2021年度宁夏大学英语考试考前冲刺卷（9）新整理版.docVIP

宁夏大学英语考试考前冲刺卷（9） 本卷共分为1大题50小题，作答时间为180分钟，总分100分，60分及格。 严格遵守考试纪律，维护考试秩序！ 一、单项选择题（共50题，每题2分。每题的备选项中，只有一个最符合题意） 1. {{B}}TEXT B{{/B}} ? The romantic image of the trusty postman, delivering letters to the farthest-flung corners of the land, makes the reform of postal services a sensitive subject. This is especially true when the impetus for reform comes from the European Union. This month the European Parliament starts work on a directive, drawn up by the European Commission, to remove the last monopolies in postal markets by 2009--the final stage in a slow and laborious liberalisation that began in 1992. Directives in 1997 and 2002 chipped away at the centuries-old monopolies enjoyed by national operators, and the proposed new law will open the whole market to competition by abolishing the reserved area on mail weighing less than 50 grams. But although the legislative wheels are in motion, some countries are as sceptical as ever.The commission says it has deliberately pursued postal liberalisation at a slower pace than other market openings. This is partly due to its technical complexity. Unlike in telecoms, post has no physical network to share. Many countries had to create independent regulators from scratch in order to monitor mar ket access and prices. The size of the heavily unionised postal industry also prompted caution. It employs some 5m people directly and indirectly, and its turnover is roughly 1% of Europe’s combined GDP.But arguably the biggest drag on liberalisation is old-fashioned resistance to open markets, plus a dash of reverence for letter writing. One opponent of the 2009 deadline talks of a noble industry that we want to protect and lauds the virtues of pen and paper. All postal operators recognise, however, that the epistolary habit has taken a hit from the Internet. With deadening pragmatism, the commission says liberalisation will improve quality and choice and reduce state subsidies.Countries that have already opened their markets, such as S