A
Almost every day we come across situations where 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 rights to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion (幻觉), a false idea created by companies and advertisers, 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 shoppers giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decisionmaking is then either avoided or trusted to 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 lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost outofdate once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.
当今社会，很多人误以为选择是自己拥有的一项权利。其实，在很多情况下，那只是一种幻觉，不过是被一些公司或广告商为了出售他们的产品而营造的一种错误想法。
1．What does the author try to argue in the first paragraph?
A．The practice of choice is difficult.
B．Choice is a born right.
C．It's easy to make choices.
D．Companies offer good shopping choice.
答案：A
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的“But for a good many people...but hard to get, not a right.”可知，作者认为对世界上的很多人来说，选择并非是一种权利，无论是在贫穷的国家还是在富有的国家中，选择对他们来说其实是一种奢侈品，很美好但很难得到。也就是说选择是很难做到的。故选A项。
2．Which of the following is most likely to cause anxiety?
A．Easy access to everyday goods.
B．Too many choices.
C．Misleading advertisements.
D．Professional shopping advice.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people's lives.”可知，无休止的选择催生出人们生活中的焦虑，即人们焦虑是因为选择太多而导致的。故选B项。
3．The example of computers is used to prove that ________.
A．updated products flood the market
B．hightech products are of poor quality
C．everyday goods need to be replaced
D．advanced products are in demand
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Advances in design and production...which are almost outofdate once they are bought.”可知，产品的设计和生产方面的进步加速了(产品)被推向市场的进程，产品也需要缩短使用期，电脑便是其中的一个例子。由此可以推断，作者以电脑为例，证明市场上充斥着更新的产品。故选A项。
4．What is this passage mainly about?
A．The opinions on people's rights.
B．The problems of the availability of daily goods.
C．The helplessness in purchasing decisions.
D．The variety of choices in modern society.
答案：C
解析：主旨大意题。纵观全文，尤其是文章最后一句“Gone are the days...no anxiety.”可知，本文主要讲述了人们在购物时因为选择太多而无法简单选择的现状。故选C项。
