【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 6-10 One very important institution in our economy is the bank. Banks manage money for individual people, corporations, and the government. Banks provide a number of important services for you and your family. Most importantly, they're a safe place to store your money. They also provide an easy way for you to transfer money from one place to another. When you write a personal check, the check authorizes the bank to give your money to the person or business whose name is on the check. Of course, banks also lend money. Ordinary people take out bank loans for a number of reasons--to pay for college, to buy or remodel a home, to start or expand a business, and so forth. Banks provide these services to individuals; however, their main function is to lend large sums of money, for example, to corporations. When people or corporations borrow money from a bank, they must, of course, pay interest--a percentage of the money they borrowed. Banks pay interest on the money they hold, and charge interest on the money they lend. For a bank to make a profit, it has to collect more interest than it pays out. Sometimes banks invest money as well as lend it. To invest money means to put it into a corporation or some other project--for example, building a housing complex or doing medical research--in exchange for a share of the profits. Most businesses need loans and investments at some time, and banks are an important source of both. You might wonder what would happen if all the people with money in a bank wanted to take their money out at the same time. I mean, how would the bank be able to give everyone their money, if it had lent out or invested most of it? In fact, this can be a serious problem for banks. They count on the fact that most people won't want their money for a long time once it's deposited. That leaves the bank free to lend or invest the money. If every person--or even lots of people-- tried to withdraw their money at the same time, the bank might not be able to honor all of its deposits. This causes some banks to fail, or go bankrupt. Bank failures used to be common during times of recession or depression. They were especially common during the Great Depression of the 1930s. When Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933, one of the first things he did was close all the banks, so depositors wouldn't panic and try to take all their money out. 6. What is the main purpose of the talk? The main purpose of the talk is to describe some of the functions of banks. The professor says: Banks manage money...; Banks provide a number of important services...; ... banks also lend money; Banks provide these services...; ...their main function is to

【正确答案】 C、D

【答案解析】[解析] For what reasons do individuals take out bank loans? Individuals take out bank loans to pay for education: Ordinary people take out bank loans for a number of reasons--to pay for college... They also take out loans to purchase a home: ...to buy or remodel a home h

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] How do banks make a profit? The professor says: For a bank to make a profit, it has to collect more interest than it pays out.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] Why does the professor say this: "If every person--or even lots of people--tried to withdraw their money at the same time, the bank might not be able to honor all of its deposits." The professor's purpose is to explain how bank failures have occurred. In the past, banks failed because they did not have enough available money to give to people who wanted to withdraw all of their money. The money was not available because the banks had lent it out or invested it.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] Why were banks closed during the Great Depression of the 1930s? The professor says: Bank failures.., were especially common during the Great Depression of the 1930s. When Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933, one of the first things he did was close all the banks, so depositors wouldn't panic and try to take all their money out.