[单项选择]Economists say confidence in the U.S. economy has improved since the financial crisis began, but it is still at a very low level. This week, the New York-based Conference board said its consumer confidence is about half of what it was this time last year. As people struggle to deal with job losses and dwindling retirement funds, their outlook of the country’s economic situation remains pessimistic during the biggest consumer spending time of the year.
Claire Rusk, a shopper in Alexandria, Virginia, says she is changing her holiday spending habits this year because of the economic crisis, even though her nine-year-old son expects Christmas as usual.
"His list is longer than ever, so l was listening to how you tell him that his list better be shorter this year," she said.
Rusk says the crisis is forcing her to think hard about her purchases.
"I’m just going to be more careful. I’m going to make a list. I’m not going to randomly shop," she noted. "I usually ju

[单项选择]Economists say confidence in the U.S. economy has improved since the financial crisis began, but it is still at a very low level. This week, the New York-based Conference board said its consumer confidence is about half of what it was this time last year. As people struggle to deal with job losses and dwindling retirement funds, their outlook of the country’s economic situation remains pessimistic during the biggest consumer spending time of the year.
Claire Rusk, a shopper in Alexandria, Virginia, says she is changing her holiday spending habits this year because of the economic crisis, even though her nine-year-old son expects Christmas as usual.
"His list is longer than ever, so l was listening to how you tell him that his list better be shorter this year," she said.
Rusk says the crisis is forcing her to think hard about her purchases.
"I’m just going to be more careful. I’m going to make a list. I’m not going to randomly shop," she noted. "I usually ju

[单项选择] When the leaders of the new economy say they’’re not in it for the money, that’’s not just bad for business. It’’s bad for everyone. Some of the pioneers of the new economy are saying very strange things. These moguls of modern-day capitalism solemnly deny that they are engaged in business for the purpose of making money. What’’s going on here Adam Smith, the founding father of capital ism, presumed that people engage in commercial activity for the purpose of economic gain. Have capitalism’’s most successful practitioners evolved beyond such base intentions Are we to infer that the world’’s largest wealth-creation scheme is being driven largely by non profit motives Not really. New-economy tycoons still like to make money. They simply want to make clear that they are also driven by higher motives. And this trend in pursuit of higher things is spreading through the business world. A recent editorial in the Red Herring posited business as an expression of the highest huma
A. engage in commercial activity for the purpose of economic gain
B. are driven largely by non-profit motives
C. do the things that they do for love
D. tend to search {or meaning in their lives