1．In the past，falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy，but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down（不容樂觀），even as oil prices sink lower and lower．Docs that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened？
Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy．Consumers have more money in their pockets when they're paying less at the pump．They spend that money on other things，which stimulates the economy．
The biggest gains go to countries that import most of their oil like China，Japan，and India，But doesn't the extra money in the pockets of those countries'consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries，cancelling out the gains？Not necessarily，says economic researcher Sara Johnson．"Many oil producers built up huge reserve funds when prices were high，so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending，and subsidies（補貼） for their consumers．"
But not al!oil producers have big reserves．In Venezuela，collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall．
Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming（壓跨）the positive effects of cheaper oil．The implication（牽連）is a sharp decline in global trade，which has plunged（暴跌）partly because oil-producing nations can't afford to import as much as they used to．
Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past．One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now，so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy．
Consumers，in America at least，are acting cautiously with the savings they're getting at the gas pump，as the memory of the recent great recession（經濟衰退）is still fresh in their mind．And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes，so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest．
51．What does the author mainly discuss in the passage？D
A．The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices．
B．Possible ways to stimulate the global economy．
C．The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending．
D．The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth．
52．Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy？B
A．Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost．
B．Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities．
C．Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy．
D．Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change．
53．What happens in many oil-exporting countries when oil prices go down？A
A．They use their money reserves to back up consumption．
B．They suspend import of necessities from overseas．
C．They reduce production drastically to boost oi1 prices．
D．They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall．
54．How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge？C
A．It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history．
B．It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy．
C．Its negative effects more than cancel out its positive effects．
D．Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws．
55．Why haven't falling oil prices stimulated the global economy as they did before？C
A．People are not spending all the money they save on gas．
B．The global economy is likely to undergo another recession．
C．Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy．
D．People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices．
分析 在過去石油價格的下降對全球經濟帶來很大的好處，但現在不容樂觀．
解答 DBACC
51．D 主旨大意題．根據第一段內容falling oil prices have given a boost to the world economy，but recent forecasts for global growth have been toned down可知，油價的下降對世界經濟有一個影響，下文分別講述了影響的大小，故答案為D．
52．B 細節(jié)題．根據第二段They spend that money on other things，which stimulates the economy．
這句話可知，油價下降了，消費者把錢花在其他地方，刺激了經濟的發(fā)展，故答案為B．
53．A 細節(jié)題．第三段when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending，and subsidies（補貼） for their consumers告訴我們當油價下降時，出口國會給消費者發(fā)放補貼，故答案為A．
54．C 判斷推理題．根據文章Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming（壓跨）the positive effects of cheaper oil這個經濟學家認為，消極影響大于積極的，故答案為C．
55．C 細節(jié)題．Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past這句話提到全球經濟從油價下降獲得的好處遠比以前要少的多，故答案為C．
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