politicians do not seem to be suffering as a result. Mr. Bush's approval ratings have fallen from their sky-highs, but they are still very strong.
The president, therefore, need do no more than talk tough. This alone will convince ordinary Americans that he is on top of the issue. As the economy rebounds and public outage subsides, the clamor for change will be quieter. Democratic attacks will fizzle, and far-reaching reform bills will be watered down before they become law. Politically, the gamble makes sense. Unfortunately for American capitalism, a great opportunity will be missed.
52. We can infer from the third paragraph that Mr. Bush______.
A) didn't intend to take business on and push hard for reform
B) did not do anything at all for the presence of the current situation
C) took shareholders' right into account, but he didn't approve reform bill
D) took some measures to pave the way for the reform
53. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Bush had to offer concrete suggestions for reform as political pressure increase
B) At present, the maximum prison sentence for financial fraud is five year
C) It is laughable that M Bush publicly attacked America's corporate bosses
D) Americans have little faith in their business as well as political leaders
54. Which of the following statements about Mr. Bush is mentioned in this passage?
A) M Bush is the second President with an MBA in American history
B) M Bush contributes a lot to decade-long economic boom
C) M Bush's approval ratings are still high
D) M Bush didn't get support in his presidential campaign
55. The author's attitude towards the reform is______.
A) indifferent
B) optimistic
C) skeptical
D) favorable
56. The phrase \opportunity to______.
A) carry out reform
B) boom economy
C) animate the voters
D) attack chief executive
Passage Two
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In recent decades, there is a phenomenon which makes us give some attention; the so-called Southeast Asian \make economic headlines. The myth of American economic hegemony(霸权) over Asia in the imposing and patriarchal figure of Uncle Sam has provided frequent political grist (有利) for Southeast Asian political leaders, particularly Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir. He has attempted to forge an international reputation as a snarling tiger, but lately sounds more like a barnyard dog groaning at shadows. Without demeaning in any way the remarkable achievements of the newly developing economies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, these nations at times appear to be their own worst enemies. This is often exemplified by Dr. Mahathir, who rails at Western evil whenever an international or domestic crisis provides an opportunity.
To be more specific, the recent devaluation of the Philippine and Thai currencies, and the subsequent pressure on the Malaysian currency has inspired Dr. Mahathir to launch an all-out attack on the West as the source of the problem. He even alleges that the United States has deli-berately destabilized Southeast Asian economies in revenge for these nations, supporting the brutal military rule in Mahathir, an action which the United States seems to want inspected rather than rewarded. But by resorting to such scapegoat (替罪羊), instead of accepting even a bit responsibility, the Prime Minister may undermine the future success of the region and Malaysia in particular.
Upon further questioning, Dr. Mahathir narrowed his attack to one wealthy individual, the well-known philanthropist (慈善家), Mr. George Soros, whose opposition to Myanmar's admission to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Mahathir found
particularity, irritating. The logical mistakes that underlie such conspiracy theories do not help Malaysia address the serious issues of economic overheating that experts have been
warning about for all these difficult periods, which include large deficits and low savings to debt ratios. In fact, the recent dramatic drop in Malaysia's stock market and currency has led Dr. Mahathir to reverse his initial approach to the crisis. He even announces measures that at least imply he is quite aware of excesses in his own administration's spending policies that have contributed to this crisis of confidence. In the end, this kind of reaction undermines the esteem that Dr. Mahathir's enlightened leadership has justly earned.
57. It is implied in the first paragraph that Dr. Mahathir______.
A) has correctly identified the financial problem in Asia
B) tries to manipulate anti-Western actions for political gains
C) detests the USA's controlling over the regional economies
D) believes in the effect of the ghostly influence from the west
58. The author of this essay seems to suggest that______.
A) the devaluation of Malaysia's currency is due to the American plot
B) the Asian Crisis is the result of ASEAN pandering to terrorist governments
C) there is not a serious economic problems in Southeast Asia at all
D) the economic problems in some Asian countries is partly the result of their overheating economy
59. The author suggests the Dr. Mahathir's comments on the currency problems______.
A) prove that he has been a poor leader in general
B) are poor because they weaken his own credibility
C) are sharp in identifying the cause of the problem
D) reveal his keen insight into the complex issue
60. Which of the following is the tone of this essay?
A) Sarcastic and prejudice
B) Objective and detached
C) Piercing and indifferent
D) Impassive and hostile
61. The relative pronoun \
A) theories
B) experts
C) periods
D) issues
Part V Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should