考研英语阅读资料-经济类7.docx

考研英语怎么复习？在考研复习中，复习资料的选择至关重要。中公考研辅导老师为考生整理了【考研英语-阅读理解知识点讲解和习题】，同时可以为大家提供名师考研英语视频、考研英语复习资料、考研英语真题和考研英语辅导等，助您冲击名校！Text 3本文背景知识：合并(merger)是指两家以上的公司依约及法令归并为一个公司的行为。公司合并包括吸收合并和创新合并两种形式：前者是指两个以上的公司合并中，其中一个公司因吸收了其他公司而成为存续公司的合并形式，后者是指两个或两个以上的公司通过合并创建了一个新的公司。垄断 (monopoly)，经济学术语，一般分为卖方垄断和买方垄断。卖方垄断指唯一的卖者在一个或多个市场，通过一个或多个阶段，面对竞争性的消费者;买者垄断 (Monopsony) 则刚刚相反。垄断者在市场上，可以根据自己的利益需求，调节价格与产量。In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.Supporters of the new super systems argue that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads typically charge such “captive” shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government’s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to sho