2. 外语
  3. Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you’re not an investor in one of those hedge funds t

Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you’re not an investor in one of those hedge funds t

admin2008-12-18  23
问题     Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you’re not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $ 8.
    The once all-powerful dollar isn’t doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving againstthe dollar.
    The weak dollar is a source of humiliation (屈辱), for a nation’s self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It’s also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U. S. economy--from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami—for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
    Many Europeans may view the U. S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U. S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8% from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak. Many Europeans now apparently view the U. S. the way many Americans view Mexico—as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can’t afford to join the merrymaking.
    The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which, thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For the first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 % from 2006.
    If you own shares in large American corporations, you’re a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Co ca-Cola’s stock bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 per cent of Coke’s beverage (饮料)business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald’s and IBM.
    American tourists, however, shouldn’t expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up-slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don’t turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England: There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect.
选项 A、Their economy is plunging.
B、Their currency has slumped.
C、They can’t afford trips to Europe.
D、They have lost half of their assets.
答案B
解析 由题干中的humiliated定位到原文第三段第一句：The weak dollar is a source of humiliation，for a nation’s self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency．本题为语义题。本题提问美国人感到屈辱的原因。第三段第一句指出，弱势美元是屈辱之源，因为货币是否坚挺在一定程度上体现了一个民族的自尊。由此可以得出，美国人感到屈辱是因为他们的货币——美元——持续走弱。选项B)是对此的同义转述，为本题的正确答案。
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