Question

【題目】Do you love Beats headphones, True Religion jeans, and UGG shoes? These are some of the most popular brands (牌子) around. They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.

For example, Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. So why do people pay twice or even 10 times as much for the hottest brands?

Experts say it's because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”

Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price. They say that some designer clothes really are top quality and that they last longer than cheaper brands. Some teenagers choose to wear popular brands because these brands make them feel good about themselves.

Alexandra Allam, 17, likes to buy brand-name products. “I'd rather spend the extra money to get something I know I'll be satisfied with,” she says. Her friend Emmy Swan agrees, saying “As long as you can afford it, it seems reasonable to buy what you want.” But not all teenagers agree. “Spending hundreds of dollars for designer sunglasses is stupid and unreasonable,” says Daniel Steinbrecher, 16. “It's fake (假的) happiness.”

People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren't any better. “It's wasteful to buy things just because they are popular,” says Edmund Williams, 15. “You'll feel better if you buy things because you like them. If you have extra money to spend, it would be better to give it to people in need.”

【1】The example of Jim's report wants to tell us _____.

A. popular brands make people comfortable

B. Koss Pro headphones are better than Beats

C. the hottest brands are of the highest quality

D. lesser-known brands may offer the same quality as name brands

【2】According to experts, people choose the hottest brands probably _____.

A. to show off

B. for their better quality

C. for their better designs

D. to belong to a special group

【3】What does Edmund think of expensive brands?

A. They are not worth the price.

B. They make him feel confident.

C. They need to improve their quality.

D. They pay too much attention to personal likes.

【4】The text is mainly about _____.

A. how to buy things reasonably

B. the competition between brands

C. the different values of teenagers

D. whether expensive brands are worth high prices

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】

試題分析：文章討論的是昂貴品牌值不值得問題。

【1】D. 推理總結題。Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. Jim Wilcox為消費者報告。他測試了各種耳機。他說，80美元的耳機Koss Pro和Beats提供基本相同的質量和舒適。由此可知消費者們對于品牌了解不夠，lesser-known brands may offer the same quality as name brands一些鮮為人知的品牌可以像品牌商品一樣提供相同質量的。故選D。

【2】A.推理推斷題。根據第三段的Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”可知，人們選擇最熱門的品牌是出于炫耀心理，故選A。

【3】A.推理推斷題。根據最后一段Edmund所說的“It's wasteful to buy things just because they are popular,” 僅僅因為它們受歡迎為買東西是一種浪費。可知他認為昂貴品牌并不值那個價，故選A。

【4】D.主旨大意題。文章第一段提出本文要談論的話題：They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.這些品牌價格如此昂貴，但是一些專家說受歡迎的品牌價格昂貴然而卻不見得比便宜的品牌好。隨后文章從正反兩面對此進行了討論。由此可知，文章主要是討論昂貴的品牌到底值不值這一話題。故選D。