2023-2024學年河南省登封市外國語中學高考沖刺英語模擬試題含解析

2023-2024學年河南省登封市外國語中學高考沖刺英語模擬試題注意事項：1．答卷前，考生務必將自己的姓名、準考證號填寫在答題卡上。2．回答選擇題時，選出每小題答案后，用鉛筆把答題卡上對應題目的答案標號涂黑，如需改動，用橡皮擦干凈后，再選涂其它答案標號?；卮鸱沁x擇題時，將答案寫在答題卡上，寫在本試卷上無效。3．考試結(jié)束后，將本試卷和答題卡一并交回。第一部分（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）1．Weallknowthatgoodresults________foryouwhenyoustartdoingthingsyoulove.A．a(chǎn)rewaitingB．havewaitedC．havebeenwaitingD．willbewaiting2．Shewasina________conditionafterthehearttransplantoperationwhenherbodyrejectedtheforeignorgan.A．skeptical B．critical C．theoretical D．practical3．Thatpreservedhistoricvillageconnectedtodowntownbyahighwayis________manyofficeworkersspendtheirweekends.A．what B．howC．where D．why4．Officefurniturelikechairsandsofasshouldbeattractiveaswellascomfortable.A．manually B．visuallyC．physically D．securely5．______suchaproblembefore,wehandledthesituationverywellthistime.A．Dealwith B．DealingwithC．Todealwith D．Havingdealtwith6．--Mom,I’mgoingtothegraduationdancetonightbutIdon’tthinkIlookattractiveenough.—Oh,darling,don’tworry._______A．Theydon’tknowwhatbeautyis.B．Nobodywillcareaboutit.C．Youlookperfectthewayyouare.D．Impossibleisnothing,7．Marywaspleasedtoseethattheseedsshe______inthegardenweregrowing.A．wasplantingB．hasplantedC．wouldplantD．hadplanted8．—CouldyoucheckmylisttoseeIhaveforgottenanything?—Noproblem.A．whetherB．whichC．thatD．what9．Undergoodtreatment,manypatientsarebeginningto________andwillsoonrecover.A．turnupB．catchupC．pickupD．showup10．---DoyouthinkPeterisagoodpartner?---Notreally!Therearesomethingsthatarenoteasyto________,andhislazinessisone.A．putasideB．putupwithC．thinkofD．getalongwith11．Thecaseshockedthepublic,ahotdebateoverhumannatureontheIntemet.A．causes B．caused C．causing D．tocause12．Ifyouweretohaveafewminutesfree,I______theopportunitytoaskyouonemorequestion.A．wouldappreciate B．wouldhaveappreciatedC．weretoappreciate D．hadappreciated13．Thecompanybegantoproducesilkunderwearlastyear,mostof________importedtoEurope.A．itB．themC．thatD．which14．Mollyfinallyagreed,_____reluctantly,togoandseeadoctor.A．a(chǎn)fterwards B．a(chǎn)lmostC．otherwise D．somewhat15．－IwasafraidIwouldmisstheimportantlecture.－Oh,wasthatwhyyou_______askingmetospeedup?A．hadkept B．a(chǎn)rekeepingC．wouldkeep D．kept16．IfeelIamaswell-behavedandascarefulasmydeskmate,but_______Ialwaysfallbehind?A．howabout B．howcomeC．whatif D．whatfor17．Whenonholidays,therailwaysputontrainstomakepeople’stravelmoreconvenient.A．regularB．specialC．particularD．unusual18．Oneofthefewthingsyou______sayaboutEnglishpeoplewithcertaintyisthattheytalkalotabouttheweather.A．need B．must C．can D．should19．Shemusthaverankedherbirthdaypresentsinorderof_becausethetoponeisherfavorite．A．value B．time C．interest D．preference20．Youthisaperiodofourlifeweseenolimittoourhopesandwishes.A．where B．thatC．what D．when第二部分閱讀理解（滿分40分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。21．（6分）Thepopularwisdomforyearshasbeenthatdrinkinginmoderation(適度)—that’sone“standard”drinkadayforwomenandtwoformen-islinkedtoalowerriskofcardiovascular(心血管的)disease.Butrecentstudiesarecastingsomedoubtonthatlong-heldlearning.Sciencenowsaysitdependsonyourageanddrinkinghabits.A2017studyofnearly2millionBritishwithnocardiovascularriskfoundthattherewasstillamodestbenefitinmoderatedrinking,especiallyforwomenover55whodrankfivedrinksaweek.Whythatage?Alcoholcaninfluencethesubstanceinthebloodinpositiveways,expertssay,andthat’sabouttheagewhenheartproblemsbegintooccur.Also,a2018studyfoundthatdrinkingmorethan100gramsofalcoholperweek—equaltoroughlysevenstandarddrinksintheUnitedStatesorfivetosixglassesofwineintheUK—increasesyourriskofdeathfromallcausesandinturnlowersyourlifeexpectancy.Linkswerefoundwithdifferentformsofcardiovasculardisease,withpeoplewhodrankmorethan100gramsperweekhavingahigherriskofstroke,heartfailure.Another2018studyfoundthatconsistentlydrinkingamoderateamountofalcohol,withinrecommendedguidelines,hadaprotectiveeffectontheheartovertime.Unstabledrinkinghabitswereassociatedwithahigherriskofheartdisease,whichtheauthorsreflectedmightindicatebroaderlifestylechanges,suchaspoorhealthorstress.Formerdrinkerswerealsoatgreaterrisk.Overall,however,thelatestthinkingisthatanyheartbenefitmaybeoutweighedbyotherhealthrisks,suchashighbloodpressure,certaincancersandliverdamage.Womenwhodrinkareatahigherriskforbreastcancer;alcoholcontributesabout6%oftheoverallrisk,possiblybecauseitraisescertaindangeroushormonesintheblood.Drinkingcanalsoincreasethechanceyoumightdevelopliver,mouthandoralcancers.Onepotentialreason:Alcoholweakensourimmunesystems,makingusmorelikelytoinflame(發(fā)炎)—adrivingforcebehindcancer.1、Whydoesmoderatedrinkingbenefitwomenover55?A．Ithelpsthemlivelongerthanmen.B．Itreducesthechanceofsomeheartproblems.C．Itdestroystheharmfulchemicalsintheirblood.D．Ithelpsthemrecoverfromcardiovasculardisease.2、Whatcanwelearnfromparagraph3?A．Drinkingmorethan10gramsofalcoholperweekissurelyharmful.B．Solidlinkswerefoundbetweenthediseaseandtheamountofalcohol.C．Thelifespanvariesaccordingtoamountofconsumedalcohol.D．SevenstandarddrinksaretherecommendedamountofdrinkingintheUK.3、Whowillbeatalowerriskaccordingtothe2018study?A．Consistentdrinkerswithlifestylechanges.B．Unstabledrinkerswithlifestylechanges.C．Consistentdrinkerswithinrecommendedamountofalcohol.D．Unstabledrinkerswithinrecommendedamountofalcohol.4、Whichcanbethebesttitleforthetext?A．Moderatedrinkinghabitsbenefittheheart.B．Moderatedrinkingweakensourimmunesystems.C．Moderatedrinkingcanpreventcancer.D．Moderatedrinkingdoesmoreharmthangoodtohealth.22．（8分）FreeOnlineCoursesReadingintheDigitalAgeThiscourseisforpeoplefromallwalksoflifewhoenjoyreadingandwouldliketoknowhowliteraryscholarsunderstandtextsinthedigitalage.Itintroducesyoutoavarietyofwaysofunderstandingtexts.Throughthecourse,youwillbecomefamiliarwithprofessionalreadingpracticesaswellasnewer,computer-drivenreadingskills.Duration:6weeks4hourspw2AugustExploringEnglish:ShakespeareThiscourseisaimedathighschoolstudentsanduniversitystudentswhowishtolearnmoreaboutShakespeare.ThefirstweekwilllookatShakespeare'slifeandtimes.Fortherestofthecourse,wewilllookcloselyatadifferentplayeachweek.ShakespeareanactorswillhelpusexploretheuniversalthemesinRomeoandJuliet,Hamlet,TheTempestandMacbeth.OurvideotutorwillguideyouthroughthecourseandlookatthewordsandphrasesthatShakespeareintroducedtotheEnglishlanguage.Duration:6weeks2hourspw16JulyTheEuropeanDiscoveryofChinaThiscourseisaimedatanyonewithaninterestinChinese,Europeanorworldhistory.ItfocusesonwhenandhowtheWestfirstapproachedChina.WewilllookatChina'splaceintheworldandconnectionstotheWestviatheSilkRoad,theriseofGenghisKhanandtheMongolEmpire,andfinallytheMingdynasty.We'llknowthisperiodofChinesehistorythroughtheeyesofWesterntravellersfromthe13thtothe17thcentury.WhattheseWesterntravellerssaw,whattheydidn'tsee—that'sthestorythatwewilluncoverinthiscourse.Duration:8weeks6hourspw6July129、WhenyoutakeReadingintheDigitalAge,youwill________.A．walkintodifferentpeople'slifeB．learnwaysofunderstandingtextsC．getbetteratcomputerskillsD．shareopinionswithliteraryscholars1、WhowillhelpstudentsbetterunderstandthethemesofShakespeare'splays?A．Actors. B．Scholars.C．Historians. D．Videotutors.2、WhatcanpeoplelearnfromTheEuropeanDiscoveryofChina?A．China'sdiscoveryoftheWest.B．TheriseandfalloftheQingDynasty.C．TheimportanceoftheSilkRoad.D．China'sinterestinWesterntravellers.3、Whatarethesubjectsoftheseonlinecourses?A．Scienceandhistory.B．Mediaandhealth.C．Natureandenvironment.D．Languageandculture.4、Inwhichwaydothethreecourseshaveincommon?A．Theyareaimedatstudents.B．Theyareprovidedforfree.C．Eachlasts6weeks.D．Eachtakes2hoursperweek.23．（8分）InspiringArchaeologicalStudyToursacrosstheWorldin2017…AnArchaeologicalToursgetawayisanarchaeologylover’svacationlikenoother.Wehaveanexcitingselectionoftoursdepartingin2017withunsurpassedservice.Here’sasmallselectionofwhatwehavetooffer.Alsoacodeforyou:Neverallow(Jogstorunfree-lytheretokeeptheplantsandanimalsliveinpeaceandgetridofrubbishproperly.Becarefultoburyyourtoiletwasteandkeeptothedesignedtracks.Guatemala&BelizeCoonthetrailofMesoamericancivilizationsinthelushforests,ruggedfoothills（丘陵地帶）,andmoderncitiesofthesefascinatingsitesincentralAmerica.January6-20,2017l$6,495Ghana,Togo&BeninWitnessthemeetingofthrivingtraditions,ancientpast,andforward-lookingpresentinincomparableWestAfrica.February7-22,20171$7,495AncientEgyptFromthepyramidsofGizatotheValleysoftheKingsandQueens,discovertheglorioussplendorsofancientEgypt.February&November2017l$5,995CentralMexicoFollowtheancientcivilizationsoftheToltec,Aztec,Zapotec,OlmecandMixtecacrossthecentreofmagnificentMexicoinNorthAmerica.March11-24,2017l$5,795IranDiscoverthebeautyandmajestyofIran’slong-passedempires,earlymodemdynasties,andtimelessscenery.April,September&October2017l$7,995Malta,Sardinia&CorsicaExplorethecharacteristicgeologicalenvironmentsanduniqueculturalandpoliticalhistoriesofthesethreeislandsinSouthEurope.April19-May4,20171$7,49569、Accordingtothetravelleaflet,visitorsshouldtour________.A．withcalmnessandcuriosityB．withself-defenceandhonourC．withconventionandreligionD．withself-disciplineandprotection1、TomiskeenonearlymoderndynastywhilehiswifeenjoysAfricatraditions.Whichplacesaretheirbestchoices?A．AncientEgyptandCentralMexico.B．Guatemala,BelizeandIran.C．Ghana,Benin,TogaandIran.D．Malta,SardiniaandCorsica.24．（8分）EveryoneshouldbesoluckyastohaveafriendlikeFranciaRaisa.OnThursday,singerandactressSelenaGomez,25,usedInstagramtoexplainwhyshewas“l(fā)ayinglow”thissummer.ShepostedaphotoofherselfinahospitalbedwithherfriendFranciaRaisaholdinghands.Shesaidsherecentlyreceivedakidneytransplantfromherbestfriendbecauseofcomplications(并發(fā)癥)fromlupus(狼瘡),anautoimmunedisease,whichmeansitistheresultoftheimmunesystemattackingnormaltissue,includingthekidneys,brain,heartandlungs.Peoplewithlupusmayfirstexperiencetiredness,jointpainoralittlebitofrash(皮疹)ontheirbodiesandcangoforalongtimebeforetheirdoctorsrealizeitismoreserious.Manypeopleseetwoorfourdoctorsbeforetherealproblemispickedup.AccordingtoDr.KyriakosKirou,roughlyathirdtoone-halfofpeoplewithlupusdevelopkidneydisease,anduptooneinfiveofthemwilleventuallyneedatransplant,sometimesbecausetheyweren’ttreatedwitheffectivedrugstopreventtheimmunesystemfromattackingthekidneys.ThoughGomezsaidthatshewas“verywellnow,”shewarnedaboutthedangersofnottakingmedicaldiagnosesseriously,likesheinitiallydid.HerInstagrampostalsocalledattentiontotwomajorhealthtopics:theneedforlivingorgandonatorsandthefactthatGomezrepresentsthreegroupsmorelikelytobediagnosedwithlupusandlupus-relatedkidneydisease.Nineoutof10peoplediagnosedwithlupusarewomen,andmostdevelopthediseasebetweentheagesof15to44.Andlupusistwotothreetimesmorecommonamongwomenofcolor,includingHispanicwomen,accordingtotheLupusFoundation.RaisaisLatina,andGomez’sfatherisofMexicanorigin.Whileit’snotessentialthattheorgandonatorandreceiverbeofthesameethnicity,peoplewhoshareasimilarbackgroundsometimesarebettermatched,accordingtodatafromtheUnitedNetworkforOrganSharing.1、WhatcanwelearnaboutFranciaRaisa?A．Sheislucky.B．Sheisselfless.C．Sheisoptimistic.D．Sheisencouraging.2、Whatislupuslikeatitsearlystage?A．Itisdeadly.B．Itishardtorecognize.C．Itssymptomsarepsychological.D．Itremindsyouofakidneydisease.3、Whatdoestheunderlinedword“them”inParagraph2referto?A．Peoplewithlupus.B．Coloredwomenlupuspatients.C．Lupuspatientswithkidneydisease.D．Womenbetweentheagesof15to44.4、Whatdoesthelastparagraphmainlytellus?A．RaisaandGomezhaveasimilarbackground.B．GomezhasfullyrecoveredthankstothekidneyfromRaisa.C．Itisvitalforthedonatorandreceivertobeofthesamerace.D．Theorganfromthedonatorofthesameracematchesthereceiverbetter.25．（10分）Recently,onlinehike-sharinghasbecomethenewfavoriteinChina.Inmajorcities,bikesin,yellow,orange,blue,whiteandgreen,canbeseenalmosteverywhereonthestreet.Itseemsthatthesebikesappearedsuddenly,addinganewbeautifulscenerytoChinesecities.Boththemarketandthepublicwelcomeonlinebike-sharing,butisitreallyapromisingbusiness?Well,itdepends.Afterall,onlinebike-sharingplatformscannevergetawaywithhugeoperatingcostanduncertaingovernmentpolicy.Sometheoristsmightsaythatonlinebike-sharingplatformscanearnafortunesimplythroughdeposit.Sinceuserswillalwaysneedtorentbikes,theirdepositwillalwaysbekepttoonlinebike-sharingplatforms.However,althoughonlinebike-sharingplatformsmaybeabletousethedepositforotherpurposesattheprimarystage,theywillhavetosetupaspecialaccount,sothatthedepositshallbeusedspeciallyforitsdesignated(指定的)purpose.Asthemarketgetsincreasinglymature,theywillhavetodosowhethertoberesponsibleforusersorinconsiderationofpossiblegovernmentregulations.Nowthatonlinehike-sharingplatformscan’tmakeprofitthroughdeposit，howcantheybecomeprofitableasfiercermarket

unfolds?AlthoughHuWeiwei,CEOofMobike,statedinanarticlethatshewouldtakeMobikeascharitable(慈善的)projectifshefailed,runningastartupisabsolutelydifferentfrommanagingacharityorganization.Afterall,shehastopaybackinvestors’billionsofinvestment(投資).Tomakeprofit,onlinebike-sharingplatformsmighthavetoincreaserentfeeforeachtrip,justasDididid.Fromthisaspect,itmightbeareallygoodbusiness.Ifweconsiderfullscreenadsfee,recommendationfeeforbusinessowners,etc.,itsannualincomemightreachatleastRMB15billion.Ifweconsiderthehugeoperationcost,includingbikerepairs，bikes’servicelifeandlaborcost,theremightnotbemuchnetprofitleft.Afterall,offlineoperationcosthasalwaysbeenanunbearableburdenforsuchinternetplusmode-basedstartups.1、Howdoestheauthorfeelaboutthefutureofonlinebike-sharingplatforms?A．Optimistic.B．Doubtful.C．Hopeful.D．Secure.2、Howdosometheoriststhinkonlinebike-sharingplatformscanmakemoney?A．Throughadvertisements.B．Throughservices.C．Throughdeposit.D．Throughinvestment.3、Howshoulddepositbedealtwithwhenthemarketismatureaccordingtotheauthor?A．Usedforotherpurposes.B．Keptinaspecialaccount.C．Usedforcharity.D．Leftasidetotheusers.4、Whatdoestheunderlinedword＂unfolds＂meaninthepassage?A．Shrinks.B．Spreads.C．Shows.D．Develops.第三部分語言知識運用（共兩節(jié)）第一節(jié)（每小題1.5分，滿分30分）閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的A、B、C和D四個選項中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項．26．（30分）IwassurethatIwastobekilled.Ibecameterriblynervous.Ifeltblindlyinmypocketstoseeiftherewereanycigarettes,whichhad31thesearchofjailers(peoplewhoguardprisoners).Ifoundoneandbecauseofmyshakinghands,Icould32getittomylips.ButIhadnomatches,theyhadtakenthose.I33throughthebarsatmyjailer.Hedidnotmakeeyecontactwithme.Icalledouttohim,“Haveyougotalight?”Helookedatme,34andcameovertolightmycigarette.Ashecamecloseand35thematch,hiseyesaccidentallylockedwithmine.Atthatmoment,I36.Idon'tknowwhyIdidthat.Perhapsitwas37,perhapsitwasbecause,whenyougetveryclose,onetoanother,itisvery38nottosmile.Inanycase,Ismiled.Inthatinstant,itwasasthougha39jumpedacrossthegapbetweenourtwohearts,ourtwohumansouls.Iknowhedidn'twantto,butmysmileleapedthroughthebarsand40asmileonhislips,too.Helitmycigarettebutstayed41Ikeptsmilingathim,now42ofhimasapersonandnotjustajailer.“Doyouhave43?”heasked.“Yes,here.”Itookoutmywalletandnervouslyfeltforthe44ofmyfamily.He,too,tookoutthepicturesofhisfamilyandbegantotalkabouthisplansandhopesforthem.Myeyeswere45withtears.IsaidthatI46thatI'dneverseemyfamilyagain,neverhavethechancetoseethemgrowup.47cametohiseyes,too.48,withoutanotherword,he49mycellandsilentlyledmeout.There,attheedgeoftown,he50me.Andwithoutanotherword,heturnedbacktowardthetown.Mylifewassavedbyasmile.Yes,thesmile―theunaffected,unplanned,naturalconnectionbetweenpeople.1、..A．caught B．broken C．met D．escaped2、.A．barely B．consequentlyC．continuouslyD．constantly3、..A．saw B．looked C．went D．broke4、.A．trembled B．ignoredC．shruggedD．hesitated5、..A．struck B．seized C．counted D．found6、.A．sobbed B．smelled C．sighed D．smiled7、.A．defence B．delight C．nervousness D．despair8、..A．hard B．easy C．simple D．clear9、..A．humor B．spark C．hatred D．sense10、..A．spread B．generated C．brought D．Forced11、.A．near B．distant C．a(chǎn)way D．up12、.A．a(chǎn)fraid B．sure C．a(chǎn)ware D．a(chǎn)wake13、.A．enemies B．pets C．friends D．kids14、..A．photos B．drawings C．films D．outlines15、.A．fixed B．blocked C．filled D．packed16、.A．hoped B．feared C．wondered D．a(chǎn)nnoyed17、.A．Anger B．Sadness C．Sympathy D．Tears18、.A．Accidentally B．Instantly C．SuddenlyD．Occasionally19、.A．grasped B．unlocked C．shut D．fastened20、.A．offended B．saved C．shot D．released第二節(jié)（每小題1.5分，滿分15分）閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入1個適當?shù)膯卧~或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。27．（15分）TheChang’e4spacecraftlandedontheso-calleddarksideofthemoonat10:3amonThursday,broughtthecountry1．(close)toitsgoalofbecomingaspacepower.Chang’e4sentapicture2．(take)at11:40ambacktoEarth.Itshowsthatthemoon’sfarsideisnot3．(absolute)dark.ButitisoftencalledthedarksidebecauseitfacesawayfromEarthandlittle4．(know)aboutit.Infact,thefarsideofthemoonisaratherquietplacethatisfreefromdisturbancefromradio5．(signal)fromtheEarth.HouXiyunisaprofessoratNanjingUniversity’sschoolofastronomyandspacescience,6．toldtheAssociatedPress,“7．thewhole,China’sspacetechnologystilllagsbehindtheWest,withthelandingonthefarsideofthemoon,wehaveracedtothefront.”Headded，”Thelandingis8．exampleofChina’sgrowingdesire9．(strengthen)itspositionasaninternationalpower.ChinaplanstoexploreMars,Jupiterandasteroidsinthefuture.”There’snodoubtthatournationwillgofartherandfarther.It’shoped10．ourspacedreamtomakeChinastrongerwillcometruesoon.第四部分寫作（共兩節(jié)）第一節(jié)短文改錯（滿分10分）28．（10分）假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除和修改。增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出該加的詞。刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉。修改：在錯的詞下畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。注意：1.處錯誤及其修改僅限一詞；2.只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。Agoodfriendofmehadadog.Heloveditverymuchthatheregardeditlikehisbestfriend.Unfortunately,lastFridaythedogwaskilledbycar,whichmadehimbeheartbroken.Imustdidsomethingtocomforthim.Tocheerhimup,Iwentthroughallmyoldphotoandmadeanicepicturecollectionofhimandhisdog.Hopeful,itwillwork.IknewIcan’treplacehispetandbestfriendbutatleastIcanputasmileonhisfaceagain.ThatishowIshoulddoforafriend.Afriendinneedisafriendindeed.第二節(jié)書面表達（滿分25分）29．（25分）假如你是李華，某美國中學生代表團來你校訪問。你代表學校介紹將要舉行的有關“建設美麗中國”的活動，主要內(nèi)容包括:1.表示歡迎；2.介紹活動內(nèi)容；3.邀請他們參加。注意:1.詞數(shù):100詞左右；2.可以適當增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫。____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

參考答案第一部分（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）1、D2、B3、C4、B5、D6、C7、D8、A9、C10、B11、C12、A13、A14、D15、D16、B17、B18、C19、D20、D第二部分閱讀理解（滿分40分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。21、1、B2、A3、C4、D22、129、B1、A2、C3、D4、B23、America’sbusinessesaregettingolderandfatter,whilemanynewbusinessesaredyingininfancy.AstudylastmonthbytheBrookingsInstitutionfoundthattheproportionofolderfirmshasgrownsteadilyoverseveraldecades,whilethesurvivalrateofnewcompanieshasfallen.Inaddition,youngpeoplearestartingcompaniesatasharplylowerratethaninthepast.AnewreportfromtheNationalAssociationofManufacturersshowsamajorcause:Thecostofobeyinggovernmentregulationshasrisentomorethan$2trillion(12.26trillionyuan)annually,or12percentoftheGDP,andthiscostfallsdisproportionatelyonsmaller,newerbusinesses.It’srisky,difficultandexpensivetostartabusiness,andgettingmoreso.Governmentsareimposingvariousnewrulesonaseeminglydailybasis:healthinsurance,minimumwageincreasesand,mostrecentlyinCalifornia,compulsorypaidsickdaysforevenhourlyemployees.Theseregulationsshifthugesocialwelfarecostsdirectlyontooften-strugglingsmallbusinesses,whilebeingproportionallymuchlesscostlyforlargercompanies.Thisispartlyanunintendedissueofresources—establishedcompaniescancopewithnewcostsmoreeasily—butit’salsodeliberate.Forinstance,biginsurancecompaniesgotaseatatthetabletohelpwriteObamacare,butlesspoliticallypowerfulfirms—likemedicaldevicemanufacturers—gotsqueezed.Mature,successfulcorporationscanemployex-lawmakerswithconnections,distributecampaigncontributionsandevenwriteregulationsforthemselves.Theyarealsomorelikelytowanttoprotectsteadyrevenuestreamsthanrevolutionizetheirindustry.Majorcompaniesthathavebeensoill-managedtheywouldotherwisecollapse—airlines,carcompaniesandbanks—stagger(蹣跚)onbecausepoliticiansridetotherescuewithbagsoftaxpayermoney.Thegeniusofouruniquesystemofgovernmentisthedeterminationtoprotectanddefendtherightsoftheindividualovertherightsofthenation.Assuch,theriseofawell-connectedoligarchy(寡頭政治)thatprotectsbigbusinessattheexpenseofsmallbusiness,andtheestablishedoverthenew,isoppositetoAmericanideals.Incomeinequality—whichisdirectlycausedbyfaultygovernmentpolicy—isbeingpromotedasthereasontoimposemoreoftha