✨ Reading Passage | 閱讀文章
English The world’s richest people saw their wealth skyrocket in 2025. According to UBS, the 500 richest individuals gained an extra $2.2 trillion last year, raising their combined net worth to $11.9 trillion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index reported that eight multi-billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Larry Page, accounted for a quarter of the gains. The Guardian noted that these increases were supported by Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and booming markets in cryptocurrencies, equities, and metals.
Many organizations criticized the concentration of wealth. Oxfam highlighted the growing gap between rich and poor, saying: “Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is stagnating or declining, and debt distress is rising. Inequality removes opportunities and rights from most citizens, leading to poverty, hunger, resentment, distrust, and instability.” Climate scientist Bill McGuire warned: “If the political-economic system that is tearing our planet and its people apart isn’t stopped, then humanity itself will be.”
中文翻譯 2025 年，全球最富有的人財富大幅飆升。根據瑞銀集團的數據，全球最富有的 500 人去年額外增加了 2.2 兆美元，總財富達到 11.9 兆美元。《彭博億萬富翁指數》報導，其中八位超級富豪，包括伊隆·馬斯克、傑夫·貝佐斯、拉里·埃里森和拉里·佩奇，佔了四分之一的增長。《衛報》指出，這些財富的增加受到唐納·川普 2024 年選舉勝利以及加密貨幣、股票和金屬市場繁榮的推動。許多組織批評財富過度集中。國際慈善機構樂施會強調貧富差距日益擴大，並表示：「不平等是一種刻意的政策選擇。儘管頂層財富創下新高，公共財富卻停滯甚至下降，債務壓力正在加劇。不平等剝奪了大多數公民的機會和權利，導致貧困、飢餓、怨恨、不信任和不穩定。」英國氣候科學家比爾·麥奎爾警告：「如果這個正在撕裂地球和人類的政治經濟體系不被制止，人類本身將面臨毀滅。
📝 Key Vocabulary | 關鍵詞彙
- Skyrocket 飆升
- Net worth 淨資產
- Index 指數
- Cryptocurrencies 加密貨幣
- Inequality 不平等
- Stagnating 停滯
- Debt distress 債務壓力
- Instability 不穩定
Comprehension Questions | 閱讀理解問題
- How much wealth did the 500 richest people gain in 2025? 2025 年全球最富有的 500 人增加了多少財富？
- Which markets helped boost their wealth? 哪些市場推動了他們的財富增長？
- What problems did Oxfam highlight about inequality? 樂施會指出了哪些不平等帶來的問題？
- What warning did Bill McGuire give? 比爾·麥奎爾提出了什麼警告？
