单选题 Directions: Read the following four passages. Answer the questions below by choosing A, B, C or D.
We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline (衰退) when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline).
The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?
Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.

单选题 According to the passage, when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product, its sales will ______.

A. decrease gradually
B. remain at the same level
C. become unstable
D. improve enormously

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[考点] 细节题 [解析] 根据第一段第四句：After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off. 解题的关键点是level off的意思，这里这里是“达到平衡，稳定”，故B正确。

单选题 The first paragraph tells us that a new product is ______.

A. not easily accepted by the public
B. often inferior to old ones at first
C. often more expensive than old ones
D. usually introduced to satisfy different tastes

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[考点] 推断题 [解析] 在第一段的开始作者就以速溶咖啡为例，说明一个新产品不容易被公众接受：When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee, and it dook several years to gain general acceptance. 故A正确。

单选题 Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to ______.

A. promote its production
B. work out marketing policies
C. speed up its life cycle
D. increase its popularity

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[考点] 推断题 [解析] 根据关键词marketers可确定答案在第二段。作者在首段中讲述了产品寿命周期的四个阶段，在第二段的开头部分讲道：The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. 故B正确。

单选题 The author mentions the example of "backpacks" (Line 4, Para. 2) to show the importance of ______.

A. pleasing the young as well as the old
B. increasing usage among students
C. exploring new market sections
D. serving both military and civil needs

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[考点] 推断题 [解析] 题目答案在第二段。文章说：One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military? 作者以背包为例，说明了开拓新的市场领域的重要性。

单选题 In order to recover their share of the world market, U. S. auto makers are ______.

A. improving product quality
B. increasing product features
C. modernizing product style
D. re-positioning their product in the market

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[考点] 细节题 [解析] 答案在第四段，第四段的第一、二句是主旨句。作为举例文章接着又说：American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets. 故A正确。