UK households are cutting back on spending at the fastest rate since 1980. This is contributing to the worst economic slowdown i

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问题     UK households are cutting back on spending at the fastest rate since 1980. This is contributing to the worst economic slowdown in three decades.
    Figures from the Office for National Statistics(ONS)showed consumer spending fell by 1. 2% in the first three months of the year. People spent less on housing, household goods and services, while those who went on holiday abroad also spent significantly less.
    Consumers tightened their belts in the face of job losses, pay cuts or freezes and sharply reduced City bonuses. The figures showed employees’ compensation falling by 1.1 % in the quarter, the largest fall since records began in 1955. Wages and salaries declined, with lower bonus payments in the financial sector than normal, while employment also fell.
    The data was released as part of the ONS’ s latest assessment of the UK economy, which confirmed that gross domestic product(GDP)shrank by 1.9% in the first quarter, its sharpest decline since 1979. GDP stood 4.1% lower than a year ago, the biggest annual fall since 1980.
    "The breakdown(分析)of first-quarter GDP gives a pretty depressing picture of weakness right across the economy in the early months of this year, " said Jonathan Loynes of Capital Economics.
    "With key components like household spending and investment set to fall considerably further in response to the weakness in the housing market, the labour market and bank lending, we remain unconvinced that recent ’green shoots’ will translate into a return to decent growth next year. "
From the passage we know that UK households are cutting back on spending, because of______.

选项 A、the economic slowdown
B、household goods and services
C、spending more on housing
D、holiday abroad

答案A

解析 根据文章的第一段可知,A项符合题意。B、C、D三项是由the economic slowdown所导致的,均为具体的表现,不符合题意。故本题选A。
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