8. Paraphrase the italicized words:

1) ... it's "old hat" a few days later.

2) It is the technique of recognising a general audience's beliefs and suggesting a

specific course of action related to audience members' self-interests.

3) Overflowing landfills and mountains of trash are despoiling scenic areas,

4) Writers try to attribute information and quotes to perceived experts.

9. Find in the text sentences with the Gerund and translate them.

Analyse the function of the Gerund in each sentence.

10. Insert prepositions:

1) The consumer wants to know why the item is superior..........similar products.

2) The reader is also looking..........menu ideas and recipes using the product.

3) Depending..........the message and the audience, various spokespersons can be

used and quoted..........source credibility.

4) You should work..........your writing style.

5) As you work..........message content, you should keep..........mind the concepts

..........audience analysis, appeal..........self-interest, clarity..........the message,

suggestions..........action.

6) The use..........various sources..........credibility depends..........large part.........the

type..........audience being reached.

11. Explain the following statements:

1) A message must be compatible with group values and beliefs.

2) ...the more you can segment various audiences, the more you can tailor your

message to specific group attitudes.

3) Sincerity is an important component in celebrity endorsements.

4) "Youthful" is a favourable word, but "juvenile" has negative connotations.

12. Give a summary of the text

13. Comment on the following statements.

1) Expertise is a key element in credibility. The other two elements are sincerity

and charisma.

2) The objective in all communication should be not to create understanding but

to prevent misunderstanding.

Do you agree with them?

Illustrate the statements.

14. Give examples to illustrate the main five points of the text:

Audience Analysis Clarity of the Message

Source Credibility Timing and Context

Appeal to Self-interest

Unit four

A.

Symbols, Slogans, and Acronyms

The Red Cross is the best-known humanitarian organization in the world. The name is totally unenlightening, but the symbol is recognized and associated with the care and help given by the organization. Flags are symbols, The Christian cross, the Jewish Star of David, and the Muslim crescent are familiar symbols around the globe. You aren't likely to produce a world-famous symbol, but if at all possible, you should try lo find something graphic that helps individualize and identify a given organization. Trademarks and logos are examples, but even unregistered visual symbols can help.

Slogan can be highly persuasive. They state something important in a few memo­rable and easily pronounceable words. If you can coin a slogan that expresses the basic idea of what you are trying to promote, it will help you attain that objective.

Acronyms range from the good and effective to the ridiculous. Coined from the initial letters of the name of some organization or cause, an acronym can in some cases be highly useful. A good acronym is NOW, for the National Organization for Women. It is pronounceable and memorable, and it makes a succinct political point. These women are striving for equality, and they want it "NOW". Another good reason for acronyms is the shortening of a lengthy name. AIDS is much easier to comprehend and write about than "acquired immune deficiency syndrome".

□ Words and word-combinations

1. organization — организация

environmental organization — организация, занимающаяся охраной окру­жающей среды

humanitarian organization — организация гуманитарная relief

organization — организация по оказанию помощи

2. to be associated with — ассоциироваться с ч.-л.

3. to individualize — индивидуализировать

4. to identify — идентифицировать

5. to promote — содействовать, поддерживать, рекламировать

6. to attain the objective — достичь цели

7. to coin a slogan — создать лозунг, девиз, рекламную формулу

B

Semantics

The dictionary definition of words may be clear and concise, but there is another dimension to words — their connotative meaning to various individuals and groups of people. The meaning given to words and the changes that occur in these meanings as time goes on is the branch of linguistics called semantics.

To write persuasively and to influence target audiences, you must be sensitive to semantics. Words trigger images and feelings. Some words create very positive impres­sions in people's minds. Persuasive messages often contain the following words: discov-ery-ease, guarantee, health, love, money, new, proven, results, safety, save, you.

Suggestions for Action

Persuasive writing must give people unformation on how to take action, and the suggestion must be feasible.

A campaign by a utility provides a good example. If the company really wants people to conserve energy, it must provide information on how to do so. The sugges­tions may be as simple as turning the thermostat down to 68 degrees, wearing sweaters in the house during the winter months, or purchasing a roll of weather stripping to place around the windows and doors. All these suggestions are within the capability of the utility's customers.

However In this case, the utility may accompany the suggestion with a special program, if the suggestion is to insulate your house thoroughly, this may not be feasible for comsamers with limited incomes. of interest-free loans or a discount coupon to make it easier for customers to take the recommended action. In this way., the sugges­tion becomes feasible to thousands more homeowners.

Environmental organizations, to use another example, make a point of providing information on how to write to your legislator. They provide not only the legislstor's address but also a sample letter that you can copy. Greenpeace simply mails its mem­bers postcards with preprinted messages. All you have to do is sign the postcard and affix a stamp.

Q Words and word-combinations

1. semantics — семантика

2. to be sensitive to smth — быть чувствительным, восприимчивым к ч.-л.

3. a feasible suggestion — осуществимое предложение

4. limited incomes — ограниченные доходы

5. interest-free loans — беспроцентные ссуды

6. to take the recommended action — предпринять рекомендованные дей­ствия

7. to provide a sample letter — представить образец письма

C

Content and Structure

People are motivated by theatrics and a good story. They are moved by bold action and human drama. Your message should go beyond cold facts or even eloquent phras­es. If you can vividly describe what you are talking about — if you can paint pictures — your message will be more persuasive.

A number of techniques can make a message more persuasive; many of them have already been discussed. Here is a summary of additional writing devices.

Drama. Everyone likes a good story. This is often accomplished by graphically illustrating an event or a situation. Newspapers often dramatize a story to boost reader interest. Thus we read about the daily life of someone with AIDS, the family on welfare who is suffering because of state cuts in spending, or the frustrations of a middle man­ager who is unemployed for the first time in her career. In the newsroom, this is called humanizing an issue.

Dramatizing is also used in public relations. Relief organizations, in particular, attempt to galvanize public concern to attract donations. The idea is to personalize suffering and tragedy.

Saying that 3 million Africans are starving isn't as persuasive as describing a young mother in Somalia sobbing over the lifeless form of her skeletal baby. Readers and viewers can identify with the mother's loss, which graphically illustrates the need for aid. Large numbers alone are cold and impersonal and generate little or no emotional involvement.

A more mundane use of dramatizing is the application story, sent to the trade press. This is sometimes called the case study technique, in which a manufacturer pre­pares an article on how an individual or a company is using the product.

Statistics. For some reason, people seem to be awed by statistics. The use of num­ber, which appear so precise, seems to convey objectivity, largeness, and importance in a credible way.

Numbers can be effective, but a writer should use them sparingly. A news release crammed with them tends to overwhelm the reader.

□ Words and word-combinations

1. eloquent — красноречивый

2. writing devices — приемы письма

3. to boost reader interest — повысить интерес читателей

4. a newsroom — отдел новостей

5. to attract donation — привлечь пожертвования

6. to personalize — персонифицировать

7. to generate emotional involvement — вызвать чувство сопричастности

D.

Surveys and Polls

The public and the media express a great deal of interest in what might be called. popularity ratings. During a presidential election campaign, various polls and surveys-about who's ahead and why seem to dominate coverage. People are also interested in what product ranks number one in cost or satisfaction or what airline is first in service or leg room .

The use of a poll or survey is a good device for getting audience attention and for generating news coverage. However, the writer should report the findings of a survey and its limitations, accurately.

Examples

A statement or an opinion is more persuasive if some examples are given. In this way, generalized statement become clear and more understandable. Examples can clar- ify, elaborate on, and reinforce basic messages.

Testimonials

The testimonial is a form of source credibility that can be either explicit or implied A campaign to curtail cigarette smoking might feature a popular athlete who doesn't smoke. A testimonial might also be a satisfied customer who raves about the quality o: the product. Testimonials are usually given by people or organizations not formally connected with the product, service, or cause.

Endorsements

A variant of the testimonial is the endorsement. Endorsements may be made by individuals, organizations, or media outlets. Political candidates receive endorsements.

□ Words and word-combinations

1. popularity ratings — рейтинг популярности

2. to dominate coverage — доминировать в средствах массовой информации

3. to elaborate on — детально разрабатывать

4. testimonial — рекомендация

5. endorsement — подтверждение, одобрение

6. leg room — пространство между креслами

EXERCISES

1. Look up the pronunciation of the following words:

crescent, succinct, to occur, thermostat, sweater, thoroughly, career, to overwhelm, awed

2. Give English equivalents:

бороться за равноправие, содержать в себе ч.-л., беспроцентный займ,

скидка, в рамках возможностей, ограниченные доходы, сохранять энер­гию, выразительная фраза, живо описать, явный, подразумеваемый.

Reproduce them in situations from the text.

3. Give Russian equivalents:

to range from... to, to be concise, to be sensitive to smth, to be on welfare, a utility, cuts in spending, frustrations, to be awed by smth, sparingly, to elaborate

on smth, to reinforce.

Use them in situations of your own.

4. Translate in writing:

1) You aren't likely to produce a worldfamous symbol.

2) The first paragraph of the sector Semantics.

3) The sector SuggestionsforAction.

5. Give synonyms:

ridiculous, the globe, to comprehend, branch, to occur, to attempt, precise, to sob.

6. Give antonyms:

pronounceable, memorable, lengthy, sensitive, shortening, loss, objectivity, importance.

7. Answer the questions:

1) What are familiar symbols around the globe?

2) What do slogans state?

3) Can acronyms be ridiculous?

4) What is semantics?

5) What words do persuasive messages often contain?

6) What must persuasive writing give people information on?

7) Can all the suggestions be feasible to all the customers?

8) What additional writing devices are there?

9) What is done in newspapers to boost reader interest?

10) In what way is humanizing an issue done?

11) How should numbers be used?

12) "What seems to dominate coverage during presidential election campaigns?

13) What can examples do?

14) Who are testimonials usually given by?

15) Is the endorsement a variant of the testimonial?