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Passage Two
Questions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.
In recent decades, there is a phenomenon which makes us give some attention; the so-called Southeast Asian "tigers" have rivaled the western "lions" for stock cliches that make economic headlines. The myth of American economic hegemony(霸权) over Asia in the imposing and patriarchal figure of Uncle Sam has provided frequent political grist (有利) for Southeast Asian political leaders, particularly Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir. He has attempted to forge an international reputation as a snarling tiger, but lately sounds more like a barnyard dog groaning at shadows. Without demeaning in any way the remarkable achievements of the newly developing economies of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, these nations at times appear to be their own worst enemies. This is often exemplified by Dr. Mahathir, who rails at Western evil whenever an international or domestic crisis provides an opportunity.
To be more specific, the recent devaluation of the Philippine and Thai currencies, and the subsequent pressure on the Malaysian currency has inspired Dr. Mahathir to launch an all-out attack on the West as the source of the problem. He even alleges that the United States has deli-berately destabilized Southeast Asian economies in revenge for these nations, supporting the brutal military rule in Mahathir, an action which the United States seems to want inspected rather than rewarded. But by resorting to such scapegoat (替罪羊), instead of accepting even a bit responsibility, the Prime Minister may undermine the future success of the region and Malaysia in particular.
Upon further questioning, Dr. Mahathir narrowed his attack to one wealthy individual, the well-known philanthropist (慈善家), Mr. George Soros, whose opposition to Myanmar's admission to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Mahathir found particularity, irritating. The logical mistakes that underlie such conspiracy theories do not help Malaysia address the serious issues of economic overheating that experts have been warning about for all these difficult periods, which include large deficits and low savings to debt ratios. In fact, the recent dramatic drop in Malaysia's stock market and currency has led Dr. Mahathir to reverse his initial approach to the crisis. He even announces measures that at least imply he is quite aware of excesses in his own administration's spending policies that have contributed to this crisis of confidence. In the end, this kind of reaction undermines the esteem that Dr. Mahathir's enlightened leadership has justly earned.
57. It is implied in the first paragraph that Dr. Mahathir______.
A) has correctly identified the financial problem in Asia
B) tries to manipulate anti-Western actions for political gains
C) detests the USA's controlling over the regional economies
D) believes in the effect of the ghostly influence from the west
58. The author of this essay seems to suggest that______.
A) the devaluation of Malaysia's currency is due to the American plot
B) the Asian Crisis is the result of ASEAN pandering to terrorist governments
C) there is not a serious economic problems in Southeast Asia at all
D) the economic problems in some Asian countries is partly the result of their overheating economy
59. The author suggests the Dr. Mahathir's comments on the currency problems______.
A) prove that he has been a poor leader in general
B) are poor because they weaken his own credibility
C) are sharp in identifying the cause of the problem
D) reveal his keen insight into the complex issue
60. Which of the following is the tone of this essay?
A) Sarcastic and prejudice
B) Objective and detached
C) Piercing and indifferent
D) Impassive and hostile
61. The relative pronoun "which" in the last paragraph (Line 5) refers to______.
A) theories
B) experts
C) periods
D) issues
