7.The book Outliers makes a list of the seventy-five richest people in history.
Do you know what's interesting about that list?Of the 75 names,an astonishing 14are Americans born within nine years of each other in the mid 19th century.Think about that for a moment.Historians start with Cleopatra and the Pharaohs and comb through every year in human history ever since,looking in every corner of the world for evidence of extraordinary wealth,and almost 20percent of the names they end up with come from a single generation in a single country.
Here's the list:
Rank | Name | Birth | Rank | Name | Birth |
01 | John Rockefeller | 1839 | 44 | James G.Fair | 1831 |
02 | Andrew Carnegie | 1835 | 54 | Henry H.Rogers | 1840 |
28 | Frederick Weyerhaeuser | 1834 | 57 | J.P.Morgan | 1837 |
33 | Jay Gould | 1836 | 58 | Oliver Payne | 1839 |
34 | Marshall Field | 1834 | 62 | George Pullman | 1831 |
35 | George Baker | 1840 | 64 | Peter Widener | 1834 |
36 | Hetty Green | 1834 | 65 | Philip Armor | 1832 |
What's going on here?The answer is obvious,if you think about it.In the 1860's and 1870's,the American economy went through perhaps the greatest transformation in its history.This was when the railways were built,and when Wall Street emerged.It was when industrial manufacturing started properly.It was when all the rules by which the traditional economy functioned were broken and remade.What that list says is that it really matters how old you were when that transformation happened.
If you were born in the late 1840's,you missed it.You were too young to take advantage of that moment.If you were born in the 1820's,you were too old:your mindset was shaped by the pre-Civil War pattern.But there is a particular,narrow nine-year window that was just perfect for seeing the potential that the future held.All of the 14 men and women on that list had vision and talent.But they also were given an extraordinary opportunity.
28.What does the author think of the fact that 14 of the 75 richest people were born in USA?A
A.Surprising.B.Exciting.C.Unfair.D.Proud.
29.What does the author think leads to the great wealth of the richest people in the USA?D
A.Their strong hardwork.
B.Their talented mindset.
C.The industrial tradition.
D.The economic transformation.
30.What does the author think is the most important to the 14 richest Americans in the last paragraph?C
A.Talent.B.Vision.C.Opportunity.D.Potential.
31.What is right about the 14 American-born richest people on the list?B
A.They were chosen throughout USA.
B.They were born from 1831 to 1840.
C.They were shaped by the Civil war.
D.They were interesting and wealthy.