6--10 DABCB
考研英语精读阅读理解强化训练三
Directions: There are four passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C, and D. You should decide on the best choice and blacken the corresponding letter on ANSWER SHEET 1 . (40 points) Text 3
According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection。
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship。
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ”escape fund”。
Margaret’s story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings。
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension。
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he’d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn’t sure of the marriage。” He’d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure。”
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money。
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ”I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day。”
“When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have
to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It’s sensible to build and protect your personal financial security。” 11. The trend to keep a secret bank account is growing because______________。 A. escape fund helps one through rainy days B. days are getting harder and harder C. women are money sensitive D. financial conflicts often occur
12. The word “savvy”(Line2,Para 2)probably means_____________。 A. suspicious B. secure
C. shrewd D. simple
13. Which inference can we make about Margaret? A. She is a unique woman. B. She was once divorced。
C. She is going to retire. D. She has many children。
14. The author mentions Colleen’s example to show___________。 A. any couple can avoid marriage conflicts B. privacy within marriage should be respected C. everyone can save a fortune with a happy marriage D. financial disclosure is not necessarily bad 15. Which of the following best summary this passage? A. Secret Savers B. Love Is What It’s Worth
C. Banking Honesty D. Once Bitten, Twice Shy 11--15 ACBDA
考研英语精读阅读理解强化训练四
Directions: There are four passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C, and D. You should decide on the best choice and blacken the corresponding letter on ANSWER SHEET 1 . (40 points) Text 4
“The word ‘protection’ is no longer taboo (禁忌语)”. This short sentence, uttered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy last month, may have launched a new era in economic history. Why? For decades, Western leaders have believed that lowering trade barriers and tariffs was a natural good. Doing so, they reasoned, would lead to greater economic efficiency and productivity, which in turn would improve human welfare. Championing free trade thus became a moral, not just an economic, cause. These leaders, of course, weren’t acting out of unselfishness. They knew their economies were the most competitive, so they’d profit most from liberalization. And developing countries feared that their economies would be swamped by superior Western productivity. Today, however, the tables have turned---though few acknowledge it. The West continues to preach free trade, but practices it less and less. Asian, meanwhile, continues to plead for special protection but practices more and more free trade。
That’s why Sarkozy’s words were so important: he finally injected some honesty into the trade debates. The truth is that large parts of the West are losing faith in tree trade, though few leaders admit it. Some economists are more honest. Paul Krugman is one of the few willing to acknowledge that protectionist arguments are returning. In the short run, there will be winners and losers under free trade. This, of course, is what capitalism is all about. But more and more of these losers will be in the West, Economists in the developed world used to love quoting Jonoph Schumpeter, who said that ‘creative destruction” was an essential part of capitalist growth. But they always assumed that destruction would happen over there. When Western workers began losing jobs, suddenly their leaders began to lose faith in their principles, Things have yet to reverse completely. But there’s clearly a negative trend in a Western theory and practice。
A little hypocrisy (虚伪) is not in itself a serious problem. The real problem is that Western governments continue to insist that they retain control of the key global economic and financial institutions while drifting away from global liberalization. Lock at what’s happening at the IMF (International Monetary Fund) The Europeans have demanded that they keep the post of managing director.
But all too often, Western officials put their own interests above everyone else’s when they dominate these global institutions。
The time has therefore come for the Asians-who are clearly the new winners in today’s global economy-to provide more intellectual leadership in supporting free trade: Sadly, they have yet to do so. Unless Asians speak out, however, there’s a real danger that Adam Smith’s principles, which have brought so much good to the world, could gradually die. And that would leave all of us, worse off, in one way or another。
16. It can be inferred that “protection” (Line 1, Para.1) means____________。 A. improving economic efficiency. B. ending the free-trade practice
C. lowering moral standard D. raising trade tariffs
17. The Western leaders preach free trade because____________。 A. it is beneficial to their economies B. it is supported by developing countries C. it makes them keep faith in their principles D. it is advocated by Joseph Schumpeter and Adam Smith
18. By “the tables have turned” (Line 3-4, Para. 2) the author implies that____________。 A. the Western leaders have turned self-centered B. the Asian leaders have become advocates of free trade C. the developed economies have turned less competitive D. the developing economies have become more independent
19. The Western economies used to like the idea of “creative destruction” because it____________。
A. set a long-term rather than short-turn goal B. was an essential part of capitalist development C. contained a positive rather than negative mentality
D. was meant to be the destruction of developing economies
20. The author uses “IMF” was an example to illustrate the point that___________。 A. European leaders are reluctant to admit they are hypocritical B. there is an inconsistency between Western theory and practice C. global institutions are not being led by true globalization advocates D. European countries’ interests are being ignored by economic le 16--20 DACDC
aders