A
Do you ever find yourself spending time on product reviews when you buy something online, only to find that the product you bought is junk(废物)?New research led by Dr. Powell of Stanford University may explain why this happens:it boils down to the number of reviews a product has.
The study found that when choosing between two products online, people tend to favor the one with more reviews despite the fact that the more reviewed product is of lower quality. This is because when shopping online, consumers engage(从事)in a type of “social learning”, where they learn from observing the decisions of other people and the results of those decisions. People attach more importance to the choices of others. When evaluating online products, the item’s rating and number of reviews can be helpful to an unsure customer. But a new study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that consumers don’t check those figures to learn their true meaning enough. So they fail to do a simple task when viewing online rating and reviews, leading them to purchase products of poor quality.
When shopping online, consumers engaging in social learning become informed from the decisions of others. For example, you’re more likely to buy a book at the top of the New York Times’ best-sellers list or buy an app that’s been downloaded millions of times. But looking at other people’s choices is only a part of social learning. However, how people understand or fail to understand this data is affecting their decision-making in a negative way. Overcoming this bias(偏见)is difficult because consumers find comfort in popularity.
Powell and his colleagues also found evidence of this trend beyond the study. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that better things don’t become more popular, but as a consumer, when you’re looking at the number of reviews, it’s not telling you anything, ” said Dr. Powell.
【语篇概述】本文是一篇说明文, 介绍了斯坦福大学鲍威尔博士所进行的一项新研究“为什么人们在网上购物花很多时间去看顾客对商品的评论, 而结果却发现买的是一些质量差的东西”, 他得出了结论:归根结底, 人们过于重视一个产品获得的评论数量, 但是作为消费者, 评论的数量并不能告诉你任何东西。
1. What does the underlined phrase “boils down to” probably mean? ______
A. is equal to B. results in
C. is due to D. focuses on
【解析】选C。词义猜测题。从第一段画线短语前的New research led by Dr. Powell of Stanford University may explain why this happens可知, 后半句句意:其原因就是其评论的数量。故选C。
2. What belief do unsure consumers hold when purchasing products?
A. Rating determines quality.
B. Popularity is good.
C. Bad reviews should be ignored.
D. More-reviewed products are poor.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。从第二段中的When evaluating online products, the item’s rating and number of reviews can be helpful to an unsure customer. 及第三段中的Overcoming this bias is difficult because consumers find comfort in popularity. 可知, 对产品不确定的消费者往往在购买产品时持有“流行就是好的”的信念。故选B。
3. What do Dr. Powell’s words mean in the last paragraph?
A. The product’s rating and number of reviews often fail to reflect true quality.
B. Usually consumers will find much comfort in popularity.
C. Consumers should distinguish good things and bad things.
D. Consumers should follow others when buying things online.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。最后一段中鲍威尔博士说, 这并不一定意味着更好的东西不会变得更受欢迎, 但是作为消费者, 当你看到评论的数量时, 它并没有告诉你任何东西。 由此可知, 鲍威尔博士要表达的是“对产品的评论并不能反映其真正的质量”故选A。
4. What is probably the best title of the text?
A. How to Purchase Online
B. Why We Buy Junk Online
C. Why We Ignore Bad Reviews
D. How to Review a Product
【解析】选B。主旨大意题。本文为说明文, 通过鲍威尔博士的一项研究向读者解释人们在网上购物时往往会买到质量差的东西的原因, 下文对这一现象进行剖析, 故这篇文章最好的标题是Why We Buy Junk Online。故选B。
