📚 Year 10 OCR Economics: Key Terms Fast Memory Guide | 十年级OCR经济学：词汇术语快速记忆指南
Mastering key economic terminology is the first step to success in your Year 10 OCR Economics course. This guide breaks down essential terms into bite-sized, easy-to-remember explanations, covering both microeconomics and macroeconomics topics you will encounter. Each term is paired with memory hints so you can recall them quickly during revision and exams.
掌握关键经济学术语是你在十年级OCR经济学课程中取得成功的第一步。本指南将核心术语分解成易于记忆的简短解释，涵盖微观与宏观经济学主题。每个术语都配有记忆提示，帮助你在复习和考试中快速回忆。
1. Basic Economic Problem & Opportunity Cost | 基本经济问题与机会成本
The fundamental economic problem arises because resources are scarce while human wants are infinite. Scarcity forces individuals, firms and governments to make choices, and every choice involves an opportunity cost.
基本经济问题源于资源稀缺而人的欲望无限。稀缺性迫使个人、企业和政府做出选择，而每一个选择都伴随着机会成本。
Scarcity – the condition where limited resources cannot satisfy all unlimited wants. Memory hint: think 'scarce' means 'not enough'.
稀缺性——有限资源无法满足无限欲望的状态。记忆提示：联想“稀缺”即“不够用”。
Opportunity Cost – the next best alternative forgone when a choice is made. Memory hint: it is what you give up to get something else.
机会成本——做出选择时放弃的次优替代方案。记忆提示：就是你为了得到某样东西而牺牲的。
Economic Goods – goods that are scarce and have an opportunity cost in production. Free goods, like air, are abundant and have no opportunity cost.
经济物品——稀缺且在生产中产生机会成本的物品。像空气这样的免费物品则充裕且没有机会成本。
Choice – the act of selecting among alternatives, driven by scarcity. Economic agents must decide how to allocate resources.
选择——在稀缺驱动下在不同方案中做出决定的行为。经济主体必须决定如何配置资源。
| Term | 中文 | Memory Hint |
|---|---|---|
| Scarcity | 稀缺性 | 'Scarce' = limited |
| Opportunity Cost | 机会成本 | The sacrifice made |
| Choice | 选择 | Pick one, lose the rest |
2. Factors of Production & Their Rewards | 生产要素与其报酬
Resources used to produce goods and services are classified into four factors of production. Each factor earns a corresponding reward. Understanding these helps explain how income flows in an economy.
用于生产商品和服务的资源被分为四种生产要素。每一种要素都能获得相应的报酬。理解它们有助于解释经济中的收入流动。
Land – all natural resources (minerals, water, forests). Reward: Rent. Memory hint: landlords receive rent.
土地——所有自然资源（矿物、水、森林）。报酬：地租。记忆提示：地主收租金。
Labour – human effort, both physical and mental. Reward: Wages. Memory hint: workers earn wages.
劳动——人类的体力与脑力付出。报酬：工资。记忆提示：工人挣工资。
Capital – man-made goods used to produce other goods (machinery, tools). Reward: Interest. Memory hint: capital earns interest like savings.
资本——用于生产其他商品的人造物品（机器、工具）。报酬：利息。记忆提示：资本像存款一样获得利息。
Enterprise – the ability to combine the other factors, taking risks. Reward: Profit. Memory hint: entrepreneurs take risks for profit.
企业家才能——组合其他要素并承担风险的能力。报酬：利润。记忆提示：企业家为利润冒险。
| Factor | 中文 | Reward | 中文报酬 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 土地 | Rent | 地租 |
| Labour | 劳动 | Wages | 工资 |
| Capital | 资本 | Interest | 利息 |
| Enterprise | 企业家才能 | Profit | 利润 |
3. Demand & Supply | 需求与供给
Demand and supply form the backbone of market analysis. The law of demand states that, ceteris paribus, as price rises, quantity demanded falls. The law of supply shows that higher prices typically encourage greater quantity supplied.
需求与供给是市场分析的支柱。需求定律指出，其他条件不变时，价格上升，需求量下降。供给定律则表明价格越高通常供给量越大。
Demand – the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at various prices over a period. Memory hint: 'willing and able' is the test.
需求——消费者在一段时期内愿意且能够按不同价格购买的商品或服务的数量。记忆提示：“愿意且能够”是检验标准。
Law of Demand – inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. Memory hint: when price goes up, buyers back off.
需求定律——价格与需求量之间的反向关系。记忆提示：价格上涨，买家退缩。
Supply – e willing and able to offer for sale at various prices. Memory hint: supply side = sellers' viewpoint.
供给——生产者愿意且能够按不同价格出售的数量。记忆提示：供给方即卖方视角。
Movement along the curve – caused by a change in the good's own price. A shift of the curve is caused by other factors (income, tastes, costs, etc.).
沿曲线移动——由商品自身价格变动引起。曲线平移则是由其他因素（收入、偏好、成本等）引起。
| Term | 中文 | Memory Hint |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | 需求 | Willing & able buyers |
| Supply | 供给 | Willing & able sellers |
| Movement vs Shift | 移动与平移 | Own price = move; others = shift |
4. Market Equilibrium & Price Mechanism | 市场均衡与价格机制
Equilibrium occurs where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied. At this point, the market clears. The price mechanism performs three vital functions: signalling, incentive and rationing.
当需求量等于供给量时，市场达到均衡，此时市场出清。价格机制发挥着三个重要功能：信号功能、激励功能与配给功能。
Equilibrium Price – the price at which demand matches supply. Also called the market-clearing price. Memory hint: balance point, no shortage or surplus.
均衡价格——需求与供给相匹配的价格，也称市场出清价格。记忆提示：平衡点，没有短缺或过剩。
Excess Demand (Shortage) – when price is below equilibrium, quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied. Prices tend to rise.
超额需求（短缺）——当价格低于均衡水平，需求量大于供给量。价格趋于上升。
Excess Supply (Surplus) – when price is above equilibrium, quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded. Prices tend to fall.
超额供给（过剩）——当价格高于均衡水平，供给量大于需求量。价格趋于下降。
Signalling Function – prices communicate information to buyers and sellers. For example, rising prices signal higher demand, prompting more supply.
信号功能——价格向买卖双方传递信息。例如，价格上涨表明需求增加，促使供给扩大。
Incentive Function – prices motivate changes in behaviour. Higher prices incentivise producers to supply more; lower prices incentivise consumers to buy more.
激励功能——价格激发行为改变。高价激励生产者多供给，低价激励消费者多购买。
Rationing Function – prices help allocate scarce resources. When a good is scarce, a high price rations it to those willing and able to pay.
配给功能——价格有助于分配稀缺资源。商品稀缺时，高价将其配给那些愿意且能够支付的人。
5. Price Elasticity | 价格弹性
Price elasticity measures how responsive quantity demanded or supplied is to a change in price. It helps firms and governments understand the likely impact of price changes on total revenue and market outcomes.
价格弹性衡量需求量或供给量对价格变动反应的敏感程度。它帮助企业及政府理解价格变动对总收入和市场的可能影响。
Price Elasticity of Demand (PED) – the responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price.
PED = %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP
需求价格弹性 (PED)——需求量对价格变动的反应程度。
PED = %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP
Memory hint: 'Ped' likes the number: if |PED| > 1 it is elastic (responsive); if |PED| < 1 it is inelastic (unresponsive).
记忆提示：|PED| > 1 富有弹性（敏感），|PED| < 1 缺乏弹性（不敏感）。
Price Elasticity of Supply (PES) – the responsiveness of quantity supplied to a price change.
PES = %ΔQs ÷ %ΔP
供给价格弹性 (PES)——供给量对价格变动的反应程度。
PES = %ΔQs ÷ %ΔP
Key factors for PED: substitutes, necessity vs luxury, proportion of income, time. For PES: production time, spare capacity, perishability.
PED的关键影响因素：替代品、必需品与奢侈品、收入占比、时间。PES的影响因素：生产周期、闲置产能、易腐性。
| Elasticity Type | 中文 | Value Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Elastic | 富有弹性 | % change > price % change |
| Inelastic | 缺乏弹性 | % change < price % change |
| Unitary | 单位弹性 | % change = price % change |
6. Market Failure & Externalities | 市场失灵与外部性
Market failure occurs when the free market does not allocate resources efficiently. The main causes include externalities, public goods, and information problems. Externalities are spillover effects on third parties not involved in a transaction.
当自由市场无法有效配置资源时，就出现市场失灵。主要原因包括外部性、公共物品和信息不对称。外部性是对交易之外第三方产生的溢出效应。
Market Failure – a situation where the price mechanism leads to an inefficient allocation of resources. Memory hint: think 'market fails to get it right'.
市场失灵——价格机制导致资源配置低效的情况。记忆提示：“市场无法做到正确配置”。
Negative Externality – a cost imposed on third parties, e.g. pollution from factories. Social cost > private cost. The market overproduces.
负外部性——强加给第三方的成本，例如工厂污染。社会成本大于私人成本，市场会过度生产。
Positive Externality – a benefit enjoyed by third parties, e.g. education improving social productivity. Social benefit > private benefit. The market underproduces.
正外部性——第三方享受到的利益，如教育提高社会生产力。社会效益大于私人效益，市场会生产不足。
Public Goods – non-excludable and non-rivalrous goods, e.g. street lighting. The free market often fails to provide them due to the free-rider problem.
公共物品——非排他性和非竞争性的物品，例如路灯。由于搭便车问题，自由市场往往无法提供。
Merit and Demerit Goods – merit goods (healthcare) are under-consumed if left to the market; demerit goods (cigarettes) are over-consumed because individuals underestimate their costs.
有益品与有害品——有益品（如医疗）由市场决定时消费不足；有害品（如香烟）因人们低估其代价而被过度消费。
7. Government Intervention: Taxes, Subsidies & Price Controls | 政府干预：税收、补贴与价格管制
To correct market failures, governments may intervene using indirect taxes, subsidies, maximum or minimum prices. These tools aim to change the level of production and consumption towards the socially optimal level.
为纠正市场失灵，政府可通过间接税、补贴、最高限价或最低限价进行干预。这些工具意在推动生产和消费向社会最优水平靠拢。
Indirect Tax – a tax on goods or services, often used to reduce consumption of demerit goods (e.g. sugar tax). It raises production costs, shifting the supply curve leftwards.
间接税——对商品或服务征收的税，常用于减少有害品的消费（如糖税）。它提高生产成本，使供给曲线左移。
Subsidy – a payment from the government to producers to encourage greater consumption of merit goods (e.g. renewable energy). It reduces costs, shifting supply rightwards.
补贴
Published by TutorHao | Year 10 Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
或截图后用「扫一扫 → 相册」选择本图