Economists have encountered an obstacle to calculating the gross domestic product (GDP) of a given nation: the difficulty of quantifying the value of household work. GDP is defined as the market value of the final output of goods and services produced within the borders of a nation. Household work is largely overlooked in calculating this figure, either because such work (including feeding, clothing, and educating the household, as well as maintaining the dwelling itself) is deemed absolutely necessary to any economy or because economists deem it “unproductive,” since precise monetary values cannot be attached to such chores.

Only recently, with the emergence in affluent societies of “working mothers,” have economists begun to address this shortcoming in their reckoning. The amount of money now spent by busy parents on the labor and services once performed by women in their own households now provides observers with an approximate market value of the final output of the average household. More enterprising economists are seeking ways to measure domestic productivity in less developed economies and are discovering the tremendous productivity tied up with such traditionally “female” tasks as food preparation and child rearing. The contribution of women to the management of scarce resources in a near-subsistence economy is so essential that economists are moving from labeling it a “hidden economy” to considering it the basis of the economy itself.

1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

A. reviewing economists' recent attempts to interpret economic data in light of new evidence
B. explaining a current economic problem and proposing a comprehensive solution
C. defending a widely-held opinion about economic policy and criticizing opposing viewpoints
D. drawing a reliable conclusion from recently available economic data
E. describing a problem faced by economists and their attempts to overcome it

OA E

2. Which of the following can be inferred about household work?

A. The productivity of this work is limited by the time available
B. Economists do not consider household work as important as other work
C. The GDP measures only the productivity of men in a given nation
D. Affluent women have far fewer chores to perform than do affluent men
E. Many economists fail to incorporate household work in the GDP

OA E

3. The passage supports which of the following statements?

A. Women in developing nations do not engage in economically productive work
B. Women in affluent societies are less likely to rear children than are those in developing countries
C. Domestic work includes a number of economically valuable tasks
D. The domestic labor of women in developing countries is more important than that of women in affluent countries
E. Economists miscalculation of the value of domestic work contributes to the low GDPs of developing nations

OA C

4. Which of the following best explains why economists deem household work "unproductive" (Underlined)?

A. Most products and services of the household are shared free of charge among family members
B. Economists have yet to agree on a method for measuring the value of such chores
C. The members of the household who perform particular tasks are difficult to identify
D. The definition of GDP explicitly excludes such chores from consideration
E. Family members exchange goods and services for prices lower than normal market values

OA B

5. According to the author, which of the following is true about women in developing societies?

A. Their productivity is labeled a “hidden economy" by economists because so little wealth is produced
B. Their work is much more physically demanding than ts the work of their male counterparts
C. The value of their work was not recognized until economists perceived such values in affluent societies
D. They are responsible for the education of the children in their communities
E. Their emergence as "working mothers" has improved the quality of life in their communities

OA C

6. The author mentions which of the following to stress the significance of women's work in developing countries?

A. the rapid industrialization of developing countries
B. the depletion of natural resources in developing countries
C. the rise of "hidden economies" in developing countries
D. the competition for resources among more affluent countries
E. the vital role that such work plays in developing economies

OA E

7. It can be inferred from the passage that women in affluent societies

A.are not fully accounted for in the GDP if they perform only household tasks
B. spend comparable quantities of money on goods and services
C. have to perform household tasks identical to those performed by women in developing countries
D. form a major component of the global “hidden economy"
E. have recently risen to prominence as major economists

OA A