Question

Is it time to kick Russia out of the BRICs （金磚四國）? If so, it may end up sounding like a famous ball-point pen maker-BIC. An argument is being made that Goldman Sach’s famous marketing device（策略）,the BRICs, should really be the BICs.
“Is Russia really worth the name BRICs?” asks Anders Aslund, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in an article for Foreigh Policy. Aslund, who is also co-author with Andrew Kuchins of “The Russian Balance Sheet”, thinks the Russia of Putin and Medvedev is just not worthy of inclusion alongside Brazil, India and China in the list of future economic powerhouses. He writes:
“The country’s economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group. I have just returned from Moscow, which is always dull around this season. For the last seven years, Russia has taken very few measures to improve its economy. Instead, the state has been living on oil and gas. ”
Economically, Aslund has the numbers on his side. The International Monetary Fund figures that the Russian economy will fall by 6.7 percent in 2009, while China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent. There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doing
far better than Russia.
But the BRICs are not just about economy. As is mentioned above, it is a marketing device to encourage investors to focus on the big promising players. From an investment standpoint, it could be argued that Russia is leading the BRICs. Its stock（股票）market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent is for the other three.
At very least, however, Russia’s economic underperformance and stock market outperfoumance does suggest it is indeed one of the group.
【小題1】According to the passage, which country will enjoy the biggest increase in 2009?

A．China.

B．Russia.

C．Brazil.

D．India.

【小題2】According to Aslund, Russia shouldn’t be a BRIC partly because_______.

A．Russia’s economic performance is far worse than the other three

B．Russia’s leaders are not good at managing economy

C．Russia has taken effective measures to improve its economy

D．Russia will no longer attract investors from other countries

【小題3】From the passage we know that ________.

A．Anders Aslund is working for the Russian government

B．Russia outperfoumed the other three countries in stock market

C．most people disagree Russia is included in BRICs

D．the BRICs would end up being the BICs sooner or later

【小題4】The author seems to ________.

A．suggest it’s time to kick Russia out of the BRICs?

B．feel worried about the economy of the BRICs

C．think Russia is worth being one of the group

D．show disappointment to Russia’s economy

Answer 1

【小題1】A
【小題2】A
【小題3】B
【小題4】C

解析【小題1】細節(jié)題：從第四段的句子China will grow 8.5 percent and India 5.4 percent. There is less of a case for Brazil, with a fall of 0.7 percent, but it is still doingfar better than R ussia.可知中國經(jīng)濟增長最快。選A。
【小題2】細節(jié)題：從第三段的句子“The country’s economic performance has fallen to such a weak level that one must ask whether it has any say at all on the global economy, compared with the other members of its group. 可知俄羅斯的經(jīng)濟表現(xiàn)比其他三個國家差。選A
【小題3】細節(jié)題：從到數(shù)第二段的句子“From an investment standpoint, it could be argued that Russia is leading the BRICs. Its stock（股票）market is up 128 percent this year while around 80 percent is for the other three.可知可知俄羅斯的股票市場表現(xiàn)比其他三個國家好。選B
【小題4】細節(jié)題：從最后一段的句子At very least, however, Russia’s economic underperformance and stock market outperfoumance does suggest it is indeed one of the group.
C