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考研英语阅读理解提分没有捷径，只有通过多阅读多做题才能够提高阅读速度和把握做题的技巧。新东方在线编辑奉上考研英语报刊文章阅读及剖析，希望备战2015年的考生能够不断拓展知识面，理论结合实践，提升阅读理解能力。
考研英语报刊文章阅读及剖析（8）
States offer to pick up the tab for unpaid leave
When Gina Garro and Brian Duplisea adopted 4-month-old Andres from Colombia
last month, they were determined to take time off from work to care for him. Six
years ago, after their daughter, Melina, was born, the family scraped by on
Duplisea's $36,000 salary as a construction worker so Garro, a special-education
teacher, could stay home. Now, since Garro's job furnishes the family health
insurance, she'll head back to work this fall while Duplisea juggles diapers and
baby bottles. His boss agreed to the time off--but he will have to forgo his
$18-an-hour pay. It won't be easy. Though Garro's $40,000 salary will cover
their mortgage, the couple will have to freeze their retirement accounts, scale
back on Melina's after-school activities--and pray that nothing goes wrong with
the car. "It takes away from your cushion and your security," says Garro.
"Things will be tight."
The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act was supposed to help families like
Garro's, offering a safety net to employees who want to take time off to nurture
newborns, tend to their own major illnesses or care for sick relatives. But
while the law guarantees that workers won't lose their jobs, it doesn't cover
their paychecks. One survey last year showed that while 24 million Americans had
taken leaves since 1999, 2.7 million more wanted to, but couldn't afford it.
That may change soon. In response to increasing demands from voters, at least 25
states are now exploring new ways to offer paid leave. One possibility: tapping
state disability funds. A handful of states--New York, New Jersey, California,
Rhode Island and Hawaii--already dip into disability money to offer partial pay
for women on maternity leave. But that doesn't help dads or people caring for
elderly parents. New Jersey and New York may soon expand disability programs to
cover leave for fathers and other caretakers. Thirteen states, including
Arizona, Illinois and Florida, have proposed using unemployment funds to pay for
leave.
Massachusetts has been especially creative. When the state's acting
governor, Jane Swift, gave birth to twin daughters in May, she drew attention to
the issue with her own "working maternity leave": she telecommuted part-time but
earned her usual full-time salary. Even before Swift returned to work last week,
the state Senate unanimously passed a pilot plan that would use surplus funds
from a health-insurance program for the unemployed to give new parents 12 weeks
off at half pay. Another plan, proposed in the House, would require employers to
kick in $20 per worker to set up a "New Families Trust Fund." Businesses would
get tax credits in return. This week Swift is expected to announce her own
paid-leave plan for lower-income mothers and fathers. Polls show widespread
public support--another reason Swift and other politicians across the country
have embraced the issue.
Still, not everyone's wild about the idea. People without children question
why new parents--the first group to get paid leave under many of the proposed
plans--should get more government perks than they do. Business groups are
resistant to proposals that would raid unemployment funds; several have already
filed suit to block them. As the economy slows, many companies say they can't
afford to contribute to proposed new benefit funds either. Business lobbyists
say too many employees already abuse existing federal family-leave laws by
taking time off for dubious reasons or in tiny time increments. The proposed
laws, they say, would only make matters worse.
For Garro and Duplisea, though, the new laws could make all the difference.
As Melina fixes a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, Duplisea hugs a snoozing
Andres against his T shirt. "We're trying to do the right thing by two kids, and
we have to sacrifice," Duplisea says. In Massachusetts and plenty of other
states, help may be on the way.
Newsweek; 8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c
注(1) 本文选自Newsweek;8/27/2001, Vol. 138 Issue 9, p46, 1p, 1c
注(2) 本文习题命题模仿对象是1997年真题text 1(1，2，3，5题)，第4题模仿1997年真题text 3 的第2题。
1. From the first paragraph, we learn that __________________.
[A] Garro and Duplisea used to live a comfortable and easy life.
[B] Duplisea’s boss is so considerate as to allow him to keep his job
[C] Garro can earn more money so she should go back to work.
[D] The couple have made a lot of sacrifices to take care of their
children.
2. When Garro says “It takes away from your cushion and your security”, she
means _____________________.
[A] it exhausts her family savings
[B] it plunges her family into financial trouble
[C] it deprives her children of health insurance
[D] it makes her feel insecure
3. If Garro lives in Massachusetts, she will ___________________.
[A] have 12 weeks off at half pay
[B] telecommute part-time but earn full-time salary
[C] leave her job without pay to take care of her kids
[D] get $20 from her employer for her leave
4. The word “perk” (Line 2, Para. 4) most probably means
_______________.
[A] grant
[B] policy
[C] encouragement
[D] reward
5. The author’s attitude towards paid leave seems to be that of
_________________.
[A] opposition
[B] suspicion
[C] approval
[D] indifference
答案：D B A A C
篇章剖析
本文为说明文，主要介绍带薪请假政策的起因，制定和实施情况，以及所面临的问题和反对意见。文章首先以加罗一家的经历说明停薪请假的人所面临的经济困难。然后在第二，第三段介绍了一下各州针对这一问题的解决方案。第四段介绍了反对者的态度和看法，最后一段再次以加罗一家的情况来说明带薪请假政策可能带来的积极变化，并且呼应了文章开头部分，以此作为结尾，使得全文层次分明，结构完整。
词汇注释
scrape v. (常与along, by, through连用)勉强维持生计;勉强通过
furnish v. 供应, 提供
juggle v. 耍，弄
diaper n. 尿布
forgo v. 抛弃;放弃
cushion n. 缓冲，减轻或缓和不利后果的东西：
tap v. 开发;利用
maternity adj. 母性的，初为人母的孕妇的;适合于孕妇的，生小孩或成为母亲的第一个月的
telecommute v. (在家里通过使用与工作单位连接的计算机终端)远距离工作
pilot plan 试点方案
kick in 参与提供资金和其他帮助的活动中去
tax credit 税金免除
perk n. 额外津贴 (亦作： perquisite)
raid v. 侵吞
lobbyist n. 院外活动集团成员;说客
increment n. 增加, 增量
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发表于 2017-8-6 15:50:37