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  3. The differences in living standards around the world are vast. In 1993, the average American had an income of about $25, 000. In

The differences in living standards around the world are vast. In 1993, the average American had an income of about $25, 000. In

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问题     The differences in living standards around the world are vast. In 1993, the average American had an income of about $25, 000. In the same year, the average Mexican earned $7, 000, and the average Nigerian earned $1, 500. Not surprisingly, this large variation in average income is reflected in various measures of the quality of life. Changes in living standards over time are also large. In the United States, incomes have historically grown about 2 percent per year(after adjusting for changes in the cost of living). At this rate, average income doubles every 35 years. In some countries, economic growth has been even more rapid. In Japan, for instance, average income has doubled in the past 20 years, and in South Korea it has doubled in the past 10 years.
    What explains these large differences in living standards among countries and over time? The answer is surprisingly simple. Almost all variation in living standards is attributable to differences in countries’ productivity—that is, the amount of goods and services produced from each hour of a worker’s time. In nations where workers can produce a large quantity of goods and services per unit of time, most people enjoy a high standard of living; in nations where workers are less productive, most people must endure a more meager existence. Similarly, the growth rate of a nation’s productivity determines the growth rate of its average income.
    The fundamental relationship between productivity and living standards is simple, but its implications are far-reaching. If productivity is the primary determinant of living standards, other explanations must be of secondary importance. For example, people might think that labor unions or minimum-wage laws contributed to the rise in living standards of American workers over the past century. Yet the real hero of American workers is their rising productivity.
    The relationship between productivity and living standards also has great implications for public policy. When thinking about how any policy will affect living standards, the key question is how it will affect our ability to produce goods and services. To improve living standards, policymakers need to raise productivity by ensuring that workers are well educated, have the tools needed to produce goods and services, and have access to the best available technology.
Which of the following countries has enjoyed the fastest economic growth in history?
选项 A、Mexico
B、The United States
C、Japan
D、South Korea
答案D
解析 根据题干信号词enjoyed the fastest economic growth in history可回文定位到首段的倒数第二和第一句In some countries，economic growth has been even more rapid．In Japan，for instance，average income has doubled in the past 20 years，and in South Korea it has doubled in the past 10 years(在一些国家，经济增长速度甚至更快。例如，在日本，人均收入在过去的20年里翻了一番；而在韩国，人均收入在过去的十年里翻了一番)，故此处为题眼。它明确指出，韩国的经济增速比日本和美国都要快，是本文提及的增速最快的国家。请考生注意信号词与原文的同义转述：fastest对应原文的even more rapid；economic growth对应原文的economic growth；in history对应原文的in the past 20 years和in the past 10 years。
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