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
Among the government’s most interesting reports is one that estimates what parents spend on their children. Not surprisingly, th
Among the government’s most interesting reports is one that estimates what parents spend on their children. Not surprisingly, th
admin
2014-01-20
66
问题
Among the government’s most interesting reports is one that estimates what parents spend on their children. Not surprisingly, the costs are steep. For a middle-class, husband-and-wife family(average pretax income in 2009: $ 76 250), spending per child is about $ 12 000 a year. With inflation the family’s spending on a child will total $ 286 050 by age 17.
The dry statistics ought to inform the ongoing deficit debate, because a budget is not just a catalog of programs and taxes. It reflects a society’s priorities and values. Our society does not—despite rhetoric(说辞)to the contrary—put much value on raising children. Present budget policies tax parents heavily to support the elderly. Meanwhile, tax breaks for children are modest. If deficit reduction aggravates these biases, more Americans may choose not to have children or to have fewer children. Down that path lies economic decline.
Societies that cannot replace their populations discourage investment and innovation. They have stagnant(萧条的)or shrinking markets for goods and services. With older populations, they resist change. To stabilize its population—discounting immigration—women must have an average of two children. That’s a fertility rate of 2.0. Many countries with struggling economies are well below that.
Though having a child is a deeply personal decision, it’s shaped by culture, religion, economics, and government policy. "No one has a good answer" as to why fertility varies among countries, says sociologist Andrew Cherlin of The Johns Hopkins University. Eroding religious belief in Europe may partly explain lowered birthrates. In Japan young women may be rebelling against their mothers’ isolated lives of child rearing. General optimism and pessimism count. Hopefulness fueled America’s baby boom. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, says Cherlin, "anxiety for the future" depressed birthrates in Russia and Eastern Europe.
In poor societies, people have children to improve their economic well-being by increasing the number of family workers and providing support for parents in their old age. In wealthy societies, the logic often reverses. Government now supports the elderly, diminishing the need for children. By some studies, the safety nets for retirees have reduced fertility rates by 0.5 children in the United States and almost 1.0 in Western Europe, reports economist Robert Stein in the journal National Affairs. Similarly, some couples don’t have children because they don’t want to sacrifice their own lifestyles to the time and expense of a family.
Young Americans already face a bleak labor market that cannot instill(注入)confidence about having children. Piling on higher taxes won’t help, "If higher taxes make it more expensive to raise children," says Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute, "people will think twice about having another child." That seems like common sense, despite the multiple influences on becoming parents.
What do we learn from the government report?
选项
A、Inflation increases families’ expenses.
B、Raising children is getting expensive.
C、Budget reduction is around the corner.
D、Average family expenditure is increasing.
答案
B
解析
语义理解题。文章开头首句提到,在最有意思的政府报告中,其中之一是估算父母花在子女身上的费用的报告;第二句接着指出具体内容,这些费用急剧增加,这一点不足为奇。由此可见,抚养子女的费用急剧增加。本题的解题关键在于理解steep这个词,steep最常用的意思为“陡峭的”.此处引申为“急剧的,大幅度的”。由此确定本题的答案为B)。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/tU17777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
StatesExperimentWithOut-of-ClassroomLearningAttheendofthismonth,mostofOhio’steenagerswillshakeofftheirsum
HeatDamagesColombiaCoffee,RaisingPricesLikemostofthesmalllandownersinColombia’slushmountainousCaucaregion,
Peopleinsunny,outdoorsystates—Louisiana,Hawaii,Florida—saytheyarethehappiestAmericans,andresearchersthinktheykno
A、Tostimulatesmokerstogiveupsmoking.B、Toeasethecompanies’financialburden.C、Tohelptheiremployeessavetheirsalar
Aneverincreasingnumberofcompaniescometorealizetheimportanceofpublicimage.Publicimagereferstohowacompanyisv
TheactofGooglingoneselfhasbecomethedigitalage’spremiereguiltypleasure—anactivityenjoyedbyallandadmittedbyfew
A、Sheistooweaktoshowherdissatisfaction.B、Sheisafraidofupsettingtherelationship.C、Herfamilywillmovetoanewpl
Jointhe"SleepChallenge"[A]Didyougetenoughsleeplastnight?Probablynot."Weareanationofsleep-deprivedwomen,"say
A、Therelationshipbetweensleepandweight.B、Thequestionofchickenortheeggs.C、Thedifficultyofpersuadingkidstolose
Thereisnoshortageofadjectivesonecanapplytoairlineseats:uncomfortable,bulky,cramped,outdatedandfromanairline’s
随机试题
根据JB4708—92《钢制压力容器焊接工艺评定》的规定,对接焊缝试件评定合格的焊接工艺______角焊缝。
近1个月出现腹胀、全腹隐痛。体检:腹膨隆,腹壁柔韧感,轻压痛,移动性浊音阳性。最可能并发的疾病是
下列何药不是暖肝煎的组成药物
竞争性市场中,企业间的兼并对市场可能带来的影响表现为()。[2007年真题]
在下列各项中,计算结果等于股利支付率的是( )。
以下流动资产融资战略中,临时性负债占全部资金来源比重最大的是()。
发现勾股定理的希腊数学家是()。
依照我国《宪法》规定,决定省、自治区、直辖市的范围内部分地区进入紧急状态是全国人民代表大会常务委员会的一项重要职权。()
从所给的四个选项中,选择最合适的一个填入问号处,使之呈现一定的规律性:
A、MikeisgoodatEconomics.B、MikeisgoodatPoliticalScience.C、MikelikesEconomics.D、MikelikesPoliticalScience.A
最新回复
(
0
)