改错练习

For most of American history, businesses were run to provide livelihoods and "reasonable" profit. In the last few decades, though, business and society in the general have moved toward emphasizing profit maximization and individual self-interest.(1)____ The transfer from "reasonable profit" to profit maximization has significant implications for corporate behavior and government regulation.(2)____ However, how society views the purpose of the corporation has significant implications not only for business, but also for the perceived responsibilities of its civilians, their interactions with each other, and their obligation to their fellow countrymen.(3)____(4)____
Today, it is uncommon for corporations to direct their attention to serving for shareholder and management interests, and to achieving the highest short-term financial return.(5)____(6)____ Not only has this view become commonplace in society and the economy, it has permeated educational institutions and affected how young people see the role of corporations.
Lost in this orientation, though, is a sense of the corporation as a creature of the state, created and gave special powers and privileges by the state.(7)____ The historic balance between "we" versus "me" has shifted dramatic toward a focus on self-interest at the expense of societal interest.(8)____ The result has been a decline in broad social and economic values in favor of viewing the corporation solely a vehicle for personal financial enrichment.(9)____ That view represents a significant shift from the historical-which the grant of corporate privilege was to advance public purposes such as building roads, bridges, and canals.(10)____

答案解析
文章大意
本文讨论的是企业和社会的转变。在美国历史上，企业是为了生计和“合理的”利润。而在过去的几十年里，企业和社会已转向追逐利益最大化和个人私利。这一转变对企业行为和政府制度有重要意义；另外，社会看待企业目标的方式不仅对企业，对公民的社会责任、互相交往和对同胞的义务等都有着重要意义。企业对利润的追逐已经普遍化，而且还渗透到教育制度，并影响年轻人对企业所扮演的角色的看法。
答案详解
1．the→the词汇错误。in general为固定搭配，意为“一般而言，总的来说”，此句的意思是“在过去的几十年里，企业和社会已大致转向追逐利益最大化和个人私利。”故应该删掉the。
2．transfer→shift词汇错误。transfer一般表示转送或移交、迁移，尤指交通运输中的换乘或职务的调动等。shift常指同一类属内的位置、方向的转变、改变，侧重位置与方向的改变。此处要表达的意思是“从‘合理’利润到利益最大化的转变”，故应该用shift，符合上下文语境。
3．However→Moreover语篇错误。由上下文的语义判断，此句与前句应该是递进关系，不是转折关系。前面已经提到企业和社会的转变对金业行为和政府制度有重要意义，本句说到社会看待企业目标的方式不仅对企业，而且对公民的社会责任、互相交往和对同胞的义务等有着重要意义，后者是在前者的基础上所作的进一步阐述，故应改为递进关系的副词Moreover。
4．civilians→citizens词汇错误。civilian指相对于军人或官员而言的平民百姓：citizen指拥有某国国籍或有某地区合法身份的人，即公民。根据上下文语义，此处指的是全社会的人，而不是仅指平民，故应改为citizens，符合上下文语义。
5．uncommon→common语篇错误。上文已经指出企业转向追求利益最大化，则可以断定“企业集中精力为股东和管理层利益服务、获取最高的短期财政收益”是很平常的，故应该把uncommon改为common。
6．fo→for词汇错误。serve表示“为……服务”时，为及物动词，不需要加介词for。
7．gave→given语法错误。此处前有逗号隔开，可以判断为非限制性定语，所修饰的a creature of the state是create和give special powers的承受者，动作的施动者是句子后面的state，故此处应该用过去分词形式，表示被动关系，而give的过去分词为given。
8．dramatic→dramatically语法错误。此处修饰的是谓语动词has shifted，故需要改成副词形式dramatically 。
9．solely∧→as词汇错误。此处加上as与前面的view搭配，表示“把……看做，认为是”，这里要表达的意思是“把企业看做仅仅是个人发财致富的工具”。
10．which→where语法错误。此处是定语从句，引导词在从句中作状语，替代in a historical view，故应该用关系副词where引导。此句的意思是“授予企业特权是力了发展公众利益，如修路、建桥和开通运河等。”