The first European stock exchange was established in Antwerp,Belgium(比利时),in 1531.There were no stock exchanges in England until the 1700′s.A man wishing to buy or sell shares of?stock had to find a broker(agents)to transact his business for him.In London,he usually went to a?coffee house,because brokers often gathered there.In 1773,the brokers of London formed a stock?exchange.
In New York City,brokers met under an old button-wood tree on Wall Street.They organized?the New York Stock Exchange in 17.92.The American Stock Exchange,the second largest in the?United States,was formerly called the Curb Exchange because of its origin on the streets of New?York City.
A stock exchange is a market place where member brokers buy and sell stocks and bonds(债券)of American and foreign businesses on behalf,of the public.A stock exchange provides a market?place for stocks and bonds in the same way a board of trade does for commodities.The stockbrokers?receive a small commission on each transaction they make.
The stockholder may sell his stock wherever he wants to unless the corporation has some special?rule to prevent it.Prices of stock change according to general business conditions and the earnings?and future prospects(前景)of the company~If the business is doing well,the stockholder may be?able to sell his stock for a profit.If it is not,he may have to take a loss.
The passage is mainly about__
【考情点拨】主旨大意题。【应试指导】文章主要讲的是股票市场的形成和发展状况，所以B为正确答案。
