The United States is said to have a mixed economy because privately owned businesses and government both play important roles. Indeed, some of the most enduring debates of American economic history focus on the relative roles of the public and private sectors.
The American free enterprise system emphasizes private ownership. Private businesses produce most goods and services, and almost two thirds of the nation’s total economic output goes to individuals for personal use (the remaining one third is bought by government and business). The consumer role is so great, in fact, that the nation is sometimes characterized as having a “consumer economy.”
This emphasis on private ownership arises, in part, from American beliefs about personal freedom. From the time the nation was created, Americans have feared excessive government power, and they have sought to limit government’s authority over individuals—including its role in the economic realm. In addition, Americans generally believe that an economy characterized by private ownership is likely to operate more efficiently than one with substantial government ownership.
When economic forces are unfettered, Americans believe, supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services. Prices, in turn, tell businesses what to produce; if people want more of a particular goods than the economy is producing, the price of the goods rises. That catches the attention of new or other companies that, sensing an opportunity to earn profits, start producing more of that goods. On the other hand, if people want less of the goods, prices fall and less competitive producers either go out of business or start producing different goods.
There are limits to free enterprise, however. Americans have always believed that some services are better performed by public rather than private enterprise. For instance, in the United States, government is primarily responsible for the administration of justice, education, the road system, and national defense.
In this mixed economy, individuals can help guide the economy not only through the choices they make as consumers but through the votes they cast for officials who shape economic policy. In recent years, consumers have voiced concerns about product safety, environmental threats posed by certain industrial practices, and potential health risks citizens may face; government has responded by creating agencies to protect consumer interests and promote the general public welfare.
1. According to the text, the U.S. is sometimes called a “consumer economy” because ____.
2. From the first sentence of the third paragraph, we learn that ____.
3. The expression “economic forces are unfettered” (para. 4) means ____.
4. The last paragraph tells us that ____.
5. This text is mainly about ____.
问题1选项
A.most goods and services are produced by consumers
B.privately owned business plays a major role in the economy
C.individual consumption plays a major role in the economy
D.consumers’ rights are very important in the U.S.
问题2选项
A.American political beliefs have influenced its economic system
B.Americans fear excessive governmental control of the economy
C.private ownership is important because of American beliefs in personal freedom
D.personal freedom is the basis for private ownership in the U.S.
问题3选项
A.prices are determined by consumers
B.supply and demand are allowed to operate freely
C.economic regulations are not enforced
D.the economy is growing
问题4选项
A.a mixed economy is guided by both individual citizens and the government
B.the role of the government in a mixed economy is more important than that of the consumer
C.individual Americans can influence the economy in multiple ways
D.the government does not regard the concerns of individual citizens
问题5选项
A.how average Americans view their economic system
B.the role of the government in the American economy
C.how supply and demand determine prices in the American economy
D.the roles of the public and private sectors in the American economy
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the text, the U.S. is sometimes called a “consumer economy” because ____. 根据课文，美国有时被称为“消费经济”，因为____。
A. most goods and services are produced by consumers A. 大多数商品和服务是由消费者生产的
B. privately owned business plays a major role in the economy B. 私营企业在经济中发挥着重要作用
C. individual consumption plays a major role in the economy C. 个人消费在经济中起着重要作用
D. consumers’ rights are very important in the U.S. D. 在美国消费者的权利是非常重要的
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“消费经济”定位到第二段最后一句话“事实上，消费者的作用是如此巨大，以至于这个国家有时被描述为‘消费经济’”可知美国有时被称为“消费经济”，因为消费者的作用是如此巨大，即个人消费在经济中起着重要作用，C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项定位到第二段第二句“私营企业（Private businesses）生产大多数商品和服务……”可知大多数商品和服务是由私营企业生产而不是消费者，本选项属于曲解原文；
B选项定位到第一段第一句“据说美国是一个混合经济体，因为私营企业（privately owned businesses）和政府都发挥着重要作用。”可知私营企业是对美国成为一个混合经济体发挥重要作用，但是无法回答题目所问，本选项属于出处错位；
D选项原文未涉及，属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
From the first sentence of the third paragraph, we learn that ____. 从第三段的第一句话，我们知道____。
A. American political beliefs have influenced its economic system A. 美国的政治信仰影响了其经济体系
B. Americans fear excessive governmental control of the economy B. 美国人害怕政府对经济的过度控制
C. private ownership is important because of American beliefs in personal freedom C. 私有制很重要，因为美国人崇尚个人自由
D. personal freedom is the basis for private ownership in the U.S. D. 在美国，个人自由是私有制的基础
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干定位到第三段第一句话“这种对私人所有制的强调部分源于美国人对个人自由的信念（American beliefs about personal freedom）。”再结合第三段第二句“自建国以来，美国人一直担心政府权力过大，他们试图限制政府对个人的权力（and they have sought to limit government’s authority over individuals），包括其在经济领域的作用。”可知私人所有制是一种经济体系，而试图限制政府对个人的权力证明美国人对于个人自由的信念属于政治信仰。因此，第一句所说对私人所有制的强调部分源于美国人对个人自由的信念可以推断出政治信仰会影响经济体系，则A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项定位到第三段第二句“自建国以来，美国人一直担心政府权力过大，他们试图限制政府对个人的权力，包括（including）其在经济领域的作用。”可知美国人担心的是政府权利过大，里面包含了很多方面，其中一面为政府在经济领域的作用，而本选项只强调美国人害怕政府对经济的过度控制，属于以偏概全；
C选项定位到第三段第一句话“这种对私人所有制的强调（emphasis）部分（in part）源于美国人对个人自由的信念。”可知原文所说的是“强调”私有制是部分因为美国人对个人自由的信念，而不是私有制“重要”是因为美国人对个人自由的信念，重要和强调是两个概念，因此本选项属于曲解原文；
D选项“这种对私人所有制的强调部分（in part）源于美国人对个人自由的信念。”可知原文所说的是“部分”源于，不等同于个人自由是私有制的“基础”，本选项属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The expression “economic forces are unfettered” (para. 4) means ____. “经济力量不受约束时”（第4段）意味着_____。
A. prices are determined by consumers A. 价格由消费者决定
B. supply and demand are allowed to operate freely B. 允许供求自由运行
C. economic regulations are not enforced C. 经济法规不强制执行
D. the economy is growing D. 经济正在增长
【考查点】词义推断题
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第四段第一句“当经济力量不受约束时（economic forces are unfettered），美国人相信，供求（supply and demand）决定商品和服务的价格。”，即经济力量不受约束就意味着依靠供求来决定商品和服务的价格，再通过后文的举例“如果人们对某种商品的需求超过了经济的产出，那么商品的价格就会上涨……另一方面，如果人们想要更少的商品，价格就会下降……”可知这些内容都是在举例说明依靠供求，市场的自我调节，即允许供求自由运行，因此B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项定位到第四段“如果人们对某种商品的需求超过了经济的产出，那么商品的价格就会上涨。这引起了新公司或其他公司的注意……开始生产更多此类产品（start producing more of that goods）。另一方面，如果人们想要更少的商品，价格就会下降，竞争力较弱的生产商要么停业，要么开始生产不同的商品”可知这里的逻辑关系还是人们的需求，即需求多导致价格上涨，公司投入更多的生产，开始变成供给大于需求，价格下跌，本质上还是通过供求来调控市场，而不是人，本选项属于曲解原文；
C选项原文未涉及，属于无中生有；
D选项原文未涉及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The last paragraph tells us that ____. 最后一段告诉我们____。
A. a mixed economy is guided by both individual citizens and the government A. 混合经济由公民个人和政府共同引导
B. the role of the government in a mixed economy is more important than that of the consumer B. 政府在混合经济中的作用比消费者更重要
C. individual Americans can influence the economy in multiple ways C. 美国人个人可以以多种方式影响经济
D. the government does not regard the concerns of individual citizens D. 政府不考虑公民个人的关切
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】定位到最后一段第一句，也是本段的中心句“在这种混合经济中，个人不仅可以通过作为消费者所做的选择，还可以通过投票给制定经济政策的官员来帮助引导经济（help guide the economy）”，而本段后几句都是围绕这一中心句展开，举例说明个人是如何通过某种方式来影响经济的，所以可知本段的主旨是个人可以通过消费者或者是投票等多种方式来影响经济，C选项符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项根据解题思路可知，本段并不是在强调混合经济由公民个人和政府“共同引导”这个概念，而是说明个人也可以影响经济，本选项属于曲解原文；
B选项原文未涉及，属于无中生有；
D选项原文未涉及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
This text is mainly about ____. 本文主要是关于____。
A. how average Americans view their economic system A. 普通美国人如何看待他们的经济体系
B. the role of the government in the American economy B. 政府在美国经济中的作用
C. how supply and demand determine prices in the American economy C. 在美国经济中供给和需求如何决定价格
D. the roles of the public and private sectors in the American economy D. 公共部门和私人部门在美国经济中的作用
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】本文第一段第一句指出文章的中心思想“据说美国是一个混合经济体，因为私营企业（privately owned businesses）和政府（government）都发挥着重要作用。”第二段到第五段描述了私营企业和国有企业的作用，最后一段强调了在这种混合经济中，个人也能发挥影响经济的作用，因此可知D选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项只在第二段涉及，无法概括全文，属于以偏概全；
B选项只在第五段涉及，无法概括全文，属于以偏概全；
C选项只在第四段涉及，无法概括全文，属于以偏概全。
