It took some time to figure out just the right shopping complex, off just the right highway interchange and just the right distance from Seoul, that could accommodate a 624,000-square-foot store—that is to say, one more than three times the size of the average Wal-Mart Supercenter. It took more time to solve certain mysteries, like how big to make the store' s children' s section in a country where kids are often given ample space in the family living quarters. It took more time to figure out how to showcase kitchens that incorporate kimchi refrigerators, a uniquely Korean appliance— and even more time to untangle nuances of the market, like the South Korean' s preference for metal chopsticks. In all, it took about six years for Ikea to unveil its inaugural store in South Korea, in Gwangmyeong, starting from the first scouting trip.
The lag was typically Ikean. But six years? "The more global, the more complex it gets," replies Mikael Palmquist, the regional manager of retail for Asia Pacific. "We need to get these things right or we will never be taken seriously."
Today the Gwangmyeong store, which is the company's largest in the world by shopping area, is on track to become one of Ikea 's top-performing outlets for 2015.
The success is hardly
a fluke
. Ikea, it seems, is a genius at selling Ikea—flat packing, transporting, and reassembling its quirky Swedish styling all across the planet. The furniture and furnishings brand is in more countries than Wal-Mart and Carrefour. China, where Ikea has eight of its 10 biggest stores, is the company' s fastest-growing market. An outlet in Morocco is coming soon, and there are hints that Brazil may not be far off. Meanwhile, Ikea is going meatballs out in India, where it plans to invest about $2 billion over a decade to open 10 stores.
Getting it right in emerging markets like China and India, where Ikea is well-positioned to capitalize on a growing middle class, is a key factor in its goal of hitting €50 billion in sales by 2020. That's up from ￠28.7 billion in its fiscal 2014 and almost double its 2005 sales level. Today the Ikea Group has 318 stores, not including the brand' s some four dozen franchised locations; it' s aiming for around 500 by 2020.
单选题
The first paragraph is used to illustrate that______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：推断题。本题考查第一段在文章中的作用。第一段用了It took some time to figure out…It took more time to solve…It took more time to figure out…都是为了说明，宜家是 如何花费了六年时间才在韩国开设了第一家分店——光明店，末句In all正是对整个段 落的总结。第二段开头进一步指出The lag was typically Ikea．由此可见，第一段的根本作 用还是为了指出：这种缓慢是宜家典型的开店风格。因此D项正确。A项“规划一个恰到 好处的购物中心需要更多时间”，B项“在购物中心做一个宽敞的儿童区很棘手”，C项 “解决韩国市场的微妙之处很耗时”，都是第一段的细节表述，故排除。
单选题
Ikea doesn 't expand too rapidly because______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：细节题。根据题干信息及出题顺序定位到第二段。第一句The lag was typically Ikea正是题干的同义表述。下文提到The more global，the more complex it gets…We need to get these things right or we will never be taken seriously(公司越是全球化，业务扩 张就越复杂。我们必须行事谨慎，否则客户就永远不会重视我们)。可见宜家正是希望得 到客户的重视，所以对于业务扩张非常谨慎，正确答案为D项。A项“它是全球化的公 司”，B项“扩张太复杂”，C项“把事情做好很难”，均与题意不符。
单选题
The phrase "a fluke"(Para. 4)probably means______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：含义题。根据题干定位到第四段。原文The success is hardly a fluke．(宜家的成功绝 非……)。这句话承上启下。上文是说宜家开在韩国的光明店经过了六年的市场考察，最 终开店成功。下文讲宜家似乎是营销天才，以及它在全世界更多国家的业务扩张。由此 推断宜家的成功与其重视客户、重视产品质量的精神是分不开的。也就是说，宜家的成 功绝非偶然因素、绝非好运。故正确答案为B项。其他均与题意不符。
单选题
According to the text, Ikea is a genius at all of the following EXCEPT______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：细节题。根据题干定位到第四段。原文为Ikea，it seems，is a genius at selling Ikea一 flat packing，transporting，and reassembling its quirky Swedish styling all across the planet． 排除C项。下文The furniture and furnishings brand is in more countries排除A、B两项。 因此选D项。扩张分店并不是宜家营销天才的表现，原文没有提到这一点。
单选题
Which of the following is NOT true?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：细节题。此题适合使用排除法。A项“宜家计划到2020年开设500家分店”，与最 后一段it’s aiming for around 500 by 2020相符。B项“韩国是宜家增长最快的市场”，与 倒数第二段China…is the company’s fastest-growing market不符。C项“巴西可能是宜 家的新兴市场之一”，与倒数第二段there are hints that Brazil may not be far off相符。D 项“宜家计划利用印度的中产阶级获利”，与原文最后一段Getting it right in emerging markets like China and India，where Ikea is well-positioned to capitalize on a growing middle class相符。因此B项为正确答案。