阅读理解。
Almost every day we come across situations in which 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 right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, 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 shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item (商品) that is not
really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family
are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into 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example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a
problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with case into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no
anxiety.
1. What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?
A. The exercise of rights is a luxury.
B. The practice of choice is difficult.
C. The right of choice is given but at a price.
D. Choice and right exist at the same time.
2. Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?
A. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.
B. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.
C. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.
D. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice.
3. By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that _____.
A. advanced products meet the needs of people
B. products of the latest design flood the market
C. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry
D. everyday goods need to be replaced often
4. What is this passage mainly about?
A. The variety of choices in modern society.
B. The opinions on people's right in different countries.
C. The problems about the availability of everyday goods.
D. The helplessness in purchasing decisions
