consumers and then producing goods that will satisfy them. This eye-on-the-consumer approach is known as the marketing concept, which simply means that instead of trying to sell whatever is easiest to produce or buy for resale, the makers and dealers first endeavor to find out what the consumer wants to buy and then go about making it available for purchase.
This concept does not imply that business is benevolent（慈善的）or that consumer satisfaction is given priority over profit in a company. There are always two sides to every business transaction - the firm and the customer - and each must be satisfied before trade occurs. Successful merchants and producers, however, recognize that the surest route to profit is through understanding and catering to customers. A striking example of the importance of catering to the consumer presented itself in mid-1985, when Coca Cola changed the flavor of its drink. The non-acceptance of the new flavor by a significant portion of the public brought about a prompt restoration of the Classic Coke, which was then marketed alongside the new. King Customer ruled!
26. The marketing concept discussed in the passage is, in essence, _____.
A) the practice of turning goods into money C) the customer-centred approach
B) making goods available for purchase D) a form of persuasive salesmanship
27. What was the main concern of industrialists before the marketing concept was widely accepted?
A) The needs of the market. C) The satisfaction of the user.
B) The efficiency of production. D) The preferences of the dealer.
28. According to the passage, "to move as much of these goods as possible" (Lines 3-4, Para. 1) means "______".
A) to sell the largest possible amount of goods
B) to transport goods as efficiently as possible
C) to dispose of these goods in large quantities
D) to redesign these goods for large-scale production
29. What does the restoration of the Classic Coke best illustrate?
A) Traditional goods have a stronger appeal to the majority of people.
B) It takes time for a new product to be accepted by the public.
C) Consumers with conservative tastes are often difficult to please.
D) Products must be designed to suit the taste of the consumer.
30. In discussing the marketing concept, the author focuses on _____.
A) its main characteristic C) its possible consequence
B) its social impact D) its theoretical basis
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:
Conventional wisdom about conflict seems pretty much cut and dried. Too little conflict breeds apathy (冷漠) and stagnation (呆滞). Too much conflict leads to divisiveness (分裂) and hostility. Moderate levels of conflict, however, can spark creativity and motivate people in a healthy and competitive way.
Recent research by Professor Charles R. Schwenk, however, suggests that the optimal level of conflict may be more complex to determine than these simple generalizations. He studied perceptions of conflict among a sample of executives. Some of the executives worked for profit-seeking organizations and others for not-for-profit organizations.
Somewhat surprisingly, Schwenk found that opinions about conflict varied systematically as a function of the type of organization. Specifically, managers in not-for-profit organizations strongly believed that conflict was beneficial to their organizations and that it promoted higher quality decision making than might be achieved in the absence of conflict.
Managers of for-profit organizations saw a different picture. They believed that conflict generally was damaging and usually led to poor-quality decision making in their organizations. Schwenk interpreted these results in terms of the criteria for effective decision making suggested by the executives. In the profit-seeking organizations, decision-making effectiveness was most often assessed in financial terms. The executives believed that consensus rather than conflict enhanced financial indicators.
In the not-for-profit organizations, decision-making effectiveness was defined from the perspective of satisfying constituents. Given the complexities and ambiguities associated with satisfying many diverse constituents executives perceived that conflict led to more considered and acceptable decisions.
31. In the eyes of the author, conventional opinion on conflict is .
A) wrong C) misleading
B) oversimplified D) unclear
32. Professor Charles R. Schwenk's research shows .
A) the advantages and disadvantages of conflict
B) the real value of conflict
C) the difficulty in determining the optimal level of conflict
D) the complexity of defining the roles of conflict
33. We can learn from Schwenk's rese
上一页 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] 下一页
