英语阅读暑期强化班主讲：赵南望一、阅读理解1.（2009真题Text3）(1)Therelationshipbetweenformaleducationandeconomicgrowthinpoorcountriesiswidelymisunderstoodbyeconomistsandpoliticiansalike.Progressinbothareasisundoubtedlynecessaryforthesocial,politicalandintellectualdevelopmentoftheseandallothersocieties;however,theconventionalviewthateducationshouldbeoneoftheveryhighestprioritiesforpromotingrapideconomicdevelopmentinpoorcountriesiswrong.Wearefortunatethatitis,becausebuildingneweducationalsystemsthereandputtingenoughpeoplethroughthemtoimproveeconomicperformancewouldrequiretwoorthreegenerations.Thefindingsofaresearchinstitutionhaveconsistentlyshownthatworkersinallcountriescanbetrainedonthejobtoachieveradicalhigherproductivityand,asaresult,radicallyhigherstandardsofliving.(2)Ironically,thefirstevidenceforthisideaappearedintheUnitedStates.Notlongago,withthecountryenteringarecessingandJapanatitspre-bubblepeak,theU.S.workforcewasderidedaspoorlyeducatedandoneofprimarycauseofthepoorU.S.economicperformance.Japanwas,andremains,thegloballeaderinautomotive-assemblyproductivity.YettheresearchrevealedthattheU.S.factoriesofHonda,Nissan,andToyotaachievedabout95percentoftheproductivityoftheirJapanesecounterparts---aresultofthetrainingthatU.S.workersreceivedonthejob.(3)Morerecently,whileexamininghousingconstruction,theresearchersdiscoveredthatilliterate,non-English-speakingMexicanworkersinHouston,Texas,1consistentlymetbest-practicelaborproductivitystandardsdespitethecomplexityofthebuildingindustry’swork.(4)Whatistherealrelationshipbetweeneducationandeconomicdevelopment?Wehavetosuspectthatcontinuingeconomicgrowthpromotesthedevelopmentofeducationevenwhengovernmentsdon’tforceit.Afterall,that’showeducationgotstarted.Whenourancestorswerehuntersandgatherers10,000yearsago,theydidn’thavetimetowondermuchaboutanythingbesidesfindingfood.Onlywhenhumanitybegantogetitsfoodinamoreproductivewaywastheretimeforotherthings.(5)Aseducationimproved,humanity’sproductivitypotentialincreasedaswell.When...
