E
Now that the recession(经济衰退)is most likely over, it’s time to start looking at which companies, institutions, and individuals developed well during this unpleasant period. In the downturn that began in December 2007, the recession ruined the wealthiest cconsumer markets—the united States, Europe, Japan—there were very few safe shelters. But some countries, such as Peru, managed to grow right through the global recession. And some companies arranged their business so that they resisted the contraction and benefited from the trends affecting their industry. Some even managed to bring more business.
Chief among the Great Recession’s winners is McDonald’s. McDonald’s sales growth in 2008 was greater than in 2006 and 2007. while many restaurants reduced their business operation, it opened nearly 600 stores in 2008. and the chain has achieved same-store sales growth in each of 2009’s first seven months.
In 2008, after a decade of severely trading up to higher quality consumer goods and services, Americans began to trade down with a vengeance(报复). McDonald’s, which has 44 percent of its 32,000 stores in the United States, was set up to profit from trading down in two ways. Fist, in a recession, people eat out less and at home more frequently. And when they eat out, they eat at cheaper places. McDonald’s is so cheap, efficient, and convenient that it was a practical alternative to casual restaurants like Ruby Tuesday.
In the United States, McDonald’s may be a cheap source of calories in food. In other parts of the world, McDonald’s is an appealing brand, identified with middle-class, westernized consumerism. Much of the world, such as China, India, is still not developed for the Golden Arches. Coincidentally, these are the right places where its business has continued to grow during the global recession. While it faces operational challenges in markets, McDonald’s has benefited form a weakening dollar and rising incomes in Asia.
The question now for investors(投资者)is whether McDonald’s can survive the recovery.
When people feel better-off, will they still stop by? The growth in same-store sales in the United States has come down a little in recent months. And there’s a rising amount of the population that has grown accustomed to eating healthier and better. Going forward, McDonald’s may face larger cultural barriers in the United States than in China.
72.From the passage we can infer that__________in the recession.
A.the developing countries grew wealthier
B.the rich countries became unable to recover
C.the Western companies suffered a great loss
D.the opportunities were brought as well as challenges
73.McDonald’s managed to remain popular in the recession mainly because of       .
A.its good operation              B.the American food culture
C.its low price and convenience  D.the weak value of dollars
74.The underlined word “contraction” in Paragraph I means         .
A.formal written agreement       B.influence on industry
C.disappointing management      D.process of reduced trade
75.What can be the best title for this passage?
A.Who Won the Recession
B.Who Traded down in the Recession
C.How Western Business Survived the Recession
D.How McDonald’s Kept Growing after the Recession

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.
Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.
This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.
George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.
China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network.
【小题1】Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?

A.China is the winner in the Sino-US trade.
B.China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.
C.The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency.
D.The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.
【小题2】This passage is in a tone that is ____________.
A.in favor of China
B.in the shoes of US
C.blaming China’s low currency policy
D.helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem
【小题3】The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.
A.reasonable analysis
B.leaders’ quotations
C.figure examples
D.moving stories
【小题4】China’s currency policy ________.
A.will help increase the demand in the US
B.is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills
C.could guide the world economy for the next decade
D.is to be controlled by the international currency groups

There is a brown female(母的) Canadian duck that weighs only four hundred fifty grams. The duck had flown to the southern state of Florida for the winter.A hunter shot it on January fifteenth and  took it to his home in the city of Tallahassee.He put it in the refrigerator(冰箱).Two days later the man’s wife opened the refrigerator door.The duck lifted its head and looked at her.It was alive!

The family took the duck to a doctor who treats animals.The doctor gave the duck to the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary(动物保护区).Animal sanctuaries provide homes for animals and teach people about their care.

The doctor said it was easy to understand why people thought the duck was dead. He said ducks generally do not move a 1ot,especially after being shot.And he said its low body temperature helped it survive in the refrigerator.

That was enough to make the duck famous around the world.The Tallahassee newspaper published the story that was re-printed in many different countries.But that was not the end of the story.

Workers at the wildlife sanctuary named the duck Perky.And they got the doctor to give an operation to repair the duck’s damaged wing.During the operation,Perky stopped breathing--not just once but two times.The doctor tried to save Perky by giving her oxygen.But he finally said the duck had died.A few seconds later, however, Perky began to move.Reports say the people in the operating room were so happy that they cried.

Workers at the wildlife sanctuary say Perky will not have any more operations. It seems the drugs that were used had side-effects on her.Perky is expected to live at the sanctuary.And a local company has begun to sell T-shirts showing a picture of the lucky duck. Money from the sale of the shirts will help pay for Perky’s care.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.Animal sanctuaries are homes specially for wounded animals.

B.The hunter shot the duck in the wing.

C.Ducks do not move at all for the whole winter.

D.The hunter’s wife intended to free the duck in the refrigerator.

2.The underlined Word “That” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that______.

A.the duck survived the shot and the cold in the refrigerator

B.the hunter had saved the duck by freezing it

C.the hunter shot the duck from Canada

D.the Tallahassee newspaper published the story

3.The duck in the story______.

A.was big and strong

B.flew to Florida for food

C.stayed in the refrigerator to keep its body temperature low

D.was considered dead before being put in the refrigerator

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A.Save the Duck

B.The Lucky Duck

C.Stop Killing Ducks

D.The Poor Duck

5.It can be inferred from the passage that_______.

A.the local company will get large profits by selling the T-shirts

B.it was illegal for me hunter to shoot the duck

C.the duck is likely to be well cared for in the sanctuary

D.Perky likes Florida better than Canada

 

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.

    Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.

This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.

George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.

China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network.

 

1.Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?

A. China is the winner in the Sino-US trade.

B. China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.

C. The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency.

D. The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.

2.This passage is in a tone that is ____________.

A. in favor of China

B. in the shoes of US

C. blaming China’s low currency policy

D. helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem

3.The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.

A. reasonable analysis

B. leaders’ quotations

C. figure examples

D. moving stories

4.China’s currency policy ________.

A. will help increase the demand in the US

B. is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills

C. could guide the world economy for the next decade

D. is to be controlled by the international currency groups

 

 

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