Unit 10
Task 1
【答案】
A.
1) washing machines, televisions, cars, 1946, unemployment, soldiers, politicians, on television, in films
2) 10 percent
B.
1) The Market Research Society.
2) More than 3,000 people were questioned.
3) People dress far more casually than they used to.
4) In the past "an evening out" for most people mean a visit to the cinema. Today they would be more likely to go to a restaurant or to a disco.
5) The lack of ambition among the middle-aged.
C. 1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) F
【原文】
Ordinary people in Britain have more washing machines, televisions and cars than in 1946. They also have more fear of unemployment. Whereas once the nation's heroes used to be soldiers or politicians, today they are more likely to be famous faces on television or in films, such as Sylvester Stallone.
These are just some of the changes discovered in a series of surveys by the Market Research Society. More than 3,000 people were questioned and the results were compared with a similar survey done in 1946. In many cases, the new survey tells us what we already knew, such as the fact that many people are better off in a material sense and that women spend much less time at the kitchen sink or in the home looking after their families. But we also learn a number of other things. Tastes in clothing and entertainment have changed considerably. People dress far more casually than they used to. And whereas "an evening out" for most people used to mean a visit to the cinema, today it is far more likely to involve going to a restaurant or to a disco. Some things have not changed. People still adore the films of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman even though they are more likely to watch them on television or video. And despite the variety of foreign food now available, more than a quarter of the people in the survey said they preferred a meal of steak and chips. The only change is that a large number would also like wine with it instead of beer. In 1946 only a small proportion—less than 10 percent—ever drank wine with their meals.
One of the most surprising things to come out of the new research is the lack of ambition among the middle-aged. Many executives feel that by the time they are in their mid-forties, they have achieved all their most important goals in life. Most of them said they would prefer to retire in their fifties rather than go on working for a promotion.
Task 2
【答案】
A.
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
Dilip Sardesai a shop on the Internet Ohio, USA and his wife Andrija
Nicole Pernot a small stationer’s shop near Arras, France
Dave Stirling a Forum hypermarket Newcastle, England
B.
1) d) 2) c) 3) a) 4) b) 5) c)
【原文】
For the past eighteen years, Dilip Sardesai and his wife Andrija have run a small stationer’s shop in the university city of Newcastle, in the north-east of England. As well as selling paper, pens, computer and office equipment, they also offer a photocopying and fax service. They work long hours to keep the shop going, and both of their children help them after school. Dilip sees the personal contact he has with his customers as the most important part of his job. “Many of our customers are from the university”, says Dilip. “We’ve seen generations of students come and go. we like to offer them the kind of personal service they can’t get in a larger shop. We’re never too busy to stop and chat about exams, or whatever they want to talk about.”
Nicole Pernot is the manageress of a Forum hypermarket, situated 20 kilometers from Arras, a town in the north-east of France. Forum has 600 stores in five different countries and plans to expand into Eastern Europe. The huge hypermarket employs over 300 people, and has parking spac es for over cars. “People nowadays have busy lives”, says Nikole, “so we try to attract families by offering them a complete shopping experience, including a full restaurant service and free entertainment for the children. We try to make it possible for shoppers to do all their weekly shopping in one place. People come here not only for food and household goods, but also clothes, electrical goods, books, CDs…..In fact, we sell everything from peanuts to personal computers!”
Five years ago, Dave Stirling had the idea of selling CDs over the Internet. The business he started from his home in Ohio, USA, now sells 500,000 CDs year and his made him into a millionaire at the age of twenty-four. “I could see right away that this was the future of shopping”, says Stirling. “Why should you pay $15 for a CD –and spend the time and money getting to the store and parking your car, when, by clicking on your computer, you can have the same CD brought to your door for half the cost? And of course, there’s the choice – we promise to find any CD and deliver it within seventy-two hours.” According to
