If economies of scale are an industry's primary entry barrier, a new entrant's major concern is:

A、the power of buyers is low and barriers to entry are high.

B、economies of scale are relatively unimportant in manufacturing products.

C、customers have very different needs and uses for the industry's products.

D、product innovation is the key competitive factor.

E、industry rivalry is high and customers are very sensitive to prices.

To enable the steel industry to move out of its present troubles, certain technological challenges have to be recognized, faced and overcome. First of all, steel must become more affordable. Steel consumption is an index of economic development and the per-capita consumption in industrialized countries is substantially higher than that in the largely agricultural economies of Asia, Africa and South America. As the economic focus of these regions shifts inexorably towards industry, this vast under-privileged population would consume more steel than the complete currently idle steel-making capacity could ever hope to produce.

The second challenge: Like any other mineral processing industry, production of steel results in a net depletion(用尽) of non-renewable resources of ore and energy and leads to an irreversible degradation (退化) of the global environment. Apparently, this cannot go on for ever. The steel industry must harmonize itself to the needs of both the current generation as well as those of the future, and devise ways to transcend the ecological limits on growth.

The third challenge is the ability to change. Change is a time-tested mechanism for growth, and the ability to change is the hallmark of successful organizations. The steel industry with its large capital investments and long product development life cycles, finds itself very often out of accordance with global trends. The industry in general and individual plants in particular, must reengineer their technological operations, and become flexible enough to manage change, cope with uncertainty and thrive in a dynamic environment.

The image of steel has become one of a sunset industry, which in turn deters(阻止) the best and brightest brains in the land from making a career in iron and steel. If not today, then very shortly, we are heading for an acute scarcity of new ideas with which to overcome our current problems. This is the final and perhaps the most difficult challenge. We must improve our image. We must motivate and assemble the best talents to our cause, if only to have the money to meet all the other challenges which we are facing.

The big potential steel market is ______.

A．in industrialized countries

B．in agricultural countries

C．in Asia, Africa, and South America

D．in European countries

Obamas proposal is meant to

A．reduce taxes of the economic-stranded companies.

B．reduce taxes of the companies with overseas divisions.

C．levy taxes from the companies that earn profits in the low tax rates countries.

D．reduce taxes of the companies that earn profits in the low tax rates countries.

The biggest danger facing the global airline industry is not the effects of terrorism, war, SARS and economic downturn. It is that these blows, which have helped ground three national flag carriers and force two American airlines into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, will divert attention from the inherent weaknesses of aviation, which they have worsened. As in the crisis that attended the first Gulf war, many airlines hope that traffic will soon bounce back, and a few terrible years will be followed by fuller planes, happier passengers and a return to profitability. Yet the industry's problems are deeper—and older—than the pain of the past two years implies.

As the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight approaches in December, the industry it launched is still remarkably primitive. The car industry, created not long after the Wright Brothers made history, is now a global industry dominated by a dozen firms, at least half of which make good profits. Yet commercial aviation consists of 267 international carriers and another 500-plus domestic ones. The world's biggest carrier, American Airlines, has barely 7% of the global market, whereas the world's biggest carmaker, General Motors, has (with its associated firms) about a quarter of the world's automobile market.

Aviation has been incompletely deregulated, and in only two markets: America and Europe. Everywhere else deals between governments direction who flies under what roles. These aim to preserve state-owned national flag-carriers, run for prestige rather than profit. And numerous restrictions on foreign ownership make cross-border airline mergers impossible.

In America, the big network carriers face barriers to exit, which have kept their route networks too large. Trade unions resisting job cuts and Congressmen opposing route closures in their territory conspire to block change. In Europe, liberalization is limited by bilateral deals that prevent, for instance, British Airways (BA) flying to America from Frankfurt or Pads, or Lufthansa offering transatlantic flights from London's Heathrow. To use the car industry analogy, it is as if only Renaults were allowed to drive on French motorways.

In airlines, the optimists are those who think that things are now so bad that the industry has no option but to evolve. Frederick Reid, president of Delta Airlines, said earlier this year that events since the 911 attacks are the equivalent of a meteor strike, changing the climate, creating a sort of nuclear winter and leading to a "compressed evolutionary cycle". So how, looking on the bright side, might the industry look after five years of accelerated development?

According to the author, the deeper problems of aviation industry ______.

A．are the effects of various disasters

B．are actually not fully recognized

C．are attracting a lot of attention

D．are not the real cause of airlines' bankruptcy

What is the author's primary concern?

A．Evaluating the soundness of a work of criticism.

B．Comparing various critical approaches to a subject.

C．Discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticism.

D．Summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism.

What is the author's primary concern?

A．Evaluating the soundness of a work of criticism.

B．Comparing various critical approaches to a subject.

C．Discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticism.

D．Summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism.

听力原文：W：Hello? May I speak to Bill Johns?

M：Hi，Amy．This is Bill．

W：Oh，hi，Bill．You weren't in engineering class today，were you?

M：No，I wasn't．(20)I have a flu．I was wondering if you could tell me what went on．

W：I'm sorry that you are ill．Actually we had an interesting class。(19)Dr．Collin talked about a new type of fuel．

M：Oh, yeah? Tell me more about it．

W：Uh hum．It's called DME．

M：Oh．I remember reading something about DME．It's mostly used in spray cans，right?

W：Right．DME doesn't destroy the ozone，so it's been environmentally friendly．

M：But doesn't DME pollute the air if it's burned in an engine?

W：Dr．Collin says something about its exhausts being clear，that it doesn't release as much pollutants as diesel fuel．He mentioned something about DME being more efficient than other alternative fuels．

M：When will it replace diesel fuel?

W：Not for a while．It's not economical to mass produce．But it may happen in the future．After all，time will tell．

M：Well，thanks for the information．(21)I guess I won't need to borrow your notes．

W：(21)Well，maybe you should look at them．We are having a test next week．You have to prepare for it．

M：Okay，could you give them to Mike Andrews? I think he is in your psychology class．He is my roommate．

W：Sure．I hope you're feeling better soon．

M：Thanks．Me too．Bye!

(20)

A．A more economical diesel run.

B．Characteristics of a new type of run.

C．Where a new energy source is located.

D．How to develop alternative energy sources.

听力原文：W: Hello?

M: Hi, Amy. This is Bill Johns.

W: Oh hi, Bill. You weren't in engineering class today, weren't you?

M: I have the flu. I was wondering if you could tell me what went on.

W: Actually we had an interesting class. Dr. Collin talked about a new type of fuel.

M: Oh, yeah?

W: Uhhum, It's called Dimethyl ether or DME.

M: Oh, I remember reading something about DME. It's mostly used in spray cans,, right?

W: Right, DME doesn't destroy the ozone, so it is environmental friendly.

M: But doesn't DME pollute the air if it's burned in an engine?

W: Dr. Collin said something about its exhaust being dean, that it doesn't re lease as much pollutant as diesel fuel. And he mentioned something about DME being more efficient than other alternative fuels.

M: When will it replace diesel fuel?

W: Not for a while. It's not economical to massproduce.

M: Well, thanks for the information. I guess I won't need to borrow your notes.

W: Well, maybe you should look at them. We are having a test next week.

M: Okay, could you give them to Mike Andrews? I think he is in your psychology class. He is my roommate.

W: Sure. I hope you're feeling better soon.

M: Thanks. Me too. Bye!

W: Bye!

(20)

A．He lost his notes.

B．He missed the class.

C．He is doing research on alternative fuels.

D．He's studying for a test.