考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇高分版TEXT3

　　TEXT THREE

　　Controledbleeding or cauterisation? That was the unappealing choice facing UBS, a Swissbank which has been badly hurt by the carnage in Americas mortgage market. The bank optedfor the latter. First it opened the wound, by announcing a hefty $10 billionwrite-down on its exposure to subprime-infected debt. UBS now expects a lossfor the fourth quarter, which ends this month. Then came the hot iron: news ofa series of measures to shore up the banks capital base, among theminvestments from sovereign-wealth funds in Singapore and the Middle East.

　　Bad news hadbeen expected. UBSs third-quarter write-down of over SFr4 billionin October looked overlyoptimistic compared with more aggressive markdowns at other banks such asCitigroup and Merrill Lynch. Steep falls in the market value of subprime debtsince the end of the third quarter made it certain that UBS would take morepain, given its sizeable exposure to toxic collateralised-debt obligations. Analysts at Citigroup were predicting in November that write-downs ofup to SFr14 billion were possible.

　　Why then didthis new batch of red ink still come as a shock? The answer lies not in thescale of the overall loss, more in UBSs decision to take the hit in onego. The banks mark-to-model approach to valuing its subprime-related holdings hadbeen based on payments data from the underlying mortgage loans. Although thesedata show a worsening in credit quality, the deterioration is slower thanmark-to-market valuations, which have the effect of instantly crystallising allexpected future losses.

　　Thanks tothis gradualist approach, UBS had been expected to take write-downs in managedincrements of SFr2 billion-3 billion over a period of several quarters. It nowappears that the bank has incorporated market values into its model, sendingits fourth-quarter write-downs into orbit. The change of approach may be on theadvice of auditors and regulators but it is more likely to reflect a desire byUBSs bosses toavoid months of speculation about the banks exposure, something that MarcelRohner, the chief executive, described as distracting .

　　In aparticular indignity for a bank long associated with conservatism, concernsabout the level of UBSs capital ratio had even started to surface. Hence the moves tostrengthen its tier-one capital, an important measure of bank solidity, bySFr19.4 billion, a great deal more than the write-down. The majority of thatmoney will come from sovereign-wealth funds, the white knights of choice fortodays bank in distress. Singapores GIC, which manages thecity-states foreign reserves, has pledged to buy SFr11 billion-worth of convertiblebonds in UBS; an unnamed Middle Eastern investor will put in a further SFr2billion. UBS will also raise money by selling treasury shares, and save cash byissuing its 2007 dividend in the form of shares. Its capital ratio is expectedto end up above 12% in the fourth quarter, a strong position.The majority ofthat money will come from sovereign-wealth funds, the white knights of choicefor todays bank in distress.

　　Hopeful talkof lines being drawn under the subprime crisis has been a feature of banks quarterly reporting sinceSeptember. Marrying bigger-than-expected write-downs with bigger-than-expectedboosts to capital looks like the right treatment in this environment. But UBSstill cannot be sure that its problems are over. Further deterioration in itssubprime asset values is possible; the broader economic impact of the creditcrunch is unclear; and the damage to the banks reputation cannot yet bequantified. The patient still needs watching.

　　1. The authoruses the metaphor hot iron to imply that_____.

　　[A] thosemeasures will do more harm to UBS.

　　[B] thosemeasures will cauterize UBS.

　　[C] thosemeasures will forcefully stop UBS from furthur loss.

　　[D] thosemeasures will control bleeding of UBS.

　　2. Comparedwith the mark-to-market valuations, the mark-to-model approach could _____.

　　[A] slow downthe worsening in credit qualtiy.

　　[B] instantlycrystallise all expected future loss.

　　[C] worsenthe credit quality.

　　[D]accelerate the deterioration in credit quality.

　　3. The reasonthat Marcel Rohner thought the chang of approach was distracting is_____.

　　[A] thischange was unexpected to take place in such a situation.

　　[B] thischange was result of the advice of auditors and regulators.

　　[C] thischange was unfavorite to UBS.

　　[D] thischange was taken to make people dispel their guess.

　　4. Thephrase the white knights most probablymeans____.

　　[A] richpeople.

　　[B] saviors.

　　[C] generouspeople.

　　[D] bravepeople.

　　5. The authors attitude towards UBSs future is______.

　　[A]optimistic

　　[B] pessimistic

　　[C] uncertain

　　[D] none ofthe above

　　篇章分析：

　　本篇文章介紹了UBS銀行目前面臨的困境以及其解決困境的一系列措施。第一段講述UBS銀行面對困境時作了強行止血的選擇;第二段講述UBS目前面臨的不好的因素;第三段第四段分析了其估值的方式;第五段講述UBS解決資金困難的一系列措施;第六段分析UBS面臨的一些問題。

　　詞匯注釋：

　　Carnage n. 大屠殺, 殘殺

　　hefty n. 異常大的或相當多的

　　write-down n.[會計]帳面價值的故意降低

　　shoreup v.支持

　　markdowns n. 削價

　　increment n.增加, 增量

　　distract v.轉移

　　indignity n.輕蔑, 侮辱, 侮辱的行為

　　solidity n.可靠性

　　pledge vt.保證, 使發誓, 抵押, 典當

　　boost n.增加;提高

　　crunch n. 危急情況，危急時刻或緊急狀態

　　難句突破：

　　Then came thehot iron: news of a series of measures to shore up the banks capital base, among theminvestments from sovereign-wealth funds in Singapore and the Middle East.

　　[主體句式] Then came the hot iron.

　　[結構分析] 這是一個有復雜同位語的一個簡單句。news of ...是前面the hot iron的同位語，to shore up the banks capital base是不定式短語作定語修飾前面的measures, 而后面among them ...也是用來修飾measures，具體介紹其中的一些措施。

　　[句子譯文]緊接著就來了hot iron ：報道有一系列的措施來支持銀行的資本基礎，其中就有新加坡和中東的君主財富基金。

　　The change ofapproach may be on the advice of auditors and regulators but it is more likelyto reflect a desire by UBSs bosses to avoid months of speculation about the banks exposure, something that MarcelRohner, the chief executive, described as distracting .

　　[主體句式] The change of approach may be...but ...

　　[結構分析] 這是一個并列句，but 引導的分句比較復雜，to avoide ...不定式短語作前面a desire的定語，而something that...是a desire的同位語，該同位語有一個定語從句。

　　[句子譯文] 方法改變可能是審計員或調節員建議的，但更反映了UBS高層的不愿數月都預計銀行曝光的意愿，這個被首席執行官馬賽爾Rohner形容為 發狂的 。

　　題目分析：

　　1. The author uses the metaphor hot iron to imply that_____.1. 作者用 烙鐵 這個比喻來暗示_____。

　　[A] those measures will do more harm to UBS.[A] 這些措施會對UBS造成更多損失。

　　[B] those measures will cauterize UBS.[B] 這些措施會灼傷UBS。

　　[C] those measures will forcefully stop UBS from furthur loss.[C]這些措施會強行讓UBS避免進一步的損失。

　　[D] those measures will control bleeding of UBS.

　　[答案]C

　　[分析] 細節題。作者將一系列的措施比喻為 烙鐵 ，而這些措施又是為UBS提供資金，是一些好的措施，這個比喻讓人費解。但結合第一段的上下文就可以理解，文章第一段開頭就擺出UBS面臨的抉擇，是有控制的流血還是灼傷，UBS選擇了后者，先是將傷口裸露出來，接著就來了 烙鐵 。前后聯系可以想到，烙鐵可以灼傷傷口，但可以讓傷口馬上止血，也就是讓UBS可以避免進一步的損失。因此，答案C最為符合。

　　2. Compared with the mark-to-market valuations, the mark-to-model approach could _____.2.與市場估量方法相比，模式方法可以_____。

　　[A] slow down the worsening in credit qualtiy.[A] 減緩信用質量的惡化。

　　[B] nstantly crystallise all expected future loss.[B] 迅速估計出所有未來有可能的損失。

　　[C] worsen the credit quality.[C] 惡化信用質量。

　　[D] accelerate the deterioration in credit quality.[D] 加快信用質量的惡化。

　　[答案]A

　　[分析] 細節題。題干是關于mark-to-model估量方法的，這在文章第三段中有提及。關鍵的一句話就是，和mark-to-market方法相比，這種惡化要慢一些，因為市場方法可迅速估算出未來所有有可能的損失。要注意的是，which have the effect of instantly crystallising all expected future losses是修飾mark-to-market 方法的定語從句，這一點容易讓讀者混淆。

　　3. The reason that Marcel Rohner thought the chang of approach was distracting is _____.3.馬塞爾認為這種轉變是 轉移注意力的 是因為_____。

　　[A] this change was unexpected to take place in such a situation.[A]在當時情形下出現這種轉變是出人意料的。

　　[B] this change was result of the advice of auditors and regulators.[B] 這種轉變是審計員和調解員建議的。

　　[C] this change was unfavorite to UBS.[C] 這種轉變對于UBS是不利的。

　　[D] this change was taken to make people dispel their guess.[D]采取這種轉變是為了打消人們心中的猜測。

　　[答案]D

　　[分析] 推理題。題干中提到的轉變是指UBS評估方法由模式方法轉變為將市場結合進來的方法，馬塞爾認為這種轉變是 轉移注意力的 ，由上文可知這種轉變是UBS高層為了避免數月來對銀行曝光的猜測。因此，所說的 轉移注意力 是避免猜測，那么答案D最為符合。

　　4.The phrase the white knights most probably means____.4.短語 白色騎士 (第五段第五行)最有可能指_____。

　　[A] rich people.[A] 富有的人。

　　[B] saviors.[B] 救星。

　　[C] generous people.[C] 慷慨的人。

　　[D] brave people.[D] 勇敢的人。

　　[答案]B

　　[分析] 猜詞題。根據上下文，絕大部分的救助基金來自君主財產基金，這個基金對于許多身處困境的銀行來說就是白衣騎士，可以推斷 白衣騎士 可能代表救助他人的人，答案中BC都有這層意思，根據其救助對象是身處困境的銀行，更側重于危難時的救助。因此，B更為符合題意。

　　5.The authors attitude towards UBSs future is______.5. 作者對于UBS未來的態度是_____。

　　[A] optimistic[A] 樂觀的。

　　[B] pessimistic[B] 悲觀的。

　　[C] uncertain[C] 不確定的。

　　[D] none of the above.[D] 以上都不是。

　　[答案]C

　　[分析] 態度題。這篇文章比較客觀地描述了UBS目前的困境和其為了擺脫這個困境要解決的方法，作者的態度雖然在前面幾次都提到UBS得到了一些資助，有望轉好。但文章最后一段提出UBS目前也面臨眾多問題，所以結局還有待觀察。文章的最后一句明確表明了作者的不確定的態度。

　　參考譯文：

　　有控制地流血還是灼傷?這是UBS，一家因美國抵押信貸市場受到重挫的瑞士銀行所要面對的尷尬選擇。而這家銀行選擇了后者，先是在公開subprime- infected債之際宣布高達100億資產價值縮水，從而裸露出傷口。UBS目前預計第四季度也將虧損，本月就能見分曉。緊接著就來了hot iron：報道有一系列的措施來支持銀行的資本基礎，其中就有新加坡和中東的君主財富基金。

　　也應該會有些壞消息。UBS四分之三的資產價值縮水超過40億瑞士法郎，這與其他銀行(如Citigroup and Merrill Lynch)更為嚴重的狀況相比而言還是較為樂觀。第三季度末subprime debt市場價值的急劇下落使得UBS將會面臨更多的苦痛，尤其是它相當大的一部分資產都受到抵押的影響。Citigroup分析師在11月預言可能會有140億瑞士法郎的損失。

　　那么為什么這次新的一組赤字還是讓人們大吃一驚呢?答案并不是因為總虧損的規模，而是UBS決定一次性地承擔損失。銀行估量其與subprime相關的股票所用的mark-to-model方法是基于第一擔保抵押貸款的支付數據上的。盡管這些數據顯示信用有所降低，但比起用mark-to-market的估量方式其惡化速度要慢一些，具有迅速明確所有未來損失的作用。

　　正是由于采取了這個緩和的方式，UBS可望在幾個季度內資產賬面價值增長控制在20到30億瑞士法郎。目前顯示出該銀行已經將市場價值納入其模式中，從而將第四季度的資產賬面價值控制在一定范圍內。方法改變可能是審計員或調節員建議的，但更反映了UBS高層要避免數月來對銀行曝光的猜測，這個被首席執行官馬賽爾Rohner形容為 轉移注意力的 。

　　一個長期以保守見稱的銀行如今卻受到這種侮辱，對于UBS的資金率的擔心也就逐漸出現了。因此就采取措施加強了第一層資金約194億瑞士法郎，該數額比資產賬面損失要多許多，是增加銀行信用的重要方法。資金大部分來源于君主資產基金，這是當今處于困境的銀行的白衣騎士。新加坡GIC掌握著這個城市國家的外匯儲備，它承諾要購買UBS110億瑞士法郎的可轉債。一個匿名的中東投資者又投入了20億瑞士法郎。UBS也會售賣債券、以股票的形式發行2007的紅利來募集現金。其資本率有望在第四季度達到12%多，這樣處境就很不錯了。

　　從九月份以來，銀行每季度的報告會的一大特色就是討論將額度控制在subprime風險之下。把比預期大的資產賬面降低程度和比預期大的資本增加相結合好像是這種氛圍下的一個正確處理方案。但是UBS還是不能確保問題都已解決。有可能出現subprime資產價值的繼續惡化，而且信用創傷引起的更廣闊范圍內的經濟沖擊也不很明確，還有對公司名譽的損害程度也還沒有確定。病情還有待觀察。