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1、UNIT FIVETEXT ONEBoosted by booming international financial markets,the City of Londonhas not had it so good since the end of the dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s.Basking in double-digit growth rates,Londons law firms have bothcontributed to that success and benefited from it.The earnings of top Cit
2、ylawyers can now exceed 2m a year.Having opted to expand and go global ahead of most others,Britainsleading law firms tend to be bigger than their American rivals.Indeed,according to a survey of the worlds top 50 law firms,compiled by LegalBusiness、a British trade paper,five of the worlds top six la
3、w firmsin termsof turnoverare now British(if DLA Piper,the result of an Anglo-Americanmerger,is included).But they have tended to lag behind in terms of theirprofitability.That is now changing.The profit margins of the Citys five“magic circle firms-CliffordChance,Slaughter and May,Allen&Overy,Linkla
4、ters and Freshfieldshavesoared in recent years and are now comparable with,if not higher than,thoseof New Yorks uwhite shoe elite.Slaughter and May,the only one of the fivenot to have gone global,has the joint second-highest profit margin among thetop 50.Not so long ago,a London surgeon could expect
5、 to earn as much as a Citylawyer.But even the recent big rises in hospital consultants earnings pall incomparison with those enjoyed by London lawyers.At Slaughter and May,forexample,average promts per equity partner(PEP)jumped by almost a third(in dollar terms)last year to$2.75mmore than at any oth
6、er of the top 50 lawfirms bar two in New York where PEP averaged$2.8m and$3.0mrespectively.Some senior partners get a lot more of course.Competition for the best lawyers is fierce and poaching frequent.Hencethe need to keep headline PEP figures upeven at the cost of getting rid ofequity partners,lea
7、ving a bigger share of the bounty for the remaining ones.Freshfields is in the process of shedding around 100 of its equity partners.Other leading firms are also undertaking painful restructuring.Newly qualified lawyers salaries have also been shooting up in the searchfor the best talent.Both Freshf
8、ields and Allen&Overy now pay theirfirst-year associates 65,000,rising to around 90,000 after three years.(First-year associates at Americas top law firms get the equivalent of80,000.)But,as many other top-rank City employers have discovered,bigearnings do not necessarily guarantee big satisfaction.
9、According to aYouGov poll,published by the Lawyer earlier this month,a quarter ofBritains lawyers(including a fifth of law-firm partners)would like to leavethe profession.The disgruntled complained about cripplingly long hours,intense competition and the impersonality of the biggest firms(some withm
10、ore than 3,000 lawyers).So why dont they quit?Because,say three-quarters,of the pay.1.Which one of the following is TURE of the status quo of Londonseconomy?CA London is enjoying its best time of economic development since 1990s.B The growth rate of London is doubled since the beginning of the 1990s
11、.C The growth rate started to boost since the end of the dotcom era.D The current economy of London is mostly driven by its legal instead offinancial market.2.The worlds top 50 law firms are graded according to_BA their annual margin.B their profitability.C their sale volume.D their quantity of busi
12、ness.3.The phrase“white shoe”(Line 3,Paragraph 3)most probably meansBA white collars.B first-class law firms.C financial agencies.D international banks.4.In order to be competitive,the law firms take the following measuresexcept_ A_.A dismissing equity partners.B carrying out restructuring.C having
13、their best lawyers turn more competitive.D raising salaries for recruiting talents.5.From the YouGov poll,it can be inferred that_ DA this profession is far from satisfactory.B most lawyers will leave the profession sooner or later.C most lawyers are satisfied with the profession because of the fat
14、pay.D high salary is always contradictory to big satisfaction.文章剖析：这篇文章介绍英国伦敦律师事务所的现状。第一段讲述伦敦因为经济增长迅速，律师业也受益匪浅；第二、三段讲述伦敦律师事务所在世界上的排名；第四段讲述伦敦事务所律师的工资待遇；第五、六段讲述律师事务所的竞争手段；第七段讲述对该行业的满意度。词汇注释：bonanza n.富矿带,带来好运之事,幸运 bask v.晒太阳（享受温暖），感到温暖，愉快或舒适turnover n.营业额 pall v.覆盖，使平淡无味bounty n.奖金，补助金 disgruntled adj
15、.不高兴的，不满意的cipplingly adv.临界地，极限地难句突破:(1)Indeed,according to a survey of the worlds top 50 law firms,compiled byLegal Business,a British trade paper,five of the worlds top six law firmsinterms of turnover-are now British(if DLA Piper,the result of anAnglo-American merger,is included).主体句式Five of the
16、worlds top six law firms are now British.结构分析 这是一个简单句。前面according to引导的是状语，状语中compileby 做前面a survey的定语，而a British trade paper是Lega/Business的同位语。句子译文 实际上，根据英国商业报纸 法律商业的一项世界领先50家律师事务所的调查，世界领先的六家律师事务所(按营业额计算)有五家是英国事务所(算上英美合资的DLA Piper事 务 所)。(2)At Slaughter and May,for example,average profits per equity
17、 partner(PEP)jumped by almost a third(in dollar terms)last year to$2.75m-morethan at any other of the top 50 law firms bar two in New York where PEPaveraged$2.8m and$3.0m respectively.主 体 句 式 Average profits per equity partner jumped by almost a third.结构分析 这是一个简单句，破折号后面的是前面$2.75m的定语。句子译文 比如在Slaughte
18、r andMay,去年PEP平均收入以275万美元为基数涨了 1/3(以美元计算)，这要比任何全举前50名律师事务所或美国的律师界工资都高，其PEP平均为280万美元和300万美元。题目分析1.Which one of the following is TUREof the status quo of Londons economy?1.下列哪一个是关于伦敦经济现状的正确表述？A London is enjoying its best time ofeconomic development since 1990s.A伦敦现在正在享受其自20世纪9()年代末以来经济最好的时候。B The gro
19、wth rate of London isdoubled since the beginning of the1990s.B伦敦的经济增长率翻倍了。C The growth rate started to boostsince the end of the dotcom era.C1伦敦经济从网络时代末尾的时候开始兴盛。DI The current economy of London isD1伦敦现在经济的繁荣主要是由其司法 答案 Amostly driven by its legal instead offinancial market.市场、而不是金融市场驱动的。难度系数 分析 细节题。这
20、题关键要看对于文章第一句话的理解，Boosted by boominginternational financial markets,the City of London has not had it so good since the end ofthe dotcom bonanza in the late 1990s.have itgood”是一个词组，意思为“过得优裕”，那么这句话意思就是伦敦在2（）世纪90年代末享受过经济很好的一段时间后，一直到现在才又开始经济很好。选项A最为符合该句意思，是正确答案。C 选项的时间概念不正确，而 D 选项则是无中生有。答案 C2.The worlds
21、 top 59 law firms aregraded according to_2.世界前50强律师事务所是依据_ _ _ _来划分的。A their margin.A 他们的利润B their profitability.B 他们的收益率C their sale volume.C 他们的销售额D their quantity of business.D 他们的业务数量 难度系数 分析 细节题。文章第二段提到five of the worlds top six law firmsin terms ofturnover,可以看出是以turnover（营业额）来评定的。如果不知道turnover
22、的意思,也可以用排除法来选择。因为第二段提到，要是用收益率来衡量，那么它们排名就不会那么前了，因此A和B可以排除。D的业务数量又从来没有提及。可以猜出C可能是正确选项。答案 B3.The phrase“white shoe(Line 3,Paragraph 3)most probably means_3.“白鞋子”这个短语（第三段第三行）最有可能指_ _ _ _ _A white collars.A1白领。B first-class law firms.B1 一流的律师事务所。C financial agencies.C 金融机构。D international banks.（D 1国际银行。
23、难度系数 分析猜词题。根据上下文，主要谈论的都是律师事务所，并没有涉及到其他的行业，因此可以推测这里应该指的是美国相应业界的同行，这样才有可比性，那么选项中B最为符合题意。答案 C4.In order to be competitive,the lawfirms take the following measuresexcept_4.为了让自己更有竞争力，律师事务所采取了以下除选项_ _ _ _外的措施。A dismissing equity partners.A 解雇了股东合作人B carrying out restructuring.B1实行重组C having their best la
24、wyers turn morecompetitive.C 让最好的律师变得更加有竞争力D raising salaries for recruitingtalents.D 提高工资以吸引更多人才 难度系数 分析细节题。题干相关的内容在文章第五、第六段有提及。第五段提到，各律师事务所为了争夺最优秀的律师采取了许多措施，不得已都要解雇股东合作人，这样就可以将比较大的利润给剩下有限的人分配，从而保证顶尖律师的利润，有的还进行重组。而第六段提到为了找到最好的人才，还不惜提高新律师的工资。因此，选项中C是没有提到的。答案 A5.From the YouGov poll,it can beinferred
25、 that_5.从YouGov的民意调查结果可以看出_ _ _ _ _A this profession is far fromsatisfactory.A 这个职业是让人不满意的。Bl most lawyers will leave theprofession sooner or later.B 大多数律师迟早都会离开这个职业。C most lawyers are satisfied withthe profession because of the fat pay.rc i大多数律师对这个职业满意是因为收入1 冒 J。D high salary is alwayscontradictory
26、 to big satisfaction.D 高工资和满意度总是相对立的。难度系数 分析推理题。从文章最后一段可以看出，该民意调查中有1/4的律师表明想要离开这个行业，因为种种不满意的地方，但还有3/4不会离开就是因为高工资原因。因此，可以看出，律师这个行业并不让人满意，吸引人的只是高收入而已。A反映了这一点。B选项不符合文章最后一段，因为大多数律师表示都不会离开；D单单从律师行业的这个调查不能反映所有行业的情况、表述过于绝对。因此，答案为A。参考译文:虽然受到快速发展的国际金融市场的推动，伦敦自20世纪90年代末网络富源之后再也没有享受过原来的好日子。伦敦的律师行业一直享受着双位数的业绩增长
27、速度，既对经济的成功贡献了自己的力量，又受益于经济成长。目前伦敦市一流律师的年薪超过了 200万英镑。英国的顶尖律师事务所选择了不断扩张，走在世界前列，目前规模大于美国同类的事务所。实际上，根据英国商业报纸 法律商业一项世界5（）家领先律师事务所的调查，世界排名前六家律师事务所（按营业额计算）有五家是英国事务所（算 资 的 DLAPiper事 彖 晶。但是就盈利能力来讲，他们却落后了。不过目前这种情况正在改变。伦敦五家 魔力圈”事 务 所（Clifford Chance,Slaughter and May,Allen&Overy,Linklaters andFreshfields）的利润近年来
28、飞速上升，现在虽然不能说超过，但也可以说已经与纽约“白鞋子 精英相抗衡了。Slaughter andMay是五家中唯一没有走向世界的事务所，目前已经成为全球50家第二高利润事务所。不久前，伦敦的外科医生还有望与市律师收入相当。但是尽管最近医院会诊医生的收入有了大幅增长，但与伦敦律师的工资涨幅比起来还是相形见拙。比如在S1aughter andM嬴去年PEP平均收入以275万美元为基数涨了 1/3（以美元计算），这要比任何全球前50名律师事务所或美国的律师界工资都高，其PEP平均为28（）万美元和3（）（）万美元。当然一些资深律师的收入更高。争取最好律师的竞争是激烈的，挖墙角时有发生。因此，有必
29、要保持名人的PEP数字上升，有时甚至以牺牲股东为代价，从而将奖金的更大一部分留给剩下的人。Freshfields目前就正在裁减大约100名股东。其他领先的事务所也同样经历重组的痛苦。因为业界在不断寻找最好的人才，因此刚获得资格的新律师起薪也大幅增长。Fresh fields 和 Allen&Overy支付给律师的第一年工资为6万5千英镑，三年后升至9万英镑。（在美国顶尖律师事务所律师的第一年工资为8万英镑。）但是，正如伦敦其他许多顶尖的雇主所发现的，高工资并不意味着高满意度。根据本月初刊登在 律师上的一项YouGov民意调查，英国律师有1/4（包括1/5的律师搭档）都想要离开这个行业。那些不满
30、意的人抱怨几近极限的工作时间、激烈的竞争和最大事务所（拥有3000名以上雇工）的非人性化。那么他们为什么不放弃这个工作呢？因为收入，3/4的人这样回答。TEXT TWORichard Burton probably knew nothing of the small South African town of Cullinanwhen he bought yet another chunky diamond fbr Elizabeth Taylor in 1969.Now theCullinan mine itself,like so many of the diamonds unearthe
31、d there,is about to changehands.On November 22nd De Beers,the diamond giant that has owned the mine since1930,said it was selling it to a consortium led by Petra Diamonds,one of South Africasemerging diamond producers,for 1 billion rand in cash.Provided regulators approve thedeal,the transfer should
32、 take place by the middle of next year.De Beers is selling because the mine is no longer profitable,despite attempts to turn itaround.But Petra reckons the mine still has another 20 years of production in it and plansto extract at least Im carats a year.The unexploited Centenary Cut“deposit,which li
33、esunder the existing mine,could yield a lot more.This is good news for the mines 1,000 or soemployees and for the town,which has depended on the diamond business since SirThomas Cullinan discovered a prospect there in 1898 that contained kimberlite,a rockthat can be rich in diamonds.The mine,establi
34、shed in 1903,is one of 3()or so kimberlitediamond mines in the world,and is believed to be still the worlds second-most-valuablediamond resourcePetra is a relatively small outfit,listed on Londons Alternative Investment Market,that specialises in buying mines that bigger companies see as marginal.It
35、s trick is to extractbetter returns by rationalising production and processing,and keeping operating costs andoverheads down.Petra has already bought two of De Beers*s loss-making South Africanminesboth of which are now profitableand is finalising the 78.5m rand acquisition ofthe group*s underground
36、 operation in Kimberley,which stopped working in 2005.It already operates four mines in South Africa and has promising exploration inAngola(a joint-venture with BHP Billiton),Sierra Leone and Botswana.Petra expects toproduce over 1 m carats by 2010quite ajump from 180,474 carats in the year to June.
37、Thecompany has yet to make a profit,but expects to be making money by the middle of nextyear.In the 1990s De Beers decided that it was no longer a good idea to try to monopolisethe diamond market.1(started focusing on higher returns】ather than market share,and hasbeen revamping its mine portfolio,se
38、lling off mines that are no longer profitable andinvesting in more enticing operations,such as its mine off the west coast of South Africa,its Vborspoed operation in the Free State province,and Iwo new mines in Canada.This has opened the way for a new class of diamond firm that operates in the vastm
39、iddle ground between the worlds handful of large producers and a multitude of muchsmaller exploration firms.The Cullinan deal should entrench Petra in this middle tier,alongside firms such as Kimberley Diamond and Trans Hex.But even if it does reach itstarget of 1 m carats a year,Petra will still no
40、t be able to match the sparkle of the giants.Lastyear De Beers produced 51m carats from its mines in Botswana,Namibia,South Africaand Tanzania,which amounted to 40%of the worlds diamonds by value.1.The Cullinan mine was namedafter_A the original name of the town.B the name of its first owner.fC the
41、name of its discoverer.D the name of the towns first colonist.2.Which one of the following statementsis TRUE of the Cullinan mine?A The mine is the only business of thetown which employs most of the localresidents.B It can be mined for another 20 yearsgiven Petras advanced technology.C It is the wor
42、lds second largestdiamond mine with a yearly capacity of1 m carats.D Whether the mine will maintain itsprofitability is yet to know.3.Petras operating philosophy can besaid as.A to make profits by reducing the costs.B to exploit the surrounding areas of anexisting mine.C to integrate the resources o
43、f all themoney-losing small mines.D to restructure the mine portfolio and tooptimize the process management.4.De Beers has made changes on itsdevelopment stratege becauseA it plans to shrink its market share andends its long-term monopoly.B it wants to open the way for the middletier of diamond mark
44、et.C it switches its attention to makinglarger profits.D it wants to turn around the loss-makingmines by cooperating with companies ofsmaller size.5.The future of the new class of diamondfirm isfA promising.B dim.C unknown.D frustrating.文章剖析:文章从Petra公司收购矿产为契因，介绍了因钻石矿业新兴的一个中间阶层。第一段讲述了Cullinan矿将要转手的消息
45、；第二段介绍了DeBeers公司之所以将矿转手的原因；第三、四段介绍Petra公司的一些经营方式和情况；第五段讲述De Beers公司的运营调整；第六段介绍了钻石矿业的新阶层。词汇注释：chunky adj.含小而厚的块：consortium n.财团kimberlite n.金伯利岩 portfolio n.组合enticing a d j.引诱的，迷人的，动人心目的 entrench v.确立，使处于牢固地位难句突破：(1)This is good news fbr the mines 1,000 or so employees and for the town,which hasdepe
46、nded on the diamond business since Sir Thomas Cullinan discovered a prospectthere in 1898 that contained kimberlite,a rock that can be rich in diamonds.主体句式 This is good news for.结构分析 这是一个简单句，for后面的宾语比较复杂，which引导的非限定性定语从句修饰theto w n,在该从句中有一个since引导的状语从句；在该状语从句中，that引导的定语从句修饰prospect,a rock是kimberlit
47、e的同位语。句子译文这对于这个矿的1()0()名左右的雇工以及这个小镇来说是个好消息，这个小镇从1898年 ThomasCullinan爵士发现该矿含有金伯利岩(可能富含钻石的一种岩石)后，就一直依赖钻石生意存活。(2)It started focusing on higher returns rather than market share,and has been revampingits mine portfolio,selling off mines that are no longer profitable and investing in moreenticing operatio
48、ns,such as its mine off the west coast of South Africa,its Voorspoedoperation in the Free State province,and two new mines in Canada.主体句式 It started focusing on.,and has been.结构分析 这是一个并列句，由连词and连接，后半分句结构比较复杂；has been后面带有三个并列的成分，第二个成分selling off mines后面有that引导的定语从句，第三个成分中such as后面都是用来修饰operations的。句子
49、译文它开始修关心更高的回报率而不是市场份额了，也一直在修改它的矿产组合，卖掉不再盈利的矿产，投资更让人动心的项目，如南非西海岸的矿产、自由州省的Voorspoed项目、加拿大的两处新矿。题目分析：答案 C1.The Culliman mine in deal was namedafter_1.正在交易的矿是以_ _ _ _命名的。A the original name of the town.A 小镇原来的名字B the name of its first owner.B 第一个矿主的名字C the name of its discoverer.C 矿场发现者的名字D the name of
50、the towns first colonist.D 小镇第一个殖民者的名字 难度系数 分析 细节题。该矿的名字为Culliman,从第一段可以看到它所在的小镇的名字也是这个，但是第二段提到1898年ThomasCullinan爵士发现了这个矿含有金伯利岩，1903年该矿成立。那么可以推断，这个镇和矿的名字都是以Cullinan爵士、即其第一个发现者的名字命名的。因此，正确答案为C。答案 D2.Which one of the followingstatements is TRUE of theCullinan mine?2.关于Cullinan矿，以下的陈述哪个是正确的？A The mine