There is a story of a country where the rate of inflation（通货膨胀）is so high that clever people pay for a taxi ride before the trip instead of after．The story may or may not be true．Inflation was almost that serious in Germany from July，1920 until December，1923．Prices went up so fast that by the end of 1923 they were 50 billion percent higher—a rise of almost 2，500％ a month．
There was so much paper money，and it had so little value，that people carried bags full of money around to pay for things．One woman told the story of standing outside a shop with a basket full of 500，000 mark notes．She wanted to buy just one piece of meat，and she hoped she had enough money．When she was not looking，a thief robbed her．He did take her money，though he threw it away and took the basket instead．
At first workers demanded to be paid every day．As the situation became worse，they had to be paid twice a day．They had to run out and spend the money at once．Or it would lose its value．People bought everything that was for sale，but food was almost impossible to find．
Farm workers refused to take money．They wanted to be paid in potatoes instead．New policies ended the inflation in 1923，when the government introduced a new money．About half of the German people lost everything in those three and a half years．
1．According to the passage，in Germany the prices in 1920 were ___________．
A．higher than those in 1923 B．lower than those in 1923
C．the 3rd highest in history D．the lowest in history
2．The thief stole the basket instead of the money in it because he thought ___________．
A．he couldn't buy a piece of meat with the money
B．the basket was more valuable than the money
C．the basket was what he needed most
D．the money was of no value
3．Which of the following best shows the inflation in Germany between 1920 and 1923？
参考答案：1．B 2．B 3．A
