单选题 15.Super Express Shipping Company has implemented a new distribution system that can get almost every package to its destination the day after it is sent. The company worries that this more efficient system will result in lower sales of its premium next-day delivery service, because its two-day service will usually arrive the following day anyway. The company plans to encourage sales of its next-day service by intentionally delaying delivery of its two-day packages so that they will not be delivered the following day, even if the package arrives at its destination city in time for next-day delivery.
The company's plan assumes that

A、 deliberate delay of packages will not affect the company's image in a way that significantly reduces its ability to attract and retain customers
B、 most people do not have a preference for either two-day or next-day delivery
C、 if the plan is not implemented, the company would lose more money in lost sales of overnight deliveries than it would save with its new efficient distribution system
D、 the overnight service is too expensive to be attractive to most customers currently
E、 competing companies' delivery services rarely deliver packages to their destination earlier than their promised time

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】Evaluation of a Plan
Situation Super Express, a shipping company, is concerned that a new level of efficiency in its delivery process, resulting in next-day delivery even with guaranteed two-day delivery, might sabotage the company's more expensive "premium" next-day delivery service. To promote the premium delivery service, the company plans to delay, for one day, two-day delivery packages that arrive one day early at a center near the customer and could be delivered that same day.
Reasoning What does the company's plan assume? The company's rationale for its plan is that without the planned delay, its next-day premium service would lose revenue if potential customers realized that the less expensive two-day delivery service usually results in next-day delivery. So the plan must assume that the planned delivery day will not damage the company's image in a way that would cause significant loss of customers.
A Correct. If it became public that the company was deliberately delaying packages, its brand and reputation would likely suffer major damage and its ability to promote its services—including its premium next-day delivery service—would probably be seriously impaired. Since presumably the company wants to retain existing customers and even attract new ones, its plan (including the rationale for it) would not make sense unless it were assumed that such catastrophic consequences would not result.
B The given information indicates that the company believes that a sizeable number of customers would, in certain circumstances, prefer guaranteed next-day delivery and pay more for it.
C Neither the plan nor its rationale is based on assuming that no other, equally good, plan could be devised to achieve the company's major objective and prevent the consequence of overall revenue loss.
D The given information gives no indication that the company believes this is so, and nothing related to its plan implies otherwise.
E Nothing is assumed in the company's plan about the frequency with which its competitors deliver packages to customers earlier than the promised delivery time.
The correct answer is A.