Passage One
Question 61 to 65 are based on the following passage
Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you’re not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn’t doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation(屈辱), for a nation’s self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency.It’s also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast US economy—from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami—for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the US as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the US than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak. Many Europeans now apparently view the US the way many Americans view Mexico—as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can’t afford to join the merry-making.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For the first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you’re a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola’s stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke’s beverage(饮料) business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald’s and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn’t expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don’t turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect.
Why do Americans feel humiliated?
由文章第三段第一句可知， 美元的贬值是屈辱的来源， 因为一个国家的自尊部分在于货币的势能。 换言之， 美国人感觉屈辱是因为货币兑换过程中美元优势已大不如前， 美元已经贬值了。 因此， 本题正确答案为B。
How does the current dollar affect the life of ordinary Americans?
文章第三段中讲到美元贬值对人们日常生活的影响： 进口商品价格上涨， 汇率上调； 但对大公司以及小餐馆来讲， 却是个好事。 选项A、 B和文章内容相反， D在文中没有提及。 因此， 本题正确答案为C。
How do many Europeans feel about the US with the devalued dollar?
文章第四段开头就讲到欧洲人的反应。 刚开始他们认为美国是个比较傲慢的超级大国， 随着美元贬值，他们认为美国是度假、 购物、 开派对的好地方。 本题需要注意事实和态度的区别， 第四段并没有涉及欧洲人对美国的态度问题。 因此， 本题的正确答案为D。
What is the author’s advice to Americans?
由文章最后一段中So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England.可知， 作者建议在国内旅游， New England是美国的一个地方。 因此， 本题的正确答案为C。
What does the author imply by saying “currencies don’t turn on a dime” (Para.7)?
由文章最后一段的首句“近期内不会有什么缓解”， 随后用婚姻作比喻说明美元的贬值过程； 本句之后讲要避免美元贬值带来的痛楚， 就选择国内度假吧。 从上下文可以看出， 短时间内美元是不会升值的， 所以选项A是正确的理解。 本段话中on a dime是个固定短语，意为“短时间内”。