You hear the comment all the time: the U.S. economy looks good by figures, but i

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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 (贫穷) 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 (物质主义) 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.
小题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

小题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

小题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.

小题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.

小题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.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:B
小题5:D

解析

试题分析：本文论述了美国人的生活现状，现在虽然人们富裕了，而人们的幸福指数却不高，这是什么原因呢？本文主要论述的原因是经济增长了，人们的收入提高了，但是随之人们的物质欲望却更高了，远远地超过了他们的购买力。这就引起了新的问题，人们出现了新的焦虑、矛盾及抱怨等。因此现在的人们感觉不到幸福。
小题1:这是细节理解题。根据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.人们富裕了，却感受不到幸福，故选D。
小题2:这是细节理解题。根据To Galbraith, materialism (物质主义) had gone mad and would cause discontent. 因为人们的物质欲望更强，即使富裕了，还是感觉不到幸福，故选A。
小题3:这是细节理解题。根据because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.因为人们的物质欲望远远超过了他们的收入，所以人们感觉日子过的很紧，故选C。
小题4:这是细节理解题。根据The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. 他们的工作不稳定，故选B。
小题5:这是细节理解题。根据wealth also creates new complaints. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order.财富的增长引起了新的焦虑、矛盾及抱怨，故选D。
点评：做细节理解题需要阅读时对某些细节仔细琢磨。尤其应注意有些表明作者观点词汇，如形容词、副词等。相对而言较简单，因为这类题虽然要求理解准确，但基本上限于字面意义的理解，范围也限于局部，因此是我们可望得高分的部分。