1 . Danone Portugal introduced a new yogurt named Juntos. For every pack of yogurt that a person bought, he would donate yogurt to a family in need. Danone had done its research. Increasingly, people say they want to buy from brands that give them a sense of purpose. Surely a yogurt that helped the needy would be appealing. But Juntos was a failure. Despite sinking millions into a marketing campaign, Danone pulled Juntos from the market only months after it was launched. Now the same product is simply marketed as a tasty yogurt.
What happened? To find the reason behind Juntos’ failure, Lawrence Williams and his colleagues did an experiment where they showed people some products and asked these people to pick one option. They reminded some to focus on the “purposeful and valuable” aspect while others were told to “enjoy themselves” and focus on “delight and pleasure.” They found that participants who prioritized meaning preferred the less expensive product when compared with people who put pleasure in the first place.
So why were meaning-seekers cheaping out? Lawrence Williams asked participants to explain their decision-making to find out. He learned that meaning-oriented people were not thinking about how the product they might buy could bring meaning to their lives. Instead, they were occupied with what else they could do with their money.
I am all for people making wise and strategic financial choices. But cheap products can create many problems. Inexpensive options often do not last as long as the higher-end ones. As a result, we shop more often, which is ultimately worse for our wallets. Plus, that spending pattern can do a greater damage to the environment. Thanks in part to fast fashion, people buy 60 percent more clothing today than they did 15 years ago. The fashion industry alone emits more greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime (海洋的) shipping combined.
So before you dive into your wallet for some deals, try not to fix only on what you are spending or saving. Think carefully about what you are buying, too.
1. What is the main reason for the failure of Juntos?| A．It ignored marketing strategies. | B．It priced itself relatively high. |
| C．It lacked a particularly good taste. | D．It focused on delight and pleasure. |
| A．They frequent high-end stores. | B．They think products extend their lives. |
| C．They hesitate to make decisions. | D．They make more purchases with money. |
| A．By giving some examples. | B．By listing numbers and data. |
| C．By explaining reasons. | D．By making some comparisons. |
| A．Innovation: a Product’s Life | B．To Buy or not to Buy |
| C．Meaning seekers or Quality-pursuers | D．Fast Fashion: a Hit to Your Wallet |
2 . Whether you’re moving across the country or across the world, it’s important to choose a moving company that’s the right fit for your exact needs or budget. Read about the top packing and moving companies with our guide covering pros and cons, offerings, and customer reviews.
With over 90 years of experience, the moving company has finished over 750,000 moves in different states in the U.S. in the last 15 years alone.
Pros and Cons
✔ Available for local, long-distance and international moves
✔ Great customer service
✘ Discount information is not readily available
AVL focuses on providing highly experienced and skillful movers to your packing services. The moving company provides its services in every state.
Pros and Cons
✔ Highly skilled movers with an average of 10 years of experience
✔ Promises to match or beat the price if the same service is found at a lower cost
✘ An up-front deposit is required
✘ Limited pricing information online
IVL provides its packing and moving services for both local and long-distance moves in all 50 states, as well as 180 countries. And the company allows you to have control over your packing experience.
Pros and Cons
✔ Specialty services for difficult items such as artwork, antiques and pianos
✔ Protection plans with an adjustable coverage cap
✘ Customer reviews mention the difficulty in communication at times
This full-service moving company has more than 80 years of moving experience and a network of more than 500 locations nationwide.
Pros and Cons
✔ Online shipment tracking
✔ Moving containers available for interstate moves
✘ Service and experience may vary by agent
✘ No instant online quotes
1. Which of the following companies rates highest?| A．Allied. | B．American Van Lines. |
| C．International Van Lines. | D．North American Moving Services. |
| A．It gives pricing information online. |
| B．It is experienced in packing expensive items. |
| C．It has moving containers for interstate moves. |
| D．It guarantees the lowest price of the same service. |
| A．They feature highly skilled movers. |
| B．They have over 80 years of experience. |
| C．They can provide moving services nationwide. |
| D．They can offer services for customized packing. |
3 . The gift that never stops giving
People are going for gifts that are reused time and time again, (while also saving money), gifts that have recyclable packaging, or the recyclable elements included within them. One of the best options is to go for a green hamper (篮子).
Gift hampers can be reused
The fact that green items are frequently reusable is one of their main advantages. With a green hamper, you can reuse everything that was inside of it, including the container. Many green hampers are available in wicker (柳条) baskets, allowing you to keep the present for a long time and reuse it for other purposes.
Gift hampers are eco-friendly
A lot of people are worried about the environment and reducing CO2 emissions (排放). This is why green hampers are becoming more popular. Typically, businesses that sell green baskets will guarantee that the items inside them were manufactured by hand or in facilities with minimum CO2 emissions. However, the wicker baskets are more breakable items.
How to reuse wicker baskets
Why not keep a selection of potted plants in your wicker basket? This will look great in your dining room. With a wicker basket, for instance, place individual toiletries, towels, and blankets on the hamper for presentation in your guests’ rooms. You can give your visitors a warm, “hotel inspired” feeling.
Giving someone an awesome gift hamper that is also eco-friendly conveys a unique message to the recipient because there are so many options for gift baskets, you can fill them as you choose. This is why green hampers in particular are dominating the market.
1. What is probably the concern of people who choose hampers?| A．Comfort. | B．Expense. | C．Security. | D．Beauty. |
| A．Reusable and tough. | B．Popular and costly. |
| C．Multipurpose and recyclable. | D．Ever-lasting and eco-friendly. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Intolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
4 . It’s hard to imagine any gifts more convenient than online flower delivery. There is no driving to the local florist shop, no waiting on hold, and no searching for a phone number for a flower delivery service in the area you need to send. You simply select the bouquet or arrangement, and enter the delivery and payment information. Besides, many offer additional gifts including gift baskets, chocolates, teddy bears and so on.
Fast Flower Delivery Online
When you buy flowers online, you can get flower delivery just as fast as if you place the order in person or over the phone. If you place your order early in the day with an Internet florist, many of the best can deliver on the same day.
Send Flowers for Less
Customers often find better prices when buying on the Internet, because online flower shops typically have lower prices and more discount deals. These shops have less overhead (运营费用) and costs, so they can pass the savings on to the customer. In addition, you usually get a much better deal, especially at busy holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Christmas, etc.
Spectacular Flower Selection
A typical local flower shop does not have a big selection to choose, and also, when you order flowers over the phone you can’t see what you’ll get. Online flower shops have pictures, and still many have a spectacular selection to choose from. Plus, if one Internet florist doesn’t have what you want, it’ll take just a few seconds to buy flowers online from another florist site.
1. What might you get on a special holiday?| A．Faster delivery. | B．Wider choices. | C．More discount. | D．Extra gifts. |
| A．You see pictures of the flowers. |
| B．You needn’t drive to the shop. |
| C．You can pay afterwards. |
| D．You have a faster service. |
| A．To show the advantages of online shopping. |
| B．To help run an online floral business. |
| C．To advertise an online flower shop. |
| D．To promote online flower delivery. |
