1) 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.
2) 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?
3) A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being 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.
4) 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.
5) 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 .
6) 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.
7) 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___.
[A] praised the UK for its GDP.
[B] identified GDP with happiness .
[C] misinterpreted the role of GDP .
[D] had a low opinion of GDP .
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选项[D]正确。
由题干中的Robert F. Kennedy 定位第一段第一句。由定位句可知,罗伯特·弗朗西斯·肯尼迪曾说过，一个国家的GDP衡量的是除了使生活有意义的事情之外的一切事情。该句暗指GDP有重大缺陷，由此可以看出他对GDP评价不高，这和本文要表达的主题一致,故确定本题答案为[D]。
32.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that___.
[A] the UK is reluctant to remold its economic pattern .
[B] the UK will contribute less to the world economy .
[C] GDP as the measure of success is widely defied in the UK .
[D] policymakers in the UK are paying less attention to GDP .
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选项[C]正确。
由题干中的Paragraph2定位至第二段。第二段首先指出，许多人认为GDP是一个有缺陷的概念,它衡量不重要的事物而漏掉了重要的。接着作者以英国为例进行说明。英国的GDP 是西方世界羡慕的对象,但是为什么超过1,700万人不顾经济后果而投票赞成脱欧呢?由此可以推断出,英国人认为GDP不那么重要,所以才不顾后果脱欧,因此可以确定本题答案为[C]。
33.Which of the following is true about the recent annual study ?
[A] It excludes GDP as an indicator.
[B] It is sponsored by 163 countries .
[C] Its criteria are questionable .
[D] Its results are enlightening .
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选项[D]正确。
由题干中的the recent annual study定位至第三至五段。第三段简单介绍了该年度研究的对象方法、目的及结论。它研究了163个国家,其中英国在“确保把经济增长转化为真正改善国民生活”方面是表现最差的国家之一。除了GDP之外，它以40多套不同的标准衡量每个国家的表现。第四段洋述了研究发现。第五段是作者从中得出的结论如果不把GDP作为衡量国家成就的唯一标准，世界就看起来大不相同了。由此可知，该研究的结果非常具有启发性，因此确定本题答案为[D]。enlightening 是第三段首句sheds some light on的同义替换,同时与第五段a lesson that rich countries can earn相符。
34.In the last two paragraphs , the author suggests that___.
[A] the UK is preparing for an economic boom .
[B] high GDP foreshadows an economic decline .
[C] it is essential to consider factors beyond GDP .
[D] it requires caution to handle economic issues .
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选项[C]正确。 
由题干中的the last two paragraphs定位至第六、七段。第六段中，作者首先照应第一段,指出肯尼迪所指的就是GDP不足以衡量国家的经济活动，因为它不包括有助于提升人们幸福感的因素。第七段中作者提出了建议:政策制定者们应重新集中精力于提升幸福感，而非仅仅忧心GDP数字,这样才能避免预测中的厄运。由此可以得知，作者暗示政策制定者应该考虑GDP以外的因素，故本题答案为[C]。
35.Which of the following is the best title for the text ?
[A] High GDP But Inadequate Well-being , a UK Lesson
[B] GDP Figures , a Window on Global Economic Health
[C] Rebort F. Kennedy , a Terminator of GDP
[D] Brexit, the UK’s Gateway to Well-being
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选项[A]正确。
本文主要分析说明了GDP不再被视为衡量一个国家成就的唯一标准 ，因为它忽略了对人们的幸福感十分关键的因素。英国就是这样的例子,虽然该国的GDP很高但是人们并不幸福，所以很多人赞成脱欧。所以[A]是对本文最全面的总结。
战时如平时，平时如战时