A
Working from a shady balcony overlooking a vast sea, with fivestar restaurants and golf courses within easy reach: what better place could there be to while away the pandemic(疫情) than Barbados?
Like most of its Caribbean neighbours, Barbados has been good at keeping COVID19 out. Normally tourism brings in more than half of its foreign earnings. Now, many tourists are banned and the economy is declining. The tourism minister, Kerrie Symmonds, puts unemployment at close to 40%.
The prime minister, Mia Mottley intends to introduce a “Welcome Stamp” for visitors to “work remotely in paradise” for up to a year. The idea is that if holidays are not possible, then maybe the island can attract wealthy office workers who no longer have to go to the office. Other Caribbean islands are considering competing plans; Bermuda has announced one.
It did not take a pandemic for some digital workers to consider moving to a beach. But before now, it was legally difficult. Getting a work permit or immigrant status meant weeks or months of formfilling. Workers had to pay Barbadian income taxes. The new procedure looks quick and easy by comparison. For a fee of $2，000 for one person, or $3，000 for a family, you can take your Zoom calls from a real white sandy beach, instead of merely selecting it as a virtual background. You continue paying tax according to the rules of whichever country you came from.
There will be some checks on new arrivals. “We do not want the scum of the earth, but honest and respectable types，” says Mr Symmonds. Applicants must have health insurance, and the main breadwinner must earn at least $50，000. But otherwise the gates are open. “All must breathe, in this world and in this country，” says Ms Mottley.
( A )21．The project “Welcome Stamp” is intended to ________．
A．help the economy recover
B．create jobs for visitors
C．keep COVID19 out
D．compete against other islands
( C )22．What is needed to apply for “Welcome Stamp”？
A．Spending weeks getting work permit or immigrant status.
B．Paying a certain amount of Barbadian income taxes.
C．Paying $2，000 per person, or $3，000 per family.
D．Earning at least $50，000 per family member.
( D )23．What can we learn from the passage?
A．Barbados is the first to put forward the plan.
B．All healthy and wealthy people are welcome.
C．Increasing unemployment leads to an economic decline.
D．It used to be difficult for digital workers to move to Barbados.
( A )24．What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Barbados provides a paradise to work remotely.
B．The Caribbean islands are fighting against the pandemic.
C．Office workers choose to work from the beach.
D．Working abroad becomes easier than before.
答案及解析：
【语篇解读】文章讲述了在疫情导致经济下滑的情况下，为了实现经济复苏，巴巴多斯实施了“欢迎邮票”项目，并介绍了这个项目的内容和申请条件。
21．A 细节理解题。由第二段的“Now, many tourists are banned and the economy is declining.”可知，由于疫情影响，许多游客被禁止到来，导致经济下滑。再由第三段的“The prime minister, Mia Mottley intends to introduce a ‘Welcome Stamp’ for visitors to ‘work remotely in paradise’ for up to a year.”可知“欢迎邮票”是提供游客在“天堂远程工作”长达一年的时间。由此可推断出，“欢迎邮票”项目的主要目的是吸引游客到这里，游客的到来会促进经济的发展，也就是说，“欢迎邮票”项目旨在帮助经济复苏。故选A项。
22．C 细节理解题。由第四段的“The new procedure looks quick and easy by comparison. For a fee of $2，000 for one person, or $3，000 for a family, you can take your Zoom calls from a real white sandy beach, instead of merely selecting it as a virtual background.”可推断出，申请“欢迎邮票”需要的是一个人付2 000美元的费用，一家人付3 000美元的费用。故选C项。
23．D 细节理解题。由第四段的“It did not take a pandemic for some digital workers to consider moving to a beach. But before now, it was legally difficult.”可推断出，过去数字工作者很难搬到巴巴多斯。故选D项。
24．A 主旨大意题。纵观全文可知，文章主要介绍了巴巴多斯的“欢迎邮票”项目。由第三段的“The prime minister, Mia Mottley intends to introduce a ‘Welcome Stamp’ for visitors to ‘work remotely in paradise’ for up to a year.”可推断出，文章主要讲述的是巴巴多斯提供了远程工作的天堂，这里的天堂指的是巴巴多斯像天堂一样美的海滩和风景。故选A项。
