China New Middle Class

www.anglophonie.fr
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New Middle Class : China Consumers Boosting Economy
(BBC News, 2013)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22961571
That the Chinese masses are deserting the countryside in search of work and a better life is an old story.
But now there’s a new chapter. The farmers leaving these fields for cities like Zhang Zho are becoming
not just workers but consumers too. In short, they’re off to join the middle class.
Jessica Zhao earns a little more than twelve thousand U.S dollars a year and she spends every last bit of it.
Often with the help of her credit card.
My parents would never spend money they don’t have, she tells me, but attitudes are changing fast.
China needs this to happen so that its new cities can become the building blocks of economic growth,
replacing the reliance on exports and government spending.
The Zhang family live on forty thousand dollars a year. There’s little Zho Ye, mom, a hospital
administrator and dad, a construction company boss. They live in a nice apartment now typical of
millions of Chinese families.
Yes, I do feel middle class, Mr.Zhang tells me. It’s right that the weak get left behind and the stronger
survive.
China’s expanding middle class means big opportunities for the global economy too.
In the past few years, more than a dozen wine bars have sprung up across this city.
Foreign car makers are cashing in. Jessica and her husband currently spend half of their monthly income
on repayments for this. Missed a bit here, look!
Zhang Zho‘s new amusement park is a sign of the booming leisure industry. And then in a little more than
thirty dollars a ticket, it’s a decidedly middle class experience.
There are fears that this economy could falter before the fledgeling consumer society really takes off but
if the music doesn’t stop, China’s middle class just might keep on spending themselves to global
prosperity.
John Sudworth, BBC News.
Vocabulary
1. boosting economy
2. countryside
3. fields
4. consumers
5. in short
6. they’re off to join
7. spends every last bit
8. economic growth
9. the reliance
10. it is right
11. the weak get left behind
12. expanding
économie en plein essor
campagne
champs
les consommateurs
en bref
ils partent pour rejoindre
expr. ‘dépense tout jusqu’au dernier centime’
croissance économique
la dépendance
c’est normal
les plus faibles restent derrière
en expansion
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13. global
14. have sprung up (inf. to spring)
15. are cashing in
16. monthly income
17. amusement park
18. booming leisure industry
19. decidedly
20. falter
21. fledgeling
22. takes off
23. just might keep on spending themselves
mondiale
ont poussé comme des champignons
en profitent, gagnent de l’argent
revenu mensuel
parc d’attraction
industrie du loisir en plein essor
résolument
faiblir
naissante
décolle
pourrait continuer à dépenser de l’argent
(jusqu’à atteindre une prospérité de niveau
international)
New Middle Class : China Consumers Boosting Economy
(BBC News, 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
That the Chinese masses are deserting the __c _________________ in search of work and a better life is
campagne
an old story.
But now there’s a new chapter. The farmers leaving these _f____________ for cities like Zhang Zho are
champs
becoming not just workers but _c_________________ too. _I____s______________, they’re
consommateurs
En bref
_o_______to_j___________ the middle class.
partent pour rejoindre
Jessica Zhao earns a little more than twelve thousand U.S dollars a year and she spends every last bit of it.
Often with the help of her credit card.
My parents would never spend money they don’t have, she tells me, but attitudes are changing fast.
China needs this to happen so that its new cities can become the building blocks of economic
_g_____________________, replacing the _r________________ on exports and government spending.
croissance
dépendance
The Zhang family live on forty thousand dollars a year. There’s little Zho Ye, mom, a hospital
administrator and dad, a construction company boss. They live in a nice apartment now typical of
millions of Chinese families.
Yes, I do feel middle class, Mr.Zhang tells me. It’s right that the _w______g_____l_____b_______and
the stronger survive.
les plus faibles restent derrière
China’s _e_________________middle class means big opportunities for the _______________
en expansion
economy too.
mondiale
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In the past few years, more than a dozen wine bars _h________s____________u______ across this city.
ont poussé comme des champignons
Foreign car makers _a_______c__________i____. Jessica and her husband currently spend half of
en profitent, gagnent de l’argent
their _m______________i____________ on repayments for this. Missed a bit here, look!
revenu mensuel
Zhang Zho‘s new _a_______________p_______ is a sign of the _b___________l___________i_______.
parc d’attraction
industrie du loisir en plein essor
And then in a little more than thirty dollars a ticket, it’s a _d____________________ middle class
résolument
experience.
There are fears that this economy could _f________________ before the _f____________________
faiblir
naissante
consumer society really _t____________o__________ but if the music doesn’t stop, China’s middle class
décolle
just might _k____________o_____s_______________ themselves to global prosperity.
continuer à dépenser