我们知道，考研英语中的阅读文章，很大一部分取材于著名杂志《经济学人》，因此，阅读其中的文章，是对考研英语阅读能力的很好训练方式。今天，北外网课（北京外国语大学网络课堂）老师就列举了《经济学人》中的精彩原文，一起来看看吧。
Not all towns aredesperate to attract young people
Nationally, an ageingpopulation is a problem. Butlocally it can be a boon. The over-50s control80%of Britain's wealth, and like to spend it on houses and high-streetshopping. The young“generation rent”, by contrast, ispoor, distractible and liable to shop online.
People aged between50 and 74 spend twice as much as the under-30s on cinema tickets.Between 2000and 2010 restaurant spending by those aged 65-74 increased by 33%, whiletheunder-30s spent 18% less. The pension pots liberated by George Osborne'sbudget earlier thisyear will likely pour into property. And while the youngstill struggle to find work, older peopleare retiring later. During thefinancial crisis full-time employment fell for every age group butthe over-65s,and there has been a rash of older entrepreneurs. Pensioners also supporttheworking population by volunteering: some 100 retirees in Christchurch helpout as businessmentors.
Even if they wantedto, most small towns and cities could not capture the cool kids. Mobileyoungprofessionals cluster, and greatly prefer to cluster in London. Even supposedmeccas likeManchester are ageing: clubs in that city are becoming members-only,and there are anincreasing number of places, as one resident puts it, that “a 19-year-oldwouldn't be seen deadin”. Towns that aim too young,like Bracknell and Chippenham, can find their high streets full ofclosed LaSenzas (a lingerie chain) and struggling tattoo parlours. Outside Britain's capital,highconcentrations of youth are commonly tied to high unemployment rates.
Companies often lagbehind local authorities in working this out. They are London-obsessed,and havebeen slow to appreciate the growing economic heft of the old—who areassumed,often wrongly, to stick with products they learned to love in theiryouth. But CaroylnFreemanof Revelation Marketing reckons Britain could be onthe verge of a marketing surge directed atthe grey pound, “similar to what we saw with the pink”. Thewindow will not remain openforever: soon the baby boomers will start to ail,and no one else alive today is likely to havesuch a rich retirement.
Meanwhile, with theover-50s holding the purse strings, the towns that draw them are likely togrowmore and more pleasant. The lord mayor of Manchester, Sue Cooley, notes thatdecentrestaurants and nice shops spring up in the favoured haunts of the old,just as they do in thetrendy, revamped boroughs of London. Latimer House, aChristchurch furniture store full ofretro clothing and 1940s music, would notlook out of place in Hackney. Improved high streetsthen entice customers of allages.
Indeed,gentrification and gerontification can look remarkably similar. Old folk andyounghipsters are similarly fond of vinyl and typewriters, and wander about inoutsized spectacles.Some people never lose their edge.
不履行义务关于更多考研英语的学习技巧，北外网课也携优质全明星教师团队，打造了一系列精品网络课程，给你最实用的考研英语备考经验及**效的提分技巧，详情点击：http://www.beiwaiclass.com/got?uqQ3ee。
更多精彩，尽在北外网课：http://www.beiwaiclass.com/got?qiYNzi
京公网安备 11010802024222号
