雅思5.5基础阅读课程讲义 u6
UNIT 6 Advertising
Look at the images
Puffery in Advertising
词汇讲解：
puffery n. 吹捧，鼓吹，吹捧的广告；
purify v. 使洁净，纯净; e.g.: The air in the room was purified.
adj.: pure：纯洁的。
A
“Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide.” Do you often see this kind of advertising in your country? Statements like these, that no-one can prove, are called puffery This is a term that has been developed for exaggerated claims that are made in advertising. Puffery is legal, even though such claims cannot be proved. In fact, puffery has been termed “a licence to lie”, as it is vague enough to be classed as opinion, an expression of the salesperson's evaluation of the product, rather than an objective statement.
词汇讲解：
statement：陈述，说明，论据；
state n. 国家，政府，e.g.: We must pay taxes to the state.
n. 州，邦，e.g.: In America, the law varies from state to state.
vt. 陈述，说明，e.g.: He stated his problem clearly.
state –fact/ judgment/ opinion/ report/ theory/ reason;
statesman n.褒义词，为人民服务的工作人员，政府机关;
politician n. 政治家政客, 玩弄权术者；
prove vt. 证明；
exaggerate ：vt. & vi. (使)扩大，(使)增加，夸大，夸张；
同义词：overstate夸张；
claim：
vt. 声称，断言，宣布；e.g.: They claim to have discovered a cure for the disease.
n. 主张，断言，e.g.: His claim to own the house is valid.
legal adj. 法律上的，合法的，法定的，e.g.: he is my legal adviser. 他是我的法律顾问。
反义词：illegal 非法的。
Adequate：充分的（相对的充分），反义词：inadequate不充分的；
Sufficient：充分的（程度更深），反义词：insufficient 不充分的；
Valid：有效地，反义词： invalid。
term v. 被贴上…的标签；
licence n. 证书，证件；
vague [veiɡ] adj. 模糊的；
blur adj. 模糊的；n. 斑点；
objective adj. 客观的；n. 目标；
近义词：
unbiased adj. 客观的，没有偏见的；
indifferent adj. 不关心的，冷淡的，中立的；
impartial adj. 不偏不倚的，公正的，中立的。
反义词：
subjective：主观的
B
Using puffery to raise awareness of products and to generate increased sales is a common advertising strategy. Goods and services are described in terms of superlatives, subjective opinions and exaggerations; various kinds of general claims are made, with no specific facts. So, why do some people worry about puffery? One of the concerns is whether consumers are misled by false advertising. Legal guidelines and government controls are required to prevent dishonest advertising. Companies understandably object to untruthful ads which give a competitor an unfair advantage in the market. These claims can be tested in the courts, and the decisions that are made help to make the boundary between acceptable puffery and illegal advertising.
词汇讲解：
awareness n. 知名度，知晓度；
be aware of：知晓，了解；e.g.：I was not aware of that.
generate vt. 生成，产生，引起, 导致；
establish：建设组织；
create：创造虚幻，理论等。
concern n. 忧虑, 焦虑；担心、焦虑的原因；
customer n. 消费者；
consumer：消费者；
v. consume：消耗，消费；
n. consumption ：消耗。
guideline n. 指导方针，准则；
tour guide：导游；
be require to：需要；
unfair adj. 不公正的；不公平的；
fair enough：公平，公正；
justices：公平；
just：公平；
equal：公平，公正；
even：平均。
boundary：
n. 分界线（国界线），e.g.: the boundaries of that country were changed by a treaty.
n. 界线，范围，e.g.: the ball was caught by a fielder standing just inside the boundary.
C
puffery is nothing new. It has been identified in documents dating from as long ago as the sixteenth century, when the notion of “caveat emptor” or “let the buyer beware” developed in business transactions. Although this initially applied to property deals, it came to be used more generally. This Latin term basically meant that anyone buying a product had a responsibility to check it carefully before payment. The seller did not need to take responsibility for defects (unless a problem had been deliberately concealed). In those days, of course, there was no notion of consumer rights or returns policies.
词汇讲解：
identify：
vt. 认出, 识别；
vt. & vi. 等同于；有关联，sth is identify …相同；
document：文件，文书；
documentary n. 纪录片。
caveat emptor n. 货物出门概不退换,买主须自行当心(货物的品质)；
caveat n. 警告, 附加说明；
emptor n. 买者。
transaction n. (一笔)交易；(一项)事务；
trans-代表变化，变动：
transmit vt. & vi. 发射, 播送, 广播；
transfer vt. & vi. 转移; 迁移；
transport：交通；
transformer：变形金刚，变压器；
transparent adj. 透明的；
translucent adj.透光的，半透明；
transsexual n. 换性者；adj. 有异性转化欲的。
initially adj. 最初的；
ultimately adj. 最终的。
applied：应用；
applied linguisti：应用语言学。
responsible adj. 负有责任的, 需承担责任的，e.g.: he must be responsible to me for this matter.
responsibility n. 责任，he has no responsibility for that accident.
defect ：
n. 缺点, 过失, 瑕疵；
vi. 违约。
notion n. 概念, 观念, 看法；
deliberately：蓄意的，故意的。
D
These days, however, if a company claims to sell the country's “best-loved” or “favourite” product, whether a brand of coffee or a make of car, this is held to be puffery, rather than an objective claim of market share. Similarly, the company does not have to produce proof that this claim is actually backed up by numbers or facts. In other words, claims such as “the world's best cup of coffee” are impossible to prove. They are also so exaggerated that it is expected that any consumer will understand how subjective they are. In effect, the company in question is said to be “boasting” rather than making objective claims. The claims are therefore not considered to be deceptive. In fact, puffery is often considered to add to the entertainment value of advertisements, especially television commercials.
词汇讲解：
share：市场份额；分享。
E
On the other hand, a company that states their product is the “safest” or “cheapest” needs to show proof, because these claims can directly affect their competitors. Statements that are objective need to be backed up by proof or statistics, as consumer rights organisations can run tests to compare products such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners. They also investigate companies involved in insurance, finance, property, credit cards and other such services. Companies and salespeople should therefore be very careful when making factual statements about a product, or assertions regarding the quality of goods and services. In most developed countries, there is likely to be an official organisation which oversees the validity of advertising claims. In addition, there may be a government council with the authority to take legal action against companies that overstep the limit.
词汇讲解：
direct adj. 直的, 笔直的, 径直的；
引申义：直接的, 直系的；
反义词：indirect adj. 间接的, 迂回的。
back up：
v. 支持，e.g.: The policeman wouldn't have believed me if you hadn't backed me up.
I will watch your back. 我将会照顾你。
aback：惊叫一声；
buckle up：系好(安全带)。
statistics：统计数字，统计学；
investigate vt. 调查; 审查（犯罪）；
survey：调查（数据收起来）；
方式：
questionnaire：问卷调查表；
interview：面对面采访；
response：反应；
involve vt. 使某事物成为必要条件或结果; 需要，使参与，牵涉；
involve in ：使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕。
insurance：保险；
premium ：保险费；
finance n. 金融；
financial adj. 财政的, 金融的；
financial crisis ：金融[财政]危机；
subprime mortgage crisis：次级贷款。
oversee：监督；
近义词：supervision：监督。
council n. 委员会, 理事会；
British council：英国大使馆交流文化处；
congress：国会；
congressman n. 〈美〉国会议员(尤指众议员)；
committee n. 委员会; 全体委员
authority：政府权力；
n. 权力，职权，官方，当局，权威，专家；
right : 人权，自由权的权利；
F
A primary function of advertising is to create product awareness. As consumers, we need to know about competing products, so we can make informed decisions on which one to buy. While it is important that advertisers are monitored to ensure they do not mislead consumers, it can be argued that puffery is a good technique for raising awareness of new products that otherwise would go unnoticed in a crowded market. As long as there are effective ways of monitoring the claims of advertisers, to prevent deliberate deception in terms of safety or particular aspects of performance, it seems that most puffery is relatively harmless. Rather, it should be seen as an integral part of advertising, which most consumers can detect and laugh at rather than being misled.
词汇讲解：
monitor ：
n. 监视器，监听器，检测器；
vt. 监听，监视；
CCTV：中央监测系统。
as long as：一旦，既然；
relatively：相对的；
detect：识别出；
mislead：
过去式：misled 误导；
leaded：含铅的。
练习1：Identify whether the sentences below are objective (0) based on facts, or subjective (S) based on opinions and feelings.
a. ______ This coffee is the best-your friends will love you!
b. ______ This cat food will make your cat purr with delight!
c. ______ This all-wheel drive car will let you get 10 kms for every litre of fuel.
d. ______ We design the best houses in the word!
e. ______ Sign up for this credit card now, and get a 10% discount on bank fees.
f. ______ Bubbles! Kids' favourite soft drink ...
练习2：IELTS Type Questions: Reading for Details and for Main Ideas
The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-E Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-vii, next to the appropriate paragraph. There are more headings than paragraphs.
List of Headings
i. History of Puffery
ii. Checks on Deceptive Advertising
iii. Examples of Companies Guilty of Deceptive Advertising
iv. Reasons for Monitoring Advertising
v. Summary of Role of Puffery in Advertising
vi. Definition of Puffery
vii. Puffery that is Acceptable
1) Paragraph A
2) Paragraph B
3) Paragraph C
4) Paragraph D
5) Paragraph E
6) Paragraph F
练习3：Identification of Information
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
7) ______ Some people argue against puffery because buyers might believe everything in advertising.
8) ______ A court case is a way of determining whether advertising is deceptive or not.
9) ______ Puffery dates from the days of television commercials.
10) ______ ‘Caveat emptor' means that the seller has a responsibility for any problems with the item sold
11) ______ ‘The world's best coffee' is an example of puffery
12) ______ ‘The world's safest chainsaw' is an example of puffery.
13) ______ People should carefully check prices before they buy goods.
练习4：Short Answers
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the reading passage for each answer
14) In addition to legal guidelines, what else is necessary to stop companies from using deceptive advertising? __________________
15) When was puffery first used? __________________
16) What does the writer say about claims such as ‘the world's best'? __________________.
17) What does puffery contribute to television commercials? __________________
18) What should objective statements be supported by? __________________
19) What is the main purpose of advertising? To __________________
20) Consumers need information on competing products to make……? ________________
总结Short Answer Questions ：
1. 绝大部分的题目要求有字数限制，一般有如下几种表达方式：
（1） NO MORE THAN TWO/THREE/FOUR WORDS（不超过2/3/4个字）；
（2） ONE OR TWO WORDS（一个或两个字）
（3） Use a maximum of TWO words（最多两个字）。
2. 解题步骤
（1）找出题目中的关键词，最好先定位到原文中的一个段落。
题目中如果包含年代、人名、地名、数字，这些词肯定是关键词，因为原文中不会对这些词做改变，而且这些词特别好找，所以依据这些词在原文中确定答案比较快。
（2）从头到尾快速阅读该段落，根据题目中的其他关键词，确定正确答案。
（3）答案要对应题目中的特殊疑问词。
特殊疑问词：when, where, what, who；
特殊疑问词：how many, what proportion, what is the cost。
（4）要注意顺序性，即题目的顺序与原文的顺序基本一致。
NOTICE
（1） 所有的答案都不用大写，专有名词除外。
一句话的第一个字母需要大写，我们的答案大部分都是词或短语，都不是一句话，所以不用大写。但答案中的专有名词，如人名和地名需要大写。
（2） 绝大部分的答案来自原文原词，极少一部分需要自己写答案。
大部分的答案来自原文原词，而且是原文中连续的几个词。只有极少一部分需要自己写答案。所以，在考试中，如果发现有很多都需要自己写答案，应首先怀疑自己找错答案的位置。
（3） 答案涉及数字的，最好写阿拉伯数字，以免发生拼写错误。题目问how many/how much/what proportion时，答案一般是数词，这时最好写阿拉伯数字，这样一来最保险，不用拼写成英文。
（4） 答案涉及钱币的，在数字前一定要有货币符号，在数字后可能会有单位。
（5） 找到答案后，要向后看一、两句，看有无重大的改变。
原文中常用转折词修改前面说过的话或作补充。因此，对有些陷阱性题目，找到答案后，要向后看一、两句，看有没有转折词。一般只向后看一、两句即可，不用看得太远。
（6） 满足字数限制的方法。
大多数简单题有字数的限制，找到答案后，如果答案超过了字数要求，就需要去掉一些词。基本原则是：保留核心词，去掉修饰词。可依此去掉：
1) 冠词：a /an /the；
2) 副词：副词用来修饰动词，保留动词，去掉副词。
3) 形容词或分词：常用来修饰名词，保留名词，去掉形容词或分词。
4) 如果有必要，将A of B改为BA：这里A和B都是名词.
After You Read
This section of the reading units will include some activities to help you to understand and practise reading and language skills that will help you with the IELTS test.
Vocabulary
exaggerated expression evaluation
awareness strategy specific
to mislead ... understandably to object to ...
competitor initially to conceal ...
deceptive entertainment to investigate ...
validity authority to monitor ...
练习5：Match the words above to the meanings below.
a. To give someone wrong information __________________
b. To hide (something) __________________
c. To watch (something) to see what is happening __________________
d. To find out information about (something) __________________
e. To state that you do not like (something) __________________
f. Made to sound bigger or better than it really is __________________
g. At the beginning __________________
h. Naturally, as expected __________________
i. Someone who makes the same kind of product __________________
j. The truth or reality of something __________________
k. Knowledge or realization (of something) __________________
1. A statement of opinion or feelings __________________
m. Clear and detailed __________________
n. A plan or way of doing something __________________
o. An assessment of the value of (something) __________________
p. Encouraging the reader to believe something which is not true __________________
q. The power to take action on an issue __________________
r. Something that provides fun and enjoyment __________________
练习6：Complete the following sentences using the target vocabulary. You will not need all of the words in the list above. The first one is done for you.
a. Puffery is a term for advertising claims about products, such as “These sports shoes are the best in the word”.
b. Many advertisers use puffery for its ________ value, to make people laugh.
c. Some people worry that these subjective claims will ________ consumers.
d. Also, competitors ________ to untruthful claims being made by another company.
e. ________, they think it might give their competitor an unfair advantage.
f. In some countries, consumer rights organizations ________ various products and services to check if the advertising is honest.
g. They can publics examples of ________ advertising that are likely to mislead the public.
h. It is also important to have an official body to check the ________ of claims that advertisers make.
i. Such official organizations need to have the ________ to take legal action if the claims are dishonest.
j. In general, consumers also need to have an ________ of how advertising works, so that they do not believe vague or exaggerated claims.
