考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx

考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx

《考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx（39页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分

Onlinebooksellersfacehigher

costsforshippingabroad

THEPostalServiceistakingthe“ship”outofshipping,andthousandsofsmallonlinebooksellersarebracingfortrouble.

Thepostofficesaidlastmonththatasofmid-May,itwouldnolongertransportgoodsinternationallyviacargoshipsforindividualcustomers.Theseso-calledsurfacedeliverieshavebeenthecrucialmethodbywhichbooksellershavesoldbookstoforeignmarketsbecausethecostisaboutone-thirdthatofairmail.

AnalystssaidAwouldnotbeaffectedbythechange;internationalbookshipmentsrepresentasmallfractionofitsbusiness,andbecause,likeotherhigh-volumebusinesses,itcanqualifyfordiscountsonforeignshipments.

Butmanythousandsofsmallerused-andrare-bookmerchantssaytheywillsuffer,sincetheyrelyonforeigndemand.

“Ifpostagecostsasmuch,ifnotmore,thanthebook,it’llbehardtosellbooks,”saidRobStuart,ownerofFrenchboroB,asellerofrareandantiquebooksinFrenchboro,Maine.“Andmaybe25percentormoreofmybookssellinternationally.”

Inannouncingthechangeslastmonth,thepostofficesaiddemandforinternationalair-maildeliverywasincreasingattheexpenseofsea-borneservices,whichaccountforjust2.7percentofforeigndeliveries.“Asaresult,efficientinternationalsurfacedeliverynetworkshavediminishedandcostshavedramaticallyincreased,”thePostalServicesaid.

Mr.Stuartcalledthechanges“abrutalreality”thatputhiminadifficultposition,sincehisentiretownmayfeeltheeffects.Hiscompanyhasshippedenoughrareandantiquebookstosustainmaildeliveriesforthe75residentsofFrenchboro,anislandabouteightmilesoffMaine’snortheastcoast.NowMr.Stuart,whoisalsoatownselectman,saidtheisland’smaildeliveriescouldbethreatened,andhemayalsobeforcedtolayoffapart-timeworker.

YvonneYoerger,aspokeswomanforthePostalService,saidcustomersaren’tyetawareofotheroptions.Shesaid“customizedagreements”forsurfacemailarebeingdevelopedforhigher-volumeshippersthatwillbeenhancedoverthenextseveralmonthstoaddresstheneedsofsmallbusinesses.“ThePostalServicehasalongstandingcommitmenttosmallbusinessesandisworkingtoaccommodatecustomersneedsastheinternationalmailchangestakeeffect,”Ms.Yoergersaid.

PhilipBevis,chiefexecutiveofArundelBooks,whichsellsonlineandinitsSeattlestore,saidhedidnotbelievesuchcustomizedagreementswouldextendtosmallbooksellerslikehim.

“IthinkthePostalServicedangledthattodefuseanypushback,”Mr.Bevissaid.“Iftheywerereallyseriousaboutthis,theywould’vepushedbackthecancellationofsurfacemailuntiltheycouldincorporatetheseotherstandards.”BecausesmallbooksellerstypicallylisttheirinventorieswithmultipleWebsites,likeAmazon,AbeBandA,thenewshippingcostswillbefelt,tovaryingdegrees,uptheindustry’sfoodchainuntilthosecustomizedagreementsarefinal.

Thefallingdollar

THEdollar’stumblethisweekwasattendedbypredictableshrieksfromthemarkets;butasitfelltoa20-monthlowof$1.32againsttheeuro,theonlyrealsurprisewasthatithadnotslippedsooner.Indeed,therearegoodreasonstoexpectitsslidetocontinue,draggingitbelowtherecordlowof$1.36againsttheeurothatithitinDecember2004.

TherecentdeclinewastriggeredbynastynewsabouttheAmericaneconomy.Newfiguresthisweeksuggestedthatthehousingmarket’stroublesarehavingawiderimpactontheeconomy.Consumerconfidenceanddurable-goodsordersbothfellmoresharplythanexpected.Incontrast,Germanbusinessconfidencehasrisentoa15-yearhigh.TherearealsomountingconcernsthatcentralbanksinChinaandelsewhere,whichhavebeenpilingupdollarsassiduouslyforyears,maystartselling.

Yetcyclicalfactorsonlypartlyexplainwhythedollarhasbeenstrong.Atbottom,itsattractivenessisbasedmoreonstructuralfactors—or,moreaccurately,onanillusionaboutstructuraldifferencesbetweentheAmericanandEuropeaneconomies.

Themainreasonforthedollar’sstrengthhasbeenthewidespreadbeliefthattheAmericaneconomyvastlyoutperformedtheworld’sotherrichcountryeconomiesinrecentyears.Butthefiguresdonotsupportthehype.Sure,America’sGDPgrowthhasbeenfasterthanEurope’s,butthatismostlybecauseitspopulationhasgrownmorequicklytoo.Digdeeperandthedifferenceshrinks.Officialfiguresofproductivitygrowth,whichshouldintheorybeanimportantfactordrivingcurrencymovements,exaggerateAmerica’slead.Ifthetwoaremeasuredonacomparablebasis,productivitygrowthoverthepastdecadehasbeenalmostthesameintheeuroareaasithasinAmerica.Evenmoreimportant,thelatestfiguressuggestthat,whereasproductivitygrowthisnowslowinginAmerica,itisacceleratingintheeurozone.

So,contrarytopopularperceptions,America’seconomyhasnotsignificantlyoutperformedEurope’sinrecentyears.Andtoachievethisnot-much-better-thanparity,Americahashadtopumpitselffullofsteroids.Since2000itsstructuralbudgetdeficit（afteradjustingfortheimpactoftheeconomiccycle）haswidenedsharply,whileAmericanhouseholds’savingratehasplunged,causingthecurrent-accountdeficittoswell.Overthesameperiod,theeuro-areaeconomiessawnofiscalstimulusandhouseholdsavingbarelybudged.

America’sgrowth,thus,hasbeendrivenbyconsumerspending.Thatspending,supportedbydwindlingsavingandincreasedborrowing,isclearlyunsustainable;andtheconsequenteconomicandfinancialimbalancesmustinevitablyunwind.Asthathappens,thecountrycouldfaceaprolongedperiodofslowergrowth.

AsforEurope,theoldcontinentishobbledbyinflexibleproductandlabourmarkets.Butthat,paradoxically,isanadvantage:

itmeanstheplacehasalotofscopeforimprovement.SomeEuropeancountriesarebeginningtocontemplate（and,toalimitedextent,undertake）economicreforms.Iftheypushahead,theirgrowthcouldactuallyspeedupoverthecomingyears.Onceinvestorsspotthis,theyarelikelytoconcludethattheeuroisabetterbetthanthedollar.

Democratsandglobalwarming

 ARECENTsketchon“SaturdayNightLive”suggestedhowtheworldwouldbeifAlGorehadwonthepresidencyin2000.“Inthelastsixyearswehavebeenabletostopglobalwarming,”intonedMrGore.“Noonecouldhavepredictedthenegativeresultsofthis.Glaciersthatonceweremeltingarenowontheattack.”

NerdyenvironmentalismisMrGore’sforte.Hewouldhaveriddenthathobby-horseinthe2000campaign,accordingtoJoeKleinin“PoliticsLost”,ifhispoliticalconsultantshadnotmuzzledhim.Now,almostalone,hehasbroughthisfavouriteissuebackintothepoliticalspotlight.Hisfilmaboutthehorrorsofglobalwarming,“AnInconvenientTruth”,openedthisweekinLosAngelesandNewYork.

Withitcomesinevitabletalkofanothertryatthepresidency.MrGoreconsistentlywavesthataway.ButotherprominentDemocratsareraisingtheirvoicesforthecause.ThisweekSenatorHillaryClintonurgedactiononglobalwarminginabigspeechonenergypolicyinWashington,DC.Notably,shepraisedMrGore（nowapotentialrivalfor2008,whateverhesays）asa“committedvisionaryonglobalwarmingformorethantwodecades”.Lastweek,herhusbandBilltoldgraduatesattheUniversityofTexas’spublicaffairsschoolinAustin—astemperaturesoutsidesoaredto34°C—that“Climatechangeismoreremotethanterror,butamoreprofoundthreat.”

Dovoterscare?

AlthoughaGalluppollthisspringfoundthat67%ofrespondentsthoughtthequalityoftheenvironmentwas“gettingworse”（afairlysteadyrisefrom54%in2002）,climatechangeishardlyintheclassofIraqorhealthcare.Anditisstillrareforpoliticianstomentionitonthestump.BillRitter,theDemocraticnomineeforgovernorinColorado,notesthatglobalwarmingisaworryfortheskiindustryinhisstate—butsayshisaudiencescaremoreaboutthequalityoftheirwaterortheirair.Mostmidwesternpoliticiansnowadayscannottalkenoughaboutalternativefuels,buttheylinkthemtotheeconomy（andnationalsecurity）ratherthanclimatechange,hopingforaboostforlocalcornorsoyabeanfarmers.

Afewbadhurricanesmaychangethatindifference.The2006seasonbeginsnextweek,andfederalmeteorologistspredictitwillbeparticularlynasty.Althoughconservativeshavevigorouslydisputedthelinkbetweenglobalwarmingandlastyear’sdreadfulstorms,anotherKatrinacouldpushpeopleovertheedge.GreggEasterbrookoftheBrookingsInstitution,athink-tank,saysthatpoliticiansalsoneedanewtack.Insteadofdwellingongloomanddoom,theyshouldappealtoAmericanoptimism,emphasisingthattheproblemcanprobablybesolvedafterall,andcheaperandfasterthananyonethinks.

Andwhataboutconservatives?

GeorgeBushhasrecentlyconcededthatAmericais“addictedtooil”,buthestillarguesaboutthecausesofglobalwarming.（“HemaybethelastpersoninAmericawhorefusestoacceptthescienceonthis,”sighsJayInslee,acongressmanfromWashingtonstate.）JohnMcCain,anotherpossiblepresidentialcontenderin2008,hasbeenoutinfront.Hehassponsoredlegislation（withJoeLieberman,aDemocrat）forcap-and-tradeemissionsofgreenhousegases,anddeclaredinarecentspeechinPhoenixthat“Climatechangeisrealandishavingamajorimpactonourwayoflife.”

Seychelles:

Apresidentinparadise

BESTknownasadestinationforhoneymoonersinsearchofperfectwhitebeachesandswayingpalms,theSeychellesislandsrare