大学英语视听说2Unit4听力原文.docxVIP

Unit4 Lead-in Both sides spend piles of money to produce cool ads, but in fact they will only cancel out each others effort. Neither side will gain. Eventually, the large sums spent on advertising will be passed on to consumers. Sounds bad, doesnt it? But we have no alternative. If we allow ads for one product but forbid ads for another, this means unfair competition. As a result, one product will turn out to be successful, while the other is sure to have a poor market. Should we ban ads altogether? This seems fair to all manufacturers. But consumers will not have enough information about products to make a choice. Worse still, they may not even know a new product has been turned out, let alone buy it. Perhaps we had better accept ads, but we can impose restrictions on them to protect consumers interests. For example, an ad should not include an untruthful statement or exaggeration. Also, advertisers should not claim that their products are superior to others. Restrictions like these may partly compensate for the shortcomings of advertisements. It is certainly necessary for us to look at ads, for they provide valuable information on the function, quality and price of a product. However, we should beware of ads that do not tell the truth. Comparing ads for similar products, we may become better informed and judge them more accurately. In addition to advertisements, we can depend on other consumers for information. A consumer has no personal interest in a product and therefore is likely to be more objective than the advertiser. Finally, our common sense can play a role in our choice of a commodity. To summarize, we can turn to various sources for help before we decide on an advertised product. Advertisements have negative social effects as well as economic effects. First, the posters and billboards can block scenic views and ruin the environment. Second, people who cannot afford the advertised product may develop a sense of inferiority. Third, as often as not,