1 . Against all our wishes, advertising works, which is why, even in hard economic times, Madison Avenue is a $34-billion-a-year business. And if Martin Lindstrom, a marketing consultant is correct, trying to _______ the advertisement is about to get especially hard.

83% of all forms of advertising principally _______ only one of our senses: sight. Hearing, however, can be just as powerful, though advertisers have taken only limited advantage of it. Historically, ads have relied on slogans(广告语)to catch our ear, _______ everyday sounds — a steak sizzling(发嘶嘶声), a baby laughing and other sounds we can't help paying attention to. Weave these everyday sounds into an ad campaign and we customers may be _______ to resist them.

According to Lindstrom, the everyday sound that is most impressive, both in terms of interest and _______ feelings, is a baby laughing. The other high-ranking sounds are also powerful — the sound of a car engine or a soda being poured.

In all of these cases, it doesn’t need an experienced advertisement designer to invent the sounds, associate them with meanings and then play them over and over until the subjects _______ them. Rather, the everyday sounds already have meanings and thus can cause a kind of _______ : hunger, thirst or happy expectation.

Some TV ads have already given viewers close-up shots of meat with sizzling sounds. And retailers are _______ . Lindstrom is now consulting with clients, intending to pipe the sound of filtering coffee or fizzing soda into the drink department or that of a baby laughing sound into the baby-food section.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that advertisers can just press the audio button _______ and consumers will come eagerly. Indeed, sometimes customers flee. In the early years of cell-phone use, the ringtone (铃音) of a famous cell phone brand was recognized by many people in the U.K., but soon it became widely ________ . That, Lindstrom says, was partly because so few users observed cell-phone manners and ________ accidents kept happening in places like movie theaters. The computer start-up sound has taken on the similarly negative ________ , because people so often hear it when they’re restarting the computer after it ________ . In these cases, manufacturers themselves may as well revise the bothersome sound or ________ it entirely.

Lindstrom's experiment also shows that people respond to a sound better when it’s ________ . If nothing else, smart marketers may at least keep the volume low.

3 . How to know how much to tip?

New rules of gratuities

The current situation has been particularly hard on people who work for tips. Some haven’t been able to do their jobs at all, while others don’t interact with customers the same way as it used to be. In either case, “Tips dried up, causing a lot of people to suffer,” says Toni Dupree, a professional etiquette coach.

Meanwhile, many customers felt the need to tip more because of the new risks and hardships that essential service workers suddenly faced.

Just as many services have changed, so should tipping, says Lisa Grotts, author of several etiquette books. Some old standards no longer seem fair, and several newer ones will apply long after the pandemic is over.

Some new rules of tipping that are likely here to stay:

It’s common for tips to be divided between all the workers at a store or restaurant, not just those who interact directly with customers. So giving generously ensures a fairer tip for all.

You can also “tip” with a thank-you note or a homemade gift when a business (or your budget) doesn’t permit gratuities. Consider writing a review online, making sure to name names.

As for specific situations, here’s what the experts recommend:

Next time you’re unsure whether a gratuity is in order, follow this simple rule: When in doubt, tip. The novelist George Eliot asked, “What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other?” Dupree adds: “Tipping well is one way to make things easier for someone else.”

4 . In this digital age, information is increasingly digitized through the wide use of technology. Newspapers, magazines and even textbooks are becoming or expected to be digital soon. However, despite the sharp increase of such technology in daily life, print media is far from becoming unnecessary. I don’t think that reading in print is a dying mode.

Firstly, print offers a super reading experience. The feeling of holding a book in our hands, feeling its weight and turning over its pages, helps us to be immersed in and engaged fully with the material. The act of turning over pages also helps to direct ourselves in the concepts and structure of the text. In contrast, reading through a number of pages on a device is unsatisfying, and we can lose track of how much we have read. In addition, the artificial glow of digital screens tires one’s eyes out, and can even affect one’s sleep.

Moreover, physical copies express greater aesthetic (审美的) beauty than digital ones. The designs that beautify book covers and spines make the ideas complete and add beauty to our homes as well. The wrinkles that have accumulated over time leave us with an emotional attachment to the books themselves. Furthermore, the presentation of content in print also allows for greater appreciation of imagery (意象). In contrast to the restrictions of digital screens, the tangible (可触摸的) nature of print allows for clear imagery that is clear and impactful in its presence.

Advocates of digital print support the convenience of the medium. Indeed, e-readers   provide a convenient solution to storage and transportation. However, this carries its own weaknesses as well. For one, the use of digital media requires the investment in a smart device. For another, taking notes on the printed text is easier.

In conclusion, despite the conveniences afforded by digital media, physical print still remains a popular mode of reading today. The “less is more” nature of print media remains its strongest selling point today.

6 . If you were planning to buy a television set, the following advertisement would certainly draw your attention: “Color TV. Only ＄79. Two days sale. Hurry.” However, when you go to the store ready to buy, you may discover that they are sold out. But the shop assistant is quick to tell you that he has another model. A much better set which is “just right for you”. It costs ＄395. This sales method is called “bait and switch”. Buyers are baited with a sales advertisement, and then they are switched to another more expensive one.