Question

Why are we addicted to upgrades? According to Donald Norman, American author of the book The Design of Everyday Things, “planned obsolescence”（計劃性報廢） is the trick behind the upgrading culture of today’s consumer electronics industry.

The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version.

“This is an old-time trick– they’re not inventing anything new,” he said.

Thomas Wensma, a Dutch designer, despises the “planned obsolescence” of companies, as recently reported by UK-based The Guardian.

Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies – many of them producing personal electronics – release shoddy products simply because “they know that, in six months or a year, they’ll put out a new one”.

But the new psychology of consumers is part of this system, as Wensma said to the newspaper: “We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing.”

____________________

“It’s to the damage of the consumer and the environment,” as the New York Times quoted Norman. “But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder.”

In its most recent fiscal(財務的) year, Apple’s profit margin was more than 21 percent, reported the Los Angeles Times. At Hewlett-Packard, the world’s biggest PC manufacturer, it was only 7 percent.

“Steven Jobs pushed the principle of ‘planned obsolescence’ to new heights,” the newspaper commented on the company’s profits and marketing strategy. “Apple’s annual upgrades of its products generate sales of millions of units as owners of one year’s MacBook or iPhone line up to buy the newest version, even when the changes are incremental.”

Peer pressure

As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out.

“Some apps and games require better hardware to run,” said Li. “If you don’t join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends.”

1.Donald Norman believes that electronics makers strategically release new upgrades periodically because __________.

A．customers need the latest version          B．technology is developing so fast

C．they want to invent something new          D．they can make a lot of money

2.Thomas Wensma’s attitude to the “planned obsolescence” is __________.

A．positive           B．negative          C．indifferent         D．neutral

3.What subtitle can best fit into the blank in the text?

A．Huge profits                           B．Apple’s principle

C．Environmental damage                   D．Marketing strategy

4.The writer takes the example of Li Jijia to show that __________.

A．the new psychology of consumers is also to blame for the wasteful system

B．young people are always fond of something new, pretty and shiny

C．if you don’t upgrade your smart phone, you will lose contact with your friends

D．needs of consumers help to promote the development of electronics industry

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.A

【解析】

試題分析：本文主要講述的是現(xiàn)在在技術領域出現(xiàn)的更新的現(xiàn)象，文章分析了這種現(xiàn)象出現(xiàn)的根本原因還是利潤。

1.D 推理題。根據(jù)文章第二段The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version可知用戶要購買這些新的更新，要花錢，也許經(jīng)濟上的要求是最根本的原因。故D正確。

2.B 推理題。根據(jù)Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies – many of them producing personal electronics – release shoddy products simply because “they know that, in six months or a year, they’ll put out a new one”.可知他認為這是一種浪費，故說明他是反對這一看法的，故B正確。

3.A 推理題。根據(jù)“We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing.”

____________________

“It’s to the damage of the consumer and the environment,” as the New York Times quoted Norman. “But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder.”可知這里是指利潤才是最終的追求。經(jīng)濟利益才是這樣做的目的，故A正確。

4.A 推理題。根據(jù)文章最后2段As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out.

“Some apps and games require better hardware to run,” said Li. “If you don’t join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends.”

可知消費者這種追求最好的心理也是這一現(xiàn)象出現(xiàn)的原因。故A正確。

考點：考查經(jīng)濟類短文閱讀

點評：本文主要講述的是現(xiàn)在在技術領域出現(xiàn)的更新的現(xiàn)象。要求考生讀懂文章中的每個句子的意思還要推理它們之間的關系，結合自己的生活常識和經(jīng)驗，再通過邏輯推理和判斷，理解文章的言外之意，從而揭示文章的深層涵義。任何一篇文章都有其特定的寫作目的，讀者應當知道如何去做或按照某種方式傳遞思考問題。推理判斷題的答案不可能在文章中直接找到，因此推理時我們務必要忠于原文，在文章中尋找并確定可推論的依據(jù)，即：已知部分－推論的前提，從中推測出未知部分－推理的結論，切忌妄加評論，把自己的觀點當成作者的觀點。