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In a rare unanimous ruling, the US Supreme Court has overturned the
corruption?conviction of a former Virginia governor, Robert McDonnell.?But it did so while holding its nose at the ethics of his conduct, which included accepting gifts such as a Rolex watch and a Ferrari automobile from a company seeking access to government.
The high court’s decision said the judge in Mr. McDonnell’s trial failed to tell a jury that it must look only at his “official acts,” or the former governor’s decisions on “specific” and “unsettled” issues related to his duties.
Merely helping a gift-giver gain access to other officials, unless done with clear intent to pressure those officials, is not corruption, the justices found.
The court did suggest that accepting favors in return for opening doors is “distasteful” and “nasty.” But under anti-bribery laws, proof must be made of concrete benefits, such as approval of a contract or regulation. Simply arranging a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an event is not an “official act”.
The court’s ruling is legally sound in defining a kind of favoritism that is not criminal. Elected leaders must be allowed to help supporters deal with bureaucratic problems without fear of prosecution for bribery.” The basic compact underlying representative government,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts for the court,” assumes that public officials will hear from their constituents and act on their concerns.”
But the ruling reinforces the need for citizens and their elected representatives, not the courts, to ensure equality of access to government. Officials must not be allowed to play favorites in providing information or in arranging meetings simply because an individual or
group provides a campaign donation or a personal gift. This type of integrity requires well-enforced laws in government transparency, such as records of official meetings, rules on lobbying, and information about each elected leader’s source of wealth.
Favoritism in official access can fan public perceptions of corruption. But it is not always corruption. Rather officials must avoid double standards, or different types of access for average people and the wealthy. If connections can be bought, a basic premise of democratic society—that all are equal in treatment by government—is undermined. Good governance rests on an understanding of the inherent worth of each individual.
The court’s ruling is a step forward in the struggle against both corruption and official favoritism.
36. The undermined sentence (Para.1) most probably shows that the court _______. [A] avoided defining the extent of McDonnell’s duties. [B] made no compromise in convicting McDonnell. [C] was contemptuous of McDonnell’s conduct. [D] refused to comment on McDonnell’s ethics. 【答案】C
【解析】答案为C。根据第一段的划线句子联系文章第一句话：虽然最高法院没有判定Robert McDonnell受贿罪，但是在道德上却对他的行为嗤之以鼻。由此可以锁定选项C中的?was contemptuous of，也就是说法院其实非常轻视Robert McDonnell的行为。
37. According to Paragraph 4, an official act is deemed corruptive only if it involves _______.
[A] leaking secrets intentionally.
[B] sizable gains in the form of gifts. [C] concrete returns for gift-givers. [D] breaking contracts officially. 【答案】B
【解析】答案为B。从第四段可以知道，对腐败的定义是:只有受贿者给予了行贿者实际的好处，例如?a contract or regulation,?如果提供的不是具体的好处，仅仅只是：arranging a meeting, making a phone call, or hosting an event,?那么这种行为就不是受贿。由此可以得出答案为B。
38. The court’s ruling is based on the assumption that public officials are _______. [A] justified in addressing the needs of their constituents. [B] qualified to deal independently with bureaucratic issues. [C] allowed to focus on the concerns of their supporters. [D] exempt from conviction on the charge of favoritism. 【答案】C
【解析】答案为C。从第五段可以知道，法院的裁定是建立听取其选民的意见，按照他们的利益行事。所以原文中的constituents对应选项C的supporters，支持者。所以答案选择C。
39. Well-enforced laws in government transparency are needed to _______. [A] awaken the conscience of officials. [B] guarantee fair play in official access. [C] allow for certain kinds of lobbying. [D] inspire hopes in average people. 【答案】B
【解析】答案为B。根据第六段第一句话：执法力度需要加强市民及其当选代表，而不是法院获得接近政府的平等的机会。equality与选项B的fair play相对应，因此选B。
40. The author’s attitude toward the court’s ruling is _______. [A] sarcastic. [B] tolerant. [C] skeptical. [D] supportive 【答案】D
【解析】答案为D。本题考查的是态度题，从文中最后一句话：可以看出作者认为法院的裁定是进步的，因此可以看出作者对此的态度是：支持的。因此答案为选项D。
【试题点评】今年四篇文章难度一般。在我们整体的考研阅读当中，所需要具备的一个最重要的能力就是如何去看到题目之后，定准了位，并且找到那个我们真正应该找到的位置，在四个选项当中去找意思的原文最匹配的选项。?
考研英语一阅读理解Text真题及答案解析
