Part A: Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 4

Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project’s greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a “Bermuda triangle” of debt, population decline and lower growth.

As well as those chronic problems, the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone’s economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.

Yet the debate about how to save Europe’s single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone’s dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonise.

Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrowing, spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi-automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects, and even the suspension of a country’s voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.

A “southern” camp headed by France wants something different: “European economic government” within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the French government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.

It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world’s largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign.

36. The EU is faced with so many problems that

[A]

it has more or less lost faith in markets. 

[B]

even its supporters begin to feel concerned. 

[C]

some of its member countries plan to abandon euro. 

[D]

it intends to deny the possibility of devaluation. 

37. The debate over the EU’s single currency is stuck because the dominant powers

[A]

are competing for the leading position. 

[B]

are busy handling their own crises. 

[C]

fail to reach an agreement on harmonization. 

[D]

disagree on the steps towards disintegration. 

38. To solve the euro problem, Germany proposed that

[A]

EU funds for poor regions be increased. 

[B]

stricter regulations be imposed. 

[C]

only core members be involved in economic co-ordination. 

[D]

voting rights of the EU members be guaranteed. 

39. The French proposal of handling the crisis implies that

[A]

poor countries are more likely to get funds. 

[B]

strict monetary policy will be applied to poor countries. 

[C]

loans will be readily available to rich countries. 

[D]

rich countries will basically control Eurobonds. 

40. Regarding the future of the EU, the author seems to feel

[A]

pessimistic. 

[B]

desperate. 

[C]

conceited. 

[D]

hopeful. 

答案与解析 (Answers)

36. [B] even its supporters begin to feel concerned.
解析：第一段指出，现在连这个项目“最狂热的支持者/啦啦队长（greatest cheerleaders）”都在谈论欧洲大陆面临的债务、人口和增长危机的“百慕大三角”。这对应了选项B中“连它的支持者也开始感到担忧（feel concerned）”。

37. [C] fail to reach an agreement on harmonization.
解析：第三段提到，关于如何拯救单一货币的辩论陷入了僵局，原因是主导大国法德“在具体协调什么方面存在分歧（disagree about what to harmonise）”。这也就是说它们未能就如何协调达成一致（fail to reach an agreement on harmonization），选C。

38. [B] stricter regulations be imposed.
解析：第四段首句表明，德国认为必须通过关于借贷、开支和竞争力的“更严格的规则（stricter rules）”来拯救欧元，如果政府不遵守还会受到半自动的制裁。stricter rules 完美替换为选项B中的 stricter regulations be imposed（施加更严格的规定）。

39. [A] poor countries are more likely to get funds.
解析：第五段阐述了法国的提议，即“系统性的财富从富裕成员国向较贫穷成员国重新分配（redistribution from richer to poorer members）”，以及通过发行共同的欧洲债券让政府能更便宜地借款，或者直接进行完全的财政转移支付（fiscal transfers）。这暗示穷国将更有可能从中获取资金支持，选A。

40. [D] hopeful.
解析：作者的态度在最后一段表露无遗。“认定欧盟失败还为时过早（It is too soon to write off the EU）”。作者接着赞扬了欧盟，称它依然是世界最大的贸易集团，在最佳状态下是极其开明的，是一次试图削弱全球化锋芒、使资本主义变得温和的“雄心勃勃的尝试（ambitious attempt）”。可见作者对欧盟的未来依然抱有希望（hopeful），选D。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 虚拟语气与时间对比：
"The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project’s greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a “Bermuda triangle” of debt, population decline and lower growth."
【解析】would have sounded 是对过去情况的虚拟，意为“（如果放在不久前），这个问题听起来会很奇怪”。通过过去与现在的强烈对比，突出了欧盟当前面临的危机之严重。

2. 复杂的宾语从句与定语从句嵌套：
"Markets have lost faith that the euro zone’s economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation."
【解析】that 引导同位语从句，解释 faith 的内容。在从句中，主干是 economies will converge。which 引导非限制性定语从句，修饰 preceding idea（共享单一货币的纪律），指出这种机制的副作用：剥夺了缺乏竞争力的成员国通过货币贬值来快速自救的途径。

3. 非谓语动词作状语：
"Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members..."
【解析】Translated 是过去分词作条件/让步状语，意为“翻译过来/通俗地说”。后面跟着 means 的复合宾语，其中 `politicians intervening...` 是带有逻辑主语的动名词结构，表示“政客们干预货币政策”。