he forest. if they found trees blown down by the wind – “windfall” — they were free to take them for use as fuel in their homes. and that is the meaning that has come down to us — something gotten by luck or accident.

the poor common people of old england must often have prayed for a good strong wind. critics today complain that the oil industry has also been praying for something just like it — some political or military storm that might produce a windfall — a rise in oil prices and profits. the oil companies deny that this is so. in congress, critics of the oil companies have proposed a tax on such profits. the debate on rising oil prices will go on for some time, and most likely we will hear more and more about windfall profits.

31. “critics of the companies” in the last paragraph means .

a) persons from the oil companies who are criticizing others

b) persons criticizing the oil companies

c) critical opinions from the oil companies

d) critical opinions to the oil companies

32. which of the following couldn’t the commoners do in the medieval english?

a) do farm work. b) raise animals.

c) live on baron’s land. d) kill animals for food.

33. which word (s) should be stressed?

a) `windfall profits b) windfall `profits

c) `windfall `profits d) windfall profits

34. the author’s attitude towards the “windfall profits” made by the major oil companies seems to be ______.

a) sympathetic b) objective c) indistinct d) critical

35. which do you think would be the best title for the article?

a) a story in medieval england. b) energy crisis.

c) windfall profits. d) the origin of windfall.

passage four

questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.

the appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. for example, some advertisers have appealed to peoples desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. some of the products work. others are worthless and a waste of consumers money. sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. a few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters with the message that there were fewer calories in every slice. it turned out that the bread was not dietetic, but just regular bread. there were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.

on the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumers real concerns. consider fire insurance. fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. but fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. the security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. if consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising. each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it?

advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. consumers still control the final buying decision.

36. advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by .

a) stressing their high quality

b) convincing him of their low price

c) maintaining a balance between quality and price

d) appealing to his buying motives

37. the reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that .

a) thin slices of bread could contain more calories

b) the loaf was cut into regular slices

c) the bread was not genuine bread

d) the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same

38. the passage tells us that .

a) sometimes advertisements really sell what the consumer needs

b) advertisements occasionally force consumers into buying things they don’t need

c) the buying motives of consumers are controlled by advertisements

d) fire insurance is seldom a worthwhile investment

39. it can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should .

a) think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements

b) guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements

c) be familiar with various advertising strategies

d) avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal

40. the passage is mainly about .

a) how to make a wise buying decision

b) ways to protect the interests of the consumer

c) the positive and