雅思英语阅读练习题及答案12可修改Word下载.docx

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第十二篇

★NextYearMarkstheEU'

s50thAnniversaryoftheTreaty

A.

Afteraperiodofintroversionandstunnedself-disbelief,continentalEuropeangovernmentswillrecovertheirenthusiasmforpan-Europeaninstitution-buildingin2007.WhethertheEuropeanpublicwillwelcomeareturntowhatvotersintwocountrieshadrejectedsoshortatimebeforeisanothermatter.

B.

ThereareseveralreasonsforEurope’srecoveringself-confidence.ForyearsEuropeaneconomieshadbeenlaggingdismallybehindAmerica（tosaynothingofAsia）,butin2006thelargecontinentaleconomieshadoneoftheirbestyearsforadecade,brieflyoutstrippingAmericaintermsofgrowth.Sincepoliticsoftenreactstoeconomicchangewithalag,2006’simprovementineconomicgrowthwillhaveitsimpactin2007,thoughtherecoverymaybeebbingbythen.

C.

Thecomingyearalsomarksaparticularpointinapoliticalcyclesoregularthatitalmostseemstoamounttoanaturallaw.Everyfourorfiveyears,Europeancountriestakealargestridetowardsfurtherintegrationbysigninganewtreaty:

theMaastrichttreatyin1992,theTreatyofAmsterdamin1997,theTreatyofNicein2001.Andin2005theyweresupposedtoratifyaEuropeanconstitution,layingthegroundforyetmoreintegration—untilthecalmrhythmwasrudelyshatteredbyFrenchandDutchvoters.Butthepoliticalimpetustosignsomethingeveryfourorfiveyearshasonlybeeninterrupted,notimmobilised,bythissetback.

D.

In2007theEuropeanUnionmarksthe50thanniversaryofanothertreaty—theTreatyofRome,itsfoundingcharter.Governmentleadershavealreadyagreedtocelebrateitceremoniously,restatingtheircommitmentto“evercloserunion”andthebasicidealsofEuropeanunity.Byitself,andinnormalcircumstances,theEU’s50th-birthdaygreetingtoitselfwouldbefairlymeaningless,aroutineexpressionofEuropeangoodfellowship.ButitdoesnottakeaMachiavellitospotthatoncegovernmentshavesignedthedeclaration（anditseemsunlikelyanyonewouldbesouncollegiateastovetoit）theywillalreadybehalfwaytowardscommittingthemselvestoanewtreaty.Allthatwillbenecessarywillbetoincorporatethe50th-anniversarydeclarationintoanewtreatycontaininganumberofinstitutionalandotherreformsextractedfromthefailedattemptatconstitution-buildingand—heypresto—anewquasi-constitutionwillbeready.

E.

AccordingtotheGermangovernment—whichholdstheEU’sagenda-settingpresidencyduringthefirsthalfof2007—therewillbeanewdraftofaslimmed-downconstitutionreadybythemiddleoftheyear,perhapstoputtovoters,perhapsnot.Therewouldthenbeacoupleofyearsinwhichitwillbediscussed,approvedbyparliamentsand,perhaps,puttovotersifthatisdeemedunavoidable.Then,accordingtobureaucraticplannersinBrusselsandBerlin,blithelyignoringthepossibilityofpublicrejection,thewholethingwillbesigned,sealedandanewconstitutiondeliveredin2009-10.Europewillbenicelybackonschedule.Itsfour-to-five-yearcycleofintegrationwillhavemissedonlyonebeat.

F.

TheresurrectionoftheEuropeanconstitutionwillbemademorelikelyin2007becauseofwhatishappeninginnationalcapitals.TheEuropeanUnionisnotreallyanautonomousorganisation.Ifitfunctions,itisbecausetheleadersofthebigcontinentalcountrieswantitto,reckoningthatanactiveEuropeanpolicywillhelpthemgetdonewhattheywanttodointheirowncountries.

G.

Thatdidnothappenin2005-06.Defensive,cynicalandself-destructive,theleadersofthethreelargesteuro-zonecountries—France,ItalyandGermany—werestumblingtowardstheirunlamentedends.TheysawnoreasontopursueanysortofEuropeanpolicyandtheEU,asaresult,barelyfunctioned.Butbythemiddleof2007allthreewillhavegone,andthisfactalonewilltransformtheEuropeanpoliticallandscape.

H.

Theupshotisthatthepoliticsofthethreelargecontinentalcountries,bureaucraticmomentumandtheeconomicsofrecoverywillallbealignedtogiveapushtowardsintegrationin2007.Thatdoesnotmeanthemomentumwillbeirresistibleorevenpopular.TheBritishgovernment,forone,willalmostcertainlynotwanttogowiththeflow,beginningyetanotherchapterinthelonghistoryofconfrontationbetweenBritainandtherestofEurope.Moreimportant,thevoterswillwantasay.Theyrejectedtheconstitutionin2005.Itwouldbefoolishtoassumetheywillacceptitafter2007justasaresultofanartfulbitoftinkering.

Questions1-6

DothefollowingstatemetsreflecttheclaimsofthewriterinReadingPassage1?

WriteyouranswerinBoxes1-6onyouranswersheet.

TRUEifthestatemenhtrefletstheclaimsofthewriter

FALSEifthestatementcontradictstheclaimsofthewriter

NOTGIVENifitispossbiletos