An old saying has it that half of all advertising budgets are wasted—the trouble is, no one knows which half. In the internet age, at least in theory, this fraction can be much reduced. By watching what people search for, click on and say online, companies can aim “behavioral” ads at those most likely to buy.
In the past couple of weeks a quarrel has illustrated the value to advertisers of such fine-grained information: Should advertisers assume that people are happy to be tracked and sent behavioral ads? Or should they have explicit permission?
In December 2010 America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed adding a “do not track” (DNT) option to internet browsers, so that users could tell advertisers that they did not want to be followed. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari both offer DNT; Google’s Chrome is due to do so this year. In February the FTC and the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) agreed that the industry would get cracking on responding to DNT requests.
On May 31st Microsoft set off the row. It said that Internet Explorer 10, the version due to appear with Windows 8, would have DNT as a default.
Advertisers are horrified. Human nature being what it is, most people stick with default settings. Few switch DNT on now, but if tracking is off it will stay off. Bob Liodice, the chief executive of the Association of National Advertisers, says consumers will be worse off if the industry cannot collect information about their preferences. People will not get fewer ads, he says. “They’ll get less meaningful, less targeted ads.”
It is not yet clear how advertisers will respond. Getting a DNT signal does not oblige anyone to stop tracking, although some companies have promised to do so. Unable to tell whether someone really objects to behavioral ads or whether they are sticking with Microsoft’s default, some may ignore a DNT signal and press on anyway.
Also unclear is why Microsoft has gone it alone. After all, it has an ad business too, which it says will comply with DNT requests, though it is still working out how. If it is trying to upset Google, which relies almost wholly on advertising, it has chosen an indirect method: There is no guarantee that DNT by default will become the norm. DNT does not seem an obviously huge selling point for Windows 8—though the firm has compared some of its other products favorably with Google’s on that count before. Brendon Lynch, Microsoft’s chief privacy officer, blogged: “We believe consumers should have more control.” Could it really be that simple?
1. It is suggested in Paragraph 1 that “behavioral” ads help advertisers to ________.
2. “The industry” (Para. 3) refers to ________.
3. Bob Liodice holds that setting DNT as a default ________.
4. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 6?
5. The author’s attitude towards what Brendon Lynch said in his blog is one of ________.
问题1选项
A.ease competition among themselves
B.lower their operational costs
C.avoid complaints from consumers
D.provide better online services
问题2选项
A.online advertisers
B.e-commerce conductors
C.digital information analysts
D.internet browser developers
问题3选项
A.may cut the number of junk ads
B.fails to affect the ad industry
C.will not benefit consumers
D.goes against human nature
问题4选项
A.DNT may not serve its intended purpose.
B.Advertisers are willing to implement DNT.
C.DNT is losing its popularity among consumers.
D.Advertisers are obliged to offer behavioral ads.
问题5选项
A.indulgence
B.understanding
C.appreciation
D.skepticism
第1题:B
第2题:D
第3题:C
第4题:A
第5题:D
第1题:
【整体分析】
来源:The Economist《经济学人》于2012年6月9日刊登的文章Change of Track(追踪的转变)。
主题:本文主要探讨了互联网时代广告商面临的挑战和争议,以及关于追踪用户行为和投放行为定向广告的讨论。其中,提到了“请勿追踪”(DNT)选项在互联网浏览器中的提出和使用,以及微软在其新版本浏览器中默认启用DNT选项所引发的争议。文章还讨论了广告商对于用户隐私和个性化广告的关注,以及微软单独行动和广告商如何应对的问题。
结构:
【试题解析】
【选项释义】
It is suggested in Paragraph 1 that “behavioral” ads help advertisers to ________. 第1段中提出,“行为”定向广告有助于广告商________。
A. ease competition among themselves A. 缓解他们之间的竞争
B. lower their operational costs B. 降低他们的运营成本
C. avoid complaints from consumers C. 避免消费者的投诉
D. provide better online services D. 提供更好的在线服务
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词“behavioral” ads可以定位到文章第一段最后一句“通过观察人们在网上搜索、点击和表达的内容,公司可以将‘行为’定向广告投放给最有可能购买的人群(companies can aim “behavioral” ads at those most likely to buy)”,说明追踪用户行为再投放定向广告的做法可以帮助广告商减少支出。因此B选项“降低他们的运营成本”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“缓解他们之间的竞争”,C选项“避免消费者的投诉”和D选项“提供更好的在线服务”在文中均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
“The industry” (Para. 3) refers to ________. “The industry”(第3段)指的是________。
A. online advertisers A. 在线广告商
B. e-commerce conductors B. 电子商务公司
C. digital information analysts C. 数字信息分析公司
D. internet browser developers D. 互联网浏览器开发商
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The industry可以定位到文章第三段第二、三句“微软的IE浏览器和苹果的Safari浏览器都提供了DNT选项;谷歌的Chrome浏览器计划在今年提供该选项。今年2月,FTC和数字广告联盟(DAA)达成共识,业界应该尽快回应添加DNT的要求(the industry would get cracking on responding to DNT requests)”,说明该业界指的是上文列举的浏览器开发商,因此D选项“互联网浏览器开发商”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“在线广告商”出现在第五段,属于出处错位;
B选项“电子商务公司”和C选项“数字信息分析公司”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Bob Liodice holds that setting DNT as a default ________. 鲍勃•利奥迪斯认为,将DNT设置为默认________。
A. may cut the number of junk ads A. 可以减少垃圾广告的数量
B. fails to affect the ad industry B. 不能影响广告业
C. will not benefit consumers C. 不会使消费者受益
D. goes against human nature D. 违背了人的本性
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Bob Liodice可以定位到文章第五段第四句“美国广告商协会会长鲍勃•利奥迪斯表示,如果行业不能收集有关用户偏好的信息,消费者将受到损害(consumers will be worse off)”,说明鲍勃•利奥迪斯认为,将DNT设置为默认不利于消费者,因此C选项“不会使消费者受益”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“可以减少垃圾广告的数量”,由People will not get fewer ads(人们不会看到更少的广告)可知,广告的数量不会减少,属于反向干扰;
B选项“不能影响广告业”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
D选项“违背了人的本性”,由Human nature being what it is, most people stick with default settings.(人性使然,大多数人会保留默认设置。)可知,保留默认设置是符合人性的,属于反向干扰。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 6? 根据第6段,以下哪项是正确的?
A. DNT may not serve its intended purpose. A. DNT可能无法达到其预期目的。
B. Advertisers are willing to implement DNT. B. 广告商愿意实施DNT。
C. DNT is losing its popularity among consumers. C. DNT在消费者中正在失去其受欢迎程度。
D. Advertisers are obliged to offer behavioral ads. D. 广告商有义务提供行为定向广告。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Paragraph 6可以定位到文章第六段最后一句“由于无法判断某个人是否真的反对行为定向广告,或者只是保留了微软的默认设置,一些公司可能会忽略DNT信号,继续进行追踪(ignore a DNT signal and press on anyway)”,说明一些公司会无视DNT信号,使得DNT的预期目的无法实现,因此A选项“DNT可能无法达到其预期目的。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“广告商愿意实施DNT。”,由some may ignore a DNT signal and press on anyway(一些公司可能会忽略DNT信号,继续进行追踪)可知,广告商不愿意实施DNT,属于反向干扰;
C选项“DNT在消费者中正在失去其受欢迎程度。”和D选项“广告商有义务提供行为定向广告。”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
The author’s attitude towards what Brendon Lynch said in his blog is one of ________. 作者对布伦登•林奇在其博客中所说的话的态度是________。
A. indulgence A. 纵容
B. understanding B. 理解
C. appreciation C. 欣赏
D. skepticism D. 怀疑
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Brendon Lynch可以定位到文章最后一段倒数第一、二句“微软的首席隐私官布伦登•林奇在博客中写道:‘我们相信消费者应该拥有更多的控制权。’难道事情真的那么简单吗(Could it really be that simple?)”,说明作者认为事情不像布伦登•林奇所说的那么简单,对其观点持怀疑态度,因此D选项“怀疑”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“纵容”,B选项“理解”和C选项“欣赏”在文中均无法体现,属于无中生有。
【重点词汇】
fraction /ˈfrækʃən/ n. 分数;部分
behavioral /bɪˈheɪvjərəl/ adj. 行为的;行为学的
explicit /ɪkˈsplɪsɪt/ adj. 明确的;清楚的
advertiser /ˈædvərtaɪzər/ n. 广告商
horrifying /ˈhɔːrɪfaɪɪŋ/ adj. 令人恐惧的;可怕的
objection /əbˈdʒɛkʃən/ n. 反对意见;异议
default /dɪˈfɔːlt/ n. 默认设置
comply /kəmˈplaɪ/ v. 遵守;服从
indirect /ˌɪndəˈrɛkt/ adj. 间接的;迂回的
guarantee /ˌɡærənˈtiː/ n. 保证;担保
stick with 坚持;保持
go it alone 独自行动;单干
work out 解决;算出;制定
press on 坚持;继续前进
set off 引发;触发
get cracking on 迅速开始;加紧进行
compare favorably with 与……相比较有优势
【长难句分析】
1. Unable to tell whether someone really objects to behavioral ads or whether they are sticking with Microsoft’s default, some may ignore a DNT signal and press on anyway.
【结构分析】
【补充分析】
① Unable to tell为形容词短语作原因状语,解释了有些公司可能会忽略 DNT 信号并继续追踪的原因;
② 两个whether引导了宾语从句,作tell的宾语,解释了广告商无法判断的两种情况,即某人是否真正反对行为定向广告以及他们是否坚持使用微软的默认设置。
【参考译文】由于无法判断某个人是否真的反对行为定向广告,或者只是保留了微软的默认设置,一些公司可能会忽略DNT信号,继续进行追踪。
2. If it is trying to upset Google, which relies almost wholly on advertising, it has chosen an indirect method.
【结构分析】
【补充分析】
① If引导条件状语从句,提供一个假设或条件,以解释微软采取行动的动机或目的;
② which引导定语从句,修饰Google,进一步描述了Google的特征,强调了Google几乎完全依赖广告这一情况。
【参考译文】如果微软试图挑衅几乎完全依赖广告的谷歌,那么他们选择了一种间接的方式。
【全文翻译】
有句老话说,广告预算中有一半是浪费的——问题是,没有人知道哪一半是浪费的。在互联网时代,至少在理论上,这个比例可以大大减少。通过观察人们在网上搜索、点击和表达的内容,公司可以将“行为”定向广告投放给最有可能购买的人群。
在过去的几周中,一场争论说明了这种详细信息对广告商的价值:广告商应该假定人们乐意被追踪并接收行为定向广告吗?还是说他们应该获得明确的许可?
2010年12月,美国联邦贸易委员会(FTC)提议在互联网浏览器中增加“请勿追踪”(DNT)选项,以便用户告诉广告商他们不想被追踪。微软的IE浏览器和苹果的Safari浏览器都提供了DNT选项;谷歌的Chrome浏览器计划在今年提供该选项。今年2月,FTC和数字广告联盟(DAA)达成共识,业界应该尽快回应添加DNT的要求。
5月31日,微软引发了这场争议。他们表示,即将与Windows 8操作系统一起推出的IE10浏览器将默认启用DNT选项。
广告商感到震惊。人性使然,大多数人会保留默认设置。目前很少有人会打开DNT选项,但如果追踪是默认关闭的,它将一直处于关闭状态。美国广告商协会会长鲍勃•利奥迪斯表示,如果行业不能收集有关用户偏好的信息,消费者将受到损害。他说,人们不会看到更少的广告,只会看到更没有意义、针对性更弱的广告。
广告商如何应对尚不清楚。接收到DNT信号并不意味着必须停止追踪,尽管一些公司已承诺这样做。由于无法判断某个人是否真的反对行为定向广告,或者只是保留了微软的默认设置,一些公司可能会忽略DNT信号,继续进行追踪。
微软为什么单独行动也不清楚。毕竟,微软也有自己的广告业务,他们表示将遵守DNT请求,不过具体实施方案仍在研究中。如果微软试图挑衅几乎完全依赖广告的谷歌,那么他们选择了一种间接的方式:没人能保证默认设置DNT会成为行业标准。DNT对于Windows 8来说似乎并不是一个显而易见的突出卖点,尽管该公司之前曾将自己的其他产品与谷歌进行过比较,确实更胜一筹。微软的首席隐私官布伦登•林奇在博客中写道:“我们相信消费者应该拥有更多的控制权。”难道事情真的那么简单吗?