Part III Listening and Thinking
A: Passage
Script:
McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC... These fast food companies have something in common. Can you notice it?
Well, besides all being fast food chains... They’re all red. And it’s not a coincidence. Fast food companies all use the colour red heavily in their logos, why? The answer goes back thousands of years.
The average human can see ten million colours, but red is special. Researchers have found that red can arouse a sense of urgency. It also has an ability to excite our appetites as well as to attract hungry customers who want food, fast. So that red logo isn’t just a welcoming sign; it’s a seduction for your brain.
During medieval times, red was worn by royals as a status symbol. And today, brides in many parts of India are married in red dress. It’s no wonder companies dedicate so much thought to their logos. After all, we’re a visual species. Despite having five senses, 80% of the information our brains process on a daily basis comes from our eyes.
And according to marketing company Web Page FX, nearly 85% of consumers say the main reason they choose one product over the other is colour. Just think what McDonald’s would look like in blue,green, or pink! It’s just not the same, right?
麦当劳，汉堡王，肯德基，这些快餐公司有一些共同点，你注意到了吗？
除了都是快餐连锁店之外，它们都是红色的。这并不是巧合，快餐公司在标志中大量使用红色，这是为什么呢？答案要追溯到几千年前。
一般人能看到1000万种颜色，但红色最特别。研究人员发现，红色能引起紧迫感，还能让我们的食欲兴奋起来，吸引饥肠辘辘想吃快餐的顾客。所以，红色的标志不仅仅是欢迎的标志，还是对你大脑的一种诱惑。
在中世纪，皇室成员穿红色作为身份的象征。今天，在印度的许多地方，新娘在结婚时都穿着红色的礼服.难怪公司会在标志上花这么多心思。毕竟，我们是视觉物种。尽管我们有五种感官，但我们的大脑每天处理的80%的信息来自于我们的眼睛。
根据市场营销公司Web Page FX的数据，近85%的消费者表示，他们选择其中一种产品的主要原因是颜色。想想如果麦当劳换成蓝色、绿色、粉色, 是会不一样的，对吗？
Keys:
I. Listen to the passage and write down the missing words.
1. common 2. logos 3. special 4. attract 5. welcoming
6. status 7. wonder 8. visual 9. consumers 10. colour
II. Listen again and answer the following questions.
1. Red can arouse a sense of urgency, and it also has an ability to excite our appetites as well as to attract hungry customers who want food, fast.
2. The main reason consumers choose one product over the other is colour.
B: News Broadcast
Script:
In the past 2019, what new inventions have come out to make our lives more convenient? Last year,in November, Time magazine published “Top 50 Inventions”. Here, we have selected one of the most interesting items for you. Let’s take a look.
In many cases, travelling is fun, but packing can be quite annoying. No matter how neatly you pack your clothes, you always end up having to pull out everything in order to find what you need. Well,the Lifepack Carry-on Closet designed by the Danish startup Solgaard Design might change that for good. From the outside, the Lifepack looks like an ordinary suitcase. But inside, it contains a set of retractable shelves to keep clothes in good order and maximise the space. Its shelf system has many extra pockets and is removable. So when you get to your destination, you just need to take out the shelf system and hang it in your hotel closet.
Inventions make the world better, smarter and even a little bit more fun. Howard Schultz, the Executive Chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company, said in his speech: “Everywhere I went, everything I did, I tried to have a level of curiosity and what I would say to all of you is be curious. Be really curious about the world, about your surroundings, and be very curious about the fact that you can learn lessons from many types of people and experiences. And you might be very surprised. Curiosity makes inventions everywhere.”
在过去的2019年，有什么新的发明让我们的生活更方便呢？去年11月，《时代》杂志公布了“50项顶级发明”。我们为你挑选了其中最感兴趣的商品之一，让我们一起来看看。
在很多情况下，旅行是有趣的，但收拾行李很恼人。不管你打包得多么整洁，最终，你总是把所有的东西都拿出来才能找到你需要的东西。但是丹麦初创公司Solgaard Design设计的随身携带生活包可能会改变这一现状。从外面看，生活包看起来就像是一个普通的手提箱，但在里面有一套可伸缩的衣架，可使衣服紧密有序，空间最大化。它的衣架系统有许多额外的口袋，是可移动的。所以，当你到达目的地的时候，只需要把衣架系统拿出来放入酒店的壁橱。
发明让世界变得更好，更智能，甚至更有趣。Howard Schultz，星巴克咖啡公司的执行董事长，在他的演讲中说道：“无论我走到哪里，做什么事，我试图保持一定程度的好奇心。我想对所有人说的是，要对这个世界和你周围的环境充满好奇。有好奇心可以从各种各样的人和经历中学到很多东西。你可能会惊讶，好奇心使发明无处不在。”
Keys:
I. Listen and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. F 2. F 3.T 4. F 5. T
II. Listen again and answer the following questions.
Reference:
Accurate bookmarks are accurate down to the last reading paragraph. When you get to a certain point,pin this bookmark to the top of the page, then slide the indicator to the last reading line and close the book. The next time you reopen the book, you’ll be able to find the exact passage and continue reading.
Enjoying Movie Clips
The Pursuit of Happiness（当幸福来敲门）
The film tells the story of a bankrupt whose wife left him, and describes how this poor salesman worked hard to fulfill the responsibility of single parent, and then became a stock market trader. The film was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor.
Practice and Assessment
Unit Project
Work in groups to role-play the following situation to test your integrated skills got in the unit.
Suppose you are the secretary of ABC Trading Company. You are required to make a presentation for a new product in a release conference. You should introduce the product name, model, functions,features, using methods, precautions, maintenance, etc.
Checking points:
1. Complete content
2. Clear pronunciation
3. Correct expressions
4. Abundant communication
5. Powerful cooperation
6. Proper etiquette