题目类型：
单选题
题目内容
Passage 3
Retail sales and consumer prices had record declines in Japan last year, the govemment said, indicating that weak personal spending continues to cripple the world's second-largest economy.
Sales fell at the nation's retailers for an unprecedented fourth straight year, with sales dropping 1.7% to 132.87 trillion yen (T.132 trillion), the Ministry of Economy. Trade and Industry announced.
Reflecting that trend, Japan's consumer prices took their biggest tumble, falling 0.7% to 101.5 points from 102.2 points.
Retail sales have been sliding since 1997, when the Japanese government raised the sales tax to 5% from 3% in an ill-timed effort to rebuild its finances
Though the economy recently has shown signs of pulling out of its deepest slump in decades, consumers worried about job and wage security remain reluctant to spend.
That was forced Japen’s retailers and other consumer industries to tower prices and move away from their time-honored practics of focusing on good servics alone to kesp consarmers satisfed.
The Japanese government has tried to give deflation positive image, stressing that failirg prices are partially a result of companies becoming more productive as once-regulated markets have been thrown open to competition.
But one of the nation's senior economic policy makers rejected that view at a recent news conference.
"Japan is the only major country to have falling consumer prices, "said Taro Aso, minister for econmic and fiscal policy and information technology, was quoted as saying by Dow Jones
“But can't' imagine that Japan is the nation to be experiencing productivity increases.
Weighing most heavily on Japan's consumer prices last year were declines in the prices of food and household items such as furniture, the Ministry of Public Management,Home Affairs and Posts and Telecommunications said in its preliminary report.
Other government statistics suggested that there are more economic challenges ahead for Japan, even though the conservative coalition government has spent record amounts of taxpayers'money trying to boost the economy.
Toky-area consumer prices closely watehed by analysts as an indicator of trends for the rest of the country, fell 0.4% in January trom a year earlier, marking a record 17 consecative morths of decline.
Falling rents and fierce competition among retailers and providers of telecommunica: services were primarily responsible for lower prices, the government said.
The JEpsnese econcmy has recently shown signs of ticing over its deepest slump in decades, and consumers ____.
Retail sales and consumer prices had record declines in Japan last year, the govemment said, indicating that weak personal spending continues to cripple the world's second-largest economy.
Sales fell at the nation's retailers for an unprecedented fourth straight year, with sales dropping 1.7% to 132.87 trillion yen (T.132 trillion), the Ministry of Economy. Trade and Industry announced.
Reflecting that trend, Japan's consumer prices took their biggest tumble, falling 0.7% to 101.5 points from 102.2 points.
Retail sales have been sliding since 1997, when the Japanese government raised the sales tax to 5% from 3% in an ill-timed effort to rebuild its finances
Though the economy recently has shown signs of pulling out of its deepest slump in decades, consumers worried about job and wage security remain reluctant to spend.
That was forced Japen’s retailers and other consumer industries to tower prices and move away from their time-honored practics of focusing on good servics alone to kesp consarmers satisfed.
The Japanese government has tried to give deflation positive image, stressing that failirg prices are partially a result of companies becoming more productive as once-regulated markets have been thrown open to competition.
But one of the nation's senior economic policy makers rejected that view at a recent news conference.
"Japan is the only major country to have falling consumer prices, "said Taro Aso, minister for econmic and fiscal policy and information technology, was quoted as saying by Dow Jones
“But can't' imagine that Japan is the nation to be experiencing productivity increases.
Weighing most heavily on Japan's consumer prices last year were declines in the prices of food and household items such as furniture, the Ministry of Public Management,Home Affairs and Posts and Telecommunications said in its preliminary report.
Other government statistics suggested that there are more economic challenges ahead for Japan, even though the conservative coalition government has spent record amounts of taxpayers'money trying to boost the economy.
Toky-area consumer prices closely watehed by analysts as an indicator of trends for the rest of the country, fell 0.4% in January trom a year earlier, marking a record 17 consecative morths of decline.
Falling rents and fierce competition among retailers and providers of telecommunica: services were primarily responsible for lower prices, the government said.
The JEpsnese econcmy has recently shown signs of ticing over its deepest slump in decades, and consumers ____.
正确答案
C
AI解析
根据文章内容，日本去年零售销售和消费者价格出现了创纪录的下降，这表明个人消费疲软继续拖累世界第二大经济体。文章提到，自1997年日本政府提高销售税以来，零售销售一直在下滑。尽管经济近期显示出摆脱数十年来最严重衰退的迹象，但消费者对工作和工资的安全感担忧仍然不愿消费。这种担忧迫使日本的零售商和其他消费行业降低价格，并且不再仅仅依靠优质服务来保持消费者满意。此外，尽管日本政府试图给通货紧缩一个积极的形象，强调价格下降部分是因为公司变得更有生产力，但一位高级经济政策制定者在新闻发布会上拒绝了这种观点。他指出，日本是唯一一个消费者价格下降的主要国家，并且他无法想象日本正在经历生产力增长。文章还提到，食品和家庭用品价格的下降对去年日本的消费者价格影响最大。因此，根据这些信息，选项C "still do not want to spend more money as they are not sure of their jobs" 是正确的，因为它与文章中提到的消费者对工作和工资安全感的担忧相符合。