单选题
Once upon a time, innovation at Procter & Gamble
flowed one way: from the United States outward. While the large Cincinnati-based
corporation was no stranger to foreign markets, it usually sold them products
that were already familiar to most Americans. Many Japanese families, for
instance, swaddle their babies in Pampers diapers, and lots of Venezuelans brush
their teeth with Crest. And of course (company executive assumed) American at
home wanted these same familiar, red-white and blue brands. We might buy
foreign-made cars, or chocolates, or cameras but household cleaners and
detergents? Recently, however, P&G broke with this
long-standing tradition. Ariel, a P&G laundry detergent, was born overseas,
and is a familiar sight on store shelves in Europe and Latin America. Now
bilingual packages of Ariel Ultra, a super-concentrated cleaner, are appearing
on supermarket shelves in Los Angeles. Ariel's appearance in
the United States reflects demographic changes making Hispanics the nation's
fastest-growing ethnic group. Ariel is a hit with this population. In fact, many
Mexican immigrants living in Southern California have been "importing" Ariel
from Tijuana, Mexico. "Hispanics knew this product and wanted it," says P&G
spokeswoman Marie Salvado. "We realized that we couldn't convince them to buy
(our) other laundry detergents." P&G hopes that non-Hispanic consumers will
give Ariel a try too. Ariel's already strong presence in Europe
may provide a springboard for the company to expand into other markets as well.
Recently P&G bought Rakona, Czechoslovakia's top detergent maker. Ariel,
currently a top seller in Germany, is likely to be one of the first new brands
to appear in Czech supermarkets. And Ariel is not the only foreign idea that the
company hopes to transplant back to its home territory. Chinch, an all-purpose
spray cleaner similar to popular European products, is currently being
test-marketed in California and Arizona. Traditionally Americans have used
separate cleaners for different types of surfaces, but market research shows
that American preferences are becoming more like those in other
countries. Insiders note that this new reverse flow of
innovation reflects more sweeping changes at Procter & Gamble. The firm has
hired many new Japanese, German, and Mexican managers who view P&G's
business not as a one-way flow of American ideas, but a two-way exchange with
other markets. Says Bonita Austin of the investment firm Wertheim-Schroeder,
"When you met with P&G's top managers years ago, you wouldn't have seen a
single foreign face." Today "they could even be in the majority."
As Procter & Gamble has found, the United States is no longer an
isolated market. Americans are more open than ever before to buying foreign-made
products and to selling U. S.-made products overseas.
单选题
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. The brands of Pampers, Crest, Ariel, and Cinch reflect the traditional
one-way flow of Procter & Gamble.
B. In spite of market changes, Procter & Gamble still sticks to its
long-standing tradition of one-way flow innovation.
C. Procter & Gamble has to change its one-way flow tradition because of
the increased number of its foreign managers.
D. Today one may meet more foreign faces in Procter & Gamble than years
ago.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】如今人们在宝洁公司可以看到更多外国人的面孔。答案的依据是倒数第二段的最后一句。
单选题
According to the passage, all of the following are true about Ariel
except ______.
A. it is the best seller in Czechoslovakia
B. it is a laundry detergent product of Procter & Gamble
C. Ariel was born outside the United States
D. it already enjoys popularity in Europe
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】就Ariel而言，只有A(it is the best seller in Czechoslovakia)不是真实的。作者在第四段说，Ariel目前成为德国最畅销的一种产品，有可能成为捷克超级市场头一批最新的品牌之一。
单选题
The "insider" (paragraph 5, line 1) is most probably ______.
A. someone who buys both Ariel and Cinch
B. someone who works within Procter & Gamble or knows it fairly
well