Donegal is located in the windswept wilderness. It might seem an odd place to find one of Europe’s most dynamic companies. But a small assembly unit making a muscular stimulation product for leisure and healthcare is blazing a trail. BMR Teoranta—the company title in Irish—has quietly established a market for itself, making products for muscular therapy and body toning using the brand name Slendertone which it bought in 1989.
Mr. Kevin McDonnell, the chairman, chief executive and owner of 95 per cent of the company, is a little vague about the source of his success. Part of it, he says, must be the strong work ethic in the area. He points out that half his employees are from Galswegian families with their Scottish attitudes of thrift and industry. Mr. McDonnell bought the company for $300,000 and BMR sales are now growing at around 50-60 per cent a year.
The medical products business, where growth is less dramatic, but margins are attractive, is seen as the source of the company’s future earnings. In the US alone, the market for muscular stimulation products has jumped from $88m to more than $200m this year.
Many BMR products are not available over the counter but through catalogues. The company is looking at special advertising on video shopping channels. In the US companies like BMR are prohibited from selling medical products over the counter. In Europe this situation is slightly different. BMR, for example, is starting to sell its consumer range in Carrefour superstores in France and its range is available in pharmacies. However, under a European Union ruling similar to US laws, companies that sell such products will have to reequip their factories to meet new health standards. “I know it sounds a bit smart, but our products have always been seen as industry standard,” says Mr. Kevin McDonnell.
The company spends ￡1,000,000 a year on research and development, quite a large sum for a company of its size.
47. A big company would normally set its manufacturing site in a more prosperous area than
Donegal. ( )
48. The brand name of this product for muscular therapy is BMR Teoranta in Irish. ( ) 49. Mr. McDonnell attributed the success of his company to his management and
industry.( )
50. It can be inferred that US laws for selling health products are stricter than the
corresponding laws in Europe. ( )
51. If you want to buy a BMR product in France, you may go to the pharmacies. ( )
六、翻译题（本大题12分）
Yet in its current dour mood, Europe risks almost overlooking the revolutionary step forward it has taken in creating the world’s largest and wealthiest barrier-free market—and on a continent where, for centuries, economic battles have led to some of history’s bloodiest wars.
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Moreover, a failure to reinforce the single market by pushing forward with European integration could lead to an unraveling of what the internal market program has achieved, some observers say.
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