Question

I once had a house guest from Cuba. During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender (搅拌机) in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter – in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960’s, mainly because they do not have a choice. 

In contrast, the U.S. is a “throw-away society.” Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day. I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon.

“Planned obsolescence(废弃)” is not a secret. It is a manufacturing (制造业) philosophy developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again. 

Planned obsolescence does keep costs down. Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable(一次性的) items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.

Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week.

In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be. 

Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life.

1.In Cuba, people usually fix a broken item instead of buying a new one because __________.

A. wasting is prohibited there                                         B. they are poor

C. they are interested in fixing things                            D. they live a low-carbon life

2.According to the article, planned obsolescence ___________.

A. began before mass production became popular

B. is intended to encourage consumers to buy more things

C. results in higher prices of items

D. requires factories to produce high-quality products

3.Which of the following is NOT true about the “throw-away society” in the U.S.?

A. People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one.

B. A large quantity of food has been wasted.

C. People believe that the more they have, the happier they will be.

D. People all hold the belief that money comes first.

4.What may be the writer’s attitude towards a throw-away society?

A. Supportive.                     B. Critical.                    C. Tolerant.                           D. Optimistic.

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.D

4.B

【解析】

试题分析:一次作者在扔掉用坏的搅拌机时，碰巧家里有一位来自古巴的房客，房客第二天把作者扔掉的搅拌机给修理好，拿了回来。由此作者比较古巴和美国两个社会的异同，认识到了在贫穷的国家，人们过的非常节俭，而在美国这个物质极大充足的社会，浪费现象非常严重。

1.B细节理解题。根据文章首段 In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly.可知在古巴人们买不起东西，才会对用坏的东西进行修理，所以选B。

2.B推理判断题。根据文章第三段The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again.可以判断选B。

3.D 推理判断题。根据文章第五段Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money.可知忙碌的人们把时间和便捷看的比金钱更重要，所以D选项内容错误。

4.B 推理判断题。根据文章末段40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life.可知作者认为物质的充足造成了浪费现象，所以对于美国这个“a throw-away society”是持批判态度的。

考点：考查社会生活类短文阅读。