2013同等学力申硕英语每日一练 11月22日

 　　Governments that want their people to prosper in the burgeoning world economy should guarantee two basic rights : the right to private property and the right to enforceable contracts , says Mancur Olson in his book Power and Prosperity . Olson was an economics professor at the University of Maryland until his death in 1998 .

　　Some have argued that such rights are merely luxuries that wealthy societies bestow , but Olson turns that argument around and asserts that such rights are essential to creating wealth . " Incomes are low in most of the countries of the world , in short , because the people in those countries do not have secure individual rights , " he says .

　　Certain sirnple economic activities , such as food gathering and making handicrafts , rely mostly on individual labor ; property is not necessary . But more advanced activities , such as the mass production of goods , require machines and factories and offices . This production is often called capital-intensive , but it is really propert-intensive , Olson observes.

　　“No one would normally engage in capital-intensive production if he or she did not have rights that kept the valuable capital from being taken by bandits , whether roving or stationary , " he argues . “There is no private property without government-individuals may have possessions , the way a dog possesses a bone , but there is private property only if the society protects and defends a private right to that possession against other private parties and against the government as well . "

　　Would-be entrepreneurs, no matter how small , also need a government and court system that will make sure people honor their contracts . In fact , the banking systems relied on by developed nations are based on just such an enforceable contract system . " We would not deposit our money in banks … ，if we could not rely on the bank having to honor its contract with us , and the bank would not be able to make the profits it needs to stay in business if it could not enforce its loan contracts with borrowers , " Olson writes .

　　Other economists have argued that the poor economies of Third World and communist countries are the result of governments setting both prices and the quantities of goods produced rather than letting a free market determine them . 0lson agrees there is sorne merit to this point of view , but he argues that government intervention is not enough to explain the poverty of thesecountries . Rather , the real problem is lack of individual rights that give people incentive to generate wealth . " If a society has clear and secure in dividual rights , there are Strong incentives (刺激，动力)to produce , invest , and engage in mutually advantageous trade , and therefore at least some economic advance , " Olson C。ncludes .

　　1. Which of the following is true about olson ?

　　A . He was a fiction writer .

　　B . He edited the book Power and Prosperity .

　　C . He taught economics at the University of Maryland .

　　D . He was against the ownership of private property .

　　2. Which of the following represents Olson ' s point or view ?

　　A . Protecting individual property rights encourages wealth building .

　　B . only in wealthy societies do people have secure individual rights .

　　C . Secure individual rights are brought about by the wealth of the society .

　　D . In some countries , people Don’t have secure individual rights because they ' re poor .

　　3. What does 0lson think about mass production ?

　　A . It , s capital-intensive .

　　B . It ' s propert-intensive .

　　C . It relies on individual lahor .

　　D . It relies on individual skills .

　　4 . What is the basis for the banking system ?

　　A . Contract system that can be enforced .

　　B . People ' s willingness to deposit money in banks .

　　C . The possibility that the bank can make profits from its borrowers .

　　D . The fact that some people have surplus money while some need loans .

　　5. According to Olson , what is the reason for the poor economies of Third World countries ?

　　A . Government intervention .

　　B . Lack of secure individual rights.

　　C . Being short of capital.

　　D . Lack of a free market.

　　6 . In the first sentence of Paragraphs , the word " Would-be " can be best replaced by “______”

　　A . Named

　　B . Expected

　　C . Sound

　　D . Like

　　答案解析：

　　1. 【答案】 C

　　【 解析】 本题中，A 项在文中未被提及;B 、D 两项与文章的意思不符。根据第一段最后一句“Olson was an economics professor at the University of Malyland until his death in 1998 . ( Olson-直在马里兰大学任经济学教授直至1998年去世)" ，所以选C。

　　2. 【答案】 A

　　【 解析】 本题中，B 、C 两项在文中未被提及;D 项与文章的意思不符。根据第二段第一句的后半句“Olson turns that argurnent around and asserts that such rights are essential to creating wealth.(Olson 颠覆了那个论点，声称这种权利对于创造财富至关重要)" ，所以A 项正确。

　　3. 【答案】 B

　　【解析】根据第三段的最后一句“This production is often called capital-intensive , but it is really property-intensive , Olson observes . (这种生产往往被称为资本密集型生产，但Olson 认为其实这是财产密集型生产)”可知，B 项为正确答案。

　　4. 【答案】 A

　　【解析】根据第五段第二句“In fact , the banking systems relied on by developed nations are based on just such an enforceable contract system . ”可知，银行体系的基础就是银行与其客户之间的协议可以得到执行，因此A 项正确。

　　5. 【答案】B

　　【解析】从文章的最后一段可知，Olson 认为第三世界国家贫困的真正原因在于人们没有个人权利，也就没有动力去创造财富。因此B 项为正确答案。

　　6. 【答案】B

　　【解析】 句中would-be 意为“将要成为的，想要成为的”。B 项expected 意为“预期要发生的;期待中的(用作定语)"，因此B 项正确。