节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-12-14
难易度:High
关键字:couple, utility, shortage, retail, wish list, digital analytics
Welcome back, friends.
Now concerning gifts and presents, at what point do parents spoil their
children?
Well, maybe it's when they buy them an 18-karat gold Nintendo Game Boy in which
the on/off button is a diamond!
Oh, and the price tag?
US$30,000!
OK. Let's look at some more cool but budget-friendly gift suggestions for kids
down on line 15.
(Music).
A Lesson in Finance is a Great Gift for Kids.
If the $100 LeapPad Explorer kids' tablet is too pricey,
Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Adrienne Appell suggests the $20 Disney
AppMates (downloadable apps) for kids who are allowed to share a family tablet.
LEGO sets and Barbie dolls were two of the most searched toys in the past two
weeks, says digital analytics firm Compete.
Compete retail expert Lindsay Steinbach says those reasonably priced, and more
traditional toy's popularity,
show "how much of a role parents have in influencing the toys that their
children are interested in.".
Parents, you might be getting some incredible wish lists from your kids, and
they probably are very excited.
But you probably aren't as excited when you look at your budget.
That's right.
Maybe your budget isn't prepared for all of these expensive gifts.
Well, let's take a look at maybe some things your child would be asking for and
some other options for a cheaper price.
That's right.
We've got plenty of options for you.
Parents, if your child is asking for the $100 LeapPad Explorer kids' tablet,
that might be a little pricey for you.
That's right.
Now pricey means expensive.
Now LeapPad... LeapFrog is a very popular children's learning program that does
toys.
And they have a tablet, kind of like an iPad for kids, to help them learn.
And it's full of games and it's fun, but it's expensive.
Right. It might be a little pricey.
That means expensive.
Well, there is an option for you.
Toy Industry Association spokeswoman Adrienne Appell suggests the $20 Disney
AppMates.
OK, let's look at that first.
Now there... this is a company who helps you look at different toys and do
comparisons.
So this lady is helping us look at this and say: Well, What's cheaper?
And she suggests the only $20 as opposed to $100 gift - and that's called Disney
AppMates.
And that's a downloadable app for kids who are allowed to share a family tablet.
So they don't need their own LeapFrog tablet.
If you have an iPad or some other tablet your family uses, these are apps that
work kind of the same way.
Exactly. They'll let you download apps that are designed for your kids and kind
of do the same thing for much less.
That's right.
It's educational and it's fun.
And hey, it's cheaper.
I like it.
Exactly. And these are for kids who are allowed to share the family tablet.
Of course, a tablet computer is a very thin computer that like... is like an
iPad or something similar.
That's right.
So if they're allowed to touch it and use it, this is a great option.
Next, LEGO sets and Barbie dolls were two of the most searched toys in the past
two weeks.
Now this is from when the article was actually written.
Ryan, did you play with LEGOs?
I love LEGOs.
LEGOs are those colorful toy bricks that you can stack on top of them and build
whole cities if you want to.
LEGOs are a great toy; and Barbie dolls, those are another... they're old toys.
They're from long time ago.
But they're still very popular.
Kids still enjoy them.
Now Kaylah, we're seeing here these are the top two most searched toys.
What does that mean?
That means they're looking at the Internet and looking at what people are
looking for.
To search on the Internet means you type it in, and you look for it.
Now people who do digital analytics can do... can look at this and analyze it.
Now what does it mean to be digital analytics?
Ah, excellent question.
"Analytics" refers to research and understanding how things work.
So "digital analytics" means it has to do with computers and the Internet -
things that are digital.
That's right.
Now this information comes from a firm called Compete.
Now Compete, what they do then they are a digital analytics company.
So they go in and they look at what people are looking for on the Internet, and
they compare those.
And they help people who are selling and buying decide what's good to buy,
what's best to sell.
It's a company that helps other companies really.
Yeah, exactly.
This is a company that researches how people use the Internet in order to help
businesses sell to people that use the Internet.
Well, and what did they find?
They found that LEGOs and Barbie dolls, two very old toys, are still two of the
most searched toys even in today.
OK. Now we see here that Compete retail expert Lindsay Steinbach says those
reasonably priced and more traditional toys.
OK. Now Lindsay Steinbach is a retail expert.
The word "retail" means the activity of buying and selling things.
So it's really more of the selling of goods to the public.
You can go to a retail store because that's where they're selling things.
Exactly. You can buy retail online or you can go to a retail store that all has
to do with selling things.
And she is a retail expert.
That means she studies and understands how buying and selling works, and knows
what people are looking to buy.
So she'll tell you what you should sell.
So she's watching these different statistics come in and she says that these
more reasonably priced and traditional toys are actually still pretty popular.
That's right.
We're talking about LEGOs and Barbies.
And those, she says, are reasonably priced.
The word reasonable or the adjective... or adverb, reasonably, simply means that
it is not too bad.
It's actually pretty good.
They're priced pretty low.
It's reasonable.
Or they're priced at the right level for what they are used for.
But they're also traditional toys, "traditional" meaning they've been around for
a long time but people still enjoy them.
And we know that because they're... their popularity is still showing, we can
still see that parents and kids like them.
That's right.
The... I played with LEGOs when I was little.
And I think my parents actually were not very old when LEGOs came out, so.
It's actually been down around for a long time.
And what this shows us is just how much of a role parents really do have in
influencing the toys that their children are interested in.
So help your kids be interested in things that maybe you played with as a child.
They're less expensive, they're traditional, and they're just good fun.
They are! The're a lot of fun, Barbies and LEGOs, both of them.
Parents, remember, you have a lot of influence on your kids.
You can change them a lot.
That's right.
Parents, so be a good influence on your kids.
And we'll teach you how to influence them with good financial wisdom more
tomorrow.
Let's watch today's skit.
Isn't this a wonderful teachable moment?
Not really.
Setting limits is a hard lesson.
I know. But someday you'll thank me.
Meanwhile, what about my gifts?
A-ha, I have an idea.
How about money for Christmas?
Money won't look good under the tree.
How much money?
How about $49?
$49?
Yes.
Coupled that money with your allowance and get the gift of your dreams.
A smartphone!
A cheap smartphone...
Right. But that doesn't include monthly bills and other expenses.
True. So what else can I buy?
There's no shortage of options.
A computer tablet!
Too pricey.
How about a computer app for the family computer?
I know! You can buy LEGOs.
LEGOs?
Yes. Everybody loves LEGOs.
They're reasonably priced.
Hmm... maybe.
Don't worry, son.
We'll find the perfect gift for you.
I hope so.
I know! A piggy bank!
A piggy bank?
Dad, I'm not five years old.
Yes... it will help you save money.
Buy one that has compartments.
It divides your money into four parts - spending saving, investing and giving.
Dad...
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And that concludes our Language Tips today.
I'll see you next time.
Bye-bye.
A nationwide survey revealed that almost 60 percent of American high school
students learn about managing money at home from their family,
11 percent learn to handle finances outside the home,
which means there are still 30 percent who aren't learning anything about the
basics of a budget,
the habit of saving money, the concept of working for money or how to properly
handle a credit card.
And that's a little frightening.
Friends, join us tomorrow as we continue looking at a great gift to give your
child - a lesson in finance.
Until then, I hope all of you have a great day.
Bye-bye.