2015年考研英语阅读理解考前专项训练（101）
发布时间：2012/11/6 14:16:14 来源：城市网学院 编辑：admin
When all your cOStS are risin9，and consumers are losing interest in your products，it is time for drastic measures.So Kraft Foods，which was already engaged in a round of COSt cuttin9，unveiled another package of redundancies and plant closings on January 30th.
More cuts certainly must be part of the solution for Kraft.The #pany's margins have fallen sharply as costs have risen for everything from the ingredients it uses to the fuel it needs for processin9， packaging and distributing its foods.①Since it cannot do much about those，Kraft will instead cut labour and capital COSTS.The #pany will shed another 8，000 jobs by 2008，on top of the 5，500 that it is already in the middle of cuttin9.That l3％workforce reduction will coincide with the closure of 39 plants--twice the number that Kraft originally planned to shut.
In total，Kraft's restructuring will now cOSt$3.7 billion，three times as much as the modest version it first planned.But its managers hope to achieve lon9—term savings of$1.1 5 billion a year. Investors，looking ahead as ever，were pleased by the news.Kraft's shares rallied，even as its chief executive，Roger Deromedi，said that he expected input cOstS would.remain high in 2006.
Kraft must also find a way，however，to pass on higher COSTS tO its customers.Many of its branded goods，such as packaged meats and cheese products，are under pressure from own-label brands，produced by big supermarkets.Anybody can pre-slice cheese and encase it in plastic.So Kraft，as everyone knows and Mr Deromedi concedes，will have to innovate.But should the #pany trot out lots of new food lines，or keep improving its existing ones to differentiate them a bit?④
An established packaged-foods conglomerate such as Kraft tends to be better at incremental improvement than at risky investments in new brands.There is a danger，however，that relying on gradual progress will not be enough to persuade consumers to pay more for Kraft's products，when a similar—looking generic rival is flashing its seductive price tag on the same shelf.“Pricing is transparent， value is opaque”，says Dipak Jain，a marketing professor and the dean of Northwestern University's Kellogg business school.By contrast，new products，such as organic or ethnic food，offer the prospect of better growth and margins but would require Kraft to take bigger gambles.
So far，Kraft has been #bining the two strategies，but at a modest pace.For example，it made its macaroni and cheese an American family staple a little healthier by rolling out a whole-grain version I but it also launched a new“South Beach Diet”line of healthier foods.Kraft now needs to be bolder on both fronts.#[451 words]
1.Kraft will take some drastic measures to______.
A.close plants
B.cut more jobs
C.improve its products
D.package redundancies
2.The measures to be taken by Kraft willinclude the reduction of______.
A.the jobs it provides
B.the ingredients it uses
C.the fuelit needs
D.its existing lines of products
3.It seems that the measures taken by Kraft are______.
A.the modest version among those it has ever had
B.much more radical than those planned originaIly
C.beyond the expectation of its investors
D.what its managers have been looking forward to
4.Which of the following might contribute most to Kraft's success?
A.Relying on innovation.
B.Improving existing food lines.
C.Developing more new food lines.
D.Passing on higher costs to its customers.
5.The“South Beach Diet”1ine of foods is used to illustrate that Kraft______.
A.is ambitious to develop healthier foods
B.has lost its confidence on existing lines of foods
C.no longer relies on improving its existing products
D.attempts to develop by means of more strategies
超纲词汇
Rally vi.（行情、价格等）跌后复升
encase vt.把…装入箱
Opaque .不透明的，不传热的，迟钝的
ingredient n.成分，因素
Staple n.厨房中常备的食品
roll Out大量生产，滚出
Conglomerate n.集团企业，联合大企业
shed vt.流出，脱出，卸掉，放弃
Concede vt.勉强，承认，退让
Generic adj.普通的，同属的
slice 切片
Ethnic adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的
redundancy n.冗余
Unveil vt.使公之于众，揭开，揭幕，除去…的面纱
Macaroni n.通心粉
Transparent 透明的，显然的，明晰的
line n.新品种
trot out炫耀，使跑给人看，提出…供考虑
coincide vi.一致，符合
seductive adj.引诱的，有魅力的
margin n.盈余，利润，毛额
incremental adj.增加的，逐渐增长的，递增的 [NextPage] 参考答案：1.C 2.A 3.B 4.A 5.D
难句透析
①The #pany'S margins have fallen sharply Eas costs have risen for everything from the ingredients（it uses）to the fuel（it needs）for processin9，packaging and distributing its foods].
【结构】方括号所标示的“as costs…its foods”是原因状语从句。圆括号所标示的“it uses”和“it needs”分别是“ingredients”和“fuel”的后置定语从句。
【释义】随着各种材料成本的上涨，该公司的边际收益已经大幅度减低。从食品原材料到用于处理、包装以及分装食品的燃料都是材料成本。
②Kraft'S shares rallied，Eeven as its chief executive，Roger Deromedi，said（that he expected<input costs would remain high in 2006））].
【结构】方括号所标示的“even as…in 2006”是方式状语从句。圆括号所标示的“that…in 2006”是“said”的宾语从句。尖括号所标示的“input…in 2006”是“expected”的宾语从句。
【释义】卡夫食品公司的股票行情跌后复升，正如其执行总裁罗杰·德拉米迪所说，他预期，2006年成本投入将继续保持高水平。
③But should the #pany“trot out lots of new food lines，Or”keep improving its existing ones to differentiate them a bit?
【结构】本句是疑问句，其中有两个并列的、用逗号和“or”连接的谓语动词“trot out”和“keep”。
【释义】但是，该公司应该引进大量新的食品生产线还是改良目前的生产线生产出与众不同的产品呢？
④There is a danger，however，[that relying on gradual progress will not be enough to persuade consumers to pay more for Kraft'S products。（when a similar-looking generic rival is flashing its seductive price tag on the same shelf）].
【结构】 方括号所标示的“that…the same shelf”是“danger”的同位语从句。动名词短语“relying On gradual pr0— gress”是这个从句中的主语。圆括号所标示的“when…the same shelf”是其中的时间状语从旬。
【释义】然而，这样做也有风险，当同一个架上出现了相似产品，而产品价格又很有诱惑力时，依赖改良设备这个缓慢的过程不足以让顾客花更多的钱购买卡夫产品。
⑤For example，“it made its macaroni and cheese--an American family staple--a little healthier by rolling out a whole—grain version：but it also launched a new”South Beach Diet“line of healthier foods.
【结构】本句是由分号和”but“连接的两个分句组成的并列句。在第一个分旬中，”made“是谓语动词，”its macar0— ni and cheese“是宾语，破折号之间的名词短语是对宾语的补充说明，”a little healthier“是宾语补足语。两个分句的主语”it“都指”Kraft“。
【释义】例如，卡夫公司通过推出全谷品种，使其生产的通心粉和乳酪（美国家庭的主食）更利于健康。不过，卡夫公司还推出了全新品种的”南滩饮食“健康食品[NextPage] 全文翻译
倘若你的成本不断上涨，顾客对你的产品兴趣渐失，那么是时候采用激烈的举措了。卡夫食品公司在进行一轮降低成本的情况下，l月30日又开始减员和关闭部分工厂。
降低更多的成本对于卡夫食品公司来说肯定是解决办法之一。随着各种材料成本的上涨，该公司的边际收益已经大幅度减低。从食品原材料到用于处理、包装以及分装食品的燃料都是材料成本。①因为无力降低材料成本，所以卡夫公司会减少劳力成本以及资本成本。该公司会在2008年之前再度减少8000个工作岗位，目前已经裁掉5500名。达13％的裁员数量刚好是关闭掉的39个工厂的工人数量，比原计划减员的数量多出一倍。
卡夫公司整个调整计划需要耗费37亿美元，比原来的保守计划多了两倍。但是经理们都希望能一年省下11.5亿美元。一如既往寄希望于未来的投资者在得知这个消息后感到高兴。卡夫食品公司的股票行情跌后复升，正如其执行总裁罗杰·德拉米迪所说，他预期，2006年成本投入将继续保持高水平。
尽管如此，卡夫公司必须想办法将高额的成本转嫁在消费者身上。因为它生产的很多诸如袋装肉以及奶酪产品的知名品牌产品都受到来自大型超市自产品牌产品的挑战。任何人都可以事先切好奶酪并装入到塑料袋中。所以，正如大家以及德拉米迪先生所说的那样，卡夫公司必须进行创新。但是，该公司应该引进大量新的食品生产线还是改良目前的生产线生产出与众不同的产品呢？
像卡夫这样市场地位牢固的包装食品公司在改良设备方面经验老到，自然不会贸然投资新的品牌。然而，这样做也有风险，当同一个架上出现了相似产品，而产品价格又很有诱惑力时，依赖改良设备这个缓慢的过程不足以让顾客花更多的钱购买卡夫产品。西北大学Kello99商学院的院长兼市场学教授Dipak Jain表示，价格是透明的，而商品的价值不是透明的。恰好相反，像有机食品或民族风味食品这样的新产品具有更好的发展势头，边际收益更大，但这就需要卡夫公司敢于冒更大的风险。
截至目前，卡夫已经结合了这两种做法，但是行进速度还是很缓慢。例如，卡夫公司通过推出全谷品种，使其生产的通心粉和乳酪（美国家庭的主食）更利于健康。不过，卡夫公司还推出了全新品种的“南滩饮食”健康食品。卡夫公司如今要在两种做法上更加大胆。
