📚 Year 10 SQA Economics: Case Study Practical Exercises | Year 10 SQA 经济：案例分析实战演练
Welcome to this in-depth practical guide designed to help Year 10 students master the art of tackling case studies in SQA Economics. Case studies are a key component of your assessment, requiring you to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios. This article walks you through a structured approach, followed by nine carefully crafted mini case studies covering demand and supply, market failure, elasticity, macroeconomic policy, and more. Each case is broken down with clear analysis, calculations, and exam-style commentary to build your confidence and technique.
欢迎阅读这份深度实战指南，旨在帮助 Year 10 学生掌握 SQA 经济学科中处理案例分析题的技巧。案例分析是考核的重中之重，要求你将理论知识应用到现实场景中。本文将带你走过一套结构化的分析方法，随后通过九个精心设计的迷你案例，覆盖供需、市场失灵、弹性、宏观经济政策等主题。每个案例都配有清晰的分析、计算和考试风格的点评，助你锻造信心与技法。
1. The Importance of Case Studies in SQA Economics | 案例分析在 SQA 经济中的重要性
In the SQA Economics course, case studies test your ability to interpret data, recognise economic concepts, and build coherent arguments. You are not simply recalling definitions; you are expected to diagnose problems and propose justified solutions. Mastering case study technique early on will pay dividends in your N5 assessment and beyond.
在 SQA 经济课程中，案例分析旨在检验你解读数据、识别经济概念以及构建连贯论证的能力。它不仅是对定义的复述，更要求你诊断问题并提出有理有据的解决方案。尽早掌握案例分析技巧，将在 N5 测评乃至更高阶段让你受益匪浅。
Examiners look for accurate identification of economic principles, relevant diagrammatic reasoning, and logical chains of cause and effect. Whether the context is a local business, a government policy, or a global event, you need to connect theory to specific details from the stimulus material. This guide will show you exactly how to do that, step by step.
考官看重你对经济学原理的准确识别、相关的图形推演以及清晰的因果链条。无论情境是一家本地企业、一项政府政策还是全球性事件，你都需要将理论与材料中的具体细节联系起来。本指南将逐步为你演示如何做到这一点。
2. Step-by-Step Guide to Analysing a Case Study | 案例分析的分步指南
Before diving into the examples, let's establish a reliable approach. When presented with a case study, follow these four stages: Scan, Identify, Explain, Evaluate. First, scan the text and any data for key economic variables such as prices, quantities, employment figures, or policy changes. Second, identify the relevant economic concepts – is this a supply-side shock, a government intervention, or a market failure? Third, explain the mechanisms using precise economic terminology and, where appropriate, diagrams in your mind or on paper. Finally, evaluate the outcome by considering advantages, disadvantages, short- and long-term effects, and potential unintended consequences.
在进行具体案例前，让我们先建立一套可靠的方法。面对案例分析题时，遵循这四个步骤：浏览、识别、解释、评估。首先，浏览文本和所有数据，锁定关键经济变量，如价格、数量、就业数据或政策变化。其次，识别相关的经济概念——这是供给侧冲击、政府干预还是市场失灵？第三，运用精确的经济术语解释其中的机制，并酌情在脑海或草稿中画出图示。最后，评估结果时要权衡利弊、短期与长期影响以及可能的意外后果。
A common mistake is to launch into a pre-prepared answer without tailoring it to the specific case. Always anchor your response in the evidence provided. Use phrases like 'As shown in the extract...' or 'The data indicates that...' to keep your analysis grounded. Practising this structured method repeatedly will make it second nature by exam time.
常见错误是直接套用预制答案而忽略了案例的特殊性。务必以材料中的证据为基础作答。使用诸如“如节选所示……”或“数据表明……”等表述，让分析扎根于素材。反复演练这套结构化方法，到考试时便成本能。
3. Case Study 1: The Global Coffee Market | 案例一：全球咖啡市场
Scenario: Over the past year, the global price of coffee beans has risen by 30%. Market reports point to two major developments: a severe drought in Brazil, the world's largest producer, and a surge in demand from tea-drinking countries where coffee culture is expanding rapidly. Consumers are noticing higher prices in cafés and supermarkets.
情境：过去一年里，全球咖啡豆价格上涨了30%。市场报告指出两大变化：全球最大产国巴西遭遇严重干旱，同时，在以茶为主的国家里，咖啡文化急速传播，需求激增。消费者在咖啡馆和超市里都感受到了价格上升。
Analysis: This case can be explained using the supply and demand model. The drought represents a negative supply shock, shifting the supply curve for coffee beans to the left. Simultaneously, the trend toward coffee consumption shifts the demand curve to the right. Both shifts exert upward pressure on the equilibrium price. While the equilibrium quantity could rise or fall depending on the magnitudes, the dominant effect here is a higher price. Consumers face a double squeeze from reduced harvests and growing popularity, and producers may gain revenue if demand is inelastic – a point worth exploring with elasticity later.
分析：此案例可用供需模型解释。干旱属于负供给冲击，使咖啡豆供给曲线向左移动。与此同时，咖啡消费趋势使需求曲线向右移动。两种移动都对均衡价格构成上涨压力。虽然均衡数量的升降取决于幅度，但此处主导效应是价格走高。消费者受到减产与流行度增长的双重挤压，而生产者若面临缺乏弹性的需求，则可能获得收益——这一点在后文的弹性分析中值得进一步探讨。
Key terms identified: supply shock, demand shift, equilibrium price. A well-drawn supply and demand diagram would show both curves shifting, with the new equilibrium price clearly above the original level. For exam purposes, always label axes (Price of coffee, Quantity of coffee) and curves (S₁, S₂, D₁, D₂).
识别出的关键术语：供给冲击、需求移动、均衡价格。一张清晰的供需图应展示两条曲线的移动，新旧均衡价格对比一目了然。考试中务必标注坐标轴（咖啡价格、咖啡数量）和曲线（S₁、S₂、D₁、D₂）。
4. Case Study 2: The Introduction of a Minimum Wage | 案例二：最低工资的实施
Scenario: The government has announced a 5% increase in the national minimum wage above the current market-clearing level in the retail sector. Retailers warn of job cuts, while trade unions argue it will boost living standards and spending. Your task is to analyse the likely microeconomic effects on the labour market.
情境：政府宣布将全国最低工资在零售业现行市场出清水平上再提高5%。零售商警告就业岗位将减少，而工会则认为这将提升生活水平与消费支出。你的任务是分析劳动力市场可能受到的微观经济影响。
Analysis: When a minimum wage is set above the equilibrium wage rate (Wₑ), it creates a price floor. At the higher wage (Wₘ), the quantity of labour supplied exceeds the quantity demanded, resulting in excess supply – that is, unemployment. However, the outcome is not entirely negative. Those who retain their jobs earn higher incomes, which could increase consumption and reduce poverty. The impact on employment depends on the wage elasticity of demand for labour; if demand is relatively inelastic, job losses may be small. Retailers may also respond by raising prices or increasing productivity through training and technology. Diagrammatically, show a horizontal line at Wₘ above equilibrium, with the gap between labour supplied (Lₛ) and labour demanded (Lₔ) representing the surplus of workers.
分析：当最低工资被设定在均衡工资率（Wₑ）之上时，便形成价格下限。在较高工资水平（Wₘ）下，劳动力的供给量超过了需求量，产生超额供给——即失业。然而，后果并非全是消极的。保住岗位的工人获得更高收入，可能增加消费并减轻贫困。对就业的实际影响取决于劳动力需求的工资弹性；若需求相对缺乏弹性，失业人数可能很少。零售商还可能通过提价或依靠培训与科技提高生产率来应对。图示上，在均衡上方画出水平线 Wₘ，劳动力供给量（Lₛ）与需求量（Lₔ）之间的差额即为工人过剩。
This case demonstrates the classic trade-off between equity and efficiency – a recurring theme in economics. Evaluation could also mention the possibility of a secondary stimulus if increased wages translate into stronger consumer spending, potentially boosting labour demand in other sectors.
此案例展示了公平与效率之间的经典权衡——经济学中反复出现的主题。评估时还可提及，若工资上涨转化为更强劲的消费支出，可能产生第二轮刺激，在其他部门推高劳动力需求。
5. Case Study 3: Plastic Bag Tax and Externalities | 案例三：塑料袋税与外部性
Scenario: A country introduces a mandatory charge of 5 pence per single-use plastic bag. Before the policy, 800 million bags were used annually, and the price was effectively zero at the point of use. After the charge, usage drops by 60%. Litter surveys show a marked reduction in plastic waste, but small retailers complain of administrative costs.
情境：某国规定每个一次性塑料袋强制收费5便士。政策实施前，每年使用8亿个袋子，消费者使用成本实际为零。收费后，使用量下降60%。垃圾调查显示塑料废物明显减少，但小零售商抱怨行政管理成本。
Analysis: Plastic bag consumption generates a negative externality – leading to overconsumption. A charge internalises part of the external cost, shifting the private cost curve closer to the social cost. The result is a movement along the demand curve to a lower quantity. In this case, the policy reduces the externality significantly. However, the burden on small retailers may constitute a thin-market issue. A diagram would show the shift from P=0 to P=5p along a downward-sloping demand curve, with the shaded welfare gain equalling the reduction in deadweight loss.
分析：塑料袋消费产生负外部性——即环境损害未被计入生产或使用塑料袋的私人成本中。税前均衡仅反映私人成本，导致过度消费。收费将部分外部成本内部化，使私人成本曲线更接近社会成本。其结果是需求量沿需求曲线向下移至较低数量。本案中政策显著降低了外部性。然而，小零售商的负担可能构成薄市场问题。图示显示沿下倾需求曲线从P=0移至P=5便士，阴影部分福利增益等于无谓损失的缩减额。
This case invites evaluation of indirect taxation as a tool to correct market failure. Students should discuss alternatives such as subsidies for reusable bags, outright bans, or public awareness campaigns, weighing their relative effectiveness and cost.
此案例引发对间接税作为矫正市场失灵工具的评价。学生应讨论替代方案，如对可重复使用袋子提供补贴、彻底禁令或公众意识宣传，权衡其相对成效与成本。
6. Case Study 4: A Firm's Cost Structure and Profit | 案例四：企业成本结构与利润
Scenario: A local bakery has fixed costs of £2,000 per month (rent, insurance). Each loaf of bread incurs a variable cost of £0.80 for flour, yeast, and energy. The bakery currently produces 5,000 loaves per month and sells them at an average price of £1.50 per loaf.
情境：一家本地面包店的固定成本为每月2,000英镑（租金、保险）。每个面包的变动成本为0.80英镑（面粉、酵母、能源）。面包店目前每月生产5,000个面包，并以平均每个1.50英镑的价格售出。
Analysis: alculate total cost (TC). TC = Fixed Cost (FC) + (Variable Cost per unit × Quantity). TC = £2,000 + (£0.80 × 5,000) = £2,000 + £4,000 = £6,000. Total Revenue (TR) = Price × Quantity = £1.50 × 5,000 = £7,500. Profit = TR − TC = £7,500 − £6,000 = £1,500. The average total cost (ATC) is £6,000 ÷ 5,000 = £1.20 per loaf. Since price (£1.50) exceeds ATC (£1.20), the firm earns a supernormal profit of £0.30 per unit.
分析：首先，计算总成本（TC）。TC = 固定成本 (FC) + (单位变动成本 × 数量)。TC = £2,000 + (£0.80 × 5,000) = £2,000 + £4,000 = £6,000。总收益 (TR) = 价格 × 数量 = £1.50 × 5,000 = £7,500。利润 = TR − TC = £7,500 − £6,000 = £1,500。平均总成本 (ATC) 为 £6,000 ÷ 5,000 = 每个面包 £1.20。由于价格（£1.50）高于ATC（£1.20），企业每单位可获得£0.30的超额利润。
ak-even quantity is where TR = TC, i.e., FC ÷ (Price − AVC). Here, contribution per unit = £1.50 − £0.80 = £0.70. Break-even quantity = £2,000 ÷ £ e firm increases production beyond 5,000 loaves, potentially affecting price and capacity.
这一简单计算阐明了盈亏平衡概念。盈亏平衡产量是TR = TC时的产量，即 FC ÷ (价格 − AVC)。此处单位贡献额 = £1.50 − £0.80 = £0.70。盈亏平衡产量 = £2,000 ÷ £0.70 ≈ 2,858个面包。超过此水平的产量带来利润。学生可能被要求分析如果变动成本上升，或企业将产量增至5,000个以上，可能对价格和产能产生什么影响。
7. Case Study 5: Exchange Rate Fluctuations and Trade | 案例五：汇率波动与贸易
Scenario: The British pound depreciates by 10% against the US dollar over six months. A UK company imports electronic components priced in dollars and exports finished goods to the US. Your job is to assess the likely impact on the firm's competitiveness and costs.
情境：英镑兑美元在六个月内贬值10%。一家英国公司进口以美元计价的电子元件，并向美国出口成品。你的任务是评估这对企业竞争力和成本的可能影响。
Analysis: A weaker pound means UK residents must pay more in sterling for the same dollar-priced imports. Thus, the cost of imported components rises, increasing production costs and possibly squeezing profit margins if the firm cannot pass these costs onto consumers. On the export side, however, the firm's goods become cheaper for US buyers, boosting competitiveness in the American market. The net effect depends on the relative importance of imports versus exports. Additionally, exchange rate movements can influence aggregate demand: higher exports raise net exports (X-M), potentially stimulating UK economic growth. A diagram could show the shift in supply (higher input costs shifting supply left) and demand (foreign demand shifting right), although this may be asymmetric.
分析：英镑走弱意味着英国居民需用更多英镑购买同一定价美元的进口品。因此，进口元件成本上升，提高生产成本，若企业无法将成本转嫁给消费者，利润空间将受挤压。而在出口端，企业的产品对美国买家变得更便宜，提升了在美国市场的竞争力。净效应取决于进口与出口的相对重要性。此外，汇率波动会影响总需求：出口增加提高净出口（X-M），可能刺激英国经济增长。图示可表现供给（因投入成本上升而左移）和需求（海外需求增加而右移）的移动，尽管这可能不对称。
This case also allows for evaluation of hedging strategies, the concept of the J-curve effect, and how demand elasticity for exports and imports determines the trade balance response. Students should demonstrate awareness that real-world firms often use forward contracts to mitigate exchange rate risk.
该案例也可就套期保值策略、J曲线效应，以及进出口需求弹性如何决定贸易余额反应展开评估。学生应展示如下意识：现实中企业常运用远期合约来缓释汇率风险。
8. Case Study 6: Inflation and Central Bank Policy | 案例六：通货膨胀与央行政策
Scenario: An economy's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rises from 3.0% to 5.5% within a few months. The central bank has an inflation target of 2% and begins to raise the base interest rate. Households with variable-rate mortgages face higher borrowing costs, and business investment plans are being reviewed.
情境：某经济体的消费者价格指数（CPI）在数月内从3.0%升至5.5%。央行通胀目标为2%，因而开始调高基准利率。持有浮动利率抵押贷款的家庭面临更高的借贷成本，企业投资计划也在重审。
Analysis: sing energy prices). By raising interest rates, the central bank makes borrowing more expensive and saving more attractive, which is meant to cool aggregate demand. Higher rates directly reduce consumption and investment (components of AD), shifting the AD curve leftward. The transmission mechanism can be illustrated: r↑ → Cost of borrowing↑ → Consumer spending and investment↓ → AD↓ the credibility of the central bank against short-term pain for borrowers and businesses.
分析：通胀攀升表明经济过热，可能源于需求拉上因素（消费支出强劲）或成本推动因素（能源价格上涨）。央行通过加息提高借贷成本、增强储蓄吸引力，旨在冷却总需求。更高的利率直接抑制消费与投资（AD的组成部分），使AD曲线左移。传导机制可图示为：r↑ → 借贷成本↑ → 消费支出与投资↓ → AD↓ → 通胀压力缓解。然而，政策存在时滞，紧缩过度有引发衰退之风险。评估时应权衡央行的可信度与借款人及企业承受的短期痛苦。
Students may be asked to explain the difference between core CPI and headline CPI, and to discuss why inflation erodes purchasing power and can distort economic decision-making. A clear diagram of the AD/AS model showing a leftward shift of AD would support the explanation.
学生可能被要求阐述核心CPI与整体CPI的区别，并论述通胀为何侵蚀购买力、扭曲经济决策。AD/AS模型中AD左移的清晰图示可为解释提供支撑。
9. Case Study 7: Pricing Strategy and Elasticity | 案例七：定价策略与弹性
Scenario: A cinema currently charges £10 per ticket and sells 2,000 tickets per week. Management considers lowering the price to £8, expecting an increase in ticket sales to 2,600 per week. Your task is to calculate the price elasticity of demand (PED) and advise on whether the price cut would boost total revenue.
情境：一家影院的票价为10英镑，每周售出2,000张票。管理层考虑将票价降至8英镑，预计每周销量将增至2,600张。你的任务是计算需求的价格弹性（PED），并就降价是否会增加总收益提出建议。
Analysis: The percentage change in price (%ΔP) equals (8 − 10) ÷ 10 × 100 = −20%. The percentage change in quantity demanded (%ΔQd) equals (2,600 − 2,000) ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 30%. Thus, PED = %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP = 30% ÷ 20% n proportional increase in quantity demanded, causing total revenue to rise. Original TR = £10 × 2,000 = £20,000; new TR = £8 × 2,600 = £20,800. Revenue indeed increases by £800, confirming the recommendation.
分析：价格变化的百分比（%ΔP）为 (8 − 10) ÷ 10 × 100 = −20%。需求量变化的百分比（%ΔQd）为 (2,600 − 2,000) ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 30%。因此，PED = %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP = 30% ÷ 20% = 1.5（忽略负号取绝对值）。因 PED > 1，需求富有价格弹性。需求富有弹性时，价格下降引致需求量以更大比例增加，总收益因而上升。原总收益为 £10 × 2,000 = £20,000；新总收益为 £8 × 2,600 = £20,800。收益实际增加 £800，佐证了降价建议。
PED = %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP = 1.5
As an extension, consider what determines elasticity for cinema tickets: availability of substitutes (streaming services, home entertainment), the proportion of income spent, and whether the good is a luxury or necessity. If the cinema instead faced an increase in variable costs, knowing PED could help predict the impact of passing that cost on to consumers.
延伸而言，考虑决定电影票弹性的因素：替代品的可得性（流媒体服务、家庭娱乐）、支出占收入比例，以及商品是奢侈品还是必需品。若影院面临变动成本上升，了解PED有助于预测将成本转嫁给消费者后的影响。
10. Case Study 8: Public Goods and Market Failure | 案例八：公共物品与市场失灵
Scenario: A coastal town relies on a historic lighthouse that aids navigation. The lighthouse requires £250,000 annually for maintenance, but no single shipping company finds it profitable to fund it because they cannot exclude non-payers from benefiting. The government steps in to provide the funding through general taxation.
情境：一座沿海城镇依赖一座历史灯塔保障航行安全。灯塔每年需25万英镑维护费，但每个航运公司都不愿出资，因为它们无法阻止未付费者也从中受益。政府通过一般税收介入提供资金。
Analysis: The lighthouse is a classic example of a public good, exhibiting non-excludability and non-rivalry. Private firms under-provide such goods due to the free-rider problem, leading to market failure. The socially optimal quantity of the good would not be delivered by the price mechanism alone. Government intervention in the form of direct provision, financed by compulsory taxation, corrects this failure by ensuring the lighthouse is maintained. The marginal social benefit likely exceeds the marginal social cost, though a cost-benefit analysis would be needed to confirm value for money. This case can be contrasted with private goods and common resources, clarifying the taxonomy of goods.
分析：灯塔是公共物品的经典实例，具有非排他性和非竞争性。私人企业因搭便车问题而供给不足此类物品，导致市场失灵。单纯依靠价格机制无法实现社会最优投入量。政府以强制性税收筹资进行直接干预，确保了灯塔得到维护，从而矫正了失灵。边际社会收益大概率超过边际社会成本，但需成本收益分析来确认性价比。此案例可与私人物品和公共资源进行对比，厘清物品分类法。
| Rivalrous | Non-rivalrous |
| Private goods (e.g., a sandwich) | Club goods (e.g., pay-TV) |
| Common resources (e.g., fishery) | Public goods (e.g., lighthouse) |
Students should recognise that many real-world goods are impurely public or quasi-public, and that government provision is not without its own challenges, such as bureaucratic inefficiency.
学生应认识到，现实中许多物品是不纯粹的公共物品或准公共物品，且政府提供本身也面临挑战，如官僚低效率。
11. Case Study 9: Economic Growth and the Environment | 案例九：经济增长与环境
Scenario: A developing nation has experienced GDP growth of 7% per annum for a decade, driven by manufacturing exports. However, air pollution in its major cities has reached hazardous levels, and deforestation is accelerating. The government faces pressure to sustain growth while meeting UN sustainability goals.
情境：一个发展中国家依靠制造业出口，十年间 GDP 年增长达7%。但其主要城市空气污染已到危险水平，森林砍伐也在加速。政府面临在维持增长同时实现联合国可持续发展目标的压力。
Analysis: The pursuit of rapid GDP growth can create negative externalities such as pollution and resource depletion. These environmental costs are not subtracted from GDP, meaning the true measure of welfare may be overstated. Policy options include imposing green taxes on polluters, introducing tradable pollution permits, or investing in cleaner technologies. A production possibility frontier (PPF) framework can illustrate the trade-off between current consumption goods and environmental quality; shifting to greener production may temporarily reduce measured GDP growth but preserve long-term sustainability. The evaluation must grapple with the concept of sustainable development – meeting today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
分析：追求快速的 GDP 增长可能产生负外部性，如污染和资源枯竭。这些环境成本并未从 GDP 中扣除，意味着真实福利测度可能被夸大。政策选项包括对污染者征收绿色税、引入可交易的污染许可证以及投资清洁技术。生产可能性边界（PPF）框架可以展示当前消费商品与环境质量之间的权衡；转向绿色生产或暂时压低统计的 GDP 增长，却能保障长期可持续性。评估必须紧扣可持续发展的理念——在满足当代人需求的同时，不危及后代满足自身需求的能力。
This case can prompt a discussion on alternative indicators like the Human Development Index (HDI) or Happy Planet Index, which incorporate health and environmental factors. Candidates should also consider that technology can shift the PPF outward over time, making it possible to 'have your cake and eat it' to some extent.
此案例可引发对替代指标如人类发展指数（HDI）或幸福星球指数的探讨，这些指标纳入了健康与环境因素。考生还应考虑到，技术进步能随时间外移生产可能性边界，在一定程度上做到“鱼与熊掌兼得”。
12
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