2011年职称英语综合类C级阅读理解新增文章
教材第四十七篇文章
Spoilt for Choice
Choice, we are given to1 believe, is a right. In daily life, people have come to expect endless situations about which they are required to make decisions one way or another. In the main2, these are just irksome moments at work which demand some extra energy or brainpower, or during lunch breaks like choosing which type of coffee to order or indeed which coffee shop to go to.
But sometimes selecting one option as opposed to another can have serious or lifelong repercussions. More complex decision-making is then either avoided, postponed, or put into the hands of the army of professionals, lifestyle coaches, lawyers, advisors, and the like, waiting to lighten the emotional burden for a fee2． But for a good many4 people in the world, in rich and poor countries，choice is a luxury, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, created by companies and advertisers wanting to sell their wares5．
The main impact of endless choice in people's lives is anxiety. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of consumer goods induces a sense of powerlessness, even paralysis, in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away6 or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted in order to solve the problem and reduce the unease．Recent surveys in the United Kingdom have shown that a sizeable proportion of electrical goods bought per household are not really needed．The advertisers and the shareholders of the manufacturers are, nonetheless, satisfied.
It is not just their availability that is the problem, but the speed with which new versions of products come on the market. Advances in design and production mean that new items are almost ready by the time that goods hit the shelves7．Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The classic example is computers, which are almost obsolete once they are bought. At first, there were only one or two available from a limited number of manufacturers, but now there are many companies all with not only their own products but different versions of the same machine．This makes selection a problem．Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing8: no choice, no anxiety.
The plethora of choice is. not limited to consumer items. With the greater mobilitv of people around the world, people have more choice about where they want to live and work--a fairly recent phenomenon. In the past, nations migrated across huge swathes of the earth in search of food, adventure, and more hospitable environments. Whole nations crossed continents and changed the face of history. So the mobility of people is nothing new. The creation of nation states and borders9 effectively slowed this process down. but what is different now is the speed at which migration is happening.
词汇：
spoil vt．使某人扫兴
irksome aaj．令人心烦的
brainpower n．智能
option n．选择
repercussions n．(常指意料之外的)影响，后果
complex adj．复杂的
postpone vt．&vi．延迟，延缓
professional n．专业人士adj．内行的
coach n．教练员，指导
luxury n．难得的享受
illusion n．幻觉，想象
ware n．商品，货物
impact n．影响
anxiety n．焦虑，不安
consumer n．消费者
induce vt．引起，导致
paralysis n．麻痹
unsuitable adj．不恰当的，不适宜的
unease n．焦虑，不安
sizeable adj．相当大的，颇大的
proportion n．部分，比例
shareholder n．股东
manufacturer n．制造商，厂家
nonetheless adv．然而，不过
availability n．可获得性，可使用性
version n．版本
obsolete adj．过时的，被淘汰的
plethora n．过多，过剩
phenomenon n．现象
migrate vi．迁徙
swathe n．大片土地
hospitable 有利的，适宜的
skip v．跳过
obese adj．肥胖的
metabolic adj．新陈代谢的
psychiatric adj．精神病的
abnormal adj．异常的
注释：
1．be given t0：倾向于
2．in the main-．大体上，基本上
3．More complex decision-making is then either avoided，postponed，or put into the hands of the army of professionals，lifestyle coaches，lawyers，advisors，and the like，waiting to lighten the emotional burden for a fee．对于情况更复杂的决策，人们或者回避、拖延，或者求助于各式各样的专业人士--生活方式指导人员、律师、咨询师等等，而他们也正等着你付费来缓解心理重负呢。put A in the hands of B由B为A做决策。the like等等，诸如此类的(人或物)。
4．a good many：也可说a great many，(用来强调所指数量)非常多的。
5．And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices，the whole system is merely an illusion，created by companies and advertisers wanting to sell their wares．对那些自认为行使选择权的人来说，这整个体制不过是销售商和广告商为了卖货而制造出的人来说，这整个体制不过是销售商和广告商为了卖货而造出的一种幻觉而已。exercise one’s right 行使权力。
6. Easy access to a wide range of consumer goods induces a sense of powerlessness, even paralysis, in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away.购物更便捷，商品更丰富，但这却让很多人感到不知所措，甚至麻痹，最后只好放弃挑选，一走了之。access to…获得的渠道。
7. hit the shelves：上架，上市
8. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing．那种无它可选，轻松购物的日子一去不复返了。此句为倒装句。
9. nation states and borders：国家和疆域。
练习：
1．What is the difference between the decision to shop in a certain supermarket and the decision to drop out of college according to the first paragraph?
A)The former is a right while the latter is not．
B)The latter has more impact on life．
C)The former may happen for many times in life．
D)The latter requires a fee.
2．When people can not easily decide what to buy，what is the least possible choice?
A)Give up．
B)Walk away．
C)Buy an unsuitable item．
D)Seek advice．
3．Why do products have short lifespan nowadays?
A)They are more often replaced with better ones．
B)They have Worse quality．
C)They have too many versions．
D)Computer technology advances too fast．
4．How does migration differ from the past?
A)People now migrate across the whole earth．
B)People now migrate for better life．
C)People now have more choice about where to migrate．
D)People now migrate for better environment．
5．Which is the best summary of the writer's attitude towards choice in a commercial society?
A)More choice，more anxiety．
B)Better more choice than no choice．
C)Better no choice than more choice．
D) All choice is not easy．
答案与题解：
1．B根据文章第一句话，这两种选择都是权利，所以A不对，选项C本身没错但文中丝毫未提及，选项D有可能发生，但不是绝对的。选项B符合But sometimes selecting one option as opposed to another can have serious or lifelong repercussions 的意思。
2．D第二段第三句提到了A、B、C三个选项，只有D没提到，这正是本题答案。
3．A第三段都是在讲商家为了销售更多的商品，不断推出新产品，老百姓不知不觉更换地更勤，所以一个商品的使用寿命就更短了。
4．C其它三个选项都不是新的特点，最后一段第三句话都有涉及。
5．A整篇文章都是在论述现代商品社会人们虽然选择更多了，但焦虑感也多了。其它三个选项文中都有提及，但不能代表作者整体的态度。
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