Text 3When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. B

Text3Whenitcomestotheslowingeconomy,EllenSperoisn’tbitinghernailsjustyet.Butthe47-year-oldmanicuristisn’tcutting,fillingorpolishingasmanynailsasshe’dliketo,either.Mostofherclientsspend$12to$50weekly,butlastmonthtwolongtimecustomerssuddenlystoppedshowingup.Speroblamesthesofteningeconomy.“I’magoodeconomicindicator,”shesays.“Iprovideaservicethatpeoplecandowithoutwhenthey’reconcernedaboutsavingsomedollars.”SoSperoisdownscaling,shoppingatmiddle-browDillard’sdepartmentstorenearhersuburbanClevelandhome,insteadofNeimanMarcus.“Idon’tknowifotherclientsaregoingtoabandonme,too”shesays.

EvenbeforeAlanGreenspan’sadmissionthatAmerica’sred-hoteconomyiscooling,lotsofworkingfolkshadalreadyseensignsoftheslowdownthemselves.FromcardealershipstoGapoutlets,saleshavebeenlaggingformonthsasshopperstempertheirspending.Forretailers,wholastyeartookin24percentoftheirrevenuebetweenThanksgivingandChristmas,thecautiousapproachiscomingatacrucialtime.Already,expertssay,holidaysalesareoff7percentfromlastyear’space.Butd on’tsoundanyalarmsjustyet.Consumersseemonlyconcerned,notpanicked,andmanysaytheyremainoptimisticabouttheeconomy’slong-termprospects,evenastheydosomemodestbelt-tightening.

Consumerssaythey’renotindespairbecause,despitethedreadfulheadlines,theirownfortunesstillfeelprettygood.Homepricesareholdingsteadyinmostr egions.InManhattan,“there’sanewgoldrushhappeninginthe$4millionto$10millionrange,predominantlyfedbyWallStr eetbonuses,”saysbrokerBarbaraCorcoran.InSanFrancisco,pricesarestillrisingevenasfrenziedoverbiddingquiets.“Insteadof20to30offers,nowmaybeyouonlygettwoorthree,”saysjohnDeadly,aBayAreareal-estatebroker.Andmostfolksstillfeelprettycomfortable abouttheirabilitytofindandkeepajob.

Manyfolksseesilverliningstothisslowdown.Potentialhomebuyerswouldcheerforlowerinterestr ates.Employerswouldn’tmindalittlefewerbubblesinthejobmarket.Manyconsumersseemtohavebeeninfluencedbystock-marketswings,whichinvestorsnowviewasanecessaryingredienttoasustainedboom.Dinersmightseeanupside,too.Gettingatable atManhattan’shotnewAlainDucasserestaurantneedtobeimpossible.Notanymore.Forthat,Greenspan&Co.maystillbeworthtoasting.

第51题：By“EllenSperoisn’tbitinghernailsjustyet”(Line1,Paragraph1),theauthormeans

ASperocanhardlymaintainherbusiness.

BSperoistoomuchengagedinherwork.

CSperohasgrownoutofherbadhabit.

DSperoisnotinadesperatesituation.