A
In sociology, consumption is about so much more than just taking in or using up resources. Humans consume to survive, but in today’s world, we also consume to amuse ourselves, and as a way to share time and experiences with others. We consume not only material goods but also services, experiences, information, and cultural products like art, music, film, and television.
Most of us spend our days consuming rather than producing goods. On any given day, one might travel to work by bus, train, or car; work in an office that requires electricity, gas, water, paper and a host of digital goods; pick up dry cleaning; purchase health products at a drug store; use purchased groceries to prepare dinner, and then spend the evening watching television, enjoying social media, or reading a book.
We often organize visits with others around the act of consuming, whether it be sitting down to eat a homecooked meal as a family, taking in a movie with a date, or meeting friends for a shopping trip at the mall. In addition, we often use consumer goods to express our feelings for others through the practice of giftgiving.
Sociologists also see consumption as an important part of the process of forming and expressing both individual and group identities. In daily life, we choose consumer goods that we feel that they can say something about who we are. Our consumer choices are often meant to reflect our values and lifestyle, and in doing so, send visual signals to others about the kind of person we are.
But sociologists recognize that some troubling implications follow the centrality of consumption in social life. We often make assumptions(假设), without even realizing it, about a person’s character, social standing, values, and beliefs, or even their intelligence, based on how we understand their consumer practices.
Therefore, from the sociological perspective, there’s much more to consumption than meeting the eye. In fact, there’s so much to study about consumption that there’s a whole subfield(分支) dedicated to it: the sociology of consumption.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文，主要从社会学角度介绍了消费的相关知识。
1．What’s Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A．How to consume wisely.
B．Different forms of consumption.
C．Why do people consume goods.
D．The attitude of modern consumers.
B 解析：主旨大意题。第二段主要列举了我们在工作和生活中常见的不同消费形式。
2．According to Paragraph 3, consumption can________．
A．inspire people to work hard
B．prepare people for future success
C．increase our knowledge of resources
D．improve our relationships with others
D 解析：推理判断题。根据第三段中的．..eat a homecooked meal as a family, taking in a movie with a date, or meeting friends...through the practice of giftgiving.可推断，消费有助于改善我们的人际关系。
3．Paragraph 4 implies that consumer choices________．
A．can be hard to change
B．show respect to the local culture
C．can reflect people’s personalities
D．influence brands’ marketing strategies
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第四段中的we choose consumer goods that we feel that they can say something about...the kind of person we are.可知，人们的消费选择反映了其性格特点。
4．According to the author, what’s the disadvantage of the centrality of consumption?
A．Many valuable materials are wasted.
B．There is a lack of professional quality.
C．People may value wealth over knowledge.
D．Some may judge people from their consumer choices.
D 解析：推理判断题。根据第五段中的We often make assumptions(假设)．..about a person’s character, social standing...understand their consumer practices.可推断，人们会根据他人的消费选择来评判他人。
