A new phenomenon is taking hold worldwide—“shrinkflation”. This is when companies reduce the size of their products or range of services while     1     (maintain) prices. It is in reaction to the rising prices of raw materials needed in the process of     2     (produce). Another way companies choose is     3     (place) smaller items in larger boxes, making shoppers think they're getting more for their money. In fact,     4     (consumer) become more sensitive to price than quantity or quality. Most shoppers will make a regular purchase, even if it has shrunk (缩小) , as long as     5     price has not risen.

So far, the chocolate maker Cadbury     6       (choose) to shrink the size of one of its products by 10%. A company spokesperson said: “We expect to absorb costs in this difficult environment so we have had to make the decision to     7     (slight) reduce the weight of chocolate bars for the first time since 2012, so that we can keep them surviving in the fierce     8     (compete).” The service industry is also trying to keep from raising prices. The hotel chains Hilton have made it a rule     9     guests must now request daily housekeeping services. Many other free services we have taken for granted are also     10     the decrease.

Eat or heat?

No more ironing, limited oven use and showering at work—Europeans are trying to keep energy use down but the bills still keep climbing. Costs of energy for British consumers will rise by 80% from October,    1     will take the average annual household bills to ￡3, 549. This makes the energy crisis severer than    2     of the 1970s and 1980s.

Keetley    3     (lose) his job as a council adviser in April and lives on ￡600 a month from a social security scheme. Half of that goes on rent, he said, with the remainder barely covering the     4       (essential). He now eats one meal a day and although he has reduced energy consumption to a minimum, he spends more than 15% of his income on energy bills. “    5     cost of living has increased and yet you are expected to live on the money    6     (provide) for when there wasn’t a crisis... I either can have my heating on or eat,” Keetley said.

A household is defined as living in fuel poverty if it is low income and needs to spend 10% or even    7       (much) of its income on energy, according to UK charity National Energy Action and other British charities. Experts agree that despite this     8       (be) a hard season, Europe will       9       (undoubted) make it through the winter, but the concern is    10     will happen next year.