text d
packaging
it is said that the public and congressional concern about deceptive packaging rumpus started because senator hart discovered that the boxes of cereals consumed by him，mrs.hart，and their children were becoming higher and narrower，with a decline of net weight from 12 to 10.5 ounces，without any reduction in price.there were still twelve biscuits，but they had been reduced in size.later，the senator rightly complained of a store-bought pie in a handsomely illustrated box that pictured，in a single slice，almost as many cherries as there were in the whole pie.
the manufacturer who increases the unit price of his product by changing his package size to lower the quantity delivered can，without undue hardship，put his product into boxes，bags，and tins that will contain even 4-ounce，8-ounce，one -pound，and two-pound quantities of breakfast foods，cake mixes，etc.a study of drugstore and supermarket shelves will convince any observer that all possible sizes and shapes of boxes，jars，bottles，and tins are in use at the same time and，as the package journals show，week by week，there is never any hesitation in introducing a new size and shape of box or bottle when it aids in product differentiation.the producers of packaged products argue strongly against changing sizes of packages to contain even weights and volumes，but no one in the trade comments unfavorably on the huge costs incurred by endless changes of package sizes，materials，shape，art work，and net weights that are used for improving a product's market position.
when a packaging expert explained that he was able to multiply the price of hard sweets by 2.5，from 1 dollar to 2，50 dollars by changing to a fancy jar，or that he had made a 5-ounce bottle look as though it held 8 ounces，he was in effect telling the public that packaging can be a very expensive luxury.it evidently does come high，when an average family pays about 200 dollars a year for bottles，cans，boxes，jars，and other containers，most of which can't be used for anything but stuffing the garbage can.
23.consumers are concerned about the changes in the package size，mainly because____.
a.this entails an increase in the cost of packaging
b.they have to pay for the cost of changing package sizes
c.the unit price for a product often rises as a result
d.they hate to see any changes in things they are familiar with
24.the author is critical mainly of ___.
a.inferior packaging b.the changes in package size
c.exaggerated illustrations on packages d.dishonest packaging
text e
the economic situation of japan in the 18th century
in the eighteenth century，japan's feudal overlords，from the shogun to the humblest samurai，found themselves under finanical stress.in part，this stress can be attributed to the overlords' failure to adjust to a rapidly expanding economy，but the stress was also due to factors beyond the overlords' control.concentration of the samurai in castletowns had acted as a stimulus to trade.commercial efficiency，in turn，had put temptations in the way of buyers.since most samuri had been reduced to idleness by years of peace，encouraged to engage in scholarship and martial exercises or to perform administrative tasks that took little time，it is not surprising that their tastes and habits grew expensive.overlords' income，despite the increase in rice production among their tenant famers，failed to keep pace with their expenses.although shortfalls in overlords' income resulted almost as much from laxity among their tax collectors （the nearly invitable outcome of hereditary officeholding）as from their higher standards of living，a misfortune like a fire or flood，bringing an increase in expenses or a drop in revenue， could put a domain in debt to the city rice-brokers who handled its finances.once in debt，neither the individual samurai nor the shogun himself found it easy to recover.
it was difficult for individual samurai overloads to increase their income because the amount of rice that farmers could be made to pay in taxes was not unlimited，and since the income of japan's central government consisted in part of taxes collected by the shogun from his huge domain，the government too was constrained.therefore，the tokugawa shoguns began to look to other sources for revenue.cash profits from government-owned mines were already on the decline because the most easily worked deposits of silver and gold had been exhausted，although debasement of the coinage had compensated for the loss.opening up new farmland was a possibility，but most of what was suitable had already been exploited and further reclamation was technically unfeasible.direct taxation of the samurai themselves would be politically dangerous.this left the shoguns only commerce as a potential source of government income.
most of the country's wealth，or so it seemed，was finding its way into the hands of city merchants.it appeared reasonable that they should contribute part of that revenue to ease the shogun's burden of financing the state.a means of obtaining such revenue was soon found by levying forced loans，known as goyo-kin；although these were not taxes in the strict sense，since they were irregular in timing and arbitrary in amount，they were high in yield.unfortunately，they pushed up prices.thus，regrettably，the tokugawa shoguns' search for solvency for the government made it increasingly difficult for individual japanese who lived on fixed stipends to make ends meet.
25.the passage is most probably taken from____
a.an introduction to a collection of japanese folktales.
b.the memoirs of a samurai warrior.
c.an economic history of japan.
d.a modern novel about eighteenth-century japan.
26.according to the passage，the major reason for the financial problems experienced by japan's feudal overloals in the eighteenth century was that____
a.trade had fallen off. b.the coinage had been sharply debased.
c.spending had outdistanced income. d.profits from mining had declined.
27.the passage suggests that，in eighteenth-century japan，the office of tax collector____
a. remained within families.
b. b.took up most of the officeholder's time.
c. was regarded with derision by many japanese.
d.was a source of personal profit to the officeholder.
packaging
it is said that the public and congressional concern about deceptive packaging rumpus started because senator hart discovered that the boxes of cereals consumed by him，mrs.hart，and their children were becoming higher and narrower，with a decline of net weight from 12 to 10.5 ounces，without any reduction in price.there were still twelve biscuits，but they had been reduced in size.later，the senator rightly complained of a store-bought pie in a handsomely illustrated box that pictured，in a single slice，almost as many cherries as there were in the whole pie.
the manufacturer who increases the unit price of his product by changing his package size to lower the quantity delivered can，without undue hardship，put his product into boxes，bags，and tins that will contain even 4-ounce，8-ounce，one -pound，and two-pound quantities of breakfast foods，cake mixes，etc.a study of drugstore and supermarket shelves will convince any observer that all possible sizes and shapes of boxes，jars，bottles，and tins are in use at the same time and，as the package journals show，week by week，there is never any hesitation in introducing a new size and shape of box or bottle when it aids in product differentiation.the producers of packaged products argue strongly against changing sizes of packages to contain even weights and volumes，but no one in the trade comments unfavorably on the huge costs incurred by endless changes of package sizes，materials，shape，art work，and net weights that are used for improving a product's market position.
when a packaging expert explained that he was able to multiply the price of hard sweets by 2.5，from 1 dollar to 2，50 dollars by changing to a fancy jar，or that he had made a 5-ounce bottle look as though it held 8 ounces，he was in effect telling the public that packaging can be a very expensive luxury.it evidently does come high，when an average family pays about 200 dollars a year for bottles，cans，boxes，jars，and other containers，most of which can't be used for anything but stuffing the garbage can.
23.consumers are concerned about the changes in the package size，mainly because____.
a.this entails an increase in the cost of packaging
b.they have to pay for the cost of changing package sizes
c.the unit price for a product often rises as a result
d.they hate to see any changes in things they are familiar with
24.the author is critical mainly of ___.
a.inferior packaging b.the changes in package size
c.exaggerated illustrations on packages d.dishonest packaging
text e
the economic situation of japan in the 18th century
in the eighteenth century，japan's feudal overlords，from the shogun to the humblest samurai，found themselves under finanical stress.in part，this stress can be attributed to the overlords' failure to adjust to a rapidly expanding economy，but the stress was also due to factors beyond the overlords' control.concentration of the samurai in castletowns had acted as a stimulus to trade.commercial efficiency，in turn，had put temptations in the way of buyers.since most samuri had been reduced to idleness by years of peace，encouraged to engage in scholarship and martial exercises or to perform administrative tasks that took little time，it is not surprising that their tastes and habits grew expensive.overlords' income，despite the increase in rice production among their tenant famers，failed to keep pace with their expenses.although shortfalls in overlords' income resulted almost as much from laxity among their tax collectors （the nearly invitable outcome of hereditary officeholding）as from their higher standards of living，a misfortune like a fire or flood，bringing an increase in expenses or a drop in revenue， could put a domain in debt to the city rice-brokers who handled its finances.once in debt，neither the individual samurai nor the shogun himself found it easy to recover.
it was difficult for individual samurai overloads to increase their income because the amount of rice that farmers could be made to pay in taxes was not unlimited，and since the income of japan's central government consisted in part of taxes collected by the shogun from his huge domain，the government too was constrained.therefore，the tokugawa shoguns began to look to other sources for revenue.cash profits from government-owned mines were already on the decline because the most easily worked deposits of silver and gold had been exhausted，although debasement of the coinage had compensated for the loss.opening up new farmland was a possibility，but most of what was suitable had already been exploited and further reclamation was technically unfeasible.direct taxation of the samurai themselves would be politically dangerous.this left the shoguns only commerce as a potential source of government income.
most of the country's wealth，or so it seemed，was finding its way into the hands of city merchants.it appeared reasonable that they should contribute part of that revenue to ease the shogun's burden of financing the state.a means of obtaining such revenue was soon found by levying forced loans，known as goyo-kin；although these were not taxes in the strict sense，since they were irregular in timing and arbitrary in amount，they were high in yield.unfortunately，they pushed up prices.thus，regrettably，the tokugawa shoguns' search for solvency for the government made it increasingly difficult for individual japanese who lived on fixed stipends to make ends meet.
25.the passage is most probably taken from____
a.an introduction to a collection of japanese folktales.
b.the memoirs of a samurai warrior.
c.an economic history of japan.
d.a modern novel about eighteenth-century japan.
26.according to the passage，the major reason for the financial problems experienced by japan's feudal overloals in the eighteenth century was that____
a.trade had fallen off. b.the coinage had been sharply debased.
c.spending had outdistanced income. d.profits from mining had declined.
27.the passage suggests that，in eighteenth-century japan，the office of tax collector____
a. remained within families.
b. b.took up most of the officeholder's time.
c. was regarded with derision by many japanese.
d.was a source of personal profit to the officeholder.