Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures “everything except what 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 mistaken 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 throws 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 all-round assessment of how countries are performing.
While all of these countries face their own challenges, there are a number of common themes. Yes, there has been an 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 environment.
This is a lesson that rich countries can learn: When GDP is no longer regarded as the only 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.
1.Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he _______.
A.praised the UK for its GDP B.identified GDP with happiness
C.misinterpreted the role of GDP D.had a low opinion of GDP
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that _______.
A.the UK is unwilling to reshape its economic pattern
B.many people in the UK don’t think much of GDP as the measure of success
C.the UK will contribute less to the world economy
D.policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP
3.Which of the following is true about the recent annual study?
A.Its results are inspiring. B.It is sponsored by 163 countries.
C.Its criteria are questionable. D.It removes GDP as an indicator.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards GDP as the most common measure of a country’s success?
A.Favorable. B.Indifferent.
C.Critical. D.Defensive.
On a freezing December morning Matthew Warwick, then a 20-year-old college student, climbed on the edge of Waterloo Bridge in London. That morning, Matthew escaped from a mental health hospital, where he’d been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. He headed straight to the bridge, convinced that his disease was a life sentence.
Hundreds of people passed by. Only one man called Alex Owen, then 25, calmly and quietly walked to Matthew’s side.
“You’re alright, man? Why are you sitting on a bridge?”
At first Matthew wanted Alex to leave him alone, but something in Alex’s calm, down-to-earth manner struck a chord. Matthew felt faith, like he could talk to him.
“It’s cold here. Why not have some coffee in a warm cafe? Everything will be OK.” For the first time after the diagnosis Matthew felt perhaps it really might. He climbed back.
The police, having received calls from passers-by, were waiting there. They quickly put him into a police car, in case he was to panic and jump. He lost sight of Alex, the person who’d brought him hope.
Matthew ended up back in hospital. Eventually, he was well enough to return to university and finish his degree. Over the next six years, Matthew often thought about the stranger who had talked him round. Eager to thank him in person, he posted a Facebook message nicknaming the good man Mike. His #Find Mike post was shared millions of times around the world, as far as Canada.
Matthew was overexcited when Alex called him two weeks after his post. They had a reunion, finally having that coffee they had first planned all those years ago.
“Many people walked past, but because of Alex’s kindness and sympathy, I’ve lived a good life.” Matthew said.
1.Why did Matthew climb up the bridge?
A.He was badly treated in the hospital. B.His disease made him lose hope.
C.He wanted to draw people’s attention. D.He studied poorly in the college.
2.What does the underlined phrase “struck a chord” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.Touched his heart. B.Drew his attention.
C.Aroused his interest. D.Blew his mind.
3.Which of the following best describes Alex?
A.Diligent. B.Strong-willed.
C.Caring. D.Generous.
4.How did Matthew find Alex?
A.By visiting homes door-to-door. B.By calling their friends.
C.By asking the police. D.By posting a message online.
By the end of the year, editors of New York Times have picked the 4 best books of 2019, including fiction and non-fiction. Let’s see which one will take your fancy.
Disappearing Earth
By Julia Phillips
In the first chapter of this novel, two young girls vanish, sending shock waves through a town on the edge of the remote and mysterious Kamchatka Peninsula. What follows is a novel of overlapping short stories about the different women who have been affected by their disappearance. Each tale pushes the narrative forward another month and exposes the ways in which the women of Kamchatka have been destroyed — personally, culturally and emotionally — by the crime.
No Visible Bruises
By Rachel Louise Snyder
Snyder’s thoroughly reported book covers what the World Health Organization has called “a global health problem”. In America alone, more than half of all murdered women are killed by a current or former life partner; domestic violence cuts across lines of class, religion and race. Snyder reveals pervasive myths (restraining orders are the answer, abusers never change) and writes movingly about the lives (and deaths) of people on both sides of the equation. She doesn’t give easy answers but presents a wealth of information that is its own form of hope.
Midnight in Chernobyl
By Adam Higginbotham
Higginbotham’s superb account of the April 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is one of those rare books about science and technology that read like a tension-filled thriller. Filled with vivid detail and sharply etched personalities, this narrative of astonishing incompetence moves from mistake to mistake, miscalculation to miscalculation, as it builds to the inevitable, history-changing disaster.
Exhalation
By Ted Chiang
Many of the nine deeply beautiful stories in this collection explore the material consequences of time travel. Reading them feels like sitting at dinner with a friend who explains scientific theory to you with no airs and graces. Each thoughtful, elegantly crafted story poses a philosophical question; Chiang arranges all nine into a conversation that comes full circle, after having travelled through remarkable areas.
1.Which of the following tells about the violence from a husband to a wife in a family?
A.Disappearing Earth B.No Visible Bruises
C.Midnight in Chernobyl D.Exhalation
2.How may readers feel when reading the book Midnight in Chernobyl?
A.Delighted. B.Awkward.
C.Tense. D.Calm.
3.What kind of book is Exhalation?
A.A folk tale. B.A biography.
C.A love story. D.A sci-fi story.
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Linda很喜欢中国文化，特别是丝绸。正巧你市于1月20 日至26日举行“中国丝绸文化节”，你想邀请她同去，请你给她写一封电子邮件，内容包括:
1. 写信目的；
2. 介绍文化节；
3. 约定见面时间、地点。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有 10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear friends, please allow me to share some informations about Chinese tea culture with you. Chinese tea has history of nearly 5,000 years. In the past, tea drinking takes place in a quiet place. Drinking tea is great beneficial to us. For example, it can make people relaxing. Beside, it does good to people's health. Tea is becoming increasingly popular with people whom often use them as a gift. Whenever guests arrive, offer a cup of tea to them is a basic social custom. In Guangdong, many of people enjoy morning tea with different kinds of food in hotels or restaurants.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Experts say the bee population is getting smaller because of climate change and other human-caused 1.（activity） . We are building houses and cities on land where they live, and using chemicals 2. are killing them. Last winter, U.S. beekeepers 3. （lose ） almost 40% of their colonies （蜂群）.
Thiele, 4. beekeeper, says the usual ways people raise honey bees 5.（ be ） bad for their health. He rejects the white boxes that 6.（tradition ） beekeepers use. He also refuses to use chemicals, smoke or protective clothing when he works with bees. He touches them 7. his bare hands. Thiele says his hives （蜂巢）are both a way to save bees and a personal project.
While bees crawled （爬）over his hands and arms he said, "It feels so close and I feel how 8.（deep） we belong and how important it is 9. （keep） them safe from harm."
He added that honey bees show how fragile life is. He made a 10. （far） remark, "As if they are really mirroring where we are on this time on this planet."
