Passage 1
U. S. Is Prepared to See Trade Relations Worsen
Some of the Clinton administration's tough talk appears tactical, intended to pressure trading partners into offering concession and to unblock stalled negotiations on several fronts. But it appears that officials are prepared to turn up the temperature on trade-and live with the consequences.
In some ways, Mr. Clinton and his advisers are following the same well-trod path as the Bush administration, which threatened sanctions against the Community last year and walked away from GATT negotiations rather than sign an agreement that would provide only small gains for U. S. companies. The same political pressures from trade hawks in Congress that the Bush officials felt are now bearing down on the Clinton team.
A broad review of trade policy issues in just beginning within the administration, but officials said the underpinnings of Mr. Kantor's decision were plainly found in Mr. Clinton's trade speeches during the campaign, particularly the demand for open markets abroad.
The reactions to these first signals from the Clinton team has been sharply divergent.
The purpose of Clinton administration's tough talk is to make concession to the trade partners.
A、true
B、false
【正确答案】:B
名师解析:根据文章内容,克林顿政府的强硬言论似乎是一种策略,目的是向贸易伙伴施压,促使他们提供让步,并推动在多个方面陷入僵局的谈判。然而,文章也表明官员们准备提高贸易紧张度,并接受其后果。这与布什政府去年对共同体的制裁威胁和退出GATT谈判的行为相似,布什政府当时也是因为GATT谈判可能只为美国公司带来微小收益而选择退出。克林顿和他的顾问们在贸易政策上采取的路径与布什政府相同,面临着来自国会贸易鹰派的政治压力。
文章中提到的克林顿政府的强硬言论的目的,并不是要让贸易伙伴做出让步,而是作为一种策略来推动谈判和解决贸易问题。因此,题目中关于克林顿政府强硬言论目的的描述是错误的。所以正确答案是选项B,即该描述是错误的。