Prime mover: /Amazon
① Online shoppers take note.
② Today /the price of an annual subscription to Amazon Prime in America /goes up from $99 to $119.
③ Since it was launched in 2005, /the service, /which offers free shipping, /has been quite the success.
④ In 2017 /it delivered 5bn packages /to 100m members; /subscription services alone/ (which include Prime fees) /earned the company $9.7bn.
⑤ Amazon says the price rise/ is warranted /because membership now /offers so much more.
⑥ One big perk /is access to the firm's video/ and music content.
⑦ Amazon is thought to have spent $4.5bn on non-sports programming/ last year, /and it recently renewed a deal to stream American football games.
⑧ Executives have warned /that Prime will need even more investment to /keep subscribers hooked.
⑨ With members estimated to spend at least three times /as much as non-members, /it is definitely worth priming the pump.
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prime adj. 最好的
prime mover: 原动力；动力机
take note: 注意；给予重视；记笔记
deliver递送；派送；投递
alone 仅仅；仅就；单单
warranted adj.（在价值上）有保证的/有担保的（justifiable）
perk n. 好处（benefit）
access n. 通往/进入……的路径/权限/机会 vt. 进入；得到；获取
be thought to: 据说/被认为……（be said/considered to）
renew a deal: 续约
stream vt. 播放；播出
subscriber n. 订阅者
hooked adj. 上钩的；被吸引的
estimate vt. 估计；预估；评估
prime the pump 采取措施（通常是经济措施）促使某事发展
