Question

    Do you love Beats headphones, True Religion jeans, and UGG shoes? These are some of the most popular brands（牌子）around. They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.

For example, Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says  that $ 80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. So why do people pay twice or even 10 times as much for the hottest brands?

Experts say it’s because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”

Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price. They say that some designer clothes really are top quality and that they last longer than cheaper brands. Some teenagers choose to wear popular brands because these brands make them feel good about themselves.

Alexandra Allam, 17, likes to buy brand-name products. “I’d rather spend the extra money to get something I know I’ll be satisfied with.” she says. Her friend Emmy Swan agrees, saying “As long as you can afford it, it seems reasonable to buy what you want.” But not all teenagers agree. “Spending hundreds of dollars for designer is stupid and unreasonable.” says Daniel Steinbrecher, 16. “It’s fake（假的）happiness.”

People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren’t any better. “It’s wasteful to buy things just because they are popular.” says Edmund Williams, 15. “You’ll feel better if you buy things because you like them. If you have extra（额外的）money to spend, it would be better to give it to people in need.”

1.The example of Jim’s report wants to tell us ________.

A.popular brands make people comfortable

B.Koss Pro headphones are better than Beats

C.the hottest brands are of the highest quality

D.less-known brands may offer the same quality as name brands

2.According to experts, people choose the hottest brands probably ________.

A.for their better quality B.to show off

C.for their better designs D.to belong to a special group

3.What does Edmund think of expensive brands?

A.They make him feel confident. B.They are not worth the price.

C.They need to improve their quality. D.They pay too much attention to personal likes.

4.The text is mainly about ________.

A.how to buy things reasonably B.the competition between brands

C.the different values of teenagers D.whether expensive brands are worth high prices

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.B

4.D

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文，在专家指出有些廉价品牌质量好于昂贵著名品牌的情况下，不同的人对于仍然购买昂贵的品牌的不同的看法。

1.细节理解题。根据第2大段“He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats.” 他测试了各种各样的耳机。他说，售价80美元的Koss Pro耳机提供的质量和舒适度基本上与Beats相同。可知，举例说明有些廉价品牌质量要比昂贵知名品牌要好。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第3大段“Experts say it’s because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”” 专家说，这是因为时尚、昂贵的品牌传达了一个信息。品牌们说我属于，或者我买得起。可知，是为了炫耀。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第6大段““It’s wasteful to buy things just because they are popular.” says Edmund Williams, 15.” Edmund说仅仅因为流行就去买这些东西是很浪费的。可知，Edmund觉得昂贵品牌不值这些钱。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据第4大段“Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price.”有些觉得昂贵品牌值这么多的钱；根据第6大段“People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren’t any better.” 反对穿昂贵品牌服装的人说，许多名牌服装也好不到哪里去。可知，本文只要围绕昂贵品牌值不值这么多的钱展开讨论，不同的人有不同的观点和看法。故选D。