World Trade Organization Director-general Renato Ruggiers predicted that the WTO would boost global incomes by 51 trillion in the next ten years. The pact paves the way for more foreign investment and competition in telecom makers. Many governments are making telecom deregulation a priority and making it easier for outsiders to enter the telecommunication business.
The pace varies widely. The U.S. and Britain are well ahead of the pack, while Thailand won’t fully open until 2006. Only 20% of the 5601 billion world market is currently open to competition. That should jump to about 75% in a couple of years—largely due to the Telecom Act in the U.S. last year that deregulated local markets, the opening up of the European Unions markets from Jan. 1, 1998 and the deregulation in Japan. The WTO deal now provides a forum for the inevitable disputes along the way. It is also symbolic: the first major trade agreement of the post-industrial age. Instead of being obsessed with textile quotas, the WTO pact is proof that governments are realizing that in an information age, telecom is the oil and steel of economies in the future. Businesses around the world are already spending more in total on telecom services than they do on oil.
Consumers, meanwhile, can look forward to a future of lower prices—by some estimates, international calling rates should drop 80% over several years—and better service. Thanks in part to the vastly increased call volume carded by the fiber-optic cables that span the globe today, calling half a world away already costs little more than telephoning next door. The monopolies can no longer set high prices for international calls in many countries. In the US, the world’s most fiercely competitive long distance market, frequent callers since last year have been paying about 12 cents a minute to call Britain, a price not much more than domestic rates.
The new competitive environment on the horizon means more opportunities for companies from the U.S. and U. K. in particular because they have plenty of practice at the rough-and-tumble of free markets. The U.S. lobbied hard for the WTO deal, confident that its firms would be big beneficiaries of more open markets. Britain has been deregulated since 1984 but will see even more competition than before; in December, the government issued 45 new international licenses to join Britain Telecom so that it will become a strong competitor in the international market. However, the once-cosseted industry will get rougher worldwide. Returns on capital will come down. Risks will go up. That is how free markets work. It will look like any business.
1. Which of the following statements can best describe the main theme of the passage?
2. What does “well ahead of the pack” mean in respect of the U.S. and Britain?
3. We can reasonably conclude from the passage that _____.
4. In last paragraph, the word “lobby” probably means “_____”.
5. The tone of this passage can be described as _____.
问题1选项
A.There is a great potential in the world telecom market.
B.The WTO pact has boosted a rapid development of telecom all over the world.
C.The WTO pact has opened up bigger telecom markets to competition.
D.Governments have realized the importance of telecommunication.
问题2选项
A.Their telecom technology is much more advanced.
B.Their telecom markets are much more open.
C.They have more money invested in foreign telecom business.
D.They have more competition in the telecom markets.
问题3选项
A.the world telecom market has been fully explored since the signing of the WTO pact
B.telecom companies of the U.S. and U. K. will undoubtedly dominate the world telecom market
C.many governments have granted a great investment in their telecom business
D.the WTO pact means tougher competition for telecom companies and gentler price for callers
问题4选项
A.persuade
B.approve
C.separate
D.imitate
问题5选项
A.informative and neutral
B.serious and cautions
C.enthusiastic and optimistic
D.analytical and worried
第1题:B
第2题:B
第3题:D
第4题:A
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following statements can best describe the main theme of the passage? 下列哪个陈述能最好地描述文章的主题?
A. There is a great potential in the world telecom market. A. 世界电信市场潜力巨大。
B. The WTO pact has boosted a rapid development of telecom all over the world. B. 世贸协定推动了全球电信业的快速发展。
C. The WTO pact has opened up bigger telecom markets to competition. C. 世贸协定开放了更大的电信市场进行竞争。
D. Governments have realized the importance of telecommunication. D. 各国政府已经认识到电信的重要性。
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】本文主要介绍了世界贸易组织公约的签订和实行将会促进全球电信业的发展,未来电信业的竞争将更加的激烈,同时也意味着更多的机会。由此可知,选项B符合主旨。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“世界电信市场潜力巨大”,该选项都没有提及世界贸易组织公约,属于以偏概全;
C选项“世贸协定开放了更大的电信市场进行竞争”,该选项只提到了竞争,忽略了机遇,属于以偏概全;
D选项“各国政府已经认识到电信的重要性”,该选项都没有提及世界贸易组织公约,属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
What does “well ahead of the pack” mean in respect of the U.S. and Britain? 对于美国和英国来说,“遥遥领先”意味着什么?
A. Their telecom technology is much more advanced. A. 他们的电信技术更先进。
B. Their telecom markets are much more open. B. 他们的电信市场更加开放。
C. They have more money invested in foreign telecom business. C. 他们在国外电信业务上投入了更多的资金。
D. They have more competition in the telecom markets. D. 他们在电信市场有更多的竞争。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段第一、二句“速度差别很大。美国和英国领先在前,泰国直到2006年才会全面开放(fully open)”,也就是说,英美两国已率先开放其电信市场,所以选项B正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项原文不能推断出,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
We can reasonably conclude from the passage that _____. 我们可以合理地从文章中得出结论_____。
A. the world telecom market has been fully explored since the signing of the WTO pact A. 自世贸组织协定签署以来,世界电信市场得到了充分的开发
B. telecom companies of the U.S. and U. K. will undoubtedly dominate the world telecom market B. 毫无疑问,美国和英国的电信公司将主导世界电信市场
C. many governments have granted a great investment in their telecom business C. 许多国家的政府都在电信业务上投入了大量资金
D. the WTO pact means tougher competition for telecom companies and gentler price for callers D. 世贸协定意味着电信公司将面临更激烈的竞争,而电话用户将享受更优惠的价格
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第三段的第一句“与此同时,消费者(Consumers)可以期待未来更低的价格(lower prices),据估计,国际电话费率将在几年内下降80%,以及更好的服务”由此可知,选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“自世贸组织协定签署以来,世界电信市场得到了充分的开发”,与原文第二段第三句提到的“只有20%是开放竞争的”不符,属于曲解原文;
B选项“毫无疑问,美国和英国的电信公司将主导世界电信市场”,原文最后一段第一句“即将到来的竞争激烈的行业环境尤其对于美国和英国的公司意味着大把的机会(more opportunities),因为它们对于杂乱无章的自由市场很有经验”,由此可知,更多的机会不等同于主导,属于曲解原文;
C选项“许多国家的政府都在电信业务上投入了大量资金”,原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
In last paragraph, the word “lobby” probably means _____. 在最后一段,lobby一词的意思可能是_____。
A. persuade A. 说服
B. approve B. 同意,赞成
C. separate C. 单独的
D. imitate D. 模仿
【考查点】词义推测题。
【解题思路】根据关键词定位到原文最后一段的第二句“美国为WTO协议进行了……,相信美国企业将从更加开放的市场中获益”由下文的“获益”,可知美国一直是在为达成协议做努力,试图说服尽快达成协议,所以选项A符合。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项不符合词义,属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
The tone of this passage can be described as _____. 这篇文章的语气可以描述为_____。
A. informative and neutral A. 信息的、中立的
B. serious and cautions B. 严肃的、警告的
C. enthusiastic and optimistic C. 热情的、乐观的
D analytical and worried D. 分析的、担心的
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】作者介绍了世贸协定为全球电信产业带来的影响,并没有评论。因此选项A符合。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项不符合作者的观点态度,属于曲解原文。