Fresh Fish

Don Pedro wishes to attract the attention of the entire neighbourhood upon opening his new shop and for this reason spends a great deal of money on a sign. In bright colours, the sign bears the following words: FRESH FISH IS SOLD HERE. The very day of the shop’s opening a customer tells Don Pedro: "Why do you have the word HERE on the sign? Every­one knows that it is here and not on the other block where fish is sold. The word HERE is unnecessary."

The observation seems reasonable to Don Pedro. So he calls the painter and has the word HERE removed from the sign.

A few days later, a lady convinced Don Pedro that the words IS SOLD are not needed, since nobody is going to assume that the fish is given away free in the shop.

Without the words IS SOLD the sign will be much more beautiful, says the lady. “The only words that are necessary are FRESH FISH.”

Thoroughly convinced, Don Pedro calls his painter and has the words IS SOLD removed.

But the same week an employee from the telephone company comes around and after praising the beauty of the sign, says: “It seems to me that the word FRESH is one too many. No one is going to doubt that your fish is not fresh. How can you sell it rotten? You must remove the word FRESH. FISH is enough.”

Convinced again, Don Pedro calls his painter and has word FRESH removed. Good Heavens, how many expenses the fa­mous sign brings about! But now it is very nice with only one word FISH. In spite of everything, Don Pedro feels satisfied.

But his joy doesn’t last long. In a few days a friend of his, who lives in the country, passes through there, and shouts to him from the sidewalk across the street: "What a fool you are, Pedro! From far away everyone can tell, from the smell, that it is here where fish is sold. Why do you need that sign? The word FISH is not needed. Everyone knows that it is fish and not perfume which you sell here."

And poor Don Pedro, desperate, has the last word removed.

Questions:

1. Why did Don Pedro put a sign on his new shop? How do we call it now?

2. Why did the sign prove worthless? Do you agree with it?

3. What could Don Pedro have written on his sign to make it worthwhile?

2.31. Read the passage below on the advertisement. What do you think about it? Does it really influence people’s decision-making when shopping? What ways of advertising are used in Russia? Can people trust ads? Discuss these questions in class.

Advertisements are everywhere, from columns of small classified advertisements f or houses, jobs, cars, etc. in newspapers to big posters on walls and enormous advertisements on hoardings by the side of the road. The job of the advertising agencies is to publicise the products of the firms which and employ them. They design eye-catching advertisements and make television commercials to persuade us to buy, buy, and buy.

But things are not always as good as they are described in ads. According to a report released in 2002 by the US Federal Nrade Commission half of all weight-loss ads, whether in print, on television, or on the Internet, make false claims

	2.32. a)Look at the ads below and try to guess what they may be publicizing. Discuss your ideas in a small group.
		b) Look at the things that were really advertised by the pictures above and match the slogans with the pictures.

1) “Shell is making waves for cleaner engines”

2) “Wash out your hair-monsters. Sunsilk anti-flat”

3) “Renault. Creatures of comfort”

4) “The Golden’s Gym 3-Apple a Day Plan”

	c) Pick up one thing and make up an ad for it to be broadcast on TV or radio. Present your ad to class.
	2.33. Read the passage below about an interesting way of selling and buying goods in the US and Britain. Have a garage sale organized in your group. Bring pictures of the things (or the things!) you would like to sell and talk your group mates into buying them.

Garage/Yard Sales

You may find inexpensive used household items, clothing, sports equipment or furniture at garage and yard sales. These are sales of personal objects by individuals at their home. Purchase and use of these items is considered culturally acceptable. At a garage sale, you may negotiate the price of items you are interested in purchasing. Some people go gaga over old or even antique things you might find there. Often people selling their belongings don’t even know the real price of the things.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27