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The Origins of Famous Brands
Our lives are full of brand names and trademarked products that we use every day. Although many brand names are simple acronyms(首字母缩略词) or versions of their founders names, some of the companies we trust every day actually have fascinating and surprising back stories.
Starbucks
It seems fitting that the most famous coffee brand in the world would take its name from one of the world’s greatest works of literature. The inspiration for the name of the coffeehouse came from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. The founders’ original idea was to name the company after the Captain Ahab’s ship, but they eventually decided that Pequot wasn’t a great name for coffee, so they chose Ahab’s first mate, Starbucks, as the name instead.
Google
Google was originally called Backrub, for it searched for links in every corner of the Web. In 1997, when the founders of the company were searching for a new name showing a huge amount of data for their rapidly improving search technology, a friend suggested the word “googol”. When a friend tried to register the new domain (域) name, he misspelled “googol” as “google”.
Nike
Originally founded as a distributor for Japanese running shoes, the company was originally named BRS, or Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1971, BRS introduced its own soccer shoe, a model called Nike, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of victory. In 1978, the company officially renamed itself as Nike, Inc.
The right name is essential to a company’s success, and a great origin story is just as important as a great product. An attractive origin story is one more thing that keeps customers guessing, wondering, and buying its products.
1. What is the name of the Captain Ahab’s ship?
A. Moby Dick. B. Starbucks.
C. Pequot. D. Herman Melville.
2. Why did the founders of the Google want to change its name?
A. They mistook their name.
B. They wanted new customers.
C. The company’s original name was too long.
D. The company’s search technology was improving rapidly.
3. Where does the importance of the origin story of one company lie in?
A. It can change the company’s image.
B. It can add myth to the company.
C. It explains the development of the company to customers.
D. It makes customers imagine and purchase its goods.
【答案】1. C 2. D 3. D
【解析】
【分析】本文为说明文。文中介绍了星巴克、谷歌和耐克品牌名字的由来，并说明品牌名字的重要性。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据Starbucks部分的中间The founders’ original idea was to name the company after the Captain Ahab’s ship, but they eventually decided that Pequot wasn’t a great name for coffee, so they chose Ahab’s first mate, Starbucks, as the name instead.(创始人最初的是想以船长Ahab的船的名字来命名公司。但他们最终认定(船的名字)佩特不是咖啡的好名字，所以他们选择了亚哈的大副星巴克，作为名字。)由此可知，这艘船的名字叫Pequot，故选C项。
【2题详解】
推理判断题。根据“Google”部分中的内容when the founders of the company were searching for a new name showing a huge amount of data for their rapidly improving search technology(当该公司的创始人正在寻找一个新名字，来表示他们搜索引擎技术的快速发展。)由此可推断出，改名是因为公司的搜索引擎技术的快速发展，故选D项。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段“恰当的名字对于一个公司的成功是至关重要的，一个伟大故事的起源和一个伟大的产品一样重要。一个吸引人的故事起源是一个让顾客猜测、疑惑和购买公司产品的东西。”可知，D项表述符合文意，故选D项。
