单选题 For any export-oriented American business, an invitation to join the U.S. Commerce Secretary on one of his trade missions abroad is like a World Series ticket—the hottest seat in town, and something you might pay top dollar to get. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised that his Administration would fight hard to help American companies win foreign business. That's a worthy goal of trade missions, which provide selected chief executives with priceless connections to the corporate heads and government officials of other nations.
But under the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown were the Democrats "selling" seats, using those missions to reward party donors? And did the trips serve the dual purpose of drumming up (招徕) more donations abroad? Those are the questions at the heart of the lawsuit filed by the non-profit conservative group Judicial Watch Inc. Last week, thousands of pages of Commerce Department documents have been turned over to the group.
The Commerce Department papers clearly indicate many corporate contributors expected their money to earn them special consideration when seats were being handed out on the secretary's plane. In a letter addressed to Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary Jude Kearney, C. Payne Lucas, a development-organization executive suggests he should be added to a mission headed for South Africa president Nelson Mandela. In another, Philip Verveer, a Washington attorney, recommends a place on 1994 mission to India for William Ginsberg, chief executive of Cellular Communications International. "Ginsberg was an early financial supporter of Clinton/ Gore campaign," Verveer writes.
These missives occasionally show federal officials urging their superiors to favor donor executives. In one letter, Reta Lewis, a political affair official at the White House, urges that a spot be found for Gerald McGowan, a partner in a Washington law firm, on a trade mission to Indonesia or India. For one thing, Lewis points out, McGowan qualifies as D. N.C. "managing trustee (托管人，理事)," someone who gives $100,000 a year to the Democratic National Committee.
But did the White House always give its funders the heavy preference they expected? That is another story.
单选题 An invitation to one of the Commerce Secretary's trade missions abroad ______.
  • A. is desirable for all American business
  • B. can serve as a World Series ticket
  • C. can be guaranteed only by paying top dollar
  • D. brings contacts with corporate heads and government officials of other nations
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节题。文章在第一段提到，对于所有外向型美国企业来说，一张随同美国商业部长的使团到国外进行贸易访问的请柬就像一张世界职业棒球锦标赛的门票一样，是很抢手的，因为这种贸易访问能够为那些获选的公司总裁们提供宝贵的与其他国家的企业首脑和政府领袖联系的机会。D符合这个意思，是正确答案。A不符合文章中所说“外向型企业”；B误解了原文中的比喻；原文中说你可能要付出很高的代价才能得到，而C说只有付出很高代价才能得到，二者不相符。
单选题 Which of the following statements is true?
  • A. Clinton's Administration failed to keep his promise to help American companies win foreign business.
  • B. The Democrats might have taken advantage of the trade trips for more donations abroad.
  • C. Donor Executives long to have the honor of taking the same plane as the Commerce Secretary.
  • D. The Commerce Department documents clearly indicate that corporate contributors hope to finance the Secretary's missions abroad.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】是非题。此题涉及文章中的几个细节，需一一对照。A说克林顿政府没有信守帮助美国企业开拓国外市场的诺言，而在文中没有提到这一点。B说民主党可能利用贸易出访拉来更多的国外赞助，这与文章中所说的意思一致；C意为提供赞助的总裁希望能荣幸地与商业部长同乘一架飞机，这与原文意思有出入，因为他们不只是想这样，而是想随同商业部长一起乘坐他的专机出访；D说商业部的文件明确表明企业赞助商希望为部长的出访提供资金，这显然不符合原文意思。故只有B是正确的。
单选题 Which of the following is implied in the passage?
  • A. The White House disappoints its funders by refusing to give them heavy preference they expected.
  • B. Financial supporters in presidential election can always be rewarded by an important position in the government.
  • C. Participation in the Commerce Secretary's trade missions abroad might bring donors abundant rewards.
  • D. Financial contributors in presidential election are inevitably clearly recorded in Commerce Department documents.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】推断题。此题也涉及几个方面。综合全文信息可知，本文主要讲许多企业给政府提供赞助，希望能换来随商业部长出访的机会，因为这样的出访能为他们带来接触外国政府及企业高层人士的机会。由此可见C符合这个意思。
单选题 The word "missives" (Line 1, Para. 4) most probably means ______.
  • A. missions
  • B. evidences
  • C. documents
  • D. lawsuits
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】词汇题。在第四段中讲到，“这些missives偶尔显示出联邦官员敦促上司做出有利于企业赞助商的决定。”上文中曾提到商业部的文件及信件(documents，letters)，下文又提及了白宫的一位官员的一封信。由此可推知，missives意思与documents或letters相近，故选C。
单选题 Which of the following can serve as the best title of this passage?
  • A. Were Trade Missions for Sale?
  • B. Were the Democrats Selling Seats?
  • C. What Does Judicial Watch Discover?
  • D. How Does the White House Reward Its Funders?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】主旨题。文章在一开始就提到外向型企业希望通过资助政党获得随商业部长出访的机会。接下来讲到司法监督公司对民主党是否出售贸易使团位置提起诉讼，并展开调查。因此A作标题最合适。B的意思是“民主党在出售座位吗?”其中的“座位”与文章中所指的座位不同；C和D都不能涵盖全文。