阅读试题

Passage 30
The U.S. dollar was supposed to be at the end of its rope. Kicking the bucket. A dying symbol of a dying empire. Well, maybe not. The dollar continues to _1_ gloom-and-doom predictions. After a swoon (低迷）last year, the dollar is again enjoying a major _2_. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the dollar’s value against other major currencies, is just off an eight-month high.
The main reason behind the dollar’s recovery is actually no real surprise at all. There is no _3_ able to replace the dollar as the world’s No.l currency. What makes currencies so fascinating is that their perceived value is always relative to other currencies. Sure, the U.S. budget deficit is _4_, the government’s debt is increasing, and Wall Street is still repairing itself. But the dollar remains the prettiest of a flock of ugly ducklings. Is any other major industrialized economy _5_ better off than the U.S.? Not really. Just about the _6_ developed world is suffering with the same problems. That’s why when investors get nervous, they still rush to the good old dollar. The dollar wins because no one else is really in the game.
The euro has been exposed as a _7_. Only a few months ago, economists truly believed the euro could _8_ the dollar as the top reserve currency. Now experts are questioning if the euro has a future at all. The Greek debt crisis has _9_ that the euro is only as strong as its weakest link.
Maybe over the next 20 or 30 years，the dollar will slowly lose the _10_ status it holds today. That process, however, could well be driven by the appearance of new rivals.
A)fraud B)consistently C)dominant D)expanding
E)entire F)incentive G)rival H)alleged
I)defy J)particularly K)alternative L)relative
M)revealed N)intriguing O)rally

解题思路

Passage 30
解题思路
1.[I] continues to表明此处需填入动词原形。上文的maybe not提示美元可能未没落，本句内容延续此意。而空格后的gloom-and-doom predictions表示“美元注定走向没落的预测”，故空格处填人的词应含有否定含义，defy“不服从，蔑视;挑战”符合语境。
2.[O]根据空格前的enjoying和a，可知此处应填人含积极意义的单数名词。rally有“价格回稳之意，跟下文的an eight-month high及recovery照应，表示美元经过了去年的低迷，再次止跌回升了。
3.[K]此处需填入名词。根据空格后的后置定语“能代替美元作为世界第一货币”，可知alternative“供选择的东西”符合语境，与replace the dollar…语义连贯。
4.[D]根据空格后两个并列句的结构，可知此处应填入与increasing和repairing形式一致的现在分词。空格后提到政府的债务正在增加，故此句所说的美国预算赤字应该也在增加。expanding表示“扩大，增加”，符合上下文语义。
5.[J]空格所在句主干结构完整，意为:是否有其他国家的工业化经济比美国还要好？故应填入副词。Particularly“尤其”可形容程度，符合上下文语义。下文Not really表明其他国家的工业化经济都比不上美国，故排除 consistently “一贯地;一向”。
6.[E]此处应填人修饰developed world的词。上文的Not really表明没有哪个工业化国家比美国更好，故此处表示“全部的”发达国家都遭受同样的问题，entire与上文any other呼应，符合语境。
7.[A]不定冠词a表示此处应填入可数名词单数形式。下文说到，经济学家之前完全相信(truly believed)欧元可以作为最好的储备货币，而现在专家们对此表示质疑(questioning)。因此空格所在句表达的意思应为欧元不可信，fraud“骗子”符合上下文语义。
8.[G] could表明此处需填入动词原形。根据空格后的as the top reserve currency(作为最佳储备货币），可知此处表示欧元和美元竞争该殊荣，rival“竞争;相匹敌”符合语境。
9.[M]此处应填入动词的过去分词，与has—起构成完成时态。revealed“显露；透露”符合此处语境，表示希腊债务危机“显示了”欧元最强的一面也是其最弱的一面。
10.[C]此处需填入修饰status的词。上文表明美元现在还是处于重要地位，故dominant“主要的，统治的”正确，这里指未来20年或30年后美元可能会慢慢失去现有的统治地位。