高考总复习英语配套练习题16 课时质量评价(十六).pdfVIP

课时质量评价(十六)

Ⅰ.阅读理解

(2024·广东一模)Ifyou’venoticedyou’regettinglesswhileyourbillalmoststaysthesame,

it’snotjustyou.“Shrinkflation”—reducingaproduct’ssizeorquantitywhilekeepingitsprice

stable—isshowingupinshopsaroundtheworld.

Astheglobaleconomystruggleswithinflation(通货膨胀),risingmaterialcostsandhigher

humancost,consumersarebearingtheincreasingproductionprices.“Consumersaremorelikely

tonoticehowtheirpurchasesareaffectingtheirwalletsthantheamountofproduct‘lost’when

sizesdecrease，”saysMarkStiving,thechiefpricingeducatoratImpactPricing.Asaresult,

companiesuseshrinkflationtomakeconsumers“lesspainful”．

Yetevenasshrinkflationcomeswithinflation,theproblemdoesn’tendafterinflationdoes.

Oncethenewsizesareontheshelf,theyarelikelytostaythatway.“Shoppersdon’thavea

choice.Theyhavetoadaptthemselvestothechanges，”addsStiving.Therearerareexceptions,

butcompaniesgenerallytaketheopportunitytogetmoreprofits.

Formanycompanies,shrinkflationseemstobeunavoidable.Infoodindustry,forexample,

wherecustomersarehighlysensitivetoprice,liftingpricesmightmakecustomersjumpshipto

anotherbrand.Butfacingthecontinuousinflation,thecompanieshavetodosomethingto

maintaintheirprofits.Introducingsmallreductioninthesizeoftheirgoodsshouldenablethemto

improveprofitswhilekeepingtheirpricescompetitive.Butoncecustomersnoticethechange,

theymightfeelfooled,leadingtoalossoftrustandconfidence.

Somegrocersareusingstickerstoremindshoppersofshrinkflation,butstill,it’satoughhit

tothebottomline—especiallybecausethepriceofproductsgenerallydoesn’tfallasinflati