1 . Those of us who shop online may scan customer reviews to get a better sense of products we can't judge for ourselves at a physical store. We may check out online testimonials before booking a haircut or visiting a new restaurant. But what happens if some of those reviews can't be trusted?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced that it was proposing new measures to crack down on fake reviews and other practices used to mislead consumers. The commission published a proposed rule that would prohibit companies from writing or selling fake reviews, buying positive reviews, suppressing negative reviews and more.
“Our proposed rule on fake reviews shows that we're using all available means to attack deceptive advertising in the digital age,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.
Research shows people overwhelmingly consult online reviews, but humans are also bad at telling which consumer reviews hold water and which are nonsense.
That's potentially worrisome given that nearly one in every three reviews is fake, according to one estimate.
In arguing for the proposal, the FTC cited enforcement actions it had taken against companies that manipulated reviews of their products.In 2022, for example, the commission forced the online retailer Fashion Nova to pay $4.2 million to settle allegations (指控) that it blocked negative reviews from being posted on its website — the first FTC action involving a company's effort to hide negative reviews. For its part, Fashion Nova said in a statement to The New York Times that the FTC's allegations were “inaccurate” and that it only settled the charges to avoid “the distraction and legal fees”.
Comments on the proposed rule have to be received within 60 days of its publication in the Federal Register, after which the FTC will decide whether to issue a revised final version.
1. What is the main purpose of the FTC's proposed rule?A.To improve the quality of products and services. |
B.To protect the interests of physical stores. |
C.To ban negative reviews from online platforms. |
D.To ensure true reviews are presented to customers. |
A.Be credible. | B.Be prejudiced. | C.Be official. | D.Be misleading. |
A.To delete negative reviews of its products. |
B.To post customer reviews on its website. |
C.To resolve allegations of deceptive advertising. |
D.To prevent it from facing further criticism and legal fees. |
A.It is well-received. | B.It is still under review. |
C.It has proven to be effective. | D.It has encountered opposition. |
2 . Imagine this: You walk into a place and the atmosphere is light and airy. The subtle scent of coffee beans fills the air and everyone that approaches you is friendly and welcoming. You’re comfortable and feel like you belong. As in most cities, it’s a place where people meet, discuss ideas, and conduct business. After taking a few sips of that Caramel Macchiato, you immediately get that feeling of energy and optimism. Perhaps it’s partly due to the caffeine and sugar rush, or maybe it’s that the presence of a Starbucks typically indicates a city on the rise.
In December of 2017, Trenton’s first Starbuck’s café was opened to the public at 102 Warren Street. Walking in, people living in Trenton scream at everything about this café, from the diverse but local stuff to the Trenton themed décor (室内装饰) and art. To make things better, this Starbucks also serves as an “opportunity café” which essentially means the young people in our communities are recruited and offered job training and employment. This program not only uplifts our youth, but also increases the amount of minority business in the city.
In the interviews with customers, a trend in responses arose. To many, the Starbucks was a “favorite place to stop in after work” and provided “a very relaxing environment.” The staff were often highly praised, noted as being friendly, helpful, and working in harmony. The interior décor of the café struck a lot of people’s attention, given the familiarity of the atmosphere. Painted on the walls, all around the store, are murals (壁画) with bright, colorful, graffiti-like designs very sui generis in Trenton, showcasing local monuments like the State House and the famous “Trenton Makes” bridge.
This new Starbucks brings a sense of modernity to Downtown Trenton and reminds us that our city is always developing. Open from 6 a. m. until 7 p.m. every day, the building is hardly ever empty. This space is made for everyone in Trenton, even the non-coffee lovers.
1. What is the major function of Paragraph 1 in the passage?A.To present an introduction to the topic. |
B.To set a background for the main theme. |
C.To summarize the main idea of the passage. |
D.To describe a common phenomenon for the readers. |
A.People are amazed at the number of job opportunities provided by the Starbucks. |
B.“Opportunity café” program helps achieve booming economy and bring spiritual benefits. |
C.Most respondents regarded the Starbucks as a harmonious and entertaining workplace. |
D.Numerous people are attracted to stop in after work by the murals with original designs. |
A.Substantial. | B.Delicate. | C.Inspirational. | D.Unique. |
A.Starbucks Is Designed for Everyone |
B.Starbucks Gains Popularity in Trenton |
C.Starbucks Sets an Atmosphere of Progress |
D.Starbucks Creates More Job Opportunities |
3 . Dear boss — You have always tried to attract young and youngish consumers, and our consultants have always come up with new ways to label them. I don’t need to remind you that “millennials” and, increasingly, “Gen Z” are our most important markets. The trouble is that coming up with rules to define a swathe of humanity is more art than science. It is liable to apply stereotypes. Luckily you have me, and I’m here to tell you that much of what is written about marketing to today’s most prized consumers is a myth.
Social media has just changed the ways people discover brands from viewing television, newspapers and magazines to surfing Instagram and TikTok; it has weakened the power of marketing as a whole. Such is the ease with which digital natives can fact-check our tricky marketing claims that it is getting harder to build brand loyalty. Online, communication is cheap and prices are readily Googled.
There is a similar temptation to think that physical shops no longer matter. Young consumers love their Amazon deliveries. But what works best is the seamless combination of the digital and physical worlds. Remember those online-only influencer-backed beauty brands like Glossier, which took the world by storm during the pandemic? It turns out that they struggle to get repeat business and have had to pair up with physical retailers. If we want to succeed, we need to offer the best of both physical and virtual worlds.
Gen Z will consider a brand’s sustainability and social impact, but considering something isn’t surrendering to it. They are never brand-slaved. It is chiefly youngsters who buy cheap “fast-fashion” outfits to wear once and then send to landfill. Also, youngsters care less for consumer boycotts than its virtue-signaling parents, thus open to various brands. No wonder, most brands originate from youngsters with duel identities of producers and consumers.
What determines the shopping mode of a generation is their mindset. In Gen Z, lies are easily exposed online, where everyone loves a takedown and hates hypocrisy. We are people just as our young customers are and people will always buy sincerity.
1. What is the article primarily warning readers against in marketing?A.The excessive use of digital advertising and ignoring traditional media. |
B.The use of influencers and social media platforms for product promotion. |
C.Focusing solely on Gen Z without considering other demographic groups. |
D.Relying on outdated perceptions of young consumer behaviors. |
A.Young consumers are less interested in brand loyalty. |
B.Digital natives can check out marketing claims. |
C.Young consumers prefer shopping in physical stores. |
D.Social media platforms are misguiding in brand establishment. |
A.Physical stores are becoming obsolete due to the rise of e-commerce. |
B.Young consumers only prefer online shopping and home deliveries. |
C.A combination of digital and physical retail experiences is most effective. |
D.Physical stores should be completely replaced by digital marketing strategies. |
A.They commit to social justice and boycott unethical brands. |
B.They consider a brand’s sustainability but are not controlled by it. |
C.They are indifferent to a brand’s quality and social influence. |
D.They only support brands that are created by their peers. |
In a wooden fan workshop in Jiangxi Province, Yu Xiuying is busier than usual. As she paints, bright flowers
The fans Yu painted in Ganzhu Township will be sold to Spain. The small town has
The town’s fan industry dates back to the early 1980s. When working in Suzhou, Yu noticed that from streets to sidewalks, from parks to tourist
5 . The halo effect is a cognitive bias (认知偏见) that affects our opinions of quality in products, brands, businesses or people. It describes our tendency to judge a wider concept on our experience of a single moment or interaction. That is, your experience of using a product may colour your impression of an entire brand.
This is a very surface-level, quick-fire response that’s deep in our mind. If we see a good or bad quality, we really can’t help thinking this “thing” must flow through to the rest of the person, business or brand. Marketers understand this and have been using it against you for years.
Advertisers want to back winners, especially those on big stages. The Olympics, the World Cup and the Super Bowl all attract huge amounts of advertising spend. Why? Because when sports stars win big, they create huge amounts of feel-good factors and a brand can use the halo effect to project some of those feel-good factors onto themselves.
Studies have shown that when a product has a label that it is either fair trade, sustainably sourced or organic in nature, it will receive higher ratings in customer satisfaction and people will pay more for it. In a blind taste test though, that’s not necessarily the case. The product could be considered poor in taste or quality, but the act of adding a certain label to the packaging increases people’s liking for it.
The halo effect is a bias we cannot escape. It is in action everywhere in the modern world. Every high-end product you experience leaves a lasting impression and every advertisement that catches your eye is looking to direct your attention towards something you may not have otherwise been interested in. As a consumer, be careful. There are businesses that will go to any extent to influence your behaviour. Next time you find yourself really wanting something, stop and ask yourself why.
1. How does the halo effect influence our opinions?A.It helps us see things in a better way. | B.It deepens our understanding of things. |
C.It stops us from jumping to conclusions. | D.It works on us through former experience. |
A.To use halo effect to attract more audience. |
B.To contribute to the development of sports. |
C.To connect their brands with positive emotions. |
D.To drive sports stars to create feel-good factors. |
A.It leads to false advertisements. | B.It results in incorrect judgments. |
C.It ensures the quality of products. | D.It improves environmental protection. |
A.To warn of unplanned buying. | B.To summarize the halo effect. |
C.To expose the influence of advertising. | D.To show modern marketing strategies. |
6 . The law of supply and demand (需求) explains how the prices of goods and services are determined. Prices rise when there is an increase in demand. When there is an increase in supply, prices go down.
When the amount of goods being demanded is the same as the amount of goods being supplied, it stabilizes prices. However, if either side increases too much, it can create economic (经济的) problems. Tulip Mania was a period in the Dutch Golden Age when the prices of tulips rose and dropped rapidly. In the 1630s, the demand for these flowers increased so much that prices went out of control.
After tulips were introduced to the Netherlands, they became a symbol of wealth and position. As a result, the rare types were seen as valuable things and were trade at high prices. Soon, they grew in popularity as a trading product, and traders bought them to make a lot of money. Even ordinary people started to believe it was an easy way to make money and got involved (参与) in the trade of the tulips.
Prices kept on rising as more people wanted tulips. Some people began selling all of their possessions (财产) in order to buy them. And the prices became unbelievably higher than the value of the actual things. As the supply increased, however, some people thought the demand for tulips would not last and began to sell their tulips. Finally, prices dropped, and many were left poor with worthless tulips.
1. What does the underlined word “stabilizes” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Brings something down. | B.Loses control of something. |
C.Keeps something exactly the same. | D.Makes something unlikely to change. |
A.Their high value. | B.Powerful demand. |
C.Their extreme rareness. | D.The government’s economic policy. |
A.involved a wide range of people | B.helped create the Dutch Golden Age |
C.went against the law of supply and demand | D.led to the slow economic growth in the Netherlands |
A.Their tulips were just common types. | B.Their prices would remain unchanged. |
C.They needed money to make a living. | D.They were worried about the demand for tulips. |
7 . Potential end to sales of gasoline cars in China could benefit makers of electric cars, and suppliers of spare parts and power management solutions in the long run, analysts said.
Policymakers have been suggesting a possible timetable soon for getting rid of cars that use gasoline as fuel from the China market. For instance, Xin Guobin, deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at a news conference in early September that authorities are studying a timetable for stopping sales of gasoline cars in China.
At another conference on power and battery development, Xin said that the development of high-efficiency special batteries is key to the development of e-vehicles in China.
Wang Chuanfu, president of BYD, China’s largest e-car maker, said in a recent interview that he estimated sales of gasoline cars will likely end in 2030.
According to a report by China International Capital Corporation Limited or CICC, large-scale production of e-vehicles and a bigger market share in the overall mobility market are inevitable in the next few years.
“Ending sales of gasoline cars is a global trend, and China is not going to fall behind,” the report said.
Norway and the Netherlands have announced they will end sales of gasoline cars in 2025. Germany and India will do so in 2030, and the UK and France in 2040.
Policies will encourage purchase and use of e-vehicles in China. For example, buyers would be offered free car plates in cities. In contrast, gasoline car owners may need to pay more than 80,000 yuan for a plate at auctions (拍卖) in Shanghai.
In the longer term, however, development of e-vehicles in China depends on battery technology improvements and charging networks, said the paper.
1. What can we infer from the passage?A.Potential end of the gasoline cars has benefited many people. |
B.The government is taking action in the process of promoting electric cars. |
C.Wang Chuanfu estimated sales of gasoline cars will end in 2030. |
D.China will be the first country to end the gasoline cars in the near feature. |
A.unavoidable | B.profound | C.impossible | D.profitable |
A.Supportive | B.Passive | C.Subjective | D.Objective. |
A.How to improve the battery technology and the relevant construction. |
B.The reasons why we want to give up the traditional vehicles. |
C.Supporters’ and objectors’ opinions towards e-cars. |
D.The advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles. |
In recent years, China
As new tea beverages, a
According to data from iMedia Research,
9 . If a stranger offered you money to keep a suitcase in your spare room, would you accept? How about the other way round: if you had too many belongings, would you consider trusting someone you met online with their safekeeping (保管)? Anthony Paine believed enough of us would answer “yes” to these questions to launch (发起) his own startup (新兴公司), Stash bee. His business links people with space to those who need it.
And it’s just one player in the booming “sharing economy”. All their business models work around one simple word: trust. So, how does Stash bee measure up (合格)? BBC journalist Dougal Shaw decided to try it out for himself. He had some odds and ends to store while decorating his house, and met a host through the site who could keep them for 475 RMB for two months. All relatively smooth and painless.
Stashbee agree that dealing with security concerns is important, but say business success depends more on people overcoming a distrust of strangers we’ve been taught since childhood. They aren’t alone. Companies such as Costockage, Roost and Spacer all run similar storage businesses, and are all relying on a change in consumer attitudes.
Would you try it out? It’s a question of trust.
1. The author put forward two questions at the beginning of the text to________.A.expect readers to answer them | B.carry out a survey among readers |
C.start a conversation among readers | D.draw readers attention to the topic |
A.Experiencing in person. | B.Doing a survey online. |
C.Analyzing some data. | D.Exchanging his belongings. |
A.Trust is not well built in childhood education. |
B.The new startup isn’t concerned about security. |
C.No company follows the business model of Stashbee. |
D.Consumer attitudes have changed greatly over time. |
10 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down (否决) a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.
The company of Airbnb fiercely opposed the rule, Proposition F. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.
Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.
The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image. Middle-class families rent a spare room out to help make ends meet. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional (传统的), better-regulated (监管更好的) housing market and contributes to rising costs.
San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Located on a narrow land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley. Consequently, the average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4,000.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the rule simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.
1. The intention of Proposition F is to ______.A.place time limits in local election | B.set limits on short-term rental |
C.strike down a debatable rule | D.urge users to vote against Airbnb |
A.It reduces the living space of middle-class families. |
B.Users are taken advantage of by the service financially. |
C.It helps regulate the house market effectively. |
D.It indirectly leads to high house rental price. |
A.Explosion of the living cost. | B.Its historic characteristics. |
C.Inflow of migrant population. | D.Development of local economy. |
A.Objective. | B.Optimistic | C.Subjective. | D.Indifferent. |