单选题
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 Deadly, a Bay Area realestate
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.
单选题
By "Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet" (Line 1, Paragraph
1), the author means ______.
A. Spero can hardly maintain her business
B. Spero is too much engaged in her work
C. Spero has grown out of her bad habit
D. Spero is not in a desperate situation
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[考点] 细节题
[解析] 题干中短语的位置出现在原文第1自然段。该表达与该段发展句之间构成了“一般一解释”关系。此外，该表达与第3自然段的“not in despar”构成了照应关系，根据篇章的一致性，选项D “spero尚未陷入绝境”与上文构成了较佳的衔接关系。而选项C “Spero已经摆脱了坏习惯”是该表达字面化的含义，非上下文含义。选项A “spero几乎无法维持生意”，和B “spero太忙碌于其工作”都无法构成这种最佳的概念性的重复和衔接关系，甚至是根据原文片语信息的断章取义。
单选题
How do the public feel about the current economic situation?