单选题 Inflation is a period of rapid rises in prices. When your money buys fewer goods so that you get (56) for the same amount of money as before, inflation is the problem. Sometimes people describe inflation as a time when "a dollar is not (57) a dollar anymore".
Inflation is a problem for all consumers, especially people who live on a fixed income. Retired people, for instance, cannot (58) on an increase in income as prices rise. They face serious problems in stretching their incomes to (59) their needs in time of inflation. Many retired people must cut their spending to (60) rising prices. In many cases they must stop (61) some necessary items, such as food and clothing. Even (62) working people whose incomes are going up, inflation can also be a problem. The (63) of living goes up, and they must have even more money to maintain their standard of living. When incomes do not keep (64) with rising prices, living standard goes down. People may be earning the same amount of money, but they are not living (65) because they are not able to buy as many goods and services.
Government units gather information about prices in our economy and publish it as price indexes (66) the rate of price change can be determined. A price index measures changes in prices using the price for a (67) year as the base. The base price is set (68) 100, and the other prices are reported as a (69) of the base price. A price index makes (70) possible to compare current price with that in previous years.

【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】根据句意，此处应选不可数名词的限定词。little虽然修饰不可数名词，但无法与其并列结构中的比较级fewer(goods)的形式呼应，故选less。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】be worth(doing) sth．是固定结构。没有worth for的用法；worthy的结构用法为be worthy of；worthwhile通常用做表语。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】count on指望。其他选项分别为：rely on依赖；rest on静止在；depend on依靠。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】meet one's need为固定搭配，意为“满足需求”。obtain和acquire都是“获得”之意。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】keep up with表示“赶上”物价上涨的速度。live up to达到(……的期望)；catch up on(事后)得到消息；put up with忍受。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】动词stop后面通常用doing sth．表示“停止做某事”。stop to do sth．“表示停下手头的事去做某事”。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】to sb．意为“对于……而言”。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】“生活费用”和“生存成本”的英语表达法是living cost，而不是living price或living level。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】keep pace with是固定搭配，表示“赶上，与……同步”；race比赛，竞赛；speed速度；step步伐，脚步。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】as well有时意为“也”，例如，I speak English，French and Japanese as well．我会说英语、法语，也会说日语。但此句中的as well是比较级(as well as before)的省略形式，意为“不如以前好”。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】通观全句from which为最佳选项。which指的是price indexes价格指数。全句的意思是“从(由)价格指数可以断定物价的变化率”。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】a given year是指“某一特定年份”。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】set后是数值，前面用at。类似说法有at 60 miles per hour；at high price等等。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】既然是体现通货膨胀率(inflation rate)，当然要用百分比。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】make it possible中的it是形式宾语，真正意义上的宾语是to compare current price with that in previous years(将今年的时价与前一年的价格相比)。