单选题 The traditional distinction between products that satisfy needs and those that satisfy wants is no longer adequate to describe classes of products. In today's prosperous societies the distinction has become blurred because so many wants have been turned into needs. A writer, for instance, can work with paper and pencils. These are legitimate needs for the task. But the work can be done more quickly and efficiently with a word processor. Thus a computer is soon viewed as a need rather than a want.
In the field of marketing, consumer goods are classed according to the way in which they are purchased. The two main categories are convenience goods and shopping goods. Two lesser types are specialty goods and unsought goods. It must be emphasized that all of these types are based on the way shoppers think about products, not on the nature of the products themselves. What is regarded as a convenience item in France (wine, for example) may be a specialty good in the United States.
People do not spend a great deal of time shopping for such convenience items as groceries, newspapers, toothpaste, razor blades, aspirin, and candy. The buying of convenience goods may be done routinely, as some families buy groceries once a week. Such regularly purchased items are called staples. Sometimes convenience products are bought on impulse: someone has a sudden desire for an ice cream sundae on a hot day. Or they may be purchased as emergency items.
Shopping goods are items for which customers search. They compare prices, quality, and styles, and may visit a number of stores before making a decision. Buying an automobile is often done this way. Shopping goods fall into two classes: those that are perceived as basically the same and those that are regarded as different. Items that are looked upon as basically the same include such things as home appliances, television sets, and automobiles. Having decided on the model desired, the customer is primarily interested in getting the item at the most favorable price. Items regarded as inherently different include clothing, furniture, and dishes. Quality, style, and fashion will either take precedence over price, or they will not matter at all.
Specialty goods have characteristics that impel customers to make special efforts to find them. Price may be no consideration at all. Specialty goods can include almost any kind of product. Normally, specialty goods have a brand name or other distinguishing characteristics.
Unsought goods are items a consumer does not necessarily want or need or may not even know about. Promotion or advertising brings such goods to the consumer's attention. The product could be something new on the market as the Sony Walkman once was or it may be a fairly standard service, such as life insurance, for which most people will usually not bother shopping.

单选题 A word processor can be looked on as satisfying ______ rather than ______ if it becomes the only means to an end.
A. a want, a need B. a need, a want
C. a machine, a tool D. a tool, a machine
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 推理题。本题的意思是推断需求和需要的区别,第一段的最后一句话,当它是达到目的的唯一手段时,计算机已不再是一种需求,而成了一种需要。可见,这里所说的需要指的是完成某一事情所必需的手段,而不是可有可无的手段。故B项为正确答案。
单选题 The word "staples" (Line 3, Para. 3) most probably means ______.
A. commodities that people buy constantly
B. commodities that people do not really want
C. commodities that people want but don't need
D. commodities that are inconvenient to purchase
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 词汇题。此句的意思为:“经常需要的商品”。例如:糖、盐等,而不可能是不需要的东西,不方便购买的东西。故选项A为正确答案。
单选题 Shopping goods that are considered as basically the same are those ______.
A. that satisfy similar needs of the consumer
B. that consumers don't care where to buy them
C. that consumers spend much time to look for
D. that can be found in nearly every shop
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 细节判断题。辨认什么是看作基本相同的商品。关键词是shopping goods,文章第四段说选购商品(shopping goods)分作两类:可以看作基本相同的商品和看作不同的商品。当购买前种商品时,消费者选定式样后,最关心的是如何以最便宜的价格买到手,消费者不在乎到什么地方去买。选项B的意思为并不考虑到哪里去买,符合文章的意思,故为正确答案。其余三项与基本事实相悖。
单选题 Unsought goods refer to ______.
A. items a consumer doesn't need
B. new items
C. life insurance
D. all the above
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。问的是对不需要的商品应怎么办。从文章的最后一段看出,不需要的商品是指消费者不感兴趣或不需要的物品,要引起消费者的注意,必须进行促销。D项为正确答案。
单选题 From the following, choose the shopping goods that are considered as inherently different ______.
A. refrigerator B. car
C. dishes D. television set
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。辨认看作不同类商品应包括什么,从第四段得出看作不同的商品这一类,包括服装、家具和碗碟。选项A的意思为冰箱;选项B的意思为汽车;选项D的意思为电视,很显然,他们不是服装、家具和碗碟。只有C符合原意。