Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of. It selves directly to bring about a rapid sale of goods at reasonable prices, so setting up a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at good prices. By drawing attention to new ideas it helps greatly to raise standards of living. By helping to increase demand it causes an increased need for labor, and is therefore a nice way to fight unemployment. It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television program would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or subway would cost more.
And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a promise of reasonable value in the products and services you buy. Besides the fact that twenty-seven Acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements. He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising. He will not do so for long, for the public has the good sense not to buy the poor article more than once. If you see an article frequently advertised, it is the proof I know that the article does what is promised for it, and that it has good value.
Advertising does more for the good of the public than any other force I can think of.
There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on. Recently I heard a well-known television person declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs. He was telling us the real difference. Of course advertising tries to persuade.
If its message were nothing but information, that would be difficult to get more people to buy, for even a detail such as the choice of the color of a shirt is a bit persuasive-advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention. But perhaps that is what the well-known television person wants.By the first sentence of the passage the writer means that .
| A.he is fairly familiar with the cost of advertising |
| B.everybody knows well that advertising is a waste of money |
| C.advertising costs more money than everything else |
| D.money spent on advertising is worth while |
In the passage, which of the following is NOT included in the advantages of advertising?
| A.Getting greater fame. | B.Providing more jobs. |
| C.Raising living standards. | D.Reducing newspaper cost. |
The author thinks that the well-known TV person is .
| A.quite right in passing his judgment on advertising |
| B.interested in nothing but the buyer’s attention |
| C.correct in telling the difference between persuasion and information |
| D.obviously unfair in his views on advertising |
In the author’ opinion .
| A.advertising can seldom bring material benefit to man by providing information |
| B.advertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over |
| C.there is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading the buyer |
| D.the buyer is not interested in getting information from an advertisement |
Attitude is an internal state that influences the choices of personal action made by the individual. Some researchers consider that attitudes come from differences between beliefs and ideas; others believe that attitudes come from emotional states. Here, we focus on the effects of attitudes upon behavior, that is, upon the choices of action made by the individual.
The kinds of actions taken by human beings are obviously influenced greatly by attitudes. Whether one listens to classical music or rock, whether one obeys the speed limit while driving, whether one encourages one’s husband or wife to express his or her own ideas—all are influenced by attitudes. These internal states are acquired throughout life from situations one is faced with in the home, in the streets, and in the school.
Of course, the course of action chosen by an individual in any situation will be largely determined by the particulars of that situation. An individual who has a strong attitude of obeying laws may drive too fast when he is in a hurry and no police cars in sight. A child who has a strong attitude of honesty may steal a penny when she thinks no one will notice. But the internal state which remains unchanged over a period of time, and which makes the individual behave regularly in a variety of situations, is what is meant by an attitude.
Attitudes are learned in a variety of ways. They can result from single incidents, as when an attitude toward snakes is acquired by an experience in childhood at the sudden movement of a snake. They can result from the individual’s experiences of success and pleasure, as when someone acquires a positive attitude toward doing crossword puzzles by being able to complete some of them. And frequently, they are learned by copying other people’s behavior, as when a child learns how to behave toward foreigners by observing the actions of his parents. Regardless of these differences, there is something in common in the learning and modification(修正)of attitudes. According to the passage, attitudes _________.
| A.come from different situations in one’s life |
| B.are largely affected by one’s behavior |
| C.remain unchanged in one’s daily life |
| D.could be chosen according to one’s will |
The author uses the examples in Paragraph 3 to show _________.
| A.people often make mistakes when they are not noticed |
| B.people with good attitudes may sometimes do bad deeds |
| C.particulars of a situation may influence an individual’s action |
| D.an individual may change his or her attitude fairly easily |
Which of the following is TRUE about the learning of attitudes?
| A.Attitudes are only learned through one’s success. |
| B.Attitudes learned in danger will last longer. |
| C.Copying others behavior is not a good idea. |
| D.Attitudes can be learned from one’s parents. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A.Differences of Attitudes. |
| B.Nature of Attitude. |
| C.Choices of Attitudes. |
| D.Modification of Attitude. |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A.show the relationship between parents and children |
| B.teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C.report on the findings of a study |
| D.give information about family problems |
Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because _________.
| A.they are busy serving food to their children |
| B.they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
| C.they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D.they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.
| A.have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B.get the least attention from the family |
| C.are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D.find it hard to keep up with other children |
Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.
| A.why TV is important in family life |
| B.why parents should keep good order |
| C.why children in small families seem to be quieter |
| D.why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
| A.their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
| B.the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
| C.the common worry about their income |
| D.the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
| A.live in the countries with more money |
| B.seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C.continue their studies abroad |
| D.realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _________.
| A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B.they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C.they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D.they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that _________.
| A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B.“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
If you walk slowly through downtown Helsinki during the day, taking in the splendid 19th century buildings, white boats and noise of passing trams(有轨电车), you will start to understand why it is called a city of two colors: white and blue.
The sea is always present in Helsinki. When you take a walk over the great open space of the central square, you will hear seabirds screaming. When you take the tram, suddenly and unexpectedly, you are faced with a calm, shining blue sea. You may notice that people in Helsinki do not rush about as in other cities. Instead, they walk along the roads, politely letting other people by.
A usual way to see Helsinki for the first time is to start out by the boats. You will walk by the elderly women selling fish and vegetables in the market square and find yourself in front of a beautiful park. You may enjoy a pleasant walk in the park for a few hours and then take the tram. Trams are the perfect way to get around in Helsinki. Watching the old houses, parks, theatres, churches, shops, restaurants and people in the streets, you may have a slightly sad film feeling to it.
The pale summer nights are another wonder in the city. Following the waterfront of the city after sunset, you couldn’t help stopping and listening to the sweet silence, interrupted only by the screaming seabirds and leaving fishing boats.
However, in some way, Helsinki is also the most modern city in northern Europe. You will surely want to visit the white Glass Palace, the modern art museum, and all those extremely popular cafes and design stores.Helsinki is called a city of two colors mainly because of the colors of its _________.
| A.19th century buildings, boats and parks |
| B.19th century buildings, boats and seabirds |
| C.old houses, parks and trams |
| D.old buildings, boats and the sea |
The best way to see most of Helsinki is to go _________.
| A.by boat | B.by bus | C.by tram | D.on foot |
The 19th century buildings, the white Glass Palace, popular cafes and design shops in Helsinki all show that Helsinki is _________.
| A.both splendid and traditional | B.both quiet and noisy |
| C.both historical and modern | D.both old and new |
This passage is most likely to be found in _________.
| A.a story-book | B.a geography textbook |
| C.a research report | D.a travel magazine |
One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment(蚕食)?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience, kids can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive(认知的)skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents—and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters(培养)leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite (仪式)of passage.
Everyone from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that cement(增强)love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that _________.
| A.kids are missing the sense of wonder outdoors |
| B.parks are in danger of being gradually encroached |
| C.Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods |
| D.children are expected to develop into protectors of nature |
According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will _________.
| A.keep a high sense of wonder |
| B.be over-protected by their parents |
| C.be less healthy both physically and mentally |
| D.change wild places and creatures for the better |
According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is _________.
| A.the fault on the part of their parents |
| B.the natural experience in their growing up |
| C.the result of their own carelessness in play |
| D.the effect of their repetitive stress from computers |
In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to _________.
| A.blame children for getting lost in computer games |
| B.encourage children to protect parks from encroachment |
| C.show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature |
| D.inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around |