考研英语报刊文章阅读及剖析(13)
How does the countrys economy compare with those of the EU?
SOME of the concerns surrounding Turkeys application to join the European Union, to be voted on by the EUs Council of Ministers on December 17th, are economic-in particular, the countrys relative poverty. Its GDP per head is less than a third of the average for the 15 pre-2004 members of the EU. But it is not far off that of one of the ten new members which joined on May 1st 2004 , and it is much the same as those of two countries, Bulgaria and Romania, which this week concluded accession talks with the EU that could make them full members on January 1st 2007.
Furthermore, the countrys recent economic progress has been, according to Donald Johnston, the secretary-general of the OECD, stunning . GDP in the second quarter of the year was 13.4% higher than a year earlier, a rate of growth that no EU country comes close to matching. Turkeys inflation rate has just fallen into single figures for the first time since 1972, and this week the country reached agreement with the IMF on a new three-year, $10 billion economic programme that will, according to the IMFs managing director, Rodrigo Rato, help Turkey... reduce inflation toward European levels, and enhance the economys resilience .
Resilience has not historically been the countrys economic strong point. As recently as 2001, GDP fell by over 7%. It fell by more than 5% in 1994, and by just under 5% in 1999. Indeed, throughout the 1990s growth oscillated like an electrocardiogram recording a violent heart attack. This irregularity has been one of the main reasons why the country has failed dismally to attract much-needed foreign direct investment. Its stock of such investment is lower now than it was in the 1980s, and annual inflows have scarcely ever reached $1 billion .
One deterrent to foreign investors is due to disappear on January 1st 2005. On that day, Turkey will take away the right of virtually every one of its citizens to call themselves a millionaire. Six noughts will be removed from the face value of the lira; one unit of the local currency will henceforth be worth what 1m are now-ie, about ?0.53 . Goods will have to be priced in both the new and old lira for the whole of the year, but foreign bankers and investors can begin to look forward to a time in Turkey when they will no longer have to juggle mentally with indeterminate strings of zeros.
上一篇: 考研英语报刊文章阅读及剖析六
新概念英语第二册美音版 09-A Cold Welcome
新概念英语第二册美音版 38-Everything Except the Weather
新概念英语第二册美音版 42-Not Very Musical
新概念英语第二册美音版 28-No Parking
新概念英语第二册美音版 17-Always Young
新概念英语第二册美音版 31-Success Story
新概念英语第二册美音版 34-Quick Work
新概念英语第二册美音版 25-Do the English Speak English
新概念英语第二册美音版 40-Food and Talk
新概念英语第二册美音版 23-A New House
新概念英语第二册美音版 37-The Olympic Games
新概念英语第二册美音版 01-A Private Conversation
新概念英语第二册美音版 04-An Exciting Trip
新概念英语第二册美音版 26-The Best Art Critics
新概念英语第二册美音版 08-The Best and the Worst
新概念英语第二册美音版 21-Mad or Not
新概念英语第二册美音版 33-Out of the Darkness
新概念英语第二册美音版 45-A Clear Conscience
新概念英语第二册美音版 10-Not for Jazz
新概念英语第二册美音版 29-Taxi
新概念英语第二册美音版 16-A Polite Request
新概念英语第二册美音版 14-Do You Speak English
新概念英语第二册美音版 07-Too Late
新概念英语第二册美音版 27-A Wet Night
新概念英语第二册美音版 36-Across the Channel
新概念英语第二册美音版 06-Percy Buttons
新概念英语第二册美音版 32-Shopping Made Easy
新概念英语第二册美音版 43-Over the South Pole
新概念英语第二册美音版 11-One Good Turn Deserves Another
新概念英语第二册美音版 03-Please Send Me a Card