2006 考研英语 Text 1｜美国：一台同化移民的超级机器
主旨
尽管人们总在谈”差异”，美国社会却是一台同化人的惊人机器：大众文化让着装言谈趋于一致、随意而不讲尊卑；19 世纪的百货商店开启了人人可进的消费文化，大众传媒、广告和体育也是同化的力量 → 移民正迅速融入这种共同文化：如今的移民规模并非空前，也不抗拒同化 → 三项同化指标：语言（多数移民居住十年后英语流利，到第三代原语言基本消失）、住房拥有率（早期移民高于本土美国人）、通婚（亚裔和拉丁裔通婚率很高）→ 世界各地偏远乡村的孩子都是美国明星的粉丝，一些美国人却担心境内移民不受同化 → 美国当然有分歧和怨气，但与动荡的过去相比，今天的社会指标并不表明社会环境在恶化。
原文：2006 Text 1 · 话题：社会 / 移民 · 答案：21 C｜22 A｜23 C｜24 D｜25 B
一、核心词
| 词 | 本文义 | 原文搭配 | 拆解 / 记忆 |
|---|---|---|---|
| homogenize v. | 使同质化 | an amazing machine for homogenizing people | homo 相同 + gen 产生 |
| democratize v. | 使大众化 | the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse | democracy + -ize |
| uniformity n. | 一致性 | the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse | uni 一 + form |
| discourse n. | 言谈 | the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse | dis- + course 跑 |
| casualness n. | 随意 | the casualness and absence of deference | casual |
| deference n. | 尊敬，恭顺 | the casualness and absence of deference | defer 顺从 |
| characteristic adj. | 特有的 | characteristic of popular culture | character |
| consumption n. | 消费 | a culture of consumption | consume |
| array n. | 大量，一系列 | vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere | |
| elegant adj. | 雅致的 | vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere | |
| intimate adj. | 小而温馨的 | Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite | |
| knowledgeable adj. | 有见识的 | Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite | knowledge + -able |
| homogenization n. | 同质化 | other forces for homogenization | |
| immigrant n. | 移民 | Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture | im- 进 + migrate |
| elevating adj. | 使人高尚的 | which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous | elevate 提升 |
| poisonous adj. | 有害的 | which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous | poison |
| unprecedented adj. | 空前的 | neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation | un- + precedent 先例 |
| resistant adj. | 抗拒的 | neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation | resist |
| assimilation n. | 同化 | neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation | as- + simil 相似 |
| resident n. | 居民 | for every 1,000 residents | reside |
| index n. | 指标（复数 indices） | three indices of assimilation | |
| intermarriage n. | 通婚 | home ownership and intermarriage | inter- + marriage |
| census n. | 人口普查 | The 1990 Census revealed that | |
| residence n. | 居住 | after ten years of residence | |
| bilingual adj. | 双语的 | tend to be bilingual and proficient in English | bi 二 + lingu 语言 |
| proficient adj. | 精通的 | tend to be bilingual and proficient in English | pro- + fic 做 |
| remote adj. | 偏远的 | children in remote villages around the world | |
| immune adj. | 不受影响的 | remain somehow immune to the nation’s assimilative power | |
| divisive adj. | 造成分裂的 | divisive issues and pockets of seething anger | divide |
| seething adj. | 怒火中烧的 | divisive issues and pockets of seething anger | seethe 沸腾 |
| turbulent adj. | 动荡的 | when viewed against America’s turbulent past | turb 搅动 |
| deteriorate v. | 恶化 | a dark and deteriorating social environment | deterior 更坏 |
二、搭配与写作迁移
| 原文表达 | 含义 | 写作迁移 |
|---|---|---|
| in spite of | 尽管 | |
| a machine for doing | 一台做……的机器（体系） | School is a machine for shaping minds. |
| the absence of | 缺少 | |
| be characteristic of | 是……的特点 | Casual dress is characteristic of youth culture. |
| be absorbed into | 被吸收进 | be absorbed into mainstream culture |
| vast arrays of | 大量的 | a vast array of choices |
| cater to | 迎合 | cater to young consumers |
| regardless of class or background | 不论阶层或背景 | Education should be open to all, regardless of class or background. |
| turn A into B | 把 A 变成 B | |
| fit into | 融入 | fit into a new environment |
| not altogether | 不完全 | |
| be neither A nor B | 既不 A 也不 B | |
| be resistant to | 抗拒 | be resistant to change |
| prior to | 在……之前 | |
| tend to be | 往往是 | |
| be proficient in | 精通 | be proficient in two languages |
| be married to | 与……结婚 | |
| remain immune to | 不受……影响 | Few people remain immune to advertising. |
| a bit of everything | 什么都有一点 | |
| when viewed against | 放在……背景下看 | When viewed against the past, today’s problems seem small. |
三、熟词僻义
- machine n. 体系，机制（≠机器）：an amazing machine for homogenizing people
- discourse n. 言谈（≠论述 / 论文）：the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse
- array n. 大量，一系列（≠阵列）：vast arrays of goods in an elegant atmosphere
- intimate adj. 小而精致的（≠亲密的）：Instead of intimate shops catering to a knowledgeable elite
- elevating adj. 使人品格高尚的（≠升高的）：which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous
- graveyard n. 消亡之地（≠墓地）：a “graveyard” for languages
- pocket n. 小片区域，一小撮（≠口袋）：divisive issues and pockets of seething anger
四、题目与选项词
| 词 / 搭配 | 义 | 出处 | 拆解 / 记忆 |
|---|---|---|---|
| identify v. | 认同 | Q21 [A] | |
| associate v. | 联系 | Q21 [B] | |
| assimilate v. | 同化 | Q21 [C] | as- + simil 相似 |
| monopolize v. | 垄断 | Q21 [D] | mono 单一 |
| owe A to B | 把 A 归因于 B | Q22 [D] | |
| emergence n. | 出现 | Q22 [D] | |
| exert v. | 施加 | Q23 [B] | |
| constitute v. | 构成 | Q23 [D] | |
| absorption n. | 吸收，融入 | Q25 题干 | absorb |
| rewarding adj. | 有回报的 | Q25 [A] | |
| fruitless adj. | 无结果的 | Q25 [C] | fruit + -less |
五、同义替换：原文 → 正确项
| 题 | 原文 | 正确项 |
|---|---|---|
| 21 C | an amazing machine for homogenizing people / Immigrants are quickly fitting into this common culture | assimilating |
| 22 A | People are absorbed into “a culture of consumption” launched by the 19th-century department stores | played a role in the spread of popular culture |
| 23 C | which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous | are hardly a threat to the common culture |
| 24 D | children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks | To show the powerful influence of American culture |
| 25 B | neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation / a dark and deteriorating social environment | successful |
六、长难句
① There be + 长主语 + 形容词短语后置（Q21 背景）
There is “the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse, and the casualness and absence of deference” characteristic of popular culture.
- 主干：There is A and B（A = the democratizing uniformity of dress and discourse；B = the casualness and absence of deference）
- characteristic of popular culture：形容词短语后置，修饰引号中的两个名词
- 译：大众文化的特点是：着装和言谈呈现出大众化的统一，人们随意且不讲究尊卑。
② yet 转折 + that 宾语从句 + 分词后置定语（Q24 出处）
Rodriguez notes that children in remote villages around the world are fans of superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Garth Brooks, yet “some Americans fear that immigrants living within the United States remain somehow immune to the nation’s assimilative power.”
- 主干：Rodriguez notes that …, yet …
- 前半句：children in remote villages … are fans of superstars
- 后半句：some Americans fear that immigrants … remain immune to …；living within the United States 为现在分词后置定语
- 译：罗德里格斯指出，世界各地偏远乡村的孩子都是施瓦辛格、加思·布鲁克斯等超级明星的粉丝，然而”一些美国人却担心，生活在美国境内的移民不知为何能对这个国家的同化力免疫”。
③ 省略式时间状语 + hardly 否定（Q25 出处）
But particularly when viewed against America’s turbulent past, today’s social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment.
- 主干：today’s social indices hardly suggest a dark and deteriorating social environment
- when viewed against …：省略了 they are，“放在……背景下看”
- hardly：几乎不，表否定
- 译：但尤其是与美国动荡的过去相比，如今的各项社会指标几乎看不出社会环境黑暗且在恶化。
七、句型
- In spite of “endless talk of difference,” A is an amazing machine for …（反差开篇） 原句：In spite of “endless talk of difference,” American society is an amazing machine for homogenizing people. 套用：In spite of endless talk of individuality, social media is an amazing machine for making people think alike.
- A, which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous（辩证评价） 原句：which may not be altogether elevating but is hardly poisonous 套用：Popular music may not be altogether elevating, but it is hardly harmful.
- A is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to B.（双重否定式反驳） 原句：today’s immigration is neither at unprecedented levels nor resistant to assimilation 套用：Youth unemployment is neither at record levels nor impossible to solve.
- Now, consider three indices of A – …（引出论据） 原句：Now, consider three indices of assimilation 套用：Now, consider three indicators of progress: income, health and education.
- Hence the description of A as B.（省略式结论） 原句：Hence the description of America as a “graveyard” for languages. 套用：Hence the description of the city as a melting pot.
- Are there …? Indeed. A is big enough to have a bit of everything.（自问自答承认问题） 原句：Are there divisive issues and pockets of seething anger in America? Indeed. It is big enough to have a bit of everything. 套用：Are there problems with online learning? Indeed. It is new enough to have a bit of everything.