UNIT 6? Advertising

Look at the images

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Puffery in Advertising

詞匯講解：

puffery?? n. 吹捧，鼓吹，吹捧的廣告；

purify?? v. 使?jié)崈簦儍? e.g.: The air in the room was purified.

adj.: pure：純潔的。

A

“Our coffee is loved by millions worldwide.” Do you often see this kind of advertising in your country? Statements like these, that no-one can prove, are called puffery This is a term that has been developed for exaggerated claims that are made in advertising. Puffery is legal, even though such claims cannot be proved. In fact, puffery has been termed “a licence to lie”, as it is vague enough to be classed as opinion, an expression of the salesperson's evaluation of the product, rather than an objective statement.

詞匯講解：

statement：陳述，說明，論據(jù)；

state? n. 國家，政府，e.g.: We must pay taxes to the state.

n. 州，邦，e.g.: In America, the law varies from state to state.

vt. 陳述，說明，e.g.: He stated his problem clearly.

state –fact/ judgment/ opinion/ report/ theory/ reason;

statesman ? n.褒義詞，為人民服務的工作人員，政府機關;

politician??? n. 政治家政客, 玩弄權術者；

prove?? vt. 證明；

exaggerate?：vt. & vi. (使)擴大，(使)增加，夸大，夸張；

同義詞：overstate夸張；

claim：

vt. 聲稱，斷言，宣布；e.g.: They claim to have discovered a cure for the disease.

n. 主張，斷言，e.g.: His claim to own the house is valid.

legal ??adj. 法律上的，合法的，法定的，e.g.: he is my legal adviser. 他是我的法律顧問。

反義詞：illegal 非法的。

Adequate：充分的（相對的充分），反義詞：inadequate不充分的；

Sufficient：充分的（程度更深），反義詞：insufficient 不充分的；

Valid：有效地，反義詞： invalid。

term? v. 被貼上…的標簽；

licence? n. 證書，證件；

vague?? [veiɡ] adj. 模糊的；

blur? adj. 模糊的；n. 斑點；

objective? adj. 客觀的；n. 目標；

近義詞：

unbiased?? adj. 客觀的，沒有偏見的；

indifferent? adj. 不關心的，冷淡的，中立的；

impartial?? adj. 不偏不倚的，公正的，中立的。

反義詞：

subjective：主觀的?

B

Using puffery to raise awareness of products and to generate increased sales is a common advertising strategy. Goods and services are described in terms of superlatives, subjective opinions and exaggerations; various kinds of general claims are made, with no specific facts. So, why do some people worry about puffery? One of the concerns is whether consumers are misled by false advertising. Legal guidelines and government controls are required to prevent dishonest advertising. Companies understandably object to untruthful ads which give a competitor an unfair advantage in the market. These claims can be tested in the courts, and the decisions that are made help to make the boundary between acceptable puffery and illegal advertising.

詞匯講解：

awareness? n. 知名度，知曉度；

be aware of：知曉，了解；e.g.：I was not aware of that.

generate?? vt. 生成，產(chǎn)生，引起, 導致；

establish：建設組織；

create：創(chuàng)造虛幻，理論等。

concern?? n. 憂慮, 焦慮；擔心、焦慮的原因；

customer? n. 消費者；

consumer：消費者；

v.? consume：消耗，消費；

n.? consumption ：消耗。

guideline?? n. 指導方針，準則；

tour guide：導游；

be require to：需要；

unfair?? adj. 不公正的；不公平的；

fair? enough：公平，公正；

justices：公平；

just：公平；

equal：公平，公正；

even：平均。

boundary：

n. 分界線（國界線），e.g.: the boundaries of that country were changed by a treaty.

n. 界線，范圍，e.g.: the ball was caught by a fielder standing just inside the boundary.

C

puffery is nothing new. It has been identified in documents dating from as long ago as the sixteenth century, when the notion of “caveat emptor” or “l(fā)et the buyer beware” developed in business transactions. Although this initially applied to property deals, it came to be used more generally. This Latin term basically meant that anyone buying a product had a responsibility to check it carefully before payment. The seller did not need to take responsibility for defects (unless a problem had been deliberately concealed). In those days, of course, there was no notion of consumer rights or returns policies.

詞匯講解：

identify：

vt. 認出, 識別；

vt. & vi. 等同于；有關聯(lián)，sth is identify? …相同；

document：文件，文書；

documentary?? n. 紀錄片。

caveat emptor??n. 貨物出門概不退換,買主須自行當心(貨物的品質)；

caveat?? n. 警告, 附加說明；

emptor?? n. 買者。

transaction?? n.? (一筆)交易；(一項)事務；

trans-代表變化，變動：

transmit?? vt. & vi. 發(fā)射, 播送, 廣播；

transfer?? vt. & vi. 轉移; 遷移；

transport：交通；

transformer：變形金剛，變壓器；

transparent?? adj. 透明的；

translucent? adj.透光的，半透明；

transsexual?? n. 換性者；adj. 有異性轉化欲的。

initially? adj. 最初的；

ultimately? adj. 最終的。

applied：應用；

applied linguisti：應用語言學。

responsible?? adj. 負有責任的, 需承擔責任的，e.g.: he must be responsible to me for this matter.

responsibility? n. 責任，he has no responsibility for that accident.

defect?：

n. 缺點, 過失, 瑕疵；

vi. 違約。

notion?? n. 概念, 觀念, 看法；

deliberately：蓄意的，故意的。

D

These days, however, if a company claims to sell the country's “best-loved” or “favourite” product, whether a brand of coffee or a make of car, this is held to be puffery, rather than an objective claim of market share. Similarly, the company does not have to produce proof that this claim is actually backed up by numbers or facts. In other words, claims such as “the world's best cup of coffee” are impossible to prove. They are also so exaggerated that it is expected that any consumer will understand how subjective they are. In effect, the company in question is said to be “boasting” rather than making objective claims. The claims are therefore not considered to be deceptive. In fact, puffery is often considered to add to the entertainment value of advertisements, especially television commercials.

詞匯講解：

share：市場份額；分享。

E

On the other hand, a company that states their product is the “safest” or “cheapest” needs to show proof, because these claims can directly affect their competitors. Statements that are objective need to be backed up by proof or statistics, as consumer rights organisations can run tests to compare products such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners. They also investigate companies involved in insurance, finance, property, credit cards and other such services. Companies and salespeople should therefore be very careful when making factual statements about a product, or assertions regarding the quality of goods and services. In most developed countries, there is likely to be an official organisation which oversees the validity of advertising claims. In addition, there may be a government council with the authority to take legal action against companies that overstep the limit.

詞匯講解：

direct? adj. 直的, 筆直的, 徑直的；

引申義：直接的, 直系的；

反義詞：indirect? adj. 間接的, 迂回的。

back up：

v.? 支持，e.g.: The policeman wouldn't have believed me if you hadn't backed me up.

I will watch your back. 我將會照顧你。

aback：驚叫一聲；

buckle up：系好(安全帶)。

statistics：統(tǒng)計數(shù)字，統(tǒng)計學；

investigate?? vt. 調查; 審查（犯罪）；

survey：調查（數(shù)據(jù)收起來）；

方式：

questionnaire：問卷調查表；

interview：面對面采訪；

response：反應；

involve?? vt. 使某事物成為必要條件或結果; 需要，使參與，牽涉；

involve in?：使參與〔陷入, 牽扯到〕。

insurance：保險；

premium?：保險費；

finance? n. 金融；

financial??? adj. 財政的, 金融的；

financial crisis?：金融[財政]危機；

subprime mortgage crisis：次級貸款。

oversee：監(jiān)督；

近義詞：supervision：監(jiān)督。

council?? n. 委員會, 理事會；

British council：英國大使館交流文化處；

congress：國會；

congressman?? n. 〈美〉國會議員(尤指眾議員)；

committee?? n. 委員會; 全體委員

authority：政府權力；

n. 權力，職權，官方，當局，權威，專家；

right : 人權，自由權的權利；

F

A primary function of advertising is to create product awareness. As consumers, we need to know about competing products, so we can make informed decisions on which one to buy. While it is important that advertisers are monitored to ensure they do not mislead consumers, it can be argued that puffery is a good technique for raising awareness of new products that otherwise would go unnoticed in a crowded market. As long as there are effective ways of monitoring the claims of advertisers, to prevent deliberate deception in terms of safety or particular aspects of performance, it seems that most puffery is relatively harmless. Rather, it should be seen as an integral part of advertising, which most consumers can detect and laugh at rather than being misled.

詞匯講解：

monitor?：

n. 監(jiān)視器，監(jiān)聽器，檢測器；

vt. 監(jiān)聽，監(jiān)視；

CCTV：中央監(jiān)測系統(tǒng)。

as long as：一旦，既然；

relatively：相對的；

detect：識別出；

mislead：

過去式：misled 誤導；

leaded：含鉛的。

練習1：Identify whether the sentences below are objective (0) based on facts, or subjective (S) based on opinions and feelings.

　　a. ______ This coffee is the best-your friends will love you!

　　b. ______ This cat food will make your cat purr with delight!

　　c. ______ This all-wheel drive car will let you get 10 kms for every litre of fuel.

　　d. ______ We design the best houses in the word!

　　e. ______ Sign up for this credit card now, and get a 10% discount on bank fees.

f. ______ Bubbles! Kids' favourite soft drink ...

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練習2：IELTS Type Questions: Reading for Details and for Main Ideas

　　The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-E Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-vii, next to the appropriate paragraph. There are more headings than paragraphs.

List of Headings

　i. History of Puffery

　ii. Checks on Deceptive Advertising

　iii. Examples of Companies Guilty of ? Deceptive Advertising

　iv. Reasons for Monitoring Advertising

　v. Summary of Role of Puffery in ? Advertising

　vi. Definition of Puffery

　vii. Puffery that is Acceptable

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1)??? Paragraph A

2)??? Paragraph B

3)??? Paragraph C

4)??? Paragraph D

5)??? Paragraph E

6)??? Paragraph F

練習3：Identification of Information

　　Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write

　　TRUE??????? if the statement agrees with the information

　　FALSE?????? if the statement contradicts the information

　　NOT GIVEN? if there is no information on this

7)???????? ______ Some people argue against puffery because buyers might believe everything in advertising.

8)???????? ______ A court case is a way of determining whether advertising is deceptive or not.

9)???????? ______ Puffery dates from the days of television commercials.

10)???? ______ ‘Caveat emptor' means that the seller has a responsibility for any problems with the item sold

11)???? ______ ‘The world's best coffee' is an example of puffery

12)???? ______ ‘The world's safest chainsaw' is an example of puffery.

13)???? ______ People should carefully check prices before they buy goods.

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練習4：Short Answers

　　Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the reading passage for each answer

14)???? In addition to legal guidelines, what else is necessary to stop companies from using deceptive advertising? __________________

15)???? When was puffery first used? __________________

16)???? What does the writer say about claims such as ‘the world's best'? __________________.

17)???? What does puffery contribute to television commercials? __________________

18)???? What should objective statements be supported by? __________________

19)???? What is the main purpose of advertising? To __________________

20)???? Consumers need information on competing products to make……? ________________

總結Short Answer Questions ：

1. 絕大部分的題目要求有字數(shù)限制，一般有如下幾種表達方式：

（1） NO MORE THAN TWO/THREE/FOUR WORDS（不超過2/3/4個字）；

（2） ONE OR TWO WORDS（一個或兩個字）

（3） Use a maximum of TWO words（最多兩個字）。

2. 解題步驟

（1）找出題目中的關鍵詞，最好先定位到原文中的一個段落。

題目中如果包含年代、人名、地名、數(shù)字，這些詞肯定是關鍵詞，因為原文中不會對這些詞做改變，而且這些詞特別好找，所以依據(jù)這些詞在原文中確定答案比較快。

（2）從頭到尾快速閱讀該段落，根據(jù)題目中的其他關鍵詞，確定正確答案。

（3）答案要對應題目中的特殊疑問詞。

特殊疑問詞：when, where, what, who；
特殊疑問詞：how many, what proportion, what is the cost。

（4）要注意順序性，即題目的順序與原文的順序基本一致。

NOTICE

（1）?????????? 所有的答案都不用大寫，專有名詞除外。

一句話的第一個字母需要大寫，我們的答案大部分都是詞或短語，都不是一句話，所以不用大寫。但答案中的專有名詞，如人名和地名需要大寫。

（2）?????????? 絕大部分的答案來自原文原詞，極少一部分需要自己寫答案。

大部分的答案來自原文原詞，而且是原文中連續(xù)的幾個詞。只有極少一部分需要自己寫答案。所以，在考試中，如果發(fā)現(xiàn)有很多都需要自己寫答案，應首先懷疑自己找錯答案的位置。

（3）?????????? 答案涉及數(shù)字的，最好寫阿拉伯數(shù)字，以免發(fā)生拼寫錯誤。題目問how many/how much/what proportion時，答案一般是數(shù)詞，這時最好寫阿拉伯數(shù)字，這樣一來最保險，不用拼寫成英文。

（4）?????????? 答案涉及錢幣的，在數(shù)字前一定要有貨幣符號，在數(shù)字后可能會有單位。

（5）?????????? 找到答案后，要向后看一、兩句，看有無重大的改變。

原文中常用轉折詞修改前面說過的話或作補充。因此，對有些陷阱性題目，找到答案后，要向后看一、兩句，看有沒有轉折詞。一般只向后看一、兩句即可，不用看得太遠。

（6）?????????? 滿足字數(shù)限制的方法。

大多數(shù)簡單題有字數(shù)的限制，找到答案后，如果答案超過了字數(shù)要求，就需要去掉一些詞?；驹瓌t是：保留核心詞，去掉修飾詞?？梢来巳サ簦?/p>

1)???????? 冠詞：a /an /the；

2)???????? 副詞：副詞用來修飾動詞，保留動詞，去掉副詞。

3)???????? 形容詞或分詞：常用來修飾名詞，保留名詞，去掉形容詞或分詞。

4)???????? 如果有必要，將A of B改為BA：這里A和B都是名詞.

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After You Read

　　This section of the reading units will include some activities to help you to understand and practise reading and language skills that will help you with the IELTS test.

　　Vocabulary

　　exaggerated????????? expression?????????? evaluation

　　awareness?????????? strategy???????????? specific

　　to mislead ...???????? understandably??????? to object to ...

　　competitor?????????? initially???????????? to conceal ...

　　deceptive??????????? entertainment? ???????to investigate ...

validity???????????? authority??????????? to monitor ...

練習5：Match the words above to the meanings below.

　　a.? To give someone wrong information __________________

　　b.? To hide (something) __________________

　　c.? To watch (something) to see what is happening __________________

　　d.? To find out information about (something) __________________

　　e.? To state that you do not like (something) __________________

　　f.? Made to sound bigger or better than it really is __________________

　　g.? At the beginning __________________

　　h.? Naturally, as expected __________________

　　i.? Someone who makes the same kind of product __________________

　　j.? The truth or reality of something __________________

　　k.? Knowledge or realization (of something) __________________

　　1.? A statement of opinion or feelings __________________

　　m.? Clear and detailed __________________

　　n.? A plan or way of doing something __________________

　　o.? An assessment of the value of (something) __________________

　　p.? Encouraging the reader to believe something which is not true __________________

　　q.? The power to take action on an issue __________________

　　r.? Something that provides fun and enjoyment __________________

練習6：Complete the following sentences using the target vocabulary. You will not need all of the words in the list above. The first one is done for you.

a.???????? Puffery is a term for ???????advertising claims about products, such as “These sports shoes are the best in the word”.

b.???????? Many advertisers use puffery for its ________ value, to make people laugh.

c.????????? Some people worry that these subjective claims will ________ consumers.

d.???????? Also, competitors ________ to untruthful claims being made by another company.

e.???????? ________, they think it might give their competitor an unfair advantage.

f.????????? In some countries, consumer rights organizations ________ various products and services to check if the advertising is honest.

g.???????? They can publics examples of ________ advertising that are likely to mislead the public.

h.???????? It is also important to have an official body to check the ________ of claims that advertisers make.

i.?????????? Such official organizations need to have the ________ to take legal action if the claims are dishonest.

j.?????????? In general, consumers also need to have an ________ of how advertising works, so that they do not believe vague or exaggerated claims.

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