请阅读Passaqel，完成第小题。 Passage1 AmongthethrongsofAmericansprowlingthemallsandtrawlinge-commercesites,manyarelookingoutforthemselves.Retail-researchfirmNPDGroupsaid,thusfar,aboutonethirdofconsumershaveengagedinwhatiscalledself-gifting.That'supfrom12percentinatypicalpre-recessionyear,andupfromthe19percentwhosaidtheyplannedtodosolastyear.TheNationalRetailFederation,thedispenserofallholiday-relateddata,saidin2012,nearly60percentofshopperswoulddoso. Thelateststepintheevolutionofourburgeoningcultureofnarcissism?Yes.Self-giftingmakespsychologicalandeconomicsensegivenwhatAmericanshaveenduredtheseyears. THEPOST-BUST(破产)erahasbeenalong,hard,heroicslogofbalance-sheetimprovement. Americanshavelaboredtosavemoneyandhackawayatthehugemountainofdebttheyaccumulatedduringthecreditboom.AccordingtotheNewYorkFederalReserve,consumershaveknockeddowntheiraggregatedebtloadfrom$12.67trillioninthethirdquarterof2008to$11.31trillioninthethirdquarterof2012;credit-carddebtisoff$192billionfromthepeak.Americanshavecuttheirloadbyspendingmorecarefullyandengaginginthatmostun-Americanoftraits: self-abnegation. AfterlivingfrugallyforsomuchoftheyearandforsomanyyearswhocanblameaparentatanAppleStoreforbuyingherselfanewiPad?Indeed,self-giftingmayactuallybeafunctionofthenewabstemiousness.Let'ssayyou'vebeenholdingoffonreplacingyouroldtelevision.WhynotbuyitaroundNovemberorDecemberwheninsanepromotionsandfreeshippingareavailable? Besides,it'snotlikeself-giftersaresolelyinterestedinself-pleasure.AnNRFsurveysaidthatthetypicalself-gifterwouldspendabout$140onhimselfthisyear.Forcomparison'ssake,thesurveysaidthetypicalshopperwouldspentabout$750inall. Afteralongperiodofeconomicmadness(rememberthehousingbubbleandthedotcommess),self-giftingisasignofmuch-neededeconomicrationality.Shoppingforothersinvolvesacertainamountofwrongguessworkwithnegativefinancialconsequence.Thisyear,forexample,CEBTowerGroupclaimsthatAmericanswillload$110billionontogiftcardsandgivethemaspresents. Butthemarket-researchfirmsaysthatabout1.6percentofthattotal,about$1.7billion,willgounused.Meanwhile,alargepercentageofgiftswindupgettingreturned.AdultssurveyedbyBIGinsightinNovember2012foundthat35percentofpeoplereportedreturningatleastsomeoftheirgifts.Returnsinduceguiltandraisethespecterofuncomfortableconversationsaboutwhathappenedtothatgiantstripedsweater.Butmoresignificant,returnsarebadfortheenvironment. Theyleadtomoretripstothemall,highershippingcosts,andtheunnecessaryuseofpackagingmaterials. Thesedays,theriseofe-commercemeansshoppingisnowantiseptic:sitandclick.Withthecharmgone,wehavetocomeupwithotherwaystomaketheexperiencepleasurable. Asthesonggoes,"HaveyourselfamerrylittleChristmas". Whathavetheretailresearchandsurveysrevealedaboutself-gifting? 查看材料
A.It hasn't helped improve balance sheets. B.It is an age-old practice for most Americans. C.It has been on the rise since the recent recession began. D.It has reflected the American tradition of self-abnegation.正确答案C
