Question

    During this shopping season, salesmen will come up with different strategies to get your business. Many product companies use specific colors to cause positive emotions and compete for a sale. However, sight is not the only sensory (感官的) retail that companies use. Sounds and smells can also influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Nobel Prize-winning research shows that our sense of smell has great power to cause an emotional response. A study published earlier this year compared purchasing in a French flower shop when the smell of lavender (薰衣草) was given off and when it wasn’t. It found that the smell increased the number of consumers’ purchasing items and the amount of their purchases. An earlier study using Nike shoes found that consumers desired the shoes more, and were willing to pay more, when the room had a mixed smell of flowers. Realizing the subconscious impact of smell, many stores apply artificial scents (气味) through their heating and air-conditioning vents (通风口) or place scent machines above their doors. For instance, a coconut scent might make that bikini more appealing as you long for a vacation.

Ever felt frenzied due to a store’s fast-paced music? Or calmed by a piece of light music? A retailer’s choice of music can have a big impact on consumers’ moods. One study found that when subjected to loud music, consumers will spend less time in a store. But interestingly, the researchers did not find a difference in sales or customers’ satisfaction. Another interesting finding from a recent study was that customers actually shop longer when exposed to unfamiliar music. Just as department stores use different scents in certain departments, many use different music in some areas to appeal to varying consumers.

Well, you could always leave the store and take a break, but the food court probably isn’t your best choices as brands like Cinnabon and Panera Bread also use scents as part of their customers’ experience. Online retailers (零售商) use a variety of other strategies to get your business, but you can always neglect those and enjoy the familiar scents of home.

1.The passage is mainly about ________.

A. consumers’ favorite sounds and smells while shopping

B. shopping malls’ strategies for satisfying consumers

C. some special services from super shopping malls

D. two factors affecting consumers’ shopping decisions

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A. Decorating stores with flowers becomes a fashion.

B. Shops with special smells can attract more consumers.

C. Smells can actually help businessmen gain more profits.

D. The products with a kind of special smell are more popular.

3.How does music have an effect on consumers?

A. It controls consumers’ desire for shopping.

B. It influences how long consumers stay in a shop.

C. It gives consumers the satisfaction of enjoying shopping.

D. Whether consumers are willing to buy things depends on it.

4.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “frenzied” in Paragraph 3?

A. Satisfied. B. Depressed.

C. Surprised. D. Excited.

5.What does the writer try to express in the last paragraph?

A. Online shopping is becoming more and more popular nowadays.

B. People should spend more time at home with family members.

C. People can choose to get rid of salesmen’s promotion strategies.

D. Smells and sounds are important for consumers’ shopping experience.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.D

5.C

【解析】

本文为说明文。这篇文章主要介绍了影响消费者购物决定的两个因素。

1.主旨大意题。根据第一段中的Sounds and smells can also influence consumers’ purchasing decisions.（声音和气味也会影响消费者的购买决定）及下文对这两个因素的介绍可知，本文主要介绍了影响消费者购物决定的两个因素。故D选项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中的It found that the smell increased the number of consumers’ purchasing items and the amount of their purchases.（研究发现，这种气味增加了消费者购买物品的数量和购买量）可推知，气味实际上可以帮助商人获得更多的利润。故C选项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段中的One study found that when subjected to loud music, consumers will spend less time in a store…Another interesting finding from a recent study was that customers actually shop longer when exposed to unfamiliar music.（研究发现，当音乐音量过大时，消费者在商店里的时间会减少……最近一项研究的另一个有趣发现是，当顾客接触到不熟悉的音乐时，他们的购物时间实际上更长）可知，音乐会影响消费者在商店里停留的时间。故B选项正确。

4.词义猜测题。A. Satisfied满意的；B. Depressed沮丧的；C. Surprised吃惊的；D. Excited兴奋的。根据第三段中的Or calmed by a piece of light music?（还是听着轻音乐平静下来?）可知，划线词所在句意为“有没有因为商店里快节奏的音乐而感到疯狂?”，由此推知，划线词意为“疯狂的”，疯狂是一种兴奋的状态。故D选项正确。

5.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的Online retailers (零售商) use a variety of other strategies to get your business, but you can always neglect those and enjoy the familiar scents of home.（网上零售商使用各种各样的策略来获得你的生意，但你可以忽略这些，享受熟悉的家的味道）可知，作者想要告诉人们，我们可以选择摆脱销售员的促销策略。故C选项正确。