Consumers everywhere are faced with the same dilemma: given limited resources, what sorts of purchases are most likely to produce lasting happiness and satisfaction? Recent research has confirmed that experiential purchases tend to produce greater hedonic (享乐的)gains than material purchases.
The reason why experiences improve with time may be because it is possible to think about experiences in a more abstract manner than possessions. For example, if you think back to a fantastic summer from your youth, you might easily remember an abstract sense of warm sunshine and youthful exuberant (生气勃勃), but you're less likely to remember exactly what you did day-by-day.
Material possessions are harder to think about in an abstract sense. The car you bought is still a car, that great new jacket you picked up cheap is still just a jacket. It’s more likely the experience of that summer has taken on a symbolic meaning that can live longer in your memory than a possession.
Purchasing may have a negative impact on happiness because consumers often buy “joyless” material possessions, resulting in comfort but not pleasure. In general, people adapt to experiences more slowly than to material purchase. This can be seen in both negative and positive purchases: hedonic adaptation would result in a positive experience causing more happiness but a negative experience causing less happiness than the comparable material purchase with the same initial happiness level.
Experience, however, seems to be more resistant to these sorts of unfavourable comparisons. It is because of the unique nature of experience. It’s more difficult to make an unfavourable comparison when there is nothing directly comparable. After all, each of our youthful summers is different.
It’s well established that social comparisons can have a huge effect on how we view what might seem like positive events. One striking example is the finding that people prefer to earn $50,000 a year while everyone else earns $25,000, instead of earning $100,000 themselves and having other people earn $200,000.
A similar effect is seen for possessions. When there are so many flat-screen HD TVs to choose from, it's easy to make unfavourable comparisons between our choice and the others available.
1.An abstract sense in the passage refers to awareness of something __________.
A. you cannot think about
B. you can’ t remember well
C. you cannot understand
D. you cannot see or touch
2.If you make an experiential purchase before a material purchase, you may go to__________.
A. a theatre before going to a store
B. an exhibition before going to a park
C. a mall before going to a grocer's
D. a market before going to a restaurant
3.The example of earnings is given to actually indicate__________.
A. how ridiculous people are B. how people feel content
C. how nearsighted people are D. how people hold prejudice
4. It is implied in the passage that, after their material purchases, people might__________.
A. enjoy their ownership of what they have bought
B. pick every fault in the products they have got
C. regret making a wrong decision to buy the items
D. leave what they’ve purchased untouched at home
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Consumers everywhere are faced with the same dilemma: given limited resources, what sorts of purchases are most likely to produce lasting happiness and satisfaction? Recent research has confirmed that experiential purchases tend to produce greater hedonic (享乐的)gains than material purchases.
The reason why experiences improve with time may be because it is possible to think about experiences in a more abstract manner than possessions. For example, if you think back to a fantastic summer from your youth, you might easily remember an abstract sense of warm sunshine and youthful exuberant (生气勃勃), but you're less likely to remember exactly what you did day-by-day.
Material possessions are harder to think about in an abstract sense. The car you bought is still a car, that great new jacket you picked up cheap is still just a jacket. It’s more likely the experience of that summer has taken on a symbolic meaning that can live longer in your memory than a possession.
Purchasing may have a negative impact on happiness because consumers often buy “joyless” material possessions, resulting in comfort but not pleasure. In general, people adapt to experiences more slowly than to material purchase. This can be seen in both negative and positive purchases: hedonic adaptation would result in a positive experience causing more happiness but a negative experience causing less happiness than the comparable material purchase with the same initial happiness level.
Experience, however, seems to be more resistant to these sorts of unfavourable comparisons. It is because of the unique nature of experience. It’s more difficult to make an unfavourable comparison when there is nothing directly comparable. After all, each of our youthful summers is different.
It’s well established that social comparisons can have a huge effect on how we view what might seem like positive events. One striking example is the finding that people prefer to earn $50,000 a year while everyone else earns $25,000, instead of earning $100,000 themselves and having other people earn $200,000.
A similar effect is seen for possessions. When there are so many flat-screen HD TVs to choose from, it's easy to make unfavourable comparisons between our choice and the others available.
1.An abstract sense in the passage refers to awareness of something __________.
A. you cannot think about
B. you can’ t remember well
C. you cannot understand
D. you cannot see or touch
2.If you make an experiential purchase before a material purchase, you may go to__________.
A. a theatre before going to a store
B. an exhibition before going to a park
C. a mall before going to a grocer's
D. a market before going to a restaurant
3.The example of earnings is given to actually indicate__________.
A. how ridiculous people are B. how people feel content
C. how nearsighted people are D. how people hold prejudice
4. It is implied in the passage that, after their material purchases, people might__________.
A. enjoy their ownership of what they have bought
B. pick every fault in the products they have got
C. regret making a wrong decision to buy the items
D. leave what they’ve purchased untouched at home
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Jim was given the same suitcase his father and grandfather _______with them to school.
A. would take B. took
C. had taken D. were taking
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The amount of money given to everyone should be the same, ______ whether they are kids or adults.
A.in case of B.instead of C.regardless of D.because of
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Most of the developing countries are faced with lots of troubles , _____the financial problem is not the worst .
A.which | B.with which | C.that | D.of which |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
The soldiers are well _____ with food and clothing.
A.supplied B. offered C. given D. supported
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
People and the sources of air pollution are found in the same places. This means that cities with large populations have the biggest problem of dirty air. Air pollution is caused by many different things. A major source of air pollution is the gas fumes from cars. Statistics show that 93 percent of all auto trips are within cities. Another major source of dirty air is the burning of coal and oil for energy. This energy is needed to make electricity. Of course, much more electricity is used in the city than in the country.
On the average, we throw away more trash and garbage than the year before. The burning of garbage contributes to air pollution. Many major industries are also responsible for the dirty air in the around cities. The fumes from iron, steel, chemical, and petroleum production add particles to the air.
The effects of air pollution range from mild headaches to death. The levels of pollution found in heavy for traffic may cause headaches for loss of clear vision. Wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes may kill trees and plants and cause metal to corrode. In some of the larger cities, these fumes endanger the live of human beings by contributing to lung diseases and causing early death.
1.The key point of the passage is that _________.
A.the cause of air pollution is people
B.the causes and the effects of air pollution are both found in cities
C.the effects of air pollution range from headaches to death
D.air pollution is caused by dirty air
2.What is the purpose of this passage?
A.to persuade people to stop polluting the air
B.to tell the causes of air pollution
C.to tell why cities are bad places to live
D.to describe why cities are bad places to live
3.Why is air pollution more grave in the city than in the country?
A.Because there are larger populations in cities.
B.Because the air in the city is dirty.
C.Because there are more cars in the city.
D.Because there are much more gas fumes from cars and burning of coal and oil for energy in the city than in the country.
4.The fumes from coal and oil may cause metal ______.
A.to corrode B.to twist
C.to turn black D.to become rusty
5.In larger cities, the fumes from coal and oil may contribute to ___________.
A.heart disease B.loss of clear vision
C.lung diseases D.serious headache
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
We are faced with the problem _________ we should do with so much pollution.
A. what B. why C. that D. That
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
1.Faced with declining enrollments and declining revenues, many public schools in the US are _____________________ get students from abroad, particularly from China.
2.Going to study in the US high school will _____________________ some Chinese students because it can increase their chances of entering an American university.
3.During a typical Romanian wedding ceremony, the newly-weds _____________________ usually _____________________ love and care from their relatives and neighbors.
4.Fifty years ago on April 12, the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin _____________________ worldwide as he became the first man in space, propelled into orbit on a Russian made rocket.
5.The US is a country which _____________________ people of different colors, races and religions, but sometimes the diversity can lead to problems.
6.Some people have to take special precautions when they go out in spring _____________________ suffering from seasonal allergy such as sneezing, watery eyes and runny noses.
7.Baseball _____________________ in the US because it’s not simply a game, but has become woven into the fabric of American culture.
8.The 32-year-old Taiwanese star Show Luo is at the peak of his singing career now, but his career hit a low _____________________ when he lost all his hosting jobs and got cold looks from people.
9.The latest Apple iPad 2 was _____________________ by the Apple Company at the end of March in 25 countries and it caused massive line-ups at stores across the U.S.
10.Several Libyan diplomats resigned their posts and _____________________ Gaddafi, describing him as a “dictator” and calling on him to step aside to avoid further bloodshed.
高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
We are all faced with challenges constantly in every area of our lives. 1 The truth is that you will have to deal with difficult problems throughout your life, whether it is in your personal life or career. Most of us get really afraid and run away from problems because we don’t want to accept reality. Running away from your problems is the worst thing you can do to deal with the challenges you are faced with. Here are some tips for you on learning how to deal with everyday challenges.Please bear in mind that you shouldn’t overact when coming across challenges. Overacting to a problem will cause you to make bad decisions. 2 Next time you are faced with a challenge, stay calm so you can make smarter decisions. 3 If you cannot accept reality, you will feel very frustrated with your life. Once you can accept reality, you will be able to be calmer and think more clearly about how to get a step closer towards your goals every day.Many people make a habit of blaming others for all their problems. They fail to take full responsibility for the decisions they have made in life. The more you blame others for the challenges you are faced with, the more you will make people dislike you and not want to be around you. 4 Don’t compare your lifestyle with others. Of course, it is really difficult not to compare ourselves with other people. However, the more often we do that, the more frustrated we will feel. 5 The key thing to remember is that you create your own story and success in life.
A. Accept the reality of the present moment. |
B. Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not as a threat. |
C. There will always be a person that may have accomplished more than you. |
D. Our focus may entirely be on how we can deal with the challenge that has come our way. |
E. When we are not in control of our emotions, we will make decisions that we will regret later. |
F. However, most people have a hard time accepting and dealing with these challenges that arise. |
G. As a result, the first thing you should do when faced with a personal challenge is not point fingers at others. |
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
You can feel peaceful if you face the world with a ______ heart, and accept who you really are!
A. grateful B. flexible
C. secure D. guilty
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析