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　　When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn' t hiring her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn't cutting, filing 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 blame

s 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 ff 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 bad 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 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 stook-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.

　　51. 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.

　　【答案】D

　　【注释】bite one's nails：焦虑不安。这是一道较难的题。许多考生并不知道“bite one's nails”这个词组的确切含义，所以不能作出正确的判断。但是考生应该能通过上下文推断出这个短语的意思。面对经济发展的延缓，人们的反应不外乎两种表现：要么焦虑不安，要么仍然怀有希望。第2段和第4段的主题句表明了D为正确答案。[A]“Spero很难维持她的业务”；B.“Spero很专心于她的工作”；[C]“Spero戒掉了坏习惯”均不正确。

　　52. How do the public feel about the current economic situation?

　　[A] Optimisti[C]

　　[B] Confused.

　　[C] Carefree.

　　[D] Panicked.

　　【答案】A

　　【注释】从文章第2段最后一句可知答案为A。文章第2段最后一句说道：“消费者们只是感到有些关戚，而不是恐慌，尽管他们在开始勒紧裤腰带，许多人对经济的长期展望还是持乐观态度。”所以A为正确答案。

　　53. When mentioning "the $4 million to $10 million range" (Lines 3 -4, Paragraph 3), the author is talking about

　　[A] gold market.

　　[B] real estate.

　　[C] stock exchange.

　　[D] venture investment.

　　【答案】B

　　【注释】本题答案的线索在第三段的第2句。“the $4 million to $10 million range”的前一句是“Home prices are holding steady in most regions.”所以答案为B。[B] real estate：

　　54. Why can many people see "silver linings" to the economic slowdown?

　　[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

　　【注释】从文章第4段可知答案为A。许多人从经济衰退中看到一丝慰藉，想买房的人、老板、顾客，甚至去餐馆吃饭的人都能得到一点好处。潜在的房屋购买者会为低利率而叫好，其弦外之音就是人们在买房时可以因为低利率而获利。所以答案为A。

　　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

　　【注释】文章谈的是经济衰退对各方面的影响，但是人们并没有绝望，而只是受到轻微影响。第1段第1句谈到衰退的经济，Ellen Spero并没有觉得绝望。消费者们只是稍微有点关心，而不是惊恐不安，许多人说关于经济的展望还是持乐观态度。可以看出答案是C，即小心谨慎是对的，但不用惊慌。

　　参考译文：

　　当经济发展减缓时，Ellen Spero就不像以前那样修指甲了。但47岁的指甲修饰师也不再能削，锉或打磨像她所期望的那么多的指甲了。她的大多数客户每周花费12美元到50美元修指甲，但上个月，两个长期客户突然不再来了。Spero谴责这疲软的经济。“我是一盏很好的经济指示灯，”她说，“我提供的服务使人们从不会考虑到省钱问题”。所以Spero正在缩小规模，减少消费。Dillard的店面位于郊区的克利夫兰，在她家附近，而不是Neiman Marcus。“我也不知道其他客户是否会放弃我，”她说。甚至在艾伦•格林斯潘承认美国的红热经济正在冷却之前，许多工作的人们已看到了经济滑坡的迹象。从汽车的经销到汽油的出口，由于购买者调整了他们的支出，销售已滞后了几个月。对于零售商人来说，去年他们在感恩节和圣诞节期间的销售收入占了全年总收入的24%，现在又到了这个关键时期，他们应谨慎对待。专家报告说，假期销售比去年低了七个百分点。但还没有发出任何警告。消费者看上去也只是适度关注，并不恐慌，并且许多人都说，尽管他们会适度地勒紧裤带，但他们对经济发展的长期前景保持乐观态度。

　　消费者说他们并不绝望，因为，他们觉得他们自己的运气还相当好。产地价格在大多数地区保持稳定。在曼哈顿岛，“出现了一种新的在400万到1000万范围之内的淘金热，主要有华尔街的红利资助，”经纪人Barbara Corcoran说。在弗朗西斯科，尽管狂热的叫价已平静下来，但价格仍在上涨。“现在你只能买到两个或三个，而在以前可买到20到30个，”一位海湾地区的不动产经纪人John Tealdi说。大多数民间的人相信他们有能力找到工作和保持原来的工作。

　　许多民间的人从这种经济减缓过程中看到了有利的一面。可能的产地购买者将会为比较低的利率欢呼。雇佣者不会介意工作市场上变得有些少的泡沫。群集经济的摇摆不定好像影响了许多消费者，而投资者把它看成维持繁荣的一个必要因素。用餐者也可能觉得价格上涨。在曼哈顿岛的一家新开的生意红火的Alain Ducasse餐厅寻找一个位子过去常常是不可能的，现在不再这样了。正因为那样，格林斯潘公司仍值得夸耀。