Reading Comprehension Text 3
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 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 wellbeing 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 rather than simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress.
31. Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he
32. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that
33. Which of the following is true about the recent annual study?
34. In the last two paragraphs, the author suggests that
35. Which of the following is the best title of the text?
答案与解析 (Answers)
31. [D] had a low opinion of GDP.
解析：第一段首句引用肯尼迪的话：GDP衡量“除那些让生活值得过的事情以外的一切”，说明他对GDP评价不高。
32. [B] GDP as the measure of success is widely defied in the UK.
解析：第二段提到英国GDP数据很好看（envy of the Western world），但依然有1700万人投赞成脱欧，作者反问“既然一切都好，为什么人们还要投票脱欧？”，暗示英国人已不再将GDP视为成功的唯一标准（即对其权威的蔑视）。
33. [D] Its results are enlightening.
解析：第三段首句提到这项研究“sheds some light on that question”（阐明/启发了那个问题），shed light on 与 enlightening（启发性的）对应。
34. [C] it is essential to consider factors beyond GDP.
解析：倒数第二段结论指出：GDP作为衡量标准“is no longer enough”，且未包含环境、教育等因素，暗示必须考虑GDP之外的因素。
35. [A] High GDP But Inadequate Well-being, a UK Lesson.
解析：文章以英国为例（High GDP vs. Brexit），引出GDP无法全面衡量幸福感（Inadequate Well-being）的主旨，最符合标题要求。
全文翻译
罗伯特·F·肯尼迪曾说过，一个国家的GDP衡量了"所有那些使生活有价值的东西以外的一切"。随着英国投票脱离欧盟，且GDP已被预测会因此放缓，现在正是评估他指的到底是什么的恰当时机。GDP及其有用性的问题已经困扰政策制定者超过半个世纪。许多人认为这是一个有缺陷的概念。它衡量的东西不重要，却遗漏了重要的东西。按照最近的大多数指标，英国的GDP一直是西方世界羡慕的对象，失业率创下历史新低，增长数字居高不下。如果一切都在顺利进行，那么为什么超过1700万人投票支持脱欧，尽管有警告称这可能对他们国家的经济前景造成影响？最近一项关于各国及其将增长转化为福祉能力的年度研究为这个问题提供了一些启示。在被衡量的163个国家中，英国在确保经济增长转化为对其公民有意义的改善方面是表现最差的国家之一。不仅仅是关注GDP，而是从健康、教育和公民社会参与等40多个不同的标准集来衡量，以获得各国表现的更全面评估。虽然所有这些国家都面临自己的挑战，但有一些一致的主题。是的，自2008年全球崩溃以来已有经济复苏的萌芽，但在健康和教育等领域的关键指标上，主要经济体继续下滑。然而，并非所有国家都是这种情况。一些相对贫穷的欧洲国家在公民社会、收入平等和环境等指标上取得了巨大改善。这是富裕国家可以吸取的教训：当GDP不再被视为一个国家成功的唯一衡量标准时，世界看起来非常不同。所以，肯尼迪指的是，虽然GDP一直是衡量国家经济活动的最常用方法，但作为一种衡量标准，它已不再足够。它不包括环境质量或教育成果等重要因素——所有这些都有助于一个人的幸福感。预测的全球和英国增长的急剧打击可能导致我们为福祉和增长所依赖的日常服务的下降。但将努力重新集中在改善福祉上而不仅仅是担忧GDP数字的政策制定者，可能避免预测的厄运，甚至可能看到进步。
核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)
1. 同位语与现在分词结构：
"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."
【解析】With 引导伴随状语。as a result 意为“因此”。timely moment 是评估GDP局限性的绝佳契机。
【翻译】随着英国投票脱离欧盟，且GDP已因此被预言将放缓，现在是评估他（肯尼迪）所指内容的适当时机。
"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."
【解析】With 引导伴随状语。as a result 意为“因此”。timely moment 是评估GDP局限性的绝佳契机。
【翻译】随着英国投票脱离欧盟，且GDP已因此被预言将放缓，现在是评估他（肯尼迪）所指内容的适当时机。
2. 让步与反问结构：
"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?"
【解析】go well 顺利。despite 引导让步。这句话通过反问揭示了GDP增长与民众真实获得感之间的断层。
【翻译】如果一切进展得如此顺利，那么为什么会有超过 1700 万人投票支持脱欧，尽管此前已有警告称这将对国家的经济前景产生不利影响？
"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?"
【解析】go well 顺利。despite 引导让步。这句话通过反问揭示了GDP增长与民众真实获得感之间的断层。
【翻译】如果一切进展得如此顺利，那么为什么会有超过 1700 万人投票支持脱欧，尽管此前已有警告称这将对国家的经济前景产生不利影响？
3. 被动语态与评价：
"When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country’s success, the world looks very different."
【解析】be regarded as 被视为。sole 唯一的。这句话点明了全文的哲学深度：改变衡量标准，就会改变我们看待世界的方式。
【翻译】当GDP不再被视为衡量国家成功的唯一标准时，世界看起来就会大不相同。
"When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country’s success, the world looks very different."
【解析】be regarded as 被视为。sole 唯一的。这句话点明了全文的哲学深度：改变衡量标准，就会改变我们看待世界的方式。
【翻译】当GDP不再被视为衡量国家成功的唯一标准时，世界看起来就会大不相同。