新概念英语第三册课堂笔记 第二十六课
Lesson 26 Wanted: a large biscuit tin
No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we wants, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing免费的. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long很快, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighted nearly 500 pounds. A little later一会儿, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied占据 the whole boot of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of <I>var</I>ious other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated. For they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
New words and expressions
influence 影响
pride 骄傲
taste 鉴赏力
exert 施加
subtle 微妙的
advertiser 广告人
classify 分类
magic 有奇妙作用的
sample 样品
devise 设计,想出
capture 吸引
manufacturer 制造商
wheelbarrow 独轮手推车
boot 行李箱
ingredient 配料
crane 起重机,鹤
anticipate 预期
Notes on the text
l 补充口语习语
1. cross my heart.说真心话
It crosses my heart.
2. Let’s make up.让我们和解的
3. I got the runs yesterday.我昨天拉肚子
4. Why not?=Ok为什么不,表肯定
5.