2. 职称英语
  3. In the 1920s America enjoyed what was to become known as "an Age of Excess".

In the 1920s America enjoyed what was to become known as "an Age of Excess".

游客2023-08-14  26
问题     In the 1920s America enjoyed what was to become known as "an Age of Excess". From 1921-1929 manufacturing output increased with only a small check—the mild recession of 1924, and real GNP (1929 prices) rose 45.6 percent. In real terms it was a vigorous expansion with the added attractions of stable prices, rising real wages, and mainly "full" employment. So the 1920s’ boom remains a legend in the American economic history.
    The boom was created by several factors that worked together. The three presidents of the twenties, Harding, Coolidge and Hoover were all Republicans who supported business and the stock market. The Republicans were against any kind of welfare state or the government regulating business. They introduced lower tax rates and raised tariffs on foreign goods so they could not compete with American business. This was known as "protectionism". America’s economy had not suffered from World War I. In fact it had been strengthened by trading arms to the allies. In the twenties, there was a substantial growth in production, jobs, profits, wages and the standard of living. The growth in production created more jobs, and because more people had more money they could buy the newly produced goods. More goods needed to be produced so more jobs and profits were created. This led to the twenties seeing the start of mass production and consumerism. For the first time items like cars and refrigerators were available and affordable to the middle classes, and secondary industries such as advertising became very profitable. There was an inevitable change in the ideas and actions of society. People could afford to enjoy their leisure time and the leisure industries also boomed.
    Much of American Society was changed by the Boom. More people could go out and enjoy themselves because of the increased leisure time and affluence of society.
    Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald called it "the Age of Excess". Jazz music had a massive effect on the youth of America, as they became more outgoing. More started smoking and going out, and women started to wear shorter skirts and other more outrageous fashions. Older generations hated the new music and showed apparent disrespect of younger people. A new kind of woman was created, called a "flapper". Hollywood promoted these women and their fashions as the rogue actresses became icons for other young ladies. To most, these women were nothing but a sign of the times, a decline in traditional standards. [br] The word "affluence" (Line 2, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to "______".
选项 A、wealth
B、influence
C、standard
D、diversity
答案 A
解析 末段首句和第2句说的都是美国社会在20年代的变化，由此可知，社会的affluence与the Boom相关，而且是让人们能enjoy themselves的条件，再联系与之并列的increased leisure time。可知affluence应该是一个褒义词，A是对affluence最恰当的理解。
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