歷年考研英語(yǔ)閱讀理解2004年03

[00:05.57]2004 Text3 [00:08.09]When it comes to the slowing economy, [00:10.41]Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet. [00:14.13]But the 47-year-old manicurist isn't cutting, [00:17.67]filing or polishing as many nails as she'd like to, either. [00:21.92]Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, [00:26.72]but last month two longtime customers [00:29.38]suddenly stopped showing up. [00:31.91]Spero blames the softening economy. [00:34.94]"I'm a good economic indicator," she says. [00:37.78]"I provide a service that people can do without [00:40.59]when they're concerned about saving some dollars." [00:43.68]So Spero is downscaling, [00:46.90]shopping at middle-brow Dillard's department store [00:49.50]near her suburban Cleveland home, [00:51.81]instead of Neiman Marcus. [00:53.93]"I don't know if other clients are going to [00:56.07]abandon me, too," she says. [00:58.99]Even before Alan Greenspan's admission [01:01.00]that America's red-hot economy is cooling, [01:04.45]lots of working folks had already seen [01:06.72]signs of the slowdown themselves. [01:09.44]From car dealerships to Gap outlets, [01:12.27]sales have been lagging for months [01:14.29]as shoppers temper their spending. [01:16.91]For retailers, [01:17.87]who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue [01:21.30]between Thanksgiving and Christmas, [01:23.84]the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. [01:27.97]Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent [01:32.19]from last year's pace. [01:33.93]But don't sound any alarms just yet. [01:36.83]Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, [01:41.27]and many say they remain optimistic [01:43.47]about the economy's long-term prospects, [01:46.48]even as they do some modest belt-tightening. [01:50.31]Consumers say they're not in despair because, [01:53.06]despite the dreadful headlines, [01:55.07]their own fortunes still feel pretty good. [01:58.85]Home prices are holding steady in most regions. [02:02.33]In Manhattan, [02:03.54]"there's a new gold rush happening [02:05.37]in the $4 million to $10 million range, [02:08.47]predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," [02:11.12]says broker Barbara Corcoran. [02:13.98]In San Francisco, [02:15.49]prices are still rising even [02:17.21]as frenzied overbidding quiets. [02:20.03]"Instead of 20 to 30 offers, [02:22.36]now maybe you only get two or three," says John Tealdi, [02:26.70]a Bay Area real-estate broker. [02:28.92]And most folks still feel pretty comfortable [02:31.63]about their ability to find and keep a job. [02:35.59]Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. [02:39.23]Potential home buyers would cheer [02:41.35]for lower interest rates. [02:43.03]Employers wouldn't mind a little fewer bubbles [02:45.67]in the job market. [02:47.79]Many consumers seem to have been influenced [02:50.20]by stock-market swings, [02:52.11]which investors now view [02:53.34]as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. [02:57.27]Diners might see an upside, too. [03:00.01]Getting a table at Manhattan's hot [03:01.83]new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. [03:06.16]Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. [03:10.02]may still be worth toasting.

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