Zimbabweans cope with the shortage of the dollars that count in various ways. The government grabs them from other people. On February 9th. it told the country’s banks to start selling all their hard- currency inflows to the central bank and the state petrol-importing monopoly, at the official rate. It said that Zimbabwean embassies abroad face power cuts because they cannot pay their bills. But if staff in Moscow felt chilly, the grab did not warm them. Exporters told their customers to delay payments.Hard-currency inflows fell by some 90%, forcing the government to relent.Business folk were relieved. The economy is so stormy that many exporters stay afloat only by selling American dollars on the black market. Others try to keep their foreign earnings offshore. This is not easy, since most sell tobacco, gold, roses and other goods that can be observed and recorded as they leave the country. But some quietly set up overseas subsidiaries to buy their own products at artificially low prices. The subsidiary then sells the goods m the real buyer, and keeps the proceeds abroad.Since petrol, which must be imported, is scarce, some employers give their staff bicycles. But the two local bicycle makers have gone bankrupt, so bicycles must be imported too. Where possible, local products are replaced for imports. One firm, for example, has devised a way to make glue using oil from locally-grown castor beans instead of petroleum-based chemicals. But even the simplest products often have imported components. One manufacturer found it could not make first-aid kits, because it could not obtain zips for the bags. The local zip-maker had no dollars to import small but essential metal studs. An order worth $8,000 was lost for want of perhaps $100 in hard cash.Rich individuals are putting their savings into tangible assets, though not houses or land, which they fear the government may seize. Instead, they buy movable goods such as cars or jewellery. Unlike the Zimbabwean dollar, such assets do not lose half their value every year. Jewellery is also an easy way m move money abroad. Wear it on the plane, sell it in London. and leave the money there. The poor have fewer options. A typical unskilled wage now buys a loaf of bread and a litre of milk a day, plus the bus fare to work. For most poor Zimbabweans, the only measure against inflation is to plant maize in the back yard and hope they can harvest it before their landlord expels them. The overseas subsidiaries arc set up to()
A. puzzle the Zimbabwean government
B. act as a seller
C. import some products
D. store the products which are produced in Zimbabwean
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In the United States, all kinds of taxes are used by the federal government.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
A. "Can do" spirit.
B. Motivation and teamwork.
C. Honesty and responsibility.
D. Hard-working and cooperation.
According to new research simple words such as ’be’, ’that’, ’will’, ’him’, ’and’ and even ’a’ could hold the key to a successful marriage. Experts say the style in which couples talk and how they use common words can predict whether a relationship will be successful or not.It is already well known that people are attracted to potential partners who resemble themselves in personality, values and physical appearance. However, experts now claim these features only skim the surface of what makes a relationship work. The ways that people talk are also important according to the study which found that people who speak in a similar style are more compatible. The U.S. study focused on what it dubbed ’function words’.These are not nouns or verbs, but everyday words such as a, be, anything, that, will, him and even and. Study coauthor Professor James Pennebaker, of Texas University, said how we use these words constitutes our writing and speaking style and couples who use them in the same way have better and longer-lasting partnerships.Researchers examined whether the speaking and writing styles couples adopt during conversation with each other predict future dating behaviour and the long-term strength of relationships. They conducted two experiments in which a computer programme compared partners’ language styles.In the first study, pairs of college students had four-minute speed dates while their conversations were recorded. Almost every pair covered the same topics, such as their study subject, where they were from and if they liked college. Prof Pennebaker said: "Every conversation sounded more or less the same to the naked ear, but text analysis revealed obvious differences in language synchrony (同步). The pairs whose language style matching scores were above average were almost four times as likely to want future contact as pairs whose speaking styles were out of sync."A second study revealed the same pattern in everyday online chats between dating couples over the course of 10 days. Almost 80 percent of the couples whose writing style matched were still dating three months later, compared with approximately 54 percent of the couples who did not match as well.Prof Pennebaker said: "What people are saying to each other is important, but how they are saying it may be even more telling. But what’s wonderful about this is we don’t really make that decision—it just comes out of our mouths. People are not consciously synchronizing their speech.\ In the first study, pairs of college students whose languages style matched are more likely to ()
Enzo Ferrari is not well known outside Italy. (46)Evan as his cars were racing to victory all over the world, the man at the helm of the racing team preferred to stay in Modena and watch the races on television at home. This intimate account of Ferrari’s early days and his emergence as the spirit behind the team fills the gap neatly.Ferrari. now owned by Fiat, has long been synonymous with Formula One racing. (47)Over the years, McLaren, Benetton and Williams may between them have won more races, but it is the glamour as well as the singular success of Ferrari that draws the crowds. As a young man Ferrari had neither the money nor the killer instinct to become one of the great racing drivers. "If you want spectacular results, you have to know how to treat your car badly. The fact is I don’t drive just to get from A to B. I enjoy feeling the car’s reactions, becoming part of it. I couldn’t inflict suffering on it." What Ferrari liked was to be "an agitator of men".The first Ferrari team raced Alfa Romeos, though the partnership did not last. (48)In 1947 Ferrari relaunched on his own, making the first of the cars that would wear the badge of the black prancing horse on a yellow background. By the early 1950s, in the hands of such drivers as Alberto Ascari and Juan Fangio, Ferraris were leading the world championships. Meanwhile, Luigi Chinetti, a great salesman, persuaded Ferrari that road versions of the cars would sell well to rich Americans. In Italy road Ferraris became the film star’s must-have car in Cinecitta. (49)Roberto Rossellini even got to drive one in the famous Mille Miglia before his wife, Ingrid Bergman, persuaded him to abandon the race halfway through in Rome.(50)The accounts of early races, such as the Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome and back and Tazio Nuvolari’s win in a Ferrari-run Alfa Romeo at Nurburgring in Germany in 1935, are among the highlights of Richard Williams’s book. As the Italian crossed the winning line, Hitler’s sports minister ground his teeth and crumpled his prepared speech lauding a Mercedes victory. Mr Williams is a talented writer; he loves Italy and motor racing, and his passion for both shines through. The accounts of early races, such as the Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome and back and Tazio Nuvolari’s win in a Ferrari-run Alfa Romeo at Nurburgring in Germany in 1935, are among the highlights of Richard Williams’s book.