After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(報復的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.

    Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通漲) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.

This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.

George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.

China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network.

 

1.Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?

A. China is the winner in the Sino-US trade.

B. China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.

C. The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency.

D. The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.

2.This passage is in a tone that is ____________.

A. in favor of China

B. in the shoes of US

C. blaming China’s low currency policy

D. helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem

3.The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.

A. reasonable analysis

B. leaders’ quotations

C. figure examples

D. moving stories

4.China’s currency policy ________.

A. will help increase the demand in the US

B. is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills

C. could guide the world economy for the next decade

D. is to be controlled by the international currency groups

 

 

The U.S. government has repeatedly made it clear that it would welcome China’s entrance into the world arena as a power. However, a series of issues since the beginning of this year, particularly Washington's stance on the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises and the South China Sea issue, have made the world think: Is the United States ready to recognize China as a power on the world stage?

       It is easier said than done for the United States to adapt itself to China's development. Lip service is far from enough to boost the development of Sino-U.S. relations. If Washington cannot find a way to recognize and accept China's peaceful rise onto the world stage, bilateral（雙邊的） ties will be like a roller coaster full of ups and downs. However, no one would like to see the negative effects rocky relations would bring to China, the United States and possibly to the world as a whole.

       U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to play a greater role in solving the world's economic, environmental and political problems. She said global issues could not be solved by the United States or China alone, but without participation of the two countries, no problems would likely be solved. Washington has realized that the United States' global interest can be maintained only through changing the way it deals with China.

       The Obama administration released positive signals in its relations with China, which have been interpreted as the United States showing its intention to change the traditional strategy of engagement and containment（遏制）. As a matter of fact, the general direction of Sino-U.S. relations provides a foundation on which the United States can base its foreign policies and is more complicated than an adjustment in real conditions. Issues such as arms sales to Taiwan, Google censorship, RMB exchange rates as well as finger-pointing about economic responsibility show Washington still seems confused and inpatient about relations with China.

       The relationship between China and the United States is the most important and complicated bilateral relationship in the world this century. The development of Sino-U.S. relations will affect world peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist specializing in U.S. foreign policy, said, "America and China will have more than ever to gain from closer political and commercial ties, and must take steps to avoid a Cold War, or worse."

       In that circumstance, the United States needs both wisdom and determination to recognize and accept China, a country that is totally different from its own, as a power on the world stage.

1.The underlined word stance in the first paragraph probably means       .

       A．information         B．opinion               C．ignorance            D．criticism

2.Why does the US have to change the way it deals with China?

       A．The US welcomes Chin’s entrance into the world arena.

       B．The US hopes that China will get more powerful.

       C．Only in this way can China meet all of its demands.

       D．Only in this way can its global interest be maintained.

3.Ian Bremmer thinks both America and China will benefit more from       .

       A．a cold war.          B．keeping patient    C．better cooperation                         D．developing economy

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

       A．Is it Clear that China has become world power?

       B．Is US ready to recognize China as world power?

       C．Is US still the most powerful country in the world?

       D．Is Sino-U.S. relationship the most important and complicated in the world.

 

FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields (梯田) and "splendid" irrigation systems.

It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries.

"I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams."

"We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds (資金), but also create job opportunities and cultivate (培養(yǎng)) talents."

In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic (松下) came to China as the first foreign business to invest (投資) here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth.

However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism (資本主義).

"The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng.

"China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical (制藥的) company.

1.Guo Fenglian was ______ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978. 

A. shocked     B. delighted C. excited         D. attracted

2.______ was the first big country to invest in China. 

A. America  B. Japan C. Swiss D. Panasonic

3.Many people have doubts about the reform ________. 

A. in 1978              B. in 1980        

C. in 1981              D. at the end of the 1980s

4.According to remarks by Deng, which one is NOT the criterion for judging the success or failure of our work in various fields?

A. whether it helps develop socialist productive forces.

B. whether it strengthens the overall capacity of the country.

C. whether it brings about better investment and more profit.

D. whether it improves the peoples living standards. 

 

Why does a large education nation like China have so few world renowned scientists as the US? Educationists from China and the US try to find out the answer to questions like this at a forum on the basic education strategy.

   The forum, held recently, was jointly organized by the Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education in China and the Postgraduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. It aims to find out similarities and differences that exist between two countries in their educational system.

   While some educationists in China keep a doubtful eye to the country’s educational system in recent years. Their American counterparts give a positive answer to the basic education in China, saying that it is still one of the best in the world.

   An American educationist told reporters that the basic education in the US was criticized in recent years due to its political tendency. On the contrary, Chinese government’s stress on basic education and qualified teachers has set a good example.

   At primary and middle school, pupils in China did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils. However, few grow to be world “masters”. Why? Educationists attributed this to China’s stress on examination rather than students’ interest.

   Deputy Director of the postgraduate school of Pennsylvania University said American teachers encouraged students to focus on their strong points. In China, students are driven to study to pass the entrance examination test and they do not pay much attention to their own interest.

   At the forum, director of the Education Development Research Center Mr. Zhang said in the future, the research center would make its middle and long-term basic education strategy by taking some references from other countries including the US.

He also revealed that for a long time in the future, China would make a breakthrough in setting the policy for quality education.

1.This passage is mainly about _________.

   A. quality education development in the future

   B. why China’s education cultivates(培養(yǎng)) few world masters

   C. China’s good basic education

   D. genius education at the primary stage

2.The underlined word “renowned” in the first paragraph probably means ________

   A. famous         B. active           C. qualified        D. experienced

3.Few pupils in China who did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils grow to be

    world “masters”, because _________

   A. The US government spends more money on basic education

   B. American pupils are cleverer than Chinese pupils

   C. basic education in China is not as successful as that of the US

   D. Chinese people pay less attention to students’ interest

4. China’s educational system will _______ in the future.

   A. help students to study even harder to pass the examination

   B. apply more attention to quality education referring to systems of other countries

   C. allow students to pay more attention to their own interest without their test results

   D. copy the educational system in the US