共用题干 They Say Ireland"s the Best

Ireland is the best place in the world to live for 2005,according to a life quality ranking
that appeared in Britain"s Economist magazine last week.
The ambitious attempt to compare happiness levels around the world is based on the
principle that wealth is not the only measure of human satisfaction and well-being.
The index of 111 countries uses data on incomes,health,unemployment,climate,
political stability,job security,gender equality as well as what the magazine calls
"freedom,family and community life".
Despite the bad weather , troubled health service , traffic congestion（拥挤）,gender
inequality,and the high cost of living,Ireland scored an impressive 8.33 points out of 10.
That put it well ahead of second-place Switzerland,which managed 8.07.Zimbabwe,
troubled by political insecurity and hunger, is rated the gloomiest（最差的）,picking up only
3. 89 points.
"Although rising incomes and increased individual choices are highly valued,"the
report said,"some of the factors associated with modernization such as the breakdown（崩
溃）in traditional institutions and family values in part take away from a positive impact."
"Ireland wins because it successfully combines the most desirable elements of the new
with the preservation of certain warm elements of the old,such as stable family and
community life."
The magazine admitted measuring quality of life is not a straightforward thing to do,and
that its findings would have their critics.
No. 2 on the list is Switzerland.The other nations in the top 10 are Norway,
Luxembourg,Sweden,Australia,Iceland,Italy,Denmark and Spain.
The U.K. is positioned at No. 29,a much lower position chiefly because of the social
and family breakdown recorded in official statistics.The U.S.,which has the second
highest per capita GDP（人均国内生产总值）after Luxembourg, took the 13th place in the
survey.China was in the lower half of the league at 60th. For 2,005 years,Ireland has been the best place for humans to live in.