We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as much as "regular" coffee and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline).
　　The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Do you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?
　　Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
　　Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture（奪回） world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.
46. According to the passage, when people grow accustomed to one particular brand of a product, its            sales will ______.                       
A. decrease gradually                                 B. become unstable
C. improve enormously                            D. remain at the same level
47. The first paragraph tells us that a new product is _____ .
　A. usually introduced to satisfy different tastes
　B. often more expensive than old ones
　C. often inferior to old ones at first
　D. not easily accepted by the public
48. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to _____ .
　A. work out marketing policies                   B. promote its production
　 C. increase its popularity                                      D. speed up its life cycle
49. The author mentions the example of "backpacks"(Line 4, Para.2 ) to show the importance of             _______ .
　 A. increasing usage among students       B. pleasing the young as well as the old
　 C. exploring new market sections             D. serving both military and civil needs
50. In order to recover their share of the world market, U.S. auto makers are _______ .
　 A. improving product feature                     B. making their products better
C. modernizing product style                    D. increasing product quantity

I admit I made a lot of mistakes in the work，and I will _______ responsibility for them．

A. secure　　　　　　　　　　 B. assume　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. decline　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. accept

　 I grew up with my best friend, who was just like a sister to me. She was a little older than me. I 　36 to her. If ever I had a problem, she was always 　37 enough to help me out.

　 It wasn’t until the spring of“87” that I noticed a 　38 in her. She was quick to anger, and her attitude was 　39 . I asked her many times what was wrong. Her response each time was “I’m fine. ”

　 As time went on, she became more 　40 , and became a person I did not 　41 anymore. All I wanted was to help her. Every time I tried, she would get 　42 , and say she was fine.

　 The summer of“88”, I finally got my 　43 . My sister had changed due to the effects of 　44 . My mother 　45 put her arms around me, and told me my best friend had 　46 due to an over-dose (過度劑量). Well, for a minute my world stood still, along with my heart. There was nothing to say or do, just tears in the 　47 . Thinking over and over again, if only I had spent the time to notice the 　48 , maybe I could have saved her.

　 My mother, seeing my distress, sat me down and told me this.

　 Some things are not in our 　49 . Sometimes “signs” aren’t enough. You can’t 　50 yourself for the path your friend chose. What you can do is to learn from her mistake, 　51 at school for 　52 , let other children know what happened to your friend, and how it made you 　53 .

　 Since then I’ve never once blamed myself for her death. 　54 I volunteer my time to SADD and DARE. Each year, at an assembly I tell new students what happened and the 　55 of drugs.

36. A. came up　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. looked up

C. looked forward　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. went over

37. A. quick　　　　　　　　 B. old　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. clever　　　　　　　 D. close

38. A. change　　　　　　　 B. disease　　　　　　　　　　 C. decline　　　　　　　　　　 D. habit

39. A. polite　　　　　　　　 B. acceptable　　　　 C. poor　　　　　　　　 D. rude

40. A. bitter　　　　　　　　 B. weak　　　　　　　　 C. proud　　　　　　　 D. cold

41. A. respect　　　　　　　 B. stand　　　　　　　　 C. care　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. know

42. A. polite　　　　　　　　 B. defensive　　　　　 C. vague　　　　　　　 D. impatient

43. A. surprise　　　　　　　　　　 B. chance　　　　　　　　　　 C. answer　　　　　　　　　　 D. turn

44. A. drugs　　　　　　　　 B. loneliness　　　　　 C. illness　　　　　　　 D. sadness

45. A. tightly　　　　　　　　 B. tearfully　　　　　　 C. angrily　　　　　　　　　　 D. finally

46. A. passed　　　　　　　 B. left　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. recovered

47. A. disaster　　　　　　　 B. trouble　　　　　　　　　　 C. disturbance　　　 D. silence

48. A. signs　　　　　　　　 B. effects　　　　　　　　　　 C. causes　　　　　　　　　　 D. results

49. A. way　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. favor　　　　　　　　 C. control　　　　　　　　　　 D. side

50. A. help　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. enjoy　 　　　　　　 C. destroy　　　　　　　　　 D. blame

51. A. attend　　　　　　　　 B. volunteer　　　　　 C. engage　　　　　　　　　　 D. settle

52. A. health-awareness B. self-improvement C. self-protection D. drug-prevention

53. A. feel　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. think　　　　　　　　 C. act　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. learn

54. A. Still　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Instead　　　　　　　　　　 C. Therefore　　　　 D. Anyhow

55. A. use　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. consequence　　 C. danger　　　　　　　　　　 D. influence

I need the money badly now and I have to ____ my car though I’m not at all willing to do so.

A. donate B. sacrifice　 C. decline　 D. deliver

　 This is a part from US President Barack Obama’s speech on May 14 at Bamard College in New York.

　 … My last piece of advice – this is simple, but perhaps most important: 36 . Nothing worthwhile is easy. No one of achievement has avoided failure – sometimes catastrophic failures. But they keep at it. They learn from mistakes. They don’t 37 .

　 When I first arrived on this 38 , I was with little money, fewer options. But it was here that I tried to find my place in this world. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but it was 39 how in fact I’d go about it. But I wanted to do my part to 40 a better world.

　 So even as I worked after graduation in a few 41 jobs here in New York, even as I went from motley (魚龍混雜的)apartment to motley apartment, I 42 .

　 … And I wish I could say that this perseverance came from some innate (天生的)toughness in me. But the truth is, it was 43 . I got it from 44 the people who raised me. I grew up as the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through 45 and make ends meet. She had a marriage that fell apart; 46 went on food stamps at one point to help us 47 . But she didn’t quit. And she earned her degree, and made sure that 48 scholarships and hard work, my sister and I earned 49 .

And 50 , I met a woman who was assigned to advise me on my first summer job at a law firm. And she gave me such good advice that I married her. And Michelle and I gave everything we had to balance our careers and a 51 family. We made that marriage work.

… So 52 it’s starting a business, or running for office, or 53 an amazing family, remember that making your 54 on the world is hard. It takes patience. It takes commitment. It comes with plenty of 55 and it comes with plenty of failures.

36. A. compete B. persevere C. struggle D. preservation

37. A. rest　　　　　　　　　 B. decline　　　　　　　　　　 C. quit　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. regret

38. A. campus　　　　　　 B. downtown　　　　 C. farm　　　　　　　　　　　 D. country　　

39. A. confident　　　　　 B. uncertain　　　　　　　　 C. ambitious　　　　　　　　 D. proud

40. A. shape　　　　　　　　 B. instruct　　　　　　 　　　 C. organize　　　　　　　　　 D. lead

41. A. amazing　　　　　　 B. disturbing　　　　　　　　 C. meaningful　　　 D. unsatisfactory

42. A. reached out B. put out　　　　　　　　　　 C. gave out　　　　　　　　　 D. made out

43. A. presented B. structured C. learned D. created

44. A. copying B. detecting C. persuading　　　　 D. watching　

45. A. life　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. work　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. school　　　　　　　 D. business

46. A. yet B. even C. still D. also

47. A. get by B. come by C. get along　　　　　　　　 D. come along

48. A. during　　　　　　　　 B. through　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. across　　　　　　　 D. over　

49. A. mine B. us C. ours D. hers

50. A. for the time being B. long before　　　　　　　 C. up to now　　　　　　　 D. later on

51. A. young B. poor C. weak　　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

52. A. as if B. if C. whether　　　　　　　　　 D. unless　　　　　　　

53. A. rising　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. raising　　　　　　　　　　 C. arousing　　　　　　　　　 D. arising

54. A. view B. stay C. remark　　　　　　　　　　 D. mark

55. A. goals B. advantages C. shortcomings　　　　　 D. setbacks