These are tough times for Wal-Mart, America"s biggest retailer. Long accused of (1)_____ small-town America mad condemned for the selfishness of its pay, the company has lately come under (2)_____ for its meanness over employees" health-care benefits. The charge is arguably (3)_____: the firm"s health coverage, while (4)_____ less extensive than the average for big companies, is on equal terms (5)_____ other retailers". But bad publicity, coupled with rising costs, has (6)_____ the Bentonville giant to action. WalMart is making changes that should shift the ground in America"s healthcare debate. One (7)_____ is to reduce the prices of many generic, or out-of-patent, prescription drugs. Wal-Mart"s critics dismiss the move as a publicity (8)_____. The list of drugs includes only 143 different medicines and excludes many popular group. True, but short-sighted. Wal-Mart has (9)_____ retailing by using its size to squeeze suppliers and (10)_____ the gains on to consumers. It could (11)_____ the same with drugs. A "Wal-Mart effect" in drugs will not solve America"s health-costs problem: group account for only a small share of drug costs, which in turn make (12)_____ only 10% of overall health spending. But it would (13)_____. The firm"s other initiative is more (14)_____. Wal-Mart is joining the small but fast-growing group of employers (15)_____ are controlling costs by shifting to health insurance with high deductibles. Early evidence (16)_____ these plans do help firms control the cost of health insurance. But critics say that the savings are (17)_____. They argue that the plans shift costs to sicker workers, discourage preventative care and will anyway do little to (18)_____ overall health spending, (19)_____ most of the $2 trillion that America (20)_____ health care each year goes to people with multiple chronic diseases.
【答案解析】解析：accused of，condemned for，under从整句话来看，沃尔玛公司的策略受到公众的指责，under fire的意思是being criticized severely"受到指责"，如：The government is under fire from all sides on its economic policy政府的经济政策受到各方面的指责。dismission"解散"具有迷惑性。从整句话来看，沃尔玛公司没有面临解散，而是遭到指责，所以不能入选。force"力量"和agitation"烦乱，骚乱，动摇"均不符合题意，排除。
【答案解析】解析：词组的搭配。on equal terms with意思是as equal, with no difference in status or rank"和…条件相同，与…平等相处"，如：Now that she has been promoted she is on equal terms with her ex-boss．她现在升职了，和以前的上司地位平等。故选with。to、of、by均不与前文搭配，排除。
【答案解析】解析：上下文的理解。此处文意是面对各方面的指责，沃尔玛公司必须拿出应对措施；strategy的意思是(skill in) planning or managing any affair well"策略，计划"，如：By carefully strategy she negotiated a substantial pay rise．她精心策划后，谈妥了大幅增加工资的事。intrigue的意思是making of secret plans to do bad"密谋，诡计"，沃尔玛公司采取的是积极透明的措施，不是密谋，故排除。problem"问题"和management"经营，管理"均不符合题意，排除。
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：excludes many popular group，short-sighted下文提到许多常用的普通类药品都不在降价之列，由此有批评者认为沃尔玛公司此举只是为了引起关注，stunt的意思something that is done to attract people"s attention, especially in advertising or politics"引起注意的举动"，如：This news is a publicity stunt．这条新闻是宣传的噱头。cheat"欺骗"，从下文可知普通类药品都不在降价之列．可见沃尔玛的做法不仅仅是欺骗，而且应该是聪明的欺骗，也就是"花招"，故cheat不够贴切。demonstration"示范，实证"和attention"注意，关心"均不符合题意，排除。
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：相似词的辨析。整句话的含义是：沃尔玛利用其规模逼迫供应商紧缩利润空间。transformed的意思是completely change the appearance or character of sth．/sb．"完全改变某事物(某人)的外观或特性"，符合题意。translated"翻译"、transported"运送"和transacted"办理，处理"均不符合题意，排除。
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析：by，andby的意思是through the means of (sth./doing sth.)"通过…方式"；且and连接的两个部分的动词的形式应该相同，前面是using，此处应该也用动名词形式，故passing入选。passes、passed、pass均不符合题意。
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：词组的搭配。do with sth．的意思是(used with can and could) to express a need or desire for sth．"需要或希望得到某事物"，如：You look as if you could do with o good night"s sleep．你看来似乎需要好好睡上一夜。整句话的含义就是：它在药品销售上同样也能做到这一点；故do符合题意。do the same with sth.是惯用用法。
【答案解析】解析：整句话的理解。这类方案的好处需要证据证明，而suggests的意思是to make evident indirectly；intimate or imply"间接地表明，暗示"，符合题意。explains意思是"解释"，此处并不是去解释现象，而是证明结论，所以不入选。proposes"建议"和reminds"提醒"均不符合题意，排除。
【答案解析】解析：整句话的理解。control"控制，操纵，管理，支配(某人或某物)"，填入空格后，句子的意思是：无益于控制整体医疗费用，这就是批评人士的观点，符合题意。regulate具有迷惑性，其意思是direct (sth．) by means of rules and restrictions, adjust"依照制度、规则或法律控制或指导"；但此处文意是用这个方案来控制整体医疗费用，而不是管理，没有control意思贴切，故不入选。organize"组织"和verify"检验，查证"均不符合题意。