Super Mario to Rescue Italy|义国新总理超级马力欧可望拯救意大利

Eager to win back the confidence of financial markets, Italy's president appointed economist Mario Monti to lead the country's new government. The move came almost 24 hours after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi submitted his resignation. President Giorgio Napolitano's announcement makes it possible for Monti, a former European Union (EU) commissioner, to form a new technocratic government that will try to navigate Italy out of the debt crisis with austerity measures sought by the EU. The EU is urging Italy to cut public spending, reform its pension, and take other steps to reduce the nation's $2.6-trillion public debt and boost growth in the world's eighth-largest economy.

Italy, along with Greece, has been at the center of the Eurozone's debt storm as investors grew increasingly anxious about Berlusconi's leadership and the fractured Parliament's capacity to come together on a package of economic reforms. Berlusconi faced intense pressure to step down after Italy's cost of borrowing jumped sharply. With another round of bond auctions coming up, Napolitano and other Italian leaders were keen to announce new government leadership.

The appointment of Monti came after consultations with various parties and factions, suggesting that he had enough support from lawmakers to govern. Monti is expected to name a team of non-politicians to his cabinet and is likely to receive a vote of confidence from a majority in Parliament. Monti said in a statement that his government would work to "restore the financial situation and promote growth with a focus on social fairness."

1.  What is the main point of the article?

(A) The Italian prime minister was happy to resign.

(B) Italy will work with Greece to improve their economies.

(C) Italy and Greece are to blame for the global economic recession.

(D) Italy will try to recover from its debt crisis with a new prime minister.

2.  What does "keen" in the second paragraph mean?

(A) Eager.

(B) Uninterested.

(C) Bored.

(D) Reluctant.

3.  Who is expected to be in Monti's new cabinet?

(A) The former prime minister of Italy.

(B) People that haven't had political careers.

(C) High-ranking officials from Parliament.

(D) Legislators that have always believed in his ability to govern.

义国新总理超级马力欧可望拯救意大利

　　急于挽回金融市场信心的意大利总统，指派经济学家马力欧‧蒙蒂领导该国的新政府。这项行动在总理西尔维奥‧贝鲁斯柯尼递出辞呈近 24 小时后发生。义国总统乔治欧‧纳波里塔诺的这项宣布让前欧盟委员蒙蒂得以组织新的技术官僚政府，试图以欧盟要求的紧缩措施带领意大利走出债务危机。欧盟正催促意大利减少公共支出、改革退休金制度，并采取其他措施来降低该国 2.6 兆的公债，以及促进这世界第 8大经济体的成长。

　　意大利和希腊一样，一直位处欧元区债务风暴的中心，同时，投资者对贝鲁斯柯尼的领导能力与意大利分裂议会的能力日益感到忧心，不知议会是否能团结共同推动一套经济改革。在意大利的借贷成本急剧升高后，贝鲁斯科尼面临极大的下台压力。随着另一波公债标售行动的到来，纳波里塔诺和其他意大利领导人都急于宣布新政府的领导阶层。

　　义国总统在与各个党派协商过后任命蒙蒂，这显示蒙蒂拥有立法委员足够的支持度来率领政府。蒙蒂预期会指派一群非政治人物组成内阁，也很有可能得到大多数议员的信任投票。蒙蒂在一项声明中指出，他的政府将致力于『整顿金融现状，并促进以公平社会为中心的经济成长』。

答案：1. (D)2. (A)3. (B)

在政坛有『超级马力欧』称号的蒙蒂，以金融专才和勇于任事著称，冷静、坚持、耐压，不太像一般人对意大利人的印象，所以他在出任欧盟执委会的同事叫他『意大利的普鲁士人』。意大利人民希望他收拾经济困局，恢复国际对这个国家的信心，而邻国德国和法国也表示乐观他成功。（数据源：中时电子报）