Answer:
The author is trying to say that the living standards of different classes of people depend on the economic choices they make and the economy of the nations they find themselves in.
Step-by-step explanation:
The topic, "Mathematics and Economic Reasoning," began by comparing the world's of two girls namely Becky and Desta. Becky who lives in America has a good and comfortable living standard. Her father works at a good law firm where he earns well enough to cater for his family. He has some savings, insurance, two cars, and a partially mortgaged house.
Desta, on the other hand, lives in a poor village in Ethiopia where her family depend on farming to survive. They have no running water, electricity, adequate healthcare, enough food, etc. The author drew these comparisons to show that the environment a person finds himself can affect his economic standard of living.