The first reason to study economics is that it will help you understand the world in which you live. There are many questions about the economy that might spark your curiosity. Why are apartments so hard to find in New York City? Why do airlines charge less for a round-trip ticket if the traveler stays over a Saturday night? Why is Robert Downey, Jr., paid so much to star in movies? Why are living standards so meager in many African countries? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others have stableprices? Why are jobs easy to find in some years and hard to find in others? These are just a few of the questions that a course in economics will help you answer.

学习经济学的第一个原因是它能帮助你理解你生活的世界。有很多关于经济的问题可能会激起你的好奇心。为什么在纽约市很难找到公寓？如果旅客在周六晚上停留一晚，为什么航空公司对往返机票的收费会更低？为什么小罗伯特唐尼出演电影的片酬这么高？为什么许多非洲国家的生活水平如此之低？为什么有些国家的通货膨胀率很高，而另一些国家的物价却很稳定？为什么有些年工作容易找，而有些年很难找到？这些只是经济学课程将帮助你回答的几个问题。