You hear the refrain all the time: the U. S. economy looks good statistically, 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 Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.
The Affluent Society is a modern classic because it helped define 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 dread of another Great Depression gave way to an economic boom. In the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.
To Galbraith, materialism had gone mad and would breed 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 unfulfilling. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people instinctively—and wrongly—labeled government only as “a necessary evil”.
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 executives, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people’s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, inflation-adjusted average family income rose 14.3 percent, to $43,200. People feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants—for bigger homes, more health care, more education, faster Internet connections.
The other great frustration is that it has not eliminated insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As corporate layoffs increased, that part has eroded. 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 stemmed from poverty, the arrival of widespread affluence suggested utopian possibilities. Up to a point, affluence succeeds. There is much less physical misery than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, affluence also creates new complaints and contradictions.
Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the quest for growth lets loose new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Affluence liberates the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-fulfillment. But the promise is so extravagant that it predestines many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown and obesity. Statistical indicators of happiness have not risen with incomes.
Should we be surprised? Not really. We’ve simply reaffirmed an old truth: the pursuit of affluence does not always end with happiness.
1. What question does John Kenneth Galbraith raise in his book The Affluent Society?
2. According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ______.
3. Why do people feel squeezed when their average income rises considerably?
4. What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” (Para.5) ?
5. What has affluence brought to American society?
问题1选项
A.Why statistics don’t tell the truth about the economy.
B.Why affluence doesn’t guarantee happiness.
C.How happiness can be promoted today.
D.What lies behind an economic boom.
问题2选项
A.public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected
B.the government has proved to be a necessary evil
C.they are in fear of another Great Depression
D.materialism has run wild in modern society
问题3选项
A.Their material pursuits have gone far ahead of their earnings.
B.Their purchasing power has dropped markedly with inflation.
C.The distribution of wealth is uneven between the rich and the poor.
D.Heath care and educational Cost have somehow gone out of control.
问题4选项
A.Those who see job stability as part of their living standard.
B.People full of utopian ideas resulting from affluence.
C.People who have little say in American politics.
D.Workers who no longer have secure jobs.
问题5选项
A.Renewed economic security.
B.A sense of self-fulfilment.
C.New conflicts and complaints.
D.Misery and anti-social behavior.
第1题:B
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
What question does John Kenneth Galbraith raise in his book The Affluent Society? 约翰•肯尼斯•加尔布雷斯在他的《富裕社会》一书中提出了什么问题?
A. Why statistics don’t tell the truth about the economy. A. 为什么统计数据不能反映经济的真相。
B. Why affluence doesn’t guarantee happiness. B. 为什么富裕并不能保证幸福。
C. How happiness can be promoted today. C. 如何在今天提升幸福。
D. What lies behind an economic boom. D. 经济繁荣背后的原因。
【答案】B
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第一段第二、三句“为什么越来越多的财富不能带来越来越多的幸福呢?这个问题至少可以追溯到1958年约翰•肯尼斯•加尔布雷斯所著的《富裕社会》一书。”理解可知,约翰•肯尼斯•加尔布雷斯在他的《富裕社会》一书中提出了为什么越来越多的财富不能带来越来越多的幸福这个问题,B项“为什么富裕并不能保证幸福”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“为什么统计数据不能反映经济的真相”,C项“如何在今天提升幸福”和D项“经济繁荣背后的原因”都不是在《富裕社会》一书中提出的问题,这三项属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ________. 加尔布雷斯认为,人们感到不满是因为________。
A. public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected A. 公共支出并没有像预期的那样被削减
B. the government has proved to be a necessary evil B. 政府已经被证明是必定邪恶
C. they are in fear of another Great Depression C. 他们担心另一场大萧条
D. materialism has run wild in modern society D. 现代社会物质主义泛滥成风
【答案】D
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据第二段第一句“在加尔布雷斯看来,物质主义已经变得非常疯狂(materialism had gone mad),并且会滋生不满情绪”理解可知,人们感到不满是因为物质主义泛滥,该题选择D项“现代社会物质主义泛滥成风”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“公共支出并没有像预期的那样被削减”根据第三段最后一句“与此同时,本可以让每个人生活更好的政府开支却被削减了,因为人们本能地且错误地将政府贴上了‘必定邪恶’的标签”可知,公共支出被削减了,该项属于反向干扰;
B项“政府已经被证明是一个必要的邪恶”,这只是人们为政府贴的标签,与人们不满无关,该项属于曲解原文;
C项“他们担心另一场大萧条”没有提到,该项属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Why do people feel squeezed when their average income rises considerably? 为什么当平均收入大幅增长时,人们会感到压力?
A. Their material pursuits have gone far ahead of their earnings. A. 他们的物质追求远远超过了他们的收入。
B. Their purchasing power has dropped markedly with inflation. B. 他们的购买力随着通货膨胀而明显下降。
C. The distribution of wealth is uneven between the rich and the poor. C. 财富在富人和穷人之间分配不均。
D. Heath care and educational Cost have somehow gone out of control. D. 医疗保健和教育费用不知何故已失去控制。
【答案】A
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第四段最后一句“人们感到‘被挤压’,因为他们不断增长的收入往往无法满足他们不断增长的需求——更大的房子,更多的医疗保健,更多的教育,更快的互联网连接”理解可知,人们会感到压力是因为不断增长的收入无法满足不断增长的物质需求,A项“他们的物质追求远远超过了他们的收入”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B项“他们的购买力随着通货膨胀而明显下降”,人们的物质需求不断增长,也就是说购买力会增加,该项属于反向干扰;
C项“财富在富人和穷人之间分配不均”和D项“医疗保健和教育费用不知何故已失去控制”没有提到,这两项属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American (Para. 5)”? 路易斯•乌奇特利在第5段所说的“被抛弃的美国人”是什么意思?
A. Those who see job stability as part of their living standard. A. 把工作稳定性视为生活标准的一部分。
B. People full of utopian ideas resulting from affluence. B. 因富裕而充满乌托邦思想的人。
C. People who have little say in American politics. C. 在美国政治上几乎没有发言权的人。
D. Workers who no longer have secure jobs. D. 不再有稳定工作的人。
【答案】D
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第五段“人们把工作稳定性视为生活水平的一部分。随着公司裁员的增加,这部分已经被侵蚀。越来越多的工人担心自己成为‘被抛弃的美国人’,正如路易斯•乌奇特利在他的同名书中所说的那样。”,从中理解可知,“被抛弃的美国人”指的是因为公司裁员而被迫失业,即失去稳定的工作,D项“不再有稳定工作的人”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“把工作稳定性视为生活标准的一部分”是成为“被抛弃的美国人”的原因,而不是其暗含的意思,该项属于曲解原文;
B项“因富裕而充满乌托邦思想的人”和“被抛弃的美国人”无关,该项属于出处错位;
C项“在美国政治上几乎没有发言权的人”原文没有提到,该项属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
What has affluence brought to American society? 富裕给美国社会带来了什么?
A. Renewed economic security. A. 新的经济安全。
B. A sense of self-fulfilment. B. 自我实现的感觉。
C. New conflicts and complaints. C. 新的冲突和抱怨。
D. Misery and anti-social behavior. D. 痛苦和反社会行为。
【答案】C
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据第六段最后一句“不幸的是,富裕也产生了新的抱怨和矛盾”可知,富裕给美国社会带来了新的抱怨和矛盾,C项“新的冲突和抱怨”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A项“新的经济安全”和B项“自我实现的感觉”没有提到,这两项属于无中生有;
D项“痛苦和反社会行为”根据第六段二、三句“在某种程度上,富裕是成功的。身体上的痛苦比以前少了很多。”可知,富裕减轻了痛苦,该项与原文相反,属于反向干扰。
【文章来源】2007年英语六级真题
【参考译文】
你总能听到这样的论调:美国经济在统计数据上看起来不错,但实际感觉并不好。为什么越来越多的财富不能带来越来越多的幸福?这个问题至少可以追溯到1958年约翰•肯尼斯•加尔布雷斯的《富裕社会》一书,他最近去世,享年97岁。
《富裕社会》是一部现代经典,因为它帮助定义了人类状况的一个新时刻。加尔布雷斯写道,在历史的大部分时间里,“饥饿、疾病和寒冷”几乎威胁着每个人。“贫穷在那个世界随处可见。很明显,它不属于我们。”第二次世界大战后,对另一场大萧条的恐惧被经济繁荣所取代。20世纪30年代,平均失业率为18.2%;在20世纪50年代,这个数字是4.5%。
对加尔布雷斯来说,物质主义已经疯了,会滋生不满情绪。通过广告,公司使消费者习惯于购买他们并不是真正想要或需要的东西。因为如此多的支出是人为的,它将不会令人满意。与此同时,原本可以让每个人都过得更好的政府开支却被削减了,因为人们本能地——而且错误地——只把政府贴上了“必要之恶”的标签。
人们常说,只有富人才能取得成功;其他人要么停滞不前,要么落后。好吧,有许多不值得的富人——例如薪酬过高的首席执行官。但在任何有意义的时期,大多数人的收入都在增加。从1995年到2004年,通货膨胀调整后的平均家庭收入增长了14.3%,达到43200美元。人们感到“被挤压”是因为他们不断增长的收入常常不能满足他们不断增长的需求——更大的房子,更多的医疗保健,更多的教育,更快的互联网连接。
另一个巨大的挫折是,它并没有消除不安全感。人们把工作稳定性看作是生活水平的一部分。随着企业裁员的增加,这部分已经被侵蚀。越来越多的工人担心他们已经变成了“一次性美国人”,正如路易斯•乌奇泰利在他的同名著作中所说的那样。
因为之前的许多苦难和社会冲突都源于贫困,所以普遍富裕的到来让人想到了乌托邦式的可能性。在某种程度上,富裕是成功的。身体上的痛苦比以前少多了。人们的生活更好了。不幸的是,富裕也带来了新的抱怨和矛盾。
发达社会需要经济增长来满足公民日益增长的需求。但对增长的追求释放出新的焦虑和经济冲突,扰乱了社会秩序。富裕解放了个人,承诺每个人都可以选择一种独特的方式来实现自我。但这种承诺是如此的奢侈,它注定了许多失望,有时还会引发一些具有反社会后果的选择,包括家庭破裂和肥胖。幸福的统计指标并没有随着收入的增加而增加。
我们应该感到惊讶吗?并非如此。我们只是重申了一个古老的真理:对财富的追求并不总是以幸福告终。