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7Do you think shopping is good for a country's economy?
Yes, certainly.
Buying and selling are the foundation of an economy. When the average person goes out and purchases an item, be it an item as small as a pen or as expensive as a car, they are generating demand and thus creating a small ripple within a plethora of economic contributors, such as manufacturing, logistics, and retail, and that’s how an economy is able to flow, from manufacturing to procurement, shopping by an individual being one very small component of that process.
Consequently, shopping, in this way, is beneficial for a nation’s economy.
buying and selling 买卖
the foundation of ……的根基
generating 产生；引起
ripple 涟漪
a plethora of 大量的
economic contributors 经济贡献
manufacturing 生产
logistics 物流
retail 零售
procurement 购买
one very small component of 一个很小的组成部分
beneficial 对……有益
Why do people like shopping more now than in the past?
I think there are a few reasons for this phenomenon, among which the advent of e-commerce technology plays a paramount role.
I mean, technology has made it so much easier for everyone to shop; to buy anything, groceries, skin care products, clothing, and even home appliances, all one needs to do is go to some mainstream shopping site and browse whatever he or she needs, adds them into a digital shopping cart, then pays…and they’ll be delivered to the door within one to four days, at least here in China.
The second reason is probably that better traffic and logistics systems both domestically and internationally have shortened the distance and time to transport products, bringing more types of goods and fresh foodstuffs, meaning more shopping options for people. Faced with so many more alternatives, people are more motivated to shop more often.
Last but not least, compared to the past, the economy has become better, and for the average person, this means more disposable income, and so they can afford more items that they desire.
Overall, these are the three fundamental factors I think for people shopping more these days than before.
the advent of ……的出现
e-commerce technology 电子商务科技
paramount 至关重要的
groceries 杂货
skin care products 护肤品
home appliances 家电
mainstream 主流的
browse 浏览
digital 电子的
shopping cart 购物车
domestically 国内
internationally 国际
foodstuffs 食品
alternatives 可选物；替代物
motivated 积极的；有动机的
disposable income 可支配收入
fundamental factors 基本因素
How should children spend their allowance money?
It really depends on the kid’s preferences. In most families, children’s basic needs, like food, clothing, and toys are already provided for, so when they have their own pocket money, they can spend it on whatever they like, for instance, a particular snack, a cute pencil, a dinosaur toy, or a storybook.
preferences 喜好
provided for 提供
How should bosses reward employees?
Well, I guess there are a few ways a company can remunerate or incentivize staff, including salary, shares, bonus, paid holidays, and other perks such as snacks, team-building, and flexible working hours.
However, in saying that, I think the best reward for employees is a financial reward because except for those well-off employees, the majority of people work because they need the money to support themselves and their families. It might sound a little shallow but let’s face it, for most employees, money is the main motivator to work.
remunerate 付报酬
incentivize 奖励
bonus 奖金
paid holidays 带薪假
perks 福利
team-building 团建
financial reward 经济报酬
well-off 富裕的
the majority of people 大多数人
motivator 动力
