剑桥雅思6第一套阅读真题原文+詳細解析READINGPASSAGE2Youshouldspendabout20minutesonQuestions14-26,whicharebasedonReadingPassage2below.DELIVERINGTHEGOODSThevastexpansionininternationaltradeowesmuchtoarevolutioninthebusinessofmovingfreightAInternationaltradeisgrowingatastartlingpace.Whiletheglobaleconomyhasbeenexpandingatabitover3%ayear,thevolumeoftradehasbeenrisingatacompoundannualrateofabouttwicethat.Foreignproducts,frommeattomachinery,playamoreimportantroleinalmosteveryeconomyintheworld,andforeignmarketsnowtemptbusinessesthatnevermuchworriedaboutsalesbeyondtheirnation'sborders.BWhatliesbehindthisexplosionininternationalcommerce?Thegeneralworldwidedeclineintradebarriers,suchascustomsdutiesandimportquotas,issurelyoneexplanation.Theeconomicopeningofcountriesthathavetraditionallybeenminorplayersisanother.Butoneforcebehindtheimport-exportboomhaspassedallbutunnoticed:therapidlyfallingcostofgettinggoodstomarket.Theoretically,intheworldoftrade,shippingcostsdonotmatter.Goods,oncetheyhavebeenmade,areassumedtomoveinstantlyandatnocostfromplacetoplace.Therealworld,however,isfulloffrictions.CheaplabourmaymakeChineseclothingcompetitiveinAmerica,butifdelaysinshipmenttieupworkingcapitalandcausewintercoatstoarriveinspring,trademayloseitsadvantages.CAttheturnofthe20thcentury,agricultureandmanufacturingwerethetwomostimportantsectorsalmosteverywhere,accountingforabout70%oftotaloutputinGermany,ItalyandFrance,and40-50%inAmerica,BritainandJapan.Internationalcommercewasthereforedominatedbyrawmaterials,suchaswheat,woodandironore,orprocessedcommodities,suchasmeatandsteel.Butthesesortsofproductsareheavyandbulkyandthecostoftransportingthemrelativelyhigh.DCountriesstilltradedisproportionatelywiththeirgeographicneighbours.Overtime,however,worldoutputhasshiftedintogoodswhoseworthisunrelatedtotheirsizeandweight.Today,itisfinishedmanufacturedproductsthatdominatetheflowoftrade,and,thankstotechnologicaladvancessuchaslightweightcomponents,manufacturedgoodsthemselveshavetendedtobecomelighterandlessbulky.Asaresult,lesstransportationisrequiredforeverydollar'sworthofimportsorexports.EToseehowthisinfluencestrade,considerthebusinessofmakingdiskdrivesforcomputers.Mostoftheworld'sdisk-drivemanufacturingisconcentratedinSouth-eastAsia.Thisispossibleonlybecausediskdrives,whilevaluable,aresmallandlightandsocostlittletoship.ComputermanufacturersinJapanorTexaswillnotfacehugelybiggerfreightbillsiftheyimportdrivesfromSingaporeratherthanpurchasingthemonthedomesticmarket.Distancethereforeposesnoobstacletotheglobalisationofthedisk-driveindustry.FThisisevenmoretrueofthefast-growinginformationindustries.Filmsandcompactdiscscostlittletotransport,evenbyaeroplane.Computersoftwarecanbe‘exported'withouteverloadingitontoaship,simplybytransmittingitovertelephonelinesfromonecountrytoanother,sofreightratesandcargo-handlingschedulesbecomeinsignificantfactorsindecidingwheretomaketheproduct.Businessescanlocatebasedonotherconsiderations,suchastheavailabilityoflabour,whileworryinglessaboutthecostofdeliveringtheiroutput.GInmanycountriesderegulationhashelpedtodrivetheprocessalong.But,behindthescenes,aseriesoftechnologicalinnovationsknownbroadlyascontainerisationandintermodaltransportationhasledtoswiftproductivityimprovementsincargo-handling.Fortyyearsago,theprocessofexportingorimportinginvolvedagreatmanystagesofhandling,whichriskedportionsoft...
