China New Middle Class
Transcription
China New Middle Class
www.anglophonie.fr page 1/3 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 page 2/3 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 page 3/3 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