Travel style quiz

How much travel do you do? Do you like to travel? What do you most value or enjoy about traveling? Where was the last place you traveled? Describe the experience. Where would you like to travel next? Why?

adventure · an unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activity such as a journey or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity  • appealing · attractive or interesting  • athlete · a person who is very good at sports or physical exercise, especially one who competes in organized events  • camp · to put up a tent and stay in it for a short while, for example while on holiday  • category · (in a system for dividing things according to appearance, quality, etc.) a type, or a group of things having some features that are the same  • check out · to go to a place in order to see what it is like  • chef · a skilled and trained cook who works in a hotel or restaurant, especially the most important cook  • communicate · to share information with others by speaking, writing, moving your body or using other signals  • concert · a performance of music by one or more musicians or singers  • cruise · a journey on a large ship for pleasure, during which you visit several places  • exotic · unusual and often exciting because of coming (or seeming to come) from a distant, especially tropical country  • expert · a person with a high level of knowledge or skill; a specialist  • explorer · someone who travels to places where no one has ever been in order to find out what is there  • expression · the look on someone’s face, showing what they feel or think  • gallery · a room or building which is used for showing works of art, sometimes so that they can be sold  • gesture · a movement of the hands, arms or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling  • guest of honor · the most important person at a social occasion  • guide · a person whose job is showing a place or a particular route to visitors  • hike · a long walk, especially in the countryside  • historic site · a place that is important in history  • spring · a place where water naturally flows out from the ground  • lottery · a game, often organized by the state or a charity in order to make money, in which numbered tickets are sold to people who then have a chance of winning a prize if their number is chosen  • luxurious · very comfortable and expensive  • museum · a building where objects of historical, scientific or artistic interest are kept  • picnic · an occasion when you take a meal with you to eat outside in an informal way, or the food itself  • remote · describes an area, house or village that is a long way from any towns or cities  • resort · a place where many people go for rest, sport or another stated purpose  • spa · a town where water comes out of the ground and people come to drink it or lie in it because they think it will improve their health  • specialty · a product that is extremely good in a particular place  • steer · to take someone or something, or cause them to go, in the direction in which you want them to go  • tense · nervous and anxious and unable to relax  • well-being · the state of feeling healthy and happy  • wilderness · an area of land that has not been cultivated or had towns and roads built on it, especially because it is difficult to live in as a result of its extremely cold or hot weather or bad earth  • wildlife · animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions

01 If you were planning a dinner party, which of these people would you most want to invite?

A A famous explorer.

B A famous writer.

C A famous chef.

D A famous well-being expert.

E A famous athlete.

Why did you make the choice you did? Can you think of a specific person you would want to invite as your guest of honor? Have you ever hosted a party? If you have, describe it. Do you enjoy going to parties? What type of party do you most enjoy?

02 Which of these activities sounds most appealing to you?

A Hiking in a forest and swimming in a remote lake.

B Visiting historic sites and museums.

C Riding a cruise ship while enjoying its luxurious spa.

D Enjoying a picnic lunch with your family and friends in the mountains.

E Riding around a wildlife area and spotting wild animals.

Why did you make the choice you did? How often do you go hiking and where do you usually go? What historic sites and museums in Taiwan do you think are most worth visiting? Have you ever taken a cruise? What is a good place for a picnic and what kind of lunch do you think is good for a picnic? Have you done the activity described in E? If so, what where and what was it like?

03 Which of these outdoor vacations most appeals to you?

A Camping in the wilderness.

B Hiking in hills with many historic sites.

C Visiting a luxurious hot spring resort.

D Traveling alone through the countryside meeting people.

E Going deep-sea fishing.

Have you ever had a vacation like one of those listed? If so, describe the experience. How many times have you gone camping, and where did you do it? How often to you go to hot springs? Have you ever gone fishing? Which of the five vacations listed seems least appealing to you?

04 If you suddenly had an unexpected day off from work or classes, which of these would be closest to your “dream day”?

A Riding your bike all over your city, trying to find at least one new interesting place each hour. 

B Spending the day at your favorite museum and then going to a little bookstore for a reading by a famous poet. 

C Some fun shopping, followed by a bath in a hot spring, and then a long, delicious five-course French dinner. 

D A whole day of yoga classes, then with a healthy dinner for two with your beloved. 

E Spending the morning in bed and the afternoon laying in the sun, followed by cocktails at sunset and bowling in the evening.

Have you actually spent a day off the way you chose? Which of the activities listed have you actually done? Think back to the last time you had no work or study to do—how did you spend the day? Which of the ways to spend a day that are listed do you find least appealing?

05 If you found $100 and couldn’t return it to the owner, how would you spend it?

A Spend it all on lottery tickets to try to get even more money.

B Buy tickets for the best seats at a concert by a famous musical group.

C Spend it on a fancy meal.

D Put it in the bank.

E Buy some snacks and drinks and have a party for your best friends.

Why did you make the choice you did? Have you ever found a large amount of money? If so, what did you do with it? If not, what would you do if you did? If you had to spend the money on a fancy meal, where would you probably go and what kind of food would you have?

06 Which of these ways of spending an evening sounds most pleasant to you?

A Go for a long drive along the seacoast and stop for drinks at an out-of-the-way coffee shop or bar.

B See a play and then go dancing to live music.

C Shop at expensive stores.

D Have an out-of-town friend to your house for dinner and sitting around afterward chatting.

E Hike up to a hilltop outside of town to enjoy night views of the city.

Where would you go if you were to do A? Have you ever seen a play? Have you ever gone dancing? Where do you most enjoy shopping? What is a good place to enjoy a night view of Taipei? How do usually spend your evenings?

07 What would you order on your first visit to a new restaurant?

A Anything that looked unfamiliar and exotic.

B The specialty of the house.

C Whatever the chef recommended.

D A dish that you loved as a child.

E Something simple and fun to eat with your hands.

What are some examples of dishes that you loved as a child? Do you still often eat these dishes? Do you still like them? What was the last new restaurant you visited? What did you order? In which of the categories listed did it belong? What restaurant is probably your favorite? What is the most exotic dish served there? What is the specialty of the house?

08 If a stranger began a conversation with you on the bus, what would most likely happen?

A You would steer the conversation to your favorite sport and see if this person might be a good playing partner for the coming weekend.

B Your would ask if the person had read anything interesting, and decide whether to talk further depending on the answer.

C You would stay quiet, or at least try to end the conversation as soon as possible.

D You would end up sharing your thoughts about “deep” topics until the bus came to your stop.

E You would use the situation to chat freely about your favorite hobby.

Do strangers often start up conversations with you? Can you think of an especially memorable conversation that you had with a stranger? Have you ever started up a conversation with a stranger? If so, why did you do it? Describe the experience. Would you be more likely to start up a conversation with a foreigner than someone Taiwanese? What type of person would you be most likely to start a conversation with?

09 If you had just moved to a new city, how would spend your first days there?

A Exploring all over your new city.

B Checking out some of the bookstores, movie houses, theaters, and galleries.

C Joining a local club to get started making new friends.

D Calling family and friends in the city where you used to live.

E Checking out the local sporting areas, such as golf course, tennis courts, and so on.

When did you move to the city (or part of the city) where you now live? How well do you think you know the city? How did you spend your first days there? What places have you lived in? Which was your favorite, and why? Which was your least favorite, and why? Where would you like to live in the future? Why?

10 How difficult is it for you to communicate with people who don’t speak your language?

A Language is never a problem, because you have all kinds of facial expressions and hand gestures to make yourself understood.

B You speak many languages, so communication never seems to be a problem.

C Everyone should speak your language, so you don’t really want to bother learning to speak a foreign language.

D Who needs language? You connect with people in a much deeper way.

E You always learn a few foreign phrases when you travel abroad, because you don’t want anything getting in the way of having a good time.

What foreign languages have you learned? Which do you speak best? Which is your favorite? Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? If so, did you have trouble communicating with the people there? Have you ever met any foreigners traveling in Taiwan? If so, describe the experience.

11 How do you feel about knowing facts about a place you’re visiting?

A You don’t need or want to know anything about a place before you visit. You think it’s more important just to see and feel how it is and don’t really care about its history or other details.

B You try to find out as much as possible about the place before you visit.

C You would pay for a guide to explain interesting facts about the place.

D You would just do whatever other people you were traveling were doing.

E You don’t think it’s really worth the effort to learn about different places.

What place that you have visited most impressed you? Why? Have you ever been a guide for someone else? If so, where did you take this person, and why? What famous place do you know the most about?

12 How do you feel being by yourself in a place you’ve never been?

A You would feel excited by the possibility of adventure. In fact, you often get into trouble when you’re traveling alone, but often come back with great stories.

B You would be happy to be by yourself because it would let you see and do what you wanted.

C You would feel comfortable only if you could stay in fancy hotels and eat in expensive restaurants so you could be in a familiar, comfortable environment

D You would feel tense or lonely.

E You wouldn’t mind, but would go crowded events or places so that you’d be surrounded by people.

What is your best travel story? Do you tend to travel alone or with other people? Where did you go the last time you traveled? In which of the categories listed did it belong? Describe the experience. Where do you plan to go when you next travel? Why?

What is Your Travel Personality?

TO FIND YOUR RESULT: Add up the total number of A, B, C, D, E answers. The answer you gave most often corresponds to the type given below:

A = You Are an Adventurous Traveler 

You enjoy new challenges and experiences when you travel. You appreciate off-the-beaten-track destinations and unusual activities. You also like outdoor and sports-oriented activities such as safaris, scuba, sailing, biking, and hiking. 

For you, travel is an opportunity to get outside, play hard, and escape your everyday life. 

B = You Are a Cultural Traveler 

You enjoy stays in cities and world capitals–visiting museums, taking history tours, and seeing major attractions. You also appreciate local or regional holidays and festivals, speaking foreign languages, shopping for local handicrafts, and meeting local people. 

For you, travel is an opportunity to discover more about the world and its different cultures. 

C = You Are a Pampered Traveler 

You appreciate comfort and luxury. Fancy resorts, glamorous cruises, private yacht charters, upscale tours, spas with skilled masseuses, villas with white-gloved butlers–all these were invented just for you. 

For you, travel is the ideal occasion for experiencing the finer things in life. 

D = You Are a Quality-Time Traveler 

You enjoy vacations that afford plenty of time with special people, such as family vacations, taking your kids to visit grandparents, and couples getaways to revive romance. You also like trips that have a self-help component, such as relationship workshops, yoga retreats, and religious or spiritual pilgrimages. 

For you, travel is an opportunity to enhance facets of yourself or your relationships. 

E = You Are a Rest-and-Recreation Traveler 

You appreciate vacations that focus on relaxation–beaches, mountain retreats, secluded islands, places that let you get away from it all. You also look for vacations that include recreational activities such as playing golf or tennis, swimming, fishing, reading, and other hobbies. 

For you, travel presents just the right opportunity for hanging out and having fun–the two things you never have enough time to do at home.

Former drug enforcement officer’s speech

Have you heard the news about the singer and actress Tsai Pei-lin  (蔡裴琳) being arrested for possession of marijuana? How do you feel about this news? What do you think of Tsai in general? What do you think of her work? Does her arrest change your opinion of her in any way?

addictive · An addictive drug is one which you cannot stop taking once you have started  • agonize · If you agonize over/about something, you spend time anxiously trying to make a decision about it  • cage · a space surrounded on all sides by bars or wire, in which animals or birds are kept  • crime · illegal activity  • deal · sell  • degenerate · having low standards of behavior  • destroy · to damage something so badly that it does not exist or cannot be used  • enforce · to make people obey a law  • entertainer · someone whose job is to entertain people by singing, telling jokes, etc  • evidence · one or more reasons for believing that something is or is not true  • evil · immoral, cruel, or very unpleasant  • ignorant · not having enough knowledge, understanding or information about something  • inmate · a person who is kept in a prison  • (il)legal · (not) allowed by the law  • marijuana (= “pot”) · a usually illegal drug made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which produces a feeling of pleasant relaxation if smoked or eaten  • offender · a person who is guilty of a crime  • outlaw · to make something illegal  • overdose · too much of a drug taken or given at one time, either intentionally or by accident   • pee · to excrete urine from the body  • plant · a living thing which grows in earth, in water or on other plants, and usually has a stem, leaves, roots and flowers and produces seeds  • possess · to have or own something  • primary · more important than anything else; main  • prison · a building where criminals are forced to live as a punishment  • proportion · the number or amount of a group or part of something when compared to the whole  • punish · to cause someone who has done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer, by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, sending them to prison, etc  • racist · someone who believes that other races are not as good as their own and therefore treats them unfairly  • ruin · to spoil or destroy severely or completely  • scream · to cry or say something loudly and usually on a high note, especially because of strong emotions such as fear or excitement or anger  • smuggle · to take things or people to or from a place secretly and often illegally  • soft on · overly tolerant of  • suicide · the act of killing yourself intentionally, or a person who has done this  • tragedy · a very sad event or situation, especially one involving death or suffering, or a play or literature about death or suffering  • unjustified · wrong and/or not deserved  • violent · using force to hurt or attack 

0 Do you think possession of marijuana should be illegal?

Do you agree with alcohol being legal? Do you consider to alcohol to also be a drug? Do you think laws should treat the possession of alcohol and marijuana differently? Why or why not?

On a day I prepared this speech, 338,000 non-violent American prisoners of the war on drugs are locked in a cage designed for the violent. On a day I drove to Dallas to be interviewed on national television, these same prisoners agonized over the separation from their mothers, fathers, children, siblings and friends. On a day I traveled to the University of North Texas for this conference, these same prisoners were on constant alert to avoid being attacked by the violent inmates in or near their prison cells. On a day I stand before you to deliver this speech, I become the voice of those 330,000 inmates and their millions of family members affected by the tragedy of having a loved one snatched from their home and imprisoned.

I am their voice and I will only say to you what they would scream across this land if given the chance that I’ve got. And I will only say to you the truth as formed by facts and evidence, not beliefs and opinions. We must end this war on our people and stop allowing Americans to lock each other in cages that were created for child molesters, rapists and murderers. 

I’m not soft on crime. I’m just hard on unjustified punishments handed out daily to non-violent drug offenders.

Have you ever known anyone who has gone to prison?

1 Do you think drug offenders should be imprisoned?

What do you think is a suitable punishment for someone who smokes marijuana?

2 Would you try marijuana if it were legal?

What currently illegal drugs would you try if they were legal? If alcohol were illegal, would you still drink it? What do you think would happen in Taiwan if marijuana became legal?

Marijuana was made illegal in 1937 after former assistant alcohol prohibition commissioner Harry Anslinger–often labeled the father of the war on drugs–took over the newly formed Federal Bureau of Narcotics, later known as the DEA. 

Anslinger said, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others. The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races.” He continued, “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.”

What type of people in Taiwan do you think are most often marijuana smokers? Do you think a higher proportion of entertainers are marijuana smokers than among other people? If you think so, why do you think this is true?

3 Do you think the primary reason that marijuana is illegal is to protect people from harming themselves?

If you don’t agree, what do you think is the primary reason? Do you think other things people do that harm themselves should be illegal–for example, suicide?

What do you think of the things that Anslinger said? Do you think anything he said was correct?

These racist and ignorant statements were made by the government of yesterday and the unjust laws created from these words are being enforced by the government of today. This is not 1957; this is 2007.

The evidence is clear: marijuana is much safer than alcohol. In fact, I’ll go as far to say marijuana is safe, and when my kids get to the age they start experimenting with substances, I would rather them smoke pot instead of drink because at least I know they’ll live through the pot-smoking experience. It is impossible to overdose to the point of death on marijuana, in case you didn’t know that. 5000 years of recorded use of marijuana, not one single death from overdose.

4 Do you think Taiwan’s government has the right approach to marijuana use?

What, if anything, do you think the government should do differently? 

5 Do you agree that marijuana is probably safer than alcohol?

6 Do you think that alcohol is safe?

Have you, or anyone you know, gotten very sick from drinking too much alcohol? Have you ever been involved in an accident that was caused by someone drinking too much alcohol?

7 Would you rather your children smoke pot than drink alcohol?

Why or why not? What would you do if you found out your child were smoking pot? 

Yet our government trained me that it was an evil drug and the people smoking it, and dealing it, and smuggling it were evil people. And trust me, I was very intimidating when I crashed in your door with a .45. I destroyed families.

It’s not just a college student catching a pot case. It’s not just the banker losing his job because he peed dirty for marijuana. That’s not what this is about. 750,000 people per year have their lives ruined because they’re in possession of a plant. 

8 Do you think people who smoke marijuana are evil?

Do you personally know anyone who smokes marijuana? Why do they smoke it? What do they say about it? Do you know anyone who uses other illegal drugs?

9 Do you think people who sell marijuana are evil?

What about people who sell drugs that are more dangerous than marijuana?

SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpt_H6g_44

How ambitious are you?

What do you hope to do after you graduate? What job do you think you might get? What jobs do you hope to have in the future?

 

achieve • to succeed in finishing something or reaching an aim, especially after a lot of work or effort |  aggressive • determined to win or succeed and using forceful action to achieve victory or success | deceive • to persuade someone that something false is the truth; to keep the truth hidden from someone for your own advantage; to trick | envy • to wish that you had something that another person has |  exert power • to use power in order to make something happen |  gain personal advantage • to obtain something that is useful or beneficial to yourself | hardship • (something which causes) difficult or unpleasant conditions of life, or an example of this |  idealistic • believing that ideals (=a principle or a way of behaving that is of a very high standard ) can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others | invest • to put money, effort, time etc. into something to make a profit or get an advantage | motive • a reason for doing something |  poverty • the condition of being extremely poor |  practical • relating to experience, reality or action rather than ideas or imagination | pursue • If you pursue a plan, activity or situation, you try to do it or achieve it, usually over a long period of time | sacrifice • to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person |  servant • a person who is employed in another person’s house, doing jobs such as cooking and cleaning, especially in the past | slave • a person who is legally owned by someone else and has to work for them |  take advantage • to treat someone badly in order to get something good from them | to the same extent • to the same degree as; as much as | unique • being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual or special in some way | The end justifies the means. • said about a situation in which the final aim is so important that any way of achieving it is acceptable

 

1   Do you think you are very different from most people?

 

In what ways are you most different from the average person? Do you think these are good things? Would you like to be known as a very “unique” person? Why or why not? Do you know personally anyone who you consider very different from most people? In what ways do you think she/he is very different?

 

2   Would you describe yourself as more “practical” than “idealistic”?

Why? Would you say you are more practical in some areas—for example, work—and more idealistic in others—for example, love or politics? Do you think you have become more practical than you used to be? If so, why do you think that you changed?

 

3   Do you hope to be either very rich or famous in the future?

Why or why not? How would you live differently if you became very rich or famous in the future? If you could either be rich and unknown, or famous but only average in wealth, which would you choose? Why?

 

4   Are you generally aggressive about getting the things that you want?

What things are you most aggressively pursuing now? What are you doing to get these things? Would you say that you are either too aggressive or not aggressive enough? If so, why? Have you ever not pursued something that you very badly wanted? If so, why did you not pursue it?

 

5   If you had the opportunity to either help yourself achieve some goal, or to the same extent help a friend achieve one of his or her goals, would you choose to help yourself?

Why? Have you ever been in this kind of situation? If so, what happened? Have you ever refused to help a friend? If so, why? In general, do you think you are a very helpful person?

 

6   Would you ever try to become friends with someone you didn’t like, in order to gain some kind of personal advantage?

Have you ever done something like this? What kind of personal advantage would mostly likely persuade you to become friends with, or even just treat nicely, someone you didn’t like? Have you ever felt that someone was trying to be friends with you not because he or she liked you, but because he or she wanted to take advantage of you? How did it—or would it, if this has never happened to you—make you feel?

 

7   Do you get pleasure from exerting power over others?

If not, why not? How much power over others do you think you have now? Who do you have the most power over? If you had great power, how would you try to use this power—for example, to benefit society or gain advantages for yourself?

 

8   Would you like to have a servant?

Why or why not? Does your family have a servant? If you could decide what your servant had to do, what would you have your servant do? What kind of person would you like to have as a servant? Why? How about a slave? Would you have one if you could? What would you make a slave do that you would not ask a servant to do?

 

9   Are you willing to deceive people to gain some personal advantage?

Have you ever done this? Would you say that you lie more than most people do? About what things do you lie? What is your most common motive for lying—for example, to gain some advantage, to protect yourself, or to keep from hurting others?

10   Do you agree with the expression “the end justifies the means”?

What are some examples of situations to support your opinion? If you agree, do you think the statement is always true? Have you ever done something bad in order to make something good happen?

 

11   Do you dislike working for other people?

Why or why not? Do you work for anyone now? Who do you most dislike working for? Why? If someone were working for you and you found out that this person disliked working for you, how would you deal with the situation?

 

12   Would you say that many of the things you do now are “investments” in the future?

Other than your education, what are some other “investments” you have made for the future? What are some examples of things you are doing now as preparations for the future? Do you think you are “well-prepared” for the future? Why or why not?

 

13   If you knew that you could one day become rich, would you be willing to suffer hardship and poverty for the next ten years?

What do you think was the biggest sacrifice you ever made? Did you sacrifice for yourself or someone else? Is there anything else you would be willing to suffer ten years of hardship and poverty for?

 

14   Are you making an active effort to become either rich or famous in the future?

How much chance do you think there is that you will be rich? How much chance do you think there is that you will be famous? If you do become rich, how do you think you will become so? What do you think is the most likely way that you will become famous?

 

15   Would you rather your friends envy you than just feel happy for you even if you were satisfied with your life and self?

How enviable do you think you or your life is now? What about you or your life now do you think is the most enviable? Have you ever known anyone who deeply envied you or your life? If so, why? Do you often envy other people or their lives? What kind of people or lives do you most envy?

 

16   Do you think that no matter what you achieve you can never be completely satisfied because there will always be more to achieve?

If so, why do you feel this way? If not, what do you need to achieve in order to be satisfied? How confident are you of achieving these things? If the rest of your life, you achieved nothing more than what you have already achieved, how satisfied would you be?

 

 

 

0 to 3

You have very little ambition. While you have little desire to pursue “success” you are likely to feel satisfied with your life.

 

4 to 6

You have some ambition, but do not let it become a strong influence in your life. You are likely to be a person with a somewhat passive approach to life, who does what the “average” person does.

 

7 to 9

While you have strong ambition, you lack some of the qualities necessary to make success easier to achieve. Thus, you are likely to feel frustrated often. Your success depends on your determination.

 

10 to 12

You are very ambitious, and are likely to be a great success in life. You do not easily get frustrated, but always keep working toward your goals.

 

13 to 16

You are, perhaps, too ambitious. While you have a very good chance of success in many areas of your life, your extreme ambition may force you to make terrible sacrifices—of love, of happiness, or other things.

 

 

Psychology of shopping quiz

What would you say are your main hobbies? How much time do you spend on each of these hobbies? How and when did you become interested in these hobbies? Would you count shopping as one of your hobbies?

advertising • the business of trying to persuade people to buy products or services |  aisle • a long narrow space between the rows of shelves in a large shop | annoyed • angry and irritated |  anthropology • the study of the human race, its culture and society and its physical development | bargain • something on sale at a lower price than its true value | brand • the name given to a particular product by the company that makes it |  comparison shop • to compare the same or similar products at two or more shops before making a buying decision | compete • to try to be more successful than someone or something else | decor • the color, style and arrangement of the objects in a room |  disposable income • the money which you can spend as you want and not the money which you spend on taxes, food and other basic needs | district • an area of a country or town which has fixed borders that are used for official purposes, or which has a particular feature that makes it different from surrounding areas | escalator • a set of stairs moved up or down by electric power on which people can stand and be taken from one level of a building to another, especially in shops, railway stations and airports | identical • exactly the same, or very similar |  impulsive • showing behavior in which you do things suddenly without any planning and without considering the effects they may have | layout • the way that something is arranged |  marketing • a job that involves encouraging people to buy a product or service | merchandise • goods that are bought and sold |  obese • extremely fat |  psychology • the scientific study of the way the human mind works and how it influences behaviour, or the influence of a particular person’s character on their behaviour | research • a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding |  retail • the activity of selling goods to the public, usually in small quantities | shelf • long flat board fixed horizontally, usually against a wall or inside a cupboard so that objects can be stored on it |  signature item • the product that a company or shop is best known for | survey • an examination of opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions |  turn you off • to cause you feel displeasure or dislike

1 Which of the following fields studies how a retail store “works” or “doesn’t work”? 

A Retail anthropology.

B Retail psychology.

C Marketing.

D Market research.

What sort of stores do you like shopping at? What factors most influence whether or not you shop at a particular store–for example, price, store decor, or service? Can you describe a retail store that you especially like or enjoy shopping at? When was the last time you went shopping? How often do you go shopping? Do you enjoy window shopping? If so, what are some of your favorite places to do this? If not, why not?

2 Which of these colors makes customers feel like spending money? 

A Red.

B Dark green.

C Light purple.

Can you think of a possible explanation for the reason why the color that you chose might make people more likely to spend money? What do you spend most of your disposable income on? Where do you buy most of your clothes? In what situations are you more likely to spend money–for example, when you are depressed, bored, happy? Are you an impulsive shopper? What is the biggest impulse buy you have ever made?

3 Which is the worst location for a retail store? 

A Next to a competitor.

B Next to a bank.

C In a shopping mall.

D On a major shopping street.

What are your favorite shopping districts in Taipei? Why? Do you generally have a certain shop that you go to buy a certain kind of product–for example, one bakery for bread, or one bookstore for books?  Do you often comparison shop? Why or why not? What sort of retail store do you favor–one that has an independent location, one in a shopping mall, or a department store? Why?

4 Upon entering a store, in which direction do most shoppers go? 

A Left.

B Right.

C Straight ahead.

D It depends on the type of product sold at the store.

5 What is the best layout for a retail store? 

A Placing the best bargains at the front of the store.

B Placing the most expensive items at the front of the store.

C Placing the store’s signature item at the front of the store.

D Placing the store’s signature item at the back of the store.

6 How wide should aisles in a retail store be? 

A People should be able to pass each other going in opposite directions without their butts getting touched by the other person or the shelves on either side if they turn sideways to get past.

B The aisles should be just wide enough for one moderately obese person to pass easily, with the layout of the aisles forcing shoppers to move in one direction.

C A person standing in the middle of the aisle should be able to reach merchandise on either side by extending his or her arms fully.

When you go into a store, do you usually go in one particular direction?  Do store arrangements that force you to walk past many items that you may not be interested in–for example, escalators placed so that you have to walk through each floor in order to get to the next escalator up or down–annoy you? When you go into a store to buy something particular, do you often find that you end up buying other things? Do you own many things that you never use? Recently have you been in a store where you had such a bad experience that you decided never to return? If you’ve had such an experience, what was the reason you don’t plan on returning?

7 Which side of the brain does the best advertising appeal to? 

A Left (rational, analytical, practical).

B Right (emotional, intuitive).

C Both.

What sort of advertising appeals to you? Why? Is there an advertisement you’ve seen recently that particularly appealed to you, or one that especially turned you off? Do you think you are often persuaded to buy certain products because of persuasive advertising? Stan Shih (施振榮) claims that it will take fifty years to develop international marketing and advertising talent in Taiwan–do you think he is probably right? Why or why not?

8 According to a recent survey, what percentage of Taiwanese 20 to 29 would be willing to pay more for a product with a famous brand even if there were an identical product at a lower price?

A 23%.

B 54%.

C 82%.

How about yourself? What are some of your favorite brands? What gives them special appeal to you? For what types of products are brands more important for you–for example, clothing, high-tech devices, or cars? For which types of products are brands less important for you? What accounts for the difference in how important brands are for different types of products? Is the country where a product was made more important to you than the particular brand under which it is sold? Which countries’ products do you most like to buy? Why?

// answers

1 A

2 C

According to market research.

3 B

It takes consumers 25 feet to slow down from a quick walk. Because there is nothing to look at in a bank’s window, consumers pick up speed and don’t slow down fast enough to notice the store directly next to it. 

4 B

5 D 

According to experts. Clients come to the store to buy the signature item and have to walk past all the other items before reaching what they want/need. This way the client can pick up extra items on the way in or out of the store.

6 A

If shoppers are touched from behind (the “butt-brush factor”), they become irritated and move on, without returning to buy. Aisles must be wide enough for people to pass without being touched.

7 B

According to experts. The right side of the brain is where the emotions and unconscious mind reside. This side is more susceptible to images and suggestions.

8 C

Second-highest in Asia, where the average is 54%.