Question 12 is based on the passage you have just heard.

Passage One                  

     America’s holiday shopping season starts on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is the busiest shopping day of the year. Retailers make the most money this time of year, about 20 to 30 percent of annual revenue. About 136 million people will shop during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. More and more will shop online. In an era of instant information, shoppers can use their mobile phones to find deals. About 183.8 million people will shop on Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving. More than half of all holiday purchases will be made online. One-in-five Americans will use a tablet or smartphone. Online spending on Black Friday will rise 15 percent to hit $2.7 billion this year. Cyber Monday spending will increase 12 percent to $3 billion. For many, shopping online was “a more comfortable alternative” than crowded malls. The shift to online shopping has had a big impact on traditional shopping malls. Since 2010, more than 24 shopping malls have closed and an additional 60 are struggling. However, Fortune says the weakest of the malls have closed. The sector is thriving again. The International Council of Shopping Centers said 94.2 percent of malls were full, or occupied, with shops by the end of 2014. That is the highest level in 27 years. Economist Gus Faucher said lower unemployment and rising wages could give Americans more money to spend. The average American consumer will spend about $805 on gifts. That’s about $630.5 billion between November and December—an increase of 3.7 percent from last year.

12. What is said to account for the increased number of shoppers?

解析：B。本题目为细节题。问题为：什么因素导致了购物者数量的上升？原文所在句：Economist Gus Faucher said lower unemployment and rising wages could give Americans more money to spend.经济学家Gus Faucher说低失业率和工资的提高使得美国人有更多的钱用于消费。故正确答案为B）Higher employment and wages。此题目考查信息在选项中的再现，难度较低。