Two of the most key functions performed by individuals and institutions in any economy are saving and investment. Without these, economies would not grow and flourish. The concept of saving is at least as old as Aesop’s fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper." The ant worked hard all summer to put away enough food for the winter, while the frivolous grasshopper chirped and played. When winter arrived the grasshopper had no food to eat, but the ant had plenty.
In any economy, individuals have two ways to use income — they can spend it or save it. Much of what is spent is used to buy goods, much of what is saved is used to invest in the companies that produce the goods. If too much is spent and too little saved, the economy’s capacity to produce will be diminished. If, on the other hand, too much is saved and too little spent, there will be more money available for investment than can possibly be used, and not enough people will buy what is produced.
Two of the most key functions performed by individuals and institutions in any economy are saving and investment. Without these, economies would not grow and flourish. The concept of saving is at least as old as Aesop’s fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper." The ant worked hard all summer to put away enough food for the winter, while the frivolous grasshopper chirped and played. When winter arrived the grasshopper had no food to eat, but the ant had plenty.
In any economy, individuals have two ways to use income — they can spend it or save it. Much of what is spent is used to buy goods, much of what is saved is used to invest in the companies that produce the goods. If too much is spent and too little saved, the economy’s capacity to produce will be diminished. If, on the other hand, too much is saved and too little spent, there will be more money available for investment than can possibly be used, and not enough people will buy what is produced.
| Key James, Secretary of Health and
Human Resources in the Virginia State government, loves to turm the tables on
those who don’t think it’s possible to be middle-class, conservative, educated
and still be truly black. Once, during an abortion debate, a woman in the
audience angrily told James she was so middle-class she didn’t have a clue about
real African American life. "If you understood what these women go through," the
woman said, "you would realize that abortion is their only choice." James then asked the woman to consider a poor black mother on welfare. She already has four children and an alcoholic husband who has all but abandoned the family. Now she discovers another child is on the way. "How would you counsel that woman" asked James. "Have an abortion," the woman responded. "That child would have a very poor quali A. to move the tables B. to carry the tables away C. to gain courage D. to gain an advantage after having been at a disadvantage [单项选择]Passage Two
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