1、BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷 29及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and read the five short passages about free trade. Which short passage (A, B, C, D or E) does each statement 1-8 refer to? For each statement 1-8, mark one letter (A, B, C, D or E) on your Answer Sheet. You will need to use some o
2、f these letters more than once. A Free Trade Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. Free trade is the absence of artificial (government-imposed) barriers to trade among individuals and firms in different natio
3、ns. International trade is often constricted by different national taxes, other fees imposed on exported and imported goods, as well as non-tariff regulations on imported goods; theoretically, free trade is against all these restrictions. In reality, trade agreements that are labeled as “free trade“
4、 by their proponents may actually create their own barriers to a free market. Some critics of such trade agreements see them as protecting the interests of corporations. B Protection If a government allows its citizens to engage in commercial transactions without any restriction of any kind, this is
5、 free trade. However, most international commerce involves government intervention. Protection is any policy that restricts trade in order to protect a domestic industry from foreign competition. Protectionist policies include tariffs (taxes on imports), quotas (limits on the quantity of imports), a
6、nd non-tariff trade barriers such as mandates on the quality or the content of imported goods. Protection increases the price of imported goods, reducing the amount of imports, thus protecting some domestic industry from foreign competition. Its important to note that consumers are the main benefici
7、aries of trade and the main victims of protection. Trade drives down prices allowing consumers to buy more goods and protection increases prices. C Tariff A tariff is a tax placed on imported and/or exported goods, sometimes called a customs duty. A revenue tariff is set with the intent of raising m
8、oney for the government. A protective tariff, usually applied to imported goods, is intended to artificially inflate prices of imports and “protect“ domestic industries from foreign competition. The distinction between protective and revenue tariffs is not very clear; revenue tariffs offer some limi
9、ted protection, and protective tariffs produce some small revenue. Tariffs are similar to tolls, which are applied to people rather than goods. D Arguments for Free Trade Many economists argue that free trade increases the standard of living through the theory of comparative advantage and economies
10、of scale. According to this argument, a country will profit by specializing in the production of goods in which it has a comparative advantage and trading for goods in which it does not have a comparative advantage. Free trade will result in a better use of a countrys resources. Under free trade, a
11、country will use its resources more efficiently in the sense that it will increase the amount of goods available for consumption and production. It will tend to specialize by producing goods that it can produce using fewer resources than its trading partners. This specialization generates the benefi
12、ts of trade. E Arguments Against Free Trade Some other economists argue that free trade allows developed nations to exploit developing nations and to destroy local industry in addition to circumventing social and labor standards. Conversely it has also been argued that free trade hurts developed nat
13、ions because it causes jobs from those nations to move to other countries as well as producing a race to the bottom which causes a general lowering of health and safety standards. 1 Free trade enables developed countries to exploit developing countries and harms developed countries by job losses. 2
14、Free trade enables countries to use their resources more efficiently. 3 A tax placed on imported and/or exported goods is sometimes called a customs duty. 4 Generally speaking, consumers mainly benefit from trade and suffer from protection. 5 In theory, free trade means there are no artificial barri
15、ers to trade among individuals and firms in different countries. 6 Trade causes prices to go down and allows consumers to buy more goods. 7 In reality, the so-called “free trade agreements“ may actually create their own barriers to a free market. 8 A protective tariff usually aims to protect domesti
16、c industries from foreign competition. 二、 PART TWO 8 Read this text about employment data in USA during Bushs first administration. Choose the best sentence from the sentences that follow to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 9-14, mark one letter (A-H) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter m
17、ore than once. The Wall Street forecast of 150,000 new payroll jobs for September is not as robust as the average monthly increase of 180,000 this year, but it is better than the average of about 104,000 over the last three months. If the 150,000 figure is correct, it will mean that 1.84 million new
18、 jobs have been created since September 2003. That is a number you will hear from President Bush. Senator John Kerry is likely to emphasize that 2. 65 million jobs were lost from the end of 2000 to September 2003. (9) . However, some economists argue that Mr. Bush is not to blame for all the lost jo
19、bs because the economy was slowing before he took office. (10) . he argument becomes more complicated when you include the employment data from the current population survey, used to calculate the unemployment rate. (11) . The payroll data is based on interviews with 160,000 employers and does not i
20、nclude agricultural workers or the self-employed. Economists follow this survey because it is broader and less volatile. But its hard for them to figure what to make of the many different job pictures that the current population survey is presenting. This survey shows that there has been no net job
21、loss during Mr. Bushs term. (12) . Perhaps the true picture is somewhere in the middle, but neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Kerry is likely to talk about that. Oh, Merck! The plunge in Mercks stock last week - and the chance that the companys future earnings will be impaired (13) . Merck fell 27 percent on
22、 Thursday after announcing that it would stop selling its arthritis and pain medication Vioxx. Without a recovery in the stock, said Dennis Trittin, portfolio manager of United States stocks at the Russell Investment Group, Merck could move from a hybrid to a pure value stock. In analyzing a stock,
23、Russell calculates how much of it fits into growth and value categories. (14) . Mr. Trittin said he could not say what will happen in next years index recalculation. But after last week, he said, “Merck might end up as a 100 percent value stock. “ A. Others say he cant be credited for all the job cr
24、eation, considering how much the Federal Reserve stimulated growth. B. but it is better than the average of about 104,000 over the last three months. C. could move it to a new Wall Street pigeonhole. D. Based on the annual reassessment in June, Merck was 57 percent value, 43 percent growth. E. Even
25、with the surge since then, the net loss is 816,000. F. It is based on 60,000 personal interviews. G. There is no question that the relationship between trade and development is one of the central policy issues we face today. H. In fact, it says 2.05 million jobs have been created. 三、 PART THREE 14 R
26、ead the following extract from an article about small business in U. S. economy and the questions that follow. For each Question 15-20, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Small Businesses in U. S. Economy Small business plays a major role in the American e
27、conomy. More than 990/00 of the nations 16 million businesses are small. Their effects are felt in number of areas, including financial performance, innovation, job creation, new-business formation, and contributions to big business. But what is a small business? There are actually many different de
28、finitions, but the most widely quoted ones are those of the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). To help entrepreneurs, the SBA has drafted definitions to fit virtually every industry. For the sake of simplicity, we will define a small business as one that is independently owned and operated a
29、nd has relatively little influence over its environment. In sheer numbers alone, small business far outstrips big business. There is also evidence that suggests that small business outperforms big business financially. On average, for example, small manufacturers earn a higher return on owners equit
30、y than do large manufacturers, for which there are two main reasons. First, in many manufacturing industries, small business can respond more rapidly and at less cost than can big business to the quickening rate of change in products and services, processes and markets. Second, small business has po
31、sitive impact on the nations economic performance in terms of gross national product, growth rates, and other indicators. Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Play a Major Role in Innovation Small businesses or individuals working alone invented the personal computer, the transistor radio, the photoco
32、pying machine, the jet engine, and the instant photograph. Their ingenuity also gave us the pocket calculator, power steering, the automatic transmission, air conditioning, and even the ballpoint pen. Clearly, we are all better off for the presence of millions of small businesses. Their resourcefuln
33、ess and ingenuity have spawned new industries and contributed a great many innovative ideas and technological breakthroughs. Small businesses create more new jobs than do larger businesses. One study suggested that small businesses may create as many as 66 percent of all new jobs in the United State
34、s each year. In another study, the U. S. Department of Commerce found that small, young, high technology businesses created new jobs at a much faster rate than did larger, older businesses. Such small businesses require employees with a high degree of scientific or engineering knowledge and thus gen
35、erate additional demand for them. New-Business Formation Another indicator of the importance of small business is the record number of businesses formed each year since 1960. New incorporations hit the 600,000 mark for the first time in 1983. This figure is more than four times the total in 1960. Of
36、 course, some of the new corporations are mature businesses that were born as sole proprietorships or partnerships and have only recently incorporated. Nevertheless, many more small businesses are created each year than larger ones. A final reason for small businesses to have such an enormous impact
37、 is their contributions to big business. General Motors, for example, buys from over 25,000 suppliers, most of whom are small businesses. Small businesses can deliver specialized products more efficiently than can larger businesses. Indeed, big businesses buy more of their inputs from small business
38、es than from other big businesses. Small businesses also play a key role in distributing and selling the products of larger businesses to consumers. Of all the new businesses that appear each year, many succeed but many also fail. Here we discuss common reasons for small-businesses success. Many ing
39、redients contribute to small business success, but some of the most common ones are hard work, drive, and dedication on the part of the entrepreneur; market demand for the product or service being offered; managerial competence, and luck. A key ingredient in the success of any small business is hard
40、 work, drive, and dedication on the part of the entrepreneur. An individual must have a strong desire to work independently of others and be willing to work for long hours if she or he is to succeed. In general, successful entrepreneurs tend to be reasonable risk-takers, self-confident, hardworking,
41、 goal setters and innovators. 15 The key factors to the success of small businesses are _ . （ A） their enormous contributions to big business （ B） a great many personal computers in the office （ C） hard work, drive, dedication, managerial competence and luck （ D） basic managerial competence in the h
42、igh level of demand 16 Small business has some of advantages over those of big business in the field of finance because _ . （ A） financial performance, job creation, new-business formation （ B） they can react and adjust themselves more rapidly to the rapid rate of change in products （ C） they have t
43、rade protection from the government （ D） they supply the market demand and contribute to big business 17 Which of the following statements expresses the definition of small business? （ A） More than 10% of the nations businesses are medium-sized. （ B） One of the major requirements of a small business
44、 is computer system. （ C） The major challenge for small business management is the motivation of the personnel. （ D） The one which is self-owned and operated independently and has relatively little impact on its environment. 18 Small businesses play a key role in the U. S. economy in the following a
45、spects except _ . （ A） in distributing and retailing products of larger business to consumers （ B） in innovation of new products such as pocket calculator, personal computer etc （ C） in labor division and womens liberation （ D） in helping the big business by creating and delivering specialized produ
46、cts 19 Which of the following statements is not true? （ A） Small businesses create more new jobs than do larger businesses. （ B） Older businesses create new jobs at a much faster rate than small ones. （ C） In general, successful entrepreneurs tend to be reasonable risk-takers. （ D） Some of the new c
47、orporations are mature businesses that were born as sole proprietorships or partnerships. 20 Their resourcefulness and ingenuity have spawned new industries and contributed a great many innovative ideas and technological breakthroughs. Here “ spawned“ means “_.“ （ A） took part （ B） spelled （ C） spra
48、ined （ D） produced 四、 PART FOUR 20 Read the article below about the relationship between trade and development. Choose the correct word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D. For each question (21-30), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. There is no doubt that the relationship between
49、trade and development is one of the central policy issue we face today. We live in a world where 50% of humanity lives on less than $ 2 a day . We live in a world (21) by massive inequality between nations. It is estimated that about 2 billion extra souls will share our crowded planet within the next 30 years. However, we face a world of incredible (22) and challenges. Trade and trade policy must play their roles as a part o
