托福听力短文 I-01-2
时间：2018-12-05 作者：英语课 分类：托福听力短文
(woman) I hope you've all finished reading the assigned chapter on insurance-so that you're prepared for our discussion today. But, before we start, I'd like to mention a few things your text doesn't go into.
It's interesting to note that insurance has existed in some form for a very long time. The earliest insurance policies were called bottomry contracts. They provided shipping 1 protection for merchants as far back as 3000 B.C.
In general, the contracts were often no more than verbal agreements. They granted loans to merchants with the understanding than if a particular shipment of goods was lost at sea, the loan didn't have to be repaid. Interest on the loans varied 2 according to how risky 3 it was to transport the goods. During periods of heavy piracy 4 at sea, for example, the amount of interest and the cost of the policy went up considerably 5.
So, you can see how insurance helped encourage international trade. Even the most cautious merchants became willing to risk shipping their goods over long distances-not to mention in hazardous 6 weather conditions-when they had this kind of protection available.
Generally speaking, the basic form of an insurance policy has been pretty much the same since the Middle Ages. There are four points that were salient then and remain paramount 7 in all policies today. There were outlined in chapter six and will serve as the basis for the rest of the of today's discussion. Can anyone tell me what one of those points might be?
- We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
- There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
- The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
- The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
- It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
- He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
- The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
- They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。
- The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
- The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。