单选题 Which one of the following statements most accurately describes a significant difference between a monopoly firm and a perfectly competitive firm?

A、 A perfectly competitive firm minimizes costs; a monopolistic firm maximizes profit.
B、 A perfectly competitive firm maximizes profit; a monopolistic firm maximizes price.
C、 A perfectly competitive firm takes price as given; a monopolistic firm must search for the best price.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 完全竞争厂商面对的需求曲线为一条水平线，从而将价格视为既定变量。也就是说，完全竞争厂商对市场价格水平没有任何控制能力，无论其将产量确定在何种水平上，市场价格均会维持在原有的水平上。与完全竞争厂商不同，垄断厂商根据MR=MC的利润最大化条件确定产量，进而根据需求曲线确定能为其带来最大利润的价格。综上所述，本题的正确选项应为C。