Section II Reading Comprehension

Part A

Directions:

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 1

What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-­year-­old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-­roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-­found fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dumn and Michael Norton.

These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly. What was once exciting and new becomes old­hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms. Dumn and Mr. Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.

This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason MacDonald's restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.

Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfillment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.

21. According to Dumn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?

[A] A big house. [B] A special tour. [C] A stylish car. [D] A rich meal.

22. The author's attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is ________.

[A] critical [B] supportive [C] sympathetic [D] ambiguous

23. McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that ________.

[A] consumers are sometimes irrational [B] popularity usually comes after quality

[C] marketing tricks are after effective [D] rarity generally increases pleasure

24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money ________.

[A] has left much room for readers’ criticism

[B] may prove to be a worthwhile purchase

[C] has predicted a wider income gap in the US

[D] may give its readers a sense of achievement

25. This text mainly discusses how to ________.

[A] balance feeling good and spending money

[B] spend large sums of money won in lotteries

[C] obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent

[D] become more reasonable in spending on luxuries

21、【答案】B A special tour

【解析】细节题。答案定位在第二段的“it is far better to spend money on experiences„like interesting trips„”，意思是“花钱消费在经历方面更好„„，比如说有趣的旅行„„”，由此可以得知答案是 B 选项“一场特别的旅行”。

22、【答案】A critical

【解析】观点态度题。答案定位在第三段的“something the average American spends a whopping twomonths a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it”，意思是“普通美国人一年花两个月的时间看电视，并且看电视几乎不可能更愉快”，因此可以得知作者对于看电视的态度是 A 选项“批判的”。

23、【答案】D rarity generally increases pleasure

【解析】观点例证题。答案定位在第三段，文章中提到 Mc Rib 这个例子，用这个例子证明的论点是“luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly”，大意是“有节制地消费奢侈品最令人愉悦”，D 选项正是这句论点句的同义替换。

24、【答案】B may prove to be a worthwhile purchase

【解析】细节题。答案定位在最后一段的最后一句“most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent”，大意是“大多数人看完这本书后，认为物有所值”，因此可以推知 B 选项是正确答案。

25、【答案】A balance feeling good and spending money

【解析】主旨题。纵观全文可知，全文主要谈论花钱消费和心情愉悦之间的关系，因此答案定位在 A选项。