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
外语
Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professio
Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professio
admin
2013-11-12
79
问题
Amid weak job and housing markets, consumers are saving more and spending less than they have in decades, and industry professionals expect that trend to continue. Consumers saved 6.4 percent of their after-tax income in June. Before the recession, the rate was 1 to 2 percent for many years. In June, consumer spending and personal incomes were essentially flat compared with May, suggesting that the American economy, as dependent as it is on shoppers opening their wallets and purses, isn’t likely to rebound anytime soon.
On the bright side, the practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.
If consumers end up sticking with their newfound spending habits, some tactics(策略)that retailers and marketers began using during the recession could become lasting business strategies. Among those strategies are offering goods that makes being at home more entertaining and trying to make consumers feel special by giving them access to exclusive events and more personal customer service.
While the current round of stinginess may simply be a response to the economic downturn, some analysts say consumers may also be permanently adjusting their spending based on what they’ve discovered about what truly makes them happy or fulfilled.
"This actually is a topic that hasn’t been researched very much until recently," says Elizabeth W. Dunn, an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia, who is at the forefront of research on consumption and happiness. "There’s massive literature on income and happiness. It’s amazing how little there is on how to spend your money."
Studies over the last few decades have shown that money, up to a certain point, makes people happier because it lets them meet basic needs. The latest round of research is, for lack of a better term, all about emotional efficiency: how to reap the most happiness for your dollar.
So just where does happiness reside for consumers? Scholars and researchers haven’t determined whether Armani will put a bigger smile on your face than Dolce & Gabbana. But they have found that our types of purchases, their size and frequency, and even the timing of the spending all affect long-term happiness.
One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.
’"It’s better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch’ is basically the idea," says Professor Dunn.
Thomas DeLeire, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin discovered that the only category to be positively related to happiness was leisure: vacations, entertainment, sports and equipment like golf clubs and fishing poles.
What’s the dark side of American consumers’ saving more and spending less?
选项
A、The job and housing markets will become even weaker.
B、There is little hope that the American economy will recover soon.
C、More and more retailers and marketers will have to go bankrupt.
D、It’s possible that the American economy will rebound sooner.
答案
B
解析
根据题干中的American,consumers’和spending将本题出处定位于首段末句。该句提到,6月份,消费者支出和个人收入基本上跟5月份持平。前面提到今年6月份,消费者将其税后收入的6.4%存了下来,在衰退前的许多年中,这一比例一直在1%到2%之间波动,由此可知,消费者现在是saving more and spending less(存得多花得少)。文中又提到这一现象表明the American economy…isn’t likely to rebound anytime soon(美国经济不可能很快反弹),B)正是对此的同义转述,故为答案,同时排除D)。A)是针对首段首句设的干扰项。C)在文中未提及,故排除。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/ip27777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
A、Watermightbecomecleanandpure.B、Peoplewillliveinabetterenvironment.C、Therewillbenopolicetoprotectpeople.D、
Receivingvisitorsandguestsisanimportantpartofthesecretary’sdailyroutineintheoffice.Thereisacertain【B1】______f
A、Tomhaschangedhiscellphonenumber.B、Thewoman’scellphoneisalwaysunreachable.C、Tomwillteachhistoryclassatthat
Growingolderisinevitable.However,asyougetold,careinoldagebecomesmoreimportant.Manypeoplewronglybelievethatw
Asawisemanoncesaid,weareallultimatelyalone.ButanincreasingnumberofEuropeansarechoosingtobesoataneverear
______(不是在一段时间内只力图拯救一个物种),theyaretryingtosaveacompletenaturalenvironment.
A、Hethoughtthenativesweremad.B、Hedidn’ttakeitseriously.C、Hecalledinapolicemantotalkwiththenatives.D、Hebeli
Hollywood"Globalized"WhendirectorAdamMcKaypitchedasequel(续集)tohis2004hitmovieAnchorman,hethoughtitwouldbe
Studiesin1830Americanelementaryschoolshaveshown______(贫穷是如何始终与挫败感相联系的).
Forebookdevotees,readingisawholenewexperienceDavidJ.Loehr,aplaywrightwholivesinsouthernIndiana,wastaking
随机试题
同一原子中,电子结合能量最小的壳层是
义齿基托从口腔中取出后应浸泡于
有关使用胰岛素治疗的糖尿病患者,在健康教育中下列哪项不正确
下列有关砌体挡土墙的基本要求的说法中,错误的是()。
城市环境容量的制约条件主要包括以下()方面。
根据增值税法律制度的规定,下列关于固定业户的增值税纳税地点的说法,正确的有()。
根据个人所得税法律制度的规定,自行申报纳税时在中国境内两处或两处以上取得工资、薪金的,其纳税地点的选择是()。
人类的寿命与基因有关,体内有多个基因_______着你的生命长短。研究表明,那些在恶劣环境下控制机体防御功能的基因,能够显著地改善多种生物的健康状况并且延长其寿命。了解这些基因的运作________,或许可以帮助我们找到消除老年疾病、延长人类生命的秘诀。
根据所给资料,回答问题。2011年境外来浙江工作专家25883人次,比2010年增长12.1%,2011年占同期全国总人次的比重勾4.9%,比2010年提高0.1个百分点。2010~2011年浙江外商投资企、事业单位聘用的境外专家分别
LGDisplay,theworld’ssecond-biggestflat-paneldisplaymaker,isbettingbigonlarge-scaleOLEDtelevisionpanels,brushing
最新回复
(
0
)