📚 Case Study Practical Drills | 案例分析实战演练
Economics is all about making choices in a world of limited resources. This article provides a series of case study exercises designed for Year 7 CCEA Economics students. Each section introduces a key concept followed by a practical scenario to help you apply what you learn. Ready to sharpen your economic thinking? Let’s dive into these real-world problems.
经济学就是在资源有限的世界中做出选择。本文提供了一系列专为CCEA Year 7经济学学生设计的案例练习。每个部分先介绍一个关键概念，再配一个实际场景，帮助你学会运用所学。准备好磨炼你的经济学思维了吗？让我们一起进入这些真实世界的难题。
1. Understanding Scarcity and Choice | 理解稀缺性与选择
Scarcity is the fundamental economic problem. It means that resources are limited but our wants are unlimited. Let’s consider a case study: a small island community has a fixed rainwater collection system. Each year the island receives only 30,000 litres of fresh water. The residents must decide how to use this water – for drinking, irrigating crops, or washing. Because water is scarce, they cannot satisfy all wants at once.
稀缺性是根本的经济问题。它意味着资源是有限的，而我们的欲望是无限的。来看一个案例：一个小岛社区有一个固定的雨水收集系统。每年该岛只能获得3万升淡水。居民必须决定如何使用这些水——饮用、灌溉庄稼还是清洁。由于水是稀缺的，他们无法同时满足所有需求。
Consider two possible choices: Option A – use 20,000 litres for drinking and only 10,000 litres for crops; Option B – split water equally 15,000 litres each. The choice made involves a trade-off. This is the essence of choice under scarcity. In your own life, time is scarce – you cannot be in two places at once. Your allowance is scarce – you cannot buy every video game. Identifying scarcity helps you understand why we must make choices.
设想两种可能的选择：方案A——将2万升用于饮用，仅1万升用于庄稼；方案B——平均分配各1.5万升。所作的选择包含一种权衡。这就是稀缺下选择的本质。在你自己的生活中，时间是稀缺的——你不能同时身处两地。你的零花钱是稀缺的——你无法买下所有电子游戏。识别稀缺性能帮助你理解为什么我们必须做出选择。
2. Opportunity Cost in Everyday Decisions | 日常决策中的机会成本
Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that you give up when making a choice. A classic case study: you have two hours of free time on a Sunday afternoon. You could either play a football match with friends or finish a science project due Monday. If you choose football, the opportunity cost is the grade boost from the science project you did not complete.
机会成本是你做选择时放弃的次优选项的价值。经典案例：周日下午你有两小时空闲。你可以去和朋友踢足球，或者完成周一要交的科学项目。如果你选择踢足球，机会成本就是你未完成的科学项目带来的成绩提升。
Opportunity Cost = Value of the next best alternative foregone
机会成本 = 所放弃的次优选项的价值
Now apply this to a family decision: the Robinsons have £100 to spend. They want a new microwave (£60) and a family dinner out (£70). They can only afford one. If they buy the microwave, they give up the enjoyment and convenience of the dinner. The opportunity cost is the experience of the family dinner. Economists always ask: ‘What am I giving up?’ This question helps you weigh trade-offs in budgeting, time management, and even government policy.
现在把这个概念应用于一个家庭决策：罗宾逊一家有100英镑可花。他们想要一台新微波炉（60英镑）和一次家庭外出晚餐（70英镑），但他们只能负担一项。如果他们买了微波炉，就放弃了晚餐的享受与便利。机会成本就是那顿家庭晚餐的体验。经济学家总是问：“我放弃了什么？”这个问题能帮助你在预算安排、时间管理乃至政府政策中权衡取舍。
3. Factors of Production: Real-World Examples | 生产要素：现实案例
Everything we produce requires resources called factors of production: land, labour, capital, and enterprise. Case study: a local bakery, ‘Bread & Butter’, produces fresh loaves daily. Land includes the wheat fields that supply flour and the physical site of the bakery. Labour is the bakers who mix dough and the delivery driver. Capital refers to the ovens, mixers, and delivery van. Enterprise is the risk-taking by the owner, who combined all these resources to start the business.
我们生产任何东西都需要被称为生产要素的资源：土地、劳动、资本和企业。案例：本地面包房“面包与黄油”每天生产新鲜面包。土地包括供应面粉的麦田和面包房的场地。劳动是揉面的面包师和送货司机。资本指烤炉、搅拌机和送货车。企业则是那位承担风险、整合所有资源来创办生意的店主。
| Factor | 生产要素 | Bread & Butter Example | 面包房案例 |
| Land | 土地 | Wheat farm, shop location | 麦田、店铺位置 |
| Labour | 劳动 | Bakers, drivers | 面包师、司机 |
| Capital | 资本 | Ovens, mixers, van | 烤炉、搅拌机、货车 |
| Enterprise | 企业 | Owner’s risk-taking and ideas | 店主的冒险精神和创意 |
Think of another case: a tutoring service like TutorHao. Land is the office space, labour is the tutors, capital includes computers and books, and enterprise is the founder’s vision. Without any one factor, production stops. Understanding these factors helps us analyse why some businesses succeed and others fail.
再思考另一个案例：像TutorHao这样的辅导服务。土地是办公空间，劳动是导师，资本包括电脑和书本，企业是创始人的愿景。缺少任何一个生产要素，生产就无法进行。理解这些因素有助于我们分析为什么有些企业成功而另一些失败。
4. Supply and Demand Basics | 供需基础
Demand is the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at different prices. Supply is the quantity producers are willing to sell. Case study: the launch of a trendy new phone. On release day, thousands queue because the phone is highly demanded. The company initially supplies only 5,000 units to local stores. At the original price of £400, demand far exceeds supply.
需求是消费者在不同的价格下愿意并能够购买的商品或服务的数量。供给是生产者愿意出售的数量。案例：一款潮流新手机发布。上市当天，数千人排队，因为该手机需求极高。公司最初只向本地商店供应5000部。在原来400英镑的价格下，需求远远超过供给。
Because of the shortage, some customers offer to pay £550 on resale websites. Here, limited supply and high demand push the price up. This illustrates the law of demand: as price rises, quantity demanded falls, but if the good is very desirable, demand remains strong. The law of supply states that as price increases, producers are willing to supply more. Later, when the factory increases production to 20,000 units, the resale price drops back toward £420.
由于短缺，一些顾客在转售网站上出价550英镑。这里，有限的供给与高需求推高了价格。这说明了需求定律：价格上升，需求量下降，但如果商品很吸引人，需求依然强劲。供给定律指出，价格上升，生产者愿意供应更多。后来，当工厂将产量提高到2万部时，转售价格回落到420英镑左右。
Apply this to your school canteen. If one day the canteen sells pizza but only has 30 slices, and 80 students want pizza, what will likely happen? Some students might pay more, or the canteen might raise the price next time. Demand and supply explain most price changes you see.
把这个模型应用到学校食堂。如果某天食堂售卖披萨但只有30片，而有80名学生想要，会发生什么？一些学生可能愿意多付钱，或者食堂下次会涨价。需求与供给能解释你看到的大多数价格变化。
5. Market Equilibrium and Price Changes | 市场均衡与价格变化
Market equilibrium occurs when the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. Let’s examine a case: the strawberry market in summer. Initially, demand and supply meet at a price of £2.50 per punnet, with 1,000 punnets sold each week. This is the equilibrium price. Then a bumper harvest leads to a massive increase in supply – 2,000 punnets are brought to market, but demand remains at 1,000.
当需求量等于供给量时，市场达到均衡。我们来研究一个案例：夏季的草莓市场。起初，需求与供给在每盒2.50英镑时平衡，每周售出1000盒。这是均衡价格。随后一次大丰收导致供给大增——2000盒上市，但需求仍为1000盒。
With surplus strawberries, sellers must lower prices to attract buyers. The new equilibrium drops to £1.80 per punnet. Consumers benefit from lower prices, but farmers earn less per unit. Now consider a cold winter: demand for hot chocolate surges from 200 cups a day to 500 cups, but cafes can only supply 300 cups. A shortage appears, and prices rise from £2.00 to £3.00. The market moves to a new equilibrium at a higher price. These shifts show the price mechanism at work – prices adjust to balance demand and supply.
草莓过剩，卖家必须降价吸引顾客。新均衡跌至每盒1.80英镑。消费者从低价中受益，但农民每盒赚得更少。再设想一个寒冬：热巧克力需求从每天200杯激增至500杯，可咖啡馆只能供应300杯。短缺出现，价格从2.00英镑涨到3.00英镑。市场移至更高价格的新均衡。这些变动展示了价格机制在发挥作用——价格调整以平衡需求与供给。
6. Consumer Decision-Making | 消费者决策
Consumers face a budget constraint and try to maximise utility, which is satisfaction. Case study: Emma has a £15 birthday voucher for a bookshop. She wants a novel (£9), a set of stationery (£5), and a bookmark (£2). She cannot buy all three because her total wants £16 exceed her budget. She must make a choice.
消费者面临预算约束，并试图最大化效用，即满足感。案例：艾玛有一张15英镑的书店生日代金券。她想要一本小说（9英镑）、一套文具（5英镑）和一个书签（2英镑）。她不能全买，因为总额16英镑超出了她的预算。她必须做出选择。
Emma ranks her preferences: the novel gives her the highest satisfaction, then stationery, then the bookmark. She buys the novel and stationery for £14, leaving £1 unused. The opportunity cost is the bookmark. Another option: she could buy the novel and bookmark, saving £4 for a future purchase. Consumer decision-making always involves comparing marginal benefits and costs. By thinking like Emma, you learn to manage your own scarce pocket money and seek the best combination of goods.
艾玛将喜好排序：小说给她最大的满足，其次是文具，再次是书签。她买下小说和文具，共花14英镑，剩下1英镑。机会成本是那个书签。另一个选项：她可以买小说和书签，省下4英镑未来再花。消费者决策总是涉及比较边际收益与成本。像艾玛一样思考，你就能学会管理自己有限的零花钱，寻求最佳商品组合。
7. Producers and Costs | 生产者与成本
Producers aim to make a profit by managing costs and revenue. Case study: a lemonade stand run by two friends. Fixed costs: a table rental of £5 per day. Variable costs: lemons, sugar, and cups total £0.30 per glass. They sell each glass for £1. If they sell 30 glasses, revenue is £30. Total costs = £5 + (30 × £0.30) = £14. Profit = £30 – £14 = £16. This looks great, but what if it rains and only 5 glasses are sold? Revenue becomes £5, total costs £5 + £1.50 = £6.50, leading to a loss of £1.50.
生产者通过管理成本和收入来盈利。案例：两个朋友经营的柠檬水小摊。固定成本：每天5英镑的桌子租金。可变成本：每杯柠檬水需柠檬、糖和杯子合计0.30英镑。他们以1英镑一杯出售。若卖出30杯，收入为30英镑。总成本 = 5 + (30 × 0.30) = 14英镑。利润 = 30 – 14 = 16英镑。这看起来很不错，但如果下雨只卖出5杯呢？收入变为5英镑，总成本为5 + 1.50 = 6.50英镑，亏损1.50英镑。
Profit = Total Revenue – Total Costs
利润 = 总收入 – 总成本
The friends learn that covering fixed costs is crucial. They might try to lower variable costs by buying lemons in bulk or increase price to £1.20. Producers constantly analyse costs to stay profitable. A real business like a cinema has huge fixed costs (rent, projector) and must attract enough customers to survive.
这两个朋友明白了覆盖固定成本至关重要。他们可以尝试大量购买柠檬来降低可变成本，或者将价格提高到1.20英镑。生产者不断分析成本以保持盈利。像电影院这样真实的生意有巨大的固定成本（租金、放映机），必须吸引足够多的顾客才能生存。
8. Government and the Economy | 政府与经济
Governments influence the economy through taxes and spending. Case study: a government worries that high sugar consumption is causing health problems. It introduces a sugar tax of 20p per litre on sugary drinks. What happens? Producers face higher costs and may raise prices from £1.50 to £1.80 per bottle. Some consumers buy fewer sugary drinks and switch to water or diet versions. Demand for taxed drinks falls, improving public health while raising tax revenue that can be spent on hospitals.
政府通过税收和支出影响经济。案例：某政府担心高糖消费正引发健康问题，于是对含糖饮料征收每升20便士的糖税。会发生什么？生产者面临更高成本，可能将价格从每瓶1.50英镑提高到1.80英镑。一些消费者减少购买含糖饮料，改喝白水或无糖版本。被征税饮料的需求下降，改善了公共健康，同时增加了税收收入，可用于医院支出。
Another case: the government decides to spend £5 million on a new youth sports centre. This creates jobs for builders and coaches, and the local shops benefit from extra spending by these workers. Government spending can boost economic activity and provide services the private sector might not offer. Both taxation and spending are tools to shape economic outcomes.
另一个案例：政府决定花费500万英镑建造一个新的青少年体育中心。这会为建筑工人和教练创造就业机会，当地商店也会因这些工人额外消费而受益。政府支出能够刺激经济活动，并提供私营部门可能不会提供的服务。税收和支出都是塑造经济成果的工具。
9. Budgeting and Personal Finance | 预算与个人理财
Budgeting means planning how to spend and save money. Case study: Leo receives £20 pocket money per week. He wants to buy a £50 skateboard in five weeks, but also likes buying snacks (£3 each) and cinema tickets (£8 each). He creates a budget: save £10 each week for the skateboard (£10 × 5 = £50), leaving £10 for other expenses. By cutting two snacks a week, he can still afford a cinema ticket every two weeks. This is a personal trade-off between current enjoyment and future goal.
做预算就是规划如何消费和存钱。案例：里奥每周有20英镑零花钱。他想在五周后买一个50英镑的滑板，但也喜欢买零食（每个3英镑）和电影票（每张8英镑）。他制定了一个预算：每周存10英镑用于滑板（10 × 5 = 50），剩余10英镑用于其他开销。只要每周少吃两份零食，他仍可以每两周看一次电影。这是在当下享受与未来目标之间做出的个人权衡。
| Weekly Budget of Leo | 里奥的每周预算 |
| Income: £20 | 收入：20英镑 |
| Saving for skateboard: £10 | 滑板储蓄：10英镑 |
| Snacks (2): £6 | 零食（2个）：6英镑 |
| Cinema (once per two weeks): £4 per week | 电影（每两周一次）：每周4英镑 |
| Balance: £0 | 余额：0英镑 |
Learning to budget early helps you avoid debt and reach goals. Families and governments do the same on a larger scale – if a country spends more than its tax revenue, it runs a budget deficit and must borrow.
尽早学会做预算能帮助你避免负债并实现目标。家庭和政府都在更大规模上做着同样的事——如果一个国家的支出超过税收收入，就会出现预算赤字，必须借款。
10. Applying Economic Concepts to Case Studies: A Mini-Project | 将经济概念应用于案例：小型项目
Let us apply the concepts we have learned to a single, integrated case: the village of Greenford considers whether to build a new community cinema. The land is currently a public garden valued by residents (opportunity cost). The cinema requires land, construction workers (labour), projector equipment (capital), and an entrepreneur to run it. The council has a budget of £200,000, but the cinema costs £250,000 – so there is a scarcity of public funds. The council must choose between the cinema and improving the school library.
让我们把学到的概念应用到一个综合案例中：格林福德村正在考虑是否建造一座新的社区电影院。这块地目前是一处受居民珍视的公共花园（机会成本）。电影院需要土地、建筑工人（劳动）、放映设备（资本）和一位经营者（企业家）。市议会有20万英镑预算，但电影院耗资25万英镑——因此公共资金存在稀缺。市议会必须在建电影院与改善学校图书馆之间做出选择。
You are an economic advisor. Write a short report answering: (1) What is the opportunity cost of building the cinema? (2) How will demand for cinema tickets depend on ticket price? If priced at £10, surveys suggest 200 visits per week; if £12, only 160 visits. What does this tell you about price elasticity? (3) If the cinema creates 5 jobs and attracts visitors who spend in nearby cafes, what are the external benefits? (4) Should the council go ahead? Use the concepts of scarcity, trade-offs, and government spending to justify your answer. This mini-project mirrors real decisions made by local governments everywhere.
你是一位经济顾问。写一份简短报告回答：(1) 建造电影院的机会成本是什么？(2) 电影票的需求如何取决于票价？如果定价10英镑，调查显示每周有200人次；若12英镑，仅有160人次。这说明了价格弹性？(3) 如果电影院创造5个就业岗位，并吸引访客在附近咖啡馆消费，有哪些外部效益？(4) 市议会应该推进吗？请使用稀缺性、权衡和政府支出等概念来论证你的答案。这个小项目反映了各地地方政府所做的真实决策。
By working through these case studies, you have practised thinking like an economist – identifying scarcity, calculating opportunity costs, analysing markets, and advising on real problems. Keep applying these skills, and economics will become an invaluable tool for understanding the world.
通过完成这些案例练习，你已经锻炼了像经济学家一样思考——识别稀缺性、计算机会成本、分析市场并就真实问题提出建议。继续运用这些技能，经济学定会成为你理解世界的宝贵工具。
Published by TutorHao | Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com
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