Question

You hear the comment all the time: the U.S. economy looks good by figures, but it doesn’t feel good. Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.

The Wealthy Society is a modern classic because it helped describe a new moment in the human condition. For most of history, “hunger, sickness, and cold” threatened nearly everyone, Galbraith wrote. “Poverty (貧窮) was found everywhere in that world. Obviously it is not of ours.” After World War II, the fear of another Great Depression gave way to an economic growth. In the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.

To Galbraith, materialism (物質(zhì)主義) had gone mad and would cause discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didn’t really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unsatisfying. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people wrongly considered government only as “a necessary bad.”

It’s often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling behind. Well, there are many undeserving rich — overpaid chief managers, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people’s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, people feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.

The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As company unemployment increased, that part has gradually become weaker. More workers fear they’ve become “the disposable American,” as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.

Because so much previous suffering and social conflict resulted from poverty, the arrival of widespread wealth suggested utopian (烏托邦式的) possibilities. Up to a point, wealth succeeds. There is much less physical suffering than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, wealth also creates new complaints.

Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Wealth sets free the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-accomplishment. But the promise is so unreasonable that it leads to many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown. Figures indicate that happiness has not risen with incomes.

Should we be surprised? Not really. We’ve simply confirmed an old truth: the seeking of wealth does not always end with happiness.

1.The Wealthy Society is a book ________.

A. about poverty in the past

B. written by Louis Uchitelle

C. indicating that people are becoming worse off

D. about why happiness does not rise with wealth

2.According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ________.

A. materialism has run wild in modern society

B. they are in fear of another Great Depression

C. public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected

D. the government has proved to be necessary but ugly

3.Why do people feel“squeezed”when their average income rises considerably?

A. They think there are too many overpaid rich.

B. There is more unemployment in modern society.

C. Their material demands go faster than their earnings.

D. Health care and educational cost have somehow gone out of control.

4.What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” ?

A. People with a stable job.

B. Workers who no longer have secure jobs.

C. Those who see job stability as part of their living standard.

D. People who have a sense of security because of their rising incomes.

5.What has wealth brought to American society?

A. Stability and security.

B. Materialism and content.

C. A sense of self-accomplishment.

D. New anxiety, conflicts and complaints.

Answer 1

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.B

5.D

【解析】

試題解析：本文論述了美國人的生活現(xiàn)狀，現(xiàn)在雖然人們富裕了，而人們的幸福指數(shù)卻不高，這是什么原因呢？原因是經(jīng)濟增長了，人們的收入提高了，但是隨之人們的物質(zhì)欲望卻更高了，遠遠地超過了他們的購買力。這就引起了新的問題，人們出現(xiàn)了新的焦慮、矛盾及抱怨等。因此現(xiàn)在的人們感覺不到幸福。

1.細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.說明這篇文章講的是為什么人們富裕了，卻感受不到幸福，故D正確。

2.細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)To Galbraith, materialism (物質(zhì)主義) had gone mad and would cause discontent. 因為人們的物質(zhì)欲望更強，即使富裕了，還是感覺不到幸福，故選A。

3.細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.因為人們的物質(zhì)欲望遠遠超過了他們的收入，所以人們感覺日子過的很緊，故選C。

4.推理判斷題。根據(jù)The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. 他們的工作不穩(wěn)定，故選B。

5.5】細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)wealth also creates new complaints. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order.財富的增長引起了新的焦慮、矛盾及抱怨，故選D。

考點：社會現(xiàn)象類文章