题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
2016年北京东城区高三一模英语试题
The U.S. Postal Service(USPS) is losing billions of dollars a year. The government company that delivers "small mail" is losing out to email and othertypes of electronic communication. First-classmail amount fell from a high point of 104 million pieces in 2000 to just 64million pieces by 2014.
Congress permits the 600,000-empIoyee USPS to hold a monopoly (垄断) overfirst-class and standard mail. The company pays no federal, state or local taxes; pays no vehicle fees; and is free from many regulations on other businesses. Despite these advantages, the USPS has lost $52 billion since 2007, and will continue losing money without major reforms.
The problem is that Congress is preventing the USPS from reducing costs as its sales decline, and is blocking efforts to end Saturday service and close unneeded post office locations. USPS also hasa costly union-dominated work force that slows the introduction of new ideas ormethods down. USPS workers earn significantly higher payment than comparable private-sector workers. The answer isto privatize the USPS and open postal markets to competition. With the riseof the Internet, the argument that mail is a natural monopoly that needs government protection is weaker than ever.
Other countries facing declining letter amounts have madereforms. Germany and the Netherlands privatized their national postal companies over a decade ago, and other European countries have followed suit. Britain floated shares of the Royal Mail on its stock exchange in 2013. Some countries, such us Sweden and New Zealand, have not privatized their national postal companies, but they have opened them up to competition.
These reforms have driven efficiency improvements in all of these countries. Additional number of workers have been reduced, productivity has risen and consumers have benefited. Also, note that cost-cutting measures—such as closing tone post offices—are good for both the economy and the environment.
Privatization and competition also encourage new changes. When the USPS monopoly over "extremely urgent" mail was stopped in 1979, we saw an explosion in efficient overnight private delivery by firms such as FedEx.
The government needs to wake up to changing technology, study postal reforms abroad and let businessmen reinvent our out-of-date postal system.
LOST AND FOUND | ROOMMATES |
FOUND: Cat, 6 months old, black and white marking. Found near Linden and South U. Steve, 800-4661. | FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED Own room near campus. Available December 1. Rent $80 per month until March 1st. $129 Thereafter. Call Jill for details. 800-7839. |
LOST: Gold wire rim glasses in brown case. Campus area. Reward. Call Gregg 800-2896. | Need person to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. Near campus, $92/mo. Starting Jan. 1st. Call 800-6157 after 5 pm. |
FORSALE | HELP WANTED |
MOVING: Must sell. TV b/w 12, $50; AM/FM transistor radio A/C or battery, $15; cassette tape recorder, $10; music records. Call John or Pat, 800-0739 after 5 pm or weekends. | BABYSITTER—MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, some evenings and occasional weekends to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore days 800-1111, evenings and weekends 800-4964. |
USED FUR COATS and JACKETS. Good condition. $50-$125. Call 800-0436 after 12 noon. | WAITRESS WANTED. 10am-2pm or 10:30 am-5pm. Apply in person, 207S. Main, Curtis Restaurant. |
Welcome to your handy pricing guide
This leaflet gives you the prices for Royal Mails UK and International services and Parcelforce Worldwide UK services — whether your item is to the UK or abroad, urgent or you simply want a standard service. To obey national and international regulations governing the carriage of mail, and ensure that mail in transport does not present a danger to the general public, we restrict or ban certain items from our network.
Letters |
Length Limit (cm) |
Width Limit (cm) |
Thickness Limit (cm) |
Weight Limit(g) |
Price(£/100g) |
Standard |
24 |
16.5 |
0.5 |
100 |
1.8 |
Large |
35.3 |
25 |
2.5 |
750 |
2.3 |
Parcels |
Length Limit (cm) |
Width Limit (cm) |
Depth Limit (cm) |
Weight Limit (kg) |
Price(£/kg) |
Small |
45 |
35 |
8 |
2 |
4.3 |
35 |
25 |
16 |
2 |
||
Medium |
61 |
46 |
46 |
20 |
6.8 |
Large |
150 |
300 |
60 |
30 |
9.0 |
Only available on Parcelforce Worldwide services. |
If you want to find out more about our parcel and letter services, please take a look at the 'our services' booklet for more detailed information. Alternatively, you can find out more by visiting www.royalmail.com or by calling Customer Services on 03457740740. If you are deaf or hearing impaired, we offer a Textphone service on 03456000606.
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