For any export-oriented American business, an invitation to join the U. S. Commerce Secretary on one of his trade missions abroa

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问题     For any export-oriented American business, an invitation to join the U. S. Commerce Secretary on one of his trade missions abroad is like a World Series ticket—the hottest seat in town, and something you might pay top dollar to get. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised that his Administration would fight hard to help American companies win foreign business. That’s a worthy goal of trade missions, which provide selected chief executives with priceless connections to the corporate heads and government officials of other nations.
    But under the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown were the Democrats "selling" seats, using those missions to reward party donors? And did the trips serve the dual purpose of drumming up(招徕)more donations abroad? Those are the questions at the heart of the lawsuit filed by the non-profit conservative group Judicial Watch Inc. Last week, thousands of pages of Commerce Department documents have been turned over to the group.
    The Commerce Department papers clearly indicate many corporate contributors expected their money to earn them special consideration when seats were being handed out on the secretary’s plane. In a letter addressed to Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary Jude Kearney, C. Payne Lucas, a development-organization executive suggests he should be added to a mission headed for South Africa president Nelson Mandela. In another, Philip Verveer, a Washington attorney, recommends a place on 1994 mission to India for William Ginsberg, chief executive of Cellular Communications International. "Ginsberg was an early financial supporter of Clinton/ Gore campaign," Verveer writes.
    These missives occasionally show federal officials urging their superiors to favor donor executives. In one letter, Reta Lewis, a political affair official at the White House, urges that a spot be found for Gerald McGowan, a partner in a Washington law firm, on a trade mission to Indonesia or India. For one thing, Lewis points out, McGowan qualifies as D. N. C. "managing trustee(托管人,理事)," someone who gives $ 100,000 a year to the Democratic National Committee.
    But did the White House always give its funders the heavy preference they expected? That is another story.
Which of the following statements is true?

选项 A、Clinton’s Administration failed to keep his promise to help American companies win foreign business.
B、The Democrats might have taken advantage of the trade trips for more donations abroad.
C、Donor Executives long to have the honor of taking the same plane as the Commerce Secretary.
D、The Commerce Department documents clearly indicate that corporate contributors hope to finance the Secretary’s missions abroad.

答案B

解析 是非题。此题涉及文章中的几个细节,需一一对照。A说克林顿政府没有信守帮助美国企业开拓国外市场的诺言,而在文中没有提到这一点。B说民主党可能利用贸易出访拉来更多的国外赞助,这与文章中所说的意思一致;C意为提供赞助的总裁希望能荣幸地与商业部长同乘一架飞机,这与原文意思有出入,因为他们不只是想这样,而是想随同商业部长一起乘坐他的专机出访;D说商业部的文件明确表明企业赞助商希望为部长的出访提供资金,这显然不符合原文意思。故只有B是正确的。
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