سؤال قراءة ستيب محلول — المفردات في السياق (تدريب 7434)

(1) Inflation is a general and sustained increase in prices over time. It is calculated by measuring the price of a typical basket of common products that people buy regularly. It tracks how the price of that basket of products changes over time. The rate of inflation is usually stated as a percentage. An annual inflation rate of 2% means that a product that was 100 riyals last year will now be priced 102 riyals. (2) Inflation affects almost all people. It reduces how much a person can buy because more money is now needed to the same items. High rates of inflation mean that if salaries do not increase at the same rate, people will feel that they are poorer. They will have the same amount of money, but they will not be able to buy the same things. They will purchase less and stop purchasing luxury items and things that do not really need. (3) Inflation has an effect on businesses too. They often see a drop in sales, because of the lower real levels of consumer spending. In addition, their staff may ask for higher salaries because they need more money to pay for the higher cost of living. This would result in higher costs for businesses and could also cause the business to hike prices even more. This would then push inflation higher again. what may cause higher costs for a business?