外刊阅读训练：快购时代的 “连环退货买家”等2则--2023届高三英语二轮复习.docx

外刊精读快购时代的连环退货买家导读：在当今时代，时尚业竞争激烈，零售商们用各种方式让退货变得不再 困难。大多数情况下，消费者们只需要把服饰带回服装店就可以了。这虽 然让退换货物变得非常方便，却催生出了不少先大量购买商品，再退还回 去的买家。这看似无伤大雅，但公司的利润却因此受到影响。面临这一趋 势，很多公司却没有想出相应的对策。本集外刊精读讨论"连续退货 族给卖家带来的影响，并介绍一些和购物有关的英语词汇。一、语篇泛读Vocabulary: shopping 词汇：购物We've all done it. We buy something we think we like and then change our minds about it. Whether panic buying, an impulse purchase or shopper's remorse, we're fortunate many companies allow us to easily exchange or refund items. In fact it's so easy these days that retailers are seeing an increase in a new type of shopper: the serial returner.A serial returner is someone who buys items, often in bulk, only to return most of them. 41-year-old Hester Grainger, founder of Mumala Club, estimates spending £300 to £400 each month on clothes, but returning "around 80%”, she told the BBC. This isn't unique. Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of the UK's credit and debit card transactions, says that in the last two years 26% of retailers have seen an increase in in-store and online returns - with the number of items being sent back up by 22%.It's a problem for companies. Handling these returns eats into profits. Free delivery for the customer means the company foots the bill. Items may need to be repackaged. They are damaged - making them unfit for resale.2. How does electronic thermal clothing work?The clothing generates heat from elements placed inside.3. Where are the speakers in a Bluetooth beanie?The speakers are included in the fabric.4. With a smart thermostat and a phone, what are we able to do?We can regulate the temperature remotely, so we can warm up the house before we arrive home.5. Which word used in the article means 'from a distance'?Remotely (Many models feature smartphone apps that allow you to regulate temperature remotely.)请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填 入句子的空格处。1. You need to wear more than that! It's snowing and you'll be chilled to the bone.2. John, I'm tired of telling you off. You are skating on thin ice. Sit down and study please.3. I had forgotten my umbrella. By the time I got home, my coat was sodden and I was exhausted.4. Our heating isn't working. I think the element in the boiler might be broken.5. Once we'd lit a fire, the little wooden cabin became quite snug. It was lovely.Tony Mannix, CEO of Clipper, a logistics firm that handles returned goods for major retailers, said about 5% of them end up "being binned," Sometimes the fast fashion cycle has moved on. By the time the item comes back, it becomes a cut-price item on a reduced-to-clear rail - at further loss to the company.Some companies are taking action to deter this behavior. According to a BBC article, four in ten retailers now say they charge for returns to discourage the sending of non-faulty items. Online retail giant Amazon was reported to have started barring customers with too many returned items. This is something a study by retail management system Brightpearl found over half of UK fashion retailers would consider. And Barclaycard says a third of retailers have hiked their prices to cover these returns.But Vicky Brock, director of data innovation at ReBound Returns, a returns management software system, believes this isn't the best strategy. Speaking in a BBC article, she says discouraging returns shows a lack of understanding by the retailer. Using data, companies can reduce returns by helping customers choose better. Some companies such as Uniqlo and Asos already provide a suggested size based on the customer's previous purchases and information on height and weight. Ultimately, she says, returns are now as much a part of the shopping experience as buying things, and shops need to take this into consideration.二、词汇表panic buying （因害怕商品短缺的）恐慌性购物 impulse purchase 冲动消费shopper's remorse买了后悔的心态 exchange 换（货） refund退款retailer零售商serial returner连环退货的消费者in bulk大量、成批transaction 交易foot the bill 掏腰包repackage重新包装logistics firm 物流公司fast fashion （紧跟流行趋势、价格低廉的）快速时尚cut-price降价出售的 reduced-to-clear 清仓减价rail挂衣杆、架charge收费returns 退货hike （价格）大幅增加 suggested size 推荐尺寸三、测试与练习阅读课文并回答问题。1. True or false? Serial returners are on the rise.2. Approximately what proportion of her clothes purchases does Hester Grainger return?3. What actions a re companies taking to stop serial returning?4. What does discouraging returns reveal about a retailer, according to Vicky Brock?5. Which word used in the article means 'thrown away'?请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填 入句子的空格处。1. I don't know why I bought this chocolate. I'm not even hungry! It wasan.panic buyimpulse purchaserefundfast fashion2. They were so cheap! I bought them in asection of la stseason's clothes.shopper's remorsesuggested sizeexchangereduced-to-clear3. With the hurricane approaching, people have startedwaterand food.panic buyingimpulse purchasingserial returningin bulking4. It was a bad date. She left without me early and I had toforthe meal!feet the billfoot the billeye the billleg the bill5. A bad potato harvest has led to retailersthe price of crisps assupplies grow scarce.panic buyingimpulse purchasinghikingcutting the price【参考答案】阅读课文并回答问题。1. True or false? Serial returners are on the rise.True. In the last two years 26% of retailers have seen an increase in in-store and online returns - with the number of items being sent back up by 22%.2. Approximately what proportion of her clothes purchases does Hester Grainger return?Hester returns around 80% of her clothes purchases.3. What actions are companies taking to stop serial returning?Some retailers charge for returns, some bar customers with too many returns and some retailers have hiked their prices.4. What does discouraging returns reveal about a retailer, according to Vicky Brock?She says discouraging returns shows a lack of understanding by the retailer.5. Which word used in the article means 'thrown away1?Binned. "Tony Mannix, CEO of Clipper, a logistics firm that handles returned goods for major retailers, said about 5% of them end up "being请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填 入句子的空格处。1. I don't know why I bought this chocolate. I'm not even hungry! It was an impulse purchase.2. They were so cheap! I bought them in a reduced-to-clear section of last season's clothes.3. With the hurricane approaching, people have started panic buying water and food.4. It was a bad date. She left without me early and I had to foot the bill for the meal!5. A bad potato harvest has led to retailers hiking the price of crisps as supplies grow scarce.让现代科技温暖你的冬日导读：在科技并不发达的过去，人们可能会为如何在严寒天气里更好地保暖 而倍感困扰。现如今，每值严冬时节，虽然温度骤降、天气恶劣，但随着 各类智能保暖产品的问世，冬天也能变得舒适宜人。人们凭借科学技术发 明了各式各样的防寒方法。比如，用智能电子设备调节屋内和衣物的温度； 使用无线科技制造会自动发热的服饰。听外刊精读音频，让你的冬天 从此不再寒冷！一、语篇泛读Vocabulary: winter and heating 词汇：冬日和供暖In my memory, winters always used to be really unpleasant. You had to bundle up just to keep warm when you went outside. You were often cold, wet and never more than a sodden misstep away from a patch of black ice. If you didn't have a nasty slide, you'd arrive home to an ice-cold house. And that would mean turning on the heating and waiting. It's a miracle you didn't get chilled to the bone.Fortunately, things don't have to be so challenging any more. Technology, engineering and design have advanced giving us new solutions to old problems. It means dealing with winter needn't be like skating on thin ice.With a smart thermostat, our homes can be toasty when we need them to be. Many models feature smartphone apps that allow you to regulate temperature remotely, so we can warm up the house before we arrive home. According to , the largest UK-based consumer technology news and reviews website, Tado's model features voice control, while the Nest 'learns' your habits and automatically heats the home for you.Clothes have been given an upgrade, too. Electronic thermal jackets, hoodies and parkas heat up when you turn them on. What better way to keep snug in the dead of winter? At the touch of a button, or through an app on our phones, the clothing generates heat from elements placed inside. Many models offer three levels of heating which stay warm for over 12 hours.Finally, there is the headgear - Beanies and earmuffs that feature speakers included in the fabric using Bluetooth technology so we can listen to our favorite music or, in some cases, have a phone call using the in-built microphone. All while keeping the head warm and avoiding a chill.For many, the thought of winter used to be enough to make their blood run cold. But using technology, life needn't freeze up. With the right solutions, there's no reason why winter can't be really, really cool.二、词汇表bundle up穿暖和，多穿衣服sodden湿漉漉的black ice （路面上的）薄冰slide滑倒chilled to the bone 寒冷刺骨的skating on thin ice 如履薄冰thermostat温度自动调节器toasty暖烘烘的，暖意绵绵的regulate调节、控制thermal （衣物）有保暖功能的snug暖和舒适的in the dead of winter 隆冬时节element电热元件beanie （无檐的）毛线便帽earmuff 耳套chill受凉make someone's blood run cold 使人不寒而栗freeze up冻滞不前,失去生机cool很棒的（又指“凉爽的"这里是双关语）三、测试与练习阅读课文并回答问题。1. True or False? Technology can do nothing to make winter less harsh.2. How does electronic thermal clothing work?3. Where are the speakers in a Bluetooth beanie?4. With a smart thermostat and a phone, what are we able to do?5. Which word used in the article means 'from a distance,?请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填 入句子的空格处。1. You need to wear more than that I It's snowing and you'll be.blood run coldfreeze upchilled to the bonedead of winter2. John, I'm tired of telling you off. You are. Sit down and studyplease.skating on thin iceblack icesoddentoastyI had forgotten my umbrella. By the time I got home, my coat was and I was exhausted.slidethermaltoastysodden3. Our heating isn't working. I think thein the boiler might bebroken.thermal elementicemachine4. Once we'd lit a fire, the little wooden cabin became quite. Itwas lovely.soddenthermalchillsnug【参考答案】阅读课文并回答问题。1. True or False? Technology can do nothing to make winter less harsh. False. Technology, engineering and design have advanced, giving us new solutions to old problems. It means dealing with winter needn't be like skating on thin ice.