradually advancing to the highest levels of government，where they now represent 33.7 percent of the leaders known as senior executives. Women and men have not reached parity in the top ranks of government. But among the 7，187 career senior executives，they've reached pay parity，with women getting a slight edge.
The Government Accountability Office，a little-known agency that acts as the government's fiscal watchdog，has quietly cultivated a culture that has helped women thrive. Women make up 41 percent of the senior executives there，substantially above the government-wide average. The GAO has what's best described as an unglamorous mission：It audits government programs for Congress to ensure that taxpayers get the most efficient and accountable spending for their money.
Yet the GAO is not just a good place to work （it consistently ranks near the top among midsize agencies in the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government annual rankings） but a good place to work for women. Of the agency's 121 senior executives，50 are women，including the general counsel and chief operating officer. Government agencies have long prided themselves on helping their employees balance their work and personal lives. The GAO's approach is more serious than most：day care on site at the Washington headquarters，a student loan repayment program，a generous telework policy—65 percent of the staff worked from home one day or more per pay period last year—and a flexible relocation policy.
When she was hired 26 years ago as an entry-level analyst right out of graduate school，Orice Williams Brown told herself she would do this for a few years until the financial markets，still reeling from a crash，recovered. But her first assignment was intriguing to her that she decided to stay. She was promoted to senior executive in 2005，in charge of the team that audits financial markets and community investment. Five years ago，she was made a managing director.
“The work is extremely appealing，” Williams Brown said. “It's a family-friendly culture. I've seen people advance regardless of where they are in their personal life. I've seen people promoted who are out on maternity leave.” She said that by having employees work in teams with experts from different disciplines，the GAO puts a premium on collaborative skills and coming to collective decisions. That's one of the things women are really socialized to do.
1.At top government levels women executives_____.
[A] can rival men in the highest ranks
[B] lead better than their male counterparts
[C] suffer no discrimination in payment
[D] have assumed a more aggressive style
2.Compared with other government agencies，the GAO_____.
[A] has fostered more women leaders
[B] possess more power than other agencies
[C] has more duties for the taxpayers
[D] takes on a more important mission
3.The GAO provides all the following conveniences except_____.
[A] paying for employees' telecommunication
[B] setting aside a center for child care
[C] allowing employees to work at home
[D] transferring employees to other cities
4.Williams Brown's experience illustrates that_____.
[A] women are better employees than their male counterparts
[B] the GAO has fostered a culture for women to prosper
[C] women should have confidence in their capability
[D] the appeal of the work is a key element leading to success
5.We can conclude that women who want to get ahead should_____.
[A] work in one place rather than changing jobs constantly
[B] learn to balance their family life and career properly
[C] learn to collaborate with experts from different fields
[D] look to the government rather than private companies
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.unglamorous 平淡无奇的
2.telework 远程工作
3.reel 步履蹒跚，不稳地走
译文
女性在私人公司比男性爬得更高，但是在那里只有16%的高管是女性。同时，女性正逐渐走向政府最高层，那里她们占据33.7%的高管领导岗位。女性和男性在政府高层上的人数也没有达到势均力敌。但是在7187个高管中，她们在工资上达到了势均力敌——女性占据了一点儿上风。
政府责任署是一个不太为人所知的机构，它是政府财政监督机构，那里悄悄培育出一种适合女性发展的文化。女性在这里占据41%的高管岗位，比其他政府部门高很多。责任署的使命可以说是单调乏味的：它为国会审计政府项目，以确保纳税人的钱以最有效、最负责的方式花出。
可是，责任署不仅仅是工作的好地方（在联邦政府“最佳工作机构”每年的排名中，它总是排在中等规模机构的前几位），而且是一个女性工作的好地方。在这个机构的121位高管中，50名是女性，包括法律总管、总运营官。政府机构长期以来以帮助雇员平衡工作与个人生活而自豪。责任署的方法比大部分方法更认真：华盛顿总部有现场日托，可以提供学生贷款项目，还有慷慨的远程工作政策——去年65%的工作人员每个付酬期可以在家工作一天或多天，它也有灵活的异地工作调动政策。
Orice Williams Brown在26年前被雇用，研究生刚毕业当上初级分析师，当时金融市场不景气，她告诉自己，自己先在这里工作几年，等待金融市场恢复。但是她的第一个任务吸引了她，她决定留下来。她在2005年被晋升为高管，负责金融市场和社区投资审计组。五年前，她被提升为常务总管。
“这项工作特别有吸引力”，Williams Brown说，“这是一种家庭友好型文化氛围。我看到人们得以提升，不管他们的个人生活地位如何。休完产假的人也能得到晋升。”她说，责任署让雇员与来自不同学科的专家在一起工作，强调合作技能，做出集体决策。这正是女性在其社会成长过程中善于做的一件事情。
TEXT 89
Few institutions have been as overwhelmed by the numbers of refugees passing through Europe as Frontex, the European Union's external border agency. With a weak mandate, no equipment of its own and no power to hire its own border guards, the agency has floundered. On December 15th the European Commission came forward with a proposal, backed by Germany and France, intended to toughen Europe's border controls. The plan is long overdue—and is evidence of a growing realisation that far more needs to be done to manage the refugee crisis and preserve Schengen, the passport-free travel zone, which has come under great strain.
Under the proposal, a new European border and coast guard would be created. It would absorb Frontex, which at present cannot do much more than fingerprint and count migrants as they pass through a country. By contrast, the new border agency would have far more authority, with twice as many staff and the ability to buy its own kit. A reserve team of border guards would be at the agency's disposal, helping prevent shortages, while “liaison officers” would be posted to tricky spots in order to feed back information to the headquarters. Most strikingly, it would be given the power to intervene in a country whether the member state liked it or not. It would also be able to gain access to European databases more easily, and have a far greater involvement in sending illegal migrants back.
Many are delighted by the proposal, including Fabrice Leggeri, the current boss of Frontex. It is less politically toxic than the idea of a “mini-Schengen”, a core group of member states, which has been mooted by several Dutch politicians but is disliked by most other countries. The plan would also deal with a weakness in the current system—the reluctance of “front-line” member states, such as Greece, to ask for help—by giving the commission the power to force them to accept assistance.
But other countries are less pleased by the idea of an agency with mandatory powers. Poland's foreign minister described it as a potentially “undemocratic structure”. Greece cautiously welcomed the idea but insisted it should retain ultimate authority over its borders. Such grumblers may not have much power when it comes to voting, as the proposal requires only a qualified majority among states to pass, rather than unanimous approval.Yet even if it passes, obstacles remain. For example, the EU passed plans in May and September to relocate 160,000 refugees over two years. Yet just under 4,000 places have been allocated and around 200 refugees moved. Without the political will to implement them, such ambitious plans are often stillborn.
1.Which of the following is true about Frontex?
[A] It is established as a refugee and border management agency.
[B] It is not endowed with much power to handle border problems.
[C] It has put forward a widely acceptable proposal for border control.
[D] It has realised that far more needs to be done about the refugee crisis.
2.It is implied in the second paragraph that_____.
[A] the proposal ignores the earnest needs of the refugees
[B] fingerprint check is useless in controlling migrants
[C] Frontex has no authority to intervene in a country
[D] many member countries are skeptical of the proposal
3.The word“mooted” in the third paragraph means_____.
[A] brought forward
[B] turned down
[C] backed up
[D] drawn up
4.The new proposal is called“undemocratic” because_____.
[A] it does not consult“front-line” countries
[B] it will impose authority over member states
[C] it will disregard the countries of minority votes
[D] it will be valid without unanimous approval
5.The relocation plan of the refugees indicates that_____.
[A] the EU has done a good job in refugee management
[B] the new proposal is unlikely to win a majority voting
[C] the refugees dislike the plan and refuse to move
[D] there is great gap between what one votes and does
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.flounder 挣扎，错乱地行动
2.kit 成套装备
3.moot 提出，讨论
4.grumbler 抱怨者
5.stillborn 死产的
疑难长句注解
1.The plan is long overdue...great strain. （第一段）
本句很长，但结构清晰，包括and连接的并列句，在第二个分句中，that...strain是realisation的同位语从句，对“意识到”的内容做出详细说明。在这个同位语从句中，manage和preserve并列，而the passport-free travel zone是Schengen的同位语，which引导的从句修饰zone，其中strain意为“压力，紧张”。
2.A reserve team of border guards...headquarters. （第二段）
本句由while一分为二。在前半句中，reserve指“后备军”，at...proposal意为“受……处理，听从……指挥”；在后半句中，post指安排岗位，tricky意为“棘手的，难对付的”，feed back指提供反馈。
3.Such grumblers may not have...approval. （第四段）
本句由as引导的原因状语从句组成。在主句中，grumbler本指“抱怨者，发牢骚者”，这里指不赞同新提案的国家，when it comes to意为“在……上，有关……”；在从句中，qualified majority指依据法律形成的有效多数。
译文
Frontex是欧盟外部边境管理局，对于穿行欧洲的大量难民，没有机构比它更感到头痛的了。因为它没有多大授权，没有设备，没有权力雇用边界卫队，它在疲于应付。12月15日，欧洲委员会提出了一个新提案，得到了德国和法国支持，打算收紧欧洲边界管控。这个计划早就应该到位了，它表明各国越来越认识到，有更多事情要做，来处理难民危机和保护申根协议——允许无护照旅行的申根区正在遭受巨大压力。
根据这个提案，将创建一个新的欧洲边界和海岸卫队。它将吸收Frontex，后者目前只做些检验指纹、数过境迁徙人数这样的事情。相比之下，新的边界机构将有更多权力，管理人员翻倍，能购买更多设备。新机构将领导一个边界警卫后备行动组，以防人员缺乏，并在棘手的处所布防“联络官”，为总部提供反馈信息。更令人注目的是，它将获得干预某国事务的权力，不管成员国喜欢不喜欢。它还能更容易地利用欧洲数据库，在遣返非法移民方面有更大的参与权。
很多人喜欢这项提案，包括Frontex的现任领导人Fabrice Leggeri。它比“微申根区”在政治上害处更小，“微申根区”由几个核心成员国构成，这一想法是几个荷兰政治家提出的，但是大多数其他国家都不喜欢。新的计划也将能解决现存体制中的一个弱点——如果像希腊这样的“前线”国家不愿意寻求帮助，这时欧洲委员会就能强迫它接受援助。
但是，其他国家对于设立一个拥有强制性权力的机构感到不快。波兰外交部长把它描述为潜在的“非民主机构”。希腊谨慎地表示对这个新计划的欢迎态度，但是它坚持说，它保留对自己边界的最终决定权。在投票表决时，这些不赞同的成员国权力不大，因为提案只需要在成员国中取得合法的多数就能通过，不需要一致认可。可是，如果它得以通过，障碍仍然存在。例如，欧盟在5月和9月通过了在两年内安置16万难民的计划，可是只有不到4000个处所被安置，大约有200个难民被迁至定居处。如果没有执行的政治意愿，即使有这样雄心勃勃的计划也经常会死于胎中。
TEXT 90
It is not every day you get told off by Nicola Sturgeon. But that is what happened last week, when the SNP leader took issue with the front cover of the latest issue of the New Statesman, which showed four female politicians standing around a crib with a ballot box inside. None of the women pictured has children, something that might have helped them achieve high office.
In the wake of Sturgeon's comments, many other tweeters indulged in some light Kremlinology about the cover's symbolism. Why were we equating “success” with high political office? Shouldn't we have used the word “childfree” rather than “childless”? Why weren't there any black women on the cover and why didn't the article include any discussion of transgender people? Why did all the women involved look so glum? And, in a question that echoes through the lonely halls of the Internet on a daily basis—what about the men?
Some of these criticisms are unanswerable. The one criticism that is worth confronting head on is the idea that motherhood is purely a personal decision and none of anyone else's business. That's true on an individual level; we shouldn't try to analyse a woman's personality through her reproductive status. But there are swaths of government policies to support families, including tax credits and parental leave. In the summer budget, George Osborne effectively set a limit on the number of children the government believes that a poor family should have—two—by restricting their benefits. At the same time, we are all relying on today's youngsters growing up to pay the taxes that will support our retirements. Unless you believe there is no such thing as society, motherhood matters.
I say “motherhood”, not parenthood, because I think that we need to draw attention to how caring responsibilities affect women more than men. In parliament, the statistics make the divide very clear. In 2013, only 28% of male MPs were childless—against 45% for women. Female MPs had an average of 1.2 children, compared with 1.9 for men, and their children tended to be older when they entered politics. This confirms a pattern seen in other jobs: women face a “motherhood penalty” as it is assumed that having children means they are less committed to their work; men get a “fatherhood bonus” as it is assumed that having a family means they are stable, committed, sensible citizens.
The achievements of individual mothers such as Harriet Harman or Margaret Thatcher cannot disguise the overall picture: juggling children and a job hurts women's pay for the rest of their lives, and makes it harder to reach the top of a profession.
1.Sturgeon is not happy with the cover because_____.
[A] the female politicians are shown to be pretentious
[B] the ballot box is too sacred a thing to be put in a crib
[C] putting a ballot box inside a crib is a political allegory
[D] the word “childless” is used to describe the politicians
2.Which of the following questions are NOT asked by Tweeters?
[A] Why should Sturgeon be so critical of the cover?
[B] What did the picture symbolize politically?
[C] Why did the women in the picture look gloomy?
[D] Why did the magazine put women on the cover?
3.The author makes the strong argument that_____.
[A] success should not be equated with high office
[B] Tweeters asked many nonsensical questions
[C] government should not restrict poor families
[D] having children is not a matter of personal choice
4.Statistics indicate that women politicians_____.
[A] are less successful than their men counterparts
[B] are more successful when they have less family duty
[C] are less committed to their children and families
[D] dislike children compared with their men counterparts
5.The author thinks that society should not be structured in a way that_____.
[A] mothers are put at a disadvantage
[B] poor families are victimized
[C] youngsters shoulder more duties
[D] men take up more responsibilities
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.Kremlinology 苏联政策研究
2.transgender 变性人
3.head on 正面地，直接地
4.swath 狭长的条或地带
5.juggle 同时做；篡改
疑难长句注解
1.And, in a question that_____...about men?（第二段）
本句中，lonely hall和echo都是比喻，即在Twitter上，很少有人问what about the men这样的问题——没有孩子的男人是否也容易做高官？词组on a daily basis指“每天”。
2.But there are swaths of...parental leave. （第三段）
本句中，swaths of government policies指大量的政府政策，强调这些政策覆盖面广；tax credits指税收优惠，即有了孩子之后可以从应交所得税款中扣除一部分税额；parental leave指有了孩子后可以带薪休假。
3.In the summer budget...their benefits. （第三段）
本句中提到的George Osborne是英国现任财政大臣，所以summer budget指的是政府预算，benefits指政府发放的社会福利。由于有些贫困家庭孩子过多，政府财政支持已经难以为继，故设定了政府福利能支持的每个家庭的孩子数量。
你不是每天都受到Nicola Sturgeon的责备。但是，上周就发生了，当时，这位苏格兰民族党的领袖看不惯《新政治家》最新一期的封面，上面是四位女性政治家，站在一个摇篮边，里面是一个投票箱。相片上的女人都没有孩子，这可能帮助她们取得了高的官位。
紧随Sturgeon的评论，许多其他人在推特上跟帖，参与讨论封面的政治象征意义。我们为什么把“成功”等同于做政治高官？我们是不是原本应该用“不要子女”，而不是“无子女”？封面上为什么没有黑人女性？文章为什么不包括对双性人的讨论？为什么照片上的女人都是闷闷不乐的样子？而且，还有一个每天回荡在互联网的寂寞大厅里的问题——男人们哪儿去了？
这些批评中有些是无法回复的。但有一个值得直接面对，即有人认为当母亲纯粹是个人的决定，不是任何其他人的事情。在个人水平上来说这是对的；我们不应该通过其生育状态来分析女人的个性。但是，有很多政府政策支持家庭，包括减税和育婴休假。在夏季预算中，George Osborne有效地设立了一个限制，即通过限制其能享受的福利，规定政府认为一个贫困家庭应该有几个孩子——两个。同时，我们都在靠今天正在长大的年轻人来支付税收，支撑我们的退休金。除非你认为社会这样的东西根本不存在，否则做母亲很重要。
我说“做母亲”而不是做父母，因为我认为我们需要注意到：照料孩子的责任对妇女而不是对男人产生了什么样的影响。在国会中，数据很清楚地显示其中的差别。在2013年，在男议员中只有28%的人没有孩子——而妇女是45%。女议员平均有1.2个孩子，而男议员是1.9个，而且，她们从政时孩子的年龄也更大些。这证实了也在其他行业中看到的一个模式：妇女面临一个“做母亲的惩罚”，这种惩罚假定，有孩子意味着她们工作不够尽心；男人则面临一个“做父亲的奖励”，因为它假定有家就意味着他们是稳定、顾家、通情达理的公民。
像哈莉雅特·哈尔曼或玛格丽特·撒切尔这种个别母亲的成就隐藏不了整体状况：同时应对孩子和工作对女性的收入造成终身伤害，令她们难以达到事业的巅峰。
TEXT 91
In many ways the federal government shutdown was a huge, unplanned experiment in what happens when we give up on science for two weeks. The experiment is now over and the results are still incomplete. But so far, they are ugly.
In research labs across the country the shutdown had an immediate impact. As soon as it began, the National Institutes of Health suspended new clinical trials. Each week, the agency said, it had to turn away 200 patients, including 30 children, most of whom have cancer. For these patients, the NIH's experimental treatments are often their last hope. Instead, patients were denied care. The rest of society was deprived of what doctors could have learned about new treatments. Thankfully, the NIH was able to continue the trials already in progress.
The shutdown also put public health in danger. Safety inspections were suspended across agencies. The Consumer Product Safety Commission prevents dangerous products like lead-laden toys and flammable sleepwear from making it into stores. For two weeks many of those products weren't screened. Similarly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspended routine food inspections, including ones for imported seafood like fresh fish and shrimp, which can easily spoil.
For long-term research in many fields, the impact could be severe and lasting. Losing two weeks of data collection during a critical research period or two weeks of a key experiment that took months or years to set up will have repercussions for years.Tom Greene, an astrophysicist at NASA Ames Research Center, told us that key tests for the James Webb Space Telescope science instruments had to be suspended due to the shutdown. The telescope, which will replace the aging Hubble, is one of NASA's top three priorities. The shutdown is hurting scientists close to home, too. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientist told us she had to cancel an emergency site visit to a contaminated water system in New Mexico.Similarly,a federal wildlife biologist told us that his office had to suspend capturing endangered gray wolves to check on their population numbers.Because this is the prime season for tracking down the wolves,his study could be delayed a full year.
Federally funded science allows us to do things as a country that we could never do alone. But the threat of shutdown, combined with inconsistent funding from Congress, leaves America's scientific enterprise in the lurch. Scientists aren't members of just another interest group—they're public servants in whom the country has invested considerable time and resources. When policy makers sideline science, they're also sidelining our safety, health and ability to understand the world around us. Looking at the results of the shutdown, they should realize that this is an experiment not worth repeating.
1.By saying “the results are still incomplete”, the author means_____.
[A] there will be more government shutdowns in the future
[B] the consequences of the shutdown are not fully realized
[C] the government hasn't announced the results of the shutdown
[D] the results of a scientific experiment shouldn't be taken as definite
2.The safety of Americans was threatened by the shutdown because_____.
[A] NIH refused to take in cancer patients
[B] doctors stopped doing experiments on patients
[C] many goods were sold without being checked
[D] the sale of seafood was delayed and it spoiled
3.Missed opportunities and gaps in data_____.
[A] are most serious in the space enterprise
[B] have caused damage to the environment
[C] can only be made up with more money
[D] will have consequences for years to come
4.Missing the data on gray wolves in this season means_____.
[A] their population will shrink drastically
[B] you can't capture these wolves this year
[C] you waste a full year of hard work
[D] the study on them is seriously hurt
5.The word “sideline” （in the last paragraph） most probably means_____.
[A] suspend
[B] uphold
[C] finance
[D] underline
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.flammable 可燃的，易燃的
2.shrimp 虾
3.repercussion 反响;反击
4.astrophysicist 天体物理学家
5.lurch 倾倒;惨败
6.sideline 避开,不积极参与
疑难长句注解
1.The rest of society...new treatments.（第二段）
本句中，the rest of society指癌症病人以外的其他人，what doctors could have learned about new treatments是虚拟语气，作者的意思是：如果这些试验性的治疗方式得以进行，医生就有可能确认它们到底是不是有效的治疗方法。
2.The shutdown is hurting scientists close to home, too.（第四段）
本句中，close to home并不是指家住得近，而是针对上一段对太空的研究而言。所以scientists close to home实际上指研究地球（环境）的科学家。
译文
从很多方面来说，联邦政府关门是一场巨大的、计划之外的实验，即如果我们两周之内放弃科学研究，将会发生什么样的事情。实验现在已经结束了，结果仍然未定。但是迄今为止，结果很难看。
关门对全国的研究实验室产生了直接影响。它一开始，国家卫生研究院（NIH）中止了新的临床试验。这家机构说，它每周不得不拒绝接收200病人，包括30个孩子，他们大部分人都患有癌症。对这些病人来说，NIH的实验性治疗通常是最后的希望。但是病人却无法拒绝治疗。社会其他人被剥夺了这些治疗可能提供给医生的知识。值得庆幸的是，NIH还能继续进行已经在研的一些试验。
关门也将公共卫生置于危险中。对所有机构的安全检查中止了。消费品安全管理委员会能阻止含铅的玩具和易燃睡衣等危险品进入商店。两周来，这类产品没有被检验。同样地，美国食品和药物管理局中止了例行食品检查，包括对像淡水鱼虾这种容易腐坏的进口海产品的检查。
对很多领域的长期研究来说，其影响可能是严重的、长期的。在关键的研究阶段错过两周的数据收集，或者错过两周的用了数月或数年才设定的重要实验，将在多年内产生不良后果。汤姆·格林是美国宇航局爱姆斯研究中心天体物理学家，他告诉我们，由于关门，詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜科学设备的一些重要实验不得不中止。该望远镜将代替老化的哈勃望远镜，是美国宇航局三大优先事项之一。关门也伤害了离家近的科学家。环境保护署的一位科学家告诉我们，她不得不取消对新墨西哥州一个被污染水系的紧急现场视察。同样地,联邦政府野生动物保护方面的一位科学家告诉我们，他的办公室不得不中止捕获濒临灭绝的灰狼来核准它们的数量。因为这是跟踪灰狼的最佳季节,所以，他的研究可能被延迟一整年。
联邦政府资助的科学研究使我们能作为一个国家做很多单干时无法完成的事情。但是关门带来的威胁，再加上国会时断时续的资金，使美国的科学事业处于危难中。科学家不是另一个利益集团的成员，他们是公务员，国家在他们身上投入了大量的时间和资源。当政策制定者把科学搁置一边时，他们也把我们的安全、健康、理解我们周围世界的能力搁置在了一边。看到关门所产生的这些后果，他们应该意识到，这是一个不能再重复的实验。
TEXT 92
What is privacy? We talk about this now because of Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency revelations, and new fears that we are operating, all of us, within what has become or is becoming a massive surveillance state. Among the pertinent definitions of privacy from the Oxford English Dictionary: freedom from disturbance or intrusion, intended only for the use of a particular person or persons, belonging to “the property of a particular person.”
Privacy is connected to personhood. It has to do with intimate things—the innards of your head and heart, the workings of your mind—and the boundary between those things and the world outside. A loss of the expectation of privacy in communications is a loss of something personal and intimate, and it will have broader implications. That is the view of Nat Hentoff, the great journalist. “The media has awakened,” he told me. “Congress has awakened, to some extent.” Both are beginning to realize that there are particular constitutional liberty rights that Americans have that distinguish them from all other people, and one of them is privacy. Mr. Hentoff sees excessive government surveillance as violative of the Fourth Amendment, which protects the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.
But Mr. Hentoff sees the surveillance state as a threat to free speech, too. About a year ago he went up to Harvard to speak to a class. He asked: “How many of you realize the connection between what's happening with the Fourth Amendment with the First Amendment?” He told the students that if citizens don't have basic privacies they will be left feeling threatened. Americans will become careful about what they say that can be misunderstood or misinterpreted, and then too careful about what they say that can be understood. The inevitable end of surveillance is self-censorship.
What of those who say, “I have nothing to fear, I don't do anything wrong”? Mr. Hentoff suggests that's a false sense of security. When you have this amount of privacy invasion put into these huge data banks, who knows what will come out? People say, “Well I've done nothing wrong so why should I worry?” But that's too easy a way to get out of what is in our history—constant attempts to try to change who we are as Americans. Asked about those attempts, he mentions the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, the Red Scare of the 1920s and the McCarthy era. Those times and incidents were more than specific scandals or news stories, they were attempts to change our nature as a people.
Advances in technology constantly up the ability of what government can do. Its technological expertise will only become deeper and broader. The technology is such that with the masses of databases, then privacy will get even weaker.
1.The question of what privacy is arouses new interest because_____.
[A] we fear that our life is under government surveillance
[B] technology has invaded into every aspect of our life
[C] Edward Snowden threatens our national security
[D] privacy is given a new interpretation in modern era
2.Nat Hentoff tries to explain_____.
[A] how Americans should give privacy a new sense
[B] what Americans lose if they give up privacy
[C] what Americans expect of the idea of privacy
[D] how privacy is connected to constitutional rights
3.“Self-censorship” is the case in which a person_____.
[A] is easily misunderstood or misinterpreted
[B] does not know his basic right to privacy
[C] stops saying things offensive to government
[D] is fearless because he has done nothing wrong
4.Mr. Hentoff regards Americans' indifference to the threat to privacy as_____.
[A] the best demonstration of self-censorship
[B] lack of a sense of security in modern America
[C] ignorance that huge data banks can be invaded
[D] an attempt to change the American national character
5.The author gives some historical examples to show_____.
[A] such things should be regarded as un-American
[B] no one is secure until all Americans feel safe
[C] technology has changed the American character
[D] large masses of database are only modern inventions
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.innards 内脏，内部结构
2.violative 违犯的
3.sedition 煽动
疑难长句注解
1.Among the pertinent definitions...particular person.（第一段）
本句不是一个完整的句子，其中在Dictionary和freedom之间省略了谓语is。分词短语intended...persons和belonging...person都是定语，修饰freedom。
2.Mr. Hentoff sees excessive...seizures.（第二段）
本句中，（be） violative of意为“违背，违犯”，secure in their persons指“人身安全”，effects指movable belongings, goods（动产，财物），seizure指“夺取，占用”。
译文
什么是隐私？我们现在讨论这个问题是因为爱德华·斯诺登，他泄露了美国国家安全局的机密，而且因为我们害怕，我们所有人的活动都是在一个已经成为或正在成为大规模监控国的范围内进行。《牛津英语词典》对“隐私”的相关定义如下：“不受干扰或侵犯的自由”，只为某个人或某些人所使用，属于“某个人的占有物”。
隐私与人格相连。它涉及私密的东西，包括你大脑深处与内心深处的东西和你思想的工作方式，它涉及这些东西与外部东西的界限。如果在交流中失去对隐私的期待，就等于说失去了某种个人的、私人的东西，这有十分广泛的意义。这是纳特·亨特夫的观点，他是一名伟大的记者。他告诉我，“媒体已经觉醒，国会在一定程度上也已经觉醒。”二者都开始意识到，美国人有一些宪法赋予的特定自由权，这些权利把他们与其他国家的人区分开来，其中一个权利就是隐私权。亨特夫先生把过多的政府监控看作违背宪法《第四修正案》，它保护人的人身、房屋、文件、财物的安全，免受不合理的搜查和攫取。
但是，亨特夫先生把监控国看作对言论自由的威胁。大约一年前，他去哈佛大学的一个班上去演讲。他问道：“你们有多少人意识到了《第四修正案》和《第一修正案》之间的联系？”他告诉学生们，如果公民没有基本隐私权，他们就会感觉受到威胁。美国人就会对自己所说的可能引起误解或曲解的话很谨慎，然后他们就会对自己所说的能被理解的话也变得谨慎起来。监控产生的不可避免的结果就是自我审查。
那些说“我有什么好怕的，我又没有做错事”的人又怎么样呢？亨特夫先生认为，这是一种虚假的安全感。当你的隐私受到大规模侵袭时——包括大规模侵入你的数据银行，谁知道会发生什么样的后果？人们说，“好吧，我什么坏事也没干，我干吗要担心？”但是，这就等于是摆脱我们历史的一种简单方式——是改变我们美国人特性的最常见企图。当被问到这类企图时，他提到1798年的《客籍法和镇压叛乱法》，20世纪20年代的“红色恐慌”和麦肯锡时代。这些时代和事件不仅仅是特殊的丑闻或新鲜故事，它们是改变我们国民特性的一些企图。
技术进步不断提升政府的做事能力。其技术专业水平只会变得更高超、更广泛。技术是这样一个东西，即随着数据库变得越来越大，隐私将变得越来越脆弱。
TEXT 93
Eleven weeks before Election Day we can't know who will win the presidency. But we can know with near certainty that voter turnout will be abysmal. Many reforms could increase turnout, from same-day registration to voting on weekends. But the most basic is also the most appropriate: making voting mandatory. Here's why.
Mandatory voting would make elections truly valid. “Protecting the integrity of our elections” is the rationale Republicans give for the restrictive voter ID laws they've enacted in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. But if we truly cared about the integrity of elections, we should ensure that they reflect the will of all eligible voters.
Second, as William Galston of the Brookings Institution argues, it would temper the polarization of our politics. In today's electorate, hardcore partisan believers are over-represented; independents and moderates are under-represented. If the full range of voters actually voted, our political leaders, who are exquisitely attuned followers, would go where the votes are: away from the extremes. And they would become more responsive to the younger, poorer and less educated Americans who don't currently vote.
Third, mandatory voting would prompt more Americans to pay attention to the choices. Those of us who lament the decline of civic knowledge generally focus on the supply side of the equation: more civic education. A mandate would stimulate the demand side, motivating more voters to learn what they are voting on.
There are many arguments against mandatory voting; each reflects a lack of faith in democracy itself. One says that increasing the number of uninformed voters will lead to worse policymaking. That presumes, however, that policymaking today sets a high-water mark of enlightenment. It also sets up a viciously antidemocratic circle: if you don't vote you must be stupid and if you are stupid you mustn't vote. Another critique claims that requiring the vote devalues it, and that compelled voters will protest by voting carelessly. But in Australia, where voting became compulsory in 1924, that's been a marginal issue. The existence of a mandate has made voting a meaningful shared national experience.
Some Republicans will oppose mandatory voting for the reason they now push voter IDs: to win. But the most visceral critique is that mandating voting is just un-American. Yet jury duty, the draft, going to school, and taxpaying all have been compulsory. At issue is what makes something American—and what makes liberty liberty. The Revolution and the framing of the Constitution were not about the right merely to be let alone or to do whatever one pleased. They were about our liberty to govern and represent ourselves. Core to that liberty is electing representatives and voting on public issues.
That is why the best reason for mandatory voting has nothing to do with today's politics. It's about redeeming the central promise of American citizenship. Generations marched, fought and died for the right to vote. The least we can do now is treat that right like a responsibility.
1.The word “abysmal” in the first paragraph probably means_____.
[A] extremely awful
[B] profoundly encouraging
[C] excessively sensational
[D] highly unpredictable
2.Which of the following is not an advantage of mandatory voting?
[A] Rendering invalid the restrictive voter ID laws.
[B] Making the voices of the socially disadvantaged heard.
[C] Breaking the reign of the bi-partisan politics in America.
[D] Stimulating the desire of the less informed to know more.
3.Those against mandatory voting would argue_____.
[A] it indicates a denial of America as a democratic country
[B] it enlists more uneducated voters who will spoil American politics
[C] it sets too high a political standard for the uneducated to reach
[D] it treats voters as stupid people who need to be educated
4.The author's attitude to the arguments against mandatory voting is_____.
[A] partial acceptance
[B] total indifference
[C] conditioned concession
[D] direct dismissal
5.This text is written to answer the question “”.
[A] Who is going to win the presidency?
[B] Why do Republicans push voter IDs?
[C] Should voting be made obligatory?
[D] Who dislikes making voting mandatory?
考研必备词汇
其他词汇
1.attune 认可；接受；使适应
2.visceral 内心的，内部的
疑难长句注解
1.If the full range of voters...the extremes.（第三段）
本句中，full range of voters指各种思想倾向（左、中、右）的选民；说政治家是exquisitely attuned followers，相当于说他们会根据绝大多数选民的意愿“见风使舵”，go where the voters are并非指去选民在的地方，而是指顺从选民的要求和主张；the extremes指极左或极右的两极。
2.The Revolution and the framing...one pleased.（第六段）
本句中，Revolution指美国1775—1783年宣布脱离英国的独立战争，Constitution特指美国宪法，故二者都大写。不定式短语to be let alone和to do whatever one pleased都作定语，修饰the right。
译文
距离选举日还有11周，我们仍然不知道谁将赢得总统大选。但是我们几乎能确切地知道，参加选举的人数将会很惨。多种改革能增加参与人数，包括[选举] 当日选民登记、把选举放在周末等措施。但是最根本的措施也是最切中要害的措施：将投票强制化。以下是这样做的理由。
（首先，）强制投票将使选举变得真正有效。“保护选举的真实可靠”是共和党人提出的理念，他们用这一理念为他们在宾州及其他州制定的限制性的投票人身份法辩护。但是，如果我们真正关心选举的真实性，我们应该确保选举反映所有合法选民的意志。
第二，像布鲁金斯研究院的William Galston所主张的，这将缓解我国政治的两极化。在今天的选民中，顽固的党派支持者占据过大比例，而无党派人士和温和派人士比例不足。如果所有选民都实际参加投票，我们的政治领袖就会向票源靠拢，离开两个极端，因为他们是善于微调自身定位的人。而且，他们将更关注更年轻、更贫穷、未受过良好教育的美国人，而这些人目前不参加投票。
第三，强制投票将促使更多美国人注意各种选择。我们这些悲叹公民知识水平下降的人，通常注重等式的供给方：提供更多的公民教育。强制投票将刺激需求方，动员更多选民去了解他们正在投票决定的东西。
反对强制投票的论点很多，每一个都反映了对民主本身缺乏信任。一种论点认为，增加一无所知的选民的人数将导致更糟糕的政策制定过程。然而，这一看法是基于如下预设：今天的政策制定过程设立了一个高水平启蒙标准。它也同时设定了一个恶意反民主的循环：如果你不投票，你肯定是很笨，或者，如果你很笨，你绝对不要投票。另外一种批评意见指出，要求投票就等于贬低它，受强迫的选民将通过胡乱投票表示抗议。但是，在1924年投票就成为强制性的澳大利亚，强制投票根本就不成其为问题。强制令的存在已经使投票成为一种有意义的全民共享经历。
一些共和党人将反对强制投票，其中的原因跟目前推行选民身份一样：为了赢得大选。但是，最根本的批评是：强制投票是非美国式的做法。可是，作陪审员的义务，应征入伍，上学，纳税，这些都是强制性的。争论的焦点是什么使得某种做法是美国式的——哪些做法使自由真正称其为自由。独立战争和《美国宪法》的制定不仅仅是为了保护人不受干扰的权利，或随心所欲做事的权利。它们关系到我们管理自己和表达自己的自由。这种自由的核心内容是选举代表，在公共事务上投票。
这就是为什么要求强制投票的最好理由与今天的政治无关。这是为了履行美国公民权中的一个核心诺言。一代一代的人为选举权而游行、战斗和死去。我们现在至少应该负责任地对待这一权利。