Shopping is an activity in which a customer browses the available goods or services presented by one or more retailers with the potential intent to purchase a suitable selection of them. Nowadays, the global ties are becoming much closer. The development of advertising and global consuming is becoming more imperative.

Passage 1 Advertising: The Selling of a Product

[A] A consumer walks into a store. He stands in front of hundreds of boxes of laundry detergent. He chooses one brand, pays for it, and leaves. Why does he pick that specific kind of soap? Is it truly better than the others? Probably not. These days, many products are nearly identical to one another in quality and price. If products are almost the same, what makes consumers buy one brand instead of another? Although we might not like to admit it, commercials on television and advertisements in magazines probably influence much more than we think they do.

[B] Advertising informs consumers about new products available on the market. It gives us information about everything from shampoo to toothpaste to computers and cars. But there is one serious problem with this. The “information” is actually very often misinformation. It tells us the products’ benefits but hides their disadvantages. Advertising not only leads us to buy things that we don’t need and can’t afford, but it also confuses our sense of reality. “Zoom toothpaste prevents cavities and gives you white teeth!” the advertisement tells us. But it doesn’t tell us the complete truth: that a healthy diet and a good toothbrush will have the same effect.

[C] Advertisers use many methods to get us to buy their products. One of their most successful methods is to make us feel dissatisfied with ourselves and our imperfect lives. Advertisements show us who we aren’t and what we don’t have. Our teeth aren’t white enough. Our hair isn’t shiny enough. Our clothes aren’t clean enough. Advertisements make us afraid that people won’t like us if we don’t use the advertised products. “Why don’t I have any dates?” an attractive young woman sadly asks in a commercial. “Here,” replies her roommate, “try Zoom toothpaste!” Of course she tries it, and immediately the whole football team falls in love with her. “That’s a stupid commercial,” we might say. But we still buy Zoom toothpaste out of fear of being unpopular and having no friends.

[D] If fear is the negative motive for buying a product, then wanting a good self-image is the positive reason for choosing it. Each of us has a mental picture of the kind of person we would like to be. For example, a modern young woman might like to think that she looks like a beautiful movie star. A middle-aged man might want to see himself as a strong, attractive athlete. Advertisers know this. They write specific ads to make certain groups of people choose their product. Two people may choose different brands of toothpaste with the identical price, amount, and quality; each person believes that he or she is expressing his personality by choosing that brand.

[E] Advertisers get psychologists to study the way consumers think and their reasons for choosing one brand instead of another. These experts tell advertisers about the motives of fear and self-image. They also inform them about recent studies with colors and words. Psychologists have found that certain colors on the package of an attractive a product will cause people to reach out and take that package instead of buying an identical product with different colors. Also, certain words attract our attention. For example, the words “new”, “improved”, “natural”, and “giant size” are very popular and seem to draw our eyes and hands toward the package.

[F] Many people believe that advertising does not affect them. They feel that they have freedom of choice, and they like to think they make wise choices. Unfortunately, they probably don’t realize the powerful effect of advertising. They may not clearly understand that advertisers spend billions of dollars each year in aggressive competition for our money, and they are extremely successful. Do you believe that ads don’t influence your choice of products? Just look at the brand in your kitchen and bathroom.

Notes to the Text

1. Shampoo—soapy liquid, cream, etc. for washing the hair 洗发剂，洗发液，洗发膏
2. Cavity—a hole in a tooth 牙齿中的洞
3. Motive—that which causes sb to act in a particular way; reason 动机；原因 E.g. a motive for murder
4. Aggressive—offensive; forceful, self-assertive 好攻击的；强有力的，坚持己见的
5. Laundry detergent 衣服洗涤剂
6. Brand 牌子，品牌
7. Specific 特定的；具体的
8. Commercials on television 电视广告

电视广告兼有报纸、广播和电影的视听特色，以声、像、色兼备，听、视、读并举，生动活泼的特点成为最现代化也最引人注目的广告形式。电视广告是伴随着20世纪中期电视的诞生而兴起的，其发展速度极快，并具有惊人的发展潜力。1979年1月28日上海电视台播出的第一条电视广告，揭开了我国电视广告发展史的序幕。

1. informs consumers about 告诉消费者……
2. Many products are nearly identical to one another in quality and price. 很多产品在质量和价格上差不多一样。Be identical to/with 完全相同，一模一样
3. The “information” is actually very often misinformation. 这种“信息”实际上常常是错误信息。
4. It also confuses our sense of reality. 它也搞乱了我们的现实感。
5. Zoom toothpaste 这里是作者的夸张，实际上没有这个牌子的牙膏。文章中这一段实际上也体现了消费者的从众心理（following the trend）。It refers to the phenomenon that individuals’ opinions and behavior tend to agree with the majority’s under the guidance or pressure of the group they belong to. Consumers tend to follow the majority when they are going to buy goods. For example, people like to go to those shops with more customers inside, and tend to choose famous brands.
6. A healthy diet 健康的饮食
7. Out of fear of being unpopular and having no friends 因为害怕不受欢迎和没有朋友，out of 这里是because of 的意思，意为“出于，因为”。
8. A good self-image 一个良好的自我形象
9. Psychologists have found that certain colors on the package of an attractive a product will cause people to reach out and take that package. 心理学家们发现一种有吸引力的产品外包装的特定颜色会使人们伸出手去购买这种产品。
10. aggressive competition 强有力的竞争

Vocabulary

Nouns
Consumer—person who buy goods or uses services 消费者；顾客；用户
Advertiser—person who advertises 登广告的人
Advertising—[U] action of advertising 广告宣传；做广告；登广告
Athlete—person who trains to compete in physical exercises and sports, especially running and jumping 运动员；体育家（尤指跑和跳项目）
Personality—characteristics and qualities of a person seen as a whole 人格；个性
Package—box, etc. in which things are packed 盒、箱等包装用物

Verbs
Pick—choose or select, e.g. from a group of things, esp. thoughtfully and carefully 挑选；选择；（尤指）精选 E.g. Only the best players were picked to play in the match.
Admit—recognize or acknowledge sth as true, often reluctantly; confess sth 承认，供认，招认（常为不情愿地）
用法：admit to sth/ doing sth
E.g. George would never admit to being wrong.
Afford—have enough money, time, space, etc. for (a special purpose)为（某目的）有足够的钱、时间、地方等，通常与can, could 或be able to 连用

Adjectives
Available—(of things)that can be used or obtained （指物）可用的或可得到的
Dissatisfied—not satisfied; discontented 不满意的；不满足的
用法：be dissatisfied with sb/sth; be dissatisfied at doing sth
E.g. I’m thoroughly dissatisfied with your work.
She’s very dissatisfied at not getting a bonus.

Phrases
On the market—offered for sale; on sale 待售；出售；上市
Self-image—自我形象

Culture Note

The history of advertising

Advertising is a way of informing people of something. This can range from telling them of a product for sale, or a service, or urging them to do something, or even to bringing one’s name before the public. So advertising came out quite naturally and took many forms from the very beginning. For example, there is a papyrus (草纸)discovered at Thebes (底比斯)offering a reward for a run-away slave. It is three thousand years old—and it’s really an advertisement!

Signboards (招牌)that notified people of services available were placed outside doors in Greece and Egypt around 1500 B.C.—a form of advertising. With the invention of printing, advertising began to take on new forms. About 1477, in London, the first printed advertisement in English announced a prayer book sale. The first newspaper advertisement appeared on the back page of a London newspaper in 1625. It was not until 1704 that paid advertisements were printed in the United States. By 1771 there were 31 newspapers in the Colonies, and all of them carried advertising. Today, of course, we know that advertising is done not only in newspapers, but also in magazines, on the radio, and on television.

The first “commercials” appeared on radio about 1920. Commercials on television developed mostly after World War II. The idea spread very quickly and today the advertising that is done on TV is so familiar to all of us that many people can remember the commercials even better than the shows they see!

〓■世界经典广告词欣赏 ■〓

1． Good to the last drop．滴滴香浓，意犹未尽。（麦斯威尔咖啡）

2． Obey your thirst． 服从你的渴望。（雪碧）

3． The new digital era． 数码新时代。（索尼影碟机）

4． We lead. Others copy．我们领先，他人仿效。（理光复印机）

5． Impossible made possible．使不可能变为可能。（佳能打印机）

6． Take time to indulge． 尽情享受吧！（雀巢冰激凌）

7． The relentless pursuit of perfection．不懈追求完美。（凌志轿车）

8． Poetry in motion, dancing close to me．动态的诗，向我舞近。（丰田汽车）

9． Come to where the flavor is. Marlboro Country．光临风韵之境——万宝路世界。（万宝路香烟）

10．To me, the past black and white, but the future is always color．

对我而言，过去平淡无奇；而未来，却是绚烂缤纷。（轩尼诗酒）

11. Just do it. 只管去做。（耐克运动鞋）

12. Ask for more. 渴望无限。（百事流行鞋）

13. The taste is great. 味道好极了。（雀巢咖啡）

14. Feel the new space. 感受新境界。（三星电子）

15. Intelligence everywhere.智慧演绎，无处不在。（摩托罗拉手机）

16. The choice of a new generation.新一代的选择。（百事可乐）

17. We integrate, you communicate.我们集大成，您超越自我。（三菱电工）

18. Take TOSHIBA, take the world.拥有东芝，拥有世界。（东芝电子）

19. Let’s make things better.让我们做得更好。（飞利浦电子）

20. No business too small, no problem too big. 没有不做的小生意，没有解决不了的大问题。（IBM公司）

21. M&Ms melt in your mouth, not in your hand.(M&Ms)只溶在口，不溶在手。(M&M巧克力)

22. Good to the last drop. (Maxwell)滴滴香浓，意犹未尽。(麦氏咖啡)

23. Time is what you make of it. (Swatch)天长地久。(斯沃奇手表)

24. Make yourself heard. (Ericsson)理解就是沟通。(爱立信)

25. Start ahead. (Rejoice)成功之路，从头开始。(飘柔)

26. Things go better with Coca-Cola. (Coca-Cola)饮可口可乐，万事如意。(可口可乐)

27. Connecting People.(Nokia)科技以人为本。(诺基亚)

28. A diamond lasts forever. (De Bierres)钻石恒久远，一颗永流传。(第比尔斯)

29. Mosquito Bye Bye Bye. (RADAR)蚊子杀杀杀。(雷达牌驱虫剂)