王长喜六级考试标准阅读60篇
第51篇：(Unit 13,Passage 3)
With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can no w watch the Corporation’s news coverage, as well as listen to it.
And of course in Britain listeners and viewers can tune into two BBC television channels, five BB C national radio services and dozens of local radio stations. They are brought sport, comedy, musi c, news and current affairs, education, religion, parliamentary coverage, children’s programs and f ilms for an annual license fee of 83 per household.
It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years—yet the BBC’s future is now in doubt. Th e Corporation will survive as a publicly-funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time bei ng, but its role, its size and its programs are now the subject of a nationwide debate in Britain.
The debate was launched by the government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC—i ncluding ordinary listeners and viewers—to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, an d even whether they thought if it was worth keeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC’s r oyal charters runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is or to ma ke changes.
Defenders of the Corporation—of whom there are many—are fond of quoting the American sloga n “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The BBC “ain’t broke”, they say, by which they mean it is not bro ken (as distinct from the word “broke”, meaning having no money), or why bother to change it? Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing. The com mercial TV channels—ITV and Channel 4—were required by the Thatcher Government’s Broadc asting Act to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers, and cutting cos ts and jobs. But it is the arrival of new satellite channels—funded partly by advertising and partl
y by viewers’ subscriptions—which will bring about the biggest change in the long term.
1.The world famous BBC now is confronted with ___.
A.the problem of news coverage
B.an uncertain prospect
C.inquiries by the general public
D.shrinkage of audience
2.In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue?
A.Extension of its TV service to Far East.
B.Programs as the subject of a nation-wide debate.
C.Potentials for further international co-operations.
D.Its existence as a broadcasting organization.
3.The BBC’s“royal charter” (Paragraph 4) represents ___.
A.the financial support from the royal family
B.the privileges granted by the Queen
C.a contract with the Queen
D.a unique relationship with the royal family
4.The word “broke” in “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” means ___.
A.broke down
B.bankrupt
C.fragmented
D.penniless
5.The first and foremost reason why the BBC has to read just itself is no other than ___.
A.the emergence of commercial TV channels
B.the enforcement of Broadcasting Act by the government
C.the urgent necessity to reduce cost—and—job expenses
D.the challenges of new satellite channels
第51篇答案：BCCDD
第52篇：(Unit 13,Passage 4)
Federal Reserve System, central banking system of the United States, popularly called the Fe
d. A central bank serves as the banker to both the banking community and the government; it als o issues the national currency, conducts monetary policy, and plays a major role in the supervisio n and regulation of banks and bank holding companies. In the U.S. these function are the responsi bilities of key officials of the Federal Reserve System: the Board of Governors, located in Washin gton, D.C., and the top officers of 12 district Federal Reserve banks, located throughout the natio n. The Fed’s actions, described below, generally have a significant effect on U.S. interest rates an d, subsequently, on stock, bond, and other financial markets.
The Federal Reserve’s basic powers are concentrated in the Board of Governors, which is paramo unt in all policy issues concerning bank regulation and supervision and in most aspects of monetar y control. The board enunciates the Fed’s policies on both monetary and banking matter. Becaus e the board is not an operating agency, most of the day-to day implementation of policy decisions i s left to the district Federal Reserve banks, stock in which is owned by the commercial banks tha t are members of the Federal Reserve System. Ownership in this instance, however, does not impl y control; the Board of Governors and the heads of the Reserve banks orient their policies to the p ublic interest rather than to the benefit of the private banking system.
The U.S. banking system’s regulatory apparatus is complex; the authority of the Federal Reserve i s shared in some instances for example, in mergers or the examination of banks with other Federa l Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In the critical area of regulating the nation’s money suppl y in accordance with national economic goals, however, the Federal Reserve is independent withi n the government, Income and expenditures of the Federal Reserve banks and of the board of gove rnors are not subject to the congressional appropriation process; the Federal Reserve is self-financi ng. Its income ($20.2 billion in 1992) comes mainly from Reserve bank holdings of income-earnin g securities, primarily those of the U.S. government. Outlays ($1.5 billion in 1992) are mostly fo