II. Grammar and vocabulary
Section A
Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, fill in each blank with one proper word. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.
Pop-up Shops Are Gaining Popularity
The retail business may be suffering in Hong Kong, but pop-up shops have become popular with the brands looking to reconnect with the local consumers.
Although the pop-up is not a new concept, the market is welcoming it with open arms. It ____21____ (regard) as a testing ground for promoting new products, while offering shoppers a more personalized brand interaction. It is believed that the pop-up effect primarily benefits small retailers and young designers, both of ____22____ expect to connect with their customers for lack of a physical store. On the other hand, they try to avoid long-term contract.
“As we are a young brand, it’s difficult for customers to find us. We’re ____23____ (likely) to have a permanent store since the barriers to entry are so high,” says the founder of fashion label PT’A. “With the pop-up, we sell in person and have that one-to-one contact with our customers. We see our sales soar dramatically ____24____ we do pop-ups.”
It is not just small retailers and young designers that are benefiting. With the market ____25____ (shift) from physical retail to e-commerce, online-only brands such as Grana have used pop-up shops as a way to complement their brand. Customers are able to try out the products firsthand, and then shop online at their convenience. Additionally, established brands are also using pop-ups to excite shoppers. Shiseido, for example, once did a pop-up ____26____ (promote) one of their specific line of lipsticks. It is otherwise difficult to do in their current retail spaces ____27____ they have to accommodate their entire product line.
While some industry insiders insist that it is a short-term trend ____28____ (drive) by a bad economy, others see benefits in the long run. Landlords are also changing their minds. In essence, pop-up shops are mutually beneficial to both the landlord and the retailer.
“Personally, I don’t think pop-ups are a passing trend. From what we ____29____ (learn) from our customers so far, they are always looking for unique products and experiences, exactly _____30_____ that pop-up shops can offer. I believe they will remain an enduring experiential marketing platform,” says the manager of a small retailer.
【答案】21. is regarded
22. whom 23. less likely
24. when/ after
25. shifting
26. to promote
27. as 28. driven
29. have learned
30. something
