ople's lives is anxiety. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of consumer goods induces a sense of powerlessness, even paralysis, in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away6, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted in order to solve the problem and reduce the unease. Recent surveys in the United Kingdom have shown that a sizeable proportion of electrical goods bought per household are not really needed. The advertisers and the shareholders of the manufacturers are, nonetheless, satisfied.
　　It is not just their availability that is the problem, but the speed with which new versions of products come on the market. Advances in design and production mean that new items are almost ready by the time that goods hit the shelves7. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The classic example is computers which are almost obsolete once they are bought. At first, there were only one or two available from a limited number of manufacturers, but now there are many companies all with not only their own products but different versions of the same machine. This makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease. into a shop and buy one thing8; no choice, no anxiety.
　　The plethora of choice is not limited to consumer items. With the greater mobility of people around the world, people have more choice about where they want to live and work — a fairly recent phenomenon. In the past, nations migrated across huge swathes of the earth in search of food, adventure, and more hospitable environments. Whole nations crossed continents and changed the face of history, So the mobility of people is nothing new. The creation of nation states and borders9 effectively slowed this process down.
　　36. Sometimes people ask professionals to help them make decisions because
　　A the decisions may have serious impact on their lives
　　B only professionals have the right to do that
　　C they have sufficient money to pay
　　D they have emotional problems
　　37. When people cannot easily decide what to buy, which of the following is the least possible choice?
　　A Giving up
　　B Walking away
　　C Buying an unsuitable item
　　D Seeking advice
　　38. Why do products have a short lifespan nowadays?
　　A They are of poor quality.
　　B They are quickly replaced wi

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