Having argued that criticism of the trade surplus is misconceived, MITI’s paper goes on to predict that the surplus will, 【of its own accord】, gradually diminish in size and relevance.
A、willingly
B、reluctantly
C、accordingly
D、thoroughly
【正确答案】:A
【名师解析】:选项A "willingly" 是正确的答案,因为它与题目中的短语 "of its own accord" 意思相近,都表示某事是自发地或自愿地发生的。在这里,MITI的文件预测贸易顺差将会自发地逐渐减小,意味着这一变化不是被强迫或不情愿的,而是自然发生的。其他选项B "reluctantly"(不情愿地)、C "accordingly"(因此,相应地)和D "thoroughly"(彻底地)都没有传达出这种自发性的含义。