上海华东师大三附中2023-2024学年高考英语倒计时模拟卷含解析

上海华东师大三附中2023-2024学年高考英语倒计时模拟卷注意事项：1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号、考场号和座位号填写在试题卷和答题卡上。用2B铅笔将试卷类型（B）填涂在答题卡相应位置上。将条形码粘贴在答题卡右上角"条形码粘贴处"。2．作答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目选项的答案信息点涂黑；如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案。答案不能答在试题卷上。3．非选择题必须用黑色字迹的钢笔或签字笔作答，答案必须写在答题卡各题目指定区域内相应位置上；如需改动，先划掉原来的答案，然后再写上新答案；不准使用铅笔和涂改液。不按以上要求作答无效。4．考生必须保证答题卡的整洁。考试结束后，请将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1．Russia'scuttingoffthegassupplyraisedamajorconcerntotheEuropeanUnion,anumberofmemberstatesareincreasinglydependentononesinglesupplier.A．whose B．thatC．where D．which2．—I’mburntoutasI’vebeenworkingonmyessayallthetime.—____________.You’llsurelymakeit.A．Don’tputonairs B．GivemeabreakC．Don’tgetonmynerve D．Hanginthere3．—Didyougotolastnight’sconcert?—Yes.Andthegirlplayingtheviolinattheconcert_______allthepeoplepresentwithherexcellentability.A.impressed B．compared C．conveyed D．observed4．High­speedtrainswhichtravelthroughmyhometown________upto250kmperhourmakeitasmallworld.A．with B．againstC．at D．over5．—OK，here___________.—Thankyouforyourlift.Seeyoulater.A．areweB．isitC．weareD．comesit6．HadMarynotbeenhurtinthecaraccident,________thenextweek’smarathon.A．shewouldrun B．shewouldhaverunC．shewillrun D．shemusthaverun7．—HelenisgoingtoManchesterforfurthereducationnextmonth.—I’m______becauseIhavetostayathomeandwork.A．greenwithenvyB．whiteasasheetC．tickledpinkD．blackandblue8．________whoareabletoworkthroughthestrugglearethe________whoaregoingtobesuccessful.A．Someone;one B．Anyone;oneC．He;ones D．Those;ones9．_______itissohot,Iguesswecan’tdoanythinguntilafterdark.A．Incase B．Nowthat C．Evenif D．Asthough10．It’snaturalthatIdidn’trecognizeherimmediatelyIsawher._______,it’salmost5yearssincewemetlast.A．Afterall B．InadditionC．What’smoreD．Inparticular11．DidyouwatchthefinalmatchofChinaOpenyesterday?Sure.IitsoattentivelythatIforgottocooksupper.A．watchedB．hadwatchedC．waswatchingD．wastowatch12．—I’vegotsomethingweighingonmymind.Couldyougivemesomeadvice?—______.TellmeallaboutitandI’lldowhatIcan.A．Don’tmentionit B．NowonderC．Mypleasure D．Noproblem13．．Althoughitinthedesertmostoftheyear,peoplestilllivethere．A．doesn’train B．didn’train C．hasn’trained D．hadn’trained14．InAustralia,manyroadsignsarenowbothinEnglishandChinese,______iteasierforChinesetouriststotravel.A．makingB．madeC．makeD．makes15．Whenfacedwithabigchallenge________potentialfailureseemstohideateverycorner,maybeyou'veheardthisadvicebefore:“Bemoreconfident.”A．where B．whose C．which D．ofwhich16．CanyoucomeonMondayofTuesday？I'mafraid__________dayispossible.A．either B．neitherC．some D．any17．—Iamsearchingoneonlineshoppingsiteafteranotherforacomputer.—So__________IbeforeIdecidedtobuyanewcamera.A．had B．have C．am D．would18．—Thenewmachineshavearrivedandarebeingtestedintheworkshop.—I’mgladwe_____themintheyearsahead.A．willbeoperatingB．havebeenoperatingC．wouldbeoperatingD．hadbeenoperating19．—Youshouldhavehelpedyourmomwashthedishes．—Imeant．Butsheisalwaystellingmetostudy．A．todo B．to C．doingso D．doing20．You_____readabookinthesun—it'lldoharmtoyoureyes．A．couldn't B．wouldn't C．needn't D．mustn't第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21．（6分）Igrewuppoor.Wehadlittlemoney,butplentyofloveandattention.Iunderstoodthatnomatterhowpoorapersonwas,theycouldstillaffordadream.Mydreamwasathletics.BythetimeIwassixteen,Iwasgoodatbaseballandfootball.Myhigh-schoolcoachwasOllieJarvis.Henotonlybelievedinme,buttaughtmethedifferencebetweenhavingadreamandshowingconviction（信念）.Onesummerafriendrecommendedmeforasummerjob.Thismeantachanceformoneyinmypocket—cashfordateswithgirls,certainly,moneyforanewbikeandnewclothes,andthestartofsavingsforahouseformymother.ThenIrealizedIwouldhavetogiveupsummerbaseballtohandletheworkschedule,andthatmeantIwouldhavetotellCoachJarvisIwouldn’tbeplaying.Iwasdreading（害怕）this,butmymothersaid:“______________________.”WhenItoldCoachJarvis,hewasasmadasIexpectedhimtobe.“Yourplayingdaysarelimited.Youcan’taffordtowastethem,”hesaid.Istoodbeforehimwithmyheadhanging,tryingtothinkofthewordsthatwouldexplaintohimwhymydreamofbuyingmymomahouse.“Howmuchareyougoingtomakeatthisjob,son?”hedemanded.“Threetwenty-fiveanhour,”Ireplied.“Well,”heasked,“is$3.25anhourthepriceofadream?”Thatquestionlaidbareformethedifferencebetweenwantingsomethingrightnowandhavingagoal.Idevotedmyselftosportsthatsummer,andwithintheyearIwasdraftedbythePittsburghPiratestoplayrookie-leagueball,andoffereda$20,000contract.IsignedwiththeDenverBroncosin1984for$1.7million,andboughtmymotherthehouseofmydream.1、ThewriterwasgratefultoCoachJarvis,becauseJarvis______.A．madehimsetagoalB．suppliedhimwithnewclothesC．gavehimfinancialsupportD．helpedhimshowconviction2、Whentheboywasofferedajob,hewantedto______.A．balancesummerbaseballandtheworkscheduleB．refusethejobofferforsummerbaseballC．giveupsummerbaseballforthejobD．askhiscoachJarvisforadvice3、Whichofthefollowingcanreplace“Ifyoumakeyourbed,youhavetolieinit.”?A．Youmusteatthebitterfruitofyourownmaking.B．Believeinyourself,butaboveallbepatient.C．Youmustrelyonyourselffirst,thenothers.D．Agoodbeginningmakesagoodending.4、Theendofthestorywasthatthewriter______.A．failedtobuyhismotherahouseB．succeededasasportsmanC．becameasuccessfulbusinessmanD．madesomemoneyinthesummerjob22．（8分）KungfuisoneofanumberofChinesemartialartsdesignedtoimprovethebodyandthemind.Itisperhapsoneofthemostwidelyknownmartialarts,becausemanyfilmsincludeitstechniques.Therearehundredsofstylestaughtallovertheworld,althoughtheycanbelooselydividedintotwocamps:Shaolinstylekungfu,andothertechniques,someofwhichhaveahistorythatoutdatestheShaolinorder.Shaolinkungfixhasitsoriginsinthefifthcentury.Likesomeothermartialarts,itbeganinreligioustemples,wherethemonkssoughtamindandbodydiscipline(训练方法).Inadditiontothefightingstyle,italsoincludesmentalexercisesandreligiouspracticesdesignedtobalancethewholebody.Shaolintemplesresembleduniversities,integratingawiderangeofsubjectsofstudy.Therefore,traditionalShaolinstylessuchasWingChun,Crane,PrayingMantis,andHungGartookknowledgefromfieldsoutsidemartialarts,suchasthehealingartsandmeditation.SupportersforShaolinstylesbelievethattheyaremoreroundedmartialartsstyles,andthatlearnerswillbenefitfromthemonawholebodylevel.Otherfightingstyles,someofwhichpredatetheShaolinstyle,arealsolumpedunderthekungfuumbrella.TheyincludePa-Kua,EagleClaw,andEightDrunkenImmortalsstyles.ThesedisciplinesarenotconsideredtobeShaolinstylebecausetheydidnotoriginateintemplesandarefocusedprimarilyonfightingtechniques.WhetherShaolinorotherwise,kungfuischaracterizedbyselfdefensestrategiesthatturntheenergyofanattackeragainsthimorher.Althoughthetechniquesmayvary,moststylesteachthrows,kicks,punches,andtheuseofweapons.Inadditiontothephysicaldiscipline,mostplaceagreatimportanceonrespect,honor,andlivingabalancedlife.1、Whatisthetextmainlyabout?A．Thereasonwhykungfuisimportant.B．ThedifferentstylesofShaolinkungfu.C．Thefunctionsandbranchesofkungfu.D．ThedifferencesbetweenShaolinstyleandothers.2、Wecanlearnfromthefirstparagraphthatkungfu.A．isgoodforpeoplephysicallyandmentallyB．hasthelongesthistoryinShaolintemplesC．issomethingthataretaughtinmanyfilmsD．hasonlytwoimportantstylesleftatpresent3、WhichofthefollowingistrueaboutShaolinkungfuaccordingtothetext?A．Shaolinkungfuwasinventedearlierthanotherstyles.B．SomeShaolinstylesareconnectedwithhealingarts.C．WingChunisnotincludedinShaolinStylekungfu,D．Pa-KuaandEagleClawareunderShaolinStyleumbrella.4、Whatdomoststylesofkungfuhaveincommon?A．TheyallbeganinreligioustemplesinChina.B．Theyteachphysicalskillsinsteadofuseofweapons.C．Theyfocusonattackingtheenemyfirstwithyourenergy.D．Theyrequirelearnerstoberespectfulandhonorthemselves.23．（8分）Manyanimalsrecognizetheirfoodbecausetheyseeit.Sodohumans.Whenyouseeanappleorapieceofchocolateyouknowthatthesearethingsyoucaneat.Youcanalsouseothersenseswhenyouchooseyourfood.Youmaylikeitbecauseitsmellsgoodorbecauseittastesgood.Youmaydislikesometypesoffoodbecausetheydonotlook,smellortasteverynice.Differentanimalsusedifferentsensestofindandchoosetheirfood.Afewanimalsdependononlyoneoftheirsenses,whilemostanimalsusemorethanonesense.Althoughtherearemanydifferenttypesoffood,someanimalsspendtheirliveseatingonlyonetype.Thegiantpandaeatsonlyoneparticulartypeofbamboo.Otheranimalseatonlyonetypeoffoodevenwhengiventhechoice.Alandofwhitebutterflywillstayontheleavesofacabbage,eventhoughthereareplentyofothervegetablesinthegarden.However,mostanimalshaveamorevarieddiet.Thebeareatsfruitsandfish.Thefoxeatssmallanimals,birdsandfruits.Thedietoftheseanimalswillbedifferentdependingontheseason.Humanshaveaveryvarieddiet.Weofteneatfoodbecausewelikeitandnotbecauseitisgoodforus.IncountriessuchasFranceandBritain,peopleeatfoodswithtoomuchsugar.Thismakesthemoverweight,whichisbadfortheirhealthEatingtoomuchredmeatandanimalproducts,suchasbutter,canalsobebadforthehealthChoosingtherightfood,therefore,hasbecomeanareaofstudyinmodernlife.1、Wecaninferfromthetextthathumansandanimals.A．dependononesenseinchoosingfoodB．arenotsatisfiedwiththeirfoodC．choosefoodinsimilarwaysD．eatentirelydifferentfood2、Whichofthefollowingeatsonlyonetypeoffood?A．ThewhitebutterflyB．Thesmallbird.C．Thebear.D．Thefox.3、Certainanimalschangetheirchoiceoffoodwhen.A．theseasonchangesB．thefoodcolorchangesC．theymovetodifferentplacesD．theyareattractedbydifferentsmells4、Wecanlearnfromthelastparagraphthat.A．foodischosenforagoodreasonB．FrenchandBritishfoodisgoodC．somepeoplehavefewchoicesoffoodD．somepeoplecarelittleabouthealthydiet5、WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUE?A．AnimalsoftenusesensestoeattheirfoodB．Mostanimalshaveamorevarieddiet.C．Allanimalsspendtheirliveseatingonetypeoffood.D．Thedietofbirdsandfoxwillbethesamedependingontheseason24．（8分）OpeningTimesoftheBritishMuseumForeveryone’ssafetyallbags,rucksacks,packagesandpersonalitemsmaybesearchedbeforeentry.WheeledcasesandlargeitemsofluggagearenotallowedonBritishMuseumpremises.Storageforluggageisavailableatmajorrailstations,includingEuston,King’sCrossandCharingCross.AdmissionandopeningtimesFree,opendaily10：00–17：30.TheMuseumisclosedon1Januaryand24,25&26December,butopeneveryotherdayoftheyear.GalleryopeningtimesMuseumgalleriesareopendaily10：00–17：30,andmostareopenuntil20：30onFridays.Closingstartsfrom17：20(20：20onFridays).BankholidayopeninghoursTheMuseumisclosedonlyonbankholidaysthatfallon1Januaryor25&26December.TheMuseumisopenasnormalonallotherbankholidays.Pleasenote,however,thattheavailabilityoffreetoursandtalksmaybesubstantiallyreducedonpublicholidays.GreatCourtopeningtimesTheGreatCourt,includingtheInformationDesk,isopendaily09.00–18.00anduntil20.30onFridays.TheTicketDeskisopendailyfrom09.00-17.00anduntil19:45onFridays.FridaysopenlateThefollowinggalleriesareopenuntil20.30onFridays(exceptGoodFriday).Africa:TheSainsburyGalleriesRoom25Americas:NorthAmericaGalleriesRoom26China,SouthAsiaandSoutheastAsia:TheJosephEHotungGalleryRoom33Chinesejade:TheSelwynandEllieAlleyneGalleryRoom33bMedievalEurope:TheSirPaulandLadyRuddockGalleryRoom40……SchooltimesatexhibitionsExhibitionsaresometimesclosedtothepublicforexclusiveschoolviewings,pleaselookatexhibitionticketpagesfordates.TemporarygalleryclosuresGalleriesmayoccasionallybeclosedformaintenanceorlong-termrefurbishment.1、WhatshouldbestoredbeforeyouentertheBritishMuseum?A．Smallbags. B．Wheeledbags. C．Personalitems. D．Rucksacks.2、WhattimecanyouvisittheBritishMuseum?A．At10.00on1January. B．At17.00on25December.C．At18.00onFridays. D．At20.30onBankholidays.3、WhichgalleryonlyhousesChinesetreasures?A．TheSainsburyGalleries.B．NorthAmericaGalleries.C．TheJosephEHotungGallery.D．TheSelwynandEllieAlleyneGallery.25．（10分）InspiringArchaeologicalStudyToursacrosstheWorldin2017…AnArchaeologicalToursgetawayisanarchaeologylover’svacationlikenoother.Wehaveanexcitingselectionoftoursdepartingin2017withunsurpassedservice.Here’sasmallselectionofwhatwehavetooffer.Alsoacodeforyou:Neverallow(Jogstorunfree­lytheretokeeptheplantsandanimalsliveinpeaceandgetridofrubbishproperly.Becarefultoburyyourtoiletwasteandkeeptothedesignedtracks.Guatemala&BelizeCoonthetrailofMesoamericancivilizationsinthelushforests,ruggedfoothills（丘陵地带）,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.第三部分语言知识运用（共两节）第一节（每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项．26．（30分）Inallone'slifetimeitisoneselfthatonespendsthemosttimebeingwithordealingwith.Butitis1oneselfthatonehastheleastunderstandingof.Whenyouaregoingupwardsinlifeyoutendto2yourself.Itseemsthateverythingyouseekforiswithinyour3.Whenyouaregoingdownhillyoutendtounderestimateyourself.Togetathoroughunderstandingofoneselfistogainacorrectviewofoneselfandbearealist-awareofbothone’s4andshortages.Youmay5hopefullytothefuturebutbesurenotto6toomuch,foridealscanneverbefullyrealized.Youmaybe7tomeetchallengesbutitshouldbecleartoyou8todirectyourefforts.That’stosay,solongasyouhaveaperfect9ofyourself,therewon'tbedifficultiesyoucan'tovercome.Togetathoroughunderstandingofoneselfneedsself-appreciation.10youthinkyouareatoweringtreeorabladeofgrass,ahighmountainorasmallstone,you11astateofnaturethathasitsownreasonofexistence.Ifyou12admireyourselfyou’llhavearealsenseofself-appreciation,whichwillgiveyouconfidence.13yougainfullconfidenceinyourself,you’llbe14tofightandovercomeanydifficulty.Togetathoroughunderstandingofoneselfalsorequiresdoingoneselfafavorwhenit’sneeded.Intimeofanger,doyourselfafavorbygivingan15toitinaquietplacesothatyouwon'tbehurtbyitsflames;intimeofsadness,doyourselfafavorby16itwithyourfriendssoastochangeagloomymoodintoacheerfulone;intimeoftiredness,doyourselfafavorbygettingagoodsleeportakingsomestimulant.Showyourselflovingconcernaboutyourhealthanddailylife.17youknowperfectlywellwhenandhowtodoyourselfafavor,youwon’tbeconfidentandreadyenoughto18theattackofillness.Asyouareaware,whatapersonphysicallyhasisbutahumanbodythat’svulnerablewhen19totheelements.Soifyoufallill,it'suptoyoutotakeagoodcareofyourself.Inaword,togetathoroughunderstandingofoneselfistogetafull20ofone'slife.Thenonewillfindone’slifefullofcolorandflavor.1、A．permanently B．previously C．precisely D．probably2、A．overlook B．overestimate C．overcome D．overtake3、A．reach B．touch C．range D．control4、A．weaknesses B．disadvantages C．strengths D．limitations5、A．lookup B．lookback C．lookforward D．lookdown6、A．expect B．anticipate C．inspect D．dream7、A．honest B．comprehensive C．courageous D．delicate8、A．what B．which C．how D．where9、A．idea B．knowledge C．system D．insight10、A．When B．Which C．What D．Whether11、A．symbolize B．demonstrate C．assure D．represent12、A．eagerly B．earnestly C．desperately D．gratefully13、A．Asmuchas B．Assoonas C．Asfaras D．Aswellas14、A．advised B．devoted C．enabled D．committed15、A．outlet B．excuse C．criterion D．solution16、A．quarreling B．arguing C．sharing D．interacting17、A．Unless B．Once C．Since D．If18、A．reject B．restore C．recover D．resist19、A．expected B．exposed C．experienced D．exported20、A．credit B．control C．power D．grace第二节（每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。27．（15分）Mostpeopleatpresentaresobusywiththeirlivesthattheydonothavetime1．(enjoy)ahealthyandbalanceddiet.Formostindividuals,as2．resultofeatingfoodsrichinfatandsugarforseveralyears,theychoosetogoonadietbutfailattheend.Besuretobewithastrongawarenessthatyouare3．youeat!Therefore,maintainingahealthydiet4．(provide)yourbodywithnotonlyenergybutalsonumeroushealthbenefits.Thefirstoneisthatyouwillmeetyoureverydaynutritional5．(require).Asweallknow,wehavetotakeinvariousnutritioneverydaytokeepfit.6．(basic)speaking,youshouldmakesurethatyoutakeagoodamountofvegetables,grains,milkandproteins.Anotherbenefitisthatitistheeasiestandmost7．(benefit)wayinwhichyoucanbeenergeticandprotectyourself8．anumberofdiseaseswhengrowingold.Inmostcases,ahealthydietcanhelpyoudecreasetheriskof9．(get)somediseaseslikediabetesandcancer.Andforthosewhowanttoloseweight,there10．(come)goodnews!Keepahealthydietandyouwillfinallykeepahealthyweight!第四部分写作（共两节）第一节短文改错（满分10分）28．（10分）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。Itwasmyfirstyearatjuniorschool、Iwaslonelyandafraidmakefriends、EverytimewhenIheardotherstalkingandlaughing,Ifeelheartbroken、SoIcouldn’ttellanyoneaboutmyproblem、Oneday,myclassmatetalkedhappilywitheachother,andIsatatmydeskunhappilyasusual、Suddenly,theboyentered、Hepassedmeandthenturnedback,lookedatmewithasmile、Atthatmoment,feltthetouchofsomethingbrightlyandfriendly,thatmademefeelwarm、Thatsmilechangedmylife、Ibegantomakefriends、Noweveryclassmatearemyfriend、175第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）假定你是李华，你和美国留学生Tony相约通过网上交流学习彼此的语言，经过一年的交流学习，彼此都取得了进步。但由于你高二后期学习时间紧张，无法抽出时间上网交流。请你给Tony写一封e-mail，表达对他的歉意。主要内容：1.表达歉意；2.说明具体原因、提出补救办法；3.希望得到谅解。注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。DearTony，_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yourstruly，LiHua

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、C2、一、分割分割文件路径分割后的文件路径B分割带有小题的分割路径分割后的路径二、单个文件有标题去重复排序有标题去重复排序号的文件路径三单个文件无标题去重复排序需要去重复题号排序的文件路径四、多个文件夹去重不含题大文件夹路径另存为的文件夹四、替换9分处理语文英语路径五、转docx原始路径转好的路径3、A4、C5、C6、B7、A8、D9、B10、A11、C12、D13、A14、A15、A16、B17、A18、A19、B20、D第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21、1、D2、C3、A4、B22、1、C2、A3、B4、D23、1、C2、A3、A4、D5、B24、1、B2、C3、D25、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(蹒跚)onbecausepoliticiansridetotherescuewithbagsoftaxpayermoney.Thegeniusofouruniquesystemofgovernmentisthedeterminationtoprotectanddefendtherightsoftheindividualovertherightsofthenation.Assuch,theriseofawell-connectedoligarchy(寡头政治)thatprotectsbigbusinessattheexpenseofsmallbusiness,andtheestablishedoverthenew,isop