英语博客:Smart shopping

Junk mail can be a real pain sometimes. You know the kind: offers from credit card companies, catalogues that you will never use, and all sorts of letters and advertisements that try to get you to spend money in some way or other. I receive a lot of coupons² in the mail, mainly from local supermarkets where I shop. Now these are actually useful. Most people I know use coupons at least part of the time; it's a smart way to shop. My sister-in-law is an expert at using coupons. When the coupons come out in the local newspaper on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she spreads them out on her kitchen countertop, and when she has time, she scans all of them, searching for the ones that she can put to use. Because she has done this for so long, she is quite knowledgeable³ about what is a good deal and what isn't. To be a good coupon¹ user, you must always keep them close to your shopping list, and remember to throw the expired ones away. Coupons have been around for a long time. It was in 1887 that Coca-Cola started using new advertising⁴ ideas. One of these was to put coupons in newspapers. By 1913 8,500,000 free drinks had been consumed, but the company had grown so much that the drink was being consumed in every state. Now, each year, coupons generate 3 billion dollars in sales. Now that's a lot of sales. So, the little pile of coupons that I receive each day in the mail (post) is just a tiny part of that advertising machine, trying to get us to spend money by saving money. It's a great idea when you think of it.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: catalogue, to scan, knowledgeable, expired/ expiration⁵ date, to generate.

1. I ordered some new shoes from a catalogue.

2. The hunter scanned the field to see if there were any deer there.

3. The professor really knows his subject well; he is truly knowledgeable.

4. The cheese spread had expired; its expiration date was two months ago.

5. Our advertising campaign has generated a huge amount of sales.

 

1 coupon   

n.息票，配给票，附单

参考例句：

• The coupon can be used once only.此优惠券只限使用一次。
• I have a coupon for ten pence off a packet of soap.我有一张优惠券买一盒肥皂可以便宜十便士。

2 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

3 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

4 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

5 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。