Ⅳ. Reading Comprehension (60 points)
Directions:
There are four reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by five questions. For each question there are four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D. Choose one best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.
Passage One
In ancient times wealth was measured and exchanged in things that could be touched: food, tools, and precious metals and stones. Then the barter system was replaced by coins, which still had real value since they were pieces of rare metal. Coins were followed by fiat money, paper notes that have value only because everyone agrees to accept them.
Today electronic monetary systems are gradually being introduced that will transform money into even less tangible forms, reducing it to a series of “bits and bytes”, or units of computerized information, going between machines at the speed of light. Already, electronic fund transfer allows money to be instantly sent and received by different banks, companies, and countries through computers and telecommunications devices.
61. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?
A. International Banking Policies B. The History of Monetary Exchange
C. The Development of Paper Currencies D. Current Problems in the Economy
62. According to the passage, which of the following was the earliest kind of exchange of wealth?
A. Bartered foods B. Fiat money C. Coin currency D. Intangible forms
63. The author mentions food, tools and precious metals and stones together because they are all ________.
A. useful items B. articles of value
C. difficult things to obtain D. material objects
64. According to the passage, coins once had real value as currency because they ______.
represented a great improvement over barter
permitted easy transportation of wealth
were made of precious metals
could become collector’s items
65. Which of the following statements about computerized monetary systems is NOT supported by the passage?
They promote international trade.
They allow very rapid money transfers.
They are still limited to small transactions (交易).
They are dependent on good telecommunications systems.