In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other, merging int

游客2023-12-09  26

问题     In recent years, railroads have been combining with each other,
merging into super-systems, causing heightened concerns about
monopoly. As recently as 1995, the top four railroads accounted under【M1】______
70 percent of the total ton-miles moved by rails. Next year, after a
series of mergers is completed, just four railroads will control well
over 90 percent of all the freight moved by major rail carriers.
    Supporters of the new super-systems argue that these mergers will
allow substantial cost reductions and better coordinated service. Any【M2】______
threat of monopoly, they argue, is removed by fierce competition from
trucks. But many shippers complain about that for heavy commodities【M3】______
traveling long distances, such as coal, chemicals, and grain, trucking
is too cost and the railroads therefore have them by the throat.【M4】______
    The vast consolidation within the rail industry means that the【M5】______
most shippers are served by only one rail company. Railroads
typically charge such "captive" shippers 20 to 30 percent more than
they do when another railroad is competing for the business.
    Railroads justify rate discrimination against captive shippers under【M6】______
the grounds that in the long run it reduces everyone’s cost If railroads
charge all customers with the same average rate, they argue, shippers【M7】______
who have the option of switching to trucks or other forms of
transportation would do so, leave remaining customers to shoulder the【M8】______
cost of keeping up the line. It’s a theory to which many economists
subscribe, for in practice it often leaves railroads in the position【M9】______
of determining which companies will flourish and will fail.【M10】______ [br] 【M4】

选项

答案 cost→costly

解析 词汇错误。cost作名词时,意为“成本,代价”,作动词时,意为“价钱为,使花费”,根据句意及语法规则,此处只能使用它的形容词cosily,意为“昂贵的”。
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