No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.

Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.

During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.

1..

. Why have advertisers made a close study of human weakness?

A. They thought it was very interesting to do so.

B. They wanted to persuade the customers to buy their products.

C. They thought it was their duty.

D. They wanted to research how much people spend buying their products.

2..

. Why do advertisers offer free samples and other things to people?

A. They use them to attract people’s attention.

B. Their advertisements have little effect on customers.

C. Different means are being used to cheat people.

D. They produce too many products that can’t be sold out.

3..

 From the last paragraph, we know that the factory failed to expect _______.

A. how many people would take an interest in the competition

B. how many ingredients are needed to bake a large biscuit

C. it was possible to bake a biscuit as large as the student’s

D. the payment wouldn’t be as high as $ 24,000

 

Chicago, a city in the State of Illinois, is the second largest in the United States. It stretches for 29 miles along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. Its splendid centre faces the lake behind a pleasant park. The Chicago River flows through the heart of the city. The city of Chicago, 713 miles west of New York and 1858 miles east of San Francisco, is located at the conjunction(连接) of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system and surrounded by the productive farmlands of the Midwest. This makes the city the crossroads of the nation and the “ bread basket” of the nation. From its beginning as a frontier fort(要塞) settlement in 1803, commerce(商业) has been the key to Chicago’s development, especially since the railroads and stockyards(牲畜围栏) were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Thousands of foreigners, attracted by the promise of steady jobs, have lived and worked there since the second half of the 19th century; thousands more come to visit its famous fairs, and millions of others cross it every day by road or railway. Chicago is the world’s biggest road and railway centre, and it should claim(要求得到身份或权利的承认) the world’s busiest airport.

66. If you go to New York from Chicago, you go _____ for _____ miles.

A. east…713   B. west…713   C. east…1858   D. west…1858

67. From the passage, we can see that there is _____.

A. a lake right in the middle of the city

B. the Mississippi River in the middle of the city

C. a park in the middle of the city

D. a lake 29 miles away from the city

68. Chicago is called the “ bread basket” of the nation because _____.

A. there is a river flowing through the city

B. it is located at the conjunction of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system

C. it is near the city of New York

D. there are rich farmlands around the city

69. _____ the city developed fastest.

A. Early in the 19th century

B. Around the middle of the 19th century

C. At the end of the 19th century

D. During the second half of the 19th century

70. Since the late 19th century thousands of people have kept coming to Chicago _____. Which of the following is wrong?

A. on business     B. for a visit

C. for better jobs   D. to claim the world’s biggest seaport

 

No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
【小题1】.
. Why have advertisers made a close study of human weakness?

A．They thought it was very interesting to do so.

B．They wanted to persuade the customers to buy their products.

C．They thought it was their duty.

D．They wanted to research how much people spend buying their products.

【小题2】.
. Why do advertisers offer free samples and other things to people?

A．They use them to attract people’s attention.

B．Their advertisements have little effect on customers.

C．Different means are being used to cheat people.

D．They produce too many products that can’t be sold out.

【小题3】.
From the last paragraph, we know that the factory failed to expect _______.

A．how many people would take an interest in the competition

B．how many ingredients are needed to bake a large biscuit

C．it was possible to bake a biscuit as large as the student’s

D．the payment wouldn’t be as high as $ 24,000

   Chicago, a city in the State of Illinois, is the second largest in the United States. It stretches for 29 miles along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. Its splendid centre faces the lake behind a pleasant park. The Chicago River flows through the heart of the city. The city of Chicago, 713 miles west of New York and 1858 miles east of San Francisco, is located at the conjunction(连接) of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system and surrounded by the productive farmlands of the Midwest. This makes the city the crossroads of the nation and the “ bread basket” of the nation. From its beginning as a frontier fort(要塞) settlement in 1803, commerce(商业) has been the key to Chicago’s development, especially since the railroads and stockyards(牲畜围栏) were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Thousands of foreigners, attracted by the promise of steady jobs, have lived and worked there since the second half of the 19th century; thousands more come to visit its famous fairs, and millions of others cross it every day by road or railway. Chicago is the world’s biggest road and railway centre, and it should claim(要求得到身份或权利的承认) the world’s busiest airport.

66. If you go to New York from Chicago, you go _____ for _____ miles.

   A. east…713   B. west…713   C. east…1858   D. west…1858

67. From the passage, we can see that there is _____.

   A. a lake right in the middle of the city

   B. the Mississippi River in the middle of the city

   C. a park in the middle of the city

   D. a lake 29 miles away from the city

68. Chicago is called the “ bread basket” of the nation because _____.

   A. there is a river flowing through the city

   B. it is located at the conjunction of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system

   C. it is near the city of New York

   D. there are rich farmlands around the city

69. _____ the city developed fastest.

   A. Early in the 19th century

   B. Around the middle of the 19th century

   C. At the end of the 19th century

   D. During the second half of the 19th century

70. Since the late 19th century thousands of people have kept coming to Chicago _____. Which of the following is wrong?

   A. on business     B. for a visit

C. for better jobs   D. to claim the world’s biggest seaport

Chicago, a city in the State of Illinois, is the second largest in the United States. It stretches for 29 miles along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. Its splendid centre faces the lake behind a pleasant park. The Chicago River flows through the heart of the city. The city of Chicago, 713 miles west of New York and 1858 miles east of San Francisco, is located at the conjunction（连接） of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system and surrounded by the productive farmlands of the Midwest. This makes the city the crossroads of the nation and the “ bread basket” of the nation. From its beginning as a frontier fort（要塞） settlement in 1803, commerce（商业） has been the key to Chicago’s development, especially since the railroads and stockyards（牲畜围栏） were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Thousands of foreigners, attracted by the promise of steady jobs, have lived and worked there since the second half of the 19^th century; thousands more come to visit its famous fairs, and millions of others cross it every day by road or railway. Chicago is the world’s biggest road and railway centre, and it should claim（要求得到身份或权利的承认） the world’s busiest airport.

1. If you go to New York from Chicago, you go _____ for _____ miles.

A．east…713             B．west…713            C．east…1858           D．west…1858

2. From the passage, we can see that there is _____.

A．a lake right in the middle of the city

B．the Mississippi River in the middle of the city

C．a park in the middle of the city

D．a lake 29 miles away from the city

3. Chicago is called the “bread basket” of the nation because _____.

A．there is a river flowing through the city

B．it is located at the conjunction of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system

C．it is near the city of New York

D．there are rich farmlands around the city

4. _____ the city developed fastest.

A．Early in the 19^th century

B．Around the middle of the 19^th century

C．At the end of the 19^th century

D．During the second half of the 19^th century

5. Since the late 19^th century thousands of people have kept coming to Chicago _____. Which of the following is wrong?

A．on business                                            B．for a visit

C．for better jobs                                          D．to claim the world’s biggest seaport