紧跟“关税”时事，破解托福“政策类”题目！

我们为什么要学托福？为什么要学英语？短期来看，大多是为了读书、求职。但长远来看的一个重要目的是：实现跨文化之间的顺畅交流。在当今全球化的大环境下，这一点显得愈发重要。我们需要能在国际舞台上清晰地表达观点，遇到各类话题都能展开探讨、维护立场。这就需要我们平时坚持追踪时事，积累相关英文表达。同时，这些话题也很有可能在托福考试各科中出现，有时作为输入信息（如阅读、听力文本），有时则需要我们输出观点（如独立口语、学术讨论）。为了避*考场上遭遇知识盲区或不认识、不会说的情况，我们也需要提前了解时事相关的背景知识和常用英文表达。今天，小曼老师要带大家学习的话题是——近期备受全球瞩目的【关税 tariff】。I. 关税是什么？1. A tariff （关税）is a tax (税）on imported goods（进口商品）, often used by governments to protectdomestic industries（保护本国产业）. When countries keep raising tariffs（提高关税） on each other, it can lead to a trade war（贸易战）.关税是对进口商品征收的一种税，政府常常利用它来保护本国产业。当各国不断相互提高关税时，这可能会引发一场贸易战。2. impose tariffs against/on (a country/product)对某国或产品征收关税Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs against a wide range of foreign countries.*  reciprocal 对等的 reciprocal tariffs 对等关税II.为什么施加关税？1.reduce trade deficit减少贸易逆差It is a misleading belief that higher tariffs can effectively reduce trade deficit.2.protect domestic industries保护本国产业Tariffs are often used to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.3. create local jobs 创造本地就业By limiting imports, tariffs may encourage companies to produce goods locally, thus creating local jobs.4. Encourage self-sufficiency 鼓励自给自足Some believe that tariffs can push countries to become more self-sufficient in key industries.III.关税有哪些弊端？1. hurt international trade损害国际贸易High tariffs can hurt international trade and slow down global economic growth.2. hurt international relations破坏国际关系Tariffs can hurt international relations and lead to tension between countries.3. limit consumer choice使消费者的选择更局限Fewer imported goods means fewer options. Therefore, high tariffs may limit consumer choice.4.retaliatory tariffs报复性关税China responded with retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural products.* 动词形式：retaliate 报复 = fight back5. drive up prices 使物价上涨Tariffs usually drive up prices for consumers because imported goods become more expensive.6. hit lower-income consumers hardest 使低收入消费者*受打击Tariffs on everyday products hurt low-income consumers hardest because they rely on cheaper imports.7. disrupt global supply chains扰乱全球供应链Global supply chains may be disrupted as companies have to find new suppliers.8. escalate into a trade war（局势）升级为贸易战The conflict may escalate into a trade war, affecting industries in both countries.