26_Wanted_a_Large_Biscuit_Tin

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 want, 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. 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, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied 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 various 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.

Words¶

pride /praɪd/ 骄傲
taste /test/ 鉴赏力
exerts /ɪɡˈzɝts/ 施加
subtle /ˈsʌtəl/ 微妙的
persuade /pɚˈswed/ 首说服
classified /ˈklæsəˌfaɪd/ 分类
samples /ˈsæmpəlz/ 样品
capture /ˈkæptʃɚ/ 吸引
bake /bek/ 烤
wheelbarrow /ˈwilˌbɛro/ 独轮手推车
occupied /ˈɑkjəˌpaɪd/ 占用
boot /but/ 行李箱
lorry /ˈlɔri/ 卡车
colossal /kəˈlɑsəl/ 巨大的
flour /ˈflaʊɚ/ 面粉
crane /kren/ 起重机
anticipated /ænˈtɪsəˌpetɪd/ 预期

Expressions¶

bad/good/positive etc influence (on somebody) 对某人的坏/好影响
have an influence on somebody/something 对某人/某物有影响
be influenced by .. 受……影响
pride oneself on (doing) something = be proud of 以……为豪
have good/bad taste in sth. 对……有好的/差的品味
exert a subtle/some influence on/over sb. 对某人施加微妙的影响
have a subtle mind 拥有敏锐的头脑
classify a. as/under b. 把 A 归类为 B
say the magic word 说出咒语
free samples of sth. 免费样品
devise a way/plan to 想出办法/计划来……
capture the attention of sb. = capture sb’s attention 引起某人的注意
in the boot of sb’s car 在某人汽车后备箱里
It is anticipated that + 句子预计...
sb. anticipate that + 句子某人预料……
avoid being done 避免被……
be free to do sth… 可以自由做某事
In sb’s efforts to do sth. 在某人力图做某事的过程中
get something for nothing 免费得到
enable sb to do sth. 使某人能够做某事
a. have made it possible for sb. to do sth. 使某人能够做某事
come along 出现；一起来
buy sth. from sb. 从某人那里买某物