西班牙式悲剧 - FT速读测试

速读测试：西班牙式悲剧

FT社评

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：
eviction	驱逐，收回
moratorium	暂停，中止；[金融] 延期偿付
negative equity-mortgage	负资产抵押贷款
writedown	减记
shore up	支持，支撑；加固

常见问题

阅读FT对你有什么好处？

对于全球的商业精英来说，阅读英国《金融时报》是每天必须进行的修炼。《金融时报》的文章以分析见长，逻辑严密，特别适合准备GRE和GMAT的考生。培生集团推出的PTE考试的阅读题，就是利用了FT的文章来做阅读理解。

阅读速度多快才够用？

在信息爆炸的今天，能够迅速地阅读和理解大量资料，已成为所有人必不可少的技能。对于准备参加各种英语测试的考生来讲，阅读速度可能是决定成绩的关键。要想在GRE和GMAT的考试中拿到高分，你的阅读速度至少要达到每分钟200字。

如何迫使自己提高阅读速度?

我们有一个自动滚屏的工具来帮助你提高速度。点击该按钮后，屏幕就开始滚动，迫使你改掉向回看的习惯，加快速度。默认为每分钟140字（朗读速度）。随着你的技能提升，你可以挑战更高的速度，直到达到1000。

小字速度：+ -

阅读以下文章

<b>A Spanish tragedy</b>

The Spanish media has been riveted by the suicides of two people facing eviction from their homes. While tragic, these are extreme cases. As thousands confront the risk of foreclosure, however, Madrid is right to look at measures to make it harder for banks to repossess people’s homes.
Large-scale repossessions have widespread social and economic costs. Homelessness is not only an individual drama. It also costs the state. Empty houses do not just make a neighbourhood less lively. They also lower the price of nearby properties, producing a self-reinforcing spiral.

Reversing the tide requires a concerted effort. For this reason, the decision by the governing Popular party to reach out to opposition Socialists to draft a bipartisan agreement is welcome. Their efforts should concentrate on the immediate crisis, protecting the most vulnerable from eviction.
A first step should be to limit foreclosures. But there should be no universal moratorium. Those who can relocate – for example, those still in work – but who may have borrowed beyond their means should not benefit.
Regarding the banks, which the state has taken over during the crisis, the government can immediately set the rules. It should demand that in certain cases – for example unemployed people in negative equity – mortgage terms be renegotiated. Another option would be to repossess, but allow mortgage-holders to stay as tenants, paying an affordable rent.
As for private sector banks, the industry’s association on Monday announced a voluntary moratorium in cases of extreme hardship. This is welcome. But experience has shown that, without state pressure, it may achieve little. After all, a previously agreed voluntary code on limiting foreclosures had been mainly ignored. The government should therefore demand regular updates on how any moratorium is implemented.
True, such steps could increase the level of writedowns. But they would at least oblige the banks finally to admit the extent of the impairment of some of these loans, in particular those for residential properties. The banks are not alone in their self-delusion. The government is considering taking only a €40bn loan from the European Stability Mechanism to shore up its lenders. This falls short of what is needed.
Banking crises have a human cost. The price paid by some has already been too high. Unless Madrid and the banks face up to the truth, this will only get higher.

选择正确答案

Who is Spain's ruling party now?

Good!
文章在第三段说，西班牙的the governing party是拉霍伊首相为首的人民党。法国的执政党是奥朗德的社会党。意大利的蒙蒂政府和希腊的萨马拉斯政府是技术官僚政府。欧债危机爆发后，这些国家的原领导人都黯然下台。

The Popular Party.
The Socialist Party.
Technocrats.

选择正确答案

Which of the following concept has a different meaning from the other three, in legal terms?

Good!
答案是A。confiscation的意思是没收、充公、征用，也就是把某财产强制从原先拥有所有权的人那里获取过来。而foreclosure的意思是丧失抵押品赎回权，也就是说因为还不起按揭贷款，房子被银行没收。 repossession的意思是恢复、取回、重新占有。
也就是说后三者都是将财产从原先并未拥有所有权的人那里取回。

confiscation
foreclosure
repossession
eviction

选择正确答案

Which is correct about "moratorium", according to the passage?

Good!
答案是B。作者认为应当限制foreclosure，但是不能不分青红皂白地搞moratorium，因为这会鼓励财务不负责的人。 A和C是不正确的：文中说，experience has shown that, without state pressure, voluntary moratorium may achieve little. 所以，政府应该demand regular updates on how any moratorium is implemented.

Previous codes regarding moratorium were implemented well.
There should not be general moratorium.
Bankers' proposed "voluntary moratorium" is good enough.
All of above.

选择正确答案

Which of the following is not the writer's suggestion to the Spanish government?

Good!
B是正确答案，文中说，Regarding the banks, which the state has taken over during the crisis. ACD三项都是社论的主张。

To try to get more help from European Stability Mechanism.
To takeover the banks.
To set rules limiting foreclosures.
Not to let those who borrow beyond their means benefit.

放松与总结

您答对题目数: 0/5 FT中文网用户平均WPM: 3
我们为金融英语速读的用户创建了论坛，大家可以在这里相互交流经验，帮我们把这个栏目办得更好。

上一测试：共和党，难以忽视的真相

下一测试：胡萝卜加大棒下的缅甸

讨论和交流请发表和本次测试相关的内容

<<后退

开始>>

您的正确率太低，在目前这个阶段，对你来说最重要的是提高英文水平和金融专业水平，而不是速度。请您点击后退仔细查看您答错的题目，并和原文对照。对原文中所有不懂的句子和知识点，也请一一查明。建议您：
1. 在进行下一次训练的时候，将滚屏速度保持在100以下。
2. 您可以找一些有声读物，如《经济学人》的audio edition，帮助你提高英文水平。

看得出你是非常认真来进行这次训练的，如果你坚持的话，你会获得非常大的提高。目前你的阅读速度偏低，可能是因为英文不是你的母语。不过，请不要放慢阅读速度。研究表明，阅读速度越快的人，其理解的正确率反而越高。因此，您可以同时提高您的阅读速度和理解能力。给你一点建议：
1. 一定要改掉默念的习惯
2. 不要一个词一个词的看，要学会把一个语义群当作一个整体来看。比如“an emergency $180bn injection of dollar”这个语义群，你要学会把他当作一个整体来看。
3. 看DVD的时候，切换到英文字幕。

用正常语速来朗读一篇文章，平均速度是每分钟140词。这说明你的阅读速度比朗读还要慢。建议您：1. 每一段的第一句话往往是最重要的。
2. “速读”最忌讳的就是“读”，不要一边看一边默念。
3. 在下一个训练中将滚屏速度设为140，迫使自己不能回头去看已经读过的部分。

您的阅读速度已经超过了正常语速，说明你已经开始有些速读的感觉了。美国大学生的最低阅读速度为每分钟250词，加把劲你就可以赶上了。建议您：
1. 养成习惯，读过的部分不要回头去看，这样会影响速读。
2. 加强“扫描”的训练，让自己的眼睛能“一目一行”。

您的阅读速度已经达到了美国大学生的水平，可喜可贺。不过作为金融从业人员，每天需要阅读数不清的中英文研究报告、公司年报、报刊杂志等，您还需要向每分钟350字进军。建议您：
1. 加强“扫描”的训练，让自己的眼睛能“一目两行”。
2. 对中英文的数字，尤其是大数字(million, billion)的转换进行总结和练习。

厉害，您的阅读速度已经超过了美国大学生的水平。不过，要成为巴菲特那样的金融专家，您需要锻炼出“一目十行”的火眼金睛。建议您在每次的训练中注意三个要点：
1. 您已经学会了将文章分成语义群，而非词来阅读，现在，你需要扩大每一个语义群中的词数。
2. 加快阅读每个语义群的速度。
3. 看过的内容尽量不要回看。

这就是传说中的“一目十行”吗？难以置信！

世界纪录才每分钟416,250字，居然被你破了！无语...

讨论和交流 请发表和本次测试相关的内容

讨论和交流请发表和本次测试相关的内容