外刊经贸知识选读2018年4月真题试题及答案解析（00096）

U. S. government officials worry that the explosive growth in countertrade will weaken the world trading system. By concealing the real prices and costs of transactions, says one U. S. trade representative, the various forms of barter may conceal and help perpetuate economic inefficiencies in the marketplace.Barter can also be risky business. “Many companies,” says David Yoffie, “suffer losses because they’re stuck with products of poor quality or with the wrong specifications."International trade by barter is, according to some experts, an inefficient and expensive means of doing business compared to trading with money. On the other hand, Home other experts assert that the rise of countertrade provides practical solutions to the debt problems of the international monetary system.

Passage 2

In this sense, South Korea is treading a path not taken by Japan. While Japanese interests span the globe, few foreign firms have successfully penetrated Japan’s home turf. Korea, too, has a legacy of xenophobia; and the Koreans are clearly wary of opening their markets to high-powered Western competitors. But they are tentatively doing just that, so far with a momentum unmatched by Japan. The aim is to defuse the protectionist pressures that have hobbled U. S. —Japanese trade relations and, in time, to enter the ranks of the world’s developed nations. That’s no small order, but the Koreans think it can be filled fairly simply. At bottom，says Nam Due Woo, chairman of the Korea Traders Association, South Korea needs only “some degree of (sweat) and some degree of (technological sophistication).”And that’s precisely what has already (lifted Korea, Inc, into contention).

49、What does the writer mean by the word “sweat”?

50、What does “technological sophistication” refer to here?

51、Can you explain “...lifted Korea, Inc. into contention”?

Passage 1

Gold: lower. After (coming in for early support) on news of strike action affecting mines belonging to gold fields of South Africa, values declined in line with platinum and (New York advices) as miners were encouraged to return to work by management promises of negotiation. The fall in oil prices also brought pressure to bear but good resistance at around the 400 dollars per ounce level permitted a brief rally. However, values suffered a late decline lo below 400 dollars per ounce in line with New York as (the dollar strengthened on news of a decline in the U. S. budget trade and a cut in the bank of Japan’s discount rate).

46、What does “coming in for early support” mean?

47、What meaning does the word “advice” carry in the given context? And what were “New York advices”?

48、“...the dollar strengthened on news of a decline in the U. S. budget trade and a cut in the Bank of Japan’s discount rate.” How could the above-mentioned developments help strengthen the dollar?

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

infrastructure

brain trust

macroeconomic factors

baby-boomers

countervailing duty

portfolio investment

the Special Economic Zone

commercial hub

joint venture

资本市场

试销

新兴工业

自由贸易

国内生产总值

兼并

经济衰退

生活水平

国民收人

优惠税率

The self-funding proposal is government driven and requires no constitutional amendment.

Warren Buffett objected to the significant decrease of USA’s trade deficit of goods.

If the US Congress determines they practice global charity, it should be funded by all US tax payers equally.

If it were not for its continuously increasing annual trade deficits, the USA’s annual GDP and median wages would have been higher.

Passage 2

Globalization: Who Benefits from It?

We should be asking if the USA is harmed by globalization. If so, how can it be remedied?Although international trade itself is generally beneficial to participating nations, a trade deficit is always economically detrimental to the nation’s economy. The USA’s trade deficit of goods has been annually increasing for over a half century. There’s no reason to believe it will not continue to do so as we continue to seek pure free trade.For over a half century the USA’s continuously increasing annual trade deficits of goods have been such a significant catalyst. Our annual GDP and median wages (平均工资)have been less than otherwise due to our pursuit of pure unrestricted free trade.A trade deficit’s detriment(损害) to the GDP greatly exceeds the amount of the deficit itself. This is its multiplier effect. Any harm to the GDP affects the median wage. If the US Congress determines we practice global charity, it should be funded by all US tax payers rather than its greater proportionate burden upon lower wage and salary earning families.In 2003 Warren Buffett’s concept to significantly decrease the USA’s trade deficit of goods was published.The self-funding proposal is market rather than government driven and requires no constitutional amendment. It will increase rather than decrease the USA’s aggregate sum of imports plus exports. We can enjoy cheap imports and a greater purchasing power brought about by higher median wages.

The USA’s trade deficit of goods has been annually rising for over a century.

The Uruguay Round of negotiation moved a step forward to the broad expansion of international trade law.

The member states of European Union, which negotiated as one party, took a unanimous stand on all questions from beginning to end in the Uruguay Round.

Although the agreement reached in the Uruguay Round negotiation is believed to be a remarkable achievement, it often nothing new to the world economy.

One of the functions of WTO is to monitor that a liberal, rules-based international trading system is observed by member countries.

(Unstable) crude prices prompted falls in platinum and gold.

This year the company (hiked) Sprite’s advertising budget to $40 million.

Passage 1

On GATT—WTO

Conclusions of the Uruguay Round are truly a triumph in adversity. Securing agreement among so many countries on such a complex raft of trade agreements frequently seemed an insuperable challenge in the past year. To have done it at a time of sluggish growth, political uncertainty and protectionist pressures is an extraordinary achievement.Whatever the shortcoming of the result, the original vision of a broad expansion of International trade law is now much closer to fulfillment. More remarkably still so is the dream that drove the founding fathers of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade: that of a liberal, rules-based international trading system overseen by an authoritative world trade organization. Just as the GATT helped foster economic integration and growth in the postwar decades, the new agreement should provide powerful underpinning for the world economy, fresh impetus to competition, fresh hope for those developing and former communist countries that have been opening up to international commerce.Several individuals deserve credit. Mr. Peter Sutherland and before him Mr. Arthur Dunkel, GATT directors-general, worked tirelessly to cajole recalcitrants—especially the US and EU一 into setting differences. Mr. Mickey Kantor, US trade representative, has dispelled the most serious doubts about his and the administration’s commitment to multilateral free trade. Sir Leo Brittan, the European trade commissioner, played a difficult hand with consummate skill and by luring France into the fold, arguably saved the Union from a political crisis of alarming proportions.

It was not difficult for the member countries of the GATT to reach an agreement on trade.

In 1992, China (ousted) the US to become the second largest exporter to the emirate.

The draft agreement (contains) many sensible new rules for global trade.

As Europe’s economy has (soured), free-market ideas face new challenges.

Government (procurement) of recycled paper stimulates recycling.

What the community had completed was the legal framework, but not the (blueprint) for how the single market would actually work.

Increase in China’s growth rate helped to (sustain) high rate of growth in the East Asian region.

A surplus of exports over imports will (boost) employment.

If an enterprise in within the zone, it will enjoy a (preferential) tax rate.

American industry was (booming) by the autumn of 1942.

A number of countries in the EU are (confronted) with debt problems.

By opening the district to foreign investments, competition was (introduced) into its economy.

The (sophistication) of the industrial structure needs the support of advanced technology.

The pattern of China’s foreign trade has changed (substantially) since China opened to the outside world.