Question

We buy because it makes us happy. For some people, if they're feeling blue, shopping will make them happier because it restores some control in their lives.It's making the choice to buy or not to buy that helps people feel more in control.Retail therapy proves to be a useful and practical thing.

Doing something we find rewarding lights up the brain's pleasure center, which when activated leads to the release of dopamine(多巴胺), which makes us feel good. It's why we can even get addicted to the pleasure of buying. Experiments with the brain's dopamine releases in pleasurable situations have found that expectations also kicks them off to leave us in a joyful atmosphere; we experience pleasure, in other words, when we're looking forward to a fun event as well as during and after it.  A trip to the mall is also enjoyable in our schedules for the weekend.

Pleasure is not the only reason why we buy things we don't need at all. Ryan Howell, an professor of psychology at San Francisco State University said back in our hunter and gatherer days，when people saw something they wanted, they'd grab it, even if they didn't need it, because it was likely they wouldn't come across that item again. “If you see something that seems to be running in short supply，you're going to get it,” Howell said. These days, such scarcity isn't an issue — we can buy nearly anything we want if we have the means — but we often still approach life like our ancestors did, especially when it comes to a sale. When we see a 50% off clearance price tag, that scarcity impulse kicks into gear, Howell said. The feeling is, if we don't buy that item now, it's going to be gone forever — or at least at that good price.

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. People may lose control of life occasionally.

B. People tend to be controlled by purchasing desire.

C. Purchase can comfort people when they are upset.

D. The concept of retail therapy was once a false idea.

2.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Experiments.    B. Expectations.

C. Dopamine releases.    D. Pleasurable situations.

3.What can we infer according to the last paragraph?

A. A good bargain can’t be missed.

B. Our ancestors grabbed things for survival.

C. We should watch out for the trap of the sale.

D. Our ancestors had similar attitude with us to things wanted.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A. Why We Buy Things

B. To Purchase As You Wish

C. The Approach to Happiness

D. The Relaxation in Modern Life

Answer

1. C

2. C

3. C

4. A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，人们热衷于购物的原因，一是因为购物使人快乐，二是因为稀缺性冲动（错过这次，以后就没有了）。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中的“For some people, if they're feeling blue, shopping will make them happier because it restores some control in their lives.”可知，购物会让心情沮丧的人感到快乐，故C项正确。

2.词义猜测题。根据画线词前的“Doing something we find rewarding lights up the brain's pleasure center, which when activated leads to the release of dopamine, which makes us feel good.”可知，购物使人快乐是因为购物时大脑兴奋中枢释放的多巴胺让我们感到快乐，再结合画线词后的“we experience pleasure, in other words, when we're looking forward to a fun event as well as during and after it. ”可知，期望也会激发多巴胺的释放，让我们置身于一个快乐的氛围之中，由此可知画线词指的就是前面的“the release of dopamine”，故C项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“but we often still approach life like our ancestors did, especially when it comes to a sale. When we see a 50% off clearance price tag, that scarcity impulse kicks into gear, Howell said. The feeling is, if we don't buy that item now, it's going to be gone forever — or at least at that good price.”可知，大特价会引起人们的稀缺性冲动而争相购买，因此我们要警惕销售陷阱，故C项正确。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文，特别是根据第一段中的“We buy because it makes us happy.”及第三段中的“Pleasure is not the only reason why we buy things we don't need at all.”可知，本文分析了人们热衷于购物的原因，故A项正确。