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Passage 3

Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved.No,you’re not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely.With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound,already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable.A coffee at Starbucks,just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States,runs about$8.

The once all-powerful dollar isn’t doing a Titanic against just the pound.It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar.Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.

The weak dollar is a source of humiliation,for a nation’s self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency.It’s also a potential economic problem,since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates.And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S.economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami—for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.

Many Europeans may view the U.S,as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners.But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S.than a weak dollar.Through April,the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year.Should the trend continue,the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak.Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S.the way many Americans view Mexico―as a cheap place to vacation,shop and party,all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can’t afford to join the merrymaking.

The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit.So do exports,which,thanks in part to the weak dollar,soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007.For first five months of 2007,the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.

If you own shares in large American corporations,you’re a winner in the weak-dollar gamble.Last week Coca-Cola’s stock bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter.Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke’s beverage（饮料）business.Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald’s and IBM.

American tourists,however,shouldn’t expect any relief soon.The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up-slowly,and then all at once.And currencies don’t turn on a dime.So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar,cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England.There,the dollar is still treated with a little respect.

How do many Europeans now feel about the U.S.with the devalued dollar （　　）

A.They think of it as a good tourist destination
B.They feel contemptuous of it
C.They regard it as a superpower on the decline
D.They are sympathetic with it

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答案： A

本题解析：

根据题干关键词Europeans定位至第四段，Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S.the way many Americans view Mexico―as a cheap place to vacation,shop and party,...许多欧洲人可能认为美国是一个对外国人怀有敌意的傲慢的超级大国。但没有什么比疲软的美元更能让人们对美国产生好感了。现在，许多欧洲人显然像美国人看待墨西哥一样看待美国——把美国看成一个廉价的度假、购物和聚会的地方。故本题正确答案选A。