「1000円」と「980円」、たった20円差なのに安く見えるのはなぜ？ 脳は左端の数字で判断していた

Q1. What is the passage mainly about?

1. AWhy some prices look cheaper than they really are
2. BHow to save 20 yen every day
3. CWhy dresses are expensive
4. DHow to read numbers from right to left

980円が1,000円よりずっと安く見える理由（左端の桁効果）がテーマなので A。

Q2. How does our brain often decide the size of a price?

1. ABy the last number
2. BBy adding all the numbers
3. CBy the first number on the left
4. DBy the color of the price tag

It often decides the size of a price by the first number. とあるので C。

Q3. In this passage, "sold better" means ...

1. Awas cheaper to make
2. Bmore people bought it
3. Cit looked more beautiful
4. Dit was sold in a better shop

sell well は「よく売れる」。better が付いて「より多く売れた」＝買う人が多かった、なので B。

Q1. What is the left-digit effect?

1. AReading prices from right to left
2. BRemembering only the last number of a price
3. CPreferring prices with many digits
4. DJudging a price mainly by its first digit

our brain tends to judge a price mainly by its leftmost digit. This is called the left-digit effect. とあるので D。

Q2. In the catalog experiment, which price sold the most?

1. A39 dollars
2. B34 dollars
3. C44 dollars
4. DAll prices sold equally

The 39-dollar version sold the most, even more than the cheaper one. とあるので A。安い34ドルより売れた点がポイント。

Q3. Why might a used car with 60,000 miles sell for less than one with 59,999 miles?

1. ABecause it is in much worse condition
2. BBecause buyers cannot read large numbers
3. CBecause the change in the leftmost digit makes it feel much older
4. DBecause cars over 60,000 miles cannot be sold

Used-car prices also drop suddenly when the mileage passes a round number とあり、左端の桁効果が中古車にも現れると述べている。状態はほぼ同じでも左端の数字が変わると古く感じる、と推論できるので C。

Q1. What is the passage mainly about?

1. AWhy luxury brands avoid round numbers
2. BHow the leftmost digit shapes our sense of price, and the limits of this effect
3. CHow to sell used cars at higher prices
4. DWhy Japanese prices often end in 8

左端の桁で値段を判断する仕組みと、その効果が万能ではない点の両方を扱っているので B。

Q2. What happened when a "sale" sign was combined with a 9-ending?

1. ASales doubled.
2. BThe dress became more expensive.
3. CCustomers stopped reading the catalog.
4. DThe effect of the 9 became weaker.

adding a "sale" sign to a 9-ending price weakened the effect of the 9 とあるので D。

Q3. What did a review of 69 studies find about the effect on buying?

1. AIt is small on average.
2. BIt doubles sales.
3. CIt works only in Japan.
4. DIt makes products look cheap and low in quality.

a review of 69 studies found that the effect on buying is small on average とあるので A。