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 time 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 asequential（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.

1.It can be learned from the text that ______.

A．the short time horizon is the reason why group-buying has been successful.

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.

2.The underlined word “eliminates” in paragraph 7 probably means“______”.

A．to become or to make something greater in amount, number, value

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

3.What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Secret for marketing success – boosting confidence.

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.

 

During his five-day state visit to Japan, Hu Jintao delivered such an ________ speech that all the people present were ________.

A. inspiring; exciting   B. inspiring; excited    C. inspired; exciting   D. inspired; excited

 

Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”

The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.

Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.

Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.

Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.

1.According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?

A．well balanced	B．hold still
C．remain stable	D．keep calm

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Poise isn’t born with people, so it can be acquired.

B．Under different pressures, people hope to keep calm.

C．“Hold steady” comes from a lecture given by a fashion queen.

D．In western culture, holding steady is a quality of well-mannered people.

3.Which of the following is NOT the way to hold steady?

A．learn to use self-encouragement.

B．Write the goals to be achieved

C．Practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves.

D．Take deep breaths when facing difficult situations.

4.The purpose of this passage is to_______.

A．introduce the Internet hot term “hold steady”

B．tell funny stories about how to hold steady

C．demonstrate how to keep calm under pressure

D．give advice on how to keep cool in daily life

 

What is the hottest topic at your school recently? In Hangzhou Yongjin Middle School, it’s money. The school held an activity called “making money” last weekend. About 200 students of Senior 1 and Senior 2 were divided into 30 teams. They went out to make money by selling things. What did they choose to sell? Some sold newspapers; some chose bottled water; some sold environmentally friendly shopping bags and bamboo(竹子) baskets.

Hu Qing’s team decided to sell some useful books in front of the Children Activity Center. They thought parents would like to buy the books for their children. But unfortunately, they met urban management officers (城管). The officers asked them to leave. “We played hide-and-seek (捉迷藏) with the officers for the whole morning” said Hu. “Finally we had to give up.”

Wang Bing and her team sold ice cream in a square. They didn’t meet any officers. But few people were interested in what they were selling. The team then put up a board saying “For Country Kids”. It worked. More people came to their stall (小摊). A foreigner even gave them 100 yuan. “He didn’t want any change. He said he wanted to help the children,” said Wang. “We were touched.” Later that day they gave the 100 yuan and more to the “Project Hope” office.

Meng Zhaoxiang and his team were luckier. They sold all their cakes in four hours, spending 39.5 yuan and getting back 80 yuan. They made 40.5 yuan. “It was not easy to make the money,” said Meng. “Some people just looked. Others just tasted but didn’t buy. Now I know how hard it is for our parents to make money.”

86. In Hangzhou Yongjin Middle School, what the students talk more about is ________.

A. the officers                         B. the kind foreigner

C. the activity called “making money”      D. the money they made last weekend

87. ________ took part in the activity.

A. All the students                     B. Some teachers

C. About 200 students of the three grades   D. Part of Junior 1 and Junior 2 students

88. Hu Qing’s team finally gave up because ________.

A. the parents didn’t like to buy the books

B. the Children Activity Center was too crowded

C. the officers didn’t allow them to sell anything there

D. the team played the game of the hide-and-seek the whole morning

89. Why did more people come to Wang Bing’s stall at last?

A. The team put up a magic board. B. A foreigner came up and helped them.

C. The people liked to help country kids.

D. The people were interested in their ice cream.

90. According to the passage the students learn ________.

A. it’s impossible for them to make money

B. it’s not easy for their parents to make money

C. it’s very important for them to make a living

D. it’s necessary for school to hold more activities in the future