单选题
The free enterprise has produced a technology
capable of providing the American consumer with the largest and most varied
marketplace in the world. Technological advances, however, have come
hand-in-hand with impersonal mass marketing of goods and services. Along with
progress, too, have come some instances of manipulative advertising practices
and a great increase in products whose reliability, safety and quality are
difficult to evaluate. Today's consumers buy, enjoy, use and
discard more types of goods than could possibly have been imagined even a few
years ago. Yet too often consumers have no idea of the materials that have gone
into the manufacturer's finished product or their own motivation in selecting
one product over another. Easy credit and forceful techniques
of modern marketing persuade many consumers to buy what they cannot afford. The
consequent overburdening of family budgets is a problem for consumers at all
economic levels. It is not unusual for families to allocate 20 percent or more
of their income to debt repayments without understanding the effect this
allocation has upon other choices. Some families have such tight budgets that an
illness, a period of unemployment, or some other crisis finds them without
adequate reserves. In addition to the growing complexity of the
market, consumers arc sometimes faced with unfair and deceptive practices.
Although there are laws designed to protect the consumers, there is not a
sufficient number a law enforcers to cover all the abuses of the
marketplace. An adult in today's society should be
knowledgeable in the use of credit. He should understand what is involved in
purchasing a house, and the many pitfalls to be avoided when entering into
financial agreements. He should know enough about advertising and selling
techniques to enable him to discern the honest from the deceptive. He should be
knowledgeable about consumer protection laws so that he can demand his rights.
When he needs help, he should know the private and public sources to which he
can turn for assistance.
单选题
This passage is concerned mostly with ______.
A. the free enterprise system in America
B. the difficulty of living on a fixed income
C. innovative techniques in food processing
D. the advances of advertising techniques
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 本文第一句是全文的主题句。文章阐述了美国自由企业制度的概况。
单选题
The author implies that ______.
A. products are more expensive in the U. S. than anywhere else
B. credit cards are often used illegally
C. products very often do not perform as advertised
D. more Americans like to buy what they cannot afford