Human needs seem endless. When a hungry man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat, when a manager gets a new sports car, a big house and pleasure boats dance into view.
The many needs of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of needs, another level appears.
The first and most basic level of needs involves food. Once this level is satisfied, the second level of needs, clothing and some sort of shelter, appears. By the end of World War Ⅱ, these needs were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as automobiles and new houses.
By 1957 or 1958 this third level of needs was fairly well satisfied. Then, in the late 1950s, a fourth level of needs appeared; the “life-enriching” level. While the other levels involve physical satisfaction, that is, the need in comfort, safety, and transportation, this level stresses mental needs for recognition, achievement, and happiness. It includes a variety of goods and services, many of which could be called “luxury” items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical and dental care, and recreation. Also included here are fancy goods and the latest styles in clothing.
On the fourth level, a lot of money is spent on services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of needs as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?
A fifth level would probably involve needs that can be achieved best by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes to pay for government action against disease, ignorance, crime, and prejudice. After filling our stomachs, our clothes closets, our garages, our teeth, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health, safety, and leisure to enjoy more fully the good things on the first four levels.
1.According to the passage, man will begin to think about such needs as housing and clothing only when .
A. he has saved up enough money B. he has grown dissatified with his simple shelter
C. he has satisfied his hunger D. he has learned to build houses
2. It can be inferred from the passage that by the end of World War Ⅱ, most Americans .
A. were very rich B. lived in poverty
C. had the good things on the first three levels D. did not own automobiles
3. Which of the following is NOT related to “physical satisfaction” ?
A. A successful career. B. A comfortable home.
C. A good meal. D. A family car.
4. What is the main concern of man on the fourth level?
A. The more goods the better. B. The more mental satisfaction the better.
C. The more “luxury” items the better. D. The more earnings the better.
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated(愤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
1.The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for ________.
A. wasting gold B. wasting wrapping paper
C. putting the box under the Christmas tree D. bringing the gift to her father
2. What’s inside the box according to the little girl?
A. nothing B. air C. kisses D. gold wrapping paper
3.Choose the best title for the passage.
A. The kisses in the box. B. A girl and his father
C. A love story D. The box under the Christmas tree.
Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be simple fact? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?
If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant. The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake. The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk. The fourth, who got hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope. The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant’s legs. The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan.
Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience. So if someone disagrees with you about a“simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.
To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a“simple fact”, try this simple experiment. Get three large bowls. Put ice water in one. Put hot water in the second. Put lukewarm water in the third. Now put your left hand in the ice water. Put your right hand in the hot water. After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water. Your right hand will tell you the water is cold. Your left hand will tell you it’s hot!
1.What makes people think about simple facts differently?
A. The fact that simple facts differ from one another.
B. The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact.
C. The fact that people often disagree with one another.
D. The fact that it’s hard to make up one’s mind about simple facts.
2. Which of the following temperatures can the word“lukewarm”be applied to?
A. Around 1℃ B. Above 60℃ C. Around 25℃ D. Below 0℃
3. After reading the last paragraph, we may think of .
A. Newton’s law B. Gallileo’s theory of falling objects
C. Einstein’s theory of relativity D. Marx’s On Capital
4. The main idea of this passage is .
A. people often judge something according to his own experience
B. people often agree about simple facts
C. it’s hard for a person to make up his mind about a simple fact
D. don’t care too much about simple facts
Jane’s parents suggested that she ______ a medical examination.
A. has B. have C. had D. have has
I should like to buy a house, modern, comfortable, and ______ , in a quiet place.
A. first of all B. after all C. in all D. above all
If you are _______ about Australian cities, just read the book written by Dr. Johnson.
A. worried B. anxious C. upset D. curious
