单选题 Questions 196-200 refer to the following report and memorandum.
                      Higher Gas Prices Are Affecting Car Purchase Decision
The percentage of car buyers changing their mind about their next new car purchase has increased 10 points from nearly 50 percent to nearly 60 percent in the last 30 days, according to a monthly automative study conducted by Robertson Marketing Research. The survey was first taken in July, when the national average cost per gallon for gas was $1.81, and then repeated in August to find out about changes in vehicle purchase intentions as the average cost per gallon increased 20 cents to $2.01.
Auto sales in the last 30 days were relatively strong with the large SUV segment seeing slight increases in sales mostly fueled by heavy incentives and rebates added mid-month.
Changes in Consideration from July to August

July
August
Percentage of car buyers who already changed their mind about what they are going to buy:
22%
25%
Percentage of car buyers who are strongly considering vehicles they normally wouldn't consider:
27%
33%
Overall percentage of car buyers considering a hybrid vehicle:
6%
12%
Overall percentage of car buyers considering an SUV:
37.2%
37.5%
Overall percentage of car buyers considering a sedan:
36.3%
41.9%
Percentage of groups who have changed their mind or are strongly considering alternative vehicles:
18-34 year-olds
41%
58%
35-54 year-olds
41%
48%
Men
34%
46%
Women
45%
52%
MEMORANDUM

TO: Warren Graf
FROM: Steve Weir
DATE: September 28
RE: Survey
Gasoline prices are soaring and it shouldn't surprise us that automobile buyers are becoming choosier. When I opened my first car lot 20 years ago, few buyers were worried about how many miles per gallon of gasoline the cars would get. Nowadays, almost every buyer asks me about the cars' gasoline consumption.
Personally, I think the performance of SUVs is extremely overrated. In my opinion and in the opinion of many people, SUVs consume far too much gasoline and are hard to steer. I'm not saying that I wouldn't sell SUVs. I enjoy making a profit as much as any other person. However, the skyrocketing prices of gasoline cannot be ignored. Many drivers of SUVs buy them because they feel that they will be well-protected in case of an accident. They provide good protection because of their large size and offer a lot of space of large families.

单选题 According to the report, how is the change in gas price affecting the sales of SUVs?
A. Gas price has caused a slight increase in sales.
B. Increase in gas price will discourage investment in the car industry.
C. Not much change has been seen.
D. Gas price has created a big incentive to buy SUVs.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】初级问题
(第一篇文章)报告内容提到,“汽车销售和大型SUV部门形势相对良好(Auto sales…were relatively strong with the large SUV segment)”,由此可推断,油价对包括SUV在内的其他车型影响甚微。因此(C)Not much change has been seen. (没有大变化。)是正确答案。
单选题 Which of the following is NOT true about the results of the survey?
A. One out of every four car buyers changed their minds in August.
B. Interest in hybrid vehicles has doubled.
C. Younger drivers seem to be less concerned about the change in gas price.
D. More men than women changed their minds in the last 30 days.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】中级问题(第一篇文章)根据报告内容,18岁~34岁的驾车族改变主意或考虑换车的比率从41%上升到58%,因此(C)Younger drivers seem to be less concerned about the change in gas price. (年 轻人对油价变化不太关心。)和原文内容不符。
单选题 What will be expected if gas prices continue to rise?
A. Fuel-efficient vehicles will become more preferred.
B.The sales of sedans will considerably decrease.
C. The sales of hybrid vehicles will outnumber that of SUVs.
D. There will be less of a demand for new cars among women.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】中级问题
(第一篇文章+第二篇文章)油价从1.81美元涨到2.01美元时,改变买车想法的比率上升了10个百分点,这意味着油价影响车辆销售。另外第二篇原文中斯蒂芬提到,“几乎所有买车的人都向我询问车辆的油耗问题(the cars' gasoline consumption)”,因此可推断,如果油价持续上涨那么“人们将会倾向于油耗少的车辆”。
单选题 How does Mr. Weir feel about SUVs?
A. They are indestructible and safe to drive.
B. The advantages of owning one far outweigh the disadvantages.
C. Power steering and smaller gas tanks would make them more appealing.
D. There are advantages and disadvantages of owning one.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】中级问题
(第二篇文章)斯蒂芬·威尔提及SUV车辆的优点是,发生事故时安全性能强并且车内空间大,适合人口多的大家庭使用。但缺点是,SUV车辆耗油多而且操纵复杂。也就是说,他认为:There are advantages and disadvantages of owning one. (拥有SUV既有优点也有缺点。)
单选题 To whom would Mr. Weir recommend SUVs?
A. Drivers who prefer compact vehicles
B. Safety-minded motorists
C. Car owners who try to save energy
D. Lovers of luxury cars
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】中级问题
斯蒂芬·威尔说:Many drivers of SUVs buy them because they feel that they will be well-protected in case of an accident. (很多人买SUV是因为他们觉得SUV安全性能高。)因此可推断,斯蒂芬·威尔是向Safety-minded motorists (注重安全性的驾车族)推荐SUV。