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.
单选题
Which of the following countries has enjoyed the fastest economic growth in history?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】细节题。答案在文章首段的末尾：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.文章先提到在美国，人均收入每35年翻一番，接着指出在一些国家，经济增长速度更快，可见经济增长速度与人均收入增长是成正比的，即人均收入增长越快，就说明经济增长速度越快。根据后面的例子，日本人均收入20年翻一番，而韩国则只需10年，由此可推知，South Korea的经济增长速度最快。
单选题
The word "meager" in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ______
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】词汇题。本题考查根据上下文推测词义的能力。该词出现在第二段：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.这里对两类国家进行了对比，首先在那些单位时间内能生产出大量的产品和服务，即生产力水平较高的国家，大多数人的生活水平都较高；接着与之相对应，在那些生产力水平较低的国家，人们的生活水平肯定较低，因此可推出meager一词肯定跟穷困的意思接近，故答案只能为poor。modest意为“谦虚的，适度的”；meaningless意为“毫无意义的”；plentiful意为“许多的，丰富的”。
单选题
What is the most important factor that leads to the rise in living standards of average people?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】细节题。本题答案在第三段：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.由上面的论述可知，生产力对人们的生活水平起决定作用，其他因素都是次要的。
单选题
The study of the relationship between productivity and living standards is significant in that ______.