商务英语阅读

2024年3月19日发(作者：毕武斌)

Passage 1

What makes money valuable Why is a piece of paper marked $ 10 worth more than

one marked $1 You could say there is no reason. Its true that a special kind of paper

is ud to make dollar bills, and they are pretty, but thats not what makes them

valuable. The real reason money is valuable is that everyone believes it is. Ancient

economies had no paper money or coins. Some ud barter---- trading one thing for

another. Others ud all kinds of objects as money. Any object would do, as long as

there was not an unlimited amount of it. Animals or metals were popular, and so

were manufactured products like jewelry or weapons. Wealth in ancient Greece was

measured in tools or cattle. This kind of money had two purpos. First, it was uful

in itlf. Tools and cattle can be ud for farming. And cond, it was a way to

symbolize and measure value. A hou, for example, would be valued at a certain

number of tools or cattle. This greatly simplified trade. Other societies ud money

that was totally symbolic. For instance, American Indians ud wampum, which is

made from ashells. And until recently on the pacific island of Yap, people u large

stone discs as money. In most places the types of money died out becau more

practical forms of money were invented. People started using precious metals, such

as gold and silver, that were easier to carry around than tools or stones. And in the

eighteenth century paper money was introduced. At first people were suspicious of

new currency, but they came to accept it becau the government or bank issuing it

would exchange an equal amount of gold for the paper. A $ 10 bill really was worth

$ 10 for gold. But now, people are ud to the idea that the government doesn‟t

have to back its money with gold. Everyone believes that a $ 10 bill is worth $10 and

that is good enough. But if, for some reason, people ever lost faith in paper money,

ten dollars wouldn‟t be worth the paper it‟s printed on.

Questions 31-35 are bad on passage 1

31. According to the writer the real reason money is valuable is that everyone

believes_____

. a. money is valuable b. gold is valuable c. money is gold

32. The writer of this lection mentioned animals, metals and manufactured

products

like jewelry or weapons becau_______

. a. they were valuable b. they were ud as money in ancient times c.

people liked them

33. Paper money was invented _______

.a. to take the place of other types of money b. to be replaced by other types of

money

c. in the nineteenth century

34. At first people did not have trust in paper money becau______

a. it was not worth much b. the paper was not of good quality c. it looked like

an ordinary piece of paper

35. People came to accept paper money when _______

.a. the government began to issue it b. the bank began to issue it c. they could

exchange it for the same amount of gold

答案 abaac

Passage 2

Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not

all will be saved, and perhaps not all derve to be saved. There are low-quality

schools just as there are low-quality business. We have no obligation to save them

simply becau they exist. But many thriving institutions that derve to continue are

threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial

difficulty, with no way to reduce rising costs or increa revenues significantly. Raising

tuition doesn‟t bring in more revenue, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment

goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools

are bad business, whether public or private, not usually becau of bad

management but becau of the nature of the enterpri. They lo money on every

customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many

students. Even a very good college is a very bad business. It is such colleges,

thriving but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief

problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and

preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing

that private schools are bound to be better than public schools. There are abundant

examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank

as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions

will be dominant, and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way

we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In

an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation

could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Eager

supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private

higher education.

Questions 36-40 are bad on passage 2

36. In the passage, the author appeals to the public to support _______

a. private higher education in general b. public higher education in general

c. high-quality private universities and colleges

37. According to the passage, schools are bad business becau of ______

a. the nature of school b. poor teachers c. bad management

38. What does the phra “go under” (Para. 2, ntence 3) probably mean

a. have low tuition b. get into difficulties c. do a bad job educationally

39. Which of the following statements is TRUE

a. There are many cas to indicate that private schools are superior to public

schools.

b. The author thinks diversity of education is preferable to uniformity of education.

c. Each time tuition is raid, the enrollment goes up.

40. In the author‟s opinion, the way that can save private schools lies in ______

a. full enrollment b. raising tuition c. national support

答案 cabbc