外刊经贸知识选读2008年7月真题试题及答案解析（00096）

By doing proper market research, most business mistakes could have been avoided.

In the most recent talks about farm trade, America has shown a new willingness to compromise on details, doubtless reflecting George Bush’s need for an economic success to boast of in his election campaign. Whatever the motive a spirit of compromise makes sense for America, since it stands to gain a lot more from a successful round than any other country. But the EC continues to hesitate—because of France. French farmers are violently opposed to the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) that Europe’s governments agreed to last May.

分值分配In the most recent talks about farm trade(1分),

America has shown a new willingness to compromise on details(1分),

doubtless reflecting George Bush’s need for an economic success to boast of in his election campaign(2分).

Whatever the motive a spirit of compromise makes sense for America(2分),

since it stands to gain a lot more from a successful round than any other country(2分).

But the EC continues to hesitate—because of France(1分).

French farmers are violently opposed to the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP)(2分)

that Europe’s governments agreed to last May(1分).

Matador is a poor name because it has an unfavorable connotation in Puerto Rico, while Kodak is a good name because it has a favorable connotation in any language.

“Come alive out of the grave with Pepsi” is a proper translation of “Come alive with Pepsi”.

The paper—manufacturing firm met with enormous difficulty in Sicily because it hired an inefficient labor force.

Chuck might have gone to the nearest gas station if he had seen it advertising brand names on sale.

Passage 2

Doing business in another country may be extremely tricky. For example, merely asking the right question is sometimes crucial. In one reported case, a paper-manufacturing firm neglected to inspect some wooded land for sale in Sicily prior to its purchase. Only after the company had bought the land, built a plant, and hired a labor force did it realize that the trees were only knee-high and not suitable for making paper. The plant had to import logs.Numerous problems result from the failure to adapt packaging for different cultures. Sometimes only the color of the package needs to be altered to enhance a product’s sales. White, for instance, symbolizes death in much of Asia; green represents danger or disease in Malaysia. Obviously, use of these colors in these countries might produce negative reactions to products.Some product names travel poorly. American Motor’s Matador car might conjure up images of strength and power in America, but in Puerto Rico its name means “Killer”, an unfavorable connotation in a place with a high traffic fatality rate. When the gasoline company Esso realized that its name means “stalled car” in Japan, it understood why it had had difficulties in that market.However, some company names have travelled well. Kodak may be one of the most famous examples. A research team deliberately developed this name after searching for a word that was pronounceable everywhere but had no specific meaning anywhere.Many international advertising errors are due to faulty translations. The best translations embody the general theme and concept of the original ad campaign but do not attempt to be precise duplicates of the original slogan. Pepsi Co. learned this lesson when it reportedly discovered that its slogan “Come alive with Pepsi” was literally translated into German as “Come alive out of the grave with Pepsi”. And in Asia, it was translated as “Bring your ancestors back from the dead.” General Motors encountered problems in Belgium, where “Body by Fisher” was translated as “Corpse by Fisher”.Proper market research may reduce or eliminate most international business mistakes. Market researchers can uncover needs for product adaptation, potential name problems, promotional requirements, and proper market strategies. Good research techniques may even uncover potential translation problems.

International companies run the risk of failure if they overlook differences between countries.

Since Chuck’s car wasn’t working, his neighbor voluntarily offered to drive him to the Sears store nearest his house.

As the batteries advertised in the newspapers had similar prices, Chuck thought it wise to buy brand name battery.

It is difficult to judge what elements influence a buyer’s decision.

Passage 2

Yet in its current dour mood, Europe risks almost overlooking the revolutionary step forward it has taken in creating the world’s largest and wealthiest barrier—free market?and on a continent where, for centuries, economic battles have led to some of history’s bloodiest wars. Moreover, a failure to reinforce the single market by pushing forward with European integration could lead to an unraveling of what the internal market program has achieved, some observers say.

39、What do “dour” and “revolutionary” mean in the first sentence?

40、What did the writer worry about for Western Europe?

41、What did some observers think might cause the failure of the internal market program?

Passage 1

What causes a person to choose one store or one product over another? We know that a person weighs both positive and negative benefits of a product offer, but what elements are being evaluated? Let us look at a typical consumer situation. This story emphasized the necessity for viewing product offers broadly. It also serves as an introduction to packaging, branding, and customer service as product elements.Chuck Peterson went out to his car one cold day and found that the battery was dead. Chuck went back to his house and began immediately to search for a good place to buy a new battery (it was Saturday, so he had time). Chuck remembered seeing battery ads in the sports section of the newspaper, and so he took out his old papers and went through the ads. He found that several stores were having sales and was pleased, because one of his concerns was getting a good price.Since Chuck’s car was inoperative, he did not feel like going too far to get a new battery (although his neighbor offered to drive him wherever he wanted to go). Another concern, therefore, was finding a convenient store.Many different batteries were advertised in the paper at widely ranging prices. Chuck decided to stick to brand names with which he was familiar because he felt he would be able to get better service on a brand name item. Chuck decided to go to the local Sears store and get a battery that was on sale. He asked his neighbor to help him get his car started with booster cables and drove down to the Sears store nearest him. On the way he passed several gas stations and other stores that sold batteries.What can we learn from this example? First, notice that Chuck did not go to the nearest convenient place to buy batteries (local gas stations). Why not? Somehow Chuck had gotten the impression that gas stations had higher prices for their batteries. He also was not sure what brands the local stations carried. From Chuck’s case, we learn that people will often pass up one store to get the same or similar items at other stores if the closer stores do not advertise what brands they carry, do not create an image of good value, or do not seem interested in the buyer’s business.

Convenience shops are not necessary as customers always trust brand names.

Passage 1

Already though, China’s commercial strength is starting to worry competitors. Last year China’s trade surplus surged, buoyed by exports of toys, textiles and consumer electronics. Its trade surplus with the United States hit a record $18 billion. Only Japan’s was larger. With the U.S. Congress due to consider the renewal of China’s most-favored nation trade status in June, officials in Beijing fear the trade imbalance could surpass human rights as a source of U.S. opposition to preferred status for China. “The trade surplus itself will be the No. 1 problem this year,” says one Chinese official. “After Japan, we’ll be first in line for retaliation.”

36、What is the meaning of the underlined word “though”? And why is it used here?

37、Why would trade surplus be a problem?

38、For what reason(s) or on what excuse will we be “first in line for retaliation”?

补偿协议

产地证明书

特别提款权

强硬政策

高技术

国内需求

中央银行

消费品

试销市场

外汇收入

intellectual property

carbon tax

brain trust

trade sanctions

managed trade

strategic stockpile

soft commodity

per capita income

invisible account

SEZ

But a recovery was made (on the back of) sterling’s weaker trend against the dollar.

Chinese eggs (dominate) the fresh egg market with more than an 80-per cent share.

For most people involved in the production and trading of “soft” or agricultural (commodities), this is proving to be a grim decade.

The Northrop Corporation of the United States located a (purchaser) for Swiss elevators in Egypt.

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) is providing at least $120 million to (spur) investment in three Central American nations that are signatories to a free-trade agreement with the United States.

Pepsi is (concentrating) on distributing Slice through bottlers who have no conflict.

The Japanese will not be able to keep a lid on their high-tech know-how forever. Sooner or later they will begin to lose their (edge).

The most visible result of this (buoyant) market in both centers is a plethora of new multi-storey commercial and residential buildings.

Japan’s government is deeply opposed to a new policy (geared to) “quantifiable results” for some products.

This (push) to expand U.S. manufacturing exports is considered essential politically to fulfill the President’s promise.

One of the central justifications for the single market was its ability to create greater prosperity, but it is making its debut just as Europe (traverses) one of its roughest economic storms in years.

The index of nonoil primary commodity prices in nominal dollar terms declines for the third (consecutive) year, and the index in real terms hits an all-time low.

Growing ties between China’s traders and their partners in Taiwan and Hong Kong are creating an unofficial but (formidable) “greater China” trade bloc.

Economic problems were (exacerbated) by three bad harvests with the result that national income and the volume of foreign trade contracted during 1960—1962.

The following year, a tax law for joint venture was (promulgated).