Question

Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury—something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is just an illusion — a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.

The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.

It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short life so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes choice a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.

1.What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?

A. The exercise of rights is a luxury.

B. The right of choice is given but at a price.

C. The practice of choice is difficult.

D. Choice and right exist at the same time.

2.Why do more choices of goods cause anxiety?

A. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.

B. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.

C. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the range of choice.

D. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.

3.By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that _______.

A. advanced products meet the needs of people

B. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry

C. products of the latest design flood the market

D. everyday goods need to be replaced often

4.What is this passage mainly about?

A. The variety of choices in modern society.

B. The opinions on people’s right in different countries

C. The helplessness in buying decisions

D. The problems about the availability of everyday goods.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文。文章主要分析在面临选择作出决定的艰难。

1.段落大意题。从But for a good many people in the world, in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right中可以归纳出答案为C。

2.细节理解题。。从Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item(商品) that is not really wanted中可以归纳出答案为D。

3.细节理解题。作者借助计算机为例子来证明Products are almost out-of-date once they are bought. 这其中的原因就有the speed with which new types of products come on the market以及Advances in design and production help quicken the process.故选C。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文，不难发现：本文主要分析在面临选择作出决定的艰难。故选C。