When the residents of Buenos Aires want to change the pesos they do not trust into the dollars they do, they go to an office that acts as a front for thriving illegal exchange market.
As the couriers carry their bundles of pesos around Buenos Aires, they pass grand buildings like the Teatro Colon, an opera house that opened in 1908, and the Retiro railway station, completed in 1915. In the 43 years leading up to 1914, GDP had grown at an annual rate of 6%, the fastest recorded in the world. In 1914 half of Buenos Aires’s population was foreign-born. Its income per head was 92% of the average of 16 rich economies.
It never got better than this. Its income per head is now 43% of those same 16 rich economies; it trails Chile and Uruguay in its own backyard.
The country’s dramatic decline has long puzzled economists. “If a guy has been hit
Argentina was rich in 1914 because of commodities; its industrial base was only weakly developed. The landowners who made Argentina rich were not so bothered about educating it: cheap labor was what counted.
Without a good education system, Argentina struggled to create competitive industries. It had benefited from technology in its Belle Epoque period, but Argentina mainly consumed technology from abroad rather than inventing its own.
Argentina had become rich by making a triple bet on agriculture, open market and Britain, its biggest trading partner. If that bet turned sour, it would require a severe adjustment. The First World War delivered the initial blow to trade. Next came the Depression, which crushed the open trading system on which Argentina depended. Dependence on Britain, another country in decline, backfired(失败) as Argentina’s favored export market signed preferential deals with Commonwealth countries.
After the Second World War, when the rich world began its slow return to free trade with the negotiation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, Argentina had become a more closed economy. An institution to control foreign trade was created in 1946; the share of trade as a percentage of GDP continued to fall. High food prices meant big profits for farmers but empty stomachs for ordinary Argentines. Open borders increased farmers’ taking but sharpened competition from abroad for domestic industry. Heavy export taxes on crops allow the state to top up its decreasing foreign-exchange reserves; limits on wheat exports create surpluses(过剩) that drive down local prices. But they also dissuade farmers from planting more land, enabling other countries to steal market shares.
1. Grand buildings are mentioned in the second paragraph to show ________.| A．Argentines were talented |
| B．Argentina was once a rich country |
| C．Argentines miss the past of Argentina |
| D．Argentina has a suitable infrastructure |
| A．Argentina is richer than Uruguay. |
| B．Argentina was once attractive to immigrants. |
| C．Britain is playing a leading role in the development of Argentina. |
| D．Argentina is not serious about its agriculture and open markets. |
| A．the decline of Argentina welcomes an analysis from authorities |
| B．it is hard to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline |
| C．it takes time to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline |
| D．Argentina has declined for many reasons |
| A．They wanted bring in a bigger profit. |
| B．They hadn’t realized the importance of education. |
| C．They wanted to keep farmers under control. |
| D．They put emphasis on economic development of the country. |
| A．Argentina depends heavily on foreign technology. |
| B．Many world events caused Argentina to break down. |
| C．Argentina failed in adjusting itself appropriately. |
| D．The conflicts between classes needed to be solved. |
| A．Expectations about Argentina’s future. |
| B．Adjustments for attracting foreign capital. |
| C．Proper distribution of national budgets. |
| D．Institutions needed to develop successful policies. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Barcelona's famous Segrada Familia is finally set to get a building licence, 137 years after work on the still uncompleted church began.
Construction on the UNESCO World Heritage basilica(长方形基督教堂), which is Barcelona's most visited tourist attraction, began in 1882 based on a design by architect Francisco Lozano. However, when he stepped down, architect Antoni Gaudi took over the design in 1883. The building won't be finished until 2026-one hundred years after the architect was killed by a streetcar in the city. His body was buried in a room under the floor of the Sagrada Familia.
To get its paperwork rubber stamped, the church authorities have agreed to finally pay the government a∈36 million fee for a building permit. Gaudi was told to get the paperwork processed, but the architect failed to do so—proceeding with construction regardless. The money from the church's permit will be used to upgrade transport links and beautify the area. Gaudi and his works have become symbols of Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia, northeast Spain.
Gaudi played an active role in directing the construction of the Sagrada Familia until his death in 1926. He would often request that work be modified and adjusted until it was exactly what he had in mind. However, interpretation of the designs by present day architects is particularly challenging because of the nature of the existing designs.
The unfinished building is called a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and it is perhaps the most unique and mysterious building in the style ever constructed. The popularity of the site with tourists has helped fund the push to complete the church and pay for the paperwork.
1. What do we know about the Segrada Familia?| A．It has been completely constructed. |
| B．It was first designed by Antoni Gaudi. |
| C．It will get a building permit in 2026. |
| D．It began to be built 137 years ago. |
| A．He wished to be buried in the church |
| B．He is remembered as a great architect. |
| C．He didn't know a permit was necessary. |
| D．He is to blame for the unfinished church. |
| A．Its unusual design style |
| B．Its two famous architects. |
| C．Its special building materials. |
| D．Its illegal construction paperwork |
| A．in the support of the government |
| B．by reducing construction costs |
| C．with the aid of tourist income |
| D．through donations from architects |
【推荐2】Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures “everything except what makes life worthwhile.” With Britain voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted to slow as a result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.
The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century. Many argue that it is a mistaken concept. It measures things that do not matter and misses things that do. By most recent measures, the UK’s GDP has been the envy of the Western world, with record low unemployment and high growth figures. If everything was going so well, then why did over 17 million people vote for Brexit, despite the warnings about what it could do to their country’s economic prospects?
A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being throws some light on that question. Across the 163 countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that economic growth is translated into meaningful improvements for its citizens. Rather than just focusing on GDP, over 40 different sets of criteria from health, education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more all-round assessment of how countries are performing.
While all of these countries face their own challenges, there are a number of common themes. Yes, there has been an economic recovery since the 2008 global crash, but in key indicators in areas such as health and education, major economies have continued to decline. Yet this isn’t the case with all countries. Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including civil society, income equality and environment.
This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the only measure of a country’s success, the world looks very different.
So what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations, as a measure, it is no longer enough. It does not include important factors such as environmental quality or education outcomes — all things that contribute to a person’s sense of well-being.
1. Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he _______.| A．praised the UK for its GDP | B．identified GDP with happiness |
| C．misinterpreted the role of GDP | D．had a low opinion of GDP |
| A．the UK is unwilling to reshape its economic pattern |
| B．many people in the UK don’t think much of GDP as the measure of success |
| C．the UK will contribute less to the world economy |
| D．policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP |
| A．Its results are inspiring. | B．It is sponsored by 163 countries. |
| C．Its criteria are questionable. | D．It removes GDP as an indicator. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Critical. | D．Defensive. |
Singapor’s glory since its rebirth in 1965 has been a miracle, largely because of the light of Lee. By 1978, the transformation of Singapore into a modern city-state had become an inspiration for Deng Xiaoping, who having just emerged as the paramount leader of China was looking for a way to lead the country out of isolation and poverty. Drawing inspiration from Lee and the success story of Singapore, Deng visited the city-state in 1978 and met with Lee for the first time. Lee said that if Singaporeans can do it, China can also do it.
Soon after returning from Singapore, Deng launched a series of reforms in China. Over the subsequent decades, China has continued the reform and opening-up and it is now the second-largest economy in the world. Perhaps it could be said that part of the plan for China's great reform and transformation took shape in Singapore in 1978 during Deng's meetings with Lee. Ever since that fateful visit, China has learned from Singapore the finer points of governance, management and economic growth. No wonder, over the years China has sent many Party, government and corporate officials to receive training in Singapore.
In 1994, the Singapore Industrial Park in Suzhou, Jiangsu province (now renamed the Suzhou Industrial Park) was set up. Over the years, the industrial park has become a testing ground for many new reform programs in China, including those for social security, venture capital and private equity.
More recently, President Xi Jinping emphasized that China can still learn many things from Singapore.
Today, many people talk about the 21st century being the “Asian century” or the “Asia-Pacific century”, while others have started talking of the “Asian dream”. But Lee was one of the first Asians who truly stood out and demonstrated to the world that Asians can make a difference in terms of global growth and development. Lee’s legacy is based on a solid and healthy dosage of pragmatism, realism, innovation, and commitment to making a better tomorrow.
After 50 years of constant innovation and ceaseless efforts, Singapore is the most developed country among the 10 ASEAN member states, one of the most developed countries in Asia and one of the most successful economies in the world. Rather than being caught up in the day-to-day travails, Lee always chose to stand on the top of the mountain and look beyond the horizon to see deep into the future, which made him a leader of wisdom, courage and vision.
1. According to the passage, we can know ___________.
| A．Few people know the true meaning of “ Kuan Yew” in the world |
| B．The transformation of Singapore started in 1978 |
| C．Deng xiaoping paid a visit to Singapore in 1978 because of the good relationship |
| D．Deng Xiaoping had never met with Lee Kuan Yew before 1978 |
| A．the successful experience of Singapore has greatly influenced china’s reform and transformation |
| B．the Suzhou Industrial Park has tried many new reform programs in China |
| C．the Asians made few contributions to the global growth and development |
| D．constant innovation and ceaseless efforts make Singapore one of the most developed countries in Asia |
①Distinguished
②wise
③easy-going
④brave
⑤creative
⑥visionary
| A．①②④⑥ | B．②③⑤⑥ |
| C．①③⑤⑥ | D．②③④⑤ |
| A．the contributions of Lee Kuan Yew made to china |
| B．the story of a great leader--- Lee Kuan Yew |
| C．the relationship between Lee Kuan Yew and Chinese leaders |
| D．“Light and glory” of Asia example to world |
