Section B: Information Matching
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
No one in fashion is surprised that Burberry burnt £28 million of stock
[A] Last week, Burberry’s annual report revealed that £28.6 million worth of stock was burnt last year. The news has left investors and consumers outraged but comes as little surprise to those in the fashion industry.
[B] The practice of destroying unsold stock, and even rolls of unused fabric, is commonplace for luxury labels. Becoming too widely available at a cheaper price through discount stores discourages full-price sales. Sending products for recycling leaves them vulnerable to being stolen and sold on the black market. Jasmine Bina, CEO of brand strategy agency Concept Bureau explains, “Typically, luxury brands rally around exclusivity to protect their business interests, namely intellectual property and preservation of brand equity (资产).” She stated she had heard rumors of stock burning but not specific cases until this week.
[C] Another reason for the commonplace practice is a financial incentive for brands exporting goods to America. United States Customs states that if imported merchandise is unused and destroyed under their supervision, 99% of the duties, taxes or fees paid on the merchandise may be recovered. It is incredibly difficult to calculate how much dead stock currently goes to waste. While there are incentives to do it, there’s no legal obligation to report it.
[D] A source, who chose to remain anonymous, shared her experience working in a Burberry store in New York in October 2016. “My job was to toss items in boxes so they could be sent to be burned. It was killing me inside because all that leather and fur went to waste and animals had died for nothing. I couldn’t stay there any longer, their business practices threw me off the roof.” In May this year, Burberry announced it was taking fur out of its catwalk shows and reviewing its use elsewhere in the business. “Even though we asked the management, they refused to give us detailed answers as to why they would do this with their collection,” continued the source, who left her role within two weeks. She has since worked with another high-profile, luxury label.
[E] In an online forum post, which asked if it’s true that Louis Vuitton burned its bags, Ahmed Bouchfaa, who claimed to work for Louis Vuitton, responded that the brand holds sales of old stock for staff members twice a year. Items which have still not sold after several sales are destroyed. “Louis Vuitton doesn’t have public sales. They either sell a product at a given price or discontinue it. This is to make sure that everybody pays the same price for an item,” he says. He goes on to disclose the strict guidelines around the employee sales: “You may buy gifts for someone, but they track each item, and if your gift ends up online they know who to ask.” One investor commenting on the Burberry figures was reportedly outraged that the unsold goods were not even offered to investors before they were destroyed.
[F] Richemont, who owns several luxury brands, hit the headlines in May for taking back £437 million of watches for destruction in the last two years to avoid marked-down prices. It’s not just luxury brands either. In October last year, a Danish TV show exposed H&M for burning 12 tonnes of unsold clothing since 2013. In a statement, the high street retailer defended itself by saying that the burnt clothing had failed safety tests: “The products to which the media are referring have been tested in external laboratories. The test results show that one of the products is mold infested and the other product contains levels of lead that are too high. Those products have rightly been stopped in accordance with our safety routines.” In March, a report revealed that H&M was struggling with $4.3 billion worth of unsold stock. The brand told The New York Times that the plan was to reduce prices to move the stock, arguably encouraging consumers to buy and throw away with little thought.
[G] Over-production is perhaps the biggest concern for Burberry. While there has been much outrage at the elitist connotation of burning goods rather than making them affordable, executives at the British fashion house are no doubt struggling to defend how they miscalculated production. The waste has been put down to burning old cosmetic stock to make way for their new beauty range. However, while the value of destroyed stock is up from £26.9 million last year, it’s an even more significant increase from 2016’s figure of £18.8 million, highlighting that this is an ongoing issue.
[H] In September 2016, Burberry switched to a “see now, buy now” catwalk show format. The move was a switch to leverage on the coverage of their fashion week show to make stock available immediately to consumers. This is opposed to the traditional format of presenting to the industry, taking orders for production and becoming available in six months’ time. While Burberry announced “record-breaking” online reach and engagement, there has been little evidence to suggest that the strategy has had a significant effect on sales, particularly as the hype (炒作) slows across the season. In February they made adjustments to the format, dropping some catwalk items immediately and promising that others would launch in the coming months.
[I] In a statement, Burberry denied that switching to “see now, buy now” has had an impact on waste. A Burberry spokesperson further said, “On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner. We are always seeking ways to reduce and revalue our waste. This is a core part of our strategy and we have forged partnerships and committed support to innovative organizations to help reach this goal.”
[J] One such partnership is with Elvis & Kresse, an accessories brand working with reclaimed materials. Co-founder Kresse Wesling said, “Late last year we launched an ambitious five-year partnership with the Burberry Foundation. The main aim of this is to scale our leather rescue project, starting with off-cuts from the production of Burberry leather goods. We are working tirelessly to expand our solutions and would love to welcome anyone to our workshop to come and see what we are doing.” At the moment, the partnership only addresses waste at the production stage and not unsold goods.
[K] While these are honorable schemes, it makes it harder for Burberry to defend these latest figures. Fifteen years ago, Burberry was at crisis point as their signature check pattern was widely imitated by cheap, imitation brands. It deterred luxury consumers who found their expensive clothing more closely associated with working-class youth culture than a prestigious heritage fashion house. In the year 2004, at the height of over-exposure of the Burberry check, the brand’s turnover was £715.5 million. Under Christopher Bailey as creative director they turned the brand around and this past year revenue hit £2.73 billion.
[L] Bina believes that brands need to readdress their exclusivity tactic. “Exclusivity is starting to be challenged, ” she says, “I think that goes hand in hand with how luxury itself is being challenged. Access to fashion, and the brands who police it, are becoming less and less relevant. Things like health, enlightenment, and social and environmental responsibility are the new luxuries. These all come from within, not without. That’s the challenge that traditional luxury brands will have to contend with in the mid-to-long-term future.”
36. Burberry’s executives are trying hard to attribute their practice of destroying old products to miscalculated production.
37. Selling products at a discount will do greater harm to luxury brands than destroying them.
38. Imitated Burberry products discouraged luxury consumers from buying its genuine products.
39. Staff members of a luxury brand may buy its old stock at cheaper prices, but they are not allowed to resell them.
40. In future traditional luxury brands will have to adapt their business strategies to the changing concepts of luxury.
41. One luxury brand employee quit her job because she simply couldn’t bear to see the destruction of unsold products.
42. Destroying old stock is a practice not just of luxury brands but of less prestigious fashion brands.
43. Burberry is working with a partner to make full use of leather materials to reduce waste.
44. Burberry ‘s plan to destroy its unsold products worth millions of dollars aroused public indignation.
45. Burberry’s change of marketing strategy to make a product available as soon as consumers see it on the fashion show did not turn out to be as effective as expected.
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
36. G。解析：题干意为“Burberry 的高管们正努力将他们销毁旧产品的做法归因于生产计算失误”。对应 [G] 段第二句：...executives at the British fashion house are no doubt struggling to defend how they miscalculated production（这家英国时装公司的高管们无疑正在努力为他们的生产计算失误进行辩护）。trying hard 对应 struggling，attribute... to miscalculated production 对应 defend how they miscalculated production。
37. B。解析：题干意为“打折销售产品对奢侈品牌造成的损害比销毁它们更大”。对应 [B] 段第二、三句：Becoming too widely available at a cheaper price through discount stores discourages full-price sales. Sending products for recycling leaves them vulnerable to being stolen and sold on the black market.（通过折扣店以更便宜的价格被广泛获得会阻碍全价销售。将产品送去回收又会使它们容易被盗并在黑市上出售）。因此，为了维持“排他性(exclusivity)”，品牌认为打折销售伤害更大，不如直接销毁。
38. K。解析：题干意为“被仿冒的 Burberry 产品阻止了奢侈品消费者购买其正品”。对应 [K] 段第一、二句：...their signature check pattern was widely imitated by cheap, imitation brands. It deterred luxury consumers who found their expensive clothing more closely associated with working-class youth culture...（……他们标志性的格子图案被廉价仿冒品牌广泛模仿。这阻止了奢侈品消费者，他们发现自己昂贵的衣服与工人阶级青年文化的联系更为紧密……）。Imitated Burberry products 对应 signature check pattern was widely imitated，discouraged luxury consumers 对应 deterred luxury consumers。
39. E。解析：题干意为“奢侈品牌的员工可以以更便宜的价格购买其旧库存，但不允许转售”。对应 [E] 段：...the brand holds sales of old stock for staff members twice a year... You may buy gifts for someone, but they track each item, and if your gift ends up online they know who to ask（……该品牌每年两次为员工举行旧库存销售……你可以给别人买礼物，但他们会追踪每一件物品，如果你的礼物最后在网上出售，他们知道该找谁）。这说明员工可以买内购旧库存，但严禁上网转售。
40. L。解析：题干意为“在未来，传统奢侈品牌将不得不调整其商业战略以适应不断变化的奢侈品概念”。对应 [L] 段最后两句：Things like health, enlightenment, and social and environmental responsibility are the new luxuries... That’s the challenge that traditional luxury brands will have to contend with in the mid-to-long-term future.（像健康、启蒙以及社会和环境责任这些东西是新的奢侈品……这是传统奢侈品牌在中长期未来必须应对的挑战）。changing concepts of luxury 对应 new luxuries，adapt their business strategies 对应 contend with the challenge。
41. D。解析：题干意为“一位奢侈品牌员工辞职是因为她根本不忍心看到未售出产品被销毁”。对应 [D] 段：A source... shared her experience working in a Burberry store... "My job was to toss items in boxes so they could be sent to be burned. It was killing me inside... I couldn't stay there any longer..." ...continued the source, who left her role within two weeks.（一位消息人士……分享了她在 Burberry 门店工作的经历……“我的工作是把物品扔进盒子里，这样就可以送去烧掉。这让我内心非常痛苦……我不能再待在那儿了……”这位在两周内辞职的消息人士继续说道）。quit her job 对应 left her role，couldn't bear 对应 was killing me inside。
42. F。解析：题干意为“销毁旧库存不仅是奢侈品牌的做法，也是声望较低的时尚品牌的做法”。对应 [F] 段第二、三句：It’s not just luxury brands either. In October last year, a Danish TV show exposed H&M for burning 12 tonnes of unsold clothing since 2013.（也不仅仅是奢侈品牌。去年10月，丹麦的一档电视节目曝光了 H&M 自2013年以来烧毁了12吨未售出的衣物）。less prestigious fashion brands 对应 H&M 这类高街快时尚品牌。
43. J。解析：题干意为“Burberry 正在与一个合作伙伴合作，以充分利用皮革材料来减少浪费”。对应 [J] 段第一、三句：One such partnership is with Elvis & Kresse, an accessories brand working with reclaimed materials... The main aim of this is to scale our leather rescue project, starting with off-cuts from the production of Burberry leather goods.（其中一个合作关系是与配件品牌 Elvis & Kresse……主要目标是扩大我们的皮革拯救项目，从 Burberry 皮具生产的边角料开始）。working with a partner 对应 partnership is with Elvis & Kresse，reduce waste 对应 leather rescue project / off-cuts。
44. A。解析：题干意为“Burberry 计划销毁其价值数百万美元的未售出产品，这引起了公众的愤慨”。对应 [A] 段：...Burberry’s annual report revealed that £28.6 million worth of stock was burnt last year. The news has left investors and consumers outraged...（……Burberry 年度报告披露，去年烧毁了价值2860万英镑的库存。该消息让投资者和消费者感到愤怒……）。worth millions of dollars 对应 £28.6 million worth，aroused public indignation 对应 left investors and consumers outraged。
45. H。解析：题干意为“Burberry 改变了营销策略，让消费者在时装秀上看到产品后就能买到，但这并没有达到预期的效果”。对应 [H] 段第一、四句：...Burberry switched to a "see now, buy now" catwalk show format. The move was a switch to... make stock available immediately to consumers. ...there has been little evidence to suggest that the strategy has had a significant effect on sales...（……Burberry 转向了“即看即买”的时装秀模式。此举是为了……让消费者能立即买到库存。……几乎没有证据表明该策略对销售产生了显著影响……）。available as soon as consumers see it 对应 "see now, buy now" / make stock available immediately，did not turn out to be as effective 对应 little evidence to suggest that the strategy has had a significant effect。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
come as little surprise：不足为奇（comes as little surprise to those in the fashion industry）
vulnerable to：容易受...伤害/影响的（leaves them vulnerable to being stolen）
rally around：团结在...周围（luxury brands rally around exclusivity）
go to waste：白白浪费（how much dead stock currently goes to waste）
hit the headlines：上头条，引起轰动（hit the headlines in May）
in accordance with：依照，与...一致（stopped in accordance with our safety routines）
put down to：归因于（The waste has been put down to burning old cosmetic stock）
hand in hand：密切相关地，携手（goes hand in hand with how luxury itself is being challenged）
【亮点句型解析】
While 引导的让步状语从句：
"While there has been much outrage at the elitist connotation of burning goods... executives... are no doubt struggling to defend how they miscalculated production."
（尽管人们对烧毁货物而不是让它们变得更便宜的精英主义内涵感到非常愤怒，但高管们……无疑正在努力为他们的生产计算失误进行辩护。）`While` 放句首表示“尽管/虽然”，使前后句形成强烈的对比转折。
"While there has been much outrage at the elitist connotation of burning goods... executives... are no doubt struggling to defend how they miscalculated production."
（尽管人们对烧毁货物而不是让它们变得更便宜的精英主义内涵感到非常愤怒，但高管们……无疑正在努力为他们的生产计算失误进行辩护。）`While` 放句首表示“尽管/虽然”，使前后句形成强烈的对比转折。