二、閱讀理解(11-30)

　　When a consumer finds that an item she or he bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to the manufacturer's claim for it, the first step is to present the warranty(保單), or any other records which might help, at the store of purchase. In most cases, this action will produce results. However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction.

　　A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain directly to the store manager. In general, the "higher up" the consumer takes his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settled. In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer's favour, assuming he or she has a just claim.

　　Consumers shoud complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of purchase, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter.

　　Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly, and especially when the consumer can demonstrate what is wrong with the item in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, "The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear" is better than "This stereo(立體聲音響)does not work."

　　The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the manufacturer. If so, the consumer should do this, stating the complaint as politely and as firmly as possible. But if a polite complaint does not achieve the desired result, the consumer can go a step further. She or he can threaten to take the seller to court or report the seller to a private or public organization responsible for protecting consumers‘rights.

　　11.When a consumer finds that his purchase has a fault in it, the first thing he should do is to ______.

　　A. complain personally to the manager

　　B. threaten to take the matter to court

　　C. write a firm letter of complaint to the store of purchase

　　D. show some written proof of the purchase to the store

　　答案：D

　　解析：答案D。本題答案在原文第一句中可以找到。它的大意是：當(dāng)顧客發(fā)現(xiàn)他(她)所買的商品有毛病或在其他方面未達(dá)到制造商所聲稱的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)時，第一步就是將保單或其他有助于解決問題的記錄這家商店看。所以D“向這家商店出示書面證明”，與原文相符，是正確答案。而A“當(dāng)面向經(jīng)理申訴”，是在第一步中問題得不到解決時才使用，所以它不是此題答案。B“威脅將此事向法庭上訴”是在經(jīng)理未能解決問題，寫信給廠家也未能解決問題時才使用的方法，所以它也不是解決問題的第一步。C“給商店寫一封態(tài)度強硬的抱怨信”也是在第一步中問題得不到解決時才使用的。所以A.B.C均不是正確答案。

　　12.If a consumer wants a quick settlement of his problem, it's better to complain to _______.

　　A. a shop assistant

　　B. the store manager

　　C. the manufacturer

　　D. a public organization

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。此題源于第二段。作者認(rèn)為許多消費者使用的簡單而又常用的辦法是直接向商店經(jīng)理投訴。

　　13. The most effective complaint can be made by______.

　　A. showing the faulty item to the manufacturer

　　B. explaining exactly what is wrong with the item

　　C. saying firmly that the item is of poor quality

　　D. asking politely to change the item

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。原文第四段的大意是：當(dāng)顧客申訴商品有質(zhì)量問題時，態(tài)度要堅定、有禮貌，特別是如果消費者當(dāng)場演示就能最有效地達(dá)到申訴目的。不能當(dāng)場演示時也要提出比較具體的質(zhì)量間題。A、C、D三項都是泛泛地說質(zhì)量差、有毛病，而沒能說出該商品哪一個具體的部位有毛病，所以都不是最有效的解決問題的辦法。而B項“準(zhǔn)確解釋商品哪里有問題”與原文相符，是正確答案。

　　14. The phrase "live up to" (Para. 1, Line 2) in the context means ________.

　　A. meet the standard of

　　B. realize the purpose of

　　C. fulfil the demands of

　　D. keep the promise of

　　答案：A

　　解析：答案A。live up to所在句子的意思是：“當(dāng)顧客發(fā)現(xiàn)他所購買的商品有毛病或在某種程度上沒有達(dá)到制造商所聲稱的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)時，…”。B項“實現(xiàn)(制造商所聲稱的)目的”，句意不通;C項“滿足(制造商所聲稱的)要求”;D項“履行(制造商所聲稱的)承諾”，C、D兩項均與原文意思不符。而A項“達(dá)到(制造商所聲稱的)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)”正是原文 所表達(dá)的意思，所以是正確答案。

　　15. Tthe passage tells us _______.

　　A. how to settle a consumer's complaint about a faulty item

　　B. how to make an effective complaint about a faulty item

　　C. how to avoid buying a faulty item

　　D. how to deal with complaints from customers

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。從全文看，作者向讀者推薦了幾種申訴偽劣商品的辦法，可見作者是站在顧客的立場上的。而A、D兩項是站在賣方的立場;C項在文章中未提到，所以它們都不是正確答案。B項“如何有效地申訴有質(zhì)量問題的商品”與原文意思相符是此題答案。

　　Fried foods have long been frowned upon. Nevertheless, the skillet(煎鍋)is about our handiest and most useful piece of kitchen equipment. Stalwart lumber jacks and others engaged in active labor requiring 4,000 calories per day or more will take approximately one third of their rations prepared in this fashion. Meat, eggs, and French toast cooked in this way are served in millions of homes daily. Apparently the consumers are not beset with more signs of indigestion than afflict those who insist upon broiling, roasting, or boiling. Some years ago one of our most eminent physiologists investigated the digestibility of fried potatoes. He found that the pan variety was more easily broken down for assimilation than when deep fat was employed. The latter, however, dissolved within alimentary tract more readily than the boiled type. Furthermore, he learned, by watching the progress of the contents of the stomach by means of the fluoroscope(透視鏡), that fat actually accelerated the rate of digestion. Now all this is quite in contrast with "authority". Volumes have been written on nutrition, and everywhere the dictum(格言)has been accepted no fried edibles of any sort for children. A few will go so far as to forbid this style of cooking wholly. Now and then an expert will be bold enough to admit that he uses them himself, the absence of discomfort being explained on the ground that he possesses a powerful gastric apparatus. We can of course sizzle perfectly good articles to death so that they will be leathery and tough. But thorough heating, in the presence of shortening, is not the awful crime that it has been labeled. Such dishes stimulate rather than retard contractions of the gall bladder. Thus it is that bile mixes with the nutriment shortly after it leaves the stomach.

　　We don't need to allow our foodstuffs to become oil soaked, but other than that, there seems to be no basis for the widely heralded prohibition against this method. But notions become fixed. The first condemnation probably arose because an "oracle" suffered from dyspepsia which he ascribed to some fried item on the menu. The theory spread. Others agreed with him, and after a time the doctrine became incorporated in our textbooks. The belief is now tradition rather than proved fact. It should have been refuted long since, as experience has demonstrated its falsity.

　　16.This passage focuses on _______.

　　A. why the skillet is a handy piece of kitchen equipment

　　B. the digestibility of fried foods

　　C. how the experts can mislead the public in the area of food Preparation

　　D. why fried food have long been frowned upon

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。本文講述的是煎炸食物的可消化性，故B項是正確的。

　　17.Apparently much fried food is eaten because ______.

　　A. it is easily prepared

　　B. people engaged in active labor need the calories that fat supplies

　　C. it is healthful

　　D. it is easily digested

　　答案：A

　　解析：答案A。根據(jù)文章第二句中的關(guān)健詞handiest作“最容易的”解，故A項是正確的。B項只是人們吃煎炸食物的一個現(xiàn)象，而不是原因。故B項是錯誤的。

　　18.The author strongly implies that the public should ________.

　　A. avoid fried foods if possible

　　B. prepare some foods by frying

　　C. fry foods intended for adults but not for children

　　D. prepare all foods by frying

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。根據(jù)全文，作者認(rèn)為煎炸食物是能夠很多地被消化，而且油能加快消化，只是油不能過多食用。故B項是正確的。

　　19.When the author says that an "oracle suffered from dyspepsia which he ascribed to some fried itemon the menu" he is being______.

　　A. bitter

　　B. sarcastic

　　C. inventive

　　D. humorous

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。根據(jù)文章，作者肯定了自己的觀點，選用oracle, authority等詞，以諷刺的口吻批判了一些傳統(tǒng)觀點，故選擇B項。

　　20.The selection was probably taken from _______.

　　A. a medical journey

　　B. a publication addressed to the general public

　　C. a speech at medical convention

　　D. an advertisement for cooking oil

　　答案：B

　　解析：答案B。文章中有科技術(shù)語，但醫(yī)學(xué)專業(yè)術(shù)語并不是很多，并能為廣大讀者所接受，如shillet, sizzle等等，所以排除A項、C項，全文也不是食油廣告，所以D項也是錯誤的。