听力原文： Now European finance ministers are expected to reprimand the Irish government today after they meet in Brussels. They've been alarmed by December's budget in the Irish Republic which cut taxes and increased government spending. The other European countries fear this will stoke up inflation and undermine the stability of the Euro, the single currency.Finance ministers from the European Unions 15 states are holding their regular monthly meeting in Brussels. They've been given the tricky task of handing out some public criticism to the government of the country with the most successful economy, the Irish Republic. In the last five years Ireland has boomed growing by an average eight percent a year, unemployment has reached its lowest level for 20 years and commodity prices in Dublin became more expensive than in London.Why do other European countries criticize Ireland?A．They worry that the Irish Republic's budget plan will undermine the stability of European Unions.B．EU countries fear that Irish Republic's finance plan will cause inflation.C．Other countries will have to cut taxes.D．Other EU countries must increase government spending, too.
听力原文： Now European finance ministers are expected to reprimand the Irish government today after they meet in Brussels. They've been alarmed by December's budget in the Irish Republic which cut taxes and increased government spending. The other European countries fear this will stoke up inflation and undermine the stability of the Euro, the single currency.
Finance ministers from the European Unions 15 states are holding their regular monthly meeting in Brussels. They've been given the tricky task of handing out some public criticism to the government of the country with the most successful economy, the Irish Republic. In the last five years Ireland has boomed growing by an average eight percent a year, unemployment has reached its lowest level for 20 years and commodity prices in Dublin became more expensive than in London.
Why do other European countries criticize Ireland?
A．They worry that the Irish Republic's budget plan will undermine the stability of European Unions.
B．EU countries fear that Irish Republic's finance plan will cause inflation.
C．Other countries will have to cut taxes.
D．Other EU countries must increase government spending, too.
相关考题：
Sinn Fein is the illegal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA (Irish Republic Army) to fight for the union of Ireland.() 此题为判断题(对，错)。
Ireland had long been dominated by Britain, but Irish desire for an independent Irish state was never lost.In late 19th century, there was a campaign in parliament called “home-rule”- Irish political control of Irish affairs.()此题为判断题(对，错)。
What is TRUE about the Irish Republic's economy?A．It was the most successful among the EU countries.B．It has increased 8% in the last five years.C．The unemployment rate has reached its lowest level for 5 years.D．The commodity prices have decreased greatly in the country.
nowadays the british foreign policy is largely shaped by its participation in______.A. the European Economic CommunityB. the CommonwealthC. the United Nations，the EU，NATO，etc.D. a European federal government
what is the first official language of the irish republic?A. English.B. Gaelic.C. Irish.D. Celtic.
today free education provided by the irish government covers all public universities，as is common in most of the countries of europe. ()
PartA 2. The National Association of Securities Dealers is investigating whether some brokeragehouses are inappropriately pushing individuals to borrow large sums on their housesto invest in the stock market. Can we persuade the association to investigate would-be privatizers of Social Security? For it is now apparent that the Bush administration’s privatization proposal will amount to the same thing: borrow trillions, put themoney in the stock market and hope.Privatization would begin by diverting payroll taxes, which pay for current SocialSecurity benefits, into personal investment accounts. The government wouldhave to borrow to make up the shortfall. This would sharply increase the government’s debt. “Never mind”, privatization advocates say, “in the long run, people wouldmake so much on personal accounts that the government could save money by cutting retirees’benefits.Even so, if personal investment accounts were invested in Treasury bonds,this whole process would accomplish precisely nothing. The interest workers would receive on,their accounts would exactly match the interest the government wouldhave to pay on its additional debt. To compensate for the initial borrowing,the government would have to cut future benefits so much that workers would gain nothing at all.However, privatizersclaim that these investments would make a lot ofmoney and that, in effect, the government, not the workers, would reap most of those gains,because as personal accounts grew, the government could cut benefits.We can argue at length about whether the high stock returns such schemes assume are realistic(they arent), but lets cut to the chase: in essence, such schemesinvolve having the government borrow heavily and put the money in the stock market. That’s because the government would, in effect, confiscate workers’gains in their personal accounts by cutting those workers’ benefits.Once you realize whatprivatization really means, it doesn’t sound too responsible, does it? But the details make it considerably worse. First,financial markets would, correctly, treat the reality of huge deficits today as a much moreimportant indicator of the governments fiscal health than the mere promise that government could save money bycutting benefits in the distant future. After all, a government bond is a legally bindingpromise to pay, while a benefits formula that supposedly cuts costs 40 years from now is nothingmore than a suggestion to future Congresses.If a privatization plan passed in 2005 called for steep benefit cuts in 2045,what are the odds that those cuts would really happen? Second,a system of personal accounts would pay huge brokerage fees. Of course, from Wall Street’s point of view that’s a benefit, not a cost.第26题：According to the author, “privatizers”are those_____.[A] borrowing from banks to invest in the stock market [B] who invest in Treasury bonds[C] advocating the government to borrow money from citizens [D] who earn large sums of money in personalaccounts
The family of 28 nations known as the European Union has had a rough decade of near divorces The latest blow was Italys election last Sunday.The anti-EU parties won.In other parts of Europe similar parties have advanced.Britain wants out of the Continent-fusing project altogether.But then there is Greece,which may serve as a model of a prodigal nation.In 2009,the country of 11 million nearly brought down the euro zone and came close to exiting the EU after admitting it had lied about he size of its deficit（which was five times above the eu guideline）The official dishonesty,coupled with deep-seated corruption,spooked foreign lenders and defied core EU values of integrity in govern-ance With the Greek economy near collapse,however,the EU and other creditors decided it was worth throwing Athens a financial lifeline--hefty loans with conditions of austerity and other reforms.The cash-tor-rescue effort seems to be working for now.Greece made a critical decision in 2015 to implement the EU-mandated reforms.It has improved government openness and transparency on budgeting procurement,and trade--all key areas in fighting corruption Here's the clincher:In 2018,Greece's economy is expected to grow faster than that of the eU as a whole.In addition,the government has been running a fiscal surplus instead of the big deficits of a decade ago.And unemployment has fallen from 30 percent to less than 20 percent in the past five years On corruption,however,the leftist government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras still has far to go in ensuring a virtuous circle of honesty and openness.Last month,two of its ministers had to resign after accepting a housing subsidy.And the Council of Europe told Greece this month that it has fulfilled only six of 19 recommendations aimed at rooting out corruption.Some of the govermment's new rules require lawmakers to disclose gifts and reveal potential conflicts of interest One sign of hope is that Greece is currently in a vigorous public debate about the alleged bribery of 10 top politicians by Swiss drug maker Novartis.And polls show Greeks are more demanding of integrity in their elected leaders This mood In Greece reflects a global trend More and more citizens from a growing number of countries.have presently come to demand that their governments deliver good governance,"writes Alina Mungiu-Pippidi of the European Research Center for Anti-Corruption and State-Building in a new book The EU and other official lenders are still holding Greece to account.With further reform,it might have enough financial credibility by the end of the year to return to private maikets or money.Instead of a divorce from the Eu,it has been making up.The key was a new embrace of integrity.The current situation in Greece reflects thatA.the public should be given more human rightsB.the government should well serve the public interestC.Greeks are more critical of their leader's integrityD.there is a universal call to good governance worldwide
The family of 28 nations known as the European Union has had a rough decade of near divorces The latest blow was Italys election last Sunday.The anti-EU parties won.In other parts of Europe similar parties have advanced.Britain wants out of the Continent-fusing project altogether.But then there is Greece,which may serve as a model of a prodigal nation.In 2009,the country of 11 million nearly brought down the euro zone and came close to exiting the EU after admitting it had lied about he size of its deficit（which was five times above the eu guideline）The official dishonesty,coupled with deep-seated corruption,spooked foreign lenders and defied core EU values of integrity in govern-ance With the Greek economy near collapse,however,the EU and other creditors decided it was worth throwing Athens a financial lifeline--hefty loans with conditions of austerity and other reforms.The cash-tor-rescue effort seems to be working for now.Greece made a critical decision in 2015 to implement the EU-mandated reforms.It has improved government openness and transparency on budgeting procurement,and trade--all key areas in fighting corruption Here's the clincher:In 2018,Greece's economy is expected to grow faster than that of the eU as a whole.In addition,the government has been running a fiscal surplus instead of the big deficits of a decade ago.And unemployment has fallen from 30 percent to less than 20 percent in the past five years On corruption,however,the leftist government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras still has far to go in ensuring a virtuous circle of honesty and openness.Last month,two of its ministers had to resign after accepting a housing subsidy.And the Council of Europe told Greece this month that it has fulfilled only six of 19 recommendations aimed at rooting out corruption.Some of the govermment's new rules require lawmakers to disclose gifts and reveal potential conflicts of interest One sign of hope is that Greece is currently in a vigorous public debate about the alleged bribery of 10 top politicians by Swiss drug maker Novartis.And polls show Greeks are more demanding of integrity in their elected leaders This mood In Greece reflects a global trend More and more citizens from a growing number of countries.have presently come to demand that their governments deliver good governance,"writes Alina Mungiu-Pippidi of the European Research Center for Anti-Corruption and State-Building in a new book The EU and other official lenders are still holding Greece to account.With further reform,it might have enough financial credibility by the end of the year to return to private maikets or money.Instead of a divorce from the Eu,it has been making up.The key was a new embrace of integrity.Which of the following is an achievement of Greeces reform?A.Its fiscal balance has steadily improvedB.It has adopted a new anti-corruption lawC.Its economy grows faster than any EU memberD.The unemployment rate is lower than expected
The family of 28 nations known as the European Union has had a rough decade of near divorces The latest blow was Italys election last Sunday.The anti-EU parties won.In other parts of Europe similar parties have advanced.Britain wants out of the Continent-fusing project altogether.But then there is Greece,which may serve as a model of a prodigal nation.In 2009,the country of 11 million nearly brought down the euro zone and came close to exiting the EU after admitting it had lied about he size of its deficit（which was five times above the eu guideline）The official dishonesty,coupled with deep-seated corruption,spooked foreign lenders and defied core EU values of integrity in govern-ance With the Greek economy near collapse,however,the EU and other creditors decided it was worth throwing Athens a financial lifeline--hefty loans with conditions of austerity and other reforms.The cash-tor-rescue effort seems to be working for now.Greece made a critical decision in 2015 to implement the EU-mandated reforms.It has improved government openness and transparency on budgeting procurement,and trade--all key areas in fighting corruption Here's the clincher:In 2018,Greece's economy is expected to grow faster than that of the eU as a whole.In addition,the government has been running a fiscal surplus instead of the big deficits of a decade ago.And unemployment has fallen from 30 percent to less than 20 percent in the past five years On corruption,however,the leftist government of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras still has far to go in ensuring a virtuous circle of honesty and openness.Last month,two of its ministers had to resign after accepting a housing subsidy.And the Council of Europe told Greece this month that it has fulfilled only six of 19 recommendations aimed at rooting out corruption.Some of the govermment's new rules require lawmakers to disclose gifts and reveal potential conflicts of interest One sign of hope is that Greece is currently in a vigorous public debate about the alleged bribery of 10 top politicians by Swiss drug maker Novartis.And polls show Greeks are more demanding of integrity in their elected leaders This mood In Greece reflects a global trend More and more citizens from a growing number of countries.have presently come to demand that their governments deliver good governance,"writes Alina Mungiu-Pippidi of the European Research Center for Anti-Corruption and State-Building in a new book The EU and other official lenders are still holding Greece to account.With further reform,it might have enough financial credibility by the end of the year to return to private maikets or money.Instead of a divorce from the Eu,it has been making up.The key was a new embrace of integrity.What is the passage mainly about?A.Greece offered EU more money and carried dramatic reforms.B.Greece disgraced EU with its high deficit and severe corruptionC.With the help of the EU,Greece implemented a successful reform.D.Integrity is critical and essential for a qualified government.
African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory． Their population has been dwindled from 1．3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed． "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen, Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund． Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US． The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory． The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over． In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business． Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide． The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January． But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage, killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away． The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nation European Community had followed with its own ban． What's the author's attitude?A. SubjectiveB. NeutralC. PessimisticD. Activ
African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory． Their population has been dwindled from 1．3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed． "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen, Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund． Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US． The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory． The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over． In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business． Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide． The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January． But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage, killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away． The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nation European Community had followed with its own ban． Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. African Elephants and the Ivory TradeB. A Bid to Save the ElephantC. The PoachersD. Elephants in Danger
Which group of people cannot vote in the general election?（）AMembers in the House of Commons.BLords in the House of Lords.CThe UK citizens above the age of 18.DThe UK resident citizens of the Irish Republic.
Irish nationalism climaxed in（）.in which an Irish Republic was proclaimed.Athe massacre of DroghedaBthe Easter Uprising of 1916Cthe battle of the Borne(1690)Dthe Chartist Movement
Which of the following is the most influential of all Irish newspapers?（）AThe Irish Independent.BThe Irish Times.CThe Irish Press.DThe Sun.
Which group of people cannot vote in the general election?（）A、Members in the House of Commons.B、Lords in the House of Lords.C、The UK citizens above the age of 18.D、The UK resident citizens of the Irish Republic.
Which of the following is the most influential of all Irish newspapers?（）A、The Irish Independent.B、The Irish Times.C、The Irish Press.D、The Sun.
Since independence the Irish Republic has adhered to（）.A、a policy of protectionismB、a policy of containmentC、a policy of military allianceD、a policy of neutrality and nonalignment
Irish nationalism climaxed in（）.in which an Irish Republic was proclaimed.A、the massacre of DroghedaB、the Easter Uprising of 1916C、the battle of the Borne(1690)D、the Chartist Movement
单选题AIt will maintain a close relationship with Europe.BIt will support the idea of a central European government.CIt will keep a distance from Europe.DThey will support each other.
单选题Irish nationalism climaxed in（）.in which an Irish Republic was proclaimed.Athe massacre of DroghedaBthe Easter Uprising of 1916Cthe battle of the Borne(1690)Dthe Chartist Movement
单选题Which of the following is the most influential of all Irish newspapers?（）AThe Irish Independent.BThe Irish Times.CThe Irish Press.DThe Sun.
问答题Practice 1 Since the earliest times in England，the traveler’s inn has always been a warm and hospitable place, a gathering place for voyagers to rest and recover. The tireless landlord，the local customers sharing drinks and food, the welcoming atmosphere，have all become part of the legend of the typical English country and city life. In later centuries, the English tavern took on the role of community gathering place, being the location where friendly chatter and fierce social debate mixed with business discussions, and food, wine, beer and coffee were consumed as the noise of convivial exchanges rose. In modern times, the English pub often continues to function as the communal meeting place, especially for people whose homes are too small to entertain any number of guests or friends. In many Asian countries, the local restaurant serves a similar social function. In Ireland, the pub has acted as a central attraction for poorer villagers in the rural areas, and as a literary and social focus in the cities. In keeping with the sociable nature of pub gatherings, music as well as talk has become a central part of this institution in Ireland. Now people around the world are able to experience the friendly nature of the Irish pub, which follows in the wake of its English equivalent as a welcome and growing expert. English pubs have been found in America, in parts of Europe and throughout the world where English pub is witnessing an outburst of international popularity as westerns turn away from their television and computer screens and seek to put a human face to their social contacts. They are finding it in the bars and corners of Irish pubs where Guinness stout, the Irish national drink, is available in the tall dark creamy pint glasses and Irish music is the regular fare. An international representative for the Irish manufacturers of Jameson’s whiskey, Patrick Mc-Carville, points out that while the world has been laughing at Irish jokes（a stereotype of the Irish way of life）, the Irish have been quietly carrying out an economic coup which is seen in the evidence of the explosion of Irish pubs.
问答题Passage 1 A CHEER went up from most students when the announcement came over the intercom at Centennial High School. Teachers across the province were going out on strike this morning, in protest against the Ontario government’s education reforms. But for other students, the news could not have been worse. “It really makes me angry,” says Sarah Wright, a senior preparing for college. “This is going to ruin my (school) year.” The showdown between teachers' unions and the government in Ontario, Canada’s largest province, will keep 2.1 million students out of class starting today. Last minuts talks still going yesterday, with former Chief Justice of Ontario Charles Dubin as referee. The teachers' union, in announcing the strike, said their actions were a 'political protest' as well as a strike. At issue is who will make policy: the cost-cutting Conservative government, or the unions that represent the 126,000 teachers. The teachers oppose education reforms in Bill 60, legislation now before the Ontario Legislature. They say certain sections of the bill cut them out of the decision-making process. “Teachers across this province are concerned about the undemocratic nature of this bill,” say Eileen Lennon, president of the Ontario Teachers' Federation. “Schools are put into the shared trust of teachers, parents, communities, and government. We want the parents, teachers, and communities to have some input into school policy.” The government wants teachers to spend time in the classroom, to extend the school year, and to have one standard set of examinations so students across the province are measured uniformly. The government also wants the freedom to make significant spending cuts. The premier of Ontario, Michael Harris, bought television time after the strike was announced to explain his government’s reforms. Harris, who was elected on a promise to cut taxes, said Ontario school taxes has doubled over the past 10 years performance on international test scores has declined. “Our plan is about moving the focus on education away from the blank-check spending mentality that has failed, to a new accountability where we focus on the student in the classrooms,” said harris.” Choosing an illegal strike punishes only parents and their children.” Harris criticized the time high school teachers spend in the classroom, just 3.75 hours a day. He also wants to use people other than teachers to handle non-academic subjects, such as car repair. The premier moved to win the support of parents by ordering local school boards to pay parents $ 40 a day to cover daycare costs while the teachers are out on strike. The talks have been so acrimonious that earlier this month the premier fired the education minister and appointed a new one, David Johnson, a move that has done little to placate the teachers. High school student Sarah Wright feels caught up in a political war. “We've been listening to the teachers side of the story for the past year,” she says. “Many students go along with the teachers because they don't know any better. I don't think they've really thought it through. If it goes on for a couple of months, I’ll go to another province to finish high school. This is stupid.” Local school boards, who employ the teachers, say they may take legal action against the union leaders and maybe the teachers who do not show up for work today. 1. Why do Ontario teachers oppose the government’s education reforms? 2. What does Ontario government say about the current education situation in high schools? 3. Why does the author cite the example of Sarah Wright?
单选题The passage supplies information for answering which of the following questions?AWhen did the new protectionism arise?BWhy is the new protectionism so popular in northern European countries?CDoes the American government play a more active role in economic life than the British government?DWhy does the government intervene in economic life?