单选题 Background music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it. Recorded background music first found its way into factories, shops and restaurants in the U. S.. But it is soon spread to other parts of the world. Now it is becoming increasingly difficult to go shopping or eat a meal without listening to music.
To begin with, "Muzak" (音乐广播网) was intended simply to create a soothing(起镇静作用 的) atmosphere. Recently, however, it"s become big business — because in part of recent research. Dr. Ronald Milliman, an American marketing expert, has shown that music can promote sales or increase factory production by as much as a third.
But, it has to be light music. A fast one has no effect at all on sales. Slow music can increase receipts by 38%. This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to search for goods they like to buy. Yet, slow music isn"t always the answer. Dr. Milliman found, for example, that in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales. So restaurant owners might be well advised to play up tempo music to keep the customers moving — unless, of course, the resulting indigestion(消化不良) leads to complaints!
单选题 According to the passage, background music is so widespread because it can ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 文章细节理解题。文章第二段第一句中的“to create a soothing(起镇静作用的)atmosphere”与A项help to create a soothing atmosphere完全一样,所以选项A为正确答案。
单选题 According to the passage, McDonald"s should not play ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 文章细节题。根据题干的“McDonald"s”,联想到关键词“restaurants”,然后浏览文章在最后一段中找到“…in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales…”,选项B与该句说法相吻合,因此选项B为正确答案。
单选题 Supermarket should play slow music because ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 文章细节的理解题。文章中“This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to search for goods they like to buy.”与C项it offers customers more time and opportunities to find what they want to buy意思完全一样,所以C为正确选项。
单选题 From the passage, we know that ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 文章主题理解题。文章最后一句说“在商店里放节拍慢的音乐可以增加销售量,而在餐馆则不行,会让顾客花更多的时间用餐,自然减少销售量”,所以结论是:音乐是否有效得看环境。因此选项B为正确答案。