SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLING Fill in each of the gaps with ONE word. You may refer to your notes. Make sure the word you fill in is both grammatically and semantically acceptable.
At present companies and industries like to sponsor sports events. Two reasons are put forward to explain this phenomenon. The first reason is that they get (1)___ throughout the world. The second reason is that companies and industries(2)___ money, as they get reductions in the tax they owe if they sponsor sports or arts activities. As sponsorship is (3)___, careful thinking is required in deciding which events to sponsor. It is important that the event to be sponsored(4)___ the product(s) to be promoted. That is, the right(5)___ and maximum product coverage must be guaranteed in the event. Points to be considered in sports sponsorship. Popularity of the event International sports events are big(6)___ events, which get extensive coverage on TV and in the press. Smaller events attract fewer people. Identification of the potential audience Aiming at the right audience is most important for smaller events.
The right audience would attract manufacturers of other related products like(7)___ , etc. Advantages of sponsorship. Advantages are longer-term. People are expected to respond (8)___ to the products promoted. And be more likely to buy them. Advertising is (9)___ the mind. Sponsorship is better than straight advertising: a)less(10) ___ b)tax-free.
参考答案及详细解释: SECTION D NOTE-TAKING AND GAP-FILLING 1.答案:known 【详细解答】在谈到公司赞助体育时,第一个理由是"The obvious answer is that they get known worldwide,..."故此空应填"known"。 2.答案:save 【详细解答】公司赞助体育的第二个理由是"The not so obvious answer is that sponsors hip can help firms to save money."即帮助公司省钱(save money)。 3.答案:expensive / costly 【详细解答】由录音中的句子"However, sponsorship is surely a very expensive business."可知,赞助体育活动的代价是非常昂贵的,故此处应填写expensive或costly。 4.答案:match 【详细解答】由录音"Companies spend a lot of time making sure that they have a perfect match between the products to be represented and the activity that needs sponsorship."可知,公司的产品必须与运动项目相吻合(match)。 5.答案:image 【详细解答】只要听清了关键句"Basically, companies have to make sure that the image is right and that the product gets maximum coverage through the event."就可知道,此处应填写image。 6.答案:media 【详细解答】有录音"There are the big media events: hours and hours of TV and..."可知,这里指的是大的媒体活动。 7.答案: cosmetics / drinks 【详细解答】在谈到观众的潜在购买力时,录音中举例说"That should attract drinks manufactures, sports fashion designers, cosmetics producers, and so on."由于受products一词的限制,此处可填写cosmetics或drinks。 8.答案:favorably 【详细解答】由录音"...yet will react favorably if asked to comment on products marketed by the sponsoring company."可知,此处应填写favorably。 9.答案:conditioning 【详细解答】由录音"Conditioning the mind is what advertising is about."可直接填写conditioning。 10.答案:expensive 【详细解答】录音临近结尾时说"...straight advertising is a far more expensive way of promoting your image than sponsorship,..."由此可知,公司赞助体育比直接做广告要省钱(less expensive)。
听力原文: It is common nowadays for companies and industries to sponsor big sports events. For example, many companies sponsored the 8th National Games held in Shanghai in 1997. Then, what exactly do companies and industries get out of sponsoring big sports events, such as international games? And why need they do so?
There is an obvious answer and a not so obvious one. The obvious answer is that they get known worldwide, particularly if they are the principal sponsor of an event. This is especially important when you consider the number of countries around the world that might show the event on TV. The not so obvious answer is that sponsorship can help firms to save money.
Then how can they save money in this way? Companies can claim expenditures on sponsorship or "support to sport and the arts" against the amount of tax that they owe. So, if they are going to have to pay tax anyway, why not spend the money on promoting their name or product?
However, sponsorship is surely a very expensive business. So, how does one decide which events or activities to support? Companies spend a lot of time making sure that they have a perfect match between the products to be represented and the activity that needs sponsorship. Basically, companies have to make sure that the image is right and that the product gets maximum coverage through the event. I mean, you wouldn't expect a company whose product has a young international image to sponsor a sport that has a following among older people. There are all sorts of reasons behind sponsorship. That's what the game's about for those who are trying to sell it.
There are some important points to consider before agreeing to sponsor an event. First and foremost, I suppose, is the popularity of the event in go-between,I mean. Events like the World Cup and the Olympics have businesses queuing up to offer sponsorship. There are the big media event: hours and hours of TV and satellite coverage guaranteed all over the world, as well as press coverage and the possibility of photographs that in some way advertise your product. Most events aren't quite like that though. I suppose you've got the national games every four years in China. But most events appeal to only a limited proportion of the potential audience-tennis, for example. Most of the audience there is young, so products for the young are the ones that you would associate with the event recently. Then how do you match up the product with the event? The most important thing with the smaller event is to identify the audience it's going to appeal to in this instance, tennis and young people. That should attract drinks manufactures, sports fashion designers, cosmetics producers, and so on. Then you look at the potential coverage in the media. It's the sort of event that might attract Coca-Cola or Pepsi maybe even McDonalds.
In sponsoring sports events, it is not just the media coverage that matters. The important question is whether the people who've either been to the event or read about it in the press will be more likely to buy your product as a result. A lot of the advantages of investment in sponsorship are longer-term. People who have possibly read about or watched an event on TV may not even be able to tell you who was sponsoring the event, yet will react favorably if asked to comment on products marketed by the sponsoring company. They have been conditioned in some way. Conditioning the mind is what advertising is about. Believe it or not , straight advertising is a far more expensive way of promoting your image than sponsorship, and what's more, sponsorship is mostly tax-free.
To sum up, today we have talked about sponsorship of sports events by companies: the reasons behind and a few related points. I hope this will help you gain some insight into the issue.
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