单选题 When it comes to the economy, pessimism is in and good old American optimism is out. From the headlines in the newspapers to the coffee shop chatter, it seems that there is little good to say about the economy. Bad enough that the news about Iraq, winter storms and the escalation of terror alerts continue to keep people on edge. Reports of state budget deficits and threats of major cutbacks in services such as education, health care and police also' make people nervous.
The latest USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll reflects the new pessimism. Asked early this past week how they would rate economic conditions in the country today, just one in three--34%--said they consider it good. That's down 10 percentage points from December, when 44% rated the economy good and 20 points lower than September when 54% said they thought economic conditions were good. Moreover,' when asked to look ahead a year from now, those people willing to say things will get better are also dwindling in numbers. A thin majority of 55% said they expected economic conditions to be better by this time next year. Not bad on the surface. But looking back just two months to December, 65%--or two of three--believed that things would improve in a year. And going back six months to September, 71% expressed optimism for economic improvement.
So the seeds of discontent are out there and they could set off a political firestorm for President Bush if economic conditions don't start getting better soon. Or more importantly, if the American people don't start feeling better soon. Regardless of what the statistics say about how good the economy might be getting, the American people have to feel it. And often, feelings lag behind numbers. Indeed, most people believe that the economy is in recession. Statistically it is not. Case in point: On Friday, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the economy grew at a 1.4% rate in the final quarter of last year--twice as fast as the government first estimated. Major factors in the upward revision in the gross domestic product were stronger investment by businesses in building up stockpiles of unsold goods and a slight boost to consumer spending, the main force keeping the economy going.
But while that report is interesting, and perhaps a source of hope that things aren't as bad as they seem, more tangible examples of economic improvement are needed--solid gains in the stock market, rehiring by plants that have been laying off workers, new business expansion.
The USA TODAY poll further shows that nervousness about Iraq and a still-sluggish economy are taking a political toll on Bush: His job approval rating is 57%, his lowest since before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Surely, what happens with Iraq will be a major factor in the president's political fortunes next year, but if people continue to be pessimistic about the economy when Bush is in the midst of running for a second term, it will be difficult to be optimistic about his chances of winning.
单选题 The phrase "keep people on edge" (Paragraph 1) probably means to ______.
  • A. upset people
  • B. keep people alert
  • C. disappoint people
  • D. make people pessimistic
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】这是一道词义题。题干中的信号词出自于文章第一段第三句话中。文章第一段指出：从报纸上的大字标题，到咖啡店的闲谈，似乎对经济状况都不持乐观态度；更糟糕的是，有关伊拉克、冬季风暴以及恐怖警报升级的消息继续使人们感到不安；有关国家预算赤字的报道以及服务行业重大财政削减的兆头也使人感到不安。根据 also make people nervous可知，该短语可能与make people nervous的意思相近。 A说“使人们心烦意乱”，这与文章的意思符合。B明显与文章的意思不符；C和D不准确。
单选题 Statistics from the poll indicate ______.
  • A. a downward turn in the economic conditions
  • B. the great impact of bad news on economic situation
  • C. a dwindling confidence in the economic prospects
  • D. how Americans have lost their traditional optimism
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】这是一道细节题。题干中的信号词为poll，出自第二段第一句话中。文章第二段指出：最新的调查都反映了美国人新的悲观情绪；当询问人们如何评价目前国家的经济形势时，只有1/3的人， 占34%，说他们认为形势良好，与12月份相比，数字减少了10%，与9月份相比减少了20%；当要求他们展望一年以后的情况时，那些乐意说情况会更好的人数也在减少。这说明，统计数据显示，人们对经济好转的信心越来越小。C说“人们对经济的前景越来越没有信心”，这与文章的意思符合。与A有关的信息是第三段的第五、六句话，文中是说“大多数人认为，经济正在衰退；从数据上来看，情况不是这样”，这说明A不对；与B有关的信息是第三段的第三句话，文中是说“更糟糕的是，有关伊拉克、冬季风暴以及恐怖警报升级的消息继续使人们感到不安”，这与民意测验没有关系，所以B不对；文章没有谈论美国人如何失去其传统的乐观情绪，所以D不对。
单选题 Which of the following is true about the present economic situation?
  • A. The economy is in disappointing recession.
  • B. The situation has taken a turn for the better.
  • C. Consumer spending is low and goods cannot be sold.
  • D. The statistics have not reflected the true picture of the situation.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】这是一道细节题。文章第三段指出：无论数据显示经济形势可能在变得多么好，要让美国人觉得它好才行；实际上，大多数人认为，经济正在衰退；从数据上来看，情况不是这样；随后列举了美国商务部报告，说明经济形势已经好转。这说明，经济形势在好转。B说“形势已经开始好转”，这与文章的意思符合。A与文章的意思相反；文中没有提到C；D与文章的意思不符合。
单选题 Which of the following may serve as a sign for economic improvement?
  • A. Strong consumer spending.
  • B. Lower unemployment rates.
  • C. The fluctuation of the stocks.
  • D. Increased investment in the building industry.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】这是一道细节题。题干中的信号词为economic improvement，出自第四段中。文章第四段指出：需要提供更多真实的例子证明经济在好转，比如股票市场的可观收益，一直在解雇工人的工厂开始重新招人，新兴企业的扩展等。这说明，B“更低的失业率”是经济好转的迹象。文中没有提到A和C；与D有关的信息是第三段的最后一句话，文中是说“导致国内生产总值超出预期增长的主要因素是企业对积累的未售出产品库存的更大投入”，这说明D不对。
单选题 The best title for the passage might be ______.
  • A. Pessimism Reigns as the Economy Continues to Limp Along
  • B. Bush's Economic Policies Are Ruining his opportunity for a Second Term
  • C. The Economic Recession Is Bringing Down Bush's Job Approval Rating
  • D. The Old American Optimism Reigns Even When Economy Is in Recession
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】这是一道主旨题。文章第一段指出：谈到经济形势，悲观情绪盛行，而传统的美国乐观情绪不复存在。第二段介绍了民意测验的结果，说明人们对经济形势不乐观。随后的段落分析了原因。最后一段指出：布什在寻求连任的过程中，如果人们对经济继续持悲观态度，那么他连任获胜的可能性不容乐观。这说明，本文主要讲的是人们的悲观情绪盛行。A说“由于经济持续低迷，悲观情绪盛行”，这可以表达文章的主题。文中没有提到布什的经济政策，所以B不能表达文章的主题；与C有关的信息是最后一段，太片面，不能表达文章的主题；D与文章的意思相反。