首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about mo
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about mo
admin
2010-06-30
71
问题
In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging into super systems, causing heightened concerns about monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted for under 70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a series of mergers are completed, just four railroads will control well over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
Supporters of the new super systems argued that these mergers will allow for substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from trucks. But many shippers complain that for heavy bulk commodities travelling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking is too costly and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.
The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that only one rail company serves most shippers. Railroads typically charge such "captive" shippers 20 to 30 percent more than they do when another railroad is competing for the business. Shippers who feel they are being overcharged have the right to appeal to the federal government’s Surface Transportation Board for rate relief, but the process is expensive, time consuming, and will work only in truly extreme cases.
Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers on the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost. If railroads charged all customers the same average rate, they argue, shippers who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of transportation would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line. It’s theory to, which many economists subscribe, but in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail. "Do we really want railroads to be the arbiters of who wins and who loses in the marketplace?" asks Martin Bercovici, a Washington lawyer who frequently represents shipper.
Many captive shippers also worry they will soon be this with a round of huge rate increases. The railroad industry as a whole, despite its brightening fortuning fortunes, still does not earn enough to cover the cost of the capital it must invest to keep up with its surging traffic. Yet railroads continue to borrow billions to acquire one another, with Wall Street cheering them on. Consider the $ 10.2 billion bid by Norfolk Southern and CSX to acquire Conrail this year. Conrail’s net railway operating income in 1996 was just $ 427 million, less than half of the carrying costs of the transaction. Who’s going to pay for the rest of the bill? Many captive shippers fear that will, as Norfolk Southern and CSX increase their grip on the market.
The word "arbiters" ( line 6, paragraph 4 ) most probably refers to those ______.
选项
A、who work as coordinators
B、who function as judges
C、who supervise transactions
D、who determine the price
答案
B
解析
本题考查根据事实上下推测词义的能力。前文指出:in practice it often leaves railroads in the position of determining which companies will flourish and which will fail,可由此推断该词词义为who function as judges。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/2UJd777K
本试题收录于:
公共英语四级笔试题库公共英语(PETS)分类
0
公共英语四级笔试
公共英语(PETS)
相关试题推荐
Theaveragepersonseestensofthousandsofimagesaday—imagesontelevision,innewspapersandmagazines,andonthesidesof
Theaveragepersonseestensofthousandsofimagesaday—imagesontelevision,innewspapersandmagazines,andonthesidesof
Whatroledomostpeopleinthemanufacturingtradesplay?
Paintingyourhouseislikeaddingsomethingtoahugecommunalpictureinwhichtherestofthepaintingisdoneeitherbynatu
Manypeoplethinkthatnowadayspeoplearebeingsubjectedtomoreandmorepressureintheirwork,andthusarehavinglessan
ItisinterestingtoreflectforamomentuponthedifferencesintheareasofmoralfeelingandstandardsinthepeoplesofJap
tosavepeople/(tohelppeople)
ThepagesoftheHarvardBusinessReviewarenotusuallypopulatedbynovelists.ButJosephFinderisjustsuchararity.Recent
Payandproductivity,itisgenerallyassumed,shouldberelated.Buttherelationshipseemstoweaken【C1】______peoplegetolder
Inpopulardiscussionsofemissions-rightstradingsystems,itiscommontomistakethesmokestacksforthetrees.Forexample,
随机试题
有宫缩乏力的产妇应在什么部位娩出后立即肌注缩宫素10单位,并继续静脉滴注缩宫素:
危险因素的作用特点一般是
女性,32岁,右输尿管结石并右肾中度积水1周。当肾内"安全阀"开放时,下列哪项是错误的
肝火上炎之头痛目赤,耳聋胁痛可选用( )。
赵某抢劫洪某假毒品的行为是否构成犯罪?在本案中,如王某的行为构成犯罪,那么应对其如何处罚?(仅要求回答处罚原则)
根据《水利工程建设项目招标投标管理规定》(水利部第14号令),评标委员会中专家人数(不含招标人代表)最少应为()人。
我国法定计量单位的构成有()。
下图是校园网一台主机在命令行模式执行某个命令时用sniffr捕获的数据包。请根据图中信息回答下列问题。从该主机发送给mail.tj.edu.cn的数据包经过的第二个路由器的IP地址是【1】。
J童背数据流图(DFD)构造规则的是
What’stheairportlike?
最新回复
(
0
)