You've decided to try advertising your business withpost cards. The idea came to you from the postcards you receive from other businesses. You likethe idea because it seems easy to do andeconomical. However, you've never tried this beforeso you question whether this method will bring youcustomers.

　　Let me say this first, "All Forms of Advertising Work! " However, you have to clearlyunderstand how the advertising medium works and realize that each form has its Limitationsalong with costs associated with it.

　　Advertising in any medium has always been about repetition and getting your nameremembered. It's called "Branding". Study businesses that use television commercials, They areconstantly repeating their business message 1000's of times a day. They are the best freeexamples to watch and learn from.

　　So for your business, you can conclude that the more your prospects see your name ormessage repeated. the easier it is for them to get to know you and what you offer. Then itbecomes an easier task to get them to buy from you. So how does post card advertising work?You create an ad on a post card. This can be done in your favorite graphics or word program.Then use the mail merge feature in the program to insert mailing addresses automatically. Incase you haven't set up your address book you would need co do this before you do a mailmerger.

　　Print out the cards, stamp them and then mail them out. If done correctly and repeated overand over again your customer base will grow. This is the simple mechanics of post cardadvertising.

　　How much should you send out? I would start small and build from that. This gives you theability to spend a little at a time while measuring how much each mail out converts. This keepsyour advertising costs down and manageable.

　　Start with ,500 post cards a month. Only target prospects you know that would use yourproduct and/or services. Then I would repeat the mail out to the same group over the next 1-2years.

　　Even if they do not buy the first or second time after they've received your card, t.hey arebeginning to get to know you and your product and/or services. As time goes by your chancesof converting them to a buyer increases.There is also a good chance that those you target maypass your offer onto someone else.

　　11.Branding is a way of advertising that get thecustomers remember the brand of a product bymeans of_________.

　　12.What can one learn about from the businessesthat use TV commercials?

　　13.One can do a mail merger only after he___________.

　　14.What should be done in order to keep the advertising costs down and manageable?

　　15.Post cuds must be kept sending for one or two years to the same group of___________.

　　參考答案：

　　11.[repetition]

　　[定位]根據Branding查找到第3段開頭兩句。

　　解析：第3段第2句表明該段首句為Branding的定義，對比該句與題目可以知道.原文中提到的repetition就是廣告的方式。

　　12.[Branding]

　　[定位]根據TV commercials查找到第3段。

　　解析：作者在第3段首先提到Branding的定義，接著指出可以向在電視上賣廣告的企業學習.雖然原文沒有明確指出學習什么，但這些內容是承接Branding的定義的。由此可推斷我們可以從那些企業身上學關于Branding的方法，因此本題答案為Branding。

　　13.[sets up his address book]

　　[定位]根據mail merger查找到第5段末句

　　解析：要回答本題，就要找到第5段末句中this的所指，代詞一般回指上文的信息，在該句中，this回指句子開頭的“創建自己的地址簿”，另外，因為題目空白處前主語是he，因此原文的your(address book)要相應地改為his，最終的答案應為sets up his address book。

　　14.[Start small and build from that]

　　[定位]根據keep the adverting costs down and manageable查找到笫7段。

　　解析：第7段第2句指出一種做法，第3句和第4句是這種做法導致的結果，題目提及的內容與第4句相同，由此可見，為了達成題目所述的目的，就要按原文該段第2句的做法去做，因此本題答案為Start small and buildfrom that。

　　15.[prospects]

　　[]定位]根據one or two years查找到倒數第2段。

　　解析：題目與倒數第2段末句內容相同，原文中的same group是相對于該段第2句中的prospects的，即same group是指同一群潛在客戶，因此，題目的空白處應填prospects。

　　英語六級閱讀練習二：家庭生活

　　Teenagers are spending more money than ever. Justlast year, 31.6 million teens spent 155 billion,according to the North-brook, Illinois-based marketresearch group Teenage Research Unlimited. Much ofthat money, of course, comes from parents.

　　Shocked at how much money kids spend? Maybe you haven't checked the price tags lately onsome of the younger generation's must-haves.

　　To some, such extravagant spending on the notoriously fickle young might seemoutrageous. Why do some parents give in?

　　One factor is surely the sheer power of marketing through mass media. According to thegroup Adbusters, teenagers are exposed to an estimated 3,000 advertisements each day.Combine the ads with programming itself, like the fashion-, music-and skin-filled shows on MTV,and you've got a barrage. of messages telling kids what they should own if they want to fit in.

　　"The pressures on parents today are enormous," says Tom Vogele, a single father of twin 18-year-old girls in Newport Beach, Calif. "I truly believe it is harder today to raise children withoutspoiling them, not because parents are less capable or lazy, but because so many forces areworking against me."

　　Many working parents probably compensate by spending money on their kids, says TimothyMarshall, an associate professor of developmental psychology at Christopher NewportUniversity in Virginia. For some, there is probably some guilt involved in not spending enoughLime at home. But, adds Marshall.spending money is a/so often more convenient in our fast-paced society than going to baseball games or other activities.

　　"It's easier to say let’s go out and spend some money, in terms of finding time in a busyschedule to spend with kids," Marshall said.

　　For many families, of course, keeping up with their children’s costly demands for designerclothing, CDs, and concert tickets is a financial impossibility. Even for those families who canafford such lavish spending, striking a compromise between spoiling the kids and denyingthem is tricky, but possible.

　　Teaching kids how to budget and save is key, Marshall says. Instead of just giving children thetoys or clothing they desire, give them an allowance and show them how they can save up forwhatever they want, he says.

　　And don't be afraid to just say no, Marshall adds. "We need to step up and tell kids where theboundaries are, that's part of our responsibility as parents,"he said.

　　21.In the first paragraph, "Northbrook" is mostprobably_____________.

　　A) a market research company based in Illinois

　　B) a spokesman for the Teenage Research Unlimited

　　C) the base of the Teenage Research Unlimited

　　D) the city where the spending survey was carried out

　　22.Some people find it outrageous that_______________.

　　A) some parents indulge their children in extravagant spending

　　B) some younger generation's must-have;s could cost so much

　　C) some parents are ignorant about their children's spending

　　D) some children disregard their notorious spending habits

　　23.What is the effect of marketing through mass media?

　　A) It fills the market with ads beyond the young's understanding.

　　B) It directs not only the trend but also the ways of advertising.

　　C) It stuffs all kinds of ads into TV shows and radio programs.

　　D) It triggers young people's desire Lo keep up with the trend.

　　24. According to Marshall, parents prefer to spend money on their children mainlybecause_________.

　　A) they can't afford the Lime to stay with their children

　　B) they want to make up their guilt for their children

　　C) they find it more convenient than going out with the children

　　D) they feel it is hard to raise children without indulging them

　　25.What does Marshall think parents should do with the children's spending habit?

　　A) They should refuse to pay for their lavish spending.

　　B) They should restrain the children's spending within limits.

　　C) They should be responsible for providing for the children.

　　D) They should draw up a budget plan for the children.

　　參考答案：

　　21.[C]根據首段第2句中的according co和Northbrook前的冠詞the可以知道Northbrook及其后的所有內容應該是一個名詞詞組，表明該句里數據的來源。只有選項C符合這個要求。

　　22.[A]第3段首句中的To some spending on...seem outrageous表明有些人認為家長愿意在小孩身上花很多錢是使人難以忍受的，因此選項A為本題答案。

　　23.[D]第4段末句說明市場營銷和廣告結合在一起，就會“引導孩子們應該擁有什么才算跟上街流”，也就是說，這會使年輕人追隨潮流，選項D正具有這個意思，為本題答案。

　　24.[A]第6段和第7段都是馬歇爾的觀點，概括來看可以知道，家長因為沒有時間陪孩子而用錢打發孩子，由此可見，選項A為本題答案。

　　25.[B]馬歇爾在末段首句指出家長要對孩子說“不”，第2句指出家長要讓孩子知道他們花錢的上限，由此可見，馬歇爾認為家長應該把孩子的花費限制在一定范圍，因此本題應選B。