In Western countries people have been using the installment (分期付款) plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U.S.A.,the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment (预付定金) when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment,There is,
however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment.
If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts, there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit,it becomes more likely to have a depression (萧条). This is why, in some countries,the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
【小题1】 Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the installment plan?

( D )
In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U. S., the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
56. Which of the following is NOT true about the installment plan?
A. A lot of British families use the installment plan.
B. More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.
C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.
D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.
57. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because ______.
A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest
B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money
C. the buyer has to pay a down payment
D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money
58. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
A. He might lose his job.
B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.
C. He will have to sell what he has bought.
D. He will go into debt.
59. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. purchasing power is strengthened
B. employment might be increased
C. people develop a good habit of saving money
D. young couples are able to furnish their homes
60. In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to ________.
A. increase employment
B. avoid depressions
C. ensure that businesses make good profits
D. ensure that people can pay for what hey buy

Thirty- two people watched Kitty Genovese being killed right below their windows. She was their neighbor. Yet none of the 32 helped her. Not one even called the police. Was this in gunman cruelty? Was it lack of feeling about one’s fellowman?

　　“Not so,”say scientists John Barley and Bib Fatane. These men went beyond the headlines to research into the reasons why people didn’t act. They found that a person has to go through two steps before he can help. First he has to notice that is an emergency（紧急情况）. Suppose you see a middle-aged man fall to the side - walk. Is he having a heart attack? Is he in a coma（昏迷） from a headache? Or is he about to sleep off a drunk? Is the smoke coming into the room from a leak（漏洞）in the air conditioning? Is it “steam pipes”? Or is it really smoke from a fire? It’s not always easy to tell if you are faced with a real emergency. Second, and more important, the person faced with an emergency must feel personally responsible（负责任的）. He must feel that he must help, or the person won’t get the help he needs.

　　The researchers found that a lot depends on how many people are around. They had college students in to be “tested.”Some came alone. Some came with one or two others. And some came in large groups. The researchers started them off on the “tests.”Then they went into the next room. A curtain divided the “testing room”and the room into which they went. Soon the students heard a scream, the noise of bookshelves falling and a cry for help. All of this had been prerecorded on a tape recorder.

　　Eight out of ten of the students taking the test alone acted to help. Of the students in pairs, only two out of ten helped. Of the students in groups, none helped.

　　In other words, in a group, Americans often fail to act. They feel that others will act. They, themselves, needn’t. They do not feel any direct responsibility.

　　Are people bothered by situations where people are in trouble? Yes. Scientists found that the people were shocked, they sweated, and they had trembling hands. They felt the other person’s trouble. But they did not act. They were in a group. Their actions were shaped by the actions of those they were with.

60. The purpose of this passage is ________.

　A. to explain why people fail to act in emergencies

　B. to explain when people will act in emergencies

　C. to explain what people will do in emergencies

D. to explain how people feel in emergencies

61. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. When a person tries to help others, he must be clear that there is a real emergency.

　　B. When a person tries to help others, he should know whether they are worth his help.

　　C. A person must take the full responsibility for the safety of those in emergencies if he wants to help.

　　D. A person with a heart attack needs the most.

62. The main reason why people fail to act when they stay together is that ________.

　 A. they are afraid of emergencies

　 B. they are not willing to get themselves involved

　 C. others will act if they themselves hesitate

D. they do not have any direct responsibility for those who need help

63. The author suggests that ________.

　　A. we shouldn’t blame a person if he fails to act in emergencies

　　B. a person must feel guilty if he fails to help

　　C. people should be responsible for themselves in emergencies

D. when you are in trouble, people will help you anyway

In Western countries people have been using the installment (分期付款) plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U.S.A.,the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.

     The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment (预付定金) when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.

     Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment,There is,

however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment.

If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts, there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit,it becomes more likely to have a depression (萧条). This is why, in some countries,the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.

1. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the installment plan?

    A. A lot of British families use the installment plan. "

    B. More than 10 percent of American families buy things on installments.

    C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.

    D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.      

2. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because_______.

    A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest

    B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money

    C. the buyer has to pay adown payment

    D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money

3. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?

    A. He might lose his job.

    B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.

    C. He will have to setl what he has bought. 

    D. He will go into debt.

4. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that________.

    A. purchasing power is strengthened

    B. employment might be increased

    C. people develop a good habit of saving money

    D. young couples are able to furnish their homes

5.In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to_______.

    A. increase employment

    B. avoid depressions

    C.ensure that businesses make good profits

    D.ensure that people can pay for what they buy