练习材料:
Wanted: a large biscuit tin——Part 1
ˈwɒntɪd: ə lɑːʤ ˈbɪskɪt tɪn
征购大饼干筒
No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely goes wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory.
nəʊ wʌn kæn əˈvɔɪd ˈbiːɪŋ ˈɪnflʊənst baɪ ədˈvɜːtɪsmənts. mʌʧ æz wiː meɪ praɪd ˌaʊəˈsɛlvz ɒn ˈaʊə gʊd teɪst, wiː ɑː nəʊ ˈlɒŋgə friː tuː ʧuːz ðə θɪŋz wiː wɒnt, fɔːr ˈædvətaɪzɪŋ ɪgˈzɜːts ə ˈsʌtl ˈɪnflʊəns ɒn ʌs. ɪn ðeər ˈɛfəts tuː pəˈsweɪd ʌs tuː baɪ ðɪs ɔː ðæt ˈprɒdʌkt, ˈædvətaɪzəz hæv meɪd ə kləʊs ˈstʌdi ɒv ˈhjuːmən ˈneɪʧər ænd hæv ˈklæsɪfaɪd ɔːl ˈaʊə ˈlɪtl ˈwiːknɪsɪz.
ˈædvətaɪzəz dɪsˈkʌvəd jɪəz əˈgəʊ ðæt ɔːl ɒv ʌs lʌv tuː gɛt ˈsʌmθɪŋ fɔː ˈnʌθɪŋ. ən ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt wɪʧ bɪˈgɪnz wɪð ðə ˈmæʤɪk wɜːd friː kæn ˈreəli gəʊ rɒŋ. ðiːz deɪz, ˈædvətaɪzəz nɒt ˈəʊnli ˈɒfə friː ˈsɑːmplz, bʌt friː kɑːz, friː ˈhaʊzɪz, ænd friː trɪps raʊnd ðə wɜːld æz wɛl. ðeɪ dɪˈvaɪz ˈhʌndrədz ɒv ˌkɒmpɪˈtɪʃənz wɪʧ wɪl ɪˈneɪbl ʌs tuː wɪn hjuːʤ sʌmz ɒv ˈmʌni. ˈreɪdɪəʊ ænd ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən hæv meɪd ɪt ˈpɒsəbl fɔːr ˈædvətaɪzəz tuː ˈkæpʧə ði əˈtɛnʃ(ə)n ɒv ˈmɪljənz ɒv ˈpiːpl ɪn ðɪs weɪ.
ˈdjʊərɪŋ ə ˈreɪdɪəʊ ˈprəʊgræm, ə ˈkʌmpəni ɒv ˈbɪskɪt ˌmænjʊˈfækʧərəz wʌns ɑːskt ˈlɪsnəz tuː beɪk ˈbɪskɪts ænd sɛnd ðɛm tuː ðeə ˈfæktəri.
没有人能避免受广告的影响。尽管我们可以自夸自己的鉴赏力如何敏锐,但我们已经无法独立自主地选购自己所需的东西了。这是因为广告在我们身上施加着一种潜移默化的影响。做广告的人在力图劝说我们买下这种产品或那种产品之前,已经仔细地研究了人的本性,并把人的弱点进行了分类。
做广告的人们多年前就发现我们大家都喜欢免费得到东西。凡是用“免费”这个神奇的词开头的广告很少会失败的。目前,做广告的人不仅提供免费样品,而且还提供免费汽车,免费住房,免费周游世界。他们设计数以百计的竞赛,竞赛中有人可赢得巨额奖金。电台、电视使做广告的人可以用这种手段吸引成百万人的注意力。
有一次,在电台播放的节目里,一个生产饼干的公司请听众烘制饼干送到他们的工厂去。
任务配置:L0、L3、L4
知识笔记:
单词与短语
subtle/ˈsʌtl /:(especially of a change or distinction) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe.
avoid being influenced by sth避免受到某事的影响
Much as 尽管
no longer free to do sth无法自主的做某事
exert a subtle influence on sb施加一种潜移默化的影响
In sb's efforts to do sth力图...
persuade sb to do sth劝说某人做某事
made a close study of human nature仔细研究人的本性
years ago多年前
love to get something for nothing喜欢免费得到东西
begin with 以...开头
can rarely go wrong很少会失败
not only do sth,but sth(do+)不仅...,而且...
and sth as well 和...
enable sb to do sth使某人可以做某事
huge sums of money巨额奖金
make it possible for可以
capture the attention of millions of people in this way用这种手段吸引成百万人的注意力
练习感悟:手机会经常打断手头正在做的一件事。把昨天那篇文章硬背下来时,发现自己背诵有问题的其中一个地方,是个知识点,意外之喜。