haven"t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don"t need one. I have a
mobile phone and I"m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices (装置)
tell the time-which is why, if you look around, you"ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young
adults have been going down since 2007.
But while the wise have realized that they don"t need them, others-apparently including some
distinguished men of our time-are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe
and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250 000 for a piece.
This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than
cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches
come with extra functions-but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or
need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years" school
fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds" worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those
who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family;
a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.
Watches are now classified as "investments" (投资). A 1994 Patek Philippe recently sold for nearly £350 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15 000 to £30 000 plus in a year. But a watch is
not an investment. It"s a toy for self satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up-they"ve
been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350 000 beauty will suddenly
find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex.
B. think watches too expensive
C. prefer to wear an iPod
D. have no sense of time
B. expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones
C. cheap cars don"t run as fast as expensive ones
D. expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell
B. It"s hard for the industry to beat its competitors.
C. It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.
D. It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches.
B. My Childhood Timex
C. Watches? Not for Me!
D. Watches—a Valuable Collection
according to a study published last week in the US.
For Years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2011 holiday season 58 percent of those making online purchases(购买) were women.
"It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming", said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study.
Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because
women traditionally make decisions about spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29
were responsible for some of the most dramatic increases in the online gift-buying population this time
around.
However, three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2011. They
worried about credit card security(安全), or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then
dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
"But even if shoppers don"t buy online, websites are becoming promotion tools for stores," said Dan
Hess, vice president of Comscore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores" websites can make
customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts
arrive on time. "It"s all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more
comfortable." Hess said.
B. There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2011.
C. Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women.
D. People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online.
B. women usually decide what to buy in the family
C. the Internet is used in all the shops.
D. more and more shops will sell their goods online.
B. convenient
C. a waste of time
D. cheaper
B. Shopping online is fun for women.
C. Shopping off-line provides better service.
D. Young people like to do gift-shopping online.
the consuming circumstance have become the key points to attract customer awareness and stimulate their buying needs.
Frequently,customers buy goods just because they are cute,lovely and unique.With a less emphasis on functional utilities,
the experience and imaginative space are placed into an increasingly important role.The image of product is emphasized,
as well as the communication between products and consumers."Customer behavior,which appears to be focused and
directed at the object and at pleasure,in fact responds to quite different objectives:displaced expression of desire,and the production of a code of social values through the use of differential signs" (Baudrillard).The reason for image-oriented
customer behavior is probably that customers" lifestyle has been continuously virtualized by paying much attention to
"Virtual Reality".The evidences can be traced from computer games and Hollywood movies,in which customers"
preference for fleeing reality is perfectly matched.
This change requires us to take efforts to enhance product image by integrating style,color,taste,shape and material,
and communicate with customers creatively,imaginatively and innovatively,and enable them to enjoy the distictive
experience image brings." "〔A〕need is not a need for a particular object as much as it is a "need" for difference"
(Baudrillard).The typical example is Apple Computers IMAC,which has strong visual impact and outstanding dynamics.
By this way,customer relationship can be set up through image,and brand can be treated as living that can transform
people.Other examples commonly used are Disney Fairyland and Las Vegas,where new experience and imagination are
fully demonstrated.In sum, consumption is negotiation,a never-ending conversation held in the languages of advertising,
packaging,branding,fashion,and entertainment.
More Attention to the Image of Product
Main comparisions | Contexts |
Different aspects__1__ about by people when they are shopping. | In the past,people think more about the __2__ of the goods. |
People today are more easily__3__by the __4__of product | |
Different __5__ to promote sales | Traditionally, products may focus more on the functional utilities of goods. |
Nowadays, product image should be__6__ and there should be more effective ___7_with customers. | |
阅读下面短文,根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。 注意:每个空格只填一个单词。 | |
The Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children.Some parents
| |
阅读理解 | |
Forget Twitter and Facebook, Google and the Kindle. Television is still the most influential medium around. Indeed, for many of the poorest regions(地区)of the world, it remains the next big thing-finally becomes globally available. And that is a good thing, because the TV revolution is changing lives for the better. Across the developing world, around 45% of families had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60%. That is some way behind the U. S., where there are more TVs than people, and where people now easily get access to the Internet. Five million more families in sub Saharan Africa will get a TV over the next five years. In 2005, after the fall of the Taliban(塔利班), which had outlawed TV, 1 in 5 Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013-pushing the numbers to well beyond two thirds of families. Television"s most powerful effect will be on the lives of women. In India, researchers Robert Jensen and Emily Oster found that when TVs reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husbands" approval and less likely to want aboy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health care. TV is also a powerful medium for adult education. In the Indian state of Gujarat, Chitrageet is a popular show that plays Bollywood songs with words in Gujarati on the screen. Within six months, viewers had made a small but significant(有意义的)improvement in their reading skills. Too much TV has been associated with violence, overweight and loneliness. However, TV is having a positive influence on the lives of billions worldwide. | |
1. The underlined word "outlawed" in Paragraph 2 probably means " ". | |
A. allowed B. banned C. offered D. refused | |
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? | |
A. Americans used to get access to the Internet easily. B. The world"s TV sets will total 150 million by 2013. C. 45% of families in the developing countries had a TV in 2005. D. Over two thirds of families in the world will have a TV by 2013. | |
3. The author intends to . | |
A. stress the advantages of TV to people"s lives B. persuade women to become more independent C. encourage people to improve their reading skills D. introduce the readers some websites such as Google | |
4. What would be the best title for the passage? | |
A. TV Will Rule the World B. TV Will Disturb the World C. TV Will Better the World D. TV Will Remain in the World | |
阅读理解。 | |
If you are lost in the mountains,stay calm in the face of darkness,loneliness,and the unknown. It will greatly increase your chances of survival.Many people think that preparing necessary equipment and knowing how to use it are very important,but actually eighty percent of mountain survival is your reaction to fear. FIND A HIDING PLACE Unnecessary labor will make you sweat and make you cold.Find a hiding place around you before trying to start your own construction.If you are in a snowcovered area,you may be able to dig a cave in deep snow for protection from the wind.You should try to hide yourself in the middle of the mountain if possible.Stay out of the valleys-cold air falls,and the valley floor can be the coldest area on the mountain. SIGNAL RESCUERS FOR HELP The best time to signal rescuers is during the day.Signal for help from the highest point possible-it will be easier for rescuers to see you,and any sound you make will travel farther. If you take a box of matches and a space blanket(a special blanketfor travelling),build three smoky fires and put your blanket-gold side facing out-on the ground. DO NOT WALK AWAY It will make finding you more difficult if you have gone off in a different direction,as search teams will be trying to follow your path.Searchers often end up finding a car with no one in it. If you get frostbite,do not rewarm the affected area until you’re out of danger.You can walk on frostbitten feet,but once you warm the area and can feel the pain,you will not want to walk anywhere.Try to protect the frostbitten area and keep it dry untilyou are rescued. |