首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
As recently as 50 years ago, economists regarded the vitality of the economy as its ability to produce things people want (and w
As recently as 50 years ago, economists regarded the vitality of the economy as its ability to produce things people want (and w
admin
2010-04-24
95
问题
As recently as 50 years ago, economists regarded the vitality of the economy as its ability to produce things people want (and would pay for ). Today, the economy has been redefined into something called the Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. It measures all goods and services brought to market ia a given year: But is it really an accurate measure of how well an economy is serving people’ s needs? Here are some outlandish ways the GDP can be boosted.
Things Kids Can Do. Get sick. Constant medical attention is good for the GDP. Medical costs account for 14 percent of it. Let’s stay on the growth curve. Kids can commit crimes. If they get arrested, they go to jail, the expensiveness of which gives the economy a push.
Things Adults Can Do. Get a divorce. Legal costs, two houses, and all the things that go with two houses (furniture, kitchen supplies, pictures, etc. ) are important components of the GDP. Divorcer’s stimulated consumer demand.
Break something around the house, like a television, a dish, or a window. Replacing these increases the GDP and creates jobs.
Smash up the car. It will have to be fixed or replaced. The auto industry employs, directly and ’indirectly, one of every seven workers in the U.S., and they need the overtime.
For great results, burn down the house. Don’ t worry. If you handle it right, insurance will pay for it and the rebuilding will keep a lot of people busy for a while.
Overeat, don’ t exercise, don’ t brush your teeth, do drugs, smoke, drink, and make yourself terribly sick. Get family members to do the same. Higher medical expenditures especially help the GDP move up, up, up.
Hire a lawyer and take somebody to court. Lawyers’ fees are directly added to GDP.
For Best Results, Get The Government Involved: Lobby your elected representatives to raise taxes and spend more money. Government spending on goods and services adds to the GDP and "creates" jobs.
Start a war. Preferably one far away where no Americans get killed. B-2 bombers, tanks, bullets .... all count in the GDP. Also, send Stinger missiles to liberation armies around the world. Maybe some of these missies will be used to knock down airliners. Replacing them helps the economy, and, if lawyers get involved, there’s a GDP bonus.
Target savers ! People who save actually hurt the economy because they don’t spend. If people spend their savings, then those purchases are added to the GDP. When they don’t spend, the economy suffers. What can be done to discourage saving? First, tax the return on savings: a higher capital gains tax would be very helpful. Second, and best, devalue the currency. By printing up more and more money, we can reduce the value of people’s savings (especially their long-term savings such as their pension funds) secretly stealing their’ savings for politicians to spend and thereby Increase GDP.
Get Mother Nature On Your Side. Pray for a natural disaster: a hurricane, an earthquake, a big fire, a flood. Disasters give the GDP a tremendous lift because of all the rebuilding that must take place.
If we do all these things, we’ll have enough statistical growth to replace decades of economic stagnation. We may achieve double-digit rates. As for whether the economy is actually of vitality, we’ 11 have to ask an economist who exercises more critical judgment than those who swear by GDP data.
The tone of the passage is ______.
选项
A、angry
B、supportive
C、sarcastic
D、humorous
答案
C
解析
主旨题。作者在整篇文章中例举了一些促进经济增长的荒诞的方法,对GDP这种判断经济走势的标准进行了讽刺。全文主旨在最后一段有明确的说明。因此答案为C。vitality n.活力,生气
转载请注明原文地址:https://www.kaotiyun.com/show/qU2K777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
Otherpeople’sadvicewouldbe_________valuabletohimwhoisatpresentathiswit’send.
Thebuildingwasdestroyedby______tendaysago.
ImmediatelyaftertheCivilWar,however,thedietbegan【C1】______.Railtransportationincreasedthesupplyand【C2】______the
Violentlyricsinsongsincreaseaggression-relatedthoughtsandemotionsandcouldindirectlycreateamorehostilesocialenvi
Johnis______hardworkingthanhissister,buthefailedintheexam.
Primaryschoolteachers’poor【C1】______ofEnglishandmathsisunderminingtheGovernment’sliteracyandnumeracystrategies,
Watercoloristheoldestpaintingmediumknown.Itdatesbacktotheearlycavedwellers’whodiscoveredtheycouldaddlifelike
Whofirstlyusedflexibleworkinghours?
EuropeanleaderstryingtogiveSaddamHussein______.
Allourattemptsto______thechildfromdrowningwereinvain.
随机试题
小蓟饮子与导赤散组成中所共有的药物是
若A1,A2,…,An为样本空间的一个划分,B是任一事件,由全概率公式知,P(B)=________.
A.IFNB.IL-8C.IL-2D.IL-4E.CCR5诱导产生IgE的主要细胞因子是
睾酮与下列哪个药合用增加其毒性()。
在真空中可见光的波长范围是()。
任意两个命题,如果它们不能同时为假,但可以同时为真,则称为“下反对关系”。根据上述定义,下列属于“下反对关系”的是:
下面一段话中运用的修辞方法有:风失去了雨前的野性,轻轻地抚摸着草根;水珠在草尖上闪光,像粒粒珍珠在闪耀;朵朵野花开得那么娇丽,红的似火,黄的似金。
甲、乙、丙、丁四人争夺围棋比赛的前四名。赵、钱、孙、李对此预测如下:赵:丁是第一名。钱:甲不是第一名,并且乙不是第二名。孙:如果乙是第二名,那么丙不是第三名。李:如果甲不是第一名,那么乙是第二名。结果表明,
______herwordswerespoken,therewasnomistakingthatshewaspleased.
Youwillhearaspeakergivingagroupofmanagersanintroductiontobusinessethics.Asyoulisten,forquestions1-12,co
最新回复
(
0
)