Celebrity endorsements
Despite the fact that companies believe celebrities had a lot of pull with regard to the buying trends of consumers, researchers have discovered that this does not seem to be the case. British and Swiss researchers carried out a study showing that advertisements made by celebrities like David Beckham and Scarlett Johansson are not as effective as those by ordinary people.
In a sample of 298 students, researchers presented a magazine advertisement for a digital camera that was endorsed (为…做广告宣传) by a fictional student claiming the camera was “hot” and his “preferred choice”. The same advertisement was shown to other students, but with a difference: The camera was endorsed by a famous person in Germany.
While the students said that both advertisements were beneficial, the one made by the student topped the celebrity one if students aimed to impress others with their purchases (购买). More than half of the students, who admitted purchasing products that would impress others, said they were influenced by the student’s advertisement. Only 20％ said the celebrity one would affect their buying decision.
Professor Brett Martin of the University of Bath’s School of Management, explained that the findings could be used not only in Germany, but in other countries as well. “ Our research questions whether celebrities are the best ways to sell products,” said Prof Martin.“Celebrities can be effective but we found that many people were more convinced by an endorsement from a fictional fellow student. This is because many people feel a need to keep up with the Jones when they buy.”Some companies think the celebrities endorsement ．
| A．is popular with the consumers |
| B．can pull all the consumers into the shops |
| C．can affect the consumers’ purchasing |
| D．is as effective as an endorsement from common people |
Which of the following ads would be more effective to common consumers, according to
the experiment?
An ad featuring lovely pandas.
An ad made by David Beckham.
An ad made by fictional common people.
An ad with beautiful natural scenery. The underlined words “the Jones” in the last paragragh refer to“ ”．
| A．someone called Jones | B．common people |
| C．the Jones family | D．celebrities |
We can infer from the passage that ．
| A．celebrities cheat consumers in advertisement |
| B．the researchers here are against celebrity endorsement |
| C．the student’s ads are more reliable than those made by celebrities |
| D．companies needn’t spend so much money on celebrity endorsement |
We can probably read the article in ．
| A．a local newspaper | B．a science report |
| C．an academic journal | D．a textbook |
People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars. And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway. Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months. I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting, and some acted just simply rudely. I started hating the way I was treated, and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜）before were pretty ordinary. So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths(神秘）.If the star was a bad guy, I would say so. If I thought anyone was stupid, I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty. Surprisingly, many of them hated me for it. I have gotten so many attacks on my character. In their eyes，being famous is everything, even more desirable than being truly creative and talented
Why do we need stars? In fact, the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (闲话）.Over time, talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about. Thus, some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends. That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview -as we care. We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars. As a whole, our society is not as religious as it once was. It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did. Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars, but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant, and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die. I am part of this whole process. No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.What are the stars like according to the author?
| A． They always treat others rudely. |
| B． They always talk about something dull. |
| C． They are acutually ordinary people. |
| D． They are usually honest and polite, |
We worship stars because ______.
A, we need true mental heroes to support us
B. we can learn something useful from famous stars
C. we concern about the stars ，family and friends
D. we like talking about the stars ，dressing stylesWhen the author is writing this article ，his tone sounds ______.
A, excited B. angry C. worried D. calmWhat is the main purpose of the author writing the passage?
| A． To show the disadvantages of working with stars. |
| B． To remind us not to worship famous stars blindly. |
| C． To laugh at the failures of stars he has interviewed. |
| D． To talk about the reasons why we worship stars. |
A father in Wuhan, nicknamed "Eagle Dad" for his controversial parenting style, has dismissed critics' claims that he pushes his 4-year-old son too hard.
Police officer Wang Shaoyan came under the spotlight this month after his child took part in an 18-kilometer race in the Hubei provincial capital.
Some parents attacked his methods of extreme physical training, while others reacted strongly to his admission that he regularly exposes the youngster to cold showers. "I just want my son to reach his full potential," Wang said, adding that 4-year-old son not only runs 3 km every day he also takes cold showers from time to time to strengthen his body's resistance and willpower.
"He has never taken any sick leave from kindergarten," he said proudly. However, some parents find his methods too extreme.
"I'm not sure a 4-year-old is prepared for such intense training," said Zhang Ruxia a woman who gave birth to two boys in October in Tianjin. "You can have good intentions to train your child at an early age but you also have to consider whether he can take it." Wang responded by saying children are too young to make decisions, and it is up to parents to lead them on the right path.
"I read many materials before and the whole process is step-by-step without pushing or imposing on my son," Wang said. The father said he was not acting rashly but following a scientific way of education. He said the doubts about his methods reflect the declining standards of modern education.
"Many people in Japan give their children cold showers too ,and no one is fussing about it，" he said. The traditional way of education applied by most of his peers might not necessarily help bring the best out of a child he said.
Wang said in addition to the physical training, he has also laid out a detailed and particular program to strengthen the intelligence of the child. "I have hired some university students to expand his knowledge in natural sciences, while playing the video for English-language teaching as well," he said.For what reason was Wang made known to the public?
| A．He employed some college students to teach his son. |
| B．He made his kid take a long distance race. |
| C．He exposed his 4-year-old to cold showers. |
| D．He forced his youngster to run 3 km every day. |
Which statement is supported by the parents who hold the opposite opinion?
| A．Extreme physical training can explore children's full potentials. |
| B．Taking cold showers regularly is beneficial for children's development. |
| C．It's up to parents to lead children on the right path. |
| D．The way to educate children should agree with their age. |
What does the phrase "fussing about” probably mean in the 8th paragraph?
| A．Minding about. | B．Paying attention to. |
| C．Laughing at. | D．Talking about. |
In Eagle Dad’s opinion, his extreme parenting was questioned because____.
| A．he didn’t take it step by step in a scientific way |
| B．the highly tense work-out was misunderstood |
| C．modern education is not challenging enough |
| D．some parents were jealous of his success |
I moved from Chicago to Brooklyn in July of 2010，just in time to watch my mother die. Our parents were both gone now； I took with me as many things they had left behind as I could.
I was out walking one Saturday later that summer when something caught my eye - a pale green dress. Laid out on the pavement was stuff like earrings, glass candle-holders, books. Hanging on the fence behind were a few pairs of jeans and a green cotton dress.
The woman, the host o£ the stoop (门廊）sale, looked like she was getting rid of a past she didn’t need or want. A dress that was too big for her. A chest of drawers that took up too much space, space she needed, maybe, to heal ，recover, or grow.
I wasn’t planning on buying anything really, but now I needed to show her that I appreciated her things and I would give them a safe home. Then I had my first stoop sale —I paid her 20 dollars for her green cotton dress and her blue candle-holder,
From that day on, I became interested in stoop sales. Some of my favorite things are from someone else’s life. I find no joy in shopping at regular stores any more. I love trying to sniff out a memory from a bud vase or a drawer. It is comforting to know that someone has breathed and laughed inside a sweater before me.
A few weeks ago, I carried my mother’s dresses to a friend’s stoop. These were her best items ，which were once worn by the most important person in my life. For many hours, I watched from across the path people advancing the stoop, some leaving with Mom1S dress. I used to think that her stuff was as forever sacred (神圣的）as my memory of her, I know now that once I love a scarf or shirt too dearly，it needs to find a new home. Even that green dress is long gone by now.The author took her mother*s dresses after her death because ______
| A．she valued the things used by her mom |
| B．she didn’t want to throw them, away |
| C． she could sell them later |
| D． they were her mom’s best items |
From the passage, we know that ______.
| A． the things the author bought from the woman are too big |
| B． the author is fond of imagining others’ life experiences |
| C． the author will never shop at regular stores any more |
| D． the author still keeps most of her mom’s things |
In the last paragraph ，the author tries to tell us that ______.
A her mom is the number one person in her life
B. she didn’t really want to sell her mom’s dresses
C. she still thinks of her mother quite often
D. love doesn’t mean holding on to something tightlyIt can be inferred that the author will ______.
| A． not sell her own things at stoop sales |
| B．keep her mom in her mind in another way |
| C． be sad about all the memory of her mom |
| D． move to another city for a new life |
Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics. There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home. Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following choices for home-birds:
Online tutoring—You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (4 hours) or full-time (9 hours).
Freelance writers—You have a good writing skills but don’t have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000.
Online-traders—Earn a lot of money by share trading. Just clear the NCFM (Capital Market) exam and you can start trading. You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month.
Designers—If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields. One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month.According to the passage, those who likes stay-at-home careers ________.
| A．perhaps can’t earn as much as those working in an office |
| B．needn’t do anything at home and earns a lot |
| C．can’t be mothers who have children to look after |
| D．are often worried about office politics |
If you want to be an online-trader, you will have to ________.
| A．be more than 18 years old |
| B．pass a kind of exam |
| C．have good writing skills |
| D．have creative skills and a creative gift |
The passage is written mainly to ________.
| A．sell products to readers |
| B．join the author’s company |
| C．give some advice to readers |
| D．get help from readers |
Science Daily—Kids may roll their eyes when their mothers asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom.
“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, said. “In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance. We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn.”
Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar persons.
“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations. We saw that this simple act of listening by mom made a difference in the quality of the child’s explanations and how well they could solve more difficult problems later on.According to the passage, a mom had better ________.
| A．give a kid some help when he is explaining his problem |
| B．just listen while a kid is explaining his problem |
| C．work together with a kid toward the solution to a problem |
| D．leave a kid alone when he meets a problem at school |
If she wants to help a child with his schoolwork, a mom ________.
| A．should know the answer to a problem first |
| B．should pay attention to the child’s feedback. |
| C．may not know the answer herself |
| D．should not interrupt the child |
Who will be the least help to a kid when he is explaining, according to Rittle-Johnson?
| A．The kid’s mom. |
| B．The kid’s grandmother. |
| C．A peer. |
| D．A relative the kid doesn’t know. |
Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children learn better when their mom is hearing their explaining. |
| B．Children learn better if they find the solution to a problem themselves. |
| C．Parents should not provide any assistance to their children’s schoolwork. |
| D．A mom should listen more to their children when they have problems at school. |