Advertisement can be thought of “as the means of making known in order to buy or sell goods or services”. Advertisement aims to increase people’s awareness and arouse interest. It tries to inform and to persuade. The media are all used to spread the message. The press offers a fairly cheap method, and magazines are used to reach special sections of the market. The cinema and commercial radio are useful for local market. Television, although more expensive, can be very effective. Public notices are fairly cheap and more permanent in their power of attraction. Other ways of increasing consumer interest are through exhibitions and trade fairs as well as direct mail advertisement.

　　There can be no doubt that the growth in advertisement is one of the most striking features of the western world in this century. Many businesses such as those handling frozen foods, liquor, tobacco and medicines have been built up largely by advertisement.

　　We might ask whether the cost of advertisement is paid by the producer or by the customer. Since advertisement forms part of the cost of production, which has to be covered by the selling price, it is clear that it is the customer who pays for advertisement. However, if large-scale advertisement leads to increased demands, production costs are reduced, and customers pay less.

　　It is difficulty to measure exactly the influences of advertisement on sales. When the market is growing, advertisement helps to increase demand. When the market is shrinking, advertisement may prevent a bigger fall in sales than would occur without its support. What is clear is that businesses would not pay large sums for advertisement if they were not convinced of its value to them.

　　1. Advertisement is often used to _____

　　A. deceive customers B. increase production

　　C. arouse suspicion D. push the sale

　　2. The word “media” in the first paragraph includes _____

　　A. the press B. television C. radio D. all of them

　　3. Advertisement is mainly paid by _____

　　A. the customer B. the producer C. increased sales D. reduced prices

　　4. Advertisement can increase demand ______

　　A. all the time B. in any circumstance

　　C. in a growing market D. in a shrinking market

　　5. From the last sentence of this passage we conclude that ______

　　A. businesses usually do not pay much for advertisement

　　B. businesses know well that advertisement could bring them more profits

　　C. advertisement could hardly convince people of the value of the goods

　　D. advertisement usually cost businesses large amounts of money

　　報考：♦2012在職聯考報名入口 常見問題 報考條件 ♦考試科目及時間安排

　　備考：♦在職聯考歷年真題 ♦GCT復習規(guī)劃 ♦英語大綱及試題結構♦備考技巧

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