单选题 If income is transferred from rich persons to poor persons the proportion in which different sorts of goods and services are provided will be changed. Expensive luxuries will give place to more necessary articles, rare wines to meat and bread, new machines and factories to clothes and improved small dwellings; and there will be other changes of a like sort. In view of this fact, it is inexact to speak of a change in the distribution of the dividend in favor of, or adverse to, the poor. There is not a single definitely constituted heap of things coming into being each year and distributed now in one way, now in another. In fact, there is no such thing as the dividend from the point of view of both of two years, and therefore, there can be no such thing as a change in its distribution.
This, however, is a point of words rather than of substance. What I mean when I say that the distribution of the dividend has changed in favor of the poor is that, the general productive power of the community being given, poor people are getting more of the things they want at the expense of rich people get ting less of the things they want. It might be thought at first sight that the only way in which this could happen would be through a transference of purchasing power from the rich to the poor. That, however, is not so. It is possible for the poor to be advantaged and the rich damaged, even though the quantity of purchasing power, i.e. of command over productive resources, held by both groups remains unaltered. This might happen if the technical methods of producing something predominatingly consumed by the poor were improved and at the same time those of producing something predominatingly consumed by tile rich were worsened, and if the net result was to leave the size of the national dividend as defined in Chapter V. unchanged. It might also happen if, by a system of rationing or some other device, the rich were forced to transfer their demand away from things which are important to the poor and which are produced under such conditions that diminished demand leads to lowered prices. Per contra——and this point will be seen in Part Ⅳ. To be very important practically——the share, both proportionate and absolute of command over the country's productive resources held by the poor may be increased, and yet, if the process by which they acquire this greater share involves an increase in the cost of things that play a large part in their own consumption, they may not really gain. Thus a change in distribution favorable to the poor may be brought about otherwise than by a transference of purchasing power, or command over productive resources, to them, and it does not mean a transference of these things to them. None the less, this sort of transference is the most important, and may be regarded as the typical, means by which changes in distribution favorable to the poor come about.

单选题 The method in which the writer believes is most effective for the poor benefiting from the rich is ______.
A. amassing all products from the last two years and reallocating them
B. ensuring the majority of products available are more useful to the poor
C. offering low priced stock that the poor could afford
D. by limiting the buying of the rich
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】文章的第二段中提到,要使分配有利于穷人的办法是使生产穷人所需商品的生产力提高而生产富人所需商品的生产力降低,也就是使可获得的商品对穷人更有用。
单选题 Why does the author use the term "the dividend" even though he has acknowledged that in fact it does not exist?
A. He is attempting to describe a transmittal circumstance.
B. He is articulating a metaphysical theory.
C. He is clarifying a situation.
D. He is devising an econometric formula.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】作者为了设想一种抽象的理论。This(dividend),however,is a point of words rather than of substance.
单选题 Does the author believe that transference of purchasing power is effective in benefiting the poor?
A. No, he believes evenly distributing all resources is best.
B. No, he believes rationing of the rich is eminent.
C. Yes, he believes it is possible to limit the rich and make products for the poor more accessible.
D. Yes, distribution is influenced by transference and as a result the poor prosper.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】文章提到可以通过限制富人购买,来使商品价格降低,使穷人有能力购买更多的商品以实现购买力的转移。所以购买力的转移是真的可以使穷人获利。
单选题 Does the writer truly believe that the poor actually could be more privileged than the rich?
A. Yes, as long as the factories capacities manufacture items for the poor are increased.
B. No, this a theory, however, the reality is that the rich have the power.
C. Yes, as long as the rich are restricted from buying more than the poor.
D. No, but he is making a point that the rich could be put at a disadvantage to the benefit of the poor.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章虽然列举了实现购买力转移的一些可以实行的办法,但是那些在现实中都是不可能实现的。作者只是在解释怎么样才能牺牲富人的利益来优惠穷人。
单选题 To be very important practically——the share, both proportionate and absolute of command over the country's productive resources held by the poor may be increased, and yet, if the process by which they acquire this greater share involves an increase in the cost of things that play a large part in their own consumption, they may not really gain.
Chose one of the following which has the closest meaning to the above sentence.
A. If the relative price is proportionate to the control over the supply which is in favor of the poor.
B. Products which are unaffordable are of no use, and therefore, more control over the supply needs to be exercised.
C. Products which are unaffordable are of no use, and therefore, more control over the supply needs to be exercised so that the poor are profited.
D. If the price of the items the poor use is too high, they cannot afford them and so there needs to be more control over the supply which is in favor of the poor.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】对穷人而言,如果消费品的价格太高,他们就支付不起无法获得生活必需品。因此,要对消费品的供给进行控制,从而有利于穷人。
单选题 Considering the main point of the reading, chose the best title from one of the following:
A. Robinhood Rides Again
B. The Poor Successfully Benefit from the Rich
C. Transference: The Power of the Poor over the Rich
D. A Distribution from the Poor to the Rich
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】C不对,本文并不是谈购买力的转移。也不是穷人成功的从富人身上获益,B不对。A选项更不恰当。只有D较为全面准确的概括了文章的主题。