专题08 概要写作15 篇 (上海专用)
【题型知识点细目表】
题号
难度
知识点
1
适中
动物,科普知识
2
适中
发明与创造
3
适中
动物,科普知识
4
较难
环境保护,科普知识
5
较难
职业规划,哲理感悟
6
较难
阅读
7
适中
健康饮食 ,科普知识
8
较难
情绪
9
较易
动物
10
较难
家人和亲人 ,生活故事
11
较难
社会问题与社会现象,人工智能
12
较难
方法/策略,职业内容
13
较难
环境保护,人与动植物
14
较难
社会问题与社会现象,人工智能
15
较难
音乐与舞蹈,广告/布告
【高考典例】
1．Directions： Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Scientists Discover Animal Language
It is human beings’ pride that we are the only species on the Planet that can speak and think. However,
recent research cast doubt on that common belief.
Zuberbuhler, a psychologist at St. Andrews University, and his colleagues recorded thousands of calls made
by Diana monkeys and noticed that the monkeys adapted their calls to change the meaning to warn one another
about different situations. For example, they made a ‘krack’ alarm call at the sight of tiger. However, when they
merely repeated calls made by other monkeys they added an ‘oo’.
The researchers found that the same calls would be recognised by other species, like Campbell’s monkeys.
So they are communicating across species. “And since then we have found that hornbill birds can understand
these calls and they too can understand all the different meanings”, said Zuberbuhler.
What is also surprising is that signs of intelligence have been found in birds, whose small brains were long
assumed to be a complete barrier to sentence. However, all is changing fast. A few years ago Irene Pepperberg of
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology taught a parrot to recognise and count up to six objects and describe
their shapes, which couldn’t have been achieved if birds were unable to memorize.
Last year, that was topped by Alex Kacelnik, a professor of behavioral ecology at Oxford, who discovered
that crows (乌鸦) are capable of using tools in complex orders, the first time such behaviour has been observed in
non-humans. In an experiment seven crows successfully grabbed a piece of food placed out of reach using three
different lengths of stick. Crucially, they were able to complete the task without any special training, suggesting
the birds were capable of a level of abstract reasoning normally associated only with humans.
All this is powerful evidence against the idea that people are unique.
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2．Summary Writing Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of
the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Fluido,a Texas-based analytics company,recently released its new product,called FluidoPlus for free. It
connects retailers (零售商) to a cloud-based analytics service using Wi-Fi. They then collect information about
customers behaviour by monitoring the media access code (MAC) in every smart phone that enters the stores.
This means that stores will be able to implement an analytics package to receive information that could help guide
their marketing. With the information，store managers can measure the number of people who walk past the store
and the number who come through the front door. Also, this information includes whether or not these people
come in immediately or are convinced to do so by the shop front.
Fluido Plus has received a lot of criticism from consumers concerned about their privacy being invaded.
But Fluido assures that the MAC data is scrambled, which means that no personally identifiable information is
collected. The company also points to the fact that Fluido is a part of the group that initiated the Mobile Location
Analytics code of conduct. These sets of rules require companies to receive customers’ agreement before they can
collect any personal information.
Emily Carrless, a senior director at the NO Watching Please Co, believes that this technology ignores
customers’ privacy. “This is a clear example of profit outweighing privacy,” she said. The use of tracking
technology by shops in order to provide a better or more personal service seems totally disproportionate. Carrless
also stressed the importance of customer awareness. She said that while tracking technology was still developing,
there was an obvious goal in mind to identify individuals. Companies like Fluido won’t stop at the general
information like the number of customers who walk into stores. The long game is about identifying individuals,
and this technologies is very close to enabling Fluido to do that.
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3．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Neuroscientists usually define a singular memory as an engram (记忆印记) — a physical change in brain
tissue associated with a particular recollection. Recently, brain scans revealed that an engram isn't isolated to one
region of the brain and instead manifests as a colorful splattering across the neural tissue. “A memory looks more
like a web in the brain than a single spot,” says neuroscientist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Ramirez of
Boston University. That's because when a memory is created, it includes all the visual, auditory, and tactile inputs
that make an experience memorable, and brain cells are encoded from all of those regions.
Now, scientists are even able to track how memories move across the brain, like detectives finding
footprints in the snow. While at MIT in 2013, Ramirez and his research partner Xu Liu had a breakthrough: They
were able to target the cells that make up one engram in a mouse's brain and then implant a false memory. In their
work, mice reacted in fear to a particular stimulus even when they had not been conditioned in advance. While
mouse brains are less advanced than the human equivalent, Ramirez says they can still help neuroscientists
understand how our memories work, too.
In their current work, Ramirez and his colleagues are investigating whether positive and negative memories
are stored in different groups of brain cells, and whether negative memories can be “overwritten” by positive ones.
To prep mice for the experiments, the team injects the animals’ brains with a virus that contains fluorescent
proteins and surgically implants optic fibers. The mice are then given a diet that prevents the virus from
fluorescing until the researchers are ready to tag a positive or negative experience. Positive memories are created
by putting male mice in cages with female mice for an hour, and negative memories are created by putting the
mice in cages that deliver brief foot shocks. Once the mice have been conditioned to associate certain triggers
with each experience, they undergo a short surgical operation so the scientists can stimulate the cells associated
with the positive or negative engrams.
They are finding that activating positive memories while a mouse is in a cage it associates with fear makes that
mouse less fearful. Using a different technique, University of Toronto neuroscientist Sheena Josselyn was able to
completely eliminate fear memories in mice.
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【热点话题练习】
4．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Save the Sink
There are portents (凶兆) of a longer-term and faster decline of the land carbon sink. For instance, the
global forest carbon sink has steadily declined since 2001, mainly due to deforestation. In 2023 and 2024,
wildfires further reduced the forest sink to its lowest point in two decades, fuelling feedback cycles that accelerate
climate change. “We’re seeing this happening right before our eyes and faster than we thought it would,” says
Rose.
If the land carbon sink does vanish in the not-so-distant future, the consequences for climate action would
be profound. Most countries depend on their sinks to meet emissions promises under the Paris Agreement that
aims to keep long-term global warming to a 1.5℃ threshold. So, losing the sinks earlier than expected would
mean emissions have to decline more rapidly elsewhere. In Europe, for instance, a sudden decline in the forest
carbon sink over the past few years — a perfect storm of overharvesting in the aftermath of drought, heat and
insect outbreaks — has put the bloc far off track to meet its 2030 emissions targets.
The good news is that there are effective ways to save the sink, or slow down its death. A climate ecologist
says the most important steps are to protect, restore and manage ecosystems, in that order. If existing forests were
left to grow undisturbed, a maximum potential uptake of 228 billion tonnes of carbon as they reach full maturity
over decades — equivalent to about a third of our cumulative carbon emissions to date. Another 87 billion tonnes
could be captured by restoring forests in places where they once grew.
Beyond this, better management of ecosystems could enhance the land carbon sink by several billion tonnes
each year. This involves avoiding monster wildfires by conducting prescribed burns, rolling out climate-friendly
farming practices like cover cropping, and more sustainable harvesting of trees. If we want to hold onto the
unexpected gift of a land carbon sink then we must stop “removing the allies that we have”, says Zohner — and
try to keep growth ahead of death just a little bit longer.
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5．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be When They Grow Up
When I was a kid, I dreaded the question. Adults always seemed terribly disappointed that I wasn’t
dreaming of becoming something grand or heroic, like a filmmaker or an astronaut.
In college, I finally realized that I wanted to do many things. So I became a psychologist. My job is to fix
other people’s jobs. I get to experience them indirectly — I’ve gotten to explore how filmmakers blaze new trails
and how astronauts build trust. And I am convinced that asking youngsters what they want to be does them harm.
My first beef with the question is that it forces kids to define themselves in terms of work. When you’re
asked what you want to be when you grow up, it’s not socially acceptable to say, “A father” or “A person of
integrity.” This might be why parents say their most important value for their children is to care about others, yet
their kids believe that top value is success.
The second problem is the implication that there is one calling out there for everyone. Although having a
calling can be a source of joy, research shows that searching for one leaves students feeling lost and confused. And
even if you’re lucky enough to stumble onto a calling, it might not be a successful career. Callings often go
unanswered: Many career passions don’t pay the bills, and many of us just don’t have the talent.
There is a third hurdle: Careers rarely live up to your childhood dreams. In one study, looking for the ideal
job left college seniors feeling more overwhelmed throughout the process — and less satisfied with the outcome.
I’m all for encouraging youngsters to aim high and dream big. Those aspirations should be bigger than
work. Think about what kind of person you want to be — and about all the different things you might want to do.
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6．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
The Experience Of A Used Bookstore
I would choose a used bookstore over the shopping mall bookstores any day. The hunt through a used
bookstore is thrilling and like no other.
The door to a used bookstore opens a world of adventure. The atmosphere of a used bookstore alerts all
your senses. The overwhelming but exciting view of an endless maze of books, the slight but present smell of
books and paper, the sounds of pages being turned and the clerk commenting on the “good finds”, and the feel of
books as you turn through that bin full of endless possibilities, and the taste of sweet taste of victory when you
found a bargain.
A used book tells more than just the story it was made to tell. The book comes with a sense of history. The
book has passed through many hands before yours, and now it has ended up in yours. You have a chance to
become part of this book’s history. My favorite used book is one that has documented history; a handwritten “To”
and “From” note on the opening page, notes in the margins, and highlighted or underlined sections. This helps the
reader to gain a perspective beyond their own. The same book or story leaves different impressions for everyone,
and being able to follow the thoughts of a previous reader may help to expand our own minds, develop a
perspective, or perhaps a new world view.
A used book can provide a blast from the past. Looking through the shelves, or bins at a used bookstore
may bring you across your favorite childhood books, or that one book that got you hooked and made you a book
enthusiast. Perhaps, you find a book that you remember reading and want to pass on the joy to a kid in your life.
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7．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Sweetness: The Silent Killer in Disguise
Imagine starting your day with a flavored yogurt, sipping soda at lunch, and ending with a “healthy”
granola bar. You’d be shocked to learn these daily choices may contain over 50g of added sugar — far exceeding
the WHO’s recommended 25g limit. This unconscious intake is just the first step toward a chain of health risks, as
excessive sugar disrupts our bodies in ways we often ignore.
Sugar’s most immediate threat lies in its metabolic disruption. When consumed in excess, fructose ( 果糖)
overloads the liver, converting into fat and triggering insulin ( 胰岛素) resistance. This process not only raises
blood sugar levels but also lays the groundwork for type 2 diabetes, as confirmed by Harvard research linking
high-sugar diets to a 26% higher diabetes risk.
Beyond metabolism, sugar wages war on the heart. A study in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that adults
consuming 25% of calories from sugar faced three times the risk of heart-related death. Sugar irritates blood
vessels, raises “bad” cholesterol (LDL), and speeds up artery hardening. Research from the University of
California shows that drinking just one sugary drink daily increases heart disease risk by 20%.
New research shows how sugar harms the brain. UCLA studies found that diets high in sugar make the
hippocampus smaller, which weakens memory and learning. Sugar addiction works like drug addiction, causing
strong sugar cravings that take over clear thinking. A 2025 Neuroscience study found that sugar consumption
potentially causes memory problems, restlessness and shorter attention spans.
Breaking free requires mindful choices: check labels for hidden sugars, replace sodas with flavored water,
and enjoy fruits’ natural sweetness. Simple changes, such as picking dark chocolate over candy, can help. Every
spoonful of sugar is a decision — choose wisely for your health’s future.
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8．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Most people experience the natural feeling of jealousy at some point in their lives. Some people feel it more
strongly than others and some even suffer from the feeling to the extent that jealousy starts consuming them. In
some cases the feeling is justified but in others it is not. Frankly speaking, jealousy is a poisonous emotion, both
for the person experiencing it and for their families and friends.
Jealousy is usually considered as a single, independent emotion, but in reality, it is a whole bundle of
feelings that interconnect with each other such as anger, fear, hurt, anxiety, sadness, depression, loneliness, envy,
feeling powerless, feeling excluded and so on.
For the most part, jealousy is a by-product of one’s own problems with self-confidence and self-respect. It
is about a deep fear of the unknown fear of being abandoned and of losing power or control over their families or
friends, and also the fear that the needs will not be met. Jealous people often feel very insecure and anxious about
their worthiness, feeling that they might not be good enough.
Jealousy can also easily become an obsession with people. Someone who is being consumed by jealousy
constantly draws in mind pictures and imagines situations where their families or friends are betraying them. As a
result, they always manage to convince themselves that their families or friends have done something not proper.
These endless suspicions are poisonous and can be extremely harmful to any relationship.
So, how is it possible to prevent these ugly thoughts from appearing and from flooding one’s mind at all?
The best thing to start with is to start sharing your feelings with your families or friends. It is important to tell
them openly that you love them. You may also want to explain that because they are so important to you, you are
feeling jealous and insecure. In addition, never feel in a negative way about yourself and certainly do not talk
negatively about yourself. Self-confidence is respected by others and if you are always able to think positively
when negative feelings start invading you, a habit of doing so will be eventually developed in you.
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9．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
It’s Time to Learn From Snakes
Nowadays, snakes are universally disliked. But if we stop disliking them and start listening, we might learn
from these creatures that have been mastering harsh environments for well over 100 million years.
Take, for example, a species of sea snake that inhabits the inland bays of a Pacific island. The coastal
waters are a tropical mixture of pollutants and industrial wastes. In response to these environmental poisons, the
sea snakes have evolved a very neat cleansing trick. The natural substance in their skin captures and locks away
environmental poisons in their bodies before they can cause harm. The snakes get rid of the poisons every time
they cast off their skins.
Burmese python (巨蟒) also reveal astonishing biology. In harsh, unpredictable habitats where food may
be scarce for months, they can go a year without eating, then swallow prey equal to their body weight. To cope,
they regenerate, enlarge, and later shrink vital organs, a process that bypasses molecular stop signals which in
other animals would stop growth and cause insulin (胰岛素) resistance. This allows them to process massive
meals efficiently, making them masters of survival.
Finally, we might reflect on the lesson of another Australian snake, the file snake. During years of limited
rainfall, when rivers run low and prey becomes scarce, the females postpone reproductive maturation up to 10
years and may produce only once a decade. This is closely tied to resource availability and their ability to endure
extended unfavorable conditions. Due to their low metabolic (代谢的) rate, these snakes can remain in a state of
reduced activity, conserving energy and effectively waiting until environmental conditions improve.
Facing increasing environmental extremes nowadays, we humans probably don’t have such luxury to wait
out the bad times. But we can begin to learn from snakes that adaptation to a harsh environment is both possible
and necessary. They must be doing something right.
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10．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Thirty-Three
Shortly, I told Gabby that I could have been alive for half my life or all of it. She countered, suggesting a
third. We sipped orange wine, described as “funky,” in a Berkeley restaurant filled with the glow of headlights
through rain-streaked windows. Our conversations often centered on time — its different types, how we measure
it, and its origins. One night, we became fascinated by the idea that time could be a universal fact or just the way
we perceive it, like the ticking clock on the wall.
The following day, our neighbor Gloria banged on the wall, prompting us to buy her flowers and write a
note. I shared with Gabby that my brother had died at twenty-eight, and I was now five years older than he ever
was. I wasn’t seeking sympathy but understanding, language to frame my experience. As we ate bread, Gabby
mentioned a time-related app that claims to predict how many years we have left, based on lifestyle questions we
answered at the table.
Earlier, I had a fleeting sense that I might outlive my brother, despite knowing he hadn’t lived well. He
refused a sentimental pocket watch from our grandfather, saying he couldn’t bear to keep something so
meaningful. Our grandfather later gave the watch to me. I remembered middle school, when the album “Illmatic”
and its chorus resonated with him, looping through his closed door. These memories began to overlay as I sat with
Gabby, recalling moments of family and youth, all blending into the present.
In that moment, I was hugging my grandfather on Berkeley’s University Ave., thanking him for the watch,
and sharing memories of my brother. I realized how much time had passed since I met Gabby — almost a year
ago, we didn’t know each other. I told Gabby the watch still worked but needed winding, forgiving my brother for
his choices and words. Gabby smiled, and we clinked glasses of orange wine, sharing a meal of tuna carpaccio
and boar ragu, feeling the flow of time and memory together.
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11．Directions:Read the following passage.Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
What is AI’s Role in Art Creation?
As artificial intelligence advances across creative fields, a question emerges: Do people want AI to become
an artist or simply a tool for artistic creation? Evidence suggests that while the public is increasingly familiar with
AI systems, they would prefer to see AI supporting human creativity rather than replacing it.
A key reason lies in the human dimension of art. When people picture their favorite works, say, Van Gogh’s
The Starry Night, what they value is not merely technical delivery but the emotional depth tied to human
experience. In a recent survey, over 60 percent said they would value their favorite artwork less if told it was AI-
produced. Their responses highlight a shared belief: People seek the imaginative struggles and personal histories
behind creative works, a quality machines cannot genuinely copy.
Concerns about originality and copyright strengthen this resistance. Respondents criticized AI outputs as
unoriginal, seeing them as mere reflections of models trained on vast quantities of human-created materials. The
possibility of unauthorized data use and unclear artistic ownership fuels distrust. These worries reveal why people
hesitate to view AI-generated materials-especially films-as real art: It lacks clear authorship and true creative
intention.
Yet attitudes shift when AI assists rather than replaces human artists. Forty-two percent of participants
regarded users of AI as artists who provided clear creative direction — a sign of openness to human-AI
collaboration. This perspective points to a real obstacle in today’s creative world: Many individuals with ideas
lack the resources or skills to realize them. In such cases, AI can serve as an enabling tool, lowering costs and
expanding access to creative expression.
Ultimately, people value art as a human-centered means of connection. While AI can broaden artistic
possibilities, it’s best used as a tool that supports and enriches human vision.
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12．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Flexible Thinking for Your Career
Does work ever leave you feeling stuck with limited opportunities to be creative? To prosper, you might
want to increase your brain’s flexibility. But is this even possible, and if so, how?
Most jobs require the ability to problem-solve and cope with challenges, at least to a certain extent. Imagine
a teacher who has a new and very nervous student in the class. If that teacher is a flexible thinker, he or she will be
able to adapt the classroom management, even if he or she hasn’t seen this situation before. According to Leonard
Mlodinow, author of Elastic, flexible thinkers rely on idea generation and imagination — they are willing to
experiment and take risks. “Elastic thinking, or flexible thinking, is what you need when the circumstances
change, and you are dealing with something new. It’s not about following rules.” Therefore, instead of following
the typical procedure for welcoming a new student, the teacher might come up with a tailored response, based on
prediction and previous experience.
So, how can you become a more flexible thinker? According to Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett, it’s all about
exercising the brain. One way of doing this, she says, is through exposure to a variety of experiences, which make
it easier to adjust to new situations. A lot of companies now consider flexible thinking in the workplace, especially
when it comes to design. Workspaces may have couches where workers can lie down and relax, giving them the
space to come up with and process new ideas. Mlodinow says it’s very important to take time to daydream, listen
to ideas and concepts you disagree with and spend time doing activities outside of your comfort zone. This will
help you understand multiple points of view and therefore blossom in many different aspects of your career.
So, if you want to make a change, you can become a flexible thinker too, with a little practice.
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13．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Catania Turns the Tables on Blue Crabs
In a suburb of Catania on Sicily’s east coast, smoke rises from street stalls grilling horse meat, while
youngsters gather around counters selling seltz limone e sale — a soda drink with lemon and sea salt. Amid this
lively scene, a family of ex-fishers, the Salamones, have opened La Fish, a seafood restaurant that dares to
challenge local diet traditions. Alongside Sicily’s classics like swordfish (剑鱼) and tuna, tonight’s tasting menu
features a surprising newcomer to the island’s tables — the Atlantic blue crab.
These blue-clawed, olive-shelled crabs, originally from the western Atlantic Ocean, have become an
ecological threat in the Mediterranean. Without natural enemies, they feed on young clams, destroying shellfish
harvests and destroying Italy’s reputation as one of the world’s top clam producers. Their rapid spread has been
linked to rising sea temperatures, which have made Sicilian waters increasingly welcoming to non-native species.
What began as an environmental concern is gradually turning into a test of human adaptability.
People in Sicily are responding in creative ways. One form of response comes from chef Mario Contadino,
who celebrates the crab’s sweet and delicate flavor. He serves it on sticky sushi rice with onions, bell peppers,
garlic, tomatoes, celery, and edible (可食用的) flowers to appeal to hesitant locals. “Catania people can be closed-
minded, “he admits, “but that first bite does not lie. “Another response comes from scientists. Marine biologist
Francesco Tiralongo of the University of Catania argues that embracing such non-native species in local diets is”a
necessary response to climate change and ecological challenges. “
Social acceptance is following slowly but steadily. In the fish market behind Piazza del Duomo, shopkeeper
Rosario now sells 20 kilograms of blue crab a day, saying customers love its taste. Meanwhile, the Salamone
family turns the outsider into opportunity: by presenting blue crab as a fancy food, they show that”anything can be
edible. “
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14．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage
and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.
Is artificial intelligence giving us false memories?
You may have seen videos spreading online of some celebrities doing strange things — for example,
making funny faces. You may also have seen videos of them joining in lively dances at a celebration. The thing is,
one of these things really happened and the other is created by artificial intelligence (AI). You might remember
both, but can you remember which is which?
In psychology, a ‘source monitoring framework’ describes the processes involved in identifying where our
memories came from. The framework records the source of a memory as one piece of information. It gets
embedded into the memory alongside other aspects of what we experienced. The ‘label’ that states where the
memory came from can easily fade though, even while other aspects of the memory persist. Thus, AI-generated
videos risk mixing up with real events in our minds — a problem that could worsen as AI video improves.
This separation between a memory’s content and its source happens all the time. How often do you
recognise an actor’s face on-screen, but can’t recall what other films or TV shows you’ve seen them in? These
same memory failures help explain how easy it is to form ‘false memories’, as shown by the research of Prof
Elizabeth Loftus. She observed that when certain ideas are suggested to us, we make them up in our own minds,
but later on forget where the ideas initially came from. They can then be easily mistaken for events that actually
happened to us.
Based on Loftus’s findings, it seems likely that AI will be able to plant many false memories in our minds,
especially if we consume the artificial content in a similar setting to where we consume real news. As such, we
need to discuss how to label AI-generated content to make it easier to remember it’s not real.
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15．Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no
more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
The role of music in advertising
Music is all around us. It’s an accessible and popular art form which accompanies our daily lives, so
advertisers spend much time and money securing the right music for an advertisement in order to boost sales.
Research suggests that the specific qualities of music as an art form enhance the science of selling. As one
researcher puts it, “Music is the catalyst (催化剂) of advertising. It expands pictures and colors words, and often
adds a form of energy available through no other source.”
Take the visually simple but interesting advertisement for an airline in France, with the soundtrack of
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, for example. It projects greatness and elegance in the hope that viewers will
associate those qualities with the airline. My research, which looked at hundreds of viewer comments about the
music used in advertising, suggested it was successful.
Music is also effective at arousing feelings of nostalgia (怀旧之情). The extent to which music arouses
emotional memories in advertisements creates associations with consumers’ past experiences. A good choice of
music allows businesses to tap into this nostalgia for commercial benefit.
However, the use of popular music in advertising can also develop arguments around the tension between
artistic effort and commercialism. Some people believe a work of art shouldn’t be used for the pursuit of profit.
The findings of my study showed that consumers sometimes passionately oppose the use of music produced by
respected musicians in advertisements, as they believe that doing this destroys its pure artistic value. For example,
the use of the Beatles’ song Revolution by one shoe brand was seen by some as using John Lennon’s song word to
sell shoes. It made some of its wearers so angry that they refused to buy the products.
So advertisers need to be careful. While the right choice of music can attract customers, the wrong choice
can create opposition.
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