单选题Living Standards 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The book shows only a superficial understanding of the historical context.

单选题They soon began to {{U}}investigate{{/U}} the cause of the fire.

单选题The college offers courses in a variety of Utrades/U.

单选题Anderson left the table, remarking that he had some work to do.

单选题She read a poem which depicts the splendor of the sunset.

单选题He could not tolerate the extremes of heat in the desert.

单选题The President made a brief visit to Beijing.

单选题He is certain that the dictionary is just what I want.

单选题The government is debating the education laws.

单选题In 1845 Sarah Mather invented a submarine telescope that could be used to locate and study underwater objects.

单选题Are you the {{U}}resident{{/U}} of this house?

单选题The activities of credit companies are {{U}}regulated{{/U}} by law. A. fought B. abolished C. removed D. controlled

单选题Some Sleep Drugs Do More Than Make You Sleep The United States Food and Drug Administration has ordered companies to place strong new warnings on thirteen drugs that treat sleep disorders. It also ordered the makers of the sleeping pills to provide information for patients explaining how to safely use the drugs. Last Wednesday, the FDA announced that some of these drugs can have unexpected and dangerous effects. These include the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions. They also include rare incidents of strange behavior. These include people cooking food, eating and even driving while asleep. The patients later had no memory of doing these activities while asleep. Last year, a member of the United States Congress said he had a sleep-driving incident. Patrick Kennedy, a representative from Rhode Island, crashed his car into a security barrier near the building where lawmakers meet. The accident happened in the middle of the night and no one was hurt. Mr. Kennedy said he had earlier taken a sleep medicine. He said he was also being treated with a stomach sickness drug that could cause sleepiness. The Food and Drug Administration did not say in its announcement how many cases of sleep-driving it had documented. However, the New York Times reported last year about people who said they had strange sleep events after taking the drug Ambien. Some reported sleep-driving and sleep-walking. Others said they found evidence after waking in the morning that they had cooked food or eaten in their sleep. But they had no memory of carrying out the activities. A. Food and Drug Administration official says that these serious side effects of sleep disorder drugs appear to be rare. But, he also says there are probably more cases than are reported. He says the agency believes the risk of such behaviors could be reduced if people take the drugs as directed and do not drink alcohol while taking the drugs. The Food and Drug Administration has advised drug companies to carry out studies to investigate the problem.

单选题You will find that the community has experienced great changes since you came here last time.A. undergoneB. experimentedC. submittedD. sustained

单选题Life is never dull when Elizabeth is here.A. happyB. difficultC. excitingD. boring

单选题Early cancer screening can help reduce significantly

单选题A turbulent storm was a major factor in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

单选题The driver finally decided to take the blame for the accident.A. actionB. responsibilityC. chargeD. crime

单选题Large-scale security forces were readied for action during the Pope’s visit to Wroclaw.