2023高考英語模擬試卷注意事項：1．答題前，考生先將自己的姓名、準考證號填寫清楚，將條形碼準確粘貼在考生信息條形碼粘貼區。2．選擇題必須使用2B鉛筆填涂；非選擇題必須使用0．5毫米黑色字跡的簽字筆書寫，字體工整、筆跡清楚。3．請按照題號順序在各題目的答題區域內作答，超出答題區域書寫的答案無效；在草稿紙、試題卷上答題無效。4．保持卡面清潔，不要折疊，不要弄破、弄皺，不準使用涂改液、修正帶、刮紙刀。第一部分（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）1．Haditnotbeenforhisexperienceintheforest，we____________inthebattlewiththefiercebear.A．hadn'tsurvived B．wouldn'thavesurvivedC．didn'tsurvived D．wouldn'tsurvive2．Ifyouwanttogofurtherinthenewsport,thebestwayisto______andpractisemorefrequently.A．diveinB．dropoutC．catchonD．springup3．Iftheserviceisawful,acustomerhastherighttotothemanager.A．react B．applyC．complain D．suggest4．Theinfrastructureprojecthasconsumedsomuchmoneythatwecan'tfindanyfinancialsupportandhaveto______.A．pullout B．pullthroughC．catchup D．catchon5．Itseemslatetosayanything.Weprobably______itifwehadmadeanoffersooner.A．wouldhavegot B．wouldgetC．hadgot D．got6．Iwascaughtinatrafficjamforoveranhour,otherwise,I________youwaitingforsuchalongtime.A．hadnotkept B．willnotkeepC．wouldnothavekept D．havenotkept7．—Daddy,wouldyoupleasebuymeaniPhoneX?—Ifyoucanpassthismidtermexamination,you__________haveoneasareward.A．must B．needC．would D．shall8．Therealwinnersinsportarethosewhoknowhowtopersevereandtobehavewith________—whethertheywinorloseagame.A．certaintyB．cautionC．dignityD．independence9．Itisonethingtoenjoylisteningtogoodmusic,butitisquite______toperformskillfullyyourself.A．another B．other C．theother D．others10．—MayIgoouttoplaybasketball,Mum?—________Dowhatyoulike.A．Goahead! B．You’vegotit.C．It’syourturn. D．Notatall!11．________somepeoplecriticizegraffitiforbeinguglyanddestructive,thosegraffitiloversstillseeitasrealart.A．AsB．WhileC．OnceD．Until12．—Goodmorning.MayIhelpyou?—No,thankyou.I’mjustlookingaround.—________A．It’suptoyou. B．Howareyoufeelingtoday?C．Thanksforcomingtoseeme. D．Takeyourtimethen.13．Shedoesn’tspeakourlanguage,sheseemstounderstandwhatwesay.A．yetB．andC．orD．so14．Everyclassroominthismodernschoolis________withanewTVsetonthewallandacomputerontheteacher'sdesk.A．equippedB．decoratedC．fixedD．placed15．________onlinepaymentissafe,peoplewillbemorelikelytolinktheirbankcardstoWeChat.A．EventhoughB．AsthoughC．EversinceD．Aslongas16．Hisbrotheraimstobe__________ofhisparentsbythetimeheistwenty.A．innocent B．beneficial C．invisible D．independent17．—I'mgoingtoorderchickenandsalad．Whataboutyou?—.I'llhavethesame. A．I'mafraidnot B．It'suptoyou C．Thatsoundsgoodtome． D．Thatdepends18．People________withanyonewhoisalwaystalkingabouthowwonderfulheis.A．fallin B．keepcompany C．catchup D．getfedup19．Aftercollege,hewasemployedinamiddleschoolandthereeversince.A．wouldworkedB．hadworkedC．workedD．hasworked20．—Whyareyousolate?—Thedrivercouldn’tseeclearlybecauseofthefog．____,theroadwastooicy．A．Therefore B．Otherwise C．However D．Besides第二部分閱讀理解（滿分40分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。21．（6分）ArecenttrendinCaliforniarestaurantsshowsneweatinghabitsamongthoseouttohaveaninterestingdiningexperience.Appetizer(開胃品)seemtobethenameofthegamesasdinersturnawayfromthemoretraditionalthree-coursemealinfavorofsmallersnackssampledinvarioustypesofrestaurants,barsandcafes.Inthisway,inthecourseofaneveningout,youmightgotoarestaurantforatastydishtoeatatoneendoftown,toabarwithsomelivemusicattheotherend,thenforacoffee,andfinallybacktotherestaurantforafurtherappetizer.Reasonsforthistrendarethefactthatsomanydifferenttypesofrestaurantshavebeensetuprecently,eachwiththeirownparticulartypeoffoodandspecialatmosphere,combinedwiththeincreasedqualityinthetypeofsnacksbeingoffered.Gonearethecheesesticksoftheolddays,whenappetizerswerenotreallytakenseriously.Somefavoritesnacksofthemomentareslicesofhotpizza,creamyfish-baseddishesandcrispycakesandsoon.Pricesforappetizersarenotequaltoafullmeal;however,theirnewpopularityhasmeantthatarebynomeansascheapastheyusedtobe.Certainly,forthatspecialoccasion,amealinanicerestaurant,completewiththepianoperformance,ishardtobeat.However,ifweseethatthistrendfor“butterflyeating”—movingaroundseveraldifferentplacesinoneevening—continues,thenallthetraditionalstylerestaurantsmaywellhavetoprovidetheirownappetizerbarsaswell!1、WhichofthefollowingcouldbestreflectthechangeofCaliforniapeople’seatinghabits?A．Peoplelovemoreinterestingrestaurants.B．Mostpeopleeatlessthantheyusedto.C．Afullrestaurantmealislosingpopularity.D．Foodiscombinedwithsportsandgames.2、WhatcanwelearnfromParagraph2that________.A．appetizersusedtoberelativelyimportantB．thequalityofsnackshasbeenimprovedC．restaurantshavetocaterfordifferentcustomersD．new-styleappetizersfueledtheboomofcateringbusiness3、Dinerswhopreferappetizersofnewtypes________.A．willbechargedmoreB．willbeservedbetterC．canenjoymusicperformanceD．caneatintheirneighborhood22．（8分）FiveweeksagoIhadtotalhipreplacementsurgery(髖關節置換手術).InCanada,wehaveagreathealthcaresystem.Thatmeanswegetournewhipsforfree.MyhiphadbeenhurtingmeforyearsbeforeIwenttothedoctor.Ofcourse,itwasfree.Shereferredmetoasurgeon,buttheearliestappointmentwasin10months.Thatiswhatbeingfreegetsyou.Tenmonthslater,aftersomefreeX-rays,thesurgeontoldmeIneededsurgery,whichwasaboutan18-monthwait,forsomeseniorcitizenshadbeenontheoperationlist.Another18months!Idraggedmyselfoutofthesurgeon’soffice.Walkingthroughthehospital,Ithoughtaboutthesituation.Asthebreadwinnerofalargefamily,Icouldn’twaitthatlong,soIhadtogettothefrontline.IwasfullyawareofwhataCanadianshouldbelike(Canadiansareusuallyconsideredgentleandca-ring),butthistimeIreallyneededtofightformyself.Atthatverymoment,intheshopwindowofthehospital,Isawasignwhichread,“VolunteersNeeded.”Suddenly,anideaoccurredtome—Iwouldgetthejob.Fortunately,theysignedmeupimmediatelybecausetheaverageageofthevolunteersattheshopwas75.Theyweredesperateforsomeyoungblood.EveryFridaymorning,Iwasattheshop.Whileseeingthehospitalstaff,I’dcasuallybeasked,Whatdoyoudo?Thenldtellthem,Well,lmgettingmyhipreplaced—in18months.It’sgoingtobesogreatwhenthepainstops.Soon,allthestaffgottoknowme.Naturally,inmynextappointment,thesurgeonrecognizedme.Momentslater,Ihadasurgerydatejustweeksaway.Ihadtosayitwasactuallymyvolunteeringthatgotmetothefrontoftheline.AndI’mnotashamedofit,forIintendtostickwiththevolunteering.Also,evenwhenIcheatedthesystem,Ididitinawaythatbenefitssociety.1、Whatcanweinferfromthesecondparagraph?A．Shefeltratherdisappointed.B．Shecouldn’twalkbecauseofthepain.C．Shewastooscaredtohavethesurgery.D．Shedidn’tbelievewhatthesurgeonsaid.2、Whydidthewriterdecidetobeavolunteer?A．Todonatebloodtothehospital.B．Togethernewhipfreeofcharge.C．Toreceivesometinygiftsfromothers.D．Toapproachthedoctorforearlysurgery.3、Whatdidtheauthorthinkofhercheat?A．Itwasashame.B．Itwasapride.C．Itwasbeneficial.D．Itwasafairdeal.4、Whichcanbethebesttitleforthetext?A．HowIGotMyNewHipB．TheDoctorWhoSavedMyLifeC．HowtoBeaVolunteerinHospitalD．TheProblemofCanada’sHealthcareSystem23．（8分）Adozeninternationalcoffeeexpertsshuffle（把腳挪來挪去）aroundalongwoodentable,pausingateachsteamingcup,headsdippingandsniffingdeeply.Thenthe

slurping（吃喝或吸吮的聲音）begins.Inthewings,coffeefarmerYangFanwatchesintentlyasthejudgescircle,awaitingaverdict（裁定）onherlatestcropofbeans.Chinamaybethespiritualhomeoftea,butitisfastdevelopingareputationasatopcoffeeproducer.ThistastingwasasideeventtothefirsteverPu'erInternationalSpecialtyCoffeeExpoinChina'ssouthwesternYunnanprovince,whichranthiswinteranddrewmorethanathousandattendees,includingindustryaficionados(酷愛者)fromacrosstheglobe."CoffeehashugepotentialinChina,"saysLiuYing,whoswappedherlifeworkinginprivate-equity（私人股權）investmentinBeijingtogrowcoffeeinPu'erfiveyearsago."Theyoungergenerationpreferstodrinkcoffeeintheirofficesmuchmorethantea."Still,Pu'erremainssynonymouswithtea.Thisbustling（喧鬧的）townneartheLaosborderissurroundedbythegreenhillsscoredwithteaplantations;itproducesavarietyofteawhichisalsocalledPu’er,consideredoneofChina'smostrefined.Buttheregion'smildclimateisalsoperfectforgrowingArabicacoffee.AndasChina'sfast-livingmillennialsmoveawayfromtraditionalteainfavoroftheinvigoratingcoffee,Pu'er'sfarmersarecateringtothedemand.Yunnanaccountsfor98%ofChina'scoffeeharvest,withhalfcomingfromthemistylandscapearoundPu'er.Today,Chinaisthe13thbiggestcoffeeproducerintheworld—risingfromzerooutputthreedecadesagoto136,000tonsannuallytoday.InApril,Seattle'sannualSpecialtyCoffeeExpodecidedtoshowcaseChinaasitsportraitcountryoforigin.ItfollowsontheheelsofStarbucks'launchingitsfirstsingle-originYunnancoffeelastyearaftereightyearsofpartnershipwithYunnanfarmers.Withglobalcoffeepricesatrecordlows,Yunnanfarmersareprocessingbeansinbespokewaystocreatedistinctflavors—allowingthemtoenterthemarketofspecialtycoffee."Atcurrentcoffeeprices,Ican'tevenfeedmyfamily,"saysthefarmerYang."Myonlywayoutistoproducespecialtycoffee,tomakethebestcoffeebeans."Thatmeanslettingbeansdryintheircherries,thusproducingawild,fruityflavorviaenvironmentalfermentation（發酵）,orallowingthemto"honey"intheirsugaryinnerlayer,whichaddsasubtlesweetness.Backinthetastingroom,Yangawaitstheexperts'verdictonwhetherallthatextraeffortwasworthwhile."IfItoldyouthiswasColombianorPanamacoffee,nobodywouldarguewithme,"saysSamuelGurel,CEOofPu'er'sTorchCoffeeRoasters,asYangbreaksintoahugegrin."It'sagreatexampleofhowChinesecoffeeisevolving."1、WhatcausedLiuYingtoquitherformerjobtogrowcoffeeinPu’er?A．Yunnanaccountsfor98%ofChina’scoffeeharvest.B．ThereisahugepotentialofcoffeemarketinChina.C．Shewantstointroducetheyoungergenerationtocoffee.D．Sheistiredofherworkinprivate-equityinvestment.2、Accordingtothepassage,weknowthatArabicacoffee__________.A．ismainlygrowninYunnanB．appealstoChinese,especiallytheyoungC．isamoreinvigoratingdrinkcomparedwithteaD．needsmildclimatetogrow3、The“extraeffort”inthelastparagraphrefersto__________.A．processingcoffeebeansinbespokewaystocreatedistinctflavorsB．formingabusinesspartnershipwithStarbucksC．loweringthepriceofYunnancoffeebeansD．replacingYunnancoffeewithColombianorPanamacoffee4、WhatdoesSamuelGurelthinkofYang’scoffeebeans?A．praiseworthy B．arguableC．inferior D．unsatisfactory24．（8分）InspiringArchaeologicalStudyToursacrosstheWorldin2017…AnArchaeologicalToursgetawayisanarchaeologylover’svacationlikenoother.Wehaveanexcitingselectionoftoursdepartingin2017withunsurpassedservice.Here’sasmallselectionofwhatwehavetooffer.Alsoacodeforyou:Neverallow(Jogstorunfree-lytheretokeeptheplantsandanimalsliveinpeaceandgetridofrubbishproperly.Becarefultoburyyourtoiletwasteandkeeptothedesignedtracks.Guatemala&BelizeCoonthetrailofMesoamericancivilizationsinthelushforests,ruggedfoothills（丘陵地帶）,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.25．（10分）SydneyDayToursPortStephensDayToursLabeled“BlueWaterParadise”,PortStephensisknownforitsbeautyandmarinesurroundingswithover19milesofclean,whiteandsandybeaches.Itishometoaround150bottlenosedolphinandthuscalledthedolphincapitalofAustralia.Highlights:DolphinWatching;AustralianReptileParkOperates:Mon,Wed&Sat---8AMAdults:$195Children:$98Note:NotsuitablefromDec.20th,2017toJan.9th,2018inChristmas&NYperiod,Feb.14th-22th,2018inChineseNY.SydneyCityDayToursSydneyisabigcity,filledwithlotsoflandmarksandattractionstosee.ThiscanmakeitastressfultasktoplanyourownvacationinSydney.Luckily,ourtoursaredesignedtoallowyoutoseeallofSydney’smostfamouslandmarks.YoucanrestandmakesurethatyouwillbeseeingallthatSydneyhastooffer.Highlights:HarbourBridge;SydneyOperaHouseOperates:Daily---8AMAdults:$129Children:$65BlueMountainsToursTheseBlueMountainsToursfromSydneyhavebeendesignedfortheadventuresandpeoplewholiketoenjoybushwalking.Additionally,theseBlueMountainsDayToursincludesatoughwalkfromGlenbrooktotheWentworthFalls.Highlights:SeeAustralianwildlifeup-close;GuidedhikeatWentworthFalls.Operates:Daily—8AMAdults:$99Children:$74Note:Agoodleveloffitnessisrequiredforthebushwalk.Minimumchildageis11years.1、WhichoneisNOTpropertimeforthePortStephensDayTours?A．Jan.13th,2018(Sat.). B．Jan.15th,2018(Mon.).C．Jab.24th,2018(Wed.). D．Feb.15th,2018(Thur.).2、WhatcantouristsenjoyonSydneyCityDayTours?A．Marinesurroundings. B．HarbourBridge.C．DolphinWatching. D．Adventurousactivities.3、Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtotheadvertisement?A．Allthetoursareavailableeveryday.B．Sydneycityhasthemostlandmarksandattractionsintheworld.C．Children10yearsandunderarenotpermittedonBlueMountainsTours.D．Allthetoursarechargedanddesignedonlyforadventures.第三部分語言知識運用（共兩節）第一節（每小題1.5分，滿分30分）閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的A、B、C和D四個選項中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項．26．（30分）MykidsandIwereheadingintothesupermarketovertheweekend.Ontheway,wespottedamanholdingapieceofpaperthatsaid,“1myjob.FamilytoFeed.”Atthisstore,a2likethisisnotnormal.My10-year-oldnoticedhimandmakea3onhowbaditmustbetohavetostand4inthecoldwind.Inthestore,Iaskedeachofmykidsto5somethingtheythoughtour“friend”therewould6.Theygotapples,asandwichandabottleofjuice.Thenmy17-year-oldsuggestedgivinghima7.Ithoughtaboutit.Wewere8oncashourselves,but…well,sometimes9fromourneedinsteadofourabundanceis10whatweneedtodo!Allthekids11somethingtheycoulddoawaywithfortheweek.Whenwehandedhimthebagof12,helitupandthankeduswith13eyes.WhenIhandedhimthegiftcard,sayinghecoulduseitfor14hisfamilymightneed,heburstintotears.Thishasbeenawonderful15forourfamily.Fordaysthekidshavebeenlookingforotherswecan16!Thingswouldhaveplayedoutso17ifIhadsimplysaid,“No,wereallydon’thave18togivemore.”Steppingoutnotonlyhelpedabrotherin19,italsogavemykidsthe20tasteofhelpingothers.It’llgoalongwaywiththem.1、A．Lost B．Changed C．Quit D．Finished2、A．condition B．place C．sight D．show3、A．suggestion B．comment C．decision D．call4、A．outside B．proudly C．by D．angrily5、A．draw B．say C．arrange D．pick6、A．order B．supply C．appreciate D．discover7、A．dollar B．job C．hotmeal D．giftcard8、A．easy B．low C．soft D．loose9、A．giving B．saving C．spending D．begging10、A．yet B．even C．still D．just11、A．declared B．shared C．ignored D．expected12、A．toys B．medicine C．food D．clothes13、A．sleepy B．watery C．curious D．sharp14、A．whoever B．whatever C．whichever D．whenever15、A．experience B．example C．message D．adventure16、A．relyon B．respect C．learnfrom D．help17、A．suddenly B．vividly C．differently D．perfectly18、A．time B．power C．patience D．money19、A．fear B．love C．need D．memory20、A．strong B．sweet C．strange D．simple第二節（每小題1.5分，滿分15分）閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入1個適當的單詞或括號內單詞的正確形式。27．（15分）Everyonelikestohavefriends1．aretrustworthy.Whenwhatwesaymatcheswhatwedo,weearntrustandfriendship.On2．contrary,oncewebreakourword,nobodywillevertrustusagain.Forexample,ifyouare3．untrustworthyworker,youarelesslikely4．(get)apromotion.Therefore,the5．(important)ofkeepingone'swordcannotbestressedtoomuch.Ioncehadtheunpleasantexperienceofsomeonebreakinghispromisetome.Lastmonth,everyoneinmyclasshadtogatheratschool6．6:30amforour7．(graduate)trip.MyfriendBenaskedmetomeethimatMcDonald'satsix,buthenevershowedup.Iwas8．(depress)thatwhenIcalledhim,hetoldmehewasalreadyatschool.I9．(rush)straightthere,butallmyclassmatesstillblamedmefordelayingthetrip.Afterthat,Iendedmy10．(friend)withBenbecauseIdon'tneedfriendswhocan'tkeeptheirword.第四部分寫作（共兩節）第一節短文改錯（滿分10分）28．（10分）假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。每處錯誤涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下寫出該加的詞。刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉。修改：在錯的同下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。注意：1、每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；2、只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。Lastwintervacation,myparentsandIwentbacktoourhometown,whereIspendmychildhood、Walkingslowinthequietsmalltownremindedmeofthegoodoldday、Iwentfromstreettostreet,inthesearchofmychildhoodfootprints、Suddenly,IfoundmeatthegateoftheprimaryschoolonwhichIstudiedforsixyears、AsIentered,Iwassurprisedfindthattheoldclassroombuildingwasgone、Butitwasfillingwithmychildhoodmemories!Ifeltsuchsadthattearsrandownmycheeks、ItwasjustlikethefeelingIhadwhileagoodfriendleftmeforever、第二節書面表達（滿分25分）29．（25分）閱讀下面短文，然后按照要求寫一篇150詞左右的英語短文。LoveTunnelseeslotsofloveandtrashBearingaresemblancetotheforest－surrounded“LoveTunnel”inUkraine,thetwo-kilometertunnelinJiangningdistrictNanjingsawarecentriseinpopularityasmorethan2,000touristspaidavisiteverydaythissummer.Thehighnumberofvisitorscausedtrafficsafetyconcernsandincreasedtheworkloadofsanitationworkers.TheNanjinggovernmenthadintendedtocutthetreesbytheendof2014.AftertheNanjinggovernmentwasforcedtodraftplanstocutthetreesduetopublicpressure,visitorspouredintoarailwaysectionthatrunsthroughthickforestforsightseeingandtotakephotosthisweekend,leavingtherailwaywithoverwhelmingpilesoftrash.However,inresponsetothegovernment'splan,complaintsandoutcriesweremadebythecitizensthatthelovetunnelshouldbereserved.Theyclaimthatwalkingalongtheleafygreentunnelislikeenteringafairytale,andapossibledecisiontoteardownthetreescouldbringthestorytoapitifulend.注釋：sanitation衛生1．以大約30個詞左右概括短文的內容要點；2．以大約120個詞談談你對“愛情隧道”該不該保留的看法，并說出你的理由。1．作文中可以使用親身經歷或虛構的故事，也可以參照閱讀材料的內容，但不能直接引用原文中的句子；2．作文中不能出現真實姓名和學校名稱。概括準確，語言規范，內容合適，篇章連貫。_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

參考答案第一部分（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）1、B2、A3、C4、A5、A6、C7、D8、C9、A10、A11、B12、D13、A14、A15、D16、D17、C18、D19、D20、D第二部分閱讀理解（滿分40分）閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項。21、1、C2、B3、A22、1、A2、D3、D4、A23、1、B2、D3、A4、A24、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(蹣跚)onbecausepoliticiansridetotherescuewithbagsoftaxpayermoney.Thegeniusofouruniquesystemofgovernmentisthedeterminationtoprotectanddefendtherightsoftheindividualovertherightsofthenation.Assuch,theriseofawell-connectedoligarchy(寡頭政治)thatprotectsbigbusinessattheexpenseofsmallbusiness,andtheestablishedoverthenew,isoppositetoAmericanideals.Incomeinequality—whichisdirectlycausedbyfaultygovernmentpolicy—isbeingpromotedasthereasontoimposemoreofthatbadpolicy.Butlet’sbeperfectlyclear,wedonothaveafreemarket