复合题  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 U.S. 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 U. S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U. S. 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 U. S. 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 merrymaking.

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 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.

单选题 Why do Americans feel humiliated?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】从题干中的关键词humiliated定位至文章第四段第一句话， “疲软的美元带来了屈辱”， 结合第二段中的第二句话“With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable.”表明了美元严重贬值的状况。 因此， B选项为正确选项。
单选题 How does the current dollar affect the life of ordinary Americans?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】文章第四段第二句话提到美元贬值还是潜在的经济问题， “a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive”表示人们要花更多的钱来购买进口商品， C项为正确答案。
单选题 How do many Europeans feel about the U. S with the devalued dollar?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章第五段提到了欧洲人的看法， 本段最后一句话“Many Europeans now apparently view the U. S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party…”， 表示现在很多欧洲人把美国看作一个廉价的度假、 购物和举行派对的场所， D选项符合题意。
单选题 What is the author’s advice to Americans?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据文章最后一段倒数第二句话“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.”， 可知作者建议美国想要旅游的人“取消去英格兰的暑期度假计划， 改去新英格兰州”。 新英格兰州位于美国本土的东北部地区， 也就是建议他们就在国内旅游， C选项为正确答案。
单选题 What does the author imply by saying “currencies don’t turn on a dime” (Line 2, Para 7)?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】定位文中的这句话， 在这句话前作者提到“The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up-slowly, and then all at once.”， 意思是“美元疲软的过程就如同婚姻破裂的过程——都是缓慢的， 然后才是快速的”， 可以推断美元疲软的过程不是迅速的、 突发的。 turn on a dime是美国习惯用语， 表示“动作灵活”地意思， 此处用于形容货币， 是说美元正处于贬值状态， 不会在短期内转向升值。 A项为正确答案。