雅思英语阅读练习题及答案：第十二篇雅思英语阅读练习题及答案：第十二篇★NextYearMarkstheEU's50thAnniversaryoftheTreatyA.Afteraperiodofintroversionandstunnedself-disbelief,continentalEuropeangovernmentswillrecovertheirenthusiasmforpan-Europeaninstitution-buildingin2007.WhethertheEuropeanpublicwillwelcomeareturntowhatvotersintwocountrieshadrejectedsoshortatimebeforeisanothermatter.B.ThereareseveralreasonsforEurope’srecoveringself-confidence.ForyearsEuropeaneconomieshadbeenlaggingdismallybehindAmerica(tosaynothingofAsia),butin2006thelargecontinentaleconomieshadoneoftheirbestyearsforadecade,brieflyoutstrippingAmericaintermsofgrowth.Sincepoliticsoftenreactstoeconomicchangewithalag,2006’simprovementineconomicgrowthwillhaveitsimpactin2007,thoughtherecoverymaybeebbingbythen.C.Thecomingyearalsomarksaparticularpointinapoliticalcyclesoregularthatitalmostseemstoamounttoanaturallaw.Everyfourorfiveyears,Europeancountriestakealargestridetowardsfurtherintegrationbysigninganewtreaty:theMaastrichttreatyin1992,theTreatyofAmsterdamin1997,theTreatyofNicein2001.Andin2005theyweresupposedtoratifyaEuropeanconstitution,layingthegroundforyetmoreintegration—untilthecalmrhythmwasrudelyshatteredbyFrenchandDutchvoters.Butthepoliticalimpetustosignsomethingeveryfourorfiveyearshasonlybeeninterrupted,notimmobilised,bythissetback.D.In2007theEuropeanUnionmarksthe50thanniversaryofanothertreaty—theTreatyofRome,itsfoundingcharter.Governmentleadershavealreadyagreedtocelebrateitceremoniously,restatingtheircommitmentto“evercloserunion”andthebasicidealsofEuropeanunity.Byitself,andinnormalcircumstances,theEU’s50th-birthdaygreetingtoitselfwouldbefairlymeaningless,aroutineexpressionofEuropeangoodfellowship.ButitdoesnottakeaMachiavellitospotthatoncegovernmentshavesignedthedeclaration(anditseemsunlikelyanyonewouldbesouncollegiateastovetoit)theywillalreadybehalfwaytowardscommittingthemselvestoanewtreaty.Allthatwillbenecessarywillbetoincorporatethe50th-anniversarydeclarationintoanewtreatycontaininganumberofinstitutionalandotherreformsextractedfromthefailedattemptatconstitution-buildingand—heypresto—anewquasi-constitutionwillbeready.E.AccordingtotheGermangovernment—whichholdstheEU’sagenda-settingpresidencyduringthefirsthalfof2007—therewillbeanewdraftofaslimmed-downconstitutionreadybythemiddleoftheyear,perhapstoputtovoters,perhapsnot.Therewouldthenbeacoupleofyearsinwhichitwillbediscussed,approvedbyparliamentsand,perhaps,puttovotersifthatisdeemedunavoidable.Then,accordingtobureaucraticplannersinBrusselsandBerlin,blithelyignoringthepossibilityofpublicrejection,thewholethingwillbesigned,sealedandanewconstitutiondeliveredin2009-10.Europewillbenicelybackonschedule.Itsfour-to-five-yearcycleofintegrationwillhavemissedonlyonebeat.F.TheresurrectionoftheEuropeanconstitutionwillbemademorelikelyin2007becauseofwhatishappeninginnationalcapitals.TheEuropeanUnionisnotreallyanautonomousorganisation.Ifitfunctions,itisbecausetheleadersofthebigcontinentalcountrieswantitto,reckoningthatanactiveEuropeanpolicywillhelpthemgetdonewhattheywanttodointheirowncountries.G.Thatdidnothappenin2005-06.Defensive,cynicalandself-destructive,theleadersofthethreelargesteuro-zonecountries—France,ItalyandGermany—werestumblingtowardstheirunlamentedends.TheysawnoreasontopursueanysortofEuropeanpolicyandtheEU,asaresult,barelyfunctioned.Butbythemiddleof20...
