2013考研英语阅读100篇及剖析(十六)
<p> <span word="TEXT">TEXT</span> <span word="ONE">ONE</span></p><p> <span word="As">As</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="climbed">climbed</span> <span word="towards">towards</span> $100 <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barrel">barrel</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span>, <span word="big">big</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="reporting">reporting</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="results">results</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="quarter">quarter</span>. <span word="Record">Record</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="prices">prices</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="turns">turns</span> <span word="out">out</span>, <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="translate">translate</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="profits">profits</span>. <span word="Oil">Oil</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="exceeding">exceeding</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1979 <span word="of">of</span> <span word="between">between</span> $100 <span word="and">and</span> $110, <span word="depending">depending</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="adjust">adjust</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="inflation">inflation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="benchmark">benchmark</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="use">use</span>. <span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="exception">exception</span>, <span word="big">big</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="profits">profits</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="falling">falling</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="peaks">peaks</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p> <span word="Exxon">Exxon</span> <span word="Mobil">Mobil</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="a">a</span> 10% <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="profits">profits</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="quarter">quarter</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="BPs">BPs</span> <span word="fell">fell</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="sharply">sharply</span>. <span word="Profits">Profits</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="fell">fell</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Chevron">Chevron</span>, <span word="ConocoPhillips">ConocoPhillips</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Eni">Eni</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="rose">rose</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Total">Total</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Royal">Royal</span> <span word="Dutch">Dutch</span> <span word="Shell">Shell</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="thanks">thanks</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="exchange">exchange</span>-<span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="fluctuations">fluctuations</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="one">one</span>-<span word="off">off</span> <span word="asset">asset</span> <span word="sales">sales</span>. <span word="Analysts">Analysts</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Citigroup">Citigroup</span> <span word="calculate">calculate</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="measured">measured</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="dollars">dollars</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="earnings">earnings</span> <span word="fell">fell</span> <span word="by">by</span> 15% <span word="on">on</span> <span word="average">average</span>.</p><p> <span word="To">To</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="fair">fair</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="surged">surged</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="dramatically">dramatically</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="September">September</span>, <span word="although">although</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="buoyant">buoyant</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="quarter">quarter</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="majors">majors</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="showing">showing</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="reflects">reflects</span> <span word="lower">lower</span> <span word="profits">profits</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="refining">refining</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="difference">difference</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="petrol">petrol</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="crude">crude</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="fallen">fallen</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="exceptionally">exceptionally</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="levels">levels</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="recent">recent</span> <span word="months">months</span>.</p><p> <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="giants">giants</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="struggling">struggling</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pump">pump</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gas">gas</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="part">part</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quirk">quirk</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="oblige">oblige</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="share">share</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="crude">crude</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="produce">produce</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="state">state</span>-<span word="owned">owned</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="countries">countries</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="stipulate">stipulate</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="up">up</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="volume">volume</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span> <span word="receive">receive</span> <span word="decreases">decreases</span>. <span word="Worse">Worse</span>, <span word="several">several</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="changing">changing</span> <span word="contracts">contracts</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="further">further</span> <span word="erode">erode</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="oil">oil</span> <span word="firms">firms</span> <span word="profits">profits</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="cases">cases</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="throwing">throwing</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="altogether">altogether</span>.</p>
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