Question

【题目】In opposing President Barack Obama's opening to Cuba, Florida's Republican senator, Marco Rubio, explained, "This entire policy shift announced today is based on an illusion, on a lie, the lie and the illusion that more commerce and access to money and goods will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people." Rubio has correctly touched on the hottest issue. But theory, logic and history suggest that he's wrong in his conclusions.

I would recommend to Rubio one of the classics of conservative(保守的) thought, Milton Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom." He doesn't have to spend too much time on it. The first chapter outlines the "relation between economic freedom and political freedom." The point Friedman makes in the book is one that America's founding fathers well understood. Drawing on the political philosopher John Locke, they believed that the freedom to buy, sell, own and trade were primary elements of human freedom and individual autonomy(自治). As they expand, liberty expands.

This is not just theory, of course. Over the last two centuries, the countries that embraced "more commerce and access to money and goods" in Rubio's phrase -- Britain, America, then Western Europe and East Asia -- have moved toward greater prosperity, but also political freedom. If you exclude oil-rich countries, where money is not earned but dug from the ground, on the whole there has been a strong connection between economic freedom and political freedom.

In Latin America today, democracy(民主政治) and markets have acted to strengthen each other, transforming the continent, which 30 years ago was almost entirely ruled by dictatorships(独裁) to one that is today almost entirely ruled by democracies. After opening up its economy in the 1970s, Chile began to grow, but that growth then produced a stronger civil society that over time contributed to the end of the dictatorship within the country. Yet Cuba is an outlier, one of the last regimes in Latin America that has embraced neither markets nor ballots. The Obama administration is acting on the theory that more commerce, capitalism, contact, travel and trade will empower the people of Cuba and thus gives them a greater voice in their political future. And so the first point to make is that it will help Cubans economically -- it will raise their incomes, their standard of living, and boost access to technology. These are all good things in and of themselves.

But easing the embargo(贸易禁止) will also help Americans, who will benefit from being able to trade with a neighbor. This is the reason that conservatives have long understood that free trade is not a gift bestowed on someone. It helps both countries and in particular, helps the United States. That's why the Wall Street Journal's editorial page -- bastion of conservative thought -- has been an advocate on lifting the trade embargo against Cuba, which is a far larger step than Obama's normalization.

【1】 What message does the writer try to deliver through this passage?

A. President Obama is making a wrong move opening to Cuba.

B. Marco Rubio is making a mistake criticizing Obama’s normalization policy.

C. Obama’s policy will benefit both Cubans and Americans economically and politically.

D. Obama’s decision agrees with the fact that economic freedom grows with political freedom.

【2】 How does the writer prove his point in paragraph 3 and 4?

A. by analyzing cause and effect

B. by giving examples

C. by making comparison and contrast

D. by raising questions

【3】What does the underlined phrase “translate to” most probably mean?

A. connect with B. adapt to

C. get down to D. lead to

【4】It is implied in the passage that_____________

A. The Obama administration wants to help people in Cuba, so President Obama decided to open to Cuba.

B. Chile is different from other countries in Latin America in that it has both economic and political freedom.

C. America’s founding fathers based their ideology on the theory of Milton Friedman.

D. The conservatives and the Wall Street Journal are on the same page on free trade.

【5】Who doesn’t believe that democracy and markets strengthen each other?

A. the writer B. President Obama

C. Milton Friedman D. Marco Rubio

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】B

【3】D

【4】B

【5】D

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述奥巴马决定对古巴开放，而Marco Rubio则对此提出反对意见，作者则以举例法驳斥了

Marco Rubio的观点，指出其观点的不当之处，并提出经济自由与政治自由相辅相成的论断。

【1】D分析推理题。本文第一段论述奥巴马决定对古巴开放，并提出经济自由与政治自由相辅相成的论点，后面几段就是通过具体的列子来证明这一论断，可知本文意图传达奥巴马的决定与该论断相符，故选D

【2】B分析推理题。根据第三段第二句Britain, America, then Western Europe and East Asia -- have moved toward greater prosperity, but also political freedom.第四段最后一句And so the first point to make is that it will help Cubans economically -- it will raise their incomes, their standard of living, and boost access to technology. These are all good things in and of themselves.可知作者在3、4段主要是通过举例来论证自己的观点的，故选B

【3】D词义猜测题。根据句子more commerce and access to money and goods will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people更多商业与更便利获得货物和金钱会导致古巴人民向往政治自由，可知该短语在此处是导致的意思，故选D

【4】B细节理解题。根据第四段第二句After opening up its economy in the 1970s, Chile began to grow, but that growth then produced a stronger civil society that over time contributed to the end of the dictatorship within the country.19世纪70年代开放经济后，智利开始成长，导致市民社会强大最终结束独裁，可知智利不同于其他拉美国家，它有政治经济自由，故选B

【5】D分析推理题。根据第一句In opposing President Barack Obama's opening to Cuba, Florida's Republican senator, Marco Rubio, explained, "This entire policy shift announced today is based on an illusion, on a lie, the lie and the illusion that more commerce and access to money and goods will translate to political freedom for the Cuban people. Marco认为当前政策转向是基于错误的论断即经济自由会导致政治自由，即他不认为民主和市场是相辅相成的，故选D