Question

Competition. It’s a simple word, yet a very complex word that covers many angles when it comes to how gasoline prices are determined. It seems so easy to explain, but don’t let that trick you—it’s incredibly difficult to explain and adequately understand.

Say you’re on a Sunday afternoon drive, and notice a gas station near you charging $3.50. Down the road a few miles, that price could easily be 10 or more cents higher or lower. The question is “how” or “why” is that? Think of it this way. Are you more likely to get a better deal on a car if there are two similar car dealers next to each other? Perhaps, because the dealers are too close. Say there is a third similar car dealer miles away. Is he going to be at the same level of competition and sell his cars for the same price as the two dealers next to each other? Likely not. He may charge more or less. Maybe people don't know there are two other dealers down the road. Maybe the dealer is almost outside of the city and the land value isn't as high, so his taxes aren't as high.

These situations do take place at gas stations. And more factors can impact what a station will charge. Timing can greatly impact what price a station charges as well! Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily. If one station gets lucky and buys gas on Monday and the cost goes up Tuesday, the station that bought on Monday doesn’t necessarily have to raise prices like the station that bought on Tuesday. Maybe the station that got caught buying for a higher price on Tuesday will pass that higher cost on by raising its gas price.

Perhaps the difference is what brand the station is---branded stations usually pay a slightly higher cost for their gasoline. In return for paying a higher cost, those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations. Independent stations don’t pay as much, but aren’t guaranteed supply.

While competition sounds easy to understand, there are always a large number of factors that could influence what one station charges. Keep in mind how many variables (變數) there are next time you fill up.

63.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. How Competition Impacts Gas Prices

  B. Gas Prices Go Up or Down

  C. Competition---a Very Complex Word

  D. We Can’t Stress Enough the Need for Competition 

64. The example of car dealers is used to show _________.

  A. car prices are determined by car dealers

  B. location is an important factor in pricing

  C. the quality of service matters most

  D. dealing strategy should be flexible

65. The gas prices of a station always change partly because _________.

  A. a gas station always wants to charge more

  B. the gasoline is in great demand

  C. the cost of the gas the station buys varies daily

  D. gas is in greater need on Monday

66. According to the passage, branded stations _________.

  A. spend less money on their gasoline

  B. have more staff than independent stations

  C. charge less for high quality oil

  D. offer a steady oil supply

Answer 1

ABCD

【解題導語】司機在一個加油站加油，油價是$3.50,但行駛幾英里后，油價也許上升或下降幾美分，是常見的事。那么是什么因素影響了油價的波動呢？作者告訴我們，油價的變動就如同汽車銷售價格變動一樣，是受經銷商（店）位置、時間等相關因素的影響，加油站買進或賣出的油價波動，一方面受市場每日油價升降的制約，另一方面受加油站間競爭等因素的影響。簡言之，加油站的油價波動，受加油站的品牌（是否享受優惠），站與站之間的競爭因素的制約。

63．A。 主旨大意題。綜合全文，尤其第一段、第二段的信息得知，文章主要圍繞競爭是如何影響油價的展開敘述。How Competition Impacts Gas Prices 是原文的標題。

64．B。細節推理題。分析第二段前兩句得知，星期天下午驅車到附近的加油站加油的油價為$3.50, 行駛數英里后，油價也許上升或下降數美分，第三句提出為什么會這樣，然后一句Think of it this way. 話題轉入汽車銷售，以此回答上述問題，顧客在相鄰的兩家汽車經銷商能買到便宜的汽車，在第三、四家也許能買到更便宜或稍貴的汽車，再結合全文，就可清楚地知道，作者想說明在諸多影響價格的因素中，“位置”是決定價格的重要因素。

65．C。細節理解題。根據第三段中Many motorists fail to realize that the price a station pays for gasoline changes daily.的信息得知。在影響油價的諸多因素中，加油站進油價每天都在變動。

66．D。細節推理題。根據第四段中those stations are guaranteed first supply in case of emergency situations 的信息得知，既然branded stations 能得到優先的供貨保障，所以能提供穩定供應。