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 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. By the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.

To Galbraith, materialism 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 (乌托邦式的) 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 previous suffering and social conflict in the past

B.written by Louis Uchitelle who died recently at 97

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.

 

A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking(搭便车)on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road.The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop.The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel(方向盘)!

The car started to move very slowly. The man looked at the road and saw a curve (拐弯处)coming his way. Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life. He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel. The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve.Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky (幽灵般的)car. Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town. In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky.

Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car. Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!

About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”

1.After he entered the car, the man found ____________.

A.it didn’t move at all.                    B.it moved very quickly.

C.there was no driver in it.                  D.someone was pushing it.

2.When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man _______________ .

A.felt very curious                        B.was extremely frightened

C.cried for help                          D.remained as calm as possible

3.According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?

A.His reasonable behavior.                  B.His vivid description.

C.His plain appearance.                    D.His honest attitude.

4.We can infer from the passage that ____________ .

A.it is unsafe for people to take a free ride

B.the man was telling a lie to his listeners

C.the car probably broke down on the way

D.the two young men were familiar with the man

5.As a whole , the story of the man can best be described as ______________ .

A.strange           B.puzzling           C.mysterious        D.funny

 

根据短文内容,从下框的A—F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项.

A.Join learning communities and help each other.

B.Expect problems, never be disappointed, and gradually you’ll make it.

C.Anytime is learning time.

D.Get interested and arouse(唤起) your desire for knowledge.

E.Cover the same ground from different angles(角度).

F.Try to be a good and effective learner.

As a student, how we can learn our lessons effectively is a common problem which is always puzzling us.If you follow suggestions below, I'm sure you'll find the solution easily.

1.Your interest in the subject is the essential driver of success. You can' t learn what you do not want to learn. Emotion is an important part of the learning process. If you are even moderately interested in a subject, give yourself a chance. The key is to get started. If you can create some pleasurable routines, you may find that the subject grows on you. You must always remember learning is just like eating. You don' t expect to enjoy your food without appetite(食欲).Therefore, you should always try to arouse your interest and desire for knowledge if you want to learn well.

2.Don't expect to understand things, or remember too much, the first time you study them.Think about what problem you will meet with in your study, so that you are well-prepared for it. Never be disappointed no matter what happens. Trust that things will get clearer as your brain comes to get new information. It is like a jig-saw puzzle or a cross-word puzzle(纵横填字游戏). As you start to put the pieces together, or string the words together, the full picture becomes clearer. The brain learns all the time, but on its own schedule.Learning does not take place according to a schedule laid down by a curriculum or teacher. Keep at it, and you will gradually find that things that seem difficult at first, will become second nature with time.

3.Your brain is struggling to form patterns to cope with new input from your learning activities.Sometimes, no matter how long you focus on one subject, your brain is not going to pick it up.If you are stuck, move on.Then cover the same general information from a different source, a different book, or a blog, or an online lecture or a video.Try to become a grazing learner, wandering about the countryside, rather than a feed-lot learner, just standing there in one spot, chewing the same bale of hay.The broader your base, the easier it is to learn.Just as the "rich get richer" , the more you know, the more you can learn.

4.Take full advantage of the Internet, blogs, and various mobile devices, not to mention good old-fashioned books and magazines.Learn during "dead time". Listen in your car, on the train, or while jogging. Have your learning with you while waiting in the doctor's office, or listen while checking out at the supermarket. Anytime is learning time.Remember, you are learning through exposure, not by nailing things down. It is more like moisture accumulation in a cloud, rather than building a brick wall.

5.The "loneliness of the distance learner" is a thing of the past.Join a learning community on the web, where members share their knowledge and experience. Search for the communities that suit your interests and learning styles. You will find encouragement, advice and stimulus from fellow learners, as well as from tutors, teachers and coaches.In these communities, you can measure your progress against your own goals, or compare your experience with that of other learners.You can even teach and help others, which is a great way to learn.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Wu were fed up with their neighbor. He was always borrowing things from them.

“It’s not right.” Mr. Wu said to his wife one evening. “At some time or another that man has borrowed nearly everything we have. Almost every day he comes over to borrow something.”

“You are quite right,” his wife replied, “and most of the things he’s never returned.”

“What I want to know,” her husband said, “is why he can’t buy the things he needs like everyone else.”

“Because people like us are foolish enough to lend him what he needs.” she replied. “As long as we are willing to lend, he’ll keep on borrowing.”

“Then we’ll never lend him anything again.” Mr. Wu said. “The next time he asks to borrow something, I’ll say no.”

“We must have a good reason for saying no,” his wire said, “and we must always try to be polite to him. We don’t want to make an enemy of the man.”

It was not long before their decision not to lend their neighbor anything ever again was put to the test.

The next morning there was a knock on the door.

Mr. Wu went to answer it.

Their neighbor was standing there. Mr. Wu knew he was going to ask to borrow something, and was ready to refuse him politely.

“Good morning,” their neighbor said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I wonder if I could borrow your garden scissors.”

“I’m sorry,” Mr. Wu said, “but I’m afraid my wife and I will be using them today. We’ll be spending all day working in the garden.”

“Oh, ! see.” the neighbor said, “In that case, may I borrow your golf clubs? You won’t be needing them if you are working in the garden all day, will you?”

1.What did the neighbor do with most of the things he had borrowed?

A.He hid them.

B.He never returned them.

C.He lent them to others.

D.He broke them.

2.Mr. and Mrs. Wu’s decision to treat their neighbor was

A.not to lend anything more

B.to be impolite to him in order to show their dislike

C.to give him anything he would ask

D.to keep on lending

3.When did the neighbor want to borrow again?

A.The next day.

B.A week later.

C.The morning after the following month.

D.A few days later.

4.How did the neighbor manage to get what he really wanted?

A.He first asked for something else.

B.He asked for it earnestly (诚挚地).

C.He worked for them.

D.He spoke highly of Mr. Wu.

 

Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.

The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.

1.If a person has his nose in the air, he ____. 

A.is down to the earth

B.is easy to deal with

C.always thinks he is more important than others

D.is confident

2.If a person has both feet on the ground, he ____. 

A.is in touch with reality, and doesn’t have any dreams

B.has some dreams but he is realistic

C.is honest, open and easy to deal with

D.is honest, open but hard to deal with

3.From the second paragraph, we know that sharp words from a teacher can usually ________.

A.help a student get down to the earth

B.wake a student up

C.help a daydreaming student come down to the ground

D.help a daydreaming student to become more realistic

4.The underlined sentence “But the opposite is not always true.” most probably means that ______.

A.the person who has his nose in the air is not true

B.a man with his head in the clouds is often not intelligent

C.the opposite direction is always wrong

D.a person who has both feet on the ground may not be down-to-earth

5.From the passage, we can infer the person who is _______ is the most popular kind of person.

A.down-to-earth

B.standing on the ground

C.with his nose in the air

D.with his head in the clouds

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网