Amongrichcountries,peopleintheUnitedStatesworkthelongesthours.TheyworkmuchlongerthaninEurope.Thisdifferenceisquitesurprisingbecauseproductivity(生产力)perhourworkedisthesameintheUnitedStatesasitisinFrance,SpainandGermany,anditisgrowingatasimilarspeed. Inmostcountriesandatmosttimesinhistory,aspeoplehavebecomerichertheyhavechosentoworkless.Inotherwordstheyhavedecidedto“spend”apartoftheirextraincomeonafullerpersonallife.OverthelastfiftyyearsEuropeanshavecontinuedthispattern,andhoursofworkhavefallensharply.ButnotintheUnitedStates.Wedonotfullyknowwhythisis.OnereasonmaybegreatlylowertaxesinAmerica,whichincreasetherewardstowork.Anothermaybemoresatisfyingwork,orlesssatisfyingpersonallives. LongerhoursdoofcourseincreasetheGDP(国内生产总值).SotheUnitedStateshasproducedmoreperworkerthan,say,France.TheUnitedStatesalsohasmoreofitspeopleatwork,whileinFrancemanymoremothersandolderworkershavedecidedtostayathome.TheoverallresultisthatAmericanGDPperheadis40%higherthaninFrance,eventhoughproductivityperhourworkedisthesame. Itisnotclearwhichofthetwosituationsisbetter.Aswehaveseen,workhastobecomparedwithothervalueslikefamilylife,whichoftengetlostinitsinterest.Itistooearlytoexplainthedifferenttrends(趋势)inhappinessovertimeindifferentcountries.ButitisadisappointingideathatintheUnitedStateshappinesshasmadenoprogresssince1975,whileithasriseninEurope.Couldthishaveanythingtodowithtrendsinthework-lifebalance? 小题1:Whichofthefollowingcountrieshasmoreofitspeopleatwork? |
A.Spain. | B.France. | C.Germany. | D.America. |
小题2:Whatmessagecanwegetfromthetext?A.TheGDPofEuropeishigherthanthatofAmerica.B.TwopossiblereasonsaregivenforworkinglongerhoursintheUS.C.Peopleallovertheworldchoosetoworklesswhentheyarericher.D.AmericansarehappierthanEuropeans.小题3:Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthetext?A.Americansan