大学英语视听说2Unit4听力原文

Unit4

Lead-in

1.Both sides spend piles of money to produce cool ads, but in fact they will only cancel out each other's effort.

Neither side will gain. Eventually, the large sums spent on advertising will be passed on to consumers. Sounds bad, doesn't it? But we have no alternative. If we allow ads for one product but forbid ads for another, this means unfair competition. As a result, one product will turn out to be successful, while the other is sure to have

a poor market. Should we ban ads altogether? This seems fair to all manufacturers. But consumers will not

have enough information about products to make a choice. Worse still, they may not even know a new product has been turned out, let alone buy it. Perhaps we had better accept ads, but we can impose restrictions on them to protect consumers' interests. For example, an ad should not include an untruthful statement or exaggeration.

Also, advertisers should not claim that their products are superior to others. Restrictions like these may partly compensate for the shortcomings of advertisements.

2.It is certainly necessary for us to look at ads, for they provide valuable information on the function, quality and

price of a product. However, we should beware of ads that do not tell the truth. Comparing ads for similar products, we may become better informed and judge them more accurately. In addition to advertisements, we can depend on other consumers for information. A consumer has no personal interest in a product and therefore is likely to be more objective than the advertiser. Finally, our common sense can play a role in our choice of a commodity. To summarize, we can turn to various sources for help before we decide on an advertised product.

3.Advertisements have negative social effects as well as economic effects. First, the posters and billboards can

block scenic views and ruin the environment. Second, people who cannot afford the advertised product may develop a sense of inferiority. Third, as often as not, ads encourage unnecessary buying. Fourth, ads usually portray young and beautiful people. Thus older, plain-looking people may feel as if they do not belong to the contemporary world. If you think carefully, you may find more disadvantages to advertising.

4.On the whole, I do not think it is a good idea to imitate a movie star's clothes. Students should focus on their

studies. In the case of students from disadvantaged families, they have no reason to add to the financial burden on their parents. A fashionable dress costs too much for their parents. If a student has done his work well and has plenty of money, then I have no objection to his wearing a film star's fashionable clothes. Wearing such clothes, some people may feel content and then concentrate on more useful pursuits.

Listening In

The Influence of Advertising

Richard: Dad, I need a pair of new shoes for an important basketball game. My old ones look kind of funny. Father: Funny! We just bought those last spring. There's a lot of life left in them.

Richard: But look at this ad with Yao Ming. He says these shoes give him extra spring.

Father: Yao Ming is so tall that he doesn't need extra spring. Anyway, he makes more money than I do. And they probably give him millions of dollars to wear those shoes.

Richard: But if you bought me the shoes, I'd wear them for nothing. And I'd have that extra spring. Father: Do you think Yao Ming reached the top just because of the shoes he wears? Or was it something else? Richard: You mean like hard work, dedication, that sort of thing?

Father: Exactly. Just focus on your studies and forget the shoes.

I'll get a camera.

One day just before closing time, John rushed into a TV store to buy a color TV set with the money he had saved