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  3. When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails jus

When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails jus

游客2025-04-02  9
问题     When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn’t cutting, filling or polishing as many nails as she’d like to, either. Most of her clients spend $ 12 to $ 50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I’m a good economic indicator," she says, "I provide a service that people can do without when they’re concerned about saving some dollars. " So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard’s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don’t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too," she says.
    Even before Alan Greenspan’s admission that America’s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year’s pace. But don’t sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy’s long-term prospects even as they do some modest belt-tightening.
    Consumers say they’re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there’s a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $ 10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.
    Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn’t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan’s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant need to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting. [br] Why can many people see "silver linings" to the economic showdown?
选项 A、They would benefit in certain ways.
B、The stock market shows signs of recovery.
C、Such a slowdown usually precedes a boom.
D、The purchasing power would be enhanced.
答案 A
解析 细节题。本题可以从以下两方面考虑。首先，可以从第四段的话题判断。该段最后写到不少人包括购房者等，都在showdown中得到了些好处。其次，“silver linings”本身的意思就是“黑暗中的一线光明”，这个修辞手法经常在某些报文里引用的。根据这些分析，A选项“他们可以在某些方面受益”与原文信息是吻合的。
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