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  3. Farmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. It makes it hard to

Farmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. It makes it hard to

游客2023-12-19  25
问题    Farmers in the developing world hate price fluctuations. It makes it hard to plan ahead. But most of them have little choice: they sell at the price the market sets. Farmers in Europe, the US and Japan are luckier: they receive massive government subsidies in the form of guaranteed prices or direct handouts. Last month US President Bush signed a new farm bill that gives American farmers $190 billion over the next 10 years, or $83 billion more than they had been scheduled to get, and pushes US agricultural support close to crazy European levels. Bush said the step was necessary to "promote farmer independence and preserve the farm way of life for generations". It is also designed to help the Republican Party win control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections.
   Agricultural production in most poor countries accounts for up to 50% of GDP, compared to only 3% in rich countries. But most farmers in poor countries grow just enough for themselves and their families. Those who try exporting to the West find their goods whacked with huge tariffs or competing against cheaper subsidized goods. In 1999 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development concluded that for each dollar developing countries receive in aid they lose up to $14 just because of trade barriers imposed on the export of their manufactured goods. It’s not as if the developing world wants any favours, says Gerald Ssendawula, Uganda’s Minister of Finance. "What we want is for the rich countries to let us compete."
   Agriculture is one of the few areas in which the Third World can compete. Land and labour are cheap, and as farming methods develop, new technologies should improve output. This is no pie-in-the-sky speculation. The biggest success in Kenya’s economy over the past decade has been the boom in exports of cut flowers and vegetables to Europe. But that may all change in 2008, when Kenya will be slightly too rich to qualify for the "least-developed country" status that allows African producers to avoid paying stiff European import duties on selected agricultural products. With trade barriers in place, the horticulture industry in Kenya will shrivel as quickly as a discarded rose. And while agriculture exports remain the great hope for poor countries, reducing trade barriers in other sectors also works: America’s African Growth and Opportunity Act, which cuts duties on exports of everything from handicrafts to shoes, has proved a boon to Africa’s manufacturers. The lesson: the Third World can prosper if the rich world gives it a fair go.
   This is what makes Bush’s decision to increase farm subsidies last month all the more depressing.  Poor countries have long suspected that the rich world urges trade liberalization only so it can wangle its way into new markets. Such suspicions caused the Seattle trade talks to break down three years ago. But last November members of the World Trade Organization, meeting in Doha, Qatar, finally agreed to a new round of talks designed to open up global trade in agriculture and textiles. Rich countries assured poor countries that their concerns were finally being addressed. Bush’s handout last month makes a lie of America’s commitment to those talks and his personal devotion to free trade. [br] Kenya is cited as an example to show that
选项 A、poor countries’ economy will continue to prosper.
B、poor countries should not rely only on agriculture.
C、poor countries should fight to reduce trade tariffs.
D、poor countries should be given fair treatment.
答案 D
解析 本题问文章列举肯尼亚的目的。答案在第三段内。在过去十年内肯尼亚经济的发展主要靠出口花卉和蔬菜到欧洲。但如果2008年后肯尼亚不再享受“最不发达国家”待遇的话，它就要支付很高的进口关税。有了这道贸易障碍，肯尼亚的花卉业就会像扔弃的玫瑰一样很快凋零。因此，肯尼亚这个例子是用来呼吁要给贫穷国家公正的待遇。
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