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Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures "everything except that which makes life worthwhile. "With Britain voting to leave the European Union, and GDP already predicted to slow as a result, it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.
The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century.Many argue that it is a flawed(有缺陷的) concept. It measures things that do not matter and misses things that do. By most recent measures, the UK's GDP has been the envy of the Western world, with record low unemployment and high growth figures. If everything was going so well, then why did over 17 million people vote for Brexit, despite the warnings about what it could do to their country’s economic prospects.
A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being sheds some light on that question. Across the 163 countries measured, the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that economic growth is translated into meaningful improvements for its citizens. Rather than just focusing on GDP, over 40 different sets of criteria from health, education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more rounded assessment of how countries are performing.
While all of these countries face their own challenges, there are a number of consistent themes. Yes, there has been a budding economic recovery since the 2008 global crash, but in key indicators in areas such as health and education, major economies have continued to decline. Yet this isn't the case with all countries. Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including civil society, income equality and the environment.
This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country's success, the world looks very different.
So, what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations, as a measure, it is no longer enough. It does not include important factors such as environmental quality or education outcomes all things that contribute to a person’s sense of well-being.
The sharp hit to growth predicted around the world and in the UK could lead to a decline in the everyday services we depend on for our well-being and for growth. But policymakers who refocus efforts on improving well-being instead of simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress.
Title: High GDP But 1. Well-being, a UK Lesson | |
Passage outline | Supporting details |
Different opinions of GDP | ·Robert F. Kennedy believed that everything was measured by a country's GDP except 2. made life worthwhile. ·Many people hold belief that GDP measures what is unimportant andmisses what 3. |
GDP as the measure of 4. is widely defied in the UK. | ·Despite the fact the Westem world has envied the UK's for its high GDP with high5. and high growth figures, over 17 million people voted to leave the European Union. ·A recent annual study shows that in the 163 countries measured ,the UK is one of countries, which have most 6. transformed economic growth into meaningful improvements for its citizens. |
Main assessments of a country’s7. | ·Over 408. of criteria from health, education and civil society engagement. ·Environmental quality or education outcomes-all things9.in a person's sense of happiness. |
Factors considered beyond GDP | Policymakers, who don't simply worry about GDP figures, instead think10. of improving happiness, can avoid forecasting doom and may even see progress. |
No one has a temper naturally so good, that it does not need attention and cultivation, and no one has a temper so bad, but that, by proper culture, it may become pleasant. One of the best disciplined tempers ever seen, was that of a gentleman who was naturally quick, irritable, rash, and violent; but, by taking care of the sick, and especially of mentally deranged (疯狂的) people, he so completely mastered himself that he was never known to be thrown off his guard.
There is no misery so constant, so upsetting, and so intolerable to others, as that of having a character which is your master. There are comers at every tum in life, against which we may run, and at which we may break out in impatience, if we choose.
Look at Roger Sherman, who rose from a humble(低下的) occupation to a seat in the first Congress of the United States, and whose judgment was received with great respect by that body of distinguished men. He made himself master of his temper and cultivated it as a great business in life. There are one or two instances which show this part of his character in a light that is beautiful.
One day, after having received his highest honors, he was sitting and reading in his sitting room. A student, in a room close by, held a mirror in such a position as to pour the reflected rays of the sun directly in Mr. Sherman's face. He moved his chair, and the thing was repeated. A third time the chair was moved, but the mirror still reflected the sun in his eyes. He laid aside his book, went to the window, and many witnesses of the rude behavior expected to see the ungentlemanly student severely punished. He raised the window gently, and then-shut the window blind(百叶窗)!
I can not help providing another instance of the power he had acquired over himself. He was naturally possessed of strong passions, but over these he at length obtained an extraordinary control. He became habitually calm and self-possessed. Mr. Sherman was one of those men who are not ashamed to maintain the forms of religion in their families. One morning he called them all together as usual to lead them in prayer to God. The "old family Bible "was brought out and laid on the table.
Mr. Sherman took his seat and placed beside one of his children. The rest of the family were seated around the room, several of whom were now grown ups. Besides these, some of the tutors of the college were boarders in the family and were present at the time. His aged mother occupied a corner of the room, opposite the place where the distinguished Judge sat.
At length, he opened the Bible and began to read. The child who was seated beside him made some little disturbance, upon which Mr. Sherman paused and told him to be still. Again he continued but again he had to pause to scold the little offender, whose playful character would hardly permit it to be still. At this time he gently tapped its ear. The blow, if blow it might be called, caught the attention of his aged mother, who now with some effort rose from the seat and tottered across the room. At length, she reached the chair of Mr. Sherman, and in a moment, most unexpectedly to him, she gave him a blow on the ear with all the force she could gather. “There, "said she, "you strike your child, and I will strike mine.”
For a moment, the blood was seen mounting to the face of Mr Sherman. But it was only for a moment and all was calm and mild as usual. He paused; he raised his glasses; he cast his eye upon his mother; again it fell upon the book from which he had been reading. Not a word escaped him; but again he calmly pursued the service, and soon sought in prayer an ability to set an example before his household which should be worthy of their imitation. Such a victory was worth more than the proudest one ever achieved on the field of battle.
1.The sentence “The difference in the happiness which is received by the man who governs his temper and that by the man who does not is dramatic. "should be put at the beginning of Paragraph .
A. Two B. There C. Four D. Five
2.How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By analyzing reasons
B. By comparing facts.
C. By listing arguments.
D. By giving examples.
3.What was Roger Sherman's attitude towards his aged mother?
A. Grateful. B. Skeptical.
C. Tolerant. D. Sympathetic.
4.What can we learn about roger Sherman?
A. He came from a distinguished family background.
B. He was not good at displaying his true inner feelings.
C. He was a man conscious of the consequences of his behavior.
D. He severely punished a student who didn’t behave himself.
5.What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A. Mr. Sherman’s face was covered with blood.
B. Mr. Sherman was then on the point of exploding
C. Mr. Sherman was seeking strength in prayer.
D. Mr. Sherman was ashamed of his mother's rude behavior.
6.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Treasure your bible B. Save your self-esteem
C. Mind your manners D. Control your temper
The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational (理性的) model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihoods of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to carry out the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical maneuvers(战术动作), these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed intuition(直觉) to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking.
Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse for capriciousness(变化无常).
Isenberg's recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals that managers' intuition is neither of these. Rather, senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First,they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behavior patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and hands-on experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to combine isolated bits of data and practice into an integrated picture. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally alert of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to engender a plausible solution. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns.
One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that thinking is inseparable from acting. Since managers often know what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later. Analysis is tightly tied to action in thinking-acting cycles, in which managers develop thoughts about their companies and organizations not by analyzing a problematic situation and then acting, but by acting and analyzing in close concert.
Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, senior managers often instigate (发起) a course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They then use the results of the action to develop a more complete understanding of the issue. One implication of thinking-acting cycles is that action is often part of defining the problem, not just of implementing the solution.
1.Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph?
A. An claim is made and a specific supporting example is given.
B. A conventional model is dismissed and an alternative introduced.
C. The results of recent research are introduced and summarized.
D. Two opposing points of view are presented and evaluated.
2.Which of the following does the passage suggest about the writers on management mentioned in paragraph 2?
A. They have criticized managers for not following the classical rational model of decision analysis.
B. They have not based their analyses on a sufficiently large sample of actual managers.
C. They have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions.
D. They have drawn their conclusions on what managers say rather than on what managers do.
3.According to the text, senior managers use intuition in all of the following ways EXCEPT to .
A. define clear goals
B. identify a problem
C. bring together diverse facts
D. speed up the creation of a solution to a problem
4.Which of the following statements does the passage support?
A. Managers cannot justify their intuitive decisions
B. Managers' intuition works contrary to their rational and analytical skills.
C. Intuition enables managers to employ their practical experience more efficiently.
D. Managers relying on intuition are more successful than those relying on formal decision analysis.
Like many other people, I love my smart phone, which keeps me connected with the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop, because it holds all of my writing and thoughts. In spite of this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices and truly communicate with others.
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the materials and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule ---no laptop, iPads, phones, etc. When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.
Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There's a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology. There' s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it, so I carelate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course materials and the class discussion.
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect students' satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course materials beyond the classroom.
I'm not saying that I won't ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I'm sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.
1.Which of the following statements is true?
A. The author's history class received low assessment.
B. The students think highly of the author's history class.
C. The author made the rule in that he was against technology.
D. The author made the rule mainly because of his unpleasant experiences.
2.According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may .
A. allow students to get on well with each other
B. improve teaching and offer more help
C. prohibit students being involved in class
D. help students to better understand complex themes
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. More and more students will be absent in history class.
B. The author will carry on the success in the future
C. Some students will be punished according to the rule.
D. The author will help students concentrate on what they learn.
| The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks Reviewed by Helena No lyrical, romantic account, but a hard-bitten, dull and down-to-earth story of a family, a community and an environment. A story of cycles—of seasons, years, people, generations, stretches back centuries. A story of farming which only exists now in the remoter, wilder region of the UK, where the land is too hard and the environment too harsh for farming to be an "agribusiness". Where success, survival of farms, their sheep are dependent on knowledge passed down through generations and shared between farmers and shepherds in a small, close-knit and mutually-dependent community. A story of people hefted to their land every bit as much as their sheep are hefted to their fells. |
| A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Reviewed by T. Bently Having read all of Bill Bryson's travel books, this was the last one left. I hadn't read this because I had been told it was one of his weakest one. But I decided, through no other reason that I needed a hit of Bryson, to read it. People couldn’t have been more wrong. From the very beginning of assessing the feasibility, arranging for Katz to accompany him to the purchasing of his equipment and the purchasing of “a large knife for killing bears and hillbillies”, Bryson is at his absolute best. His cute eye-is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile but fragile trail. His encounters along the trail and Katz anti-social, childish antics(滑稽动作) make the first 150 pages more than a laugh-out-loud-hike. I couldn't have been more surprised. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modem classic. |
1.In The Shepherd's Life, James Rebanks takes readers through a shepherds' life .
A. little noticed, and deeply attached to the harsh land
B. alternated by the seasons and changed by the generations
C. featuring a hard struggle in the remote and beautiful area
D. spent in a profitable agricultural and friendly community
2.What does the reviewer wants to convey by saying "People couldn't have been more wrong"?
A. Bryson's travelling experience is laughable.
B. Bryson's travel book is the best seller in travelling literature.
C. A Walk in the Wood combines artistic quality well with natural beauty.
D. It's a pity that people turn a blind eye to Bryson's travelling experience.
The first time Mercado thought seriously about becoming a professional model, she surfed the Internet for someone with a physical disability in the modeling world. That was six years ago, when disabled models were ______. Thus, her search came up empty.
“ I didn't think there was a ______. ” she talks of the career she'd imagined "Not because I wasn't worthy of it, but because I didn't see anyone else like me out there. It was just not a thing.” However, Mercado has helped ______ that reality because of her not giving up. Last year, Mercado signed with IMG Models, the powerhouse agency which ______ top supermodels.
During a shoot, there are certain movements and ______ that are simply not an option for her. But her team has always found a way to work around these ______, and she's never been cut from a campaign because of concerns about her disability.
"There’s ______ been a problem with the team not getting what they need to get from me as a model. There's never been an excuse where it's like—‘she has a disability, this is not going to work because the ______ won't look nice.’ "She says, "If I'm a model, a clothing company wants to showcase their ______ on me, that's great, "she says. "That's all it should be. "
Her small body has more than a dozen surgical ______ and she fell both nervous and excited when she decided last year to ______ them for a shoot for a lingerie(女式贴身内衣) company. "______ I'm very outspoken with what I believe in, I'm very much of a ______ person still at heart. But I wanted to ______ a challenge. "Mercado liked ______ people that everyone can and should feel attractive in their own skin: "You shouldn't be ashamed of your own ______.”
In the meantime, she's focused on her work and using her blog to encourage those who want to follow her ______. When the next generation of disabled models searches the Web for ______, they’ll find her.
Mercado ______ her success to confidence, faith and never ______,"I'm an example that you can do what you want, because.. "she pauses. "Just because! That's it. You just can. "
1.A. popular B. invisible C. scarce D. enough
2.A. responsibility B. failure C. challenge D. possibility
3.A. avoid B. change C. escape D. realize
4.A. rejects B. complains C. praises D. represents
5.A. poses B. entertainment C. campaigns D. situations
6.A. events B. issues C. questions D. methods
7.A. never B. just C. ever D. even
8.A. faces B. photos C. clothes D. magazines
9.A. stripe B. style C. stuff D. scarf
10.A. injuries B. wounds C. hurts D. scars
11.A. show B. cover C. hide D. bare
12.A. In case B. Even though C. As though D. Now that
13.A. shy B. quiet C. eager D. active
14.A. draw on B. count on C. put on D. take on
15.A. managing B. informing C. reminding D. urging
16.A. body B. figure C. appearance D. disability
17.A. example B. spirit C. mood D. dream
18.A. amusement B. pleasure C. inspiration D. cooperation
19.A. gives B. gets C. takes D. owes
20.A. blowing up B. giving up C. calling off D. putting off
