Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D ). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.
57、Questions 57-66are based on the following passage.
There he was America's first President with an MBA, the man who loves to boast about his business background, whose presidential campaign raised unprecedented sums from corporate wallets and whose cabinet is stuffed with chief executives.Faith in the integrity of American business leaders was being undermined( 破坏), George Bush said fiercely, by executives "breaching trust and abusing power".It was time for "a new ethic of personal responsibility in the business community".He was going to "end the days of cooking the books, shading the truth and breaking our laws".
Only months ago, the idea that George W.Bush would publicly lambaste America's cooperate bosses was laughable.As a candidate, born on the wave of a decade-long economic boom and an unprecedented 18-year bull market, he cashed in on American's love affair with corporate success.But things are different now.The stock market bubble has burst and, despite signs of economic recovery.Wall Street seems to be
sunk in gloom.A string of scandals at some of America's most high-flying firms--including Enron, Xerox,Tyco, Global Crossing and most recently, World Corn has radically changed the public mood.
As political pressure for reform increases, so too does the heat on Mr.Bush.Is the businessman's president really prepared to take business on and push hard for reform? Despite the set jaw and aggrieved tone in New York, probably not.Mr.Bush thinks the current crisis stems from a few bad-apple chief executives rather than the system as a whole.Hence he focuses on tough penalties for corrupt businessmen and his plea for higher ethical standards.The president announced the creation of a financial-crimes SWAT team, at the Justice Department to root out corporate fraud and to double the maximum prison sentence for financial fraud from five to ten years.But he offered few concrete suggestions for systemic reform: little mention of changes to strengthen shareholders' rights, not even an endorsement of the Senate corporate-reform bill.
There are few signs yet that cleaning up corporate America is an issue that animates the voters.Polls show that Americans have little faith in their business leaders, but politicians do not seem to be suffering asa result.Mr.Bush's approval ratings have fallen from their sky-highs, but they are still very strong.
The president, therefore, needs do no more than talk tough. This alone will convince ordinary Americans that he is on top of the issue.As the economy rebounds and public outrage subsides, the clamor for change will be quieter.Democratic attacks will fizzle, and far-reaching reform bills will be watered down before they become law.Politically, the gamble makes sense.Unfortunately for American capitalism, a great opportunity, will be missed.
We can infer from Paragraph 3 that Mr.Bush
A.didn't intend to take business on and push hard for reform
B.did not do anything at all for the presence of the current situation
C.took shareholders' right into account, but he didn't approve reform bill
D.took some measures to pave the way for the reform
58、 According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Bush had to offer concrete suggestions for reform as political pressure increased.
B.At present, the maximum prison sentence for financial fraud is five years.
C.It is laughable that Mr.Bush publicly attacked America's corporate bosses.
D.Americans have little faith in their business as well as political leaders.
59、 Which of the following statements about Mr.Bush is mentioned in this passage?
A.Mr.Bush is the second President with an MBA in American history.
B.Mr.Bush contributes a lot to decade-long economic boom.
C.Mr.Bush's approval ratings are still high.
D.Mr.Bush didn't get support in his presidential campaign.
60、 The author's attitude towards the reform is
A.indifferent
B.optimistic
C.skeptical
D.favorable
61、 The phrase "a great opportunity" mentioned in the last paragraph refers to an opportunity to
A.carry out reform
B.boom economy
C.animate the voters
D.attack chief executive
62、Questions62-71are based on the following passage.
In recent decades, there is a phenomenon which makes us give some attention: the so-called Southeast Asian "tigers" have rivaled the western "lions" for stock cliches that make economic headlines.The myth of American economic hegemony(霸权) over Asia in the imposing and patriarchal figure of Uncle Sam has provided frequent political grist ( 有用的东西) for Southeast Asian political leaders, particularly Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir.He has attempted to forge an international reputation as a snarling tiger, but lately sounds more like a barnyard dog groaning at shadows.Without demeaning in any way the remarkable achievements of the newly developing economies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, these nations at times appear to be their own worst enemies.This is often exemplified by Dr.Mahathir, who rails at Western evil whenever an international or domestic crisis provides an opportunity.
To be more specific, the recent devaluation of the Philippine and Thai currencies, and the subsequent pressure on the Malaysian currency has inspired Dr.Mahathir to launch an all-out attack on the West as the source of the problem.He even alleges that the United States has deliberately destabilized Southeast Asian economies in revenge for these nations supporting the brutal military rule in Mahathir, an action which the United States seems to want to inspect rather than to reward.But by resorting to such a scapegoat( 替罪羊), instead of accepting even a bit responsibility, the Prime Minister may undermine the future success of the region and Malaysia in particular.
Upon further questioning, Dr.Mahathir narrowed his attack to one wealthy individual, the well-known philanthropist(慈善家), Mr.George Soros, whose opposition to Myanmar's admission to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Mahathir found particularly irritating.The logical mistakes that underlie such conspiracy theories do not help Malaysia address the serious issues of economic overheating that experts have been warning about for all these difficult periods, which include large deficits and low savings to debt ratios.
In fact, the recent dramatic drop in Malaysia's stock market and currency has led Dr.Mahathir to reverse his initial approach to the crisis.He even announces measures that at least imply he is quite aware of excesses in his own administration's spending policies that have contributed to this crisis of confidence.In the end, this kind of reaction undermines the esteem that Dr.Mahathir's enlightened leadership has justly earned.
It is implied in the first paragraph that Dr.Mahathir
A.has correctly identified the financial problem in Asia
B.tries to manipulate anti-Western actions for political gains
C.detests the USA's controlling over the regional economies
D.believes in the effect of the ghostly influence from the west
63、 The author of this essay seems to suggest that
A.the devaluation of Malaysia's currency is due to the American plot
B.the Asian Crisis is the result of ASEAN pandering to terrorist governments
C.there is not a serious economic problem in Southeast Asia at all
D.the economic problems in some Asian countries is partly the result of their overheating economy
64、 The author suggests the Dr.Mahathir's comments on the currency problems
A.prove that he has been a poor leader in general
B.are poor because they weaken his own credibility
C.are sharp in identifying the cause of the problem
D.reveal his keen insight into the complex issue
65、 Which of the following is the tone of this essay?
A.Sarcastic and prejudice.
B.Objective and detached.
C.Piercing and indifferent.
D.Impassive and hostile.
66、 The relative pronoun "which" in the last paragraph (Line 5 ) refers to
A.theories
B.experts
C.periods
D.issues
