首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
Economics is all about consumption. A healthy economy is largely a result of a reasonable balance between consumption today and
Economics is all about consumption. A healthy economy is largely a result of a reasonable balance between consumption today and
admin
2014-06-13
62
问题
Economics is all about consumption. A healthy economy is largely a result of a reasonable balance between consumption today and consumption deferred. To figure out what our buying behavior says about the U. S. economy’s future, my colleagues and I at NPR’s "Planet Money" went searching for as many shopping-based indicators as we could find, hoping some would unlock a hidden story about what Americans are feeling and where the country is headed.
The results were mixed, but we did uncover some ominous signs. Lipstick sales used to go up when the economy went down, perhaps because women were searching for a cheap pick-me-up or an edge in a job interview—and sales of lipsticks are way up right now. Women’s underwear sales are down, which historically suggests intense frugality and more rough times ahead. But there are also some optimistic indicators. Sales of men’s underwear, one of Alan Greenspan’s favorite metrics for predicting growth, are also up. Sales of cheap spirits, which soared during the worst of the recession (people need an affordable way to self-medicate), have now stabilized, meaning, at the very least, that people can now afford better liquor.
Of all the indicators we looked at, one of the most consistently accurate was Champagne sales. The amount of French Champagne that Americans consume has predicted—with nearly 90 percent accuracy— the average American income one year later. Apparently, when we pop a Champagne cork, we know that good times are ahead. Champagne sales hurtled upward twice in recent history—at the peak of the Internet bubble in 1999 and the housing bubble in 2007. These were both followed by slowdowns as fewer people found reason to celebrate.
There are so many indicators to choose from that you could glean just about anything regarding our economic future. In fact, the most telling indicator appears to be the sheer number of indicators themselves. Americans now have so many seductive things they can buy that there are ample consumer options no matter what we feel. Partly as a result, savings—known in economics as deferred consumption—have fallen steadily for more than 30 years. The decline of the savings rate is particularly troubling because it is consistent through busts and booms. During the fast growth of the late 1990s and mid-2000s, and the dark times that followed, people have been choosing to spend more and save less than ever before. Paradoxically, this happened just as pensions have been disappearing and life spans have been increasing. It suggests that Americans are so caught up in every short-term enthusiasm or agony that they haven’t thought enough about long-term fiscal health.
America will, most likely, need to find a more normal, sustainable level of consumption, and that’s exactly the problem. What does a reasonable balance between consumption now and consumption deferred actually look like? That’s what we need to figure out.
选项
答案
G
解析
题干的意思是“研究发现男士内衣销售量上升,而女士内衣销售量下降,这反映了……”。第二段中提到内衣销量是一种强有力的经济指标,当经济形势好的时候,内衣销量会上升;而当经济形势低迷的时候,内衣销量会下降。而今年的调查结果显示女士内衣销量下降,而男士内衣销量上升,这样的结果说明美国的经济形势很不明朗,处在衰退和恢复的边缘。对应的答案应该选[G]the American economy outlook is mixed and uncertain。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/EAO4777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Work/lifebalancewasthebuzzphraseofthelate1990s.Apparentlytoomanypeoplewhowerecashrichandtimepoorwerebecomi
Work/lifebalancewasthebuzzphraseofthelate1990s.Apparentlytoomanypeoplewhowerecashrichandtimepoorwerebecomi
Work/lifebalancewasthebuzzphraseofthelate1990s.Apparentlytoomanypeoplewhowerecashrichandtimepoorwerebecomi
Anyonewhodoubtsthatchildrenarebornwithahealthyamountofambitionneedspendonlyafewminuteswithababyeagerlylea
Whenitcomestotheslowingeconomy,EllenSperoisn’tbitinghernailsjustyet.Butthe47-year-oldmanicuristisn’tcutting,
Whenitcomestotheslowingeconomy,EllenSperoisn’tbitinghernailsjustyet.Butthe47-year-oldmanicuristisn’tcutting,
Togethelp,Internetaddictstiredoftheirsquare-eyed,keyboardtappingwaysneedlooknofurtherthantheWebforcounseling
FitatAnySizeNikkiBlonskyisexactlytherolemodelmostparentsdreamoffortheirkids.She’shappy,she’ssuccessful,
Tuninginroundtheclock,viasatelliteorinternetblog,toanyboutofmayhemanywhere,youmightnotthinktheworldwasbec
随机试题
从人对现实世界的认识出发,将具体事物抽象为便于理解和研究的模型,称为()
红细胞沉降率加速主要是由于
A.透明管型B.蜡样管型C.上皮细胞管型D.白细胞管型E.红细胞管型急性肾盂肾炎时尿中常见
化痰药治痰证时最常配伍的是
公路水运工程施工企业分管生产安全负责人是本单位安全生产工作的()责任人。
下列项目中属于企业所得税暂行条例规定的应计入收入总额的有()。
石窟属于一种独特的寺庙形式,是专供佛教徒修行礼拜的场所,通常它的内部是用()进行装饰的。
乙建筑公司向甲建材公司发出传真,表示“急需0号水泥100吨”。甲公司收到传真后,立即回电表示没问题,并开始安排货源。但三日后,当甲公司询问如何发货时,乙公司表示已经购得,不再需要该种水泥。双方发生争议,甲公司诉至法院。[中财2014年研]根据上述
(75)________________makescomputersabletodojobswhichtillnow,onlyhumanbrainscando.
A、Givingnecessitytothehomelesswithfriends.B、Helpingdeliveringpackagesinthepostoffice.C、Takinggoodstothelocaln
最新回复
(
0
)