Reread the first paragraph of the novel. How could it be used to describe today's worldanswer in 50-70 words

Your answer to this would surely depend on the country where you live since we are all in somewhat different circumstances.

For the United States, I would talk about how our lives seem more secure but, at the same time, more dangerous than ever before.  No one has ever had a higher standard of living than well-off people in the world today.  Here in the US, average people can have their own homes and their own cars and boats.  They can have more than one TV in their home and more than one computer.  We are really well off.

But at the same time, we worry so much.  We worry that our country is not strong enough economically and even militarily.  We worry that our moral values are slipping and that our country is headed downhill with countries like China rising.

So, for the US at least, this is a time when things are great, but there are also things to worry about if you are pessimistic.