托业考试听力每日一练(1)
With its massive glass
windows looking out onto Beijing's iconic Wangfujing walking street, Apple
brought it's third store to the capital this morning to the cheers, enthusiasm,
and fans queuing that have become a given at any Apple event in China.
At 9 am the doors opened and let the
fans in to the beautifully constructed new three story retail store. Staff
cheered and greeted customers throughout the morning, and many of the early
visitors were given a commemorative T-shirt with the word "Wangfujing"
together with the Apple logo.
18-year-old Li Yong Qiang waited through
the night in the hopes of a surprise iPhone 5 launch at the store, which has
not yet been released in the mainland.
"I've been waiting here for about
16 hours, because I heard a rumor that the iPhone 5 would be released at 9 AM
today, so I got in line to check it out. Actually, I'm not that bothered that
it didn't happen. I just enjoy the whole experience. I like the exciting
atmosphere of standing in line."
24-year-old Han Jinglei was here for the
door opening as well, though he didn't see any reason to wait in line through
the chilly autumn night.
"I got up at 7 to come here,
because I didn't think it was necessary to come any earlier. I just wanted one
of the commemorative t-shirts and to see the biggest Apple store in Asia. I
didn't care about my place in the line. I'm happy this store has opened,
because Beijing only had 2 Apple stores before. It's the biggest in Asia, and
the exterior, the atmosphere, and the 3-level glass spiral staircase have made
a strong impression on people."
Some Apple executives were in attendance
at the launch, which provided even more excitement for the crowds. Han Jinglei
says this just proves how important the Chinese market is becoming for Apple.
"I saw online that the senior vice
president of retail would be attending this launch, and that they're also going
to open a new Apple store in Shenzhen. This shows how important the Chinese
market is. Opening a store in this area, with its very high rental costs, shows
that Apple has a lot of confidence in China. And look at the excitement
here!"
Throughout the morning, Apple staff
enthusiastically greeted visitors and cheered as customers left with newly
purchased items. The party-like atmosphere that Apple can generate with the
launch of a new store or product is impressive, and Han Jinglei hopes Apple can
keep it up in the future.
"I don't know if this store will
always be like this, but I think their enthusiasm, their boldness, and the
"Think Different" culture of Apple is really apparent here. I hope
this culture will stay with Apple, in China and everywhere. It should always
have this youthfulness and enthusiasm, like the staff has now. The Xidan store
is like this too - it makes you so excited!"
John Browett, Apple's senior vice
president of retail, said a store in the south China city of Shenzhen is about
to open and there will be more stores across China in the future.