One of the bad habits of Britons is a habit for mourning the country's decline. To be cured of this, Britain would probably need a different history. It was the first industrial nation. From that starting-point, its influence could only ever go in one direction： downwards. There is a large literature blaming long-term decline on sloth, complacency and amateurism. Brexit is just another opportunity to lament lost relevance.
This sense of decline is felt keenly in capital markets. Sterling was once the global currency but it now accounts for less than 5% of foreign-exchange reserves. Britain's money markets used to stand out in Europe for their high interest rates； but no longer. And Britain's stock market is a shadow of its former self. Big IPOS are as rare as rocking-horse dung. This scarcity along with years of share underperformance has seen Britain's share of global market capitalisation shrink markedly.
So accepted has the narrative of decline become, that it is probably time to bet the other way. The economy is poised for a sharp recovery. London's bourse is stuffed with the shares of companies--miners, banks and energy firms-that ought to do well in an environment of rising inflation. And though fixing the structural deficiencies of Britain's capital markets is a big task, it is not impossible.
On cyclical grounds, there is a strong case for Britain. The immediate outlook for the economy is rosier than almost anywhere. Brexit is done. The world has kept turning. And politics is more stable. The FTSE AlI-Share index is heavy with the kind of cyclical stocks that have been in favour recently. But, lamentably, it is light on the digital champions of tomorrow. This is not for lack of innovation. Britain is rather good at fostering startups. There are various tax breaks to help fledgling companies raise seed capital.
The country still attracts more venture capital than any other in Europe. London is an asset in this regard. If your ambition is to build a globally relevant technology company, it helps to start it in a global city: Berlin is cool and cheap, but lacks a world-class university. Paris is pretty, but French labour laws are a pain, London can be an easier place for the footloose entrepreneur to settle-though a lot rests on how post-Brexit visa schemes work.
When Britain says “it is open for business” , it is taken to mean that is most promising firms are available to be gobbled up by foreign bidders. If there were local alternatives to such deals, its public markets might begin to look more attractive. Decline might even be reversed. In any event, though, the gloom has gone far enough. The case against sterling assets is oversold.
1.What do the Britain mean by saying" it is open for business"（in para.6）?（）
2.What makes Britain weak to recover according to the passage?（）
3.What is the author's attitude towards Britain's economic recovery? （）
4.Which of following is the sign for Britain's economic decline? （ ）
5.What bad habit do the Britons have according to the passage?（ ）
