阅读理解 Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after 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, tinroofed 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 Dunn 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 old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on
experiences, say Ms Dunn 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 Dunn 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 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
【文章导读】
本文是一篇书评。开篇以84岁的老人格罗丽亚·麦肯兹中5.9亿美元的彩票头奖一事引出《花钱带来的幸福感》一书对消费者如何花钱的指导。这本书可以帮助读者将自己的钱花得更值得,得到更多的幸福感。
【文章超精读】
Paragraph one
①What would you do with$590m? ②This 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. ③If she hopes her newfound fortune will yield
lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by
Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.
[必考词详解] 注意:加粗且加下划线的释义为文中所考释义
undivided[nd'vadd] a.专心的;专一的;未分开的,完整的
lottery['lt()r] n.彩票**;碰运气的事
yield[jild] vt.生产,生长出(作物),结出(果实);屈服,投降;产生
fulfillment[fl'flmnt] n.完成,履行;满足,成就
do worse than 不妨(做某事);(做某事)不失明智之举
[逐句超精讲]①What would you do with$590m?
[精讲]该句是简单句,用介词短语with$590m表示对现在事实的一种假设,相当于if you had$590m,句子谓语动词用的是虚拟语气“would+动词原形”的形式。
[译文]如果有5.9亿美元你会用来做什么?
② 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.
[精讲]该句是复合句,主干是This is a question,for Gloria
Mackenzie作状语,an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged...作Gloria Mackenzie的同位语,其中who引导的定语从句修饰widow。
[译文]这是格罗丽亚·麦肯兹现在面临的一个问题。84岁的寡妇格罗丽亚·麦肯兹*近从她那位于佛罗里达州锡皮屋顶的小房子里现身,来领取累计奖金创历史*高的彩票头奖。③If she hopes her newfound
fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than
read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.
[精讲]该句主干为she could do worse than read
Happy Money。句首为If引导的条件状语从句,其中包含省略that的宾语从句her newfound fortune will yield lasting feelings of
fulfillment,作hopes的宾语;句尾的by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton作Happy Money的后置定语。do worse than是“不妨(做某事);(做某事)不失明智之举”的意思。
[译文]如果她希望她的新财富可以产生持久的满足感,她不妨读一下伊丽莎白·邓恩和迈克尔·诺顿合著的《花钱带来的幸福感》一书。
Paragraph two
①These two academics use an
array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money
can be counterintuitive. ②Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of
fancy cars and extravagant homes. ③Yet satisfaction with these material
purchases wears off fairly quickly. ④What was once exciting and new becomes old-hat;
regret creeps in. ⑤It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dunn
and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the
cinema. ⑥These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or
memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.
[必考词详解]
academic[k'demk] n.大学生,大学教师;学者 a.学术的;理论的;学院的
array['re] n.数组,阵列;排列,列阵;大批,一系列
rewarding [r'wd] a. 有益的,值得的;有报酬的,报答的
counterintuitive[,kant<