Passage 1
Review of Markets一Corn Futures
Futures market for corn, wheat and soybeans have a tough act to follow in 1997. The past 12 months featured some of the most volatile grain prices in recent history, as weather moved the market dramatically. Records were set for both price and volume. Corn-futures prices marched up 57% from the beginning of the year. Wheat-futures prices also skyrocketed to an all-time high to about $ 7 a bushel, doubling in prices since early 1995.
Increasing world-wide demand and an expectation of record-low crop production because of unfavorable weather led to high prices early in 1996. For wheat, conditions stayed dry through May， while for corn and soybeans, weather remained dry in key producing regions into June. Because of the weather early in the year, the nation's granaries held a precariously low amount-just 426 million bushels of corn at one point in September, the lowest level since the 1970s.
But just when supply concerns pushed prices into the record-breaking range，rains and interna-tional supply spoiled the bullish party. Farmers planted 8 million more acres of corn alone in 1996 and large crops also came from Europe and Australia. The high price encouraged shifts in planning-area and yield went up. Soybean demand could outpace its grain cousins because of the rapid growth in China, which recently switched from being an exporter to an importer of soybean products. And if there are any problems with production, the market is liable to have a large price advance.
Because of the weather, many countries stored more corn than expected.
A、正确
B、错误
【正确答案】：B
【名师解析】:根据题目内容，1997年谷物期货市场面临着1996年剧烈波动的谷物价格所带来的挑战。1996年初，由于全球需求增加和对不利天气导致的低产量预期，谷物价格飙升。特别是小麦期货价格达到历史最高点，每蒲式耳约7美元，自1995年初以来价格翻倍。然而，随着供应担忧推动价格达到创纪录的水平，随后的降雨和国际供应增加了，导致价格回落。1996年，农民种植了800万英亩以上的玉米，欧洲和澳大利亚也收获了大量作物。高价格鼓励了种植面积的增加和产量的提升。由于中国从大豆产品的出口国转变为进口国，大豆需求可能会超过其谷物表亲。如果生产出现问题，市场可能会有大幅的价格波动。由于天气原因，许多国家储存的玉米超出了预期。
题目要求判断的信息是“因为天气，许多国家储存了比预期更多的玉米”，根据上文描述，这个信息是正确的，因为文中提到了“Because of the weather, many countries stored more corn than expected”，这与题目要求判断的信息相符。然而，题目答案给出的是B（错误），这与文中信息不符。因此，题目答案B是错误的。
