Are you a compulsive (强迫性的) spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality. According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems.

Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence. Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage. Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands. In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love. They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love.

People can be addicted to different things — for example, alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. They are compulsive in their addictions, i.e. they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable. In the same way, according to psychologists, compulsive spenders must spend money. For people who buy on credit, furthermore, charge accounts are even more exciting than money: in other words, they feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy.

There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.

It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people’s needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc. in their advertising and sales methods.

Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(疗法)” to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money: they give them “assignments”. If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self-discipline in this way: on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave. On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on. On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything. Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying.

1.If you use charge accounts, ______.

A. you pay in cash

B. you pay with credit card

C. you pay less than you should

D. you pay more than you should

2.Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ______.

A. the things they buy are cheap

B. they believe they can balance their budgets

C. they get psychological satisfaction

D. they really need the things they buy

3.Behavior therapy in this case aims at ______.

A. helping businessmen to increase their business

B. helping compulsive spenders to buy less

C. finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy

D. finding out what people will do in front of a bargain

4.The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ______.

A. different things B. their addictions

C. their pleasures D. charge accounts

5.From the passage we can conclude that ______________.

A. how you spend money reflects if you are psychologically healthy

B. money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much

C. compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine

D. all businessmen understand well the psychology of customers

Coincidences happen all the time to ordinary people, but the following events are perhaps some of the strangest of them all.

1. In the 19th century, the famous writer, Edgar Allan Poe, wrote a book called The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. It was about four survivors of a shipwreck (船只失事) who were in an open boat for many days before three of them decided to kill and eat the cabin boy whose name was Richard Parker. Some years later, in 1884, the boat Mignonette sank, and only four survivors were left in an open boat for many days. Finally the three older members killed and ate the cabin boy. The name of the cabin boy was Richard Parker.

2. In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I went to a small restaurant for dinner. When the owner took King Umberto I’s order, the King noticed that he and the restaurant owner were doubles, in face and in build. Both men began discussing the resemblance between each other and found many more similarities. Both men were born in the same place, on the same day, of the same year (March 14, 1844, Turin, Italy). On the day that the King married Queen Margherita, the restaurant owner had married a lady named Margherita. The restaurant owner opened his restaurant on the same day that King Umberto I was crowned(加冕) King of Italy. On July 29, 1900, King Umberto I was informed that the restaurant owner had died that day in a shooting accident, and as he expressed his regret, someone in the crowd killed him!

3. Mark Twain was a popular American author who wrote famous books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley’s Comet(哈雷彗星) in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: “I came in with Halley’s Comet in1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it.”

1.In The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, _________.

A. the boat was named Mignonette

B. the ship sank after the cabin boy’s death

C. three people in all eventually survived the shipwreck

D. Richard Parker was unfriendly to the other survivors

2. Whose story is related to astronomy?_________.

A. Mark Twain’s B. Edgar Allan Poe’s

C. King Umberto I’s D. Queen Margherita’s

3.The author wrote the text with a feeling of __________.

A. worry B. regret

C. amazement D. satisfaction

4.What’s the best title for the text?_________.

A. Unexplained deaths

B. Terrible events in the world

C. Well-known people in history

D. Strangest coincidences in history

Le Val de Cantobre, Aveyron (France)

It’s in the grounds of a medieval house. There’s a swimming pool, a river and a pizza restaurant. The scenery (景色) around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week’s stay will cost you about ?280.

For more information please go to www.eurocamp.co.uk.

Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle (Thailand)

This must be one of the best campsites ( 野营地) in the world. Instead of tents, there are “canvas cabins (帆布船舱)”. And there’s a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 of cabins to rent so you’ll have to book early. The campsite can only be reached by river boat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about ?1,500!

For more information please go to www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle.

Three Cliffs Bay, Gower (Wales)

The Three Cliffs Bay is in a beautiful part of the country, and it won’t cost you much either: a family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about ?28 a day. There’s a camp shop where you can buy food and drinks, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won’t even have to cook. You can water-ski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way.

For more information please go to www.Threecliffsbay.com.

Longitude 131, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia)

Situated in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, near the massive (巨大的) red rock formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, this is more like a hotel than a campsite. There’s a restaurant, a pool and even a library. The only problem is that it’s a bit expensive — around ?1,500 a night.

For more information please go to www.Longitude131.com.au.

1.If a couple want to stay in Le Val de Cantobre for two days, they will have to pay about .

A. ?56 B. ?280 C. ?160 D. ?80

2.Visitors can do all the following in Four Seasons Tented Camp EXCEPT .

A. enjoy a spa B. rent a cabin

C. ride an elephant D. visit a pub

3.If families like water-skiing, they can find information on .

A. www.eurocamp.co.uk

B. www.Threecliffsbay.com

C. www.Longitude131.com.au

D. www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle

4.What do we know about Longitude 131?

A. It is the most expensive. B. It is made of rocks.

C. It is located on a bay. D. It is a real hotel.

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