Question

【題目】Xiaomi’s sales strategy is largely responsible for the decline, having grown indistinguishable from that of many other Chinese manufacturers, according to Hong Kong-based cell-phone market journalist Yasuhiro Yamane. When the company first arrived on the scene in 2011 and 2012, its products were sold online by reservation only, building an air of exclusivity(排外)and lending the brand a high image. This strengthened the appeal of the smart phones, which resembled Apple’s iPhones.

But starting in 2013, Xiaomi began concentrating on high-volume sales, allowing many more resellers to carry its phones—a critical turning point in the company’s fortunes. While sales increased, Xiaomi’s products became viewed less as premium items and more as widely available, mass-market phones, according to Yamane.

To keep consumers from losing interest, Xiaomi introduced a lower-end brand, Redmi, in July 2013. Phones in that family sell for 1000 yuan($150) or less, around half the price of products from the flagship Mi series.

When China’s economy began to skid at the end of 2014, the company leaned harder on the Redmi brand to hold on to market share in the following year—a grave mistake. Though it had some effect, the strategy ultimately “drove home the image of Xiaomi as a low-cost phone maker,” Yamane said.

This should serve as a warning to other makers in China, where companies tend to emerge and quickly disappear due to their focus on short-term gains over long-term planning. “There is still a chance that Xiaomi could right itself and regain its old appeal,” Yamane said.

【1】What made people consider Xiaomi a high image in 2011?

A. The fact that it is expensive

B. The fact that it is different from other Chinese manufacturers

C. The fact that it is like Apple’s iPhones

D. The fact that people could only buy its phones from the Internet

【2】According to the passage, what was Xiaomi’s plan mainly about in 2013?

A. Making Xiaomi more available B. Fixing on Xiaomi fortune

C. Increasing its sales D. Setting its turning point

【3】How did Xioami hold on to market share when the economy declined?

A. . By focusing on long-term planning B. By righting itself

C. By introducing new brands D. By depending on lower-end brands.

【4】Which of the following statement is likely to be Yamane’s opinion?

A. Allowing many resellers to sell its phones is the turning point of Xiaomi

B. The strategy Xiaomi made had no effect at all

C. The companies in China should concentrate on short-term gains.

D. Redmi is popular among all the consumers

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】C

【3】D

【4】A

【解析】 本文是一篇議論文。本文主要講述小米手機(jī)的銷售下滑的原因是其銷售策略不當(dāng)造成的。

【1】D

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第一段中的“When the company first arrived on the scene in 2011 and 2012, its products were sold online by reservation only, building an air of exclusivity(排外)and lending the brand a high image.”分析句意可知當(dāng)小米公司在2011和2012年出現(xiàn)時(shí)，它的產(chǎn)品是在線上預(yù)訂的，這樹(shù)立了一種唯我獨(dú)尊的高品牌的形象。可知這是人們認(rèn)為小米手機(jī)形象高的事實(shí)。故選D。

【2】C

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段中的第一句“.But starting in 2013, Xiaomi began concentrating on high-volume sales, allowing many more resellers to carry its phones—a critical turning point in the company’s fortunes.”但從2013開(kāi)始，Xiaomi開(kāi)始專注于大批量銷售，讓更多的經(jīng)銷商進(jìn)行手機(jī)銷售---在公司的命運(yùn)是一個(gè)關(guān)鍵的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。由此可推斷出是 增加了銷售量。故選C。

【3】D

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段第一句“To keep consumers from losing interest, Xiaomi introduced a lower-end brand,” 為了不讓消費(fèi)者失去了興趣，（阻止市場(chǎng)份額的下滑）Xiaomi引進(jìn)了一個(gè)低端品牌手機(jī)。分析句意可知為了維持住小米在銷售市場(chǎng)的地位，引進(jìn)了一款低端的品牌手機(jī)。故選D.

【4】A

推理判斷題。根據(jù)第二段中Yamane的話可知小米開(kāi)始專注于大批量銷售，讓更多的經(jīng)銷商賣手機(jī)，小米銷售量有所上升。當(dāng)小米銷售增加的同時(shí)，小米的低成本，大眾化的形象深入人心，這是小米公司銷售的一個(gè)關(guān)鍵的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)。故選A。