#1
Talk about a place you enjoyed going to or visiting when you were a child. Describe the place. Explain why you enjoyed it
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Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Why or why not? Use details and examples to explain your answer.It is more important to study math or science than it is to study art or literature.
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Starting this year, the university dining hall will be transformed into The Campus Dining Club for one week at the end of each semester. During the last week of each semester, the dining hall will feature special meals prepared by the university’s culinary arts students. The school feels that this will give students who are studying cooking and food preparation valuable experience that will help them later when they pursue careers. The university has announced that it will charge a small additional fee for these dinners in order to pay for the special gourmet food ingredients that will be required.
The man expresses his opinion about the university’s plan. State his opinion and explain the reasons he gives for holding that opinion.
W: Did you see that article?
M: Yeah, and it sounds like a great idea. It’s really good for the students in that program.
W: Don’t they cook in class anyway?
M: Well, yeah, they do. But my cousin was in the program a few years ago, and she said that it’s very different to cook for a lot of people in that kind of atmosphere than to cook for classmates.
W: Why is that?
M: Well in class you can take your time, but looking for more people there is more pressure, I mean, you are in a rush, people are waiting, and it might be easy to make mistakes with all that stress.
W: Then they’ll think you are a bad chef, right?
M: Absolutely.
W: So, OK, it’s good practice. But what about the extra cost?
M: Well, look at it this way. You’ve eaten at some of the fancier restaurants in town, right?
W: Yeah, there are some great places to eat around here.
M: These students, they’ll be making fantastic meals and it’s gonna be cheaper than going out to those fantastic restaurants.
W: Much cheaper actually.
M: So, you know, it will be worth it, the meals will be as good as the ones in those expensive restaurants.
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Target Marketing
Advertisers in the past have used radio and television in an attempt to provide information about their products to large, general audiences; it was once thought that the best way to sell a product was to advertise it to as many people as possible. However, more recent trends in advertising have turned toward target marketing. Target marketing is the strategy of advertising to smaller, very specific audiences— audiences that have been determined to have the greatest need or desire for the product being marketed. Target marketing has proved to be very effective in reaching potential customers.
Nowadays something you notice more and more is television commercials that are made specifically for certain television programs. So, eh, let’s say, eh, a company wants to sell a telephone, a cell phone. Now during TV shows that young people watch, you know, shows with pop music or teen serials, they create a commercial that emphasizes how fun the phone is, you know, the phone has bright colors, and they show kids having a good time with their friends, and, well, the company wants the kids watching TV at this time to want to buy this phone, this phone it’s made especially for them.
But the same company will make a different commercial to be shown during, say, a program about business or a business news show. Now for this group of people, business people, the company will have to show how efficient their phone is, eh, how it can handle all business easily and maybe even save money. And here’s the thing: it’s basically the same phone! The company has just made two different commercials to appeal to different groups of people.
Using the professor’s examples, explain the advertising technique of target marketing.
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Briefly, summarize the woman’s problem. Then state which solution you would recommend. Explain the reasons for your recommendation.
M: Susan, what happened to your arm?
W: It’s my wrist actually. I sprained it last weekend and I’m kind of upset about it because I’m supposed to play the violin in my string quartet big concert next week. We’ve been practicing for weeks, and we’ve already sold a bunch of tickets.
M: I’m sorry to hear that. What are you gonna do?
W: Well, I was thinking about trying to play anyway. I mean, I really don’t want to let the other three group members down. Plus the doctor said my wrist should be feeling better by then.
M: Oh, OK, so problem solved, right?
W: Not exactly. I’m worried that I’m gonna be out of practice like I haven’t been able to play the violin since I sprained my wrist. What if I don’t play well? I’d make the rest of the group sound bad.
M: Why don’t you ask somebody else to take your place?
W: Well, there’s only one other person I know of who can do it and that’s Jim. He is a great violist and I’m sure he’ll say yes. The thing is he is not very reliable, I mean, I’m in an orchestra with him, and he’s always showing up late for rehearsals.
M: Oh, so you are not sure you can depend on him.
W: Exactly, and we have less than a week left to rehearse for the concert. We’d really need him to show up on time for all of our rehearsals.
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Using points and examples from the talk, explain the two types of motivation.
Why do we do the things we do? What drives us to participate in certain activities, to buy a certain car or even to choose a certain career? In other words, what motivates us to do what we do? Well, in studies of motivation, psychologists distinguish between two very different types: our reasons for doing something, our motivations can be extrinsic, in other words, based on some kind of external rewards like praise or money; or they can be intrinsic, meaning we engage in the activity because it pleases us internally. Both create strong forces that lead us to behave in certain ways. However, intrinsic motivation is generally considered to be more long-lasting than the other.
As I said, extrinsic motivation is external; it’s the desire to behave in a certain way in order to obtain some kind of external reward. A child, for example, who regularly does small jobs around the house, does them not because she enjoys taking out the garbage or doing the dishes, but because she knows if she does these things she’ll be given a small amount of money for doing them. But how motivated would the child be to continue doing the work if her parents suddenly stop giving her money for it?
With intrinsic or internal motivation, we want to do something because we enjoy it or get a sense of accomplishment from it. Most people who are internally motivated get pleasure from the activity, so they just feel good about doing it. For example, I go to the gym several times a week. I don’t go because I’m training for a marathon or anything; I just enjoy it. I have more energy after I exercise and I know it’s good for my health. So it makes me feel good about myself, and that’s what kept me going there for the past five years.
