Question

ARGENTINA’S new government faced public anger over its recent decision to greatly reduce the dollar value of its citizens’ bank savings. More than two-thirds of Argentine bank savings were in US dollars. The country’s recession (衰退)，which is in its fourth year, has left a third of Argentine’s 36 million people in poverty.

A few angry people took the streets on January 21, beating pots and pans in protest. And a group of unemployed Argentines demanding jobs blocked a major highway into Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires.

Argentines fear they could lose up to half the dollar value of their savings. Some on the street said the country’s fifth president in the past month has already failed them.

After three weeks in power, President Eduardo Duhalde has broken his first and biggest promise. He said he would return people’s savings in the currency in which were deposited(开户). Duhalde aims to make exports more competitive. But this is expected to have a serious effect on ordinary families, for the simple reason that in Argentine, 80 percent of loans and mortgages(抵押) are in dollars. The government froze all the bank savings made in dollars, worth US$45 billion in total to stop a run on banks. This cause huge street protest earlier this month and contributed to the downfall of two governments. “Most of my life savings were just taken away from me, “ said Jose, a 38-year-old citizen. “I was going to move to Italy but now I can’t because my money is trapped here. Argentina is like a prison.”

The government loosened the new banking rules a little bit on January 17. However, people still don’t have free access to their bank account. They are only allowed to take out rapidly devaluing pesos, even though their savings are in US dollars.

The banking controls will remain in place for about three months, with a few exceptions for the elderly or people with sever illnesses who need crash.

1.How many people have been left in poverty because of Argentina’s economic recession?

A. all Argentines people                    B. 24 million people

C. 12 million people                    D. 36 million people

2.What cause Argentines to protest in the streets earlier this month?

A. Argentina’s economic recession.

B. Argentina’s new government made its people angry.

C. Argentina’s government froze all the bank savings made in US dollars.

D. Two of Argentina’s governments failed to make exports more competitive.

3.What does the sentence… my money is trapped here” mean_____?

A. My bank savings have been frozen by the government.

B. I don’t want to take my money away.

C. I don’t have any money in the bank.

D. My money has been taken by the Italian government.

4.According to the article, which of the following sentences is correct?

A. people can get their money from the bank freely.

B. People are only allowed to get US dollars from the bank.

C. The government will only allow people to get pesos from the bank.

D. The banking controls will loosen a little in three months’ time.

5.Argentines cannot get US dollars from the bank unless they are_____.

A. ordinary people                  B. rich or government officials

C. poor people                      D. old or seriously ill

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.A

4.C

5.D