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  3. On Wednesday, incoming Financial Secretary Donald Tsang said he is "committed to the principle and philosophies enshrined by his

On Wednesday, incoming Financial Secretary Donald Tsang said he is "committed to the principle and philosophies enshrined by his

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问题     On Wednesday, incoming Financial Secretary Donald Tsang said he is "committed to the principle and philosophies enshrined by his predecessor, Sir Hamish Macleod. " Such commitments are unsurprising given that the government has in recent months consistently reiterated its policy of nonintervention.
    The twin policies of low taxation and free market have been both boon and bane for the economy of the island territory. While the government is correct in crediting its policies for the recent economic surge, it has also left officials wary of being seen as meddling with the private sector. Such interference , say government critics, might well kill the goose that laid the golden egg and slow economic development and trade.
    Since 1945, government spending in monetary terms has never exceeded 20% of Gross Domestic Product (CDP). Yet even as the specter of unemployment looms over the heads of many island residents , the government has done nothing to avert the growing crisis, this is in part clue to government reluctance to upset the apple cart and interfere with the island’s "market miracle". Meanwhile, the unemployment rate continues to rocket skyward and the government seems unable or unwilling to act in the midst of a growing crisis.
    "Those measures currently in place are inadequate and unnecessarily complicated," says activist P. T. Chang," the unemployed in this society are already under a great deal of stress and those who do seek help from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have to endure the complicated application procedure and the inhumane and harsh ’ means test’ .
    As a result, activists like Chang, are calling on the government to make the invisible hand of the market just a little more visible by creating more opportunities for the unemployed, legislating against discrimination based on age or gender, and making it more difficult for employers to unjustly fire or lay off employees.
    Such measures face strong opposition from the island’s business community who reject any government interference in the private sector. They say companies will bear the brunt of paying for these new-policies. Such policies argue business leaders, will drive up the cost of labor and force companies to cut back on staff.
    " They want to lower unemployment," says one executive who declined to be named, " but these policies will have the opposite effect of driving up the unemployment. "
    The business community argues that higher labor costs mean companies can afford fewer workers. However this newspaper (Washington Post) considers this argument, as well as darker suggestions that these policies will mean the inevitable slow down of economic growth, as specious. Without action soon, the government risks social instability which will have a far more detrimental effect on the economy than enacting the new policies.
The phrase "both boon and bane" (Para. 2) most probably means______.
选项 A、benefit and harm
B、expansion and extension
C、increase and decrease
D、bloom and prosperity
答案A
解析 词汇题。第二段首先提到了该短语所在的句子，随后解释说，政府的做法是正确的，但这也导致许多官员担心这样会被人们看做是干涉私营企业，而批评人十则认为，这样的干预可能有点像杀鸡取卵，并且有可能减缓经济发展和贸易增长。这说明：该短语可能的意思足“有利也有弊”。A符合题意，故为正确选项。B和D比较片面，只提到了利益；C意为“增加和减少”，与题意不符。
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