Question

No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts（施加） some influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified（分类） all our little weaknesses.

Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic work FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They design hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to draw the attention of millions of people in this way.

During a radio program, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was active. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly large biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. The factory had to pay more money than they had expected, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.

Advertising
Customers and advertisers	Though1. _______ of our good taste, customers are 2._____ by advertisements when buying things.
In fact, advertisers have studied human nature in order to 3._______ customers to buy this or that product.
According to their 4.______ ,all customers love to get things for 5. _______.
The usually effective means	Advertisers offer free things, which often does 6. ______.
Hundreds of competitions are 7. ______ for customers to win huge sums of money.
Radio and television are used to 8. ______ people’s attention.
An exception	By radio, a company of biscuit manufacturers once advertised that they would offer $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener, which 9.______ active response.
However, they never10.______ to pay $24,000 for a truly large biscuit made by a college student and carried by a lorry.

Answer 1

1.proud

2.influenced/affected

3.persuade

4.discovery

5.free/nothing

6.work

7.designed

8.draw/attract

9.receive

10.expected

【解析】

试题分析：这是一篇说明性的文章。文章主要说明了，人们都不可避免地会受到广告的影响。尽管很多人都认为自己有很好的品味，但是广告商通过对人的本性和分类人们的弱点，来劝说人们购买他们商品。广告商很多年前发现所有人都喜欢不劳而获，这些天，广告商不仅提高免费的样品，也提供免费的汽车，房屋，旅游，广告商设计几百种竞赛让人们获得巨款。而广播和电视使得广告商可以以广播和电视的方式吸引百万人的注意。

1. as we may pride ourselves on our good taste,意思是：尽管我们可能对自己的高品味很自豪。pride on sth对于…自豪，be proud of对…自豪。句意：尽管顾客自豪于自己的高品位。故此处填proud。

2. are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts（施加） some influence on us.意思是：我们不再自由地选择自己想要的东西，由于广告在我们身上施加的影响。句意是：顾客在购物的时候，收到广告的影响。故填influenced/affected

3. their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified（分类） all our little weaknesses.意思是：在他们努力劝说我们购买他们的产品的时候，广告商细致地研究人们的本性和分类人们的弱点。句意为：实际上，广告商研究人们的本性为了劝说顾客购买他们的商品。故填persuade。

4. discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing.意思是：广告商很多年前发现我们所有人喜欢不劳而获。故填discovery。

5. discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing.意思是：广告商很多年前发现我们所有人喜欢不劳而获。故填free/nothing。

6. advertisement which begins with the magic work FREE can rarely go wrong.意思是：一个以魔术免费工作开始的广告几乎不能出错。故填work。

7. design hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money.意思是：他们设计成百上千的竞赛，使得我们可以赢得巨款。故填designed。

8. and television have made it possible for advertisers to draw the attention of millions of people in this way.意思是：广播和电视以这种方式，使得广告商可以吸引人们的注意。故填draw/attract。

9. a radio program, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was active.意思是：在广播节目期间，一个饼干公司生产商曾经让一位听众拷贝饼干，并且送饼干到他们的工厂。他们提供10美元为那块最大的拷贝的饼干。竞赛的回应是积极的。故填receive

10. factory had to pay more money than they had expected, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.意思是：这个工厂支付比他们期待更多的钱，因为他们从

考点：考查说明文阅读