Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
| A ． mounting B ． stimulus C ． distribution D ． interventions E. divided F. collapse G. sustainable H. shrinking I. trembled J. distinctions K. reshape |
In February the Coronavirus pandemic struck the world’s economy with the biggest shock since the second world war. Lock-downs and a slump in consumer spending led to a labour market ____1____ in which the equivalent of nearly 500m full-time jobs disappeared almost overnight. World trade ____2____ as factories shut down and countries closed their borders. An even deeper economic catastrophe was avoided thanks only to unprecedented ____3____ in financial markets by central banks, government aid to workers and failing firms, and the expansion of budget deficits to near-wartime levels.The crash was synchronized. As a recovery takes place, however, huge gaps between the performance of countries are opening up — which could yet ____4____ the world’s economic order.
By the end of next year, according to forecasts by the OECD, America’s economy will be the same size as it was in 2019 but China’s will be 10% larger. Europe will still languish beneath its pre-pandemic level of output and could do so for several years — a fate it may share with Japan, which is suffering a demo-graphic squeeze. The ____5____ of growth rates across 50 economies was at its widest for at least 40 years.
These adjustment will be immense. The pandemic will leave economies less globalized, more digitized and less equal. As they cut risks in their supply chains and harness automation, manufacturers will bring production closer to home. As office workers continue to work in their kitchens and bedrooms for at least part of the week, lower-paid workers who previously worked as waiters, cleaners and sales assistants will need to find new jobs in the suburbs. Until they do, they could face long spells of unemployment. In America permanent job losses are ____6____ even as the headline unemployment rate falls.
Instead America’s weakness is toxic and ____7____ politics. This week President Donald Trump seemed to abandon talks over renewing its ____8____ , meaning that the economy could fall over a fiscal cliff. Critical reforms, whether to redesign the safety-net for a tech-driven economy or to put deficits on a ____9____ course, are all but impossible while two warring tribes define compromise as weakness, Covid-19 is imposing a new economic reality. Every country will be called on to adapt, but America faces a daunting task. If it is to lead the post-pandemic world, it will have to reset its politics.
The pandemic has created big performance _____10_____ between the world’s economies. They could get even larger.
1 ． F
2 ． I
3 ． D
4 ． K
5 ． C
6 ． A
7 ． E
8 ． B
9 ． G
10 ． J
【解析】
【导语】
本文是说明文。文章介绍了新冠肺炎疫情对美国社会、经济带来的影响。
1 ．
考查名词。句意：封锁和消费支出下滑导致劳动力市场崩溃，相当于近 5 亿全职工作岗位在一夜之间消失。根据句意和空格后定语从句 “in which the equivalent of nearly 500m full-time jobs disappeared almost overnight” 可知，应填入名词 collapse 构成名词词组 labour market collapse 作宾语，意为 “ 劳动力市场崩溃 ” ，符合句意。故选 F 项。
2 ．
考查谓语动词。句意：随着工厂关闭，各国关闭边境，世界贸易受到冲击。分析句子可知，空格处是主句谓语动词，结合句中 “as factories shut down and countries closed their borders” 可知，应填入动词 trembled 作谓语，意为 “ 颤抖、震荡 ” ，符合句意。故选 I 项。
3 ．
考查名词。句意：多亏了中央银行对金融市场前所未有的干预，政府对工人和濒临倒闭的公司的援助，以及将预算赤字扩大到接近战时水平，一场更严重的经济灾难才得以避免。根据空格前形容词 unprecedented 可知，应使用名词作宾语，结合句意和 “by central banks” 可知，应填入名词 interventions ，意为 “ 中央银行的干预 ” ，符合句意。故选 D 项。
4 ．
考查动词。句意：但是，随着经济的恢复，各国之间的差距越来越大，世界经济秩序也有可能发生变化。根据空格前情态动词可知，应填入动词原形作定语从句谓语动词，结合上文 “huge gaps between the performance of countries are opening up” 可推知，应用动词 reshape ，意为 “ 重新塑造 ” ，符合句意。故选 K 项。
5 ．
考查名词。句意： 50 个经济体的经济增长率分布处于至少 40 年来最宽的水平。根据空格前定冠词 The 可知，应使用名词作主语，结合句意和选项，应用名词 distribution 构成词组 “distribution of growth rates” ，意为 “ 增长率分布 ” ，符合句意。故选 C 项。
6 ．
考查动词。句意：在美国，即使整体失业率下降，永久性失业人数仍在增加。根据 even as 可知，上下文有对比关系，整体失业率下降，永久性失业人数仍在增加，填入动词 mounting 构成现在进行时态，表示 “ 正在增加 ” ，符合句意。故选 A 项。
7 ．
考查形容词。句意：相反，美国的弱点是有毒的、分裂的政治。设空处与形容词 toxic 是并列关系，作定语修饰名词 politics ，应用形容词 divided 作定语，意为 “ 分裂的 ” ，符合句意。故选 E 项。
8 ．
考查名词。句意：本周，美国总统唐纳德 • 特朗普似乎放弃了有关恢复刺激计划的谈判，这意味着美国经济可能跌落财政悬崖。根据空格前形容词性物主代词 its 可知，应使用名词作宾语，结合句意和选项可知，应填入名词 stimulus ，意为 “ 恢复刺激计划 ” ，符合句意。故选 B 项。
9 ．
考查形容词。句意：当两党都将妥协定义为软弱时，无论是重新设计技术驱动型经济的安全网，还是让赤字走上可持续发展的道路，关键的改革几乎是不可能的。根据句意，结合选 项可知，应填入形容词 sustainable 作定语，修饰名词 course ，表示 “ 可持续发展道路 ” ，符合句意。故选 G 项。
10 ．
考查名词。句意：因新冠肺炎疫情，世界各国的经济表现出现了巨大差异。根据空格后作定语的介词短语可知，应填入名词作宾语，结合句意和选项可知，应填入名词 distinctions 构成词组 “performance distinctions” ，意为 “ 表现差异 ” ，符合句意。故选 J 项。