SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY

Come on, Norway; this doesn’t even feel like a competition anymore! Consistently listed among
the top five happiest countries in the world, Norway off ers a quality of life that other countries
can only dream of.5 It is one of the wealthiest countries in the world; only Luxembourg and a
couple of others are richer. As well as earning a good salary, Norwegians also get a good
education, usually find a job they want—unemployment is just 2.5 percent—and enjoy good
health. People say10 even the prisons are quite comfortable! Norway hasn't always been a rich
country. Just last century, Norwegians were emigrating to the USA in the thousands in search of a
better life. The rise in oil prices in the 1970s changed all that (Norway has a lot of oil). But it isn’t
only15 Norway’s huge oil reserves that account for its success—other less successful economies
have even greater resources. It is also due to the Norwegians’ strong work ethic. Norwegians are
always near the top in global surveys of worker productivity rates.20 In Oslo, don’t expect to see
Dubai-style skyscrapers and rows of Ferraris and Porsches. Norway may be rich, but it is modest. In
fact, the people of Norway are trying to redefine wealth to mean “having a balanced life.” The
government has passed laws that emphasize the25 importance of family and time off , offering
subsidized childcare, long vacations, and generous maternity and paternity leave.1 It has even said
that fathers must—by law—take time off to be with their children. It is one of the only countries
to do so.30At the same time, the country is saving for the future. Every dollar earned from oil is
put straight into what is now the world’s biggest pension fund—worth over $200 billion. None of
this money is spent on infrastructure projects—not even new schools and35 hospitals. At a time
when most other countries just borrow money to finance the pensions of their growing retired
population, Norway is sitting pretty.

AHORRO PARA UN DÍA LLUVIOSO

Vamos, Noruega; ¡Esto ya no se siente como una competencia! Constantemente catalogado entre
los cinco países más felices del mundo, Noruega ofrece una calidad de vida con la que otros países
solo pueden soñar.

5 Es uno de los países más ricos del mundo; sólo Luxemburgo y un par de otros son más ricos.
Además de ganar un buen salario, los noruegos también obtienen una buena educación,
generalmente encuentran el trabajo que desean (el desempleo es solo del 2,5 por ciento) y
disfrutan de buena salud. La gente dice

10 ¡incluso las prisiones son bastante cómodas! Noruega no siempre ha sido un país rico. Apenas
el siglo pasado, miles de noruegos emigraban a los EE. UU. en busca de una vida mejor. El
aumento de los precios del petróleo en la década de 1970 cambió todo eso (Noruega tiene mucho
petróleo). Pero no es solo
15 Las enormes reservas de petróleo de Noruega que explican su éxito; otras economías menos
exitosas tienen recursos aún mayores. También se debe a la fuerte ética de trabajo de los
noruegos. Los noruegos siempre están cerca de la cima en las encuestas globales sobre las tasas
de productividad de los trabajadores.

20 En Oslo, no esperes ver rascacielos estilo Dubái y filas de Ferraris y Porsches. Noruega puede
ser rica, pero es modesta. De hecho, la gente de Noruega está tratando de redefinir la riqueza para
que signifique “tener una vida equilibrada”. El gobierno ha aprobado leyes que enfatizan la

25 importancia de la familia y el tiempo libre, ofreciendo cuidado infantil subsidiado, vacaciones

largas y generosas licencias de maternidad y paternidad.1 Incluso se ha dicho que los padres
deben, por ley, tomar tiempo libre para estar con sus hijos. Es uno de los pocos países que lo hace.

30Al mismo tiempo, el país está ahorrando para el futuro. Cada dólar ganado con el petróleo se
pone directamente en lo que ahora es el fondo de pensiones más grande del mundo, con un valor
de más de $ 200 mil millones. Nada de este dinero se gasta en proyectos de infraestructura, ni
siquiera en nuevas escuelas y

35 hospitales. En un momento en que la mayoría de los demás países simplemente piden dinero
prestado para financiar las pensiones de su creciente población jubilada, Noruega se encuentra
bastante

3 Work in pairs. What do you know about Norway: its landscape, its people, its industry?

Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government.

Norway has a prosperous and wealthy economy with significant state intervention, leading to very
low levels of unemployment, inequality and corruption.

Norwegian is the native language of approximately 95% of the population. However, there are
many dialects that can differ significantly from each other.

Architecture:

Thanks to its large forests, Norway has a tradition of building with wood. Most of the buildings of
interest are made of wood, reflecting the great interest that this material continues to hold for
architects and builders.

4 Read the article. Work in pairs. In what ways is Norway a rich country?

Norway hasn't always been a rich country. Just last century, Norwegians were emigrating to the
USA in the thousands in search of a better life. The rise in oil prices in the 1970s changed all that
(Norway has a lot of oil). But it isn’t only Norway’s huge oil reserves that account for its success. It
is also due to the Norwegians’ strong work ethic. Norwegians are always near the top in global
surveys of worker productivity rates.
5 Work in pairs. Read the article again. Complete these summaries of the four paragraphs.

1 For a long time, Norway has had a better … a quality of life than other countries.

2 The two reasons for Norway’s success are … Norway’s huge oil reserves that account for its
success and …It is also due to the Norwegians’ strong work ethic.

3 For Norwegians, being rich means … “having a balanced life.”

4 Norway is saving money for … the future. Every dollar earned from oil is put straight into what is
now the world’s biggest pension fund—worth over $200 billion.

6 Work in pairs. Do you think that the Norwegians are right to save their money? Why or why not?

If the Norwegians are right to save their money, because it is better to be a proactive than a
spender. (They are proactive in identifying and preventing potential problems.)