Question

Half off usually unaffordable products?Only $49.99 for that $100.00 dinner?That’s the magic of Groupon,but for some small business owners the “great business” offered by Groupon can be equal to the kiss of death.How could that occur?

The math of Groupon seems simple at a glance,but upon further inspection the numbers don’t add up when it comes to smaller businesses.A Groupon typically offers a 50% discount on a product or service;then the remaining profit is divided between Groupon and the small business.While Groupon has already received the profit in advance,the merchant is left waiting for their cut.Those worrying numbers are assuming the price cut is 50/50,which,in some cases,is being generous.

When you break it down to numbers,a Groupon deal seems disastrous,but it’s not only the numbers small business owners have to worry about.The point of Groupon deals is to attract new and hopefully long term customers.Yet,does this actually happen?The majority of consumers buying the Groupon are there for the bargain and don’t return after using their Groupon.CFHS Junior Angelita Pope stated,“I love the deals offered by Groupon!They can really save you so much money.”However,she went on to say that she hadn’t returned once to any of the businesses after using her Groupon.

For some small businesses,the pressure lies with the responses of their loyal customers,who watch as new faces get the same product or service for half the price that they have been paying for years.When you break it down,Groupon indicates that the business offering the deal is not only willing to be flexible with their price,but also that their product or service isn’t worth the price they’re charging for.When combining these factors,it’s no wonder loyal customers are put off by the idea of their favorite shop offering Groupons.

Now I by no means say Groupons have bad effects on all businesses;however the storm of Groupon is actually a disaster for a small business.

1.What is good about Groupon?

A. It can offer a large discount.

B. It helps add up the numbers.

C. It can improve the quality of the product.

D. It brings small business owners more profit.

2.CFHS Junior Angelita Pope’s statement suggests that 　　　.

A. small business owners needn’t worry about deals

B. people like using Groupon in the same business

C. the purpose of Groupon is to promote business

D. Groupon may not bring customers back

3.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. New faces.    B. Loyal customers.

C. Groupon dealers.    D. Small businesses.

4.What could be the best title for the text?

A. A new business trend—Groupon dealing

B. The development of a Groupon company

C. The effects of Groupon on small businesses

D. A fantastic shopping experience—Groupon

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】这是一篇社会生活类文章。文章分析了Groupon 对小企业的不良影响及原因。

1.细节理解题。由第一段中的“Half off usually unaffordable products? Only $49.99 for that $100.00 dinner? That’s the magic of Groupon”可知，Groupon的商品便宜，顾客只需支付一半的钱就可以得到很昂贵的商品或服务。故A项“Groupon的商品折扣很大”正确。

2.推理判断题。由第一段中的“she went on to say that she hadn’t returned once to any of the businesses after using her Groupon”可知，Angelita Pope在使用了Groupon之后，再也没有使用过它。由此可以推出，像Angelita Pope这样的很多客户在使用了Groupon之后，就不再使用它了。故D项“Groupon可能不能吸引客户回来”正确。

3.词义猜测题。由倒数第二段中的“For some small businesses, the pressure lies with the responses of their loyal customers, who watch as new faces get the same product or service for half the price that they have been paying for years”可知，对于小企业来说，他们的压力来自于其忠实客户的反应。新客户会得到同样的服务或商品，但新客户付的费用只是忠实客户支付费用的一半。故该画线部分应指那些忠实的客户。故选B。

4.标题归纳题。第一段提出：Groupon 的魔力就在于它的商品折扣很大，但是对于小企业来说，Groupon 就相当于“死亡之吻”，对小企业造成了非常坏的影响。第一段最后提出：这是如何发生的呢？下文对这个问题作者分析回答。所以整篇文章主要讲述的是Groupon 对小企业的不好影响及原因。故C选项做标题最合适。

【名师点睛】标题归纳题一直是一个难点。很多学生都不能正确的抓住文章中心。做这一类题首先要从文章的开头（主要是第一段）提炼出文章的中心话题。

例如，在该文中，第一段提出：Groupon 的魔力就在于它的商品折扣很大，但是对于小企业来说，Groupon 就相当于“死亡之吻”，对小企业造成了非常坏的影响。第一段最后提出：这是如何发生的呢？

由第一段，学生至少要抓住几个关键点“Groupon”，“small businesses”，“the kiss of death”，“How could that occur？”。根据这几个关键词（句），不难得出文章主要是在分析Groupon如何对小企业造成不良影响的。