2004年Text 3
　　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, filing or polishing as many nails as she’d like to. 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 a 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 mildly 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 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 used to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan Co. may still be worth toasting.
　　55. To which of the following is the author likely to agree?
　　[A] A new boom, on the horizon.
　　[B] Tighten the belt, the single remedy.
　　[C] Caution all right, panic not.
　　[D] The more ventures, the more chances.
　　[答案] C
　　[解题思路]
　　本题是对全文中心思想的概括。A选项是错误的，因为原文并没有明确指出新的经济繁荣即将来临。B选项中的语气过于悲观，与原文的乐观基调南辕北辙，因而也是错误的。D选项也不正确，因为本文主要谈论的不是投资的问题。而C选项正确地表达了原文所要传递的信息，即面对经济的不景气人们要谨慎地关注，但仍要保持乐观情绪。
　　[题目译文]
　　作者可能会同意以下哪个观点？
　　[A] 新的繁荣即将到来
　　[B] 勒紧腰带是唯一的办法
　　[C] 需谨慎、莫恐慌
　　[D] 风险越大、机会越多