D . 140.
提交的答案: 140. 正确答案:120.
题目详解:依据问题中\的提示，从第2段文章第一句中的\the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute, and suspicion\的提示，判断出与选项中的 \含义相关。
4. What historical information does the second paragraph give about plastics? A . They have come into general use very gradually.
B . They originated primarily as road-surfacing materials.
C . Their popularity was at its height at the time of the Industrial Revolution. D . The earliest types were soft and did not last very long.
提交的答案:They have come into general use very gradually. 正确答案:They have come into general use very gradually.
题目详解:依据问题中\的提示，从第2段文章最后一句中的\transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate\的提示，判断出与选项中的\含义相关。
5. Why does the author mention antiques in the third paragraph? A . Some young collectors prefer real antiques to plastic objects. B . Plastic replicas of valuable antiques are relatively common. C . Some plastic objects are now considered antiques.
D . Dealers use inexpensive plastic parts to repair valuable antiques.
提交的答案:Some plastic objects are now considered antiques. 正确答案:Some plastic objects are now considered antiques.
题目详解:依据问题中\的提示，从最后一段文章的最后一句中的\beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheap\的提示，判断出与选项中的\plastic objects are now considered antiques\含义相关。
The fact that superior service can generate a competitive advantage for a company does not mean that every attempt at improving service will create such an advantage. Investments in service, like those in production and distribution, must be balanced against other types of investments on the basis of direct, tangible benefits such as cost reduction and increased revenues. If a company is already effectively on a par with its competitors
because it provides service that avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher service levels may be wasted, since service is a deciding factor for customers only in extreme situations. This truth was not apparent to managers of one regional bank, which failed to improve its competitive position despite its investment in reducing the time a customer had to wait for a teller. The bank managers did not recognize the level of customer inertia in the consumer banking industry that arises from the inconvenience of switching banks. Nor did they analyze their service improvement to determine whether it would attract new customers by producing a new standard of service that would excite customers or by proving difficult for competitors to copy. The only merit of the improvement was that it could easily be described to customers.
200804081913281. The primary purpose of the passage is to ______. A . contrast possible outcomes of a type of business investment
B . trace the general problems of a company to a certain type of business investment C . suggest more careful evaluation of a type of business investment
D . illustrate various ways in which a type of business investment could fail to enhance revenues
提交的答案:suggest more careful evaluation of a type of business investment 正确答案:suggest more careful evaluation of a type of business investment
题目详解:contrast possible outcomes of a type of business investment.对比一种投资的不同结果。文章并未对比，直接指出其无效。suggest more careful evaluation of a type of business investment正确，建议对一种投资作更深入评价。文章首句即提出不能无限高估提高服务的效果。illustrate various ways in which a type of business investment could fail to enhance revenues，“various ways”无。trace the general problems of a company to a certain type of business investment，追溯一类型投资的主要问题，原文并没有相应的文字支持。
200804081913282. According to the passage, investments in service are comparable to investments in production and distribution in terms of the ______. A . increased revenues that they ultimately produce B . basis on which they need to be weighed
C . insufficient analysis that managers devote to them D . tangibility of the benefits that they tend to confer
提交的答案:basis on which they need to be weighed 正确答案:basis on which they need to be weighed
题目详解:对服务投资和对生产、分配投资在哪点上是相同的？tangibility of the benefits that they tend to confer \，原文没有相应的文字支持。increased revenues that they ultimately produce \，原文没有相应的文字支持。basis on which they need to be weighed，正确，需被衡量的标准。第一段第二句，都需以减少成本、增加收益这类的标准衡量。insufficient analysis that managers devote to them无效分析。在此处未提。
200804081913283. The passage suggests which of the following about service provided by the regional bank prior to its investment in enhancing that service? A . It enabled the bank to retain customers at an acceptable rate.
B . It had already been improved after having caused damage to the bank's reputation in the past. C . It threatened to weaken the bank's competitive position with respect to other regional banks. D . It was slightly superior to that of the bank's regional competitors.
提交的答案:It enabled the bank to retain customers at an acceptable rate. 正确答案:It enabled the bank to retain customers at an acceptable rate.
题目详解:文中暗示，那家地方银行在进行服务投资以前已能提供何种服务？原文第二段举这家银行之例，就是论证第一段的观点第一段最后一句已能提供一定水平的服务的企业没有
必要进行服务投资。所以It enabled the bank to retain customers at an acceptable rate正确，已能使银行保住一定的客源。（见原文第一段第三句）
200804081913284. The passage suggests that bank managers failed to consider whether or not the service improvement mentioned ______. A . made a measurable change in the experiences of customers in the bank's offices B . was an innovation that competing banks could have imitated C . was too complicated to be easily described to prospective customers D . could be sustained if the number of customers increased significantly
提交的答案: was an innovation that competing banks could have imitated
正确答案:made a measurable change in the experiences of customers in the bank's offices
题目详解:第二段第一句所说的提高服务，没有被银行管理者考虑是否能：was too complicated to be easily described to prospective customers太复杂，不易对客户描述。反之，此点是最易描述的。第二段最后一句。made a measurable change in the experiences of customers in the bank's offices造成客户在银行感觉的变化，正是该银行失败的原因。could be sustained if the number of customers increased significantly客户多后，是否还能维持，原文没有相应的文字支持。was an innovation that competing banks could have imitated将此银行服务水准提高到和其竞争者同级别，原文没有相对应的文字支持。
200804081913285. The discussion of the regional bank serves which of the following functions within the passage as a whole? A . It illustrates the pitfalls of choosing to invest in service at a time when investment is needed more urgently in another area.
B . It describes an exceptional case in which investment in service actually failed to produce a competitive advantage.
C . It demonstrates the kind of analysis that managers apply when they choose one kind of service
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