Text 4
There will eventually come a day when The New York Times ceases to publish stories on newsprint. Exactly when that day will be is a matter of debate. "Sometime in the future," the paper's publisher said back in 2010.
Nostalgia for ink on paper and the rustle of pages aside, there's plenty of incentive to ditch print. The infrastructure required to make a physical newspaper—printing presses, delivery trucks—isn't just expensive; it's excessive at a time when online-only competitors don't have the same set of financial constraints. Readers are migrating away from print anyway. And though print ad sales still dwarf their online and mobile counterparts, revenue from print is still declining.
Overhead may be high and circulation may be lower, but rushing to eliminate its print edition would be a mistake, says BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti.
Peretti says the Times shouldn't waste time getting out of the print business, but only if they go about doing it the right way. "Figuring out a way to accelerate that transition would make sense for them," he said, "but if you discontinue it, you're going to have your most loyal customers really upset with you."
Sometimes that's worth making a change anyway. Peretti gives the example of Netflix discontinuing its DVD-mailing service to focus on streaming.* "It was seen as a blunder," he said. The move turned out to be foresighted. And if Peretti were in charge at The New York Times? "I wouldn’t pick a year to end print," he said. "I would raise prices and make it into more of a legacy product."
The most loyal customers would still get the product they favor, the idea goes, and they'd feel like they were helping sustain the quality of something they believe in. "So if you're overpaying for print, you could feel like you were helping," Peretti said. "Then increase it as a higher rate each year and essentially try to generate additional revenue." In other words, if you're going to make a print product, make it for the people who are already obsessed with it. Which may be what the Times is doing already. Getting the print edition seven days a week costs nearly $500 a year—more than twice as much as a digital-only subscription.
"It's a really hard thing to do and it's a tremendous luxury that BuzzFeed doesn't have a legacy business," Peretti remarked. "But we're going to have questions like that where we have things we're doing that don't make sense when the market changes and the world changes. In those situations, it's better to be more aggressive than less aggressive."
36. The New York Times is considering ending its print edition partly due to .
A. the high cost of operation
B. the pressure from its investors
C. the complaints from its readers
D. the increasing online ad sales
37. Peretti suggests that, in face of the present situation, the Times should .
A. seek new sources of readership
B. end the print edition for good
C. aim for efficient management
D. make strategic adjustments
38. It can be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6 that a ―legacy product .
A. helps restore the glory of former times
B. is meant for the most loyal customers
C. will have the cost of printing reduced
D. expands the popularity of the paper
39. Peretti believes that, in a changing world .
A. legacy businesses are becoming outdated
B. cautiousness facilitates problem-solving
C. aggressiveness better meets challenges
D. traditional luxuries can stay unaffected
40. Which of the following would be the best title of the text?
A. Shift to Online Newspapers All at Once
B. Cherish the Newspaper Still in Your Hand
C. Make Your Print Newspaper a Luxury Good
D. Keep Your Newspapers Forever in Fashion
【参考答案】ADBCC
Part B
Directions: Read the following texts and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subheading from the list A-G for each of the numbered paragraphs (41-45). There are two extra subheadings. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
A. Create a new image of yourself
B. Have confidence in yourself
C. Decide if the time is right
D. Understand the context
E. Work with professionals
F. Make it efficient
G. Know your goals
No matter how formal or informal the work environment, the way you present yourself has an impact. This is especially true in first impressions. According to research from Princeton University, people assess your competence, trustworthiness, and like ability in just a tenth of a second, solely based on the way you look.
The difference between today’s workplace and the ―dress for success‖ era is that the range of options is so much broader. Norms have evolved and fragmented. In some settings, red sneakers or dress t-shirts can convey status; in others not so much. Plus, whatever image we present is magnified by social-media services like LinkedIn. Chances are, your head shots are seen much more often now than a decade or two ago. Millennials, it seems, face the paradox of being the least formal generation yet the most conscious of style and personal branding. It can be confusing. So how do we navigate this? How do we know when to invest in an upgrade? And what’s the best way to pull off one that enhances our goals? Here are some tips:
41.
As an executive coach, I’ve seen image upgrades be particularly helpful during transitions— when looking for a new job, stepping into a new or more public role, or changing work environments. If you’re in a period of change or just feeling stuck and in a rut, now may be a good time. If you’re not sure, ask for honest feedback from trusted friends, colleagues and professionals. Look for cues about how others perceive you. Maybe there’s no need for an upgrade and that’s OK.
42.
Get clear on what impact you’re hoping to have. Are you looking to refresh your image or pivot it? For one person, the goal may be to be taken more seriously and enhance their professional image. For another, it may be to be perceived as more approachable, or more modern and stylish. For someone moving from finance to advertising, maybe they want to look more "So Ho". (It’s OK to use characterizations like that.)
43.
Look at your work environment like an anthropologist. What are the norms of your environment? What conveys status? Who are your most important audiences? How do the people you respect and look up to present themselves? The better you understand the cultural context, the more control you can have over your impact.
44.
Enlist the support of professionals and share with them your goals and context. Hire a personal stylist, or use the free styling service of a store like J·Crew·Try a hair stylist instead of a barber. Work with a professional photographer instead of your spouse or friend. It’s not as expensive as you might think.
45.
The point of a style upgrade isn’t to become more vain or to spend more time fussing over what to wear. Instead, use it as an opportunity to reduce decision fatigue. Pick a standard work uniform or a few go-to options. Buy all your clothes at once with a stylist instead of shopping alone, one article of clothing at a time.
【参考答案】CGDEF
