题文
You hear the comment all the time: the U.S. economy looks good by figures, but it doesn’t feel good. Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.The Wealthy Society is a modern classic because it helped describe a new moment in the human condition. For most of history, “hunger, sickness, and cold” threatened nearly everyone, Galbraith wrote. “Poverty (贫穷) was found everywhere in that world. Obviously it is not of ours.” After World War II, the fear of another Great Depression gave way to an economic growth. In the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.
To Galbraith, materialism (物质主义) had gone mad and would cause discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didn’t really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unsatisfying. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people wrongly considered government only as “a necessary bad.”
It’s often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling behind. Well, there are many undeserving rich — overpaid chief managers, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people’s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, people feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.
The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As company unemployment increased, that part has gradually become weaker. More workers fear they’ve become “the disposable American,” as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.
Because so much previous suffering and social conflict resulted from poverty, the arrival of widespread wealth suggested utopian (乌托邦式的) possibilities. Up to a point, wealth succeeds. There is much less physical suffering than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, wealth also creates new complaints.
Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Wealth sets free the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-accomplishment. But the promise is so unreasonable that it leads to many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown. Figures indicate that happiness has not risen with incomes.
Should we be surprised? Not really. We’ve simply confirmed an old truth: the seeking of wealth does not always end with happiness.
小题1:The Wealthy Society is a book ________. A．about poverty in the past B．written by Louis UchitelleC．indicating that people are becoming worse offD．about why happiness does not rise with wealth小题2:According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ________. A．materialism has run wild in modern society B．they are in fear of another Great Depression C．public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected D．the government has proved to be necessary but ugly小题3:Why do people feel“squeezed”when their average income rises considerably? A．They think there are too many overpaid rich.B．There is more unemployment in modern society.C．Their material demands go faster than their earnings.D．Health care and educational cost have somehow gone out of control.小题4:What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” ? A．People with a stable job.B．Workers who no longer have secure jobs.C．Those who see job stability as part of their living standard.D．People who have a sense of security because of their rising incomes.小题5:What has wealth brought to American society? A．Stability and security.B．Materialism and content.C．A sense of self-accomplishment.D．New anxiety, conflicts and complaints. 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:B
小题5:D
解析
本文论述了美国人的生活现状，现在虽然人们富裕了，而人们的幸福指数却不高，这是什么原因呢？本文主要论述的原因是经济增长了，人们的收入提高了，但是随之人们的物质欲望却更高了，远远地超过了他们的购买力。这就引起了新的问题，人们出现了新的焦虑、矛盾及抱怨等。因此现在的人们感觉不到幸福。
小题1:这是细节理解题。根据Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.人们富裕了，却感受不到幸福，故选D。
小题2:这是细节理解题。根据To Galbraith, materialism (物质主义) had gone mad and would cause discontent. 因为人们的物质欲望更强，即使富裕了，还是感觉不到幸福，故选A。
小题3:这是细节理解题。根据because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.因为人们的物质欲望远远超过了他们的收入，所以人们感觉日子过的很紧，故选C。
小题4:这是细节理解题。根据The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. 他们的工作不稳定，故选B。
小题5:这是细节理解题。根据wealth also creates new complaints. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order.财富的增长引起了新的焦虑、矛盾及抱怨，故选D。
点评：做细节理解题需要阅读时对某些细节仔细琢磨。尤其应注意有些表明作者观点词汇，如形容词、副词等。相对而言较简单，因为这类题虽然要求理解准确，但基本上限于字面意义的理解，范围也限于局部，因此是我们可望得高分的部分。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“You hear the comment.....”主要考查你对 [社会现象类阅读 ]考点的理解。社会现象类阅读
社会现象类阅读概念：
这类文章通过写人记事来揭示文章的主题，显示其社会意义，一般采用顺序或倒叙来叙述。题目经常是一些细节问题。考查的方面可以是原因和其中引发的思考。
社会现象类阅读解题技巧：
这类文章通过写人记事来揭示文章的主题，显示其社会意义，一般采用顺序或倒叙来叙述。题目经常是一些细节问题。考查的方面可以是原因和其中引发的思考。阅读这类文章要理清思路。
1、浏览试题，明确要求。
在阅读文章前，最好先浏览一下文章后面的题干和选项。知道了问题后再去看文章，可使思路更敏捷，而且也便于阅读时留意文中出现的与选项有关的信息。
2、通读全文，抓住主要内容。
在不影响理解的前提下，尽可能地阅读以便在尽可能短的时间内理解文章或段落的内容。阅读时，如遇到不熟悉的单词、词组或一时看不懂的句子，不要停下来苦思冥想，继续读下去，通过上下文的词语和句子可能就理解了。
3、抓住中心思想和段落大意。
通读全文时，要特别注意主题句。每篇文章或每个段落都有与文章有关的句子，尤其是科技、政论性文章的主题句一般都在文章的开头或结尾，插在中间的很少。所以，文章的第一段或开头的第一、二个句子往往包含着文章的中心思想、作者的意图或全文的概述，因此要特别注意，彻底理解。
4、有针对性地仔细阅读，找寻所需信息。
在前面的基础上，可进行有针对性地阅读了。把与问题无关的内容一扫而过，而对于和问题有关的内容认真阅读，还可以用笔在下面做出记号。再把这些信息与问题的要求结合起来，逐条分析，综合判断，找出正确答案。
5、进行合理的推理判断。
对文章有了全面的了解之后，可以按照文章要求以及上下文之间的关系，做出推理判断。在进行推理判断的时候，需要综合考虑句型、语法、句子之间的逻辑关系、文化背景等方面的因素。
6、认真复读，验证答案。
要用全文的中心思想统帅各个题目，研究其内在联系和逻辑关系，并依次审核那些还未打上的题目，确保理解无误。
