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  3. Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing For many years, unemployment in the United States was

Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing For many years, unemployment in the United States was

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问题       Global Economy at Low Ebb Causes American Rate of Unemployment Upswing
    For many years, unemployment in the United States was lower than in Western Europe, a fact often cited by people who argued that the flexibility inherent in the American system—it is easier to both hire and fire workers than in many European countries—produced more jobs.
    That is no longer the case. The current economic crisis has turned the case for the US model almost entirely on its head.
    In March, the American unemployment rate stood at 8. 5 percent, the same as the average rate for the first 15 members of the European Union. In April, the rate in the United States rose to 8. 9 percent. When the European figures are compiled, it seems likely that the American rate will be higher for the first time since Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical agency, began publishing unemployment rates in 1993 for the entire European Union and for three countries outside the union, the United States, Japan and Turkey.
    For men, the unemployment rate in the United States surpassed that of the 15 original European union countries in December. By March, it was 9. 5 percent in the United States, compared with just 7. 5 percent for women. The figures for men and women in the 15 European countries, however, are close together, at 8.4 percent and 8.5 percent.
    The March rate for the United States was higher than the rates of 11 of the 15. The exceptions were Portugal, which has the same rate, and Spain, Ireland and France. Eight of the 15 European countries have rates that are lower than three years ago.
    How did that happen during a worldwide recession? First, it appears that the safety nets in many Western European economies made it easier for people to keep their jobs as the economy declined. In Germany, programs allow companies to get government help in paying workers and keeping them employed. If the recession becomes severe enough and long enough, of course, it could turn out that those programs do not so much to avoid the pain as defer it.
    Another factor may be the lack of an economic boom in many European countries, which has left them less vulnerable to recession-related cutbacks.
    There is, and always has been, a large variation in economic performance among Western European countries. Even though workers generally have the right to move between countries in the European Union, doing so presents language and cultural hurdles for many.
    In the United States, there has been more movement of workers from depressed areas to places where the employment outlook is brighter. But the housing crisis appears to be hampering such movement because some workers own homes that are worth far less than the amount they owe on their mortgages.
Why was unemployment in the United States lower than in Western Europe?
选项 A、Because the economy was more developed in the United States than in Western Europe.
B、Because it’s easier to employ workers in the United States.
C、Because the flexible American system generated more job opportunities.
D、Because America put more effort into creating new jobs.
答案C
解析 事实细节题。由题干中的unemployment in the United States lower than in Western Europe定位到第一段第一句．．．unemployment in the United States was lower than in Western Europe，a fact often cited by people who argued that．．．可知，美国制度自身的灵活性被人们认为创造了更多的工作。故[C]“因为灵活的美国制度产生了更多的就业机会”与文章内容相符。[A]“因为美国经济比西欧经济更发达”，文章中没有提及这一点，故排除；[B]“因为在美国雇人更容易”，这是文中提到的事实，但不是美国失业率较低的原因，故排除；D“因为美国在创造新的就业机会上付出了更多努力”，文章并未体现，故排除。
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