1 . Store owners have been inventing new tricks to get consumers into their stores and purchasing their goods. Even as we find new strategies to resist, neuroscientists (神经科学家) are employed at marketing agencies across the country to best figure out what is going through a consumer’s brain at each point in the decision process.

We consumers overspend due to the fact that we have a fear of missing the really good deal or having to pay more for the same thing and lose money. Normally, the prefrontal cortex ( 前 额皮 层 ) controls our emotional reactions to things, and keeps us from acting unreasonably by calming down our fears. But an advertiser can disturb our prefrontal cortex just by displaying flashy deal signs, encouraging it to do math on how much money we might save now by buying more of something we don’t actually need yet.

Nostalgia, that regretful affection for past events, is another strong influencer during the holiday season, and it’s shaped by emotion. Emotion—whether good or bad—enhances the formation of memories, engaging more parts of the brain. So hearing a nephew singing a carol, for instance, might reawaken memories associated with that particular song in a much more powerful way than hearing that same nephew sing another song. These kinds of memories are brought back even more easily by sensory input. This might be why we are often greeted by a sensory reminder everywhere we go in a month.

Wherever you purchase gifts, there are social influences on what you buy as well. The holidays are a time when we are especially conditioned to pay more for the label because we’re buying gifts. Receiving a brand-name gift sends the message that “this person has spent more on me, so he or she must value me more.” And it makes sense. If two things seem pretty much the same, how do I know which to choose? Humans have survived as a social species, and we have to rely on each other. So when our brains are trying to make decisions, one of the shortcuts is to assume that if a lot of other people prefer something (and higher cost is often a predictor of that), then there must be a reason.

Much of our holiday spending is driven by unplanned purchases. Plan ahead, resist the urge to purchase in the moment, make notes for comparison shopping, and if the deal is actually good, then it will hold up to inspection and you’ll feel good about your purchases later. Before you blow your budget this season, remember that your brain might be fooling you into that next purchase.

1. From Paragraph 2, we learn that ______.

A．the prefrontal cortex is the calculation center

B．the common consumers always act unreasonably

C．the sight of flashy deal signs may fill consumers with fear

D．the advertisers make consumers pay more for the same thing

2. According to Paragraph 3, which of the following can work on consumers?

A．Creating a festival atmosphere.	B．Following the current fashion.
C．Preparing more free samples.	D．Offering a bigger discount.

3. Why do we buy brand-name gifts during the holiday?

A．They are more reliable.	B．They are a sign of social status.
C．They make people feel valued.	D．They are favored by most people.

4. To avoid overspending, the author suggests we ______.

A．buy in the moment	B．reduce our budget
C．return unnecessary products	D．make a plan in advance

2 . iPads vs Textbooks

What if you could have your whole backpack at the touch of your fingertips? In the first month of the Apple iPads release, 25million were sold! People all over the world use iPads for all sorts of different things, but one of their finest qualities is the ability to be a textbook.     1    

To begin with, iPads are less expensive. Textbooks become outdated and schools have to buy new books, but with an iPad schools can update them for free.     2     Schools don’t have to spend $500 every year for iPads because they last a while and can be updated.

    3     Students usually have multiple classes, which results in multiple textbooks. Heavy backpacks filled with books can cause back problem. A solution to that is an iPad, which only weighs 1.33 pounds and can hold all of a student’s textbooks.

Third, schools should get rid of their textbooks and get iPads because they have more capabilities. Some might think all of the apps are distracting, but the apps actually make iPads more efficient.     4     Textbooks cannot do those tasks, but iPads can easily do them with just a tap of the fingertip.

Lastly, iPads are a better choice for schools instead of textbooks because these devices allow students to access their learning anywhere at any time.     5     With iPads, they find it easier to get their homework done.

In conclusion, schools should get rid of their clumsy textbooks and switch to iPads. iPads have allowed this generation to have their entire backpack in the palm of their hands.

A．Second, iPads cost less and are more popular.

B．These tablets are perfect for busy students.

C．Therefore, they can use the saved money for other programs.

D．Moreover, in high school, textbooks have an average of 4.8 pounds each.

E．iPads have already replaced textbooks in over 600 American counties.

F．Schools have every reason to do away with their school books and switch to iPads.

G．iPads absorb the need to buy calculators, dictionaries, and other items that are found within the device.