Questões de Concurso Sobre inglês
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on many factors - how the energy is being used, where
it is being used, what energy sources are available,
which sources are most convenient and reliable, which
5 are easiest to use, what each costs, and the effects on
public safety, health, and the environment. Making smart
energy choices means understanding resources and their
relative costs and benefits.
Some energy sources have advantages for specific
10 uses or locations. For example, fuels from petroleum
are well suited for transportation because they pack a
lot of energy in a small space and are easily transported
and stored. Small hydroelectric installations are a good
solution for supplying power or mechanical energy close
15 to where it is used. Coal is widely used for power
generation in many fast-developing countries - including
China, India, and many others - because domestic
supplies are readily available.
Efficiency is an important factor in energy costs.
20 How efficiently can the energy be produced, delivered,
and used? How much energy value is lost in that process,
and how much ends up being transformed into useful
work? Industries that produce or use energy continually
look for ways to improve efficiency, since this is a key to
25 making their products more competitive.
The ideal energy source - cheap, plentiful, and
pollution-free - may prove unattainable in our lifetime,
but that is the ultimate goal. The energy industry is
continuing to improve its technologies and practices, to
30 produce and use energy more efficiently and cleanly.
Energy resources are often categorized as
renewable or nonrenewable.
Renewable energy resources are those that can be
replenished quickly - examples are solar power,
35 biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind power, and
fast-reaction nuclear power. They supply about seven
percent of energy needs in the United States; the other
93 percent comes from nonrenewables. The two largest
categories of renewable energy now in use in the U.S.
40 are biomass - primarily wood wastes that are used by
the forest products industry to generate electricity and
heat - and hydroelectricity.
Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil,
natural gas, and uranium-235, which is used to fuel
45 slow-reaction nuclear power. Projections of how long a
nonrenewable energy resource will last depend on many
changeable factors. These include the growth rate of
consumption, and estimates of how much of the remaining
resources can be economically recovered. New exploration
50 and production technologies often increase the ability of
producers to locate and recover resources. World
reserves of fossil energy are projected to last for many
more decades - and, in the case of coal, for centuries.
In: http://www.classroom-energy.org/teachers/energy_tour/pg5.html
on many factors - how the energy is being used, where
it is being used, what energy sources are available,
which sources are most convenient and reliable, which
5 are easiest to use, what each costs, and the effects on
public safety, health, and the environment. Making smart
energy choices means understanding resources and their
relative costs and benefits.
Some energy sources have advantages for specific
10 uses or locations. For example, fuels from petroleum
are well suited for transportation because they pack a
lot of energy in a small space and are easily transported
and stored. Small hydroelectric installations are a good
solution for supplying power or mechanical energy close
15 to where it is used. Coal is widely used for power
generation in many fast-developing countries - including
China, India, and many others - because domestic
supplies are readily available.
Efficiency is an important factor in energy costs.
20 How efficiently can the energy be produced, delivered,
and used? How much energy value is lost in that process,
and how much ends up being transformed into useful
work? Industries that produce or use energy continually
look for ways to improve efficiency, since this is a key to
25 making their products more competitive.
The ideal energy source - cheap, plentiful, and
pollution-free - may prove unattainable in our lifetime,
but that is the ultimate goal. The energy industry is
continuing to improve its technologies and practices, to
30 produce and use energy more efficiently and cleanly.
Energy resources are often categorized as
renewable or nonrenewable.
Renewable energy resources are those that can be
replenished quickly - examples are solar power,
35 biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind power, and
fast-reaction nuclear power. They supply about seven
percent of energy needs in the United States; the other
93 percent comes from nonrenewables. The two largest
categories of renewable energy now in use in the U.S.
40 are biomass - primarily wood wastes that are used by
the forest products industry to generate electricity and
heat - and hydroelectricity.
Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil,
natural gas, and uranium-235, which is used to fuel
45 slow-reaction nuclear power. Projections of how long a
nonrenewable energy resource will last depend on many
changeable factors. These include the growth rate of
consumption, and estimates of how much of the remaining
resources can be economically recovered. New exploration
50 and production technologies often increase the ability of
producers to locate and recover resources. World
reserves of fossil energy are projected to last for many
more decades - and, in the case of coal, for centuries.
In: http://www.classroom-energy.org/teachers/energy_tour/pg5.html
on many factors - how the energy is being used, where
it is being used, what energy sources are available,
which sources are most convenient and reliable, which
5 are easiest to use, what each costs, and the effects on
public safety, health, and the environment. Making smart
energy choices means understanding resources and their
relative costs and benefits.
Some energy sources have advantages for specific
10 uses or locations. For example, fuels from petroleum
are well suited for transportation because they pack a
lot of energy in a small space and are easily transported
and stored. Small hydroelectric installations are a good
solution for supplying power or mechanical energy close
15 to where it is used. Coal is widely used for power
generation in many fast-developing countries - including
China, India, and many others - because domestic
supplies are readily available.
Efficiency is an important factor in energy costs.
20 How efficiently can the energy be produced, delivered,
and used? How much energy value is lost in that process,
and how much ends up being transformed into useful
work? Industries that produce or use energy continually
look for ways to improve efficiency, since this is a key to
25 making their products more competitive.
The ideal energy source - cheap, plentiful, and
pollution-free - may prove unattainable in our lifetime,
but that is the ultimate goal. The energy industry is
continuing to improve its technologies and practices, to
30 produce and use energy more efficiently and cleanly.
Energy resources are often categorized as
renewable or nonrenewable.
Renewable energy resources are those that can be
replenished quickly - examples are solar power,
35 biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, wind power, and
fast-reaction nuclear power. They supply about seven
percent of energy needs in the United States; the other
93 percent comes from nonrenewables. The two largest
categories of renewable energy now in use in the U.S.
40 are biomass - primarily wood wastes that are used by
the forest products industry to generate electricity and
heat - and hydroelectricity.
Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, oil,
natural gas, and uranium-235, which is used to fuel
45 slow-reaction nuclear power. Projections of how long a
nonrenewable energy resource will last depend on many
changeable factors. These include the growth rate of
consumption, and estimates of how much of the remaining
resources can be economically recovered. New exploration
50 and production technologies often increase the ability of
producers to locate and recover resources. World
reserves of fossil energy are projected to last for many
more decades - and, in the case of coal, for centuries.
In: http://www.classroom-energy.org/teachers/energy_tour/pg5.html
1 Japan and Korea are outstanding markets in terms
of the world's advances in cellular telephony, where
multimedia applications have surged into feverish
4 popularity. Users in these countries have demanded
velocity and high quality data transmission - such as
images, videos and sounds - as the principal distinctive
7 features for the cellular telephone. Although the industry in
Brazil is not yet experiencing the same phase as in the
Asian countries, innovative third generation services,
10 aligned with world-class technology, are already present,
with data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.
In fact, in some cases, Brazil has held multimedia
13 application launches simultaneously with the United States,
tremendously increasing the economic and digital inclusion
that cellular telephony has fomented in recent years. The
16 heavy impact of mobile communication on Brazilian
society can be measured by the expansion of the customer
base, which has been growing at historic rates of 30% a
19 year and now serves over 50 million customers. In other
words, four out of every ten Brazilians have a cellular
telephone.
22 The importance of mobile telephony has already
surpassed that of the traditional fixed telephone system,
because the cell phone actually fulfills the function of
25 taking communication to all levels of the population. Its
widespread network has opened gateways to regions that
formerly had not been benefited by the implementation of
28 a fixed telephone system, such as, for example, many rural
areas that are now mobile telephone customers.
The responsibility that cellular telephony carries
31 as an instrument for transforming people's lives tends to
increase enormously in the short term. In Brazil, third
generation CDMA 3G EVDO service is already offered and
34 is able to provide handheld resources, similar to CD, DVD
and TV, anywhere and at any time, based on Qualcomm's
cutting edge CDMA technology.
Internet: (with adaptations).
Based on the text above, judge the following items.
1 Japan and Korea are outstanding markets in terms
of the world's advances in cellular telephony, where
multimedia applications have surged into feverish
4 popularity. Users in these countries have demanded
velocity and high quality data transmission - such as
images, videos and sounds - as the principal distinctive
7 features for the cellular telephone. Although the industry in
Brazil is not yet experiencing the same phase as in the
Asian countries, innovative third generation services,
10 aligned with world-class technology, are already present,
with data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.
In fact, in some cases, Brazil has held multimedia
13 application launches simultaneously with the United States,
tremendously increasing the economic and digital inclusion
that cellular telephony has fomented in recent years. The
16 heavy impact of mobile communication on Brazilian
society can be measured by the expansion of the customer
base, which has been growing at historic rates of 30% a
19 year and now serves over 50 million customers. In other
words, four out of every ten Brazilians have a cellular
telephone.
22 The importance of mobile telephony has already
surpassed that of the traditional fixed telephone system,
because the cell phone actually fulfills the function of
25 taking communication to all levels of the population. Its
widespread network has opened gateways to regions that
formerly had not been benefited by the implementation of
28 a fixed telephone system, such as, for example, many rural
areas that are now mobile telephone customers.
The responsibility that cellular telephony carries
31 as an instrument for transforming people's lives tends to
increase enormously in the short term. In Brazil, third
generation CDMA 3G EVDO service is already offered and
34 is able to provide handheld resources, similar to CD, DVD
and TV, anywhere and at any time, based on Qualcomm's
cutting edge CDMA technology.
Internet: (with adaptations).
Based on the text above, judge the following items.
1 Japan and Korea are outstanding markets in terms
of the world's advances in cellular telephony, where
multimedia applications have surged into feverish
4 popularity. Users in these countries have demanded
velocity and high quality data transmission - such as
images, videos and sounds - as the principal distinctive
7 features for the cellular telephone. Although the industry in
Brazil is not yet experiencing the same phase as in the
Asian countries, innovative third generation services,
10 aligned with world-class technology, are already present,
with data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.
In fact, in some cases, Brazil has held multimedia
13 application launches simultaneously with the United States,
tremendously increasing the economic and digital inclusion
that cellular telephony has fomented in recent years. The
16 heavy impact of mobile communication on Brazilian
society can be measured by the expansion of the customer
base, which has been growing at historic rates of 30% a
19 year and now serves over 50 million customers. In other
words, four out of every ten Brazilians have a cellular
telephone.
22 The importance of mobile telephony has already
surpassed that of the traditional fixed telephone system,
because the cell phone actually fulfills the function of
25 taking communication to all levels of the population. Its
widespread network has opened gateways to regions that
formerly had not been benefited by the implementation of
28 a fixed telephone system, such as, for example, many rural
areas that are now mobile telephone customers.
The responsibility that cellular telephony carries
31 as an instrument for transforming people's lives tends to
increase enormously in the short term. In Brazil, third
generation CDMA 3G EVDO service is already offered and
34 is able to provide handheld resources, similar to CD, DVD
and TV, anywhere and at any time, based on Qualcomm's
cutting edge CDMA technology.
Internet: (with adaptations).
Based on the text above, judge the following items.
1 Japan and Korea are outstanding markets in terms
of the world's advances in cellular telephony, where
multimedia applications have surged into feverish
4 popularity. Users in these countries have demanded
velocity and high quality data transmission - such as
images, videos and sounds - as the principal distinctive
7 features for the cellular telephone. Although the industry in
Brazil is not yet experiencing the same phase as in the
Asian countries, innovative third generation services,
10 aligned with world-class technology, are already present,
with data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.
In fact, in some cases, Brazil has held multimedia
13 application launches simultaneously with the United States,
tremendously increasing the economic and digital inclusion
that cellular telephony has fomented in recent years. The
16 heavy impact of mobile communication on Brazilian
society can be measured by the expansion of the customer
base, which has been growing at historic rates of 30% a
19 year and now serves over 50 million customers. In other
words, four out of every ten Brazilians have a cellular
telephone.
22 The importance of mobile telephony has already
surpassed that of the traditional fixed telephone system,
because the cell phone actually fulfills the function of
25 taking communication to all levels of the population. Its
widespread network has opened gateways to regions that
formerly had not been benefited by the implementation of
28 a fixed telephone system, such as, for example, many rural
areas that are now mobile telephone customers.
The responsibility that cellular telephony carries
31 as an instrument for transforming people's lives tends to
increase enormously in the short term. In Brazil, third
generation CDMA 3G EVDO service is already offered and
34 is able to provide handheld resources, similar to CD, DVD
and TV, anywhere and at any time, based on Qualcomm's
cutting edge CDMA technology.
Internet: (with adaptations).
Based on the text above, judge the following items.
1 Japan and Korea are outstanding markets in terms
of the world's advances in cellular telephony, where
multimedia applications have surged into feverish
4 popularity. Users in these countries have demanded
velocity and high quality data transmission - such as
images, videos and sounds - as the principal distinctive
7 features for the cellular telephone. Although the industry in
Brazil is not yet experiencing the same phase as in the
Asian countries, innovative third generation services,
10 aligned with world-class technology, are already present,
with data transmission speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.
In fact, in some cases, Brazil has held multimedia
13 application launches simultaneously with the United States,
tremendously increasing the economic and digital inclusion
that cellular telephony has fomented in recent years. The
16 heavy impact of mobile communication on Brazilian
society can be measured by the expansion of the customer
base, which has been growing at historic rates of 30% a
19 year and now serves over 50 million customers. In other
words, four out of every ten Brazilians have a cellular
telephone.
22 The importance of mobile telephony has already
surpassed that of the traditional fixed telephone system,
because the cell phone actually fulfills the function of
25 taking communication to all levels of the population. Its
widespread network has opened gateways to regions that
formerly had not been benefited by the implementation of
28 a fixed telephone system, such as, for example, many rural
areas that are now mobile telephone customers.
The responsibility that cellular telephony carries
31 as an instrument for transforming people's lives tends to
increase enormously in the short term. In Brazil, third
generation CDMA 3G EVDO service is already offered and
34 is able to provide handheld resources, similar to CD, DVD
and TV, anywhere and at any time, based on Qualcomm's
cutting edge CDMA technology.
Internet: (with adaptations).
Based on the text above, judge the following items.
another Disappointing Year" in order to answer questions
27 to 30.
Congress Caps another Disappointing Year
Source: www.aaas.org
4th January 2006 (Adapted)
On December 30, nearly three months into the fi scal
year, President Bush signed the last two Fiscal Year
2006 appropriations bills into law, bringing the FY 2006
appropriation process to a close. The American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) estimates that the
federal Research & Development (R&D) portfolio totals
$134.8 billion in 2006, a $2.2 billion or 1.7 percent increase.
But 97 percent of the increase goes to just two specifi c
areas: defense weapons development and human space
exploration technologies. Funding for all other federal
R&D programs collectively will barely increase, and will fall
nearly 2 percent after adjusting for infl ation. Leaving out
large federal investments in development, congressional
appropriations for basic and applied research total $57.0
billion, an increase of $1.0 billion or 1.8 percent over
2005. But NASA applied research on human space fl ight
technologies accounts for a majority of the increase,
leaving most agency research portfolios with modest
increases falling short of infl ation, or cuts. Many fl agship
federal science agencies have disappointing budgets in
2006.
another Disappointing Year" in order to answer questions
27 to 30.
Congress Caps another Disappointing Year
Source: www.aaas.org
4th January 2006 (Adapted)
On December 30, nearly three months into the fi scal
year, President Bush signed the last two Fiscal Year
2006 appropriations bills into law, bringing the FY 2006
appropriation process to a close. The American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) estimates that the
federal Research & Development (R&D) portfolio totals
$134.8 billion in 2006, a $2.2 billion or 1.7 percent increase.
But 97 percent of the increase goes to just two specifi c
areas: defense weapons development and human space
exploration technologies. Funding for all other federal
R&D programs collectively will barely increase, and will fall
nearly 2 percent after adjusting for infl ation. Leaving out
large federal investments in development, congressional
appropriations for basic and applied research total $57.0
billion, an increase of $1.0 billion or 1.8 percent over
2005. But NASA applied research on human space fl ight
technologies accounts for a majority of the increase,
leaving most agency research portfolios with modest
increases falling short of infl ation, or cuts. Many fl agship
federal science agencies have disappointing budgets in
2006.
another Disappointing Year" in order to answer questions
27 to 30.
Congress Caps another Disappointing Year
Source: www.aaas.org
4th January 2006 (Adapted)
On December 30, nearly three months into the fi scal
year, President Bush signed the last two Fiscal Year
2006 appropriations bills into law, bringing the FY 2006
appropriation process to a close. The American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) estimates that the
federal Research & Development (R&D) portfolio totals
$134.8 billion in 2006, a $2.2 billion or 1.7 percent increase.
But 97 percent of the increase goes to just two specifi c
areas: defense weapons development and human space
exploration technologies. Funding for all other federal
R&D programs collectively will barely increase, and will fall
nearly 2 percent after adjusting for infl ation. Leaving out
large federal investments in development, congressional
appropriations for basic and applied research total $57.0
billion, an increase of $1.0 billion or 1.8 percent over
2005. But NASA applied research on human space fl ight
technologies accounts for a majority of the increase,
leaving most agency research portfolios with modest
increases falling short of infl ation, or cuts. Many fl agship
federal science agencies have disappointing budgets in
2006.
another Disappointing Year" in order to answer questions
27 to 30.
Congress Caps another Disappointing Year
Source: www.aaas.org
4th January 2006 (Adapted)
On December 30, nearly three months into the fi scal
year, President Bush signed the last two Fiscal Year
2006 appropriations bills into law, bringing the FY 2006
appropriation process to a close. The American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) estimates that the
federal Research & Development (R&D) portfolio totals
$134.8 billion in 2006, a $2.2 billion or 1.7 percent increase.
But 97 percent of the increase goes to just two specifi c
areas: defense weapons development and human space
exploration technologies. Funding for all other federal
R&D programs collectively will barely increase, and will fall
nearly 2 percent after adjusting for infl ation. Leaving out
large federal investments in development, congressional
appropriations for basic and applied research total $57.0
billion, an increase of $1.0 billion or 1.8 percent over
2005. But NASA applied research on human space fl ight
technologies accounts for a majority of the increase,
leaving most agency research portfolios with modest
increases falling short of infl ation, or cuts. Many fl agship
federal science agencies have disappointing budgets in
2006.
in order to answer questions 24 to 26.
A modest proposal
Source: www.economist.com
14 Dec 2005 (Adapted)
What on earth is the European Union budget for? It
is too small (taking up just over 1% of EU-wide GDP) to
have any serious effect. To judge by the wrangling before
this week's EU summit in Brussels, it has become mostly
an opportunity for countries to air their pet grievances
and to demand their money back. If there is a deal on the
budget this week, it will be an agreement reached for its
own sake, because EU leaders cannot bear to be blamed
for yet another summit failure. And if there is no deal, it will
similarly be a disagreement for its own sake - because
France rather likes the idea of putting Britain, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, in the dock for one more
fi nancial fi asco.
Yet if there was ever a good moment to think hard
about how the budget might be better designed to
advance the Union's stated aims, it ought to be now. The
"fi nancial perspective" is negotiated once every six years.
That ought to create enough time to step back a bit and
consider some fi rst principles. The present negotiation
is also the fi rst since French and Dutch voters rejected
the EU constitution this summer, creating another good
opportunity to ask whether the club is still spending its
money on the right things. What would a budget look like if
it took the EU's goals at all seriously?
in order to answer questions 24 to 26.
A modest proposal
Source: www.economist.com
14 Dec 2005 (Adapted)
What on earth is the European Union budget for? It
is too small (taking up just over 1% of EU-wide GDP) to
have any serious effect. To judge by the wrangling before
this week's EU summit in Brussels, it has become mostly
an opportunity for countries to air their pet grievances
and to demand their money back. If there is a deal on the
budget this week, it will be an agreement reached for its
own sake, because EU leaders cannot bear to be blamed
for yet another summit failure. And if there is no deal, it will
similarly be a disagreement for its own sake - because
France rather likes the idea of putting Britain, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, in the dock for one more
fi nancial fi asco.
Yet if there was ever a good moment to think hard
about how the budget might be better designed to
advance the Union's stated aims, it ought to be now. The
"fi nancial perspective" is negotiated once every six years.
That ought to create enough time to step back a bit and
consider some fi rst principles. The present negotiation
is also the fi rst since French and Dutch voters rejected
the EU constitution this summer, creating another good
opportunity to ask whether the club is still spending its
money on the right things. What would a budget look like if
it took the EU's goals at all seriously?
in order to answer questions 24 to 26.
A modest proposal
Source: www.economist.com
14 Dec 2005 (Adapted)
What on earth is the European Union budget for? It
is too small (taking up just over 1% of EU-wide GDP) to
have any serious effect. To judge by the wrangling before
this week's EU summit in Brussels, it has become mostly
an opportunity for countries to air their pet grievances
and to demand their money back. If there is a deal on the
budget this week, it will be an agreement reached for its
own sake, because EU leaders cannot bear to be blamed
for yet another summit failure. And if there is no deal, it will
similarly be a disagreement for its own sake - because
France rather likes the idea of putting Britain, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, in the dock for one more
fi nancial fi asco.
Yet if there was ever a good moment to think hard
about how the budget might be better designed to
advance the Union's stated aims, it ought to be now. The
"fi nancial perspective" is negotiated once every six years.
That ought to create enough time to step back a bit and
consider some fi rst principles. The present negotiation
is also the fi rst since French and Dutch voters rejected
the EU constitution this summer, creating another good
opportunity to ask whether the club is still spending its
money on the right things. What would a budget look like if
it took the EU's goals at all seriously?
answer questions 21 to 23.
Job Outlook
Source: www.bls.gov
20th Dec 2005 (Adapted)
Competition for budget analyst jobs is expected over
the 2004-14 projection period. Candidates with a master's
degree should have the best job opportunities. Familiarity
with computer fi nancial software packages also should
enhance a jobseeker's employment prospects.
Employment of budget analysts is expected to
grow about as fast as the average for all occupations
through 2014. Employment growth will be driven by the
continuing demand for sound fi nancial analysis in both the
public and the private sectors. In addition to employment
growth, many job openings will result from the need to
replace experienced budget analysts who transfer to other
occupations or leave the labor force.
answer questions 21 to 23.
Job Outlook
Source: www.bls.gov
20th Dec 2005 (Adapted)
Competition for budget analyst jobs is expected over
the 2004-14 projection period. Candidates with a master's
degree should have the best job opportunities. Familiarity
with computer fi nancial software packages also should
enhance a jobseeker's employment prospects.
Employment of budget analysts is expected to
grow about as fast as the average for all occupations
through 2014. Employment growth will be driven by the
continuing demand for sound fi nancial analysis in both the
public and the private sectors. In addition to employment
growth, many job openings will result from the need to
replace experienced budget analysts who transfer to other
occupations or leave the labor force.
answer questions 21 to 23.
Job Outlook
Source: www.bls.gov
20th Dec 2005 (Adapted)
Competition for budget analyst jobs is expected over
the 2004-14 projection period. Candidates with a master's
degree should have the best job opportunities. Familiarity
with computer fi nancial software packages also should
enhance a jobseeker's employment prospects.
Employment of budget analysts is expected to
grow about as fast as the average for all occupations
through 2014. Employment growth will be driven by the
continuing demand for sound fi nancial analysis in both the
public and the private sectors. In addition to employment
growth, many job openings will result from the need to
replace experienced budget analysts who transfer to other
occupations or leave the labor force.
prosperity” in order to answer questions 28 to 30.
The perils of prosperity
Source: The Economist
April 27th 2006 (Adapted)
Midway through the first decade of the 21st century,
economic growth is pulling millions out of poverty. Growth,
so devoutly desired yet often so elusive for developing
countries, is occurring in China and India on a heroic scale.
Yet once affluence is achieved, its value is often questioned.
In the 1960s and 1970s, economists started worrying about
environmental and social limits to growth. Now Avner Offer,
professor of economic history at Oxford University, has
added a weighty new critique to this tradition.
“The Challenge of Affluence” accepts that the
populations of poor countries gain from growth, but says
that the main benefits of prosperity are achieved at quite
modest levels. Its central thesis is that rising living standards
in Britain and America have engendered impatience, which
undermines well-being. The fruits of affluence are bitter
ones, and include addiction, obesity, family breakdown and
mental disorders.
prosperity” in order to answer questions 28 to 30.
The perils of prosperity
Source: The Economist
April 27th 2006 (Adapted)
Midway through the first decade of the 21st century,
economic growth is pulling millions out of poverty. Growth,
so devoutly desired yet often so elusive for developing
countries, is occurring in China and India on a heroic scale.
Yet once affluence is achieved, its value is often questioned.
In the 1960s and 1970s, economists started worrying about
environmental and social limits to growth. Now Avner Offer,
professor of economic history at Oxford University, has
added a weighty new critique to this tradition.
“The Challenge of Affluence” accepts that the
populations of poor countries gain from growth, but says
that the main benefits of prosperity are achieved at quite
modest levels. Its central thesis is that rising living standards
in Britain and America have engendered impatience, which
undermines well-being. The fruits of affluence are bitter
ones, and include addiction, obesity, family breakdown and
mental disorders.