III 阅读(共两节,满分40分)
第一节 阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Advertising in America offers some great advantages to consumers. For example, in order to keep prices low through mass production, companies must have a mass market for their products. Mass advertising creates mass markets. Producers cannot afford to develop new products, put them on the market and wait for customers to discover them. This would take too long. Demand for some products must be created. This is done through advertising.
But advertising sometimes makes it difficult for consumers to make wise decisions. The fact is that when people are constantly flooded with messages through the mass media persuading them to buy particular products, many respond by buying them.
Advertising is designed to influence an individual to buy a product. Sellers often study human behavior to discover what will convince consumers to buy a certain item. This reason for buying is called a buying motive.
Buying motives are usually broken down into two categories: rational and emotional. Rational buying motives include the desire to save money, the desire for comfort, or the desire for good workmanship. Emotional buying motives include buying out of fear, wanting to be liked, and wanting to have something better than your friends have.
Emotional appeals are found in most consumer advertising today. Certain cars promise to make the driver feel "younger" and " freer". Shoes promise to make the buyer's whole life "springier". Life insurance policies promise to take the "care out of living".
Most consumers believe that they are not easily influenced by emotional appeals. However, corporations that sell consumer products obviously think differently. They spend many millions of dollars every day on radio, television, newspaper and magazine ads that use these appeals.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that one of the advantages of advertising for consumers is that ________.
A. it can create a big demand for consumer goods
B. the mass market created by it leads to low prices
C. producers can introduce new products to consumers
D. it helps consumers discover new products
2. Consumers sometimes find it difficult to make a sensible decision when buying a particular product because __________ .
A. many advertisements are too difficult for them to understand
B. they are afraid to be taken in by dishonest advertisements
C. mass advertising offers them a range of good and cheap products
D. they are confused by the quantity of advertisements promoting it
3. According to the passage, a toothpaste ad promising that people who use the product will make a lot of friends is an example of an ad that appeals to __________ .
A. rational buying motives B. the consumer's commonsense
C. emotional buying motives D. the desire for a good product
4. The reason why companies spend enormous amounts of money on advertising is that ________ .
A. they believe people can be influenced to buy a certain produce
B. it takes a lot of advertising to convince people to buy a certain product
C. most consumers are not easily influenced by emotional appeals
D. advertising based on emotional appeals are very effective
5. The best title for this passage would be ________ .
A. Advertising can create demand B. The advantages of advertising
C. What effective advertising can do D. The role of advertising in selling products