36. The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by
- A. its unbalanced budget.
- B. its rigid management.
- C. the cost for technical upgrading.
- D. the withdrawal of bank support.
答案：B
答案句：Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, first-class mail, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.
参考译文：从根本上说，美国邮政署正处于历史性的挤压之中：一方面，技术变革永久性地减少了对它的主打产品——普通邮件——的需求；另一方面，监管结构使管理层无法灵活调整其运营以适应新的现实。
定位线索：题干“The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by”→答案句取自第1段“a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations”；文中“denies management the flexibility”对应选项B“its rigid management”（僵化的管理）。
解析：题干问财务问题的部分原因，答案句明确指出两个原因：技术变革和监管结构。其中“regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility”直接对应选项B“rigid management”（僵化管理）。选项A“unbalanced budget”是问题表现而非原因；选项C“technical upgrading”与原文“technological change”偷换概念，原文指技术变革减少需求，而非升级成本；选项D“bank support”无中生有。
37. According to Paragraph 2, the USPS fails to modernize itself due to
- A. the interference from interest groups.
- B. the inadequate funding from Congress.
- C. the shrinking demand for postal service.
- D. the incompetence of postal unions.
答案：A
答案句：And interest groups ranging from postal unions to greeting-card makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s ultimate overseer – Congress – insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the status quo they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by deferring vital modernization.
参考译文：从邮政工会到贺卡制造商等利益集团，都对美国邮政署的最高监管者——国会——施加自私的压力，坚持认为无论邮政服务发生什么，它们所依赖的现状的某些方面都必须得到保护。这就是为什么近年来改革立法的多次尝试都失败了，使得邮政服务除了推迟关键的现代化进程外，无法支付其账单。
定位线索：题干“According to Paragraph 2, the USPS fails to modernize itself due to”→答案句取自第2段“interest groups...exert self-interested pressure”和“This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation have failed”；文中“interest groups”对应选项A“the interference from interest groups”。
解析：题干问邮政署未能现代化的原因，答案句明确指出利益集团施压导致改革立法失败，从而无法现代化。选项A“interest groups”的干扰正是原文“interest groups exert self-interested pressure”的同义转述。选项B“inadequate funding from Congress”无中生有，原文未提国会拨款不足；选项C“shrinking demand”是第1段原因，但题干限定第2段；选项D“incompetence of postal unions”偷换概念，原文说工会施压而非无能。
38. The long-standing complaint by the USPS and its unions can be addressed by
- A. removing its burden of retiree health care.
- B. making more investment in new vehicles.
- C. adopting a new rate-increase mechanism.
- D. attracting more first-class mail users.
答案：A
答案句：The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its unions.
参考译文：后一步骤将在很大程度上抵消每年预先为退休人员医疗保健提供资金的财务负担，从而解决美国邮政署及其工会长期以来的抱怨。
定位线索：题干“The long-standing complaint by the USPS and its unions can be addressed by”→答案句取自第3段“The latter step would largely offset the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care”；文中“offset the financial burden of retiree health care”对应选项A“removing its burden of retiree health care”。
解析：题干问长期抱怨如何解决，答案句明确指出“The latter step”（即把邮政退休人员转入联邦医疗保险）能抵消退休医疗保健的财务负担。选项A“removing its burden of retiree health care”正是“offset the financial burden”的同义转述。选项B“new vehicles”是节省资金后的用途而非解决抱怨；选项C“rate-increase mechanism”是资金来源之一，但未直接解决抱怨；选项D“attracting more first-class mail users”无中生有。
39. In the last paragraph, the author seems to view legislators with
- A. respect.
- B. tolerance.
- C. discontent.
- D. gratitude.
答案：C
答案句：The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.
参考译文：围绕该法案正在形成的共识表明，立法者正对邮政署在政治上令人尴尬的短期崩溃感到恐惧。然而，这并非表明他们正认真考虑为21世纪改造邮政系统。
定位线索：题干“In the last paragraph, the author seems to view legislators with”→答案句取自第4段“legislators are getting frightened”和“It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious”；文中“not getting serious”对应选项C“discontent”（不满）。
解析：题干问作者对立法者的态度，答案句指出立法者只是因恐惧而行动，并非真正认真改革，“It is not, however”转折表明作者的不满。选项C“discontent”正确。选项A“respect”与原文批评态度相反；选项B“tolerance”程度过轻，原文有明显批评；选项D“gratitude”无中生有。
40. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
- A. The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days.
- B. The Postal Service: Keep Away from My Cheese.
- C. The USPS: Chronic Illness Requires a Quickerk Cure.
- D. The Postal Service Needs More Than a Band-Aid.
答案：D
答案句：There are many reasons this formerly stable federal institution finds itself at the brink of bankruptcy. … Now comes word that everyone involved – Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the system’s heaviest users – has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. … If it clears the House, this measure would still have to get through the Senate – where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to keep the Postal Service afloat, not comprehensive reform. … It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 21st century.
参考译文：这个曾经稳定的联邦机构发现自己濒临破产，原因有很多。… 现在有消息说，所有相关方——民主党人、共和党人、邮政署、工会以及该系统最大的用户——终于就一项修复该系统的计划达成一致。… 即使这项措施在众议院获得通过，它仍须通过参议院——在那里必定会有人指出，它只是维持邮政署运转所必需的、最低限度的最低限度，而非全面改革。… 然而，这并非表明他们正认真考虑为21世纪改造邮政系统。
定位线索：题干“Which of the following would be the best title for the text?”→答案句取自首段“at the brink of bankruptcy”、第3段“agreed on a plan to fix the system”、第4段“bare, bare minimum”和“not...getting serious”；文中“bare minimum”和“not serious”对应选项D“Needs More Than a Band-Aid”（需要的不仅仅是创可贴）。
解析：全文主旨：邮政署面临严重危机，但当前法案只是最低限度的修补，并非全面改革。选项D“Needs More Than a Band-Aid”用比喻形象概括“bare minimum”和“not comprehensive reform”，正确。选项A“Miss Its Good Old Days”偏离主旨，原文未怀旧；选项B“Keep Away from My Cheese”无中生有，原文未提奶酪；选项C“Chronic Illness Requires a Quickerk Cure”强调快速治愈，但原文强调改革不足，“quick cure”与“bare minimum”不符。