It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen. A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card.

　　However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty.

　　26. Which of the following can not make you spend more money?

　　A. Credit cards. B. Hire-purchase.

　　C. Rental and leasing schemes. D. None of the above is right.

　　27. The foolhardy are people who_______.

　　A. spend more money than they have B. spend less money than other people C. save money D. make money

　　28. The disadvantage of credit cards is_______.

　　A. to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash

　　B. to encourage people to spend more money

　　C. to be always useful in emergencies

　　D. to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty

　　29. According to the passage, credit cards are made of_______.

　　A. paper B. gold

　　C. plastic D. tin

　　30. Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider______.

　　A. the amount of credit granted

　　B. the number and range of outlets

　　C. the possibility of loss of money

　　D. the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards

　　26. D 27. A 28. B

　　I have never attended a large company's board meeting in my life, but I feel certain that the discussion often takes the following lines. The 11 of producing a new—for example—toothpaste would make 8 Op the decent price for it, so we will market it at ￡l. 20. It is not a bad toothpaste (not specially good either, but not bad) , and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the 12 of novelty soon fades, so sales will 13 . When that starts to happen we will reduce the price to ￡l. 15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5p OFF all over it, whereupon people will rush to buy it even though it still costs about forty-three percent more than its 14 price.

　　Sometimes it is not 5p OFF but lp OFF. What a shame to advertise lp OFF your soap or washing powder or dog food or whatever. Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult, but he doesn't. A bargain must not be 15 To be offered a "gift" of one penny is like being invited to dinner and offered one single pea (tastily cooked), and nothing else. Even if it represented a 16 reduction it would be an insult. Still, people say, one has to have washing powder (or whatever) and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper. When I was a boy in Hungary a man was 17 of murdering some¬one for the sake of one pengo, the equivalent of a shilling, and pleaded 18 The judge shouted 19 : "To kill a man for a shilling! What can you say in your 20 ?" The murderer replied: "A shilling here. . . a shilling there. . . " And that's what today's shopper says, too: "A penny here... a penny there. . . "

　　A. missed

　　B. defense

　　C. real

　　D. cost

　　E. anxiously

　　F. attraction

　　G. fair

　　H. expense

　　I. fall

　　J. angrily

　　K. dismissed

　　L. accused

　　M. guilty

　　N. faulty

　　O. security

　　II. D 12. F 13. I 14. G 15. A 16. C 17. L 18. M 19. J