passage 1
Why Does food cost so much
In 1959 the average American family paid $989 for a years supply of food. In 1972 the family paid $1,311. That was a price increase of nearly one-third. Every family has had this sort of experience. Everyone agrees that the cost of feeding a family has risen sharply. But there is less agreement when reasons for the rise are being discussed. Who is really responsible?
Many blame the farmers who produce the vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and cheese that stores offer for sale. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the farmers share of the $1,311 spent by the family in 1972 was $521. This was 31 per cent more than the farmer had received in 1959.
But farmers claim that this increase was very small compared to the increase in their cost of living. Farmers tend to blame others for the sharp rise in food prices. They particularly blame those who process the farm products after the products leave the farm. These include truck drivers, meat packers, manufacturers of packages and other food containers, and the owners of stores where food is sold. They are among the middlemen who stand between the farmer and the people who buy and eat the food. Are middlemen the ones to blame for rising food prices?
Of the $1,311 family food bill in 1972, middlemen received $790, which was 33 per cent more than they had received in 1959. It appears that the middlemens profit has increased more than farmers. But some economists claim that the middlemans actual profit was very low. According to economists at the First National City Bank, the profit for meat packers and food stores amounted to less than one per cent. During the same period all others manufacturers were making a profit of more than 5 per cent. By comparison with other members of the economic system both farmers and middlemen have profited surprisingly little from the rise in food prices.
Who then is actually responsible for the size of the bill a housewife must pay before she carries the food home from the store? The economists at First National City Bank have an answer to give housewives, but many people will not like it. These economists blame the housewife herself for the jump in food prices. They say that food costs more now because women dont want to spend much time in the kitchen. Women prefer to buy food which has already been prepared before it reaches the market.
Vegetables and chicken cost more when they have been cut into pieces by someone other than the one who buys it. A family should expect to pay more when several TV dinners are taken home from the store. These are fully cooked meals, consisting of meat, vegetables, and sometimes desert, all arranged on a metal dish. The dish is put into the oven and heated while the housewife is doing something else. Such a convenience costs money. Thus, as economists point out: Some of the basic reasons for widening food price spreads are easily traceable to the increasing use of convenience foods, which transfer much of the time and work of meal preparation from the kitchen to the food processors plant.
Economists remind us that many modern housewives have jobs outside the home. They earn money that helps to pay the family food bills. The housewife naturally has less time and energy for cooking after a days work. She wants to buy many kinds of food that can be put on her familys table easily and quickly. If the housewife wants all of these, the economists say, that is her privilege, but she must be prepared to pay for the services of those who make her work easier.
It appears that the answer to the question of rising prices is not a simple one. Producers, consumers, and middlemen all share the responsibility for the sharp rise in food costs.
练习：
1. Paragraph 3_________________
2. Paragraph 4_________________
3. Paragraph 5_________________
4. Paragraph 6_________________
A The Cost of Convenience
B A Surprising Answer Given by the Economists
C The Effect of Inflation
D Middlemens Limited Share in the Additional Profit
E Farmers Denial of Increased Profit
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
5.Many people agree that food prices have increased sharply but they have failed _____
6.The farmers have not been benefited very much__________.
7.Housewives have to pay for the time they save_____________.
8.The economists have come to the conclusion that the cause of increased food prices lies in ____________.
A Nor have the middlemen
B to increase the prices for food
C that they cannot agree on the causes of the increase in prices
to agree on the reasons for the increase
E by buying prepared food
F the popularization of convenience food
答案及解析：
1.文章标题分析：Why Does food cost so much
借助文章中相关的句子对文章主题进行进一步的了解：
In 1959 the average American family paid $989 for a years supply of food. In 1972 the family paid $1,311. That was a price increase of nearly one-third. average: n. 平均, 平均数adj. 一般的, 通常的, 平均的 vt. 平均为
synonyms: fair, medium, middle, ordinary, usual
e.g. What is the average rainfall for August in your country?
你们国家八月份的平均降雨量是多少?
on average通常;按平均
2.对概括大意的备选项进行分析，抓住核心词。
A The Cost of Convenience
B A Surprising Answer Given by the Economists
C The Effect of Inflation
D Middlemens Limited Share in the Additional Profit
E Farmers Denial of Increased Profit
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
分析：被选项中D和E在语意上相关：都与利润相关，而且有成对比的对象：中间人和农夫 Deny vt 否认;否定;拒绝相信
e.g. He said that I had stolen his bicycle, but I denied it.
他说我偷了他的自行车，可是我否认了。
Synonyms: refuse, reject
3.看指定段落，确认小标题。
A The Cost of Convenience
B A Surprising Answer Given by the Economists
C The Effect of Inflation
D Middlemens Limited Share in the Additional Profit
E Farmers Denial of Increased Profit
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
3 But farmers claim that this increase was very small(when it is) compared to the increase in their cost of living. (该句中含有But应该重点考察，且该句句意与E对应一致)Farmers tend to blame others for the sharp rise in food prices. They particularly blame those who process the farm products after the products leave the farm. These include truck drivers, meat packers, manufacturers of packages and other food containers, and the owners of stores where food is sold. They are among the middlemen who stand between the farmer and the people who buy and eat the food. Are middlemen the ones to blame for rising food prices?(该句仅仅提出了关于中间人是否获利的问题，而并没有表述出D的含义)
E.分析：注意到段落中多处出现了farmers，但同时也出现了Middlemen，因此答案很可能出自于D和E。借助相关语句的句意判断E与段首句的大意一致，而D的说法在该段中并不能推导出，因此答案为E。 sharp: adj. 锋利的，尖的,敏捷的;灵敏的; 突然的;急剧的adv.准时地;整
at seven oclock sharp 七点整
a sharp knife 锋利的小刀
a sharp turn to the left 向左急转
Compare vt比较;对照; 比作
e.g. Mans life is often compared to a candle.
人生常被喻为蜡烛。
e.g. Living in a town cant compare with living in the country in many respects.
在许多方面城市生活比不上在乡村生活。
Blame vt. 责备
e.g. They blamed the secretary for the delay of the plan.
他们怪罪秘书造成计划延误。
be to blame 应受谴责
e.g. The driver was not to blame for the traffic accident.
那次交通事故不应该责怪司机。
A The Cost of Convenience
B A Surprising Answer Given by the Economists
C The Effect of Inflation
D Middlemens Limited Share in the Additional Profit
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
4 Of the $1,311 family food bill in 1972, middlemen received $790, which was 33 percent more than they had received in 1959. It appears that the middlemens profit has increased more than farmers. But some economists claim that the middlemans actual profit was very low. According to economists at the First National City Bank, the profit for meat packers and food stores amounted to less than one percent. During the same period all others manufacturers were making a profit of more than 5 per cent. By comparison with other members of the economic system both farmers and middlemen have profited surprisingly little from the rise in food prices.
分析：同样发现该段中有典型的关键词重复的特征，借助该词初步判断D是答案，而该段最后一句的句意与D一致，因此判断D是答案。 appear: vi. 出现, 看来;似乎
e.g. The sun appeared on the horizon. 太阳在地平线上出现。
e.g. She appears very tired. 她显得很疲劳。
e.g. He appears to want to leave. 他看来要走
amount n 数量, vi(与to连用) 等于;总计达
e.g. large amounts of /a large amount/sum of money 大量的金钱
e.g. In an invoice the amount of money should be written both in words and in figures. 发票上的钱数要用字和数码写出来。
e.g. Their traveling expenses amount to seven hundred dollars.
他们的旅费共达700 美元。
e.g. Your words amount to a refusal.
你的话等于回绝了。
Less than: 小于
A The Cost of Convenience
B A Surprising Answer Given by the Economists
C The Effect of Inflation
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
5 Who then is actually responsible for the size of the bill a housewife must pay before she carries the food home from the store? The economists at First National City Bank have an answer to give housewives, but many people will not like it. (句意上与B呼应)These economists blame the housewife herself for the jump in food prices. They say that food costs more now because women dont want to spend much time in the kitchen. Women prefer to buy food which has already been prepared before it reaches the market.
B. 分析：段落中重复的出现了housewife，但不难发现F只是干扰项：Jobs根本在该段中没有出现，对比其他选项发现B是答案(B的大意与该段第2句内容一致) responsible adj. (常与to, for连用)有责任的;应负责任的; 负责任的;可靠的
e.g. The bus driver is responsible for the passengers safety.
公共汽车司机应对乘客的安全负责。
prefer vt. 宁可, 宁愿; 更喜欢;
e.g. prefer doing to talking喜欢做而不喜欢说
e.g. prefer to die rather than surrender宁死不屈
比较：refer vt.提交, 提到, 指, 查阅
e.g. the question referred to所谈到的问题
e.g. refer to the dictionary查字典
A The Cost of Convenience
C The Effect of Inflation
F Housewives Need to Find Jobs
6 Vegetables and chicken cost more when they have been cut into pieces by someone other than the one who buys it. (该句句意与A最呼应)A family should expect to pay more when several TV dinners are taken home from the store. These are fully cooked meals, consisting of meat, vegetables, and sometimes desert, all arranged on a metal dish. The dish is put into the oven and heated while the housewife is doing something else. Such a convenience costs money. Thus, as economists point out: Some of the basic reasons for widening food price spreads are easily traceable to the increasing use of convenience foods, which transfer much of the time and work of meal preparation from the kitchen to the food processors plant.(该结构含义也是与A最呼应)
分析：段落中没有明显重复出现的词语/短语，但是在段落末尾的句子中发现了A中的核心词(Convenience)，但包含该句的句子结构似乎较复杂，所以借助段首句句意解题，判断答案为A。 other than 除了，除之外; 与不同;与不同方式
e.g. Theres nobody here other than me. 除了我这里没别人。
e.g. You cant get there other than by swimming. 你只能靠游泳游到那边去。
比较：
rather than不是。。而是;宁可。。而不愿。。
e.g. These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty. 这双鞋不好看，但是舒服。
e.g. We would rather receive money than the usual gifts.
我们宁可接受钱而不希望受到通常的礼物。
more than比。。更加。。
e.g. He is more intelligent than his brother. 他比他哥哥更聪明。
e.g. I like football more than swimming. 我喜爱足球胜过游泳。
transfer vt, vi(常与to连用)迁移;调任;换车;换船
synonyms: deliver, hand over, pass
e.g. His employer transferred him to another office.
老板把他调到了另一个办公室。
比较：
Transmit vt.传输, 转送, 传达,发射
synonyms: dispatch, send over, transfer
Transport vt运输;运送
e.g. The goods were transported by train.
货物是用火车来运输的。
对于该部分题注意利用语法和搭配句意判断答案。
A Nor have the middlemen
B to increase the prices for food
C that they cannot agree on the causes of the increase in prices
D to agree on the reasons for the increase
E by buying prepared food
F the popularization of convenience food
5 Many people agree that food prices have increased sharply but they have failed _____
分析：直接根据搭配语法判断答案可能出自D或B。fail to do sth./没有做。。;而再根据搭配句意判断D最合适。 Failure n.失败, 失败的人, 故障, [美]不及格, 不履行; 疏忽
e.g. failure of electricity/ power failure停电
e.g. engine failure发动机失灵
e.g. failure to keep a promise失约
A Nor have the middlemen
B to increase the prices for food
C that they cannot agree on the causes of the increase in prices
E by buying prepared food
F the popularization of convenience food
1. The farmers have not been benefited very much， __________.
分析：根据空格前句的句意和语法特点(nor与 not连用，引导出另一分句)，判断A正确。 Nor conj(与neither连用)也不; (与 not连用)也不;又不
e.g. Neither he nor his friends came back. 他和他的朋友都没有回来。
e.g. I dont want to go, nor will I. 我不想去，也不会去。
B to increase the prices for food
C that they cannot agree on the causes of the increase in prices
E by buying prepared food
F the popularization of convenience food
2. Housewives have to pay for the time they save_____________.
分析：根据搭配句意选择E(E作状语)。
B to increase the prices for food
C that they cannot agree on the causes of the increase in prices
F the popularization of convenience food
3. The economists have come to the conclusion that the cause of increased food prices lies in ____________.
分析：根据语法：介词后要跟名词性结构，不能直接跟从句结构。因此F合适。
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