1 . Are you searching for the latest device as a gift? Here, we offer a guide that will help you take a closer look at four of tech’s hottest categories.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR), the most exciting tech development of recent times, has arrived. The Sony VR doesn’t require expensive phone and there are some devices you can purchase to enhance the experience. But if you’ve already got a PS4, you can enter the world of VR for just $400 (2780 yuan).

Wireless headphones

Combining ease of use with the ability to move around without limit, wireless headphones just make sense. The Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are worth a test drive. The headphones feature active noise cancellation. They can be easily purchased for less than $400 online.

Digital cameras

While your phone has more functions, there’s no substitute（替代品）for a real camera. As small as your smartphone, the smooth design of the Fujifilm X70, $699 (4850 yuan), makes it the perfect companion. In China, Xiaomi’s mirrorless Yi M1 offers a more affordable option, available for just 2199 yuan.

Smartwatches

Watches, thanks to the mobile phone, were becoming unnecessary. Now the pursuit for fitness has helped the watch industry push forward. FitBit has been a leader in the sporty wearable field, and its new swim-proof Fitbit Flex 2 ($130) represents the best in the way of today’s fitness bands.

1. With a budget of $300, which of the following can you buy?

A．Xiaomi Yi M1.

B．Fujifilm X70.

C．Fitbit Flex 2.

D．A Sony VR without a PS4.

2. What may be the possible reason for you to choose Xiaomi instead of Fujifilm?

A．Its design.

B．Its function.

C．Its quality.

D．Its price.

3. Where may you find the passage?

A．In a newspaper.

B．In a guide book.

C．In a research paper.

D．In a sports magazine.

2 . Have you ever been on social media and seen your favourite celebrity talking about a product? These endorsements—might not be totally random, and are actually seen as a vital part of the marketing process. The question is: How do social media influencers ‘influence’ what you buy?

Human desire for status and making friends, combined with our need to belong to a group, make us susceptible to being ‘socially influenced’. Companies often use that desire to have a similar lifestyle to a celebrity we admire to hawk or launch a product. So, what do these endorsements actually do?

Firstly, they can be used to build brand awareness. A social media influencer should have a strong understanding of the platform they operate on, and therefore can create engaging content that not only adheres to the brand image, but sparks their followers’ interests in a product they might never have seen before.

Secondly, influencers can improve a company or product’s relationship with their customer base. According to In Moment’s 2018 US Retail CX Trends Report on customer loyalty, 77% of buyers have been brand loyal for more than ten years. This is also true of 60% of millennials. popular celebrity can target key demographics and talk or blog about a product, which can create an instant and lasting bond with the consumer.

Lastly, influencers can improve customer buying habits with seemingly ‘unbiased opinions’. We are more likely to respond to ‘peer recommendation’ than traditional ads, meaning the fact we see an influencer as a ‘friend’ can make us less likely to be sceptical about what we are seeing.

So, the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product, you might want to consider that this could be a carefully crafted marketing strategy designed to target your core needs. If you find yourself perusing a product you’ve seen on social media, you may well have been influenced.

1. Why can social influencers make such engaging content? Because they ________.

A．are internet celebrities

B．know how to use the platform they are working on.

C．have used the products themselves

D．are involved in the making of the products

2. Which factor does not help to make ‘social influence’ so effective?

A．Being independent	B．Making friends
C．Belonging to a group.	D．Human desire for status

3. How does seeing an influencer as a ‘friend’ affect our decision making?

A．We are not much influenced.

B．We believe everything they say.

C．We are less doubtful about adverts we are seeing.

D．We want to make friends with them.

4. What should you consider the next time you see a celebrity talking about a product?

A．It is exactly what I need.

B．We don’t need it at all.

C．There’s more to learn about the celebrity.

D．Our essential needs are being targeted.

3 . Where will the woman go?

A．To the Canadian market.

B．To the French market.

C．To the Australian market.

4 . For someone who enjoys gardening, gifts for their garden can be very thoughtful and appreciated by them. They can be tools to make gardening easier. Or they can be decorations (装饰品) to make a garden more attractive.     1    

High quality garden tools can make excellent garden gift ideas. These may be designed with flowers or other gardening pictures on them, or they may be personalized for the gift receiver. Any user-friendly tools for gardeners can be a useful gift.     2    

Decorations for the garden are some of the more popular garden gift ideas. Animals and small sculptures (雕塑) are generally a good choice. They look good with most types of garden decoration.     3    If a gardener already has a certain style of decoration in his/her garden, try to buy something that fits that style.

    4    There are many ideas to be found online — using items such as old wine bottles to create lights, for example. The gift receiver will certainly appreciate the time it took to make a gift by hand.

Some garden gifts can be very useful. If you know the gift receiver likes birds, for example, you might choose to buy a bird feeder or birdbath for the garden. A stone bench is a more expensive yet very nice gift for a garden as well.    5    These gifts show that you’re really thoughtful.

A．That’s why they enjoy gardening.

B．Here are some great garden gift ideas.

C．It allows gardeners to rest when they’re tired.

D．No matter what you buy, they will be appreciated.

E．Making something for the garden in person is a nice idea.

F．A gardening bag to store these tools can also be a great idea.

G．Consider the design of the garden before buying any gifts for it.

6 . 语法填空

At last year’s Singles’ Day shopping spree (狂欢), domestic brands    1     (fill) up the shopping cart of Wang Xinyi,     2     university student from Southwest China’s Chongqing.

“Most of us choose domestic products owing to the fact     3     they are cost-effective and high in quality” said Wang,     4     bought daily necessities, clothes and digital products made by local brands during last week’s shopping festival.

Wang said many young Chinese     5     (increase) chose domestic brands,     6     (add) that this trend could not only satisfy consumers’ needs but incorporate (融入) traditional Chinese culture into the products.

Nearly 70% of post-90s and around 80% of post-00s generations prefer to buy domestic brands. Young consumers have     7     (strong) confidence and a higher sense of national identity than those of other groups. Overall, Chinese people’s interest in domestic products increased by 528 percent     8     (compare) with 10 years ago.

The     9     (improve) in quality and branding have helped promote domestic products. Besides, domestic brands have become popular among young consumers due to their     10     (innovate) use of traditional Chinese elements and culture.

7 . What does the man want to do with the TV?

A．Sell it.

B．Mend it.

C．Throw it away.

8 . Shoppers in the United States have many different retail stores (零售店) to choose from. You can shop at large department stores, furniture stores, jewelry stores, electronic equipment stores and many others. Another type of retail store—the catalog store, has become popular in the U.S.

Catalog stores offer much of the same goods as traditional retail stores. However, in these stores, shoppers select the items they wish to buy from large catalogs that are filled with photos and descriptions of all the different goods. The variety of products listed in the catalogs includes everything from baby clothing to video equipment and watches. The prices of these items are very low. In fact, the same items often cost more in other retail stores. And that’s the reason many people prefer to shop in catalog stores.

When shoppers go to a catalog store, they see many brand-name products on display. If they are interested in purchasing an item, they need to follow this simple procedure.

●First, they go to a counter to find the store’s catalog.

●They look in the catalog to find the exact item they wish to buy.

●Then, they fill out an order form with the name of the item, the item number from the catalog, the price, and their name and address.

●After completing the form, the customer gives it to a salesperson, who checks to see if the item is in stock.

If the item is available, the stockroom sends it on a conveyor belt (输送带) to the pick-up   counter. When the item arrives at the pick-up counter, the customer’s name is called, and the customer pays for the item.

The whole procedure usually takes ten to twenty minutes. If the item isn’t available, the salesperson can usually check the store’s computer and find out when it will be in stock again.

Catalog stores usually don’t offer all the services that regular retail stores do. They usually don’t have many salespeople, so customers can’t expect to receive much assistance or attention from store employees. Customers need to know about the features and the quality of the items they wish to buy before they shop, since there isn’t much opportunity to ask questions or examine the product in the store. However, catalog stores offer quality items at lower prices, and consumers seem to appreciate this.

1. What is the difference between the traditional retail stores and the catalog stores?

A．The prices of products in catalog stores are higher.

B．Shoppers select the items they need from large catalogs.

C．Catalog Stores offer more products than the traditional stores.

D．Catalog stores usually offer all the services that regular retail stores do.

2. Which of the following is the right procedure for a shopper in a catalog store?
①Check the catalog to select the items.
②Fill out the order form.
③Wait at the pick-up counter.
④Find a catalog at a counter.
⑤Find a salesperson to cheek the form.

A．④-①-③-⑤-②	B．①-④-②-③-⑤
C．④-①-②-⑤-③	D．④-②-⑤-③-①

3. From the text we know that shopper of catalog stores______.

A．become salespeople now

B．do the same as in retail stores

C．have more chances to examine the goods

D．should know the information of the goods ahead

4. Catalog stores are popular mainly because they________

A．offer quality goods at lower prices

B．have many salespersons for service

C．can help save much time when doing shopping

D．offer the exact items the customer wishes to purchase

9 . What does the woman mean?

A．It is hard to get tickets.

B．It is cheaper to buy tickets online.

C．It is necessary to buy the tickets at the door.