[B ] Parents today are willing to buy more for their kids because trends such as smaller family size, dual incomes and postponing children until later in life mean that families have more disposable income. As well, guilt can play a role in spending decisions as time-stressed parents substitute material goods for time spent with their kids. Here are some of the strategies marketers employ to target kids:

　　Pester(糾纏)Power

　　[C ] Today’s kids have more autonomy and decision-making power within the family than in previous generations, so it follows that kids are vocal about what they want their parents to buy. “Pester power” refers to children’s ability to nag their parents into purchasing items they may not otherwise buy. Marketing to children is all about creating pester power, because advertisers know what a powerful force it can be.

　　[D] According to the 2001 marketing industry book Kidfluence, pestering or nagging can be divided into two categories—“persistence” and “importance”. Persistence nagging (a plea, that is repeated over and over again) is not as effective as the more sophisticated “importance nagging”. This latter method appeals to parents’ desire to provide the best for their children, and plays on any guilt they may have about not having enough time for their kids.

　　The Marriage of Psychology and Marketing

　　[E] To effectively market to children, advertisers need to know what makes kids tick. With the help of well-paid researchers and psychologists, advertisers now have access to in-depth knowledge about children’s

　　developmental, emotional and social needs at different ages. Using research that analyzes children’s behaviour, fantasy lives, art work, even their dreams, companies are able to craft sophisticated marketing strategies to reach young people.

　　The issue of using child psychologists to help marketers target kids gained widespread public attention in 1999, when a group of U.S. mental health professionals issued a public letter to the American Psychological Association (APA) urging them to declare the practice unethical. The APA is currently studying the issue.

　　Building Brand Name Loyalty

　　[G] Canadian author Naomi Klein tracks the birth of “brand” marketing in her 2000 book No Logo. According to Klein, the mid-1980s saw the birth of a new kind of corporation—Nike, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, to name a few—which changed their primary corporate focus from producing products to creating an image for their brand name. By moving their manufacturing operations to countries with cheap labour, they freed up money to create their powerful marketing messages. It has been a tremendously profitable formula, and has led to the creation of some of the most wealthy and powerful multi-national corporations the world has seen.

　　[H] Marketers plant the seeds of brand recognition in very young children, in the hopes that the seeds will grow into lifetime relationships. According to the Center for a New American Dream, babies as young as six months of age can form mental images of corporate logos and mascots. Brand loyalties can be established as early as age two, and by the time children head off to school most can recognize hundreds of brand logos. While fast food, toy and clothing companies have been cultivating brand recognition in children for years, adult-oriented businesses such as banks and automakers are now getting in on the act.

　　Buzz or Street Marketing

　　[I] The challenge for marketers is to cut through the intense advertising clutter (雜亂)in young people’s lives. Many companies are using “buzz marketing” —a new twist on the tried-and-true “word of mouth” method. The idea is to find the coolest kids in a community and have them use or wear your product in order to create a buzz around it. Buzz, or “street marketing”, as it’s also called, can help a company to successfully connect with the elusive (難找的)teen market by using trendsetters to give them products “cool” status.

　　[J] Buzz marketing is particularly well-suited to the Internet, where young “Net promoters” use chat rooms and blogs to spread the word about music, clothes and other products among unsuspecting users.

　　Commercialization in Education

　　[ K] School used to be a place where children were protected from the advertising and consumer messages that permeated their world—but not anymore. Budget shortfalls (虧空，差額)are forcing school boards to allow corporations access to students in exchange for badly needed cash, computers and educational materials.

　　[L] Corporations realize the power of the school environment for promoting their name and products. A school setting delivers a captive youth audience and implies the endorsement of teachers and the educational system. Marketers are eagerly exploiting this medium in a number of ways, including: 1) sponsored educational materials; 2) supplying schools with technology in exchange for high company visibility; 3) advertising posted in classrooms, school buses, on computers in exchange for funds; 4) contests and incentive programs: for example, the Pizza Hut reading incentives program in which children receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal; 5) sponsoring school events.

　　The Internet

　　[M ] The Internet is an extremely desirable medium for marketers wanting to target children. It’s part of youth culture.

　　This generation of young people is growing up with the Internet as a daily and routine part of their lives. Kids are often online alone, without parental supervision. Unlike broadcasting media, which have codes regarding advertising to kids, the Internet is unregulated. Sophisticated technologies make it easy to collect information from young people for marketing research, and to target individual children with personalized advertising.

　　Marketing Adult Entertainment to Kids

　　[N] Children are often aware of and want to see entertainment meant for older audiences because it is actively marketed to them. In a report released in 2000, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed how the movie, music and video games industries routinely market violent entertainment to young children.

　　[O ] The FTC studied 44 films rated “Restricted”, and discovered that 80 per cent were targeted to children under 17. Marketing plans included TV commercials run during hours when young viewers were most likely to be watching. The FTC report also highlighted the fact that toys based on characters from mature entertainment are often marketed to young children. Mature rated video games are advertised in youth magazines; and toys based on “Restricted” movies and M-rated video games are marketed to children as young as four.

　　六級長篇閱讀專項練習選項：

　　46. Guilt can affect parents" spending decisions because they don’t have enough time for their kids.

　　47. The Center for a New American Dream pointed out that brand loyalties could be formed as early as age two.

　　48. School boards allow corporations to access to students because they need money and educational materials badly.

　　49. The FTC report highlighted the fact that toys based on characters from mature entertainment are often marketed to young children.

　　50. For this generation of young people, the Internet is a daily and routine part of their lives.

　　51. According to Kidfluence, “persistence nagging” is less effective than the more sophisticated “importance nagging”.

　　52. According to a report released by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the movie, music and video games industries usually market violent entertainment to young children.

　　53. Buzz marketing is well-suited to the Internet because the interactive environment can spread messages effectively.

　　54. A group of U.S. mental health professionals think that it is unethical to use child psychologists to help marketers target kids.

　　55. According to the Pizza Hut reading incentives program, children will receive certificates for free pizza if they achieve a monthly reading goal.

　　六級長篇閱讀專項練習答案：

　　46. [B]題干意為，內疚感會影響父母做出消費決定，因為他們沒有足夠的時間陪孩子。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞guilt和parents’ spending decisions。文章段落中，論及內疚感和影響父母購買決定的內容在[B]段出現，該 段第二句提到，內疚感能夠影響父母做出的消費決定，忙碌的父母希望用購買的東西來彌補自己沒有足夠 的時間陪孩子。由此可知，題干對原文進行了同義改寫，故答案為[B]。題干中的affect與原文中的play a role in對應。

　　47. [H]。題干意為，新美國夢中心指出，孩子早在兩歲的時候就可以形成品牌忠誠度。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞 the Center for a New American Dream, brand loyalties 和 age two。文章段落中，提到新美國夢中心的內容在[H] 段出現，該段第三句提到，根據新美國夢中心所說，早在兩歲的時候就可以建立品牌忠誠度，而等到開始上 學的時候，大多數孩子都可以認識幾百個品牌標識。由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[H]。

　　48. [K]。題干意為，教育委員會允許企業接近學生是因為他們急需資金和教學材料。注意抓住題干中的關鍵 詞school boards。文章段落中，提到教育委員會的內容在[K]段出現，該段第二句中提到，預算虧空迫使教 育委員會允許企業進入校園，以此換取學校急需的資金、計算機和教學材料。題干對原文內容做了概述， 故答案為[K]。

　　49. [O]。題干意為，聯邦貿易委員會的報告強調了一個事實，即以成人娛樂中各個角色為原型的玩具經常被 推銷給年幼的孩子。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞FTC report和highlighted the fact。文章段落中，提到聯邦貿易 委員會(FTC)有[N]和[0]兩段，但結合題干中的highlighted the fact可知相關內容在[0]段，該段第三句提 到，聯邦貿易委員會的報告還強調了 一個事實，即基于成人娛樂中角色的玩具經常被推銷給年幼的孩子， 題干與原文意思一致，故答案為[0]。

　　50. [M]。題干意為，對于這一代年輕人來說，互聯網是他們日常生活的一部分。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞this generation of young people和Internet。文章段落中，提到這一代年輕人和互聯網關系的內容在[M]段，該段 第三句提到，互聯網伴隨著這一代年輕人長大，互聯網是他們日常生活的一部分。由此可知，題干是對原 文內容的同義轉述，故答案為[M]。

　　51. [D]。題干意為，根據《兒童影響力》這本書所說，“堅持糾纏”不如更圓滑的“重要性糾纏”有效。注意抓住題 干中的關鍵詞!persistence nagging, effective和importance nagging。文章段落中，提到《兒童影響 力》這本書是在[D]段，該段第二句提到，“堅持糾纏”就是一再地懇求)不如更圓滑的“重要性糾纏”有效。 由此可知，題干是對原文的同義轉述，故答案為[D]。題干中的less effective than與原文中的not as effective as對應。

　　52. [N]。題干意為，依據美國聯邦貿易委員會的一份報告，電影、音樂和電子游戲業經常向年幼的兒童推銷暴 力娛樂。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞a report released by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission和movie, music and video games industries。文章段落中，提到美國聯邦貿易委員會的報告和電影等行業的內容在[N]段，該段第 二句中提到，美國聯邦貿易委員會2000年發表的一份報告中披露了電影、音樂和電子游戲業是如何習慣性 地向年幼的兒童推銷暴力娛樂的，由此可知，題干對原文內容進行了同義改寫，故答案為[N]。

　　53. [J]。題干意為，口碑營銷很適合互聯網，因為其互動的環境可以讓信息有效傳播。注意抓住題干中的關鍵 詞buzz marketing和well-suited to the Internet。文章段落中，論及口碑營銷和互聯網關系的內容在[J ]段出 現，該段提到，口碑營銷很適合互聯網，網上的年輕“網絡推銷員”利用聊天室和博客在毫無戒備心的用戶 中傳播有關音樂、服飾和其他產品的信息。由此可知，題干對原文進行了同義轉述，故答案為[J]。

　　54. [F]。題干意為，一個美國心理健康專家小組認為，利用兒童心理專家來幫助市場營銷人員定位兒童需求 是不道德的。注意抓住題干中的關鍵詞U.S. mental health professionals，unethical和psychologists。文章段落 中，提到美國心理健康專家小組的內容在[F]段出現，該段第一句提到，一個美國心理健康專家小組發表 了一封給美國心理學會(APA)的公開信，要求他們宣布那種讓兒童心理學家幫助市場營銷人員定位兒童 需求的做法是不道德的。題干與原文相符，故答案為[F]。

　　55. [L]。題干意為，根據必勝客的讀書獎勵計劃，完成每月閱讀目標的孩子可以獲得免費比薩券。注意抓住題 干中的關鍵詞Pizza Hut和monthly reading goal。文章段落中，提到必勝客及免費比薩的內容出現在[L]段，該段列舉的第四點內容中提到，必勝客的讀書獎勵計劃即完成每月閱讀目標的兒童可以獲得免費比薩券。 由此可知，題干是對原文內容的同義轉述，故答案為[L]。