Question

阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。

[l] We expect companies selling products to make them as available as possible. But now some of them are bringing back rationing(定量供应). As you might expect, it's all part of a plan to make us spend more, not less.

[2]Butter, bacon, sugar, tea and meat were rationed in Britain during World War II, because goods at that time were scarce, and hard to get for all. But nowadays industrial mass production           . Factories all over the world are pumping out bright and beautiful objects.

[3]When everyone has to wait and save up for new things, owning them feels exciting and special. But when lovely things are available every day, they stop being a treat. The other characteristic of consumer society is that we aim for social distinction through what we own. But if everyone has lots of things, how can we impress anyone with our purchases? All of this takes the fun out of shopping and means there's a limit to how much consumerism can grow.

[4] This is deeply worrying to companies, and some of them have started to fight it, by creating artificial scarcity(短缺). For example, Swedish rapper Adam Tensta has limited access to his latest track. Only one person at a time can access it, and fans must take their place in a digital queue.

[5] This hend means we can again own something rare. But the risk for these companies is that in a world of so many things, if they make their products too hard to get, we'll just buy from someone else instead.

1.What is the text mainly about? (no more than 3 words)

                                                                               

2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)

                                                                               

3.In which paragraph can the following sentences be put as an example?

In Singapore, a small cafe called Liberty Coffee only opens on random days. It sometimes stays closed for over a week at a time.

                                                                               

4.What are the two characteristics of consumer society? (no more than 15 words)

①                                                                           

②                                                                           

5.What is the risk for the companies creating artificial scarcity ? (no more than l0 words)

                                                                              

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.Artificial scarcity.

2.has changed all of that/has increased a lot/has made that different

3.Paragraph 4.

4.①Lovely things are available every day.

②People aim for social distinction.

5.They may lose some customers.

【解析】

试题分析：本文叙述了以前由于经济不够发达，所以有些东西缺乏是属于正常现象，而在现在工业发达的经济社会里，竟然也出现了某个产品紧缺的情况，原来是公司在搞人为的短缺，进而获得更大的收益。同时该公司也可能失去了一些顾客。

1.根据This is deeply worrying to companies, and some of them have started to fight it, by creating artificial scarcity(短缺).整篇短文的大意可知Artificial scarcity.

2.根据Butter, bacon, sugar, tea and meat were rationed in Britain during World War II, because goods at that time were scarce, and hard to get for all. But根据连词But表转折，可知has changed all of that/has increased a lot/has made that different.

3.This is deeply worrying to companies, and some of them have started to fight it, by creating artificial scarcity(短缺).这是对人为短缺的例子故选Paragraph 4.

4.

①根据But when lovely things are available every day，故Lovely things are available every day.

②根据The other characteristic of consumer society is that we aim for social distinction 故People aim for social distinction.

5.根据if they make their products too hard to get, we'll just buy from someone else instead. 故They may lose some customers.

考点：这是社会现象类阅读。

点评：考查包括一是考查主要事实、特定的信息和细节。二是概括文章的标题、主题思想及段落大意。三是测验文章特定的词义或句意。四是考查作者的态度与倾向。五是考查考生对文章某一观点的认识和看法。需要考生有扎实的基础知识。