单选题 In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into supersystems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such "captive" shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government"s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time-consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone"s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It"s a theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. "Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?" asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shippers.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be hit with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the $10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail"s net railway operating income in 1996 was just $427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who"s going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that they will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.

单选题 According to those who support mergers, railway monopoly is unlikely because ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。利用定位关键词可以定位到第二段“Supporters of the new supersystems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks”，即“支持组建超大型铁路集团的人认为，兼并将带来成本的大幅降低，服务项目更好协调。他们认为，在公路运输的激烈竞争面前，垄断的威胁已经不复存在”，由此可知支持铁路兼并的人认为因为公路运输的竞争，铁路的垄断不存在威胁，所以选项C(外部的竞争者持续存在)与原文信息一致，所以该题的正确答案为C。

单选题 What is many captive shippers" attitude towards the consolidation in the rail industry?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 态度题。利用定位关键词可以定位到“But many shippers complain that...”(第二段)，第五段的“Many captive shipper also worry...”(第五段)，“Many captive shippers fear that...”(第五段)，我们可以判断出货主的态度是忧虑的，对未来的状况忧心忡忡。所以选项D(忧虑的，不安的)是正确的；选项C(愤怒的)迷惑性较大，但文章反映的是各方对铁路行业内合并的趋势和前景的看法，是对未来的推测，而且文中并没有线索说明货主们有强烈的敌对情绪。

单选题 It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。从第三段第二句“Shippers will be charged more without a rival railroad”可知铁路公司合并后，铁路公司向货主们收取的费用是以前的20%至30%，而不是选项A所说的“charged less”；选项B在全文没有相关句子，缺乏依据；第三段最后一句“Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government"s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time-consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases”，即“货主们若认为铁路公司收费不合理，可以向联邦政府的机构申请降低收费。但是，因为申诉的过程耗时费钱，而且只在极少极端的情况才会胜诉”，由此可知选项C(被过高收费的货主们不大可能提出申诉。)与原文信息一致；选项D(政府能保证铁路行业内的公平竞争)在全文没有相关句子，缺乏依据，而且根据选项C的内容可知，由于货主们申诉的困难大，大多数情况下政府部门根本管不着。

单选题 The word "arbiters" in Paragraph 4 most probably refers to those ______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 猜词题。“arbiter”的意思是“仲裁者”。考生可以通过上下文猜测到这个含义。这个词出现在第四段的最后一句，其实它要表述的内容已在前一句体现了：“It"s a theory to which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail.”由此，我们可以猜测出“arbiter”指的是“those who are in the position of determining something”，就可得出答案B(充当裁决功能的人)；选项D(决定价格的人)虽有“determine”一词，但原文是“determining which companies will flourish and which will fail”(决定谁赢谁输)，而非决定price(价格)。