Most American students have said goodbye to fancy (高档的) fruits these days. In school canteens
across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place.
"People are afraid to spend now," said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store."They don't
know what the future will bring." During the financial crisis (金融危机), several of the country's biggest
banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive goods.
Samira Marino, a restaurant owner in Miami, has found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and
more people are sharing meals.
In more than two-dozen interviews with The Associated Press across the country last month, Americans
talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts (怀疑) about simply making ends
meet (维持生计).
The crisis began last year. Experts think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot
of people and companies,who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the
banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed
money between themselves and even across borders (国界), the whole world was in trouble.
This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no
one is sure whether it will help or not. President George W. Bush has warned it will take some time. Last
week top finance officials from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money
trouble.
1. Why are people in the US afraid to spend?
A. Because they think it's unnecessary.
B. Because they don't have the habit of spending money.
C. Because they worry about their future.
D. Because they don't have enough money.
2. The underlined word "concerns" probably means _______.
A. worries
B. conditions
C. hobbies
D. experiences
3. The fifth paragraph mainly _______.
A. tells what it is like in a crisis
B. explains why there is a crisis
C. warns people of the danger of the crisis
D. asks people not to borrow money from banks
4. People feel _______ about the US plan to save the market.
A. satisfied
B. doubtful
C. hopeless
D. angry
5. The best title for the story is _______.
A. Ways to Make Ends Meet
B. The Money Problem Facing the World
C. Healthy Fancy Fruits
D. The Art of Borrowing
