Why prices hikes are not all that bad 1

With food getting more expensive, some worry that the rising prices will cause living standards to decline. But Wu Jun, an economics professor at the University of International Business and Economics, sees things differently. Wu explained the issue from three angles.

 

Price and income

 

As economies develop, prices go up - this is natural. Decades ago, the price of pork was just 1.6 yuan per kilogram. Now, it costs around 20 yuan. Yet, obviously, our life is better now. Why? Because our income grows with the prices.

 

In July 2007, China's CPI was 5.6 percent. (CPI calculates price changes in food and services during one years.) Compare this figure with the rising incomes of citizens living in urband and rural areas. Urban dwellers saw their incomes grow by 10.4 percent last year; rural dwellers saw their income grow by 7.4 percent.

 

 

短语学习

 

urban area 城市地区

 

rural area 农村地区

 

consumer price index 消费者物价指数

 

price hike 价格的上涨

 

not all bad 并不全是坏事

 

rising price 上涨的价格

 

cause living standards to decline 致使生活标准下降

 

economics professor 经济学教授

 

international business 国际商务

 

explain the issue 解读这个事件

 

from three angles 从三个角度

 

economy develops 经济发展了

 

price goes up 价格上涨

 

the price of pork 猪肉价格

 

1.6 yuan per kilogram 每千克1.6元

 

income grows with prices 收入随价格的上涨而上涨

 

calculate price change 计算价格变化

 

compare ... with ... 把……和……做比较

 

urban dweller 城市居民

 

see one's income grow 看见自己的收入增长

 

grow by ... percent 上涨了……个百分点

 

 

单词学习

 

decade n. 十年，十年期

 

income n. 收入

 

dweller n. 居民，居住者

 

pork n. 猪肉

 

kilogram n. 千克

 

cause v. 引起

 

standard n. 标准

 

decline v. 下降

 

international adj. 国际的

 

business n. 商业

 

explain v. 解释，说明

 

economy n. 经济

 

obviously adv. 显然地

 

figure n. 数字

 

citizen n. 公民，市民

 

economics n. 经济学

 

calculate v. 计算

 

professor n. 教授

 

issue n. 问题；争论；争议

 

angle n. 角度

 

compare v. 比较

 

urban adj. 城市的

 

rural adj. 农村的