Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1～7, mark Y (for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage. For questions 8～10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. Euro (欧元) National currencies are vitally important to the way modern economies operate. They allow us to consistently express the value of an item across borders of countries, oceans, and cultures. Wealth can be easily stored or transported as currency. Currencies are also deeply embedded in our cultures and our psyche. Think about how familiar you are with the price of things. If you've grown up in the United States, you think of everything in 'dollars,' just like you think about distances in inches and miles. On January 1, 2002, the euro became the single currency of 12 member states of the European Union. This will make it the second largest currency in the world (the U.S. dollar being the largest). It will also be the largest currency event in the history of the world. Twelve national currencies will evaporate (蒸发) and be replaced by the euro. Designing the Euro The European Commission (EC) was given the task of creating the euro symbol as part of its communications work. There were three things the design had to accomplish: It had to be easily recognized. It had to be easily written by hand. It had to be pleasing to look at. The EC had more than 30 designs drawn up. They selected 10 from those and let the public vote, which narrowed those 10 down to two. From them they made their final selection. The design that was selected is based on the Greek letter epsilon, and also resembles the 'e' as the first letter of the word 'Europe.' The two parallel lines through the center of the 'c' represent stability. Where Did the Idea Come From? The original seed was planted in 1946 when Winston Churchill suggested the creation of the 'United States of Europe.' His goals were primarily political, in that he hoped a unified government would bring about peace for a continent that had been torn apart by two World wars. Then, in 1952, six west-European countries took Churchill's suggestion and created the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) These resources were quite strategic to the power of each country, so a requirement of the ECSC was that each country allows their resources to be controlled by an independent authority. Their goal, just as Churchill had intended, was to help prevent military conflict between France and Germany. In 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed, declaring the goal of creating a common European market. It was signed by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. After many false starts, the process of creating the Euro got its real start in 1989, when the Delors Report was published by Jacques Delors, president of the European Commission. This important report outlined a three-stage transition (过渡) plan that would create a single European currency. Planning the Transition As outlined in the Delors Report, the transition to a single European courtesy followed a three- stage plan: Stage one began on July 1, 1990, and immediately abolished (废止) (at least in princi