Question

Until recently, women in advertisements wore one of three things — an apron, an attractive dress or a frown. Although that is now changing, many women still feel angry about offending advertisements. “This ad degrades women.” they protested（抗议）.Why does this sort of advertising exist? How can advertisers and ad agencies still produce, sometimes, after months of research, advertising that offends the consumer?

The ASA, the body which deals with complaints about print media, is carrying out research into how women feel about the way they are pictured in advertisements. Its conclusions are likely to be what the advertising industry already knows: although women are often annoyed by the ads, few feel strong enough to complain.

Women are not the only victims of poor and boring stereotypes（老套）— in many TV commercials men are seen either as useless, childish fools who are unable to perform the simplest household tasks, or as inconsiderate fellows, always on the lookout for an escape to the pub. But it is women who seem to suffer more from the industry’s inability to put people into an authentic present-day situation. Yet according to Emma Bennett, director of a London advertising agency, women are not aggressive or extremely angry about those stereotypes and sexist （歧视妇女）advertising. “They just find it annoying or tiresome.”

She says that it is not advertising’s use of the housewife role that bothers women, but the way in which it is handled. “The most important thing is the advertisement’s tone of voice. Women hate being insincerely praised or given desperately down-to-earth common-sense advice.”

In the end, the responsibility for good advertising must be shared between the advertiser, the advertising agency and the consumer. Advertising does not set trends but it reflects them. It is up to the consumer to tell advertisers where they fail, and the process of change will remain slow until people on the receiving end take the business seriously and make their –feelings known.

1.Despite recent changes in attitudes, some advertisements still fail to        .

A．change women’s opinions of themselves

B．show any understanding of consumers’ feelings

C．persuade the public to buy certain products

D．meet the needs of the advertising industry

2.According to the writer, the commonest fault of present-day advertising is to         .

A．condemn the role of the housewife

B．ignore protests about advertisements

C．present a misleading image of women

D．picture the activities of men wrongly

3.Emma Bennett suggests that advertisement ought to        .

A．give further emphasis to practical advice

B．change their style rather than their content

C．use male images instead of female ones

D．sing higher praise for women than before

4.We can learn from the passage that advertising industry should         .

A．take its job more eagerly

B．do more pioneering work

C．take notice of the public opinion

D．concentrate on the products advertised

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.B

4.C

【解析】广告中的女性形象让很多女士不满，她们认为这是对女性形象的歪曲。因此，在广告制作过程中，建议广告商不可一厢情愿，还应邀请广告机构和消费者的共同参与。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句中的内容How can advertisers and ad agencies still produce, sometimes, after months of research, advertising that offends the consumer? 可推知一些广告仍然没有对消费者的感受表示出任何理解的迹象。offend冒犯;触怒;伤害...的感情。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中的“But it is women who seem to suffer more from the industry’s inability to put people into an authentic present­day situation.”可推知作者认为当前的广告最普遍的错误就是没有把女性放在真实的处境中。

3.推理判断题。由第四段第一句She says that it is not advertising’s use of the housewife role that bothers women, but the way in which it is handled可推知让女士烦扰的不是家庭主妇角色的使用，而是处理的方式，由此可推断她建议广告应该改变方式，而不是内容。

4.推理判断题。结合文章最后一段可知优秀的广告应该由广告商、广告机构和消费者共同完成，由此可推断广告业应该注重民意。