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  3. (1) BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel held fast in her call for Greece to overhaul its economy and finances in exchange for inte

(1) BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel held fast in her call for Greece to overhaul its economy and finances in exchange for inte

admin2022-06-02  60
问题     (1) BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel held fast in her call for Greece to overhaul its economy and finances in exchange for international bailout funds, the clearest sign yet in the escalating standoff that Europe’s most powerful politician is prepared to see Greece leave the euro.
    (2) Reinforcing the on-message on Monday, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said a vote in Greece against the terms of the bailout on Sunday would mean that Greeks had decided to give up the single currency.
    (3) Ms. Merkel, whose country is Greece’s largest creditor, indicated Europe was now well equipped to manage the financial shock of a Greek euro exit.
    (4) The bigger issue, she said, was that principles underpinning the currency union were at stake: that countries such as Greece undertake "own efforts" to improve their economies in exchange for support from other euro-zone governments.
    (5) "If these principles are not upheld, then, I am convinced, the euro will fail," Ms. Merkel said, appearing tense after an emergency meeting on Greece with party heads and parliamentary leaders in her chancellery. "It is important — and in this position there will be no change — that own efforts and solidarity continue to belong together."
    (6) The standoff with the radical government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, which took office in January, has thrust Ms. Merkel into one of the most high-stakes crises of her career.
    (7) The European Union’s financial system is now much better protected from the shock of a Greek default than it was a few years ago, German officials say. But people who have spoken with Ms. Merkel say she fears a Greek-exit could lead eventually to the political fragmentation of Europe that is already struggling with the legacy of its long economic crisis, geopolitical rivalry with Russia and tensions over migration.
    (8) Mr. Tsipras had bet that Ms. Merkel, forced to decide between allowing a "Grexit" or giving him easier terms than what international bailout inspectors wanted, would choose the latter, people close to him say. But her latest comments showed that Mr. Tsipras may have bet wrong.
    (9) Holding fast to her negotiating position is likely to shore up her support at home, where Ms. Merkel has increasingly come under pressure from conservative media and politicians to take a harder line on Greece. But it may also complicate her legacy in Europe, where critics of the euro-zone’s bailout policies see her as the chief architect of the creditors’ push for painful government budget cuts in Greece and elsewhere.
    (10) It was Greece, not the international creditors, that is refusing to compromise, Ms. Merkel said. Earlier Monday, she delivered a speech at the 70th anniversary celebration of her conservative Christian Democratic Union in which she tried to make clear that she was fighting for the EU’s survival.
    (11) "If the ability to find compromise is lost, Europe is lost," Ms. Merkel said.
    (12) She then repeated a mantra of hers from previous flare-ups of the euro-zone crisis: "If the euro fails, then Europe fails."
    (13) Mr. Gabriel, the economics minister and vice chancellor who heads Ms. Merkel’s left-of-center governing partner, the Social Democrats, backed up his boss with even tougher language.
    (14) "That Greek citizens will decide in a referendum is absolutely legitimate," Mr. Gabriel said. "But it must be crystal clear what is being decided. It is, at the core, yes or no to remaining in the euro-zone."
    (15) Standing by his side at the news conference, Ms. Merkel didn’t repeat that warning, saying she didn’t want to be seen as trying to influence a decision of the Greek people.
    (16) But Mr. Gabriel’s comment was the most direct public warning yet of a possible Greek euro exit from a German leader, and it echoed signals from German officials over the weekend that they would see the referendum as a vote on Greece’s euro-zone membership.
    (17) Despite the unpopularity of the creditors’ terms, opinion polls show Greeks overwhelmingly want to stay in the euro-zone — even if it means further economic sacrifices — because national bankruptcy and exit from the euro would probably be far more disruptive to Greece’s economy, politics and society.
    (18) Polls in Germany in recent months, on the other hand, have shown that a slim majority of Germans think Greece should leave the euro-zone.
    (19) Germany is willing to talk about a third bailout package for Greece, but the conditions will remain, German party leaders said on Monday.
    (20) "A referendum doesn’t change this," Volker Kauder, parliamentary floor leader of Ms. Merkel’s conservative parties, said. "We want to keep Greece in the euro-zone, but the decision is solely up to Greece."
What is the main issue discussed in this text?
选项 A、Greece is going to carry out a referendum soon and polls show divided opinions in the public.
B、Ms. Merkel and German government are taking a firm stand on bailout conditions for Greece no matter what result of its referendum is.
C、European Union leaders are worried about the falling down of its euro-zone and urged Germany and Greece to keep their negotiations.
D、Financial crisis in Europe is affecting severely both Germany and Greece.
答案B
解析 主旨题。选项A、C、D在文中都有一定提及，但并不是主要内容，选项B概括了主旨，即德国的默克尔政府已决定在对希腊的经济援助条件上采取强硬态度，无论其周日的全民公决结果如何。
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