2016硕士研究生英语二Text4

Against a backdrop of changes in economy and population structure， youngest Americans are drawing a new 21st-century road map to success ,a latest poll has found。

意向最新的民意调查发现：在经济和人口结构剧烈变化的背景下，美国年轻人正在绘制新的21世纪成功路线图。

Against：prep. 反对；与…相反；逆；违反；对…不利；紧靠；倚；碰；撞；以…为背景；衬托；和…相比
backdrop：n. （舞台的）背景幕布, （事件发生时）周围陪衬景物
drastic:adj. 激烈的，猛烈的，急剧的；严厉的
structure：n. 结构, 构造, 体系, 结构体v. 使形成体系, 系统安排, 精心组织
poll:n. 民意测验，民意调查；投票数；得票v. 做民意调查；获得选票

Across generational lines, Americans continue to prize many of the same traditional milestones of a successful life, including getting married having children owning a home and retiring in their sixties. but while young and old mostly agree on what constitutes the finish line of fulfilling life， they offer striking different paths for reaching it.

纵观历代美国人，他们一直推崇很多相同的成功生活的传统里程碑，包括：结婚、生子、成家立业和在他们60岁时退休。但是尽管年轻人和老一辈在关于由什么构成完美人生终点的意义保持大多数相同的意见，但是实现人生的方式却有着明显不同的看法。

generational:adj. 一代的, 代与代之间的
prize:n. 奖, 奖品, 奖金, 奖赏adj. 好得足以得奖的, 应获奖的, 优秀的, 典范性的v. 珍视, 高度重视
milestones:n. 里程碑, 转折点, 重要事件, 重要阶段
retire:v. （令）退职, （使）退休, （因伤）退出（比赛等）n. 退隐, 【军】退兵信号, 〈罕〉退隐所
constitutes:v. 组成，构成；成立，设定v. 被视为，算作
striking:adj. 引人注目的，显著的；妩媚动人的，俊秀的

Young people who are still getting started in life were more likely than older adults to prioritize personal fulfillment in their work, to believe they will advance their careers most by regularly changing jobs, to favor communities with more public services and a faster pace of life, to agree that couples should be financially secure before getting married or having children, and to maintain that children are best served by two parents working outside the home, the survey found.

调查发现：那些还在人生起跑线上的年轻人比老年人更加喜欢他们在工作中的个人满足感。他们相信可以通过定期换工作来提高他们的职业生涯，去获得更加喜欢有公共服务的社区和更加快速的生活节奏，同意夫妻应该在结婚或者有孩子前获得经济独立上的安全，通过父母两人在外工作给孩子提供最好的生活。

prioritize:v. 给…排出优先级, 优先处理
fulfillment:n. 实现, 履行, 完成, 满足
communities:n. （同住一地的人所构成的）社区；（由有着相同兴趣、宗教信仰等的人构成的）群体，团体； 
                社会；公众； 社区（团体）归属感；（动植物的）群落
couples:n. 夫妻; 情侣; 一对, 一双; 不确定的小数目, 两个, 两三个, 几个v. 结合; 交配
financially:adv. 和金钱有关地；金融地
secure:adj. 安心的；安全的；牢固的；有把握的；稳定的v. 使安全；担保，保护；（使）获得

From career to community and family,these contrasts suggest that in the aftermath of the searing Great Recession,those just starting out in life are defining priorities and expectations that will increasingly spread through virtually all aspects of American life,from consumer preferences to housing patterns to politics.

从职业到社区和家庭，这些差异表明，在猛烈的大萧条后果之下，那些正在起步的人正在定义优先事项和期望。这些期望将会逐步蔓延到整个美国人民生活的方方面面，从消费到居住模式，再到政治。

community：n. （同住一地，的人所构成的）社区；（由有着相同兴趣、宗教信仰等的人构成的）群体，团体； 社会；公众； 社区（团体）归属感；（动植物的）群落
contrasts：n. 对比, 对照; 差异; 对照物, 对立面v. 对比, 对照; 形成对比
in the aftermath of ：在……之后，在……结果之后
searing：adj. 灼人的, 火辣辣的, 猛烈批评的v. “sear”的现在分词
Recession：n. 经济衰退, 经济萎缩, 退后, 撤回
expectations:n. 期待，期望，预期
increasingly:adv. 越来越多地, 不断增加地
spread：v. 传播, 扩散, 展开, 散布n. 传播, 蔓延, 扩展, 散布adj. 广大的, 大幅的, (宝石)薄而无光泽的
virtually：adv. 几乎, 差不多; 实际上, 事实上; 虚拟地
preferences:n. 喜好；偏好；偏爱

Young and old converge on one key point: Overwhelming majorities of both groups said they believe it is harder for young people today to get started in life than it was for earlier generations. While younger people are somewhat more optimistic than their elders about the prospects for those starting out today, big majorities in both groups believe those “just getting started in life” face a tougher climb than earlier generations in reaching such signpost achievements as securing a good-paying job, starting a family, managing debt, and finding affordable housing.

年轻人和年长者都在关键的一点上达成一致：双方以压倒性的多数人认为，对于年轻人而言跟前几代人相比，生活的起步更加艰难。虽然年轻人相对于年长者在现如今对于起步的期望方面要乐观一些，在双方之中多数人相信：年轻人在生活刚起步时所面临的艰苦攀爬要比年长者更难，在诸如：获得高薪工作，成家，管理债务和找到适合的房子方面。

converge：v. 集中, 汇集, 聚集, （向某一点）相交
Overwhelming：adj. 巨大的；压倒性的；无法抗拒的
majorities：n. 多数；大多数
start out ：v.出发,动身
start binary out put： 起动二进制输出
at the start ：开始时
start for ：动身前往
start at ：起始于
start in ：开始,开始雇用,开始任职
start with ：以…开始,从…开始
to start with ：adv.作为开始,首先
at the start of ：prep....开始时
start on :v.开始进行,找机会与...吵架
tougher:adj. 较坚强的；较艰苦的
climb:v. 爬, 攀登, 爬升, 登山n. 攀登, 攀缘, 爬阶梯, 攀登用的时间
signpost:n. 路标v. 设置路标, 介绍（论证、讲话等的）要点
securing:adj. 安心的；安全的；牢固的；有把握的；稳定的v. 使安全；担保，保护；（使）获得

Pete Schneider considers the climb tougher today.Schneider,a 27-year-old auto technician from the Chicago suburbs,says he struggled to find a job after graduating from college .Even now that he is working steadily ,he said,”I can’t afford to pay my monthly mortgage payments on my own,so I have to rent rooms out to people to make that happen.”Looking back,he is stuck that his parents could provide a comfortable life for their children even though neither had completed college when he was young.”I still grew up in an upper middle-class home with parents who didn’t have college degrees,”Schneider said.”I don’t think people are capable of that anymore.”

皮特认为现如今向上攀登更加艰苦。皮特是一个27岁，来自芝加哥郊区的自动化工程师，他说他在从大学毕业后努力去寻找一个工作.虽然他现在工作稳定，但是他说他还是无法负担得起每月的按揭贷款，所以他不得不将房子出租出去以用来还贷款。回顾过去，他对于自己小时候父母都没上过大学却能给子女提供舒适的生活深有感触。皮特说：我成长在一个较高的中产阶级家庭，父母都没有大学文凭，我认为人们再也做不到那一点了。

suburbs:n. 郊区, 城外
monthly mortgage payments:每月按揭还款
rent out:v. 租出
look back:phrase. 回顾，回忆；回头看phrase. 踌躇不前;遭受挫折,停滞phrase. (造访扑空后) 再次走访
stuck:adj. 被…困住的, 陷于…而动不了的, 被…难住的, 不知所措的v. stick的过去式及过去分词
grew up:成人发生;
capable of:(事物)可以…的;能…的;易…的;(人)敢于…的

36.One cross-generation mark of a successful life is .

A.having a family with children

B.trying out different lifestyles

C.working beyond retirement age

D.setting up a profitable business

37. It can be learned from Paragraph 3 that young people tend to

A favor a slower life pace.

B.hold an occupation longer.

C. attach importance to pre-marital finance.

D. give priority to childcare outside the home.

38.The priorities and expectations defined by the young will

A. depend largely on political preferences

B.reach almost all aspects of American life

C.focus on materialistic issues.

D.become increasingly clear

39 both young and old agree that

A good paying jobs are less available

B the old made more life achievements

C housing loans today are easy to obtain

D getting established is harder for the young

40 Which of the following is true about Schneider?

A.He thinks his job as a technician quite challenging.

B.His parents' good life has little to do with a college degree

C.His parents believe working steadily is a must for success.

D.He found a dream job after graduating from college.

参考资料：

1、http://www.kekenet.com/kaoyan/201710/526879.shtml

2、https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/84873021