seas merce abruptly ceased。 By mid1775； the colonies faced acute shortages in such military essentials as powder； flints； muskets； and knives。 Even salt； shoes； woolens； and linens were in short supply。 Late in 1775； Congress authorized limited trade with the West Indies； mainly to procure arms and ammunitions； and trade with other nonBritish areas was on an unrestricted basis by the spring of 1776。
2 Yet the colonies engaged in international trade despite the blockade。 Formal treaties of merce with France in 1778 and with Holland and Spain shortly thereafter stimulated the flows of overseas trade。 Between 1778 and early 1782； American wartime merce was at its zenith。 During those years； France； Holland； Spain； and their possessions all actively traded with the colonies。 Even so； the flow of goods in and out of the colonies remained well below prewar levels。 Smuggling； privateering； and legal trade with overseas partners only partially offset the drastic trade reductions with Britain。 Even the coastal trades were curtailed by a lack of vessels； by blockades； and by wartime freight rates。 Britishoccupied ports； such as New York； generated some import activity but little or nothing in the way of exports。
3 In Philadelphia； for instance； nearly 4；000 women were employed to spin materials in their homes for the newly established textile plants。 A sharp increase also occurred in the number of artisan workshops with a similar stimulus in the production of beer； whiskey； and other domestic alcoholic beverages。 4O Only the leastmercialized rural areas remained little affected by the serpentine path of war and the sporadic flows of wartime merce。
Overall； the war imposed a distinct economic hardship on the new nation。 Most goods rose in cost and were more difficult to obtain。 High prices and severe mercial difficulties encouraged some； investors to turn from merce to manufacturing。 Then； once the trade lanes reopened with the ing of peace； even those who profited from the war were stung by the tide of imports that swept it to American ports and sharply lowered prices。 5
［A］The rechanneling of American resources into importpeting industries was especially strong along the coast and in the major port cities。
［B］As exports and imports fell； import substitution abounded； and the colonial economy became considerably more selfsufficient。
［C］ Although many Americans escaped the direct ordeals of war； few Americans were untouched by it — at least indirectly。
［D］ Nevertheless； the British maintained a fairly effective naval blockade of American ports； especially during the first two years of the war。
［E］ Internally； the most pressing problems were financial。
［F］More important was the fact that Congress had no independent ine and had to rely for funds on catchascatchcan contributions from the states； made roughly in proportion to their individual populations。
［G］Maritime merce was always an important factor in the war effort； and trade linkages were vital to the supply of arms and ammunitions。
答案及解析
1。G。海上商业活动历来是战事中的重要环节，而保持贸易联系对于武器弹药的供应至关重要。第一段介绍了美国独立战争及意义。第二段说明独立战争的深刻根源。后面提到海外贸易的中止；火药、手雷、枪支及刀具等基本军需品的严重短缺。可知第一句应是对这两项的总体概述。所以应选G。
2。D。然而，英国对美国港口实施了相当有效的海上封锁，尤其在独立战争的最初两年，由下文：尽管封锁严密，各殖民地仍然开展着对外贸易，可知选D。
3。B。由于贸易活动的减少，进口替代品的生产兴旺起来，殖民地的经济因而更加自给自足。下文：例如在费城，新建的纺织厂雇用了近4000名妇女在家里纺织布料。工匠作坊也大量涌现，刺激了啤酒、威士忌及其它国产酒类的酿造。此段所举的例子都是为说明殖民地的经济因而更加自给自足。
4。A。美国的生产资源流动与进口货的对抗，这一趋势在沿海地区及港口大城市尤为强劲。免受战争炮火硝烟与战时贸易封锁影响的只有那些远离商业活动的乡村地区，前面的“沿海地区及港口大城市”与后文“乡村地区”形成对比。
5。C。虽然许多美国人逃脱了战争的直接厄运，但没有谁躲过战争的间接冲击。前文讲“总的来说，战争带给这个新兴的国家的是显而易见的经济困苦。大多数商品价格上涨，且供应紧张。昂贵的价格与贸易的极度艰难促使一些投资者从商业转向制造业。之后，随着战争的结束，贸易通道重新开放，即使那些在战争中赚了一笔的人都为潮水般地涌入美国港口并引起行情骤降的进口商品而痛心疾首。”选项E为干扰项。
中心思想
美国独立战争对于北美殖民地反对英国暴政、追求独立自主的正义事业意义深远。但是，如同其他战争一样，所付出的代价是沉重的。除了人员伤亡造成的巨大损失，军需供应扰乱了殖民地的经济秩序。此外，英国的贸易封锁造成物资匮乏，国内财政赤字引发恶性通货膨胀。尽管生活困窘，殖民地人民群情激昂，战斗加生产，带动了美国制造业的兴旺。
译文
1775年4月19日爆发的独立战争艰难的持续了6年时间。这是殖民地为反对英国对北美事件的干涉而进行的争取独立自主的战斗。
海上商业活动历来是战争中的重要环节，贸易联系对武器和弹药的供应来说至关重要。1775年英国对殖民地实施限制法案，几乎所有美国海上商业活动都陷入停滞。在1775年期间，殖民地面临严重基本军需品的短缺，例如火药、手雷、枪支、刀具。甚至是盐、鞋子、毛绒、亚麻等也严重短缺。在1775年后期，国会授权与西印度公司的限制性贸易，主要是采购枪支弹药。在1776年春天与其他非英地区进行非限制性贸易。
然而，英国对美国的港口仍然保持着相当有效的海上封锁，尤其是独立战争的前两年。但殖民地不顾封锁，依然参与国际贸易。1778年与法国商贸条约的签订，以及接下来与荷兰及西班牙的商贸协定，刺激了海外贸易的发展。从1778到1782年初，美国战时商贸达到顶峰。这几年中，法国、荷兰、西班牙及它们的附属地都与北美殖民地有较活跃的商贸往来。即使这样，北美殖民地贸易的进出口仍然低于战前水平。与海外贸易伙伴的私下及合法的贸易只是部分地抵消了与英国的贸易缩减量。甚至是内陆贸易也因为贸易通道的减少、封锁和战时较高的运费而缩减。英占殖民地的港口，诸如纽约，都有一些进口贸易，但是出口方面则很少或是几乎没有。
由于进出口贸易的下降，进口替代品繁荣起来，殖民地的经济更加自给自足。例如，费城新建的纺织厂雇佣了近4000名妇女在家纺织。工匠作坊也大量涌现，刺激了啤酒、威士忌及其他国产酒类的生产。美国生产资源流入与进口货物相对抗的行业，在沿海及主要港口城市表现尤为强劲。只有那些远离商业活动的偏远地区较少受到战争及战时商贸封锁的影响。
总体来说，战争给这个新的国家带来明显的经济困苦。大多数商品价格上涨，且很难获得。昂贵的价格及严重的贸易困难促使一些投资者从商业转向制造业。后来，伴随着和平的到来，贸易通道重新开放，即使那些从战争中获利的人，都为进口商品涌入美国港口引起价格下降而痛心疾首。尽管许多美国人逃脱了战争的直接厄运，但几乎没有人未被触及，至少是受到战争的间接影响。
四
The attitude that intolerance is an evil is especially strong in Britain； where tolerance has been elevated into the Great National Virtue。 1 Listen to any public debate or radio phonein about immigration and you will hear people reiterating this view。 Only the British； they say； would have allowed so many black and brown people into their country； would have treated them so well； given them jobs； put them on the National Health Service； and so on。
2
Their conclusion； of course； gives the game away； for the tolerance they are talking about does not in fact exist but is invented as a justification for present intolerance。 3 Tolerance； according to the Oxford English Dictionary； is “the disposition to be patient with or indulgent to the opinions and practices of others” and “freedom from bigotry or undue severity in judging the conduct of others”。 Can we honestly claim to be more lavishly bestowed with these attributes than people of other nations？ I do not think so。
4 But this does not mean they are particularly indulgent to other people’s behaviour。 Do anything out of the ordinary — give a party； for example — and your neighbours will soon begin to bare their teeth。 Try starting a business or opening a restaurant in a predominantly residential area； and all hell breaks loose。
The British tend to be very critical of continental drivers； whom they accuse of uncontrolled aggressiveness。 But while British drivers may be rather more reliable about sticking to the rules of the road； they are dangerously intolerant of other drivers who； in their view； are doing things they shouldn’t be doing。
5 In fact； I am much more frightened of British drivers than I am of French or Italian ones； for you can at least be reasonably confident with the latter that； unlike the British； they are not prepared to die — and take you with them — in order to prove a point。
［A］I myself may sometimes be inpetent or a bit too pushy as a driver but I have often been a victim of verbal abuse and terrifying revenge manoeuvrs quite out of proportion to any offence that I may have mitted。
［B］We believe ourselves to be unique among nations in our generosity of spirit and our readiness to put up with all kinds of people。
［C］What is called tolerance may often be just unassertiveness or timidity； for it is true that most English people do not relish public rows or confrontations and will go to some lengths to avoid them。
［D］I will exclude from my reproof the animal sentimentalists and those who consistently reject cruelty in any form。
［E］It is a thoroughly hypocritical posture which makes one wonder whether British claims to being especially tolerant have any validity at all。
［F］British attitudes to bad habits like smoking and drinking also tend to be intolerant and are getting more so。
［G］And this； they conclude； is why no more of them should be allowed in。
答案及解析
1。B。这句话的意思是说“我们认为我们宽宏大量的态度和愿意容忍各种人的行为的想法在各国之中是独一无二的”，可见，这句话是用来承接第一句的，进一步说明宽容已上升为英国的一种伟大的国家美德。
2。G。文章的第二段开头就指出，那个结论，使英国人的宽容之说露出了马脚（give the game away），那么当然在那之前，应该说明他们的结论到底是什么。
3。E。这句话的意思是“这是一种彻头彻尾的虚伪姿态，这种姿态使人们怀疑，英国人所声称的特别能容忍的说法是否能站得住”这也是用来承接前一句的，因为前面已经说明“他们所说的宽容并不是实际存在，而是编造出来为观念的偏狭