考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx
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考研英语必看阅读文章争取80分.docx
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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
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