High oil prices have not yet produced an economic shock among consuming countries, but further rises, especially sharp【21】, woul

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问题 High oil prices have not yet produced an economic shock among consuming countries, but further rises, especially sharp【21】, would undoubtedly hurt the world economy, and【22】would inevitably harm producers, too. Beyond this obvious point,【23】, higher prices could even do harm to both oil firms and producers.
   Big oil firms【24】rolling in money today, but that disguises the fact that their longer-term prospects are【25】Behind the reserves-accounting scandal at Royal Dutch/ Shell【26】a problem bedeviling all of the majors: replacing their dwindling reserves.【27】existing fields in Alaska and the North Sea are rapidly declining; OPEC countries and Russia are【28】them out.【29】they are to survive in the long term, the big oil firms must embrace other sources of energy【30】oil.
   【31】it is to believe, higher oil prices could be bad news for producing countries【32】Political leaders in Russia, Venezuela and other oil-rich countries are bending laws to crack【33】on foreign firms and to strengthen their grip on oil【34】through state-run firms. This may be convenient for the political leaders themselves. Alas, it is【35】to do much for their countrymen. For years corruption and inefficiency【36】the typical results of government control of oil resources.
   Producing countries should【37】embrace open markets.【38】one thing, shutting out foreign investment will only hurt their own oil output by【39】the sharpest managers and latest technologies. For another, economic liberalization (including reform of bloated welfare states) would help OPEC countries【40】their economies—as the NAFTA trade deal has done for oil-rich Mexico—and so prepare them for the day when the black gold starts running out.  

选项 A、in place of
B、instead
C、rather
D、rather than

答案B

解析 本题的考点为副词状语的辨析。原文的意思是:产油国而是应当开放市场。(Producing countries should instead embrace open markets.) instead代替,而不是,不……而……。其他选项[A] in place of代替;[C] rather宁愿,宁可;[D] rather than宁可……也不……。根据上下文语境,B为正确答案,其余选项不符合题意。  
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