① One of the great successes of the Republican Party in recent decades is the relentless propagation of a simple formula for economic growth:  tax cuts.

② The formula doesn’t work, but that has not affected its popularity. And while the cult of tax cuts has attracted many critics, it lacks for obvious rivals.

③ Democratic politicians have tended to campaign on helping people left behind by economic growth.  When Democrats do talk about encouraging economic growth, they often sound like Republicans.

④ This is not just a political problem for Democrats;it is an economic problem for the United States. The nation needs a better story about the drivers of economic growth. The painful lessons of recent decades point to a promising candidate:  higher wages.

⑤ Raising the wages of American workers ought to be the priority of economic policymakers.  We’d all be better off paying less attention to quarterly updates on the growth of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and focusing instead on the growth of workers’ paychecks.

⑥ Set aside, for the moment, the familiar argument for higher wages: fairness.  The argument here is that higher wages can fuel the engine of economic growth.

⑦ Perhaps the most famous illustration of the benefits is the story of Henry Ford’s decision in 1914 to pay $5 a day to workers on his Model T assembly lines.  He did it to increase production-he was paying a premium to maintain a reliable workforce.  The unexpected benefit was that Ford’s factory workers became Ford customers, too.

⑧ The same logic still holds:  Consumption drives the American economy, and workers who are paid more can spend more.

⑨ Mainstream economists insist that it is impossible to order up a sustainable increase in wages because compensation levels reflect the unerring judgment of market forces.

⑩ The conventional wisdom held that productivity growth was the only route to higher wages.  Through that lens, efforts to negotiate higher wages were counterproductive.  Minimum-wage laws would raise unemployment because there was only so much money in the wage pool, and if some people got more, others would get none.

⑪ It was in the context of this worldview that it became popular to argue that tax cuts would drive prosperity.  Rich people would invest, productivity would increase, wages would rise.

⑫ In the real world, things are more complicated.  Wages are influenced by a tug of war between employers and workers, and employers have been winning.  One clear piece of evidence is the widening gap between productivity growth and wage growth since roughly 1970. Productivity has more than doubled; wages have lagged far behind.

1.1. Why does the formula of tax cuts remain popular though ineffective?

A Its critics’ voice has not been heard throughout the country.

B There seem to be no other options available to replace it.

C The cult of tax cuts has been relentlessly propagated by all policymakers.

D There appears to be a misunderstanding of the formula among the public.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。文章第②段明确指出：“The formula doesn’t work, but that has not affected its popularity. And while the cult of tax cuts has attracted many critics, it lacks for obvious rivals. ” 这句话直接说明，尽管减税政策效果不佳，但由于缺乏明显的替代方案，它仍然广受欢迎。选项B与原文意思完全一致，其他选项在文中均未提及或与原文不符。故选B。

2.2.What does the author think is a more effective measure for driving economic growth in the U.S. ?

A Aiding people left behind by economic growth.

B Prioritizing the growth of the nation’s GDP.

C Increasing the compensation for labor.

D Introducing even more extensive tax cuts.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。文章第④段提到：“The nation needs a better story about the drivers of economic growth. . . a promising candidate: higher wages. ” 第⑤段进一步强调：“Raising the wages of American workers ought to be the priority of economic policymakers. ” 由此可见，作者认为提高工人工资是促进经济增长的更有效途径。选项C中的“compensation for labor”即指工资，与文章观点一致。故选C。

3.3. What is the logic underlying the author’s viewpoint?

A The growth of workers’ paychecks ultimately boosts the nation’s economy.

B Paying a premium to maintain a reliable workforce attracts more customers.

C Consumption stimulates the desire for higher wages.

D Familiar arguments for higher wages are outdated.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。文章第⑥至⑧段通过亨利·福特的例子说明，提高工资能刺激消费，从而推动经济增长。第⑧句进一步总结：“Consumption drives the American economy, and workers who are paid more can spend more. ” 因此，作者的核心逻辑是：提高工资 → 增加消费 → 促进经济增长。选项A准确概括了这一逻辑。故选A。

4.4. What is the basis for higher wages according to the conventional wisdom?

A Fairness in distribution.

B Increase in productivity.

C The priority of economic policymakers.

D The unerring judgment of market forces.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。文章第⑩段明确提到：“The conventional wisdom held that productivity growth was the only route to higher wages. ” 这说明，传统观点认为提高生产率是提高工资的唯一途径。选项B与原文完全一致，其他选项均不符合文意。故选B。

5.5. What do we learn about things in the real world in America for the past 50 years or so?

A People have failed to see a corresponding increase in wages and in productivity.

B People have been disheartened by the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.

C People have witnessed a tug of war between Republicans and Democrats over tax cuts.

D People have seen the link disappearing between productivity and workers’ well-being.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。文章第⑫段指出：“One clear piece of evidence is the widening gap between productivity growth and wage growth since roughly 1970. Productivity has more than doubled; wages have lagged far behind. ” 这说明在过去50年左右的时间里，美国的生产率增长与工资增长并不同步，工资增长远远落后于生产率增长。选项A准确反映了这一事实。故选A。