OG，58，谢谢指教：）

Neither a rising standard of living nor balanced trade, by itself, establishes a country's ability to compete in the international marketplace. Both are required simultaneously since standards of living can rise because of growing trade deficits and trade can be balanced by means of a decline in a country's standard of living.

If the facts stated in the passage above are true, a proper test of a country's ability to be competitive in its ability to

(A) balance its trade while its standard of living rises

(B) balance it trade while its standard of living falls

(C) increase trade deficits while its standard of living rises

(D) decrease trade dificit  while its standard of living falls

(E) keep its standard of living constant while trade deficit rise

答案是a,不明白，我觉得后面的推导也有对的。

做题的时候还绕在里面，推导了一会儿。为什么是这个答案？思路是什么？

提高生活水平和平衡的trade（balanced trade or even trade surplus)， 如果只是单独一个存在的话并不能证明一个国家在国际市场上的竞争力。因为可以在牺牲其中一个的情况下来完善另一个。所以要证明一个国家的竞争力，两个必须同时存在。

答案只有A所需条件。

这个我理解的。所以比较矛盾。

但是，接着看，就能看到二者得具体的关系。standard rise because trade deficits grow, trade can be balanced because standard falls.

那么c为什么不对？

(C) increase trade deficits（trade account becomes worse) while its standard of living rises
按文中的意思，trade deficits 是对一个国家的竞争力起反作用的。

一点题外话：经济学方面的东东，国家可以通过借款来增加进口(increase trade deficits)， 以次来提高人民生活水平。 就像老美现在干的一样。自己穷光蛋一个，但是把全世界的钱都借来买东西了。