单选题 Since the early 1930s, Swiss banks had prided themselves on their system of banking secrecy and numbered accounts. Over the years, they had successfully withstood every challenge to this system by their own government who, in turn, had been frequently urged by foreign governments to reveal information about the financial affairs of certain account holders. The result of this policy of secrecy was that a kind of mystique had grown up around Swiss banking. There was a widely-held belief that Switzerland was irresistible to wealthy foreigners, mainly because of its numbered accounts and bankers' reluctance to ask awkward questions of depositors. Contributing to the mystique was the view, carefully propagated by the banks themselves, that if this secret was ever given up, foreigners would fall over themselves in the rush to withdraw money, and the Swiss banking system would virtually collapse overnight.
To many, therefore, it came like a bolt out of the blue, when, in 1977, the Swiss banks announced they had signed a pact with the Swiss National Bank (the Central Bank). The aim of the agreement was to prevent the improper use of the country's bank secrecy laws, and its effect to curb (遏制) severely the system of secrecy.
The rules which the banks had agreed to observe made the opening of numbered accounts subject to much closer scrutiny than before. The banks would be required, if necessary, to identify the origin of foreign fund going into numbered and other accounts. The idea was to stop such accounts being used for dubious (可疑的) purposes. Also, they agreed not to accept funds resulting from tax evasion or from crime.
The pact represented essentially a tightening up of banking rules. Although the banks agreed to end relations with clients whose identities were unclear or who were performing improper acts, they were still not obliged to inform on a client to anyone, including the Swiss government. To some extent, therefore, the principle of secrecy had been maintained.

单选题 Swiss banks took pride in ______.

A. the number of their accounts
B. withholding client information
C. being mysterious to the outsiders
D. attracting wealthy foreign clients

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 文章开头就提到“prided themselves on their system of banking secrecy and numbered accounts”，瑞上银行对他们的保密系统和编号账户体系引以为自豪，而且，多年来他们已经成功地抵制了对这一体制的挑战，内容与选项B吻合。

单选题 According to the passage, the widely-held belief that Switzerland was irresistible to wealthy foreigners was ______ by banks themselves.

A. denied
B. criticized
C. reviewed
D. defended

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 第一段的第四句提到，端士银行小会向其存款人提难堪的问题，由此推断，银行不会批评或者否定自己，相反，他们会为自己辩护，所以选D。deny：否认，criticize：批评；银行既然维护了顾客的利益，没有理由受到批评，review：复习，意思不对。

单选题 In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that ______.

A. complete changes had been introduced into Swiss banks
B. Swiss banks could no long keep client information
C. changes in the bank policies had been somewhat superficial
D. more changes need to be considered and made

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 文章一开始就提及了银行保密系统的问题，并列举了此问题带来的批评和所采取的措施。文章最后一句指小，在某种程度上，保密原则得以维持，由此可以判断，银行政策的改变只是表面的、肤浅的。

单选题 Swiss banks are tightening its banking rules by ______.

A. examining the origin of foreign funds before going into accounts
B. preventing doubtful accounts from going into the bank
C. refusal of funds from crimes or tax evasions
D. all of the above

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 第蔓段说到银行的一揽子规定，下面的几句详细地描述了其采取的措施，选项A、B、C的信息不完整，正确答案为D，即前面几个选项提到的内容。

单选题 The purpose of the pact signed with the Swiss National Bank was ______.

A. to attract more wealthy foreigners to the bank
B. to stop improper use of the banking secrecy laws of the country
C. to increase the numbered accounts of the Swiss Banks
D. to add mystery to Swiss Banks

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 文章第二段中间提到一揽子计划的目的在于“to prevent the improper use of the country's bank secrecy laws”，即对银行保密系统的不恰当的利用，而A(吸引很多的富人)、C(增加瑞士银行的账户数量)、D(为瑞士银行增添神秘色彩)意思都不恰当，所以选B。