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  3. The global financial crisis of 2008 hit consumers hard. Two years later, and they’re still reeling. Spending is down across the

The global financial crisis of 2008 hit consumers hard. Two years later, and they’re still reeling. Spending is down across the

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问题     The global financial crisis of 2008 hit consumers hard. Two years later, and they’re still reeling. Spending is down across the board, and even the more affluent are watching their pennies. In this fearful climate, retailers are applying ever more scientific and psychological tactics to lure them back. This was made clear to me on a memorable day in 2010 when I visited the laboratory outside of Chicago of one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers.
    After driving for nearly two hours, I reached my destination: a huge, imposing warehouse, with no outward sign, and a vast parking lot full of cars. A friendly receptionist checked my identity, had me sign all sorts of paperwork, and directed me through a door labeled Control Room. It was massive, and resembled images I’ve seen of NASA’s operations area—row upon row of people staring intently at hundreds of screens, only they were monitoring shoppers pushing carts around the aisles of a supermarket that had been designed to test their responses to different marketing strategies. "Take a careful look at this lady," said one of the monitors, pointing to a middle-aged woman on the screen. " She’s about to enter our latest speed-bump area. It’s designed to have her spend 45 seconds longer in this section, which can increase her average spend by as much as 73%. I call it the zone of seduction.
    This particular section of the market was different from the usual aisle. For a start, it had different floor tiles—a type of pattern conveying a sense of quality. And instead of the cart gliding imperceptibly across nondescript carpet, it made a ringing sound, causing the shopper to instinctively slow down. The shopper’s speed was displayed at the top of the screen, and as soon as she entered the zone, her pace noticeably slowed.
    Over several months of experimenting with signs, the team noticed that using a dollar sign in front of the price decreases our likelihood of making the purchase. The dollar sign is a symbol of cost, rather than gain. Removing the sign helps the consumer escape the harsh reality of outstanding bills and longer-term financial concerns. No doubt the larger cart and the changed floor tiles also played their part, but what was most surprising was our need to hoard. A pronouncement allowing only three cans per customer can seal a deal.
    The next time you go grocery shopping, take a look at the signs, the type of floor, and even the carts. Everything has been designed with an eye towards getting you to grab those three cans of something that was not on your list. The more attention you pay to the details, the more aware you’ll become of how you’re being manipulated. One thing is for certain; whoever made those three cans will be watching you just as closely.
The word "imperceptibly" (Paragraph Three) probably means
选项 A、inconspicuously.
B、quickly.
C、difficultly.
D、gradually.
答案A
解析 语义题。定位至第三段第三句，由第二句可知减速区的地面铺设有特殊图案的地砖，而由购物车推过地砖时会发出声响可以推断，前面是指在地毯上推过时无声无息，自然难以引起人们的注意，inconspicuously意为“难以觉察地”，符合此处语境，故A为答案。
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