首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
When most labor was agricultural, people generally toiled in the fields until they dropped. The idea of formal retirement did no
When most labor was agricultural, people generally toiled in the fields until they dropped. The idea of formal retirement did no
admin
2014-09-18
25
问题
When most labor was agricultural, people generally toiled in the fields until they dropped. The idea of formal retirement did not become feasible until work moved from farms to factories. In 1889 Otto von Bismarck famously introduced the world’s first pension scheme in Germany. In the 20th century, when universal suffrage became widespread, a period of retirement after work was seen as a mark of a civilized social democracy.
After the second world war pension provision increased markedly, but the number of elderly people was still quite small. In the 1970s and 1980s caring for them seemed easily affordable. Many countries even reduced their retirement ages.
The demographic picture looks different now that the baby-boomers are starting to retire. Europe and Japan are facing the biggest problems. The average dependency ratio in the European Union is already down to 3. 5, and is heading for 1.8 by 2050. Japan is on track for a startling 1.2. Since the average pensioner currently draws a total of about 60% of median earnings, from government and private sources, the system is likely to become unaffordable.
There are ways of reducing the burden. The current generation of workers could save more now. If they put more money into funded pension schemes, the extra saving might encourage more investment and thus boost economic growth. A wealthier society would find it easier to afford paying pensions. Countries with PAYG schemes could raise taxes now, reducing the deficit and thus the debt burden on the younger generations.
But more savings or higher taxation now would require those currently at work to defer consumption. They may not be willing to do so. And given the weakness of developed economies in the wake of the financial crisis, governments may not want to see consumption go down in the immediate future.
In the OECD public spending on pensions benefits has been growing faster than national output, rising from 6. 1% of GDP in 1990 to 7% in 2007. It is forecast to reach 11.4% of GDP by 2050. Those forecasts already take into account the planned rise in retirement ages and a likely drop in replacement ratios and thus assume that voters will approve of pension reform even as the baby-boomers become a potentially powerful voting block of retired people.
But that assumption may not be safe. Turnout in elections tends to be higher among the elderly than among the young. As Neil Howe and Richard Jackson of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, have written: " In the 2020s young people in developed countries will have the future on their side. Elders will have the votes on theirs.
The author’s attitude towards the assumption of the forecasts is
选项
A、neutral.
B、unfavorable.
C、skeptical.
D、biased.
答案
C
解析
态度题。由forecasts和assumption定位至倒数第二段,该段提到了预测报告的内容,就此,作者的看法是末段首句“But that assumption may not be safe.”,之后解释原因,可见作者对该预测持怀疑态度,故C为答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/eKTK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
IfyouhavereallybeenstudyingEnglishforsolong,it’sabouttimeyou______abletowritelettersinEnglish.[1999]
Theworldisgoingthroughthebiggestwaveofmergersandacquisitionseverwitnessed.TheprocesssweepsfromhyperactiveAmer
Ordinarilywepaylittleattentiontothewordswespeak.Weconcentrateinsteadonthemeaningweintendtoexpressandaresel
IfyouwanttoknowhowIspendmymoney,gotoBlippy.com.EachtimeImakeapurchaseonmycreditcard,theamountI’vespent
WriteonANSWERSHEETTHREEanoteofabout50-60wordsbasedonthefollowingsituation:You’velearnedthatyourfriendJ
Manydogownersregardtheirfurryfriendsastheirchildren,andtalktothem【C1】______Now,anewstudyreportsthatdogs,
Itisnecessarythathe______theassignmentwithoutdelay.
I’vedecidedtotaketheplungeandstartupmyownbusiness.Theunderlinedwordmeans
NobigdevelopedcountryhascomeoutoftheglobalrecessionlookingstrongerthanGermanyhas.Theeconomyminister,RainerBr
Manypeopleare__________toinsectbites,andsomeevenhavetogotohospital.
随机试题
打开左转向灯开关,(如图所示)亮起。
mms表指示的是
妇科血虚患者,宜补血养血为主,如为重证血虚者,则宜
患者,男,50岁。高血压病史10年,今日剧烈头痛,眩晕,恶心。呕吐。查体:无肢体活动障碍。血压200/120mmHg。为快速降压。应选择下列哪种药物
不宜与巴豆同用的是不宜与丁香同用的是
以下哪些违法行为属于环保部门或环境监督管理部门责令限期改正,并可处五万元以下罚款的( )。
恒大硅业有限公司(210292××××)利用投资总额内资金以CIF大连USD322.4万元/台进口多晶硅反应器(属鼓励类项目,未列入《外商投资项目不予免税进口商品目录》,但列入《国内投资项目不予免税进口商品目录》)1台。设备进口时,减免税审批手续尚未办结,
下列证券投资基金中在我国尚未正式推出的是( )。
在结转材料成本差异后,“物资采购”科目()。
下列各大洲中,土地资源开发潜力最大的是()。
最新回复
(
0
)