【文章內容簡介】 s done less well than her major petitors. The UK’s share of the value of the main manufacturing countries’ exports fell from 16 percent in 1980 to about 9 per cent in 1999. This was due to the fact that the volume of UK exports increased at an annual average rate of 5 per cent, only about onehalf the rate achieved by the main manufacturing countries as a whole and about onethird the rate for Japan.Changes in the modity position of exports have been very small in recent years. The share of manufactured goods has increased slightly while the share of basic materials has declined. There has been a steady decline in the share of textiles and an increase in the share of chemicals in total exports. Over the next decade the possibility of exporting North Sea Oil and the diminishing dependence on imported oil should have a beneficial effect on the UK’s visible trade balance.The most striking change in the geographical distribution of UK exports in recent years has been the swing away from the traditional Commonwealth markets and a growing dependence on the market in Western Europe. Exports to Western Europe accounted for about 34 per cent of UK exports in 1989 but by 2000 this share had grown to nearly 60 per cent. This is much in line with developments in world trade as a whole, because trade between industrialized countries has been the fastest growing sector of world trade. The other important development is the growing importance of the markets in the oilexporting countries.（ ）1. The export of manufactures of . during recent years .A. has risen.B. has done better than the major petitors.C. has fallen D. has done less well that developing countries.（ ）2. The export of textiles .A. has declined B. has declined sharplyC. has increased slightlyD. has increased sharply（ ）3. The export of basic materials .A. has increasedB. has declinedC. has remained steadyD. has little changed（ ）4. What is the most striking change in UK exports?A. The swing away from the traditional Commonwealth markets and a growing dependence on the market in Western Europe.B. Changes in the modity position of exports.C. The increase of the share of manufactured goods and the decline of the share of basic materials.D. the beneficial effect of the export of oil on the UK’s visible trade balance. （ ）5. Which statement is not true?A. UK is exporting more to Western Europe.B. trade between UK and Western Europe has been the fastest growing sector of world trade.C. UK will possibly import less oil over the next decade.D. UK is exporting more chemicals.Passage Two Is a quiet revolution under way in the nation’s shopping habits? Are we gradually allowing an increasingly select number of large panies to take care of all our basic requirements? The supermarket chains certainly hope so. ‘People don’t have the time to shop around any more. If they’re happy with the quality of a pany’s service, then they’re likely to buy other product types from them as well,’ says Jim Austin, an industry analyst. With the major supermarket brands such as Tesco, J Sainsbury and Asda already offering financial services, credit cards, ownlabel clothing, mobile phones, and cutprice electrical goods including puters, Austin believes that the supermarkets’ diversification is set to continue. ‘The UK retail food market is saturated, so their only real prospect of growth is either to enter foreign markets or diversify into new markets at home..’ Tesco and J Sainsbury have done both. Having already bought foreign subsidiaries, both large supermarket chains have set up their own banks in or