2023届高考英语三轮复习·冲刺押题·外刊阅读理解训练 (56)

2023届高考英语三轮复习·冲刺押题 外刊阅读理解训练56 ——改编自More money more problems 【文章】 The British economy is becoming more concentrated, with big firms in a range of industries taking up a larger share of revenue than before. Over the past decade, 55% of sub-industries have become more concentrated and dominated by their biggest firms. Investment in intangible capital has become increasingly important in the modern economy, especially in Britain which is dominated by services, allowing firms to grow rapidly. Mergers may have reinforced the trend towards concentration as Britain has seen about $5 trillion worth of domestic mergers and acquisitions in the past 20 years. Consumers appear to be losing out as mark-ups (selling prices divided by production costs) continue to increase, resulting in consumers paying more than they should be. The distribution of corporate profits also seems to have become more skewed, with successful firms enjoying bigger profits while the rest see relative decline, making it increasingly tough for new businesses to break into markets and compete with high profits enjoyed by incumbents. It is less clear how concentration affects workers, but evidence from America suggests that as firms become more powerful, they can get away with offering lower wages. However, the Resolution Foundation paper suggests that the biggest firms employ a lower share of employees than in the early 2000s, though workers in some parts of the country may have fewer options than before. In conclusion, British capitalism could become still more concentrated after leaving the EU's single market and customs union, reducing trade and easing competitive pressure from abroad, leading to a less competitive economy. 【重点词汇&词组】 1. concentrated [ˈkɑːnsəntreɪtɪd] adj. 集中的 2. firms [fɜːrmz] n. 公司 3. revenue [ˈrevənuː] n. 收入 4. sub-industries ['sʌb-ɪndəstriz] n. 子行业 5. dominated [ˈdɑːməneɪtɪd] v. 主导 6. investment [ɪnˈvɛstmənt] n. 投资 7. intangible capital [ɪnˈtændʒəbl ˈkæpɪtl] n. 无形资本 8. modern economy