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 so well,then why did over 17million 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 GDR 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 policymaker who refocus efforts on improving well-being rather than simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress.
It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that____
推理题。从第二段当中，第一句话：The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers...其中的annoyed的感情色彩是否定的，说明policymakers对GDP的作用是否定的;第二句当中many argue that it is a flawed concept.其中的it指代GDP，大家认为GDP是一个有缺陷的概念，表明人民大众对GDP的感情色彩也是否定的。最后一句更是明显的指出：如果一切顺利的话，为什么还有17 million的人不顾国家前途而投票脱欧呢?更是表明对GDP作用的否定，因此综上所述，B选项GDP作为测量成功的方式饱受争议，是正确选项。
