Robert F. Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures "everything except that which makes life worthwhile." With Britain vot

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问题    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.
   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 miss 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?
   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 improvement 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.
   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.
   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.
   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 equality or education outcomes—all things that contribute to a person’s sense of well-being.
   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.
Robert F. Kennedy is cited because he

选项 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.

答案D

解析 细节题。人物观点在考试中通常作为论据出现,并且此题在首题的位置,所以其主要目的 在于论证其后的论点。根据题干关键词Robert F.Kennedy定位至第一段。第一句话a country’s GDP measures“everything except that which makes life worthwhile.”(一个国家的GDP可以衡 量“任何事物.但是无法衡量什么事物使人们的生活变得有意义”),被提及的原因重点在于其 后的观点,第一段第二句的主干没有给出解答,只说了it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.(是时候去评估这句话的内涵了):第二段第一句话及第二句话,指出GDP的 不足。所以选项D“肯尼迪对GDP评价不高”和原文吻合。
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