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 $l,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, policy makers 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.

    46. Which of the following countries has enjoyed the fastest economic growth in history？
    A. Mexico.                                             B. The United States.   
    C. Japan.                                              D. South Korea.

    47.   The word “meager” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to“______”.
    A. modest                        B. poor                  C. meaningless         D. plentiful

    48.   What is the most important factor that leads to the rise in living standards of average people？
    A. Labor unions.                                               B. Minimum-wage laws.
    C. Rising productivity.                                        D. Favorable public policy.

    49.  The study of the relationship between productivity and living standards is significant in that ______.
    A. it calls policy-makers’attention to a qualified work force
    B. it encourages workers to get better education
    C. it helps improve the workers’ability to produce goods and services
    D. it enables policy-makers to access the latest technology

    50.   The passage mainly discusses ______.
    A. the differences in average income among countries
    B. the relationship between productivity and living standards
    C. the causes of the rise in living standards
    D. the importance of raising productivity

    出題句：However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs.
    答案：A
    出題句：Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities.
    答案：B
    出題句：To do this, graduates can study job and position information in newspapers, or they can visit a careers office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession.
    答案：C
    出題句：Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about. This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer.
    答案：C
    出題句：Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily
    答案：D