We might like to think we"re not influenced by other people, but a new study into the group-buying
mechanisms(机制) - like those used on coupon(优惠券) sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial-reveals
that telling buyers who come later to the offer how many have already signed up increases the number
of purchasers.
Researchers at the University of Toronto"s Rotman School of Management wanted to understand
why group buying sites that have entered the market recently have enjoyed greater success than those
operating a decade ago, such as Mercata and MobShop.
Earlier attempts typically left potential buyers waiting for days before confirming whether or not they
had got the offer they had signed up for.
"We think one of the reasons group-buying has been successful recently is because of the short tim
e horizon," says Rotman Professor Ming Hu, who co-wrote the study with Professor Mengze Shi and
PhD student Jiahua Wu. "It allows for a herding effect."
Another reason is the use of an information structure that discloses to later arrivals how many have
already signed onto the deal.
Researchers looked at two ways of designing the purchasing mechanism for a group buy: a
simultaneous mechanism, where no one knows how many buyers have come before them, and a
sequential(连续的) mechanism, where a second group of buyers has the advantage of knowing the
size of the first group.
The researchers" analytical(分析的) model shows the most successful mechanism is the sequential
one because it eliminates uncertainty for those coming later to the deal, and improves the confidence of
those who sign on early, as they"re able to track the numbers of those who come after them.
"That boosts confidence," says Professor Hu, who teaches operations management. Deals for
"luxury" services, versus everyday items, work better in a group buy scenario(方案) because they offer
consumers a greater benefit.
B. a simultaneous mechanism is where a group of buyers has the advantage of knowing how many
people have signed up.
C. a sequential mechanism allows a herding effect which boosts the confidence of the buyers.
D. researchers at the University of Toronto"s Rotman School of Management carried out an experiment
about why group buying sites entered the market successfully, such as Mercata and MobShop.
B. to remove or get rid of something
C. to deliberately not include something in what you are doing or considering
D. to make something known to somebody
B. Secret for group-buying mechanism-herding effect.
C. Comparison between a simultaneous mechanism and a sequential mechanism.
D. What others do influences our decisions.
called a magician, who claims to have supernatural powers.
Magic words. To work most magic, the magician sings or speaks special words in a certain order.
These words are called incantations or spells. Some spells form prayers to demons(魔鬼), spirits, or
other supernatural forces. Many societies believe the magic will not work unless the magician recites the
spells perfectly. Other magic words have no meaning, though they supposedly possess power when
spoken by a magician.
Magic actions accompany the words spoken in performing much magic. Many of these movements
act out the desired effect of the magic. For example, a magician trying to make rain fall may sprinkle(洒)
water on the ground. The magician"s combined words and actions form a ceremony.
Magic objects include certain plants, stones, and other things with supposed supernatural powers. Any such object may be called a fetish(物神). But this term often refers to an object-for example, a carving
or a dried snake-honored by a tribe for its magic powers. Many tribes believe fetishes have magic power
because spirits live in these objects.
Many people carry magic objects called amulets(护身符)to protect themselves from harm. Many
amulets are stones or rings engraved(雕刻) with magic symbols.
The magician. In some societies, nearly everyone knows how to work some magic. In other
societies, only experts practice magic.Magicians may be called medicine men, medicine women,shamans,
sorcerers, or witch doctors. In many societies, magicians must inherit their powers. In others, any person
may become a magician by studying the magical arts.
Many societies believe magicians must observe certain rules and taboos (forbidden actions) for their
spells to work. For example, they may be required not to eat various foods or to avoid sexual activity for
a certain period before the ceremony.
B.They have power if magician recites the right spells.
C.They have no effect at all.
D.They can be used whenever they want.
B.magic objects
C.stones or rings engraved with magic symbols
D.medicine
B.Because it is carved with magic symbols.
C.Because people think spirits live in it.
D.Because it can help them with many things
that today"s children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for
mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America"s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation
(隔离) brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things and a
growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Considering that we_can"t_turn_the_clock_back,_adults can still do plenty to help the next generation.
At the top of the list is nurturing(培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is
an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your
family will thank you later. They will have more time for facetoface relationships, and they will get more
sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual(虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It"s not just video games
and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended
Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a
good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn"t have to ruin your life.
B.were considered less individualistic
C.were less isolated physically
D.were probably less selfcentered
B.The social reality children are facing cannot be forgotten.
C.It"s impossible to slow down the pace of change.
D.Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten
B.confusing
C.surprising
D.questionable
B.TV and computer play an important role in isolating children from the real world.
C.Exercise does not help to lessen children"s anxiety.
D.Sometimes local news about crime and murder also affects children a little
At school
The school day begins at 8:30. Then students assemble in their homeroom classes for the day"s studies. Each homeroom has an average of 40-45 students. Students stay in their homeroom classrooms for most
of the school day. Only for physical education, laboratory classes, or other subjects requiring special
facilities(设备) do students move to different parts of the school. Between classes and at lunchtime,
classrooms can be noisy, lively places. Some schools may have a cafeteria(自助餐厅), but most do not.
In most schools, students bring a box lunch from home, prepared by the mother in the early morning hours.
Japanese students spend 240 days a year at school, 60 days more than American students. Students in high schools take three years" each of the following subjects mathematics, social studies, Japanese, science, and English. Other subjects include physical education, music, art, and moral(道德的) studies. All the
students in one grade level study the same subjects. Given the number of required subjects, electives(选修科目) are few.
Afterschool Activities
Club activities take place after school every day.Students can join only one club, and they rarely change clubs from year to year, so the clubs are relatively stable. Clubs are made up of sports clubs ( baseball,
soccer, judo, kendo, etc.) and culture clubs(English, broadcasting, science, etc.). New students usually
are encouraged to select a club shortly after the school year begins in April. Clubs meet for two hours after school each day and many clubs continue to meet during school vacations.
B.in school cafeterias
C.at home
D.in homeroom classrooms
B.200
C.240
D.300
B.never
C.seldom
D.often
B.students must stay in homeroom classrooms for physical education
C.there are few subjects for students to choose except the required ones
D.there will not be any club activities during school vacations
B.Global warming-a world problem
C.The fast increase in recent years
D.What we should do to avoid greenhouse gases producing
E.The earth is becoming warmer
F.Different opinions on the cause of global warming
Is the world warming up? According to many reports, the answer is yes. Eleven of the hottest years
since 1850 appeared between 1995 and 2006. Last year, the United Nation"s Intergovernment Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) reported the earth was about 0.75 ? warmer than it was in 1850. While this
doesn"t sound like a lot, a small difference in average temperature can make a big difference in climate.
During the last Ice Age, the planet was only about five degrees colder than now.
2.________
It"s all about the speed at which temperatures are changing. In the past,temperatures moved up or down step by step. But in the 20th century, especially since 1976, temperatures have likely risen more quickly
than during any century in the last 1000 years. Warming may bring improved harvests to northern countries such as Canada and Russia. However, many species won"t like these conditions. They begin moving
towards cooler places and cause lots of trouble to human world.
3.________
The IPCC reported that human activity is very likely responsible for increasing the greenhouse effect.
Some gases cause the air to take in heat energy. Without the greenhouse effect, the earth"s average
temperature would be-18? rather than the present comfortable 14.6 ?. The main greenhouse gases are
carbon dioxide, water vapor and some other gases. Burning oil,coal and waste add to the carbon dioxide,
and it has increased 35% since 1850.
4.________
Many researchers have found that natural forces alone don"t explain the temperature increases over the
last 30 to 40 years. Their study shows that as carbon dioxide goes up, temperature will rise, too. But some scientists don"t agree. They think the effect of human produced greenhouse gases is very small compared
to the normal changes that the climate causes.
5.________
When asked whether humans are causing the world warming,Carl Wunsch, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology says, "It seems very likely from what I"ve seen. Is it 100% sure? No. There is
something to do with natural changes." Does that mean we should have a "waitandsee" attitude? No. He
points out we buy house insurance not because we are sure our homes will be on fire, but because it"s a
danger we"d rather avoid.
them too often or because other students can _1_ them.
Pronunciation is the area which is _2_ the least attention to in language learning. Most teachers _3_
just let their students speak and stop them 4 they say something completely wrong. Working on each
student"s pronunciation in class is just 5 . Also, the students who are 6 at pronunciation may be afraid
that it will embarrass their classmates if they help 7 their mistakes.
If you believe your pronunciation is good enough to 8 because it is good enough for your teacher
and other students, you may be 9 when you actually go to a foreign country. One of my friends was
the best student in his 10 class in Poland. When he went to America, he found Americans didn"t
understand 11 of what he said.
Your pronunciation may still be quite 12 that of a native speaker. If this is the 13 , other people
will find it 14 to understand what you"re saying and will not be comfortable with you.
15 , don"t think you can communicate in a foreign language 16 you"ve tested your skills on real
native speakers. 17 for native or nearnative pronunciation so that people you talk to can communicate with you 18 . In order to achieve this goal, there"s 19 that you will need to start thinking about
pronunciation and 20 time on it.