Imagineyou bought a new shirt and did not intend to buy a new jacket,however,you-组卷网

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Imagine you bought a new shirt and did not intend to buy a new jacket,however,you suppose that the new shirt makes the old jacket look worn. You weaken and buy a new jacket, new trousers,even new shoes.Before you realize it,you have a whole new wardrobe.And maybe an empty bank account.

This is called the Diderot Effect. Denis Diderot,a well-known French philosopher,was the co-founder and writer of Encyclopedia. However，he was too badly off to afford a dowry(嫁妆)for his daughter. His only valuable possessions were books. Hearing of Diderot’s financial troubles,Catherine the Great,the Empress of Russia, offered to buy his library at a high price. Shortly after this lucky sale，Diderot acquired a new dressing gown(长袍)which had a huge effect on his life. As he wrote in the article in 1769, the new dressing gown made his other belongings seem old and unattractive. Thus, he began replacing them.

According to many social scientists,it resulted from a psychological need for our possessions to go together and to reflect our self-image. In 1988, anthropologist Grant McCracken coined the term “the Diderot Effect” to describe this need and its influence on consumerism.

Marketers utilize this need by displaying products in what McCracken calls Diderot Unities. An example is the Swedish furniture company IKEA, whose marketing uses two kinds of Diderot Unities in its shops, website and catalogue. One is dividing items like lamps and rugs into various furniture “families”. The other is displaying items in fully furnished rooms. Shops count on all of these to create the Diderot Effect, making the buyer want the entire package.

We may occasionally give in to the Diderot Effect,but knowing it exists can help us resist it so we don’t regret our purchases. Before buying something, ask yourself, is it necessary? Then, buy items that match what you already have. And remind yourself that a new chair won’t transform your bedroom into a showroom!

【小题1】What can we infer about Denis Diderot from paragraph 2?

A．His belongings were out of style.

B．He showed interest in nothing but books.

C．He kept on buying new items after the lucky sale.

D．His new dressing gown landed him in financial troubles.

【小题2】Why are people always buying things they don’t actually need?

A．To improve their social status.

B．To show off their beauty and elegance.

C．To make their belongings better matched.

D．To cater for the needs of family members.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “utilize” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Get rid of.