The competition among producers of personal computers is essentially a race to get the best, most innovative products to the marketplace. Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgement as to their competitors’ role when making marketing strategy decisions. If major competitors are changing their products, then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitice. Apple computer, Inc. has introduced two new, faster personal computers, the Mackintosh II and Mackintosh SE, in anticipation of the introduction of a new PC by IBM, one of Apple’s major competitors.
　　Apple’s new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models. The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that previously were impossivle to run on an Apple PC, including IBM-compatible (兼容的)programs. This compatibility feature illustrates computer manufacturers’new attitude of giving customers the features they want. Making Apple computers capable of running IBM computers and thus more popular in the office, where Apple hopes to increase sales. Users of the new apple can also add accessories to make their maachines specialize in specific uses, such as engineering and writing.
　　The new computers represent a big improvement over past models, but they also cost much more. Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyers who want to step up to a more powerful computer. Apple wants to stay in the high-price end of the persoanal computer market to finance research for even faster, more sophisticated computers.
　　Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors, both companies realize that their competitor’s computers have certain features that their own models do not. The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics, whereas the IBM machines have always been favored in offices. In the future, there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies’ products, which no doubt will require that both Apple an IBM change marketing strategies.
　　1. According to the passage, Apple Computer, Inc. has introduced the Mackintosh II and the Mackintosh SE because ________
　　A. IBM is changing its computer models continuously
　　B. it wants to make its machines specialize in specific uses
　　C. it wants to stay ahead of IBM in the competitive computer market
　　D. it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example
　　2. Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by_______
　　A. making its new models capable of running IBM software
　　B. improving the color graphics of its new models
　　C. copying the marketing strategies of IBM
　　D. giving the customers what they want
　　3. Apple sells its new computers at high prices because _______
　　A. they have new features and price functions
　　B. they are more sophisticated than other models
　　C. they have new accessories attached
　　D. it wants to accumulate funds for future research
　　4. It can be inferred that both Apple and IBM try to gain a competitive advantage by _____
　　A. copying each other’s technology
　　B. incorporating features that make their products distinctive
　　C. making their computers more expensive
　　D. making their computers run much faster
　　5. The best title for the passage would be _____
　　A. Apple’s Efforts to Stay Ahead of IBM
　　B. Apple’s New Computer Technology
　　C. Apple’s New Personal Compputer
　　D. Apple’s Research Activities
　　参考答案：1-5CADBA
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