Text 4 The EU's faltering progress towards a common system of taxing the huge revenues of the new digital giants lurched forward this morning as Margrethe Vestager,the EU commissioner in charge of competition,declared that Amazon had received unfair state

The European Commission's proposed tax on digital services is intended to make companies such as Google and Uber pay more.The idea is that such firms are gaming the rules at the expense of other taxpayers.The issue is real and needs to be addressed-but the answer under discussion breaks with both established international practice and plain common sense.Formal talks on the plan are due to start this week.The commission is calling for a 3 percent tax on the turnover of large digital enterprises-those with EU digital revenues over 50 million euros and total global revenues of over 750 million euros.About half the companies affected would be American,the EU estimates.The commission says it has been left with little choice.The value generated by digital companies doesn't require a physical presence,making them harder to rax.Digital businesses arrange their affairs to exploit this:They allocate income to low-tax jurisdictions and,according to officials,end up paying an effective tax of roughly 10 percent of profits,less than half of the burden carried by traditional businesses.Officials acknowledge that the right solution is a thorough overhaul of the corporate tax code,especially as it affects international firms selling digital services-and that this should be done not unilaterally but in cooperation with other countries,notably the U.S.Efforts are in fact underway,but progress has been slow,and EU officials have chosen to do something,anything,as soon as possible.Doing nothing would be better than this.For a start,the plan wouldn't raise much revenue-a meager 5 billion euros each year.And this supposedly fairer tax would bring abnormal results.For instance,companies such as Uber that don't make money will have a new cost to absorb;highly profitable firms with market power,such as Facebook,will be able to pass the tax on to their consumers.Small startups will be exempt from the new tax-unless they're acquired by larger companies.That will discourage consolidations.And the proposal as it stands may tax more activities than intended:Some financial services,for example,seem to be within its scope In its zeal to tax digital enterprises,the commission departs from many of its own stated principles.Its plan would probably require accessing individual,not just anonymized,user data.This runs counter to the EU's strict new rules on privacy,coming into force next month.Efforts to design a multinational solution need to be stepped up,not set aside.The goal should be a fair,multilateral framework that recognizes the complexity of the new digital economy while respecting the sovereignty of nations to set their own tax policy.That's an international challenge demanding an international solution.
What is the ultimate goal that digital tax legislation should pursue?

A.Efficient unilateral solution.s.
B.Simplified corporate tax systems
C.A global cooperative approach
D.An anti-tax avoidance package

The European Commission's proposed tax on digital services is intended to make companies such as Google and Uber pay more.The idea is that such firms are gaming the rules at the expense of other taxpayers.The issue is real and needs to be addressed-but the answer under discussion breaks with both established international practice and plain common sense.Formal talks on the plan are due to start this week.The commission is calling for a 3 percent tax on the turnover of large digital enterprises-those with EU digital revenues over 50 million euros and total global revenues of over 750 million euros.About half the companies affected would be American,the EU estimates.The commission says it has been left with little choice.The value generated by digital companies doesn't require a physical presence,making them harder to rax.Digital businesses arrange their affairs to exploit this:They allocate income to low-tax jurisdictions and,according to officials,end up paying an effective tax of roughly 10 percent of profits,less than half of the burden carried by traditional businesses.Officials acknowledge that the right solution is a thorough overhaul of the corporate tax code,especially as it affects international firms selling digital services-and that this should be done not unilaterally but in cooperation with other countries,notably the U.S.Efforts are in fact underway,but progress has been slow,and EU officials have chosen to do something,anything,as soon as possible.Doing nothing would be better than this.For a start,the plan wouldn't raise much revenue-a meager 5 billion euros each year.And this supposedly fairer tax would bring abnormal results.For instance,companies such as Uber that don't make money will have a new cost to absorb;highly profitable firms with market power,such as Facebook,will be able to pass the tax on to their consumers.Small startups will be exempt from the new tax-unless they're acquired by larger companies.That will discourage consolidations.And the proposal as it stands may tax more activities than intended:Some financial services,for example,seem to be within its scope In its zeal to tax digital enterprises,the commission departs from many of its own stated principles.Its plan would probably require accessing individual,not just anonymized,user data.This runs counter to the EU's strict new rules on privacy,coming into force next month.Efforts to design a multinational solution need to be stepped up,not set aside.The goal should be a fair,multilateral framework that recognizes the complexity of the new digital economy while respecting the sovereignty of nations to set their own tax policy.That's an international challenge demanding an international solution.
The author's attiiude toward EU's new tax plan is one of

A.slight hesitation.
B.strong disapproval.
C.reserved consent.
D.enthusiastic support.

The European Commission's proposed tax on digital services is intended to make companies such as Google and Uber pay more.The idea is that such firms are gaming the rules at the expense of other taxpayers.The issue is real and needs to be addressed-but the answer under discussion breaks with both established international practice and plain common sense.Formal talks on the plan are due to start this week.The commission is calling for a 3 percent tax on the turnover of large digital enterprises-those with EU digital revenues over 50 million euros and total global revenues of over 750 million euros.About half the companies affected would be American,the EU estimates.The commission says it has been left with little choice.The value generated by digital companies doesn't require a physical presence,making them harder to rax.Digital businesses arrange their affairs to exploit this:They allocate income to low-tax jurisdictions and,according to officials,end up paying an effective tax of roughly 10 percent of profits,less than half of the burden carried by traditional businesses.Officials acknowledge that the right solution is a thorough overhaul of the corporate tax code,especially as it affects international firms selling digital services-and that this should be done not unilaterally but in cooperation with other countries,notably the U.S.Efforts are in fact underway,but progress has been slow,and EU officials have chosen to do something,anything,as soon as possible.Doing nothing would be better than this.For a start,the plan wouldn't raise much revenue-a meager 5 billion euros each year.And this supposedly fairer tax would bring abnormal results.For instance,companies such as Uber that don't make money will have a new cost to absorb;highly profitable firms with market power,such as Facebook,will be able to pass the tax on to their consumers.Small startups will be exempt from the new tax-unless they're acquired by larger companies.That will discourage consolidations.And the proposal as it stands may tax more activities than intended:Some financial services,for example,seem to be within its scope In its zeal to tax digital enterprises,the commission departs from many of its own stated principles.Its plan would probably require accessing individual,not just anonymized,user data.This runs counter to the EU's strict new rules on privacy,coming into force next month.Efforts to design a multinational solution need to be stepped up,not set aside.The goal should be a fair,multilateral framework that recognizes the complexity of the new digital economy while respecting the sovereignty of nations to set their own tax policy.That's an international challenge demanding an international solution.
The author believes ihat the commission's tax plan would

A.ultimately harm consumers
B.benefit some financial services
C.help curb monopoly power
D.force privacy rules to be modified.

Text 4 Will the European Union make it?The question would have sounded strange not long ago.Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a“Bermuda triangle”of debt,population decline and lower growth.As well as those chronic problems,the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core,the 16 countries that use the single currency.Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies,weaker or stronger,will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency,which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck.It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers,France and Germany,agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone,but disagree about what to harmonies.Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow,spending and competitiveness,backed by quasiautomatic sanctions for governments that do not obey.These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU megaprojects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils.It insists that economic coordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club,among whom there is a small majority for freemarket liberalism and economic rigour;in the inner core alone,Germany fears,a small majority favour French interference.A“southern”camp headed by French wants something different:“European economic government”within an inner core of eurozone members.Translated,that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members,via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers.Finally,figures close to the France government have murmured,eurozone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization:e.g.,curbing competition in corporatetax rates or labour costs.It is too soon to write off the EU.It remains the world's largest trading block.At its best,the European project is remarkably liberal:built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries,its internal borders are far more open to goods,capital and labour than any comparable trading area.It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization,and make capitalism benign.
Regarding the future of the EU,the author seems to feel____

A.pessimistic
B.desperate
C.conceited
D.hopeful

Text 4 The EU's faltering progress towards a common system of taxing the huge revenues of the new digital giants lurched forward this morning as Margrethe Vestager,the EU commissioner in charge of competition,declared that Amazon had received unfair state aid from Luxembourg through its tax arrangements,and demanded that it pay￡250m in back taxes.At the same time,Ms Vestager announced that the European commission would haul Ireland up before the European court of justice for its failure to demand￡13bn of unpaid tax from Apple,identi{ied in an earlier investigation.The lwo events illusrrate the gulf between the commission,together with some of the EU's iargest economies,and smaller members such as Ireland and Luxembourg.Both Ireland and Luxembourg defend their tax arrangements.Ireland in particular welcomes the thousands of goocl jobs that the tech giants bring and has no desire to find ways of extracting more tax from thcm in case it drives them away.The Irish government also insists that taxation is a sovereign matter,not an arena for EU interference.（ ）thers are under pressure from voters who are outraged that any company can make so much profit in their country and pay so little tax on it.Revenue from Facebook's UK operations,it has emerged,nearly quadrupled last year t0 842m,through growth in digital ad sales;its corporation tax bill crept up from 4.2m t0 5.Im.The US inland revenue service is also keen to find transparent ways of taxing the new digital economy,and is watching jealously as the European commission draws up its plans,suspicious of any move that might be used by the tech giants to offset their US tax bills.Already,companies such as Google and Amazon hold billions of dollars in offshore funds,where ihey are out of reach of the taxman.The US defensiveness about its own tax revenues points to the need for a global rather than a merely European solution to the question of how,what and whcre to tax the digital economy,but progress through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development（OECD）is glacial,and would in any event only be advisory.The commission is still hoping to get agreement on a common corporate tax base that would help to identify the parameters of any new tax system,but progress has stalled because of complexities around double taxation.Meanwhile the American Chamber of Commerce in Europe（ACCE）is warning that any attempt to tax the tech giants more would threaten investment and expansion.But across most of the EU discontent is growing,not just over the failure to pay tax-which has already prompted some tech companies to become more transparent,and even pay more-but over many of their practices.The chief executive of the ride-hailing app Uber has been in London this week trying to patch up relations with Transport for London（TfL）.Margrethe Vestager is right:enforcing regulations works.
Ireland disagrees with European commission's digital tax reform in that_____

A.it would reduce its employment opportunities
B.it fails to respect the will of Irish voters
C.it may widen the gap between rich and poor countries
D.it threatens the sovereignty of weaker countries

Text 4 The EU's faltering progress towards a common system of taxing the huge revenues of the new digital giants lurched forward this morning as Margrethe Vestager,the EU commissioner in charge of competition,declared that Amazon had received unfair state aid from Luxembourg through its tax arrangements,and demanded that it pay￡250m in back taxes.At the same time,Ms Vestager announced that the European commission would haul Ireland up before the European court of justice for its failure to demand￡13bn of unpaid tax from Apple,identi{ied in an earlier investigation.The lwo events illusrrate the gulf between the commission,together with some of the EU's iargest economies,and smaller members such as Ireland and Luxembourg.Both Ireland and Luxembourg defend their tax arrangements.Ireland in particular welcomes the thousands of goocl jobs that the tech giants bring and has no desire to find ways of extracting more tax from thcm in case it drives them away.The Irish government also insists that taxation is a sovereign matter,not an arena for EU interference.（ ）thers are under pressure from voters who are outraged that any company can make so much profit in their country and pay so little tax on it.Revenue from Facebook's UK operations,it has emerged,nearly quadrupled last year t0 842m,through growth in digital ad sales;its corporation tax bill crept up from 4.2m t0 5.Im.The US inland revenue service is also keen to find transparent ways of taxing the new digital economy,and is watching jealously as the European commission draws up its plans,suspicious of any move that might be used by the tech giants to offset their US tax bills.Already,companies such as Google and Amazon hold billions of dollars in offshore funds,where ihey are out of reach of the taxman.The US defensiveness about its own tax revenues points to the need for a global rather than a merely European solution to the question of how,what and whcre to tax the digital economy,but progress through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development（OECD）is glacial,and would in any event only be advisory.The commission is still hoping to get agreement on a common corporate tax base that would help to identify the parameters of any new tax system,but progress has stalled because of complexities around double taxation.Meanwhile the American Chamber of Commerce in Europe（ACCE）is warning that any attempt to tax the tech giants more would threaten investment and expansion.But across most of the EU discontent is growing,not just over the failure to pay tax-which has already prompted some tech companies to become more transparent,and even pay more-but over many of their practices.The chief executive of the ride-hailing app Uber has been in London this week trying to patch up relations with Transport for London（TfL）.Margrethe Vestager is right:enforcing regulations works.
According to the first paragraph,Amazon_____.

A.is demanded to pay back taxes it owes to Ireland
B.will be brought to the European court of justice
C.has enjoyed tax benefits offered by Luxembourg
D.got involved in the case of Apple's tax avoidance

Text4 Most forecasts suggest that Britain will be a poorer country afier Brexit,largely because trading with the European Union will become more difficult.Such predictions about the distant future are,by their nature,open to doubt,which is partly why Brexit's proponents feel free to dismiss them.But the same does not apply to a new paper by Meredith Crowley,Oliver Exton and Lu Han from Cambridge University,which suggests that,months before Brexit has even happened,trade is already suffering,as firms respond to the prospect of higher tariffs.More than 100,000 British businesses export goods to the EU each year.At present they enjoy tariff-free trade with the country's biggest export market.But all face uncertainty as Britain negotiates a new trading relationship with Brussels.Some fear disaster if the talks break down.British carmakers could face a l0%tanff to export to the EU market.Dairies might have to pay tariffs of more than 30%.These extra costs could make exporting uneconomic.The Cambridge paper looks at the exporting decisions of British firms,across 8,000 types of product,in response to the tariffs that Britain would face in the event of reaching no trade deal with the EU.Where necessary,they adjust their calculations to take account of exchange-rate fluctvations.Since the referendum many companies appear to have reduced their exports to the EU.The research suggests that the bigger the potential tariff facing a product,the more nervous:firms are about exporting it.Why risk producing for a market that could soon become unwelcoming?Overall,the number of companies that began exporting new products to the EU in 2016 would have been 5%higher if there had been a Remain vote,the paper finds.It is hard to know what those firms that decided against producing for the EU did instead.The research finds little evidence,however,that they have lived up to the hopes of Brexiteers and boosted their exports to fast-growing non-EU markets.Some may have tried to sell more within Britain.Businesses may have only temporarily scaled down their production of exports for the EU.Normal service could resume ifBritain negotiates a good trade deal.But some damage is already done.The paper's results imply that in 2016 Britain lost some~lbn（$1.3bn）of exports to the EU because of the mere threat of higher tariffs.The long-term impact will be greater.Some of the firms dissuaded from exporting would have turned into big beasts.The referendum was only halfway through 2016,and the paper does not analyse data after that year.Meanwhile,Brexit uncertainty continues to rise.
What's the main idea of the text?

A.Brexit uncertainry has already damaged Britain's exporters.
B.Measures to deal with the impact led by Brexit uncertainty.
C.British business export to EU has dramatically decreased.
D.Uncertaintv means more export tariffs to a large extent.

Theresa May s speech mentioned the following things except( )

A.the rights of EU’s citizens will be protected in Britain after the divorce
B.a good trade relation between Britain and the EU is in line with the interests of both sides
C.Britain would be willing to continue to fulfill the commitment they have made during the period of membership
D.Britain will provide 20 billion euros to EU during the transition period

The European Commission's proposed tax on digital services is intended to make companies such as Google and Uber pay more.The idea is that such firms are gaming the rules at the expense of other taxpayers.The issue is real and needs to be addressed-but the answer under discussion breaks with both established international practice and plain common sense.Formal talks on the plan are due to start this week.The commission is calling for a 3 percent tax on the turnover of large digital enterprises-those with EU digital revenues over 50 million euros and total global revenues of over 750 million euros.About half the companies affected would be American,the EU estimates.The commission says it has been left with little choice.The value generated by digital companies doesn't require a physical presence,making them harder to rax.Digital businesses arrange their affairs to exploit this:They allocate income to low-tax jurisdictions and,according to officials,end up paying an effective tax of roughly 10 percent of profits,less than half of the burden carried by traditional businesses.Officials acknowledge that the right solution is a thorough overhaul of the corporate tax code,especially as it affects international firms selling digital services-and that this should be done not unilaterally but in cooperation with other countries,notably the U.S.Efforts are in fact underway,but progress has been slow,and EU officials have chosen to do something,anything,as soon as possible.Doing nothing would be better than this.For a start,the plan wouldn't raise much revenue-a meager 5 billion euros each year.And this supposedly fairer tax would bring abnormal results.For instance,companies such as Uber that don't make money will have a new cost to absorb;highly profitable firms with market power,such as Facebook,will be able to pass the tax on to their consumers.Small startups will be exempt from the new tax-unless they're acquired by larger companies.That will discourage consolidations.And the proposal as it stands may tax more activities than intended:Some financial services,for example,seem to be within its scope In its zeal to tax digital enterprises,the commission departs from many of its own stated principles.Its plan would probably require accessing individual,not just anonymized,user data.This runs counter to the EU's strict new rules on privacy,coming into force next month.Efforts to design a multinational solution need to be stepped up,not set aside.The goal should be a fair,multilateral framework that recognizes the complexity of the new digital economy while respecting the sovereignty of nations to set their own tax policy.That's an international challenge demanding an international solution.
To which of the following would EU officials most probably agree?

A.Traditional business lax cut is necessary in the digital era.
B.The pace of global corporate tax reform is too slow.
C.Europe should reduce the number of Iow-tax jurisdictions.
D.Corporate tax code is being revised in favor of the U,S.

The European Commission's proposed tax on digital services is intended to make companies such as Google and Uber pay more.The idea is that such firms are gaming the rules at the expense of other taxpayers.The issue is real and needs to be addressed-but the answer under discussion breaks with both established international practice and plain common sense.Formal talks on the plan are due to start this week.The commission is calling for a 3 percent tax on the turnover of large digital enterprises-those with EU digital revenues over 50 million euros and total global revenues of over 750 million euros.About half the companies affected would be American,the EU estimates.The commission says it has been left with little choice.The value generated by digital companies doesn't require a physical presence,making them harder to rax.Digital businesses arrange their affairs to exploit this:They allocate income to low-tax jurisdictions and,according to officials,end up paying an effective tax of roughly 10 percent of profits,less than half of the burden carried by traditional businesses.Officials acknowledge that the right solution is a thorough overhaul of the corporate tax code,especially as it affects international firms selling digital services-and that this should be done not unilaterally but in cooperation with other countries,notably the U.S.Efforts are in fact underway,but progress has been slow,and EU officials have chosen to do something,anything,as soon as possible.Doing nothing would be better than this.For a start,the plan wouldn't raise much revenue-a meager 5 billion euros each year.And this supposedly fairer tax would bring abnormal results.For instance,companies such as Uber that don't make money will have a new cost to absorb;highly profitable firms with market power,such as Facebook,will be able to pass the tax on to their consumers.Small startups will be exempt from the new tax-unless they're acquired by larger companies.That will discourage consolidations.And the proposal as it stands may tax more activities than intended:Some financial services,for example,seem to be within its scope In its zeal to tax digital enterprises,the commission departs from many of its own stated principles.Its plan would probably require accessing individual,not just anonymized,user data.This runs counter to the EU's strict new rules on privacy,coming into force next month.Efforts to design a multinational solution need to be stepped up,not set aside.The goal should be a fair,multilateral framework that recognizes the complexity of the new digital economy while respecting the sovereignty of nations to set their own tax policy.That's an international challenge demanding an international solution.
According to the first two paragraphs,the EU digital tax proposal

A.protects European industries from competition.
B.aims to updaic esiablished international practice.
C.is a blow to top digital companies.
D.binds only America's tech giants.

Text 4 The EU's faltering progress towards a common system of taxing the huge revenues of the new digital giants lurched forward this morning as Margrethe Vestager,the EU commissioner in charge of competition,declared that Amazon had received unfair state aid from Luxembourg through its tax arrangements,and demanded that it pay￡250m in back taxes.At the same time,Ms Vestager announced that the European commission would haul Ireland up before the European court of justice for its failure to demand￡13bn of unpaid tax from Apple,identi{ied in an earlier investigation.The lwo events illusrrate the gulf between the commission,together with some of the EU's iargest economies,and smaller members such as Ireland and Luxembourg.Both Ireland and Luxembourg defend their tax arrangements.Ireland in particular welcomes the thousands of goocl jobs that the tech giants bring and has no desire to find ways of extracting more tax from thcm in case it drives them away.The Irish government also insists that taxation is a sovereign matter,not an arena for EU interference.（ ）thers are under pressure from voters who are outraged that any company can make so much profit in their country and pay so little tax on it.Revenue from Facebook's UK operations,it has emerged,nearly quadrupled last year t0 842m,through growth in digital ad sales;its corporation tax bill crept up from 4.2m t0 5.Im.The US inland revenue service is also keen to find transparent ways of taxing the new digital economy,and is watching jealously as the European commission draws up its plans,suspicious of any move that might be used by the tech giants to offset their US tax bills.Already,companies such as Google and Amazon hold billions of dollars in offshore funds,where ihey are out of reach of the taxman.The US defensiveness about its own tax revenues points to the need for a global rather than a merely European solution to the question of how,what and whcre to tax the digital economy,but progress through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development（OECD）is glacial,and would in any event only be advisory.The commission is still hoping to get agreement on a common corporate tax base that would help to identify the parameters of any new tax system,but progress has stalled because of complexities around double taxation.Meanwhile the American Chamber of Commerce in Europe（ACCE）is warning that any attempt to tax the tech giants more would threaten investment and expansion.But across most of the EU discontent is growing,not just over the failure to pay tax-which has already prompted some tech companies to become more transparent,and even pay more-but over many of their practices.The chief executive of the ride-hailing app Uber has been in London this week trying to patch up relations with Transport for London（TfL）.Margrethe Vestager is right:enforcing regulations works.
The U.S.'s close attention to EU's tax plan making is mentioned to stress_____

A.the OECD's failure to fulfill its obligation
B.Google and Amazon's success outside the U.S.
C.U.S.'s jealousy in European progress in tax reform
D.the universality of digital economy taxation problem

Text 4 Will the European Union make it?The question would have sounded strange not long ago.Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a“Bermuda triangle”of debt,population decline and lower growth.As well as those chronic problems,the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core,the 16 countries that use the single currency.Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies,weaker or stronger,will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency,which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck.It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers,France and Germany,agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone,but disagree about what to harmonies.Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow,spending and competitiveness,backed by quasiautomatic sanctions for governments that do not obey.These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU megaprojects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils.It insists that economic coordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club,among whom there is a small majority for freemarket liberalism and economic rigour;in the inner core alone,Germany fears,a small majority favour French interference.A“southern”camp headed by French wants something different:“European economic government”within an inner core of eurozone members.Translated,that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members,via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers.Finally,figures close to the France government have murmured,eurozone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization:e.g.,curbing competition in corporatetax rates or labour costs.It is too soon to write off the EU.It remains the world's largest trading block.At its best,the European project is remarkably liberal:built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries,its internal borders are far more open to goods,capital and labour than any comparable trading area.It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization,and make capitalism benign.
To solve the euro problem，Germany proposed that______

A.EU funds for poor regions be increased
B.stricter regulations be imposed
C.only core members be involved in economic coordination
D.voting rights of the EU members be guaranteed

Text 4 Will the European Union make it?The question would have sounded strange not long ago.Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a“Bermuda triangle”of debt,population decline and lower growth.As well as those chronic problems,the EU faces an acute crisis in its economic core,the 16 countries that use the single currency.Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies,weaker or stronger,will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency,which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck.It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers,France and Germany,agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone,but disagree about what to harmonies.Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow,spending and competitiveness,backed by quasiautomatic sanctions for governments that do not obey.These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU megaprojects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils.It insists that economic coordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club,among whom there is a small majority for freemarket liberalism and economic rigour;in the inner core alone,Germany fears,a small majority favour French interference.A“southern”camp headed by French wants something different:“European economic government”within an inner core of eurozone members.Translated,that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members,via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers.Finally,figures close to the France government have murmured,eurozone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization:e.g.,curbing competition in corporatetax rates or labour costs.It is too soon to write off the EU.It remains the world's largest trading block.At its best,the European project is remarkably liberal:built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries,its internal borders are far more open to goods,capital and labour than any comparable trading area.It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization,and make capitalism benign.
The debate over the EU's single currency is stuck because the dominant powers_____

A.are competing for the leading position
B.are busy handling their own crises
C.fail to reach an agreement on harmonization
D.disagree on the steps towards disintegration

Text 4 The EU's faltering progress towards a common system of taxing the huge revenues of the new digital giants lurched forward this morning as Margrethe Vestager,the EU commissioner in charge of competition,declared that Amazon had received unfair state aid from Luxembourg through its tax arrangements,and demanded that it pay￡250m in back taxes.At the same time,Ms Vestager announced that the European commission would haul Ireland up before the European court of justice for its failure to demand￡13bn of unpaid tax from Apple,identi{ied in an earlier investigation.The lwo events illusrrate the gulf between the commission,together with some of the EU's iargest economies,and smaller members such as Ireland and Luxembourg.Both Ireland and Luxembourg defend their tax arrangements.Ireland in particular welcomes the thousands of goocl jobs that the tech giants bring and has no desire to find ways of extracting more tax from thcm in case it drives them away.The Irish government also insists that taxation is a sovereign matter,not an arena for EU interference.（ ）thers are under pressure from voters who are outraged that any company can make so much profit in their country and pay so little tax on it.Revenue from Facebook's UK operations,it has emerged,nearly quadrupled last year t0 842m,through growth in digital ad sales;its corporation tax bill crept up from 4.2m t0 5.Im.The US inland revenue service is also keen to find transparent ways of taxing the new digital economy,and is watching jealously as the European commission draws up its plans,suspicious of any move that might be used by the tech giants to offset their US tax bills.Already,companies such as Google and Amazon hold billions of dollars in offshore funds,where ihey are out of reach of the taxman.The US defensiveness about its own tax revenues points to the need for a global rather than a merely European solution to the question of how,what and whcre to tax the digital economy,but progress through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development（OECD）is glacial,and would in any event only be advisory.The commission is still hoping to get agreement on a common corporate tax base that would help to identify the parameters of any new tax system,but progress has stalled because of complexities around double taxation.Meanwhile the American Chamber of Commerce in Europe（ACCE）is warning that any attempt to tax the tech giants more would threaten investment and expansion.But across most of the EU discontent is growing,not just over the failure to pay tax-which has already prompted some tech companies to become more transparent,and even pay more-but over many of their practices.The chief executive of the ride-hailing app Uber has been in London this week trying to patch up relations with Transport for London（TfL）.Margrethe Vestager is right:enforcing regulations works.
Which of the following can help push EU's tax plan forward according to the last paragraph?

A.Firmly carry out current regulations.
B.Find a balance between double taxations.
C.Carefully consider ACCE's warning.
D.Loosen control over some tech giants.

There’s a stalemate between EU and Britain after Brexit because( )

A.the two sides have not reached an agreement on conditions of Britain’s orderly exit
B.British people are divided on the issue of Brexit
C.Britain refuses to fill the financial hole of the EU
D.EU does not want Britain to exit from it