Young Americans Are Less Wealthy Than Their Parents
The cost of living in the United States is going up, notes writer Alissa Quartz. As is reported in New York Post, Quartz points to “the costs of housing, education and health care in particular.” At the same time, a new study, the report of which is called “The Fading American Dream” found that half of Americans born in the 1980s are falling behind their parents economically.
These findings show that many younger adults are experiencing “downward mobility.” In other words, they are not doing as well economically as their parents were at the same age. The idea of downward mobility is especially troubling for Americans, writes Robert Samuelson in The Washington Post. He says most U.S. citizens believe that, over time, the amount of money they earn will rise and life will get easier.
Alissa Quartz wrote a book about the financial difficulties of Americans. In the book, Quartz tells about teachers who are struggling to pay for regular costs. One high school teacher drives for ride sharing service Uber at night to earn more money. He corrects students’ papers between riders.
A college professor turned to government assistance to feed her child and pay for a doctor. Quartz says even lawyers increasingly cannot earn an income that enables them to meet their needs. The problem of decreasing incomes in their field is made worse by debt they may have from law school. Quartz and the economists who studied these issues say many things have led to lower incomes and downward mobility. The economic recession(衰退) of 2007 to 2009 is partly to blame, they say. Modern technology also plays a part. Quartz says robots threaten to reduce the earnings of health care workers, reporters, and people who work at supermarkets, drug stores and tax preparation services. In The Washington Post, Robert Samuelson noted that poor schools, a weak housing industry and too many government rules are also to blame.
With all these things, and more, partly responsible, what is the solution? These experts say the answer is complex. But all point to one issue that needs to be examined: economic inequality. Quartz writes that while America is one of the richest countries in the world, it also has one of the biggest divides between the wealthy and the poor.
The researchers in “The Fading American Dream” study make a similar observation. They say raising GDP will not significantly improve the economic situation of most Americans. A higher GDP may help only those who are already doing well. Instead, the economists say, the United States could try to repeat something Americans born in the 1940s experienced. As those children grew up, they almost all benefited from a better economy.
28. The author mentions two reports in Paragraph 1 in order to ________.
A.explain the results of two researches |
B.introduce his opinions about the issue |
C.attract readers’ attention to health care |
D.lead to the topic of downward mobility |
29. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A.The causes of downward mobility. |
B.The influences of government rules. |
C.The negative effects of modern technology. |
D.The results of economic recession in America. |
30. The author indicates in this passage that ________.
A.raising GDP will greatly help the poor |
B.American economy has a bright future |
C.young Americans will repeat their parents’ experience |
D.it’s necessary to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor |
31. We can learn from the passage that in America, ________.
A.people miss the good old days in the 1940s |
B.people are suffering from a worse economy |
C.people are pessimistic about future economy |
D.people complain a lot about economic changes |