a. she cannot afford to buy things at regular prices

b. she loves the deals she comes across.

c. she wants to look and live like an American.

d. she is too bored with her job.

2 The 'coupon generation' on the mainland is an indication that ...

a. those aged between 18 and 38 have money to spend

b. young people's spending will help the world recover from recession.

c. consumerism has taken over the country's central planning and capitalism.

d. all of the above

3 According to the article, the problem about collecting coupons is that ...

a. some of them can be fake.

b. some of them are not as useful as they seem.

c. people end up spending more money than they normally would.

d. the market is saturated and no one wants them anymore.

4 Some predict that China will become the world's largest consumer market in ...

a. 2020.

b. 2012.

c. 2030.

d. 2016.

Think about

1 Do you think discount coupons really help consumers save money? Why?

2 What kind of things or services would you be interested in collecting coupons for? Why?

3 How is consumer behaviour on the mainland different from that in Hong Kong? Give examples.

Vocabulary

1 Many parents nowadays are worried that their children may become __________________________ the internet.

2 His schedule is always ____________________________ all kinds of appointments and there is hardly any time for his family.

3 Outside MTR stations, there are always people distributing discount _______________________ from department stores.

Answers:

Reading comprehension: 1. b, 2. d, 3. c, 4. a

Vocabulary: 1. obsessed with, 2. crammed with, 3. coupons