The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.At its heart are the WTO agreements,negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.The goal is to help producers of goods and services,exporters,and importers conduct their business.
The WTO was born out of negotiations,and everything the WTO does is the result of negotiations.The bulk of the WTO’s current work comes from the 1986–94 negotiations called the Uruguay Round and earlier negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).The WTO is currently the host to new negotiations,under the ‘Doha Development Agenda’ launched in 2001.
Where countries have faced trade barriers and wanted them lowered,the negotiations have helped to open markets for trade.But the WTO is not just about opening markets,and in some circumstances its rules support maintaining trade barriers — for example,to protect consumers or prevent the spread of disease.It also means ensuring that individuals,companies and governments know what the trade rules are around the world,and giving them the confidence that there will be no sudden changes of policy.In other words,the rules have to be "transparent" and predictable.
Giving them more time to adjust,there will be greater flexibility (灵活性) and special privileges.Over three-quarters of WTO members are developing countries and countries in transition to market economies.The WTO agreements give them transition periods to adjust to the more unfamiliar and,perhaps,difficult WTO provisions.
1.What is NOT among the duties of the WTO?
A.Helping its members to conduct business.
B.Dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
C.Providing goods and services to its members.
2.Everything the WTO does is the result of ().
A.discussing between organizations
B.making rules by legal authorities
C.movements and revolutions
3.Which of the following is NOT the function of the WTO’s rules?
A.To help companies open markets for trade..
B.To remove all the commercial restrictions.
C.To maintain trade barriers for protection.
4.()of WTO members are developing countries and alike.
A.More than 75%
B.About a half
C.Less than 30%
5.This article mainly ().
A.discuss the strength and weakness of WTO
B.introduce the concept and functions of WTO
C.compare WTO with other international organizations