Every day most of us can order and buy all sorts of items online, thanks to e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD and Pinduoduo. The number of people
2 . Online shoppers would rather receive an offer for a product or service than make their own offer, according to a study led by a Michigan State University scholar that has implications for the fast-growing e-commerce industry. The findings may come as a surprise given that shopping online is an anonymous (匿名的) process that seemingly can give consumers more confidence to drive a hard bargain, said Don Conlon, Professor of Management in MSU’s Broad College of Business.
But the study found that participants who made their own offers were less successful in sealing the deal and, when they were successful, worried they overpaid. Many shoppers found the process of researching an offer to be a hassle. “Americans are very busy, and it’s less time-consuming to be the one receiving the offer rather than the one proposing the offer,” Conlon said. “People tend to be happier when they’re in the receiver role.”
Online spending in the United States is expected to jump 45 percent in the next four years, from $226 billion this year to $327 billion in 2017, according to Forrester Research Inc. Nevertheless, researches into this prosperous market remain largely focused on the strategies of companies, rather than those of shoppers. Conlon’s study is, obviously, a rare exception.
Conlon got the idea for the study after considering the difference between two popular sites for hotels and airline flights, priceline.com, which takes bids, and hotwire.com, which provides offers. Using these two models, Conlon and his fellow researchers conducted a series of experiments with more than 850 people who were charged with booking a fictional hotel room and acquiring a fictional antique car. Not only did participants prefer to receive bids, Conlon said, but they also secured more deals in that receiver role. Further, when they had to make the bids, they were left more mentally taxed and regretful.
From an industry perspective, putting customers in the receiver role may help fill more hotel rooms and airplane seats. “If you're a business with a lot of product,” Conlon said, “you may want to be the one making the offers.” However, when selling single items, such as an antique car, accepting bids may be a better option since that typically drives up the price, he said.
1. What can we learn from Para.1?| A．The result of the study gives customers more confidence. |
| B．Scholars aren’t surprised at the findings of the study. |
| C．Online shoppers don’t bargain as much as expected. |
| D．E-commerce industry drives more hard bargains. |
| A．online shopping is time-consuming |
| B．given prices can promote online sales |
| C．online businesses provide a lot of products |
| D．receiving offers makes online shoppers regretful |
| A．burdened | B．numbed | C．relieved | D．challenged |
| A．the big advantages of online shopping |
| B．the rapid development of online shopping |
| C．online shoppers’ preference for taking offers |
| D．online companies’ strategies to improve service |
3 . A hearing aid is a small electronic device you wear in or behind your ear to make sounds louder. A hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone, an amplifier and a speaker. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, which changes the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier increases the power of the signals and sends them to the ear through a speaker. There are three styles of hearing aids.
·Behind-the-ear (BTE) aids are used by people of all ages. “Mini” BTE is a new kind. These small and open-fit aids fit behind the ear completely, with a narrow tube into the ear canal, enabling the canal to remain open. Thus, some people prefer it because their own voice does not sound “plugged up”.
·In-the-ear (ITE) aids fit completely inside the outer ear. Some ITE aids may have added features, such as a telecoil that allows users to receive sound through the circuitry of the hearing aid, rather than through its microphone.
•Canal aids fit into the ear canal and are available in two styles. In-the-canal (ITC) aids are made to fit the size and shape of the ear canal. Completely-in-canal ( CIC) aids are hidden in the ear canal.
The hearing aid that will work best for you depends on your hearing needs and lifestyle. Price is also a key consideration. However, just because one hearing aid is more expensive than another does not necessarily mean that it will better suit your needs. Other features to consider include parts or services covered by the guarantee, estimated costs for repair, and the hearing aid company’s reputation for quality and service.
For more information, contact: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov .
1. What helps strengthen the power of electrical signals in a hearing aid?| A．The microphone. | B．The amplifier. |
| C．The speaker. | D．The telecoil. |
| A．“Mini” BTE | B．In-the-ear aids |
| C．In-the-canal aids | D．Completely-in-canal aids |
| A．increase your estimated costs | B．find the one with more features |
| C．give in to the after-sale services | D．consider your needs and lifestyle |
4 . Anyone working with pencils must always sharpen them to get the best results. Sharpening pencils by hand every few minutes takes time and effort. It is troublesome! Since we live in a technologically advanced world, buying an electric pencil sharpener is a good option.
We have listed the best electric pencil sharpeners. This may help you make an informed choice.
This machine operates quietly. It has a wide base to prevent itself from tipping over. It includes a smart safety stop. It is effective for coloured pencils. The automatic stop makes them last longer, since it sharpens them just enough. This model is designed to handle the heavy burden of classroom use.
This device has six different sized openings, allowing for multiple sharpening all at the same time. It also has an auto-stop function so as to avoid over-sharpening. It has a large shavings container for easy disposal (清理). This model is especially friendly to watercolour pencils.
This device is a compact (小型的) and basic model. It comes in blue and black colours. Although it can only take regular-sized pencils and doesn’t have an auto-stop function, it is much cheaper than most other electric sharpeners.
This device avoids over-sharpening and has an auto-stop safety function, too. This way your Angers stay safe! It works well with coloured pencils and watercolour pencils. It also has a large shavings container for easy disposal. This model is perfect for classroom, office and family use.
Is this list helpful? If yes, then pass it on to your friends and family members! They may need a good sharpener for themselves, for their kids or for the office. All the devices mentioned above can be found on Amazon! Happy shopping! Stay sharp!
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．School Smart is small in size. |
| B．Tihoo can operate quietly and safely. |
| C．Bostitch is intended for classroom use. |
| D．Humble Genius can sharpen watercolour pencils. |
| A．School Smart or Tihoo | B．School Smart or Bostitch |
| C．Humble Genius or Tihoo | D．Humble Genius or Bostitch |
| A．To encourage the sale of electric sharpeners. |
| B．To improve the quality of electric sharpeners. |
| C．To introduce four kinds of electric sharpeners. |
| D．To promote the technology of electric sharpeners. |
5 . Best Gifts for Every Type of Mom
Do you want to reward Mom with New Year gifts? Millions of products are offered online, but don’t get scared away. We have done the work for you by selecting best gift ideas for every type of mom. Just click “Add to cart” to shower Mom with love.
Dainty Earrings-Best for the Jewelry Lover
Made from sterling silver, the earrings are lightweight and perfect for everyday wear. They’re also ideal for anyone with sensitive ears. Among the 8,000 plus five-star reviewers, April Farmer confirm: this, saying, “Just about every material irritates (刺激) my ears, but I have had these in for three months now-and no irritation, no color changing, or fading of silver. I can’t even tell they are in!”
KS Lunch Bag-Best for the Working Mom
This in-disguise cooler bag will put a smile on mom’s face during lunch hour. With thousands of five-star reviewers, the fashionable and functional KS bag has an insulated lining (隔热的内衬) that helps keep food and beverages fresh, and an inside pocket that holds utensils. Plus, the soft, lightweight design makes it easy to bring anywhere.
Breville Express-Best for the Coffee Lover
Talk about a morning boost! If Mom is a true coffee lover, she’s dreamed of owning a high-end espresso machine. Now you can make that dream a reality. The Breville Express, which has more than 14,000 five-star reviews, comes in either black or stainless steel surfaces and offers the same dose-controlled grinding (研磨) that’s normally reserved for fancy coffee shops.
Beckham Pillows--Best for the One Who Needs a Good Night’s Sleep
She deserves a peaceful night’s rest after all the hard work she does every day, and she’ll get just that with these Beckham pillows. The set of two affordable cooling gel pillows is ideal for back, stomach and side sleepers. It offers much-needed temperature regulation that will keep her more comfortable than ever. It’s a best seller with more than 126,000 five-star reviews, so it’s pretty much a hit.
1. April Farmer’s review indicates that the Dainty Earrings are .| A．durable and fancy | B．simple and unique |
| C．stylish and valuable | D．light and skin-friendly |
| A．Dainty Earrings are best for formal occasions |
| B．KS Lunch Bag is silver, portable and insulated |
| C．Breville Express features fine and quick grinding |
| D．Beckham Pillows suit different sleeping positions |
| A．Agencies selling products to moms. |
| B．People seeking gifts for their moms. |
| C．Moms planning to reward themselves. |
| D．Salesmen studying moms’ preferences. |
Before ending upon a supermarket shelf, an avocado(牛油果) has produced 1.3 kilograms of carbon into the atmosphere. Its production alone consumes 60 gallons of water. Despite this, the fruit will often be thrown away as household waste.
Household food waste is the result of mismanagement. Much of the waste is avoidable and the food may have been eaten had it been better managed. To reduce household food waste, a growing number of food retailers decide to remove date labelling(标签), such as the “use-by” or “best-before” date, from some fresh food items.
Past studies have confirmed the importance of date labelling. Almost 60% of western European consumers surveyed said they “always” check date labels while purchasing. But date labelling has long come under criticism because failure to truly understand date labelling often leads to unreasonable decision making. Indeed, consumers commonly don’t accept edible(可食用的), but date-expired(过期的) food.
The removal of date labelling is therefore a promising start. Without date labels, information that may affect consumers’ understanding of what is edible, is removed. Instead, consumers are encouraged to sense-check fresh food items.
In the case of an avocado, the advice given to consumers is that when ripe, it should have a “pleasant and slightly sweet aroma(气味)”, while the skin should be “dark green or brown”. Information is also provided on how an avocado should look, taste, and feel when “overripe”. It is hoped that a better informed consumer will be less likely to blindly throw away food due to an expiration date.
1. What do food retailers decide to do to reduce household food waste?2. Why has date labelling long been criticized?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If consumers can be better informed, they will not accept edible, but date-expired food.
4. Once date labels are removed from some fresh food items, what problem(s) might be caused? (In about 40 words)
My first shopping experience in China was a trip to Wanda Plaza. For the first time, I
8 . Institutions and individuals can subscribe to Journal of Science (JS) either by print or online. Ordering Procedures
Both institutions and individuals can complete their order form and submit payment to start their print and/or online subscription. Those who choose the print version receive access to the online service as well. They may also subscribe to online-only access to JS. Once the publisher has received payment, the institution or individual will begin receiving the print journal if they order the print option. They will receive an e-mail with instructions for obtaining access to the online edition. The e-mail will direct them to an online form. They will be asked to provide the following information necessary to activate their subscription to JS:
Institutions
·Contact name, title, phone, fax, and email
·Customer number (received via email)
·Institution's IP Address(es)
Individuals
·A username and password that you can easily remember
·Your name, phone number, and email address
·Your customer number (received via email)
With their subscription, they will receive 10 issues per year of the JS in addition to access to tables of contents, abstracts, full text searching, full text display, and PDFs, full access to all posted back content to 1860, for as long as the subscription is active. For institutions, access is limited to computers within a particular set of Internet IP addresses. Individuals will enjoy the advantage of having password access to JS from any device connected to the Internet. Without a subscription, access to tables of contents and abstracts is available.
Cost of Subscriptions
| 2022 Rates | Individual online-only | Individual print+online | Student online-only | Student print+online | Institution online-only | Institution print+online |
| U.S. | $80 | $90 | $40 | $50 | $240 | $250 |
| Foreign | $80 | $90+ $35 Postage | $40 | $50+ $35 Postage | $240 | $250+ $35 Postage |
Purchasing Individual Issues or Articles
You can purchase access to individual JS issues or articles. Browse through our current online content or our archive (going back to 1860), select the article you want access to, and click Add to Cart. You will be prompted to create an account at this time if you don't already have one. Purchases can be made by visiting our online store: https://epay.ustore.edu/js.
1. What is the procedure for online-only subscription?①complete an order form ②receive an email with instructions
③activate the subscription ④submit payment
| A．③①②④ | B．①④②③ | C．①④③② | D．④①②③ |
| A．$80. | B．$85. | C．$90. | D．$125. |
| A．Those who subscribe to the print version have no access to online service. |
| B．Individual articles are not available unless you make a yearly subscription. |
| C．There is no limit on Internet IP addresses for either institutions or individuals. |
| D．People have access to tables of contents and abstracts even without subscription. |
In March 2018, a couple opened the first Zero Green in Bristol,
Every year more of us try and reduce our impact on the planet. A refill shop, or zero waste shop, gives you a choice to go green.
Refill shops tend to be small, independent stores that sell non-packaged goods. Most of the time they will be dry ones like rice and nuts produced directly in the local sites, which means less carbon footprint from farm to plate. They can also be many other sustainable (可持续的) products, like refill cleaning products and soaps. Shoppers only need to bring containers they already own and refill them from larger containers in the store.
Refill and zero-waste shops are usually located in communities. Buying from within walking distance, clearly, is more sustainable and kinder to the planet, and your community. If you’re walking down the street to your local refill shop, then you’re doing great but if you’re driving hours away to find your closest shop, then the transport may cancel out any benefits of what you buy. Remember, it’s the whole process not just the end product.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of shopping at local refill shops is that they encourage us to think about our consumer habits. They make us pause and think about how we can make positive changes for the environment.
If you can shop local and from independent refill shops, then you should. It doesn’t have to be all the time but minimising waste and choosing refills where you can will make a positive difference.
1. What are refill shops?2. According to the passage, what is the most important value of refill shopping?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Refill shops are built in communities within walking distance because driving to these shops can cost money.4. In reality, refill shops have not won much popularity yet. What do you think might be the possible reason(s)?(In about 40 words)
