单选题
The chancellor has blamed bad weather for a shock
contraction in the UK economy, but how can snow have such a dramatic
effect? Official figures showed that the economy had taken
quite a hit from the snow at the end of 2010. Last year, it was discussed
whether snow might actually be good for the economy. Why has it been so bad this
time round? That winter there was much talk of snow effects,
but little sign of permanent impact on the official figures. The figures on the
construction sector, for example, showed it had a very difficult time in the
first three months of 2010, which could be partly blamed on the weather, but
then recovered extremely strongly in the following three months as builders
caught up on delayed projects. It is important to distinguish between a genuine
dead loss for the economy and spending that is just being delayed.
The snow this winter appears to have had a greater effect than last
winter. Once again, the construction sector has taken a hit, which we can
probably expect to be made up in 201t. But other areas may not be made up. Last
week's retail sales figures showed a fall of more than 10% in sales at petrol
stations in December, which reflects people leaving their cars at home as a
result of difficult driving conditions. Lots of people could not get into work
as a result of the snow, but not all of them cost the economy anything. Some
freelance or casual workers will not have been paid for the days they did not
work, and cafes, restaurants, taxi drivers and train operators will not make
back all of the money that they lost as a result of people staying at home. Some
people work in sectors where a missed day cannot be made up with a bit of
overtime or slightly delayed deliveries, but if you are a hairdresser, for
example, then the people who were going to come in for a trim but cancelled
because of snow are pretty likely to make another appointment.
It is also important not to forget the gains to the economy from snow. Utility
companies had a bumper December as people were forced to turn up their heating
to cope with the coldest December on record. Also, last week's retail sales
figures showed significant growth in sales of winter clothing. Halfords
announced in a trading statement that its sales of car maintenance products had
risen. The big difference between this winter's snow and last
winter's snow was the timing. Several big shopping centers were forced to close
in the weekend before Christmas, meaning that some people did not get their
gifts until January, if at all. This is the crucial point. If you were planning
to go out in the first week in December to buy a drill and actually you had to
go and buy it in the second week, the economy would barely bat an eyelid. But if
you were going to buy it on 23 December and instead had to buy it on 27
December, it is a big deal. The difference to the economy of
having buying sprees at full-price pre-Christmas and at cut-price in the sales
is significant and will not be made up later in the year. Also, many people will
have been planning pre-Christmas drinks and meals with friends and colleagues,
which will have been cancelled or delayed. Even the part of the Office for
National Statistics (ONS) that calculates the official growth figures for the
economy had to postpone its Christmas party because of the weather, and will not
be holding it until April. Last winter, the snow was timed much more favorably,
coming mainly in January. This year's Christmas trading statements from big
retailers were full of comments about the weather. The boss of
Tesco said that its performance had been "hindered" by the "disruptive effects
of the severe winter weather conditions", while Dixons said, "The adverse
weather conditions reduced footfall in the run up to Christmas Day."
So while last year it could be argued that in the medium term the snow
had not done the economy much harm, this year the effect has been muelayed more
damaging. The ONS said that the snow had knocked 0.5% off the economic growth
figures, which is a considerable amount of lost growth. Some of that will be
made back, perhaps by the construction sector as happened last time, and perhaps
by bumper January sales shopping and delayed parties, but a significant
proportion of it is probably lost to the economy for ever.
单选题
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
A.Snow had a dramatic effect on the UK economy this winter.
B.Some areas had been made up in spite of bad weather last winter.
C.There were no gains to the economy from snow.
D.The big difference between this winter's snow and last winter's snow was
the timing.
单选题
In Paragraph 6, the phrase "barely bat an eyelid" means ______
A.not be affected
B.not be made up
C.not be looking up
D.take a hit
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 逻辑推理题。本题表面上看似词汇辨析，实为逻辑分析题。如果不了解这个短语的含义，可以根据后面的一句“But if you were going to buy it on 23 December and instead had to buy it on 27 December, it is a big deal(但是如果你本打算在12月23日采购，却不得不推迟到27号，那就有很大的不同)”，说明前面一句说的是没什么不同，因此选择A。
单选题
According to the ONS, some of the lost growth will possibly be made
back by the following EXCEPT ______.