Endless playing of songs like All I Want For Christmas in shops during the festive season doesn't just drive us mad--the songs also make us more careless with our money, research has warned. While repeated performance of Jingle Bells may seem like an innocent attempt to raise customers' spirits during the nightmare of Christmas shopping, the songs also have a more delicate impact.[:ZXXK] "Background music, or 'muzak', can be used by marketers to impose cultures--such as the commercialization of Christmas--onto consumers and influence their behaviour, "experts said. Dr. Alan Bradshaw of Royal Holloway, University of London, said, "Festive jingles are force-fed to Christmas shoppers in a bid to change their mood, influence their sense of time and what sort of products they buy. In other words, this is an attempt to control your shopping habits in a way that you might hardly be aware of." "Often we are told that we have the freedom to choose where we want to shop, but during Christmas the use of music in this way is so common that our freedom to choose disappears." Dr. Bradshaw and Prof Morris Holbrook of Columbia University examined the phenomenon and found that retailers often "dumb down" the music played in shops to relax customers, meaning it is easier to control their behaviour. It is thought that slowing down the rhythm of music in shops can trick customers into thinking less time has passed, and therefore spend more time examining the shelves, for example. Some providers of background music have been known to promote their services by claiming they can boost profits by controlling the behaviour of customers. "A common trick is to take a popular current song and record an instrumental version which can be slowed down or sped up at different time of the day to influence behaviour in different ways," Dr Bradshaw said. Background music is often classed as "Muzak" in honor of the Seattle-based company which began producing its soft-sounding melodies in the 1930s. What kind of music is now often adapted to influence customers in shops? A) Classical music. B) Popular modern songs. C) Folk songs. D) Jazz music.
B
(Question)
The American Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or an open place and take turns in walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, it's an overnight event of up to 24 hours in length. History of Relay for Life: Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Klatt, a surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man's passion for fighting cancer into the world's largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global event and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Requirements for Relay for Life: Anyone can participate in Relay for Life. Friends, families, neighbors, classmates, sports teams, etc., can form their own teams. No matter who you are, there's a place for you at Relay. The only requirement to participate in Relay for Life is the $10 registration/commitment fee per person. After that, anything you can raise through individual, team, or online fundraising is accepted. It is recommended that each participant sets a personal goal to raise $100. If you raise more, that's even better. Even if you do not raise $100, you are still welcome to participate. If you want to be part of Relay, you can start a team or join an existing team online. You can also make an online donation. By supporting Relay, you help the American Cancer Society save lives, and that helps us move closer to our ultimate goal of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Online Help: Please check our... What do we know about Relay for Life? A) It helps arouse patients' awareness of fighting cancer. B) It is usually held in the high school playground. C) It is held for a whole day without a break. D) It was started in honor of Dr. Klatt.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Miss sending letters? Try Lettrs! This new service brings back the art of letter writing by marrying it to the Internet. Lettrs, a new site, is attempting to bring back the old-fashioned idea of letter writing by providing a space that feels a little bit like a writing desk. Of course, there'll be purists who say that to truly enjoy letter writing you must do it on fancy letter paper and envelope in the mail is part of the fun. And if you're into that sort of thing, go for it. But I can't be the only one who is now so much faster at typing that writing by hand is painfully slow. Nor can I be the only one who likes to write on a whim when I'm going to be on a crowded train or airplane, both of which are situations where writing on the computer is far easier. The site tries, pretty seriously, to approximate what it's like to have your very own writing desk and paper to choose from (which comes in various prints and colors) as well as corresponding types of prints and cursive writing that come out on your screen as you write. There's also a "desk drawer" for letters you've already sent, a "fridge" to post letters publicly, a "kitchen counter" for letters you have just received, and "shoebox" to store your letters in. And if you need inspiration there are even old-style letters that are great examples of the kind of correspondence people used to send. Lettrs is such a great idea, because you get the best parts of communicating online (typing rather than writing, the speed, no lost mail, and it's free! ) with the nice parts of a letter-the sense of sitting down to write, quietly, to one person in a meaningful way. Who would you write to? A Lettrs user can find a newly received letter in or on a" _ ". A) desk drawer B) fridge C) kitchen counter D) shoebox
Ans:
C