Dear Economist, My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love.There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage.I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart.My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs. I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good--lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy.My wife complains about poor labour policies, the "fact" that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business. Who is right? Will our marriage survive? Brian Gee Dear Brian, I have to agree with you about Walmart.Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly a progressive success story.The chain's prices don't much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year. Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages.Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed.Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees.And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers. Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence.You are sure to win the conversation.The divorce is likely to be more argued. Economist Brian Gee's wife tends to hold the opinion that _ . A) it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees' wages B) consumers' lives have improved thanks to Walmart C) Walmart's business operation increases productivity in economy D) Walmart's business increases global trade
A
In English everything is the other way round. On Sundays, on the Continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit, tries to look respectable, and at the same time the life of the country becomes gay and cheerful; in England even the richest lord or motor-manufacturer dresses in some peculiar rags, does not shave, and the country becomes dull and sad. On the Continent there is one subject which should be avoided---the weather; in England, if you do not repeat the sentence "Lovely day, isn't it?" at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull. On the Continent people use a fork as though a fork were a shovel; in England they turn it upside down and push everything---including peas---on top it. On a Continental bus approaching a request stop, the conductor rings the bell if he wants his bus to go on without stopping; in England you ring the bell if you want the bus to stop; On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table. On the continent almost every nation whether little or great has openly declared at one time or another that it is superior to all other nations; the English fight heroic wars to combat these dangerous ideas without ever mentioning which is really the most superior race in the world. Continental people are sensitive and touchy; The English take everything with a sense of humor---they are only offended if you tell them that they have no sense of humor. On the Continent the population consists of a small percentage of criminals, a small percentage of honest people and the rest are a vague transition between the two; in England you find a small percentage of criminals and the rest are honest people. On the other hand, people on the Continent either tell you the truth or lie; in England they hardly ever lie, but they would not dream of telling you the truth. Many continentals think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game. The first sentence "In England everything is the other way round" means that _ . A) the English intend to live a life quite different from that of the Continentals. B) the social customs of the English are quite different from those of the Continentals. C) nothing in England is different from things on the Continent. D) in England all the things are round, not flat.
A
There was once an old wise man living on the top of a mountain. Whenever the villagers had a problem, they would climb up the mountain and ask the old man for advice. One day a young man arrived. "Wise man," he asked, "What makes a man truly great?" The old man said, "Do you sincerely want to know?" "Yes, yes!" the young man replied. "Well," the wise old man said to him, "Let me tell you in the form of a story." There was once a Greek man who suffered from a deadly disease. Knowing that he would die soon, he was the first to join the army when his country was in a battle with the enemy. Hoping to die in battle, he would fight in the front line, risking himself without any worry for his life. Finally they won the battle and he was still alive. His general was so impressed with his bravery which contributed much to the victory. The general decided to promote him and award him with medals of bravery and honor. On the day of presentation , he was looking very down and sad. Curiously, the general asked him why he was so sad on a day he should be so proud. The soldier told him of his deadly disease. "How could I let such a brave soldier die?" the general thought. So the general hired the best physician and finally cured the soldier. But from that day on, the once _ soldier was no longer seen at the front. He would always avoid danger and tried his best to protect his life. "Young man," the wise man said, "if you want to be truly great, you must not be afraid of dying, you must be daring." The reason why the young man went to see the old man was that _ . A) he enjoyed the scenery of the great mountain B) the old man was very good at telling stories C) there was a difficult problem troubling him D) he was not sure who the greatest man was
C