Passage 2
It is time to junk much conventional wisdom about the US economy. Until recently, most analysts assumed the recovery from recession would remain abnormally weak. And looking further ahead they assume that the US would continue to decline economically relative to other industrial countries, principally Japan and a more unified European Community.
Both assumptions are now looking shaky. A clutch of much stronger than expected data suggests the US recovery is finally beginning to take off. Output per hour increased 2.7percent last year-the fastest productivity growth in 20 years.
With productivity increases translating into impressive gains in corporate profits, US share prices are hitting record high and the dollar is beginning to climb relative to other leading currencies. For internationally mobile capital, the attractions of the US economy are enhanced by worse than expected performance just about everywhere else. Growth throughout Europe is being held back by the strains imposed by German unification and currency instability, Japan, meanwhile, is struggling with its worst financial crisis in decades.
President Mr. Bill Clinton is not only inheriting a lean, productive economy, he is inheriting the most encouraging inflation outlook for a generation. Consumer prices are expected to rise by only about 2.5% to 3% this year and next.
Mr.Clinton, however, in his State of Union address on February 17, is expected to announce an economic stimulus worth about US $ 30 billion, or 0.5 percent of GDP. He will also announce longer term plans to tackle the familiar budget deficit, now running at about $ 300 billion but expected nearly to double within a decade because of runaway growth of spending on health care and other ‘entitlement’ programs.
Statements:
51. The budget deficit of US is expected to be worse in the next ten years.
A、True
B、False
【正确答案】：A
【名师解析】:根据文章内容，提到了美国的预算赤字目前大约是3000亿美元，但预计在未来十年内将几乎翻一番，这主要是由于医疗保健和其他“权益”项目的支出增长失控。这表明，美国的预算赤字在未来十年预计会变得更糟。因此，对于陈述51，即“美国的预算赤字在未来十年预计会更糟”，选项A（True）是正确的。
