Question

Apple and Microsoft each launched new products. One company astonished everyone. The other made people sleepy. Can you guess which was which? You probably guessed wrong. Because Apple, famous for its creative products, was the tech giant whose new product caused a collective shrug(耸肩). While Microsoft, which stole a move out of the Apple Playbook, won cheers from high-end, creative-class consumers like business analysts, media designers and music producers.

As Hayley Tsukayama remarked at The Washington Post, the Surface Studio, one of Microsoft's new products, is really just a super-sized version of the Surface Books product that Microsoft has been selling for years. But if you've ever watched science fiction movies like Minority report--where Tom Cruise seems to operate pictures and data hanging on mid-air by touching them, spreading his fingers to increase on details, and sending files and information sliding from one folder to another with a click of the fingers, you can see how Microsoft is trying to show the same experience.

Meanwhile, apple's new products were almost like some fine promotions for its Apple TV. They boast(炫耀)that the new Macbook Pros has a smaller size and more functions, and a new touch screen bar on laptop keyboards where function keys used to be.

So what's going on? In many ways, Apple is focusing on attracting the average consumers who have been attracted by Microsoft. And Microsoft is focusing on targeting the high-end professionals Apple has historically been associated with. You can even see this is the companies' ad campaigns: Microsoft's ads stress imagination and creativity, while Apple,s commercial chief performance and convenience of its Macbooks.

So Apple is trying to control the world of devices and laptops from the top down, starting with the high-end market and moving on to appeal to a broader base of consumers. Microsoft, having already strengthened itself within the bigger low-end market, is now attempting the opposite with a bottom-up strategy. Will these succeed? Time will tell...

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Microsoft's new products made a big hit.

B. Apple's products aim at high-end consumers.

C. Apple and Microsoft developed the same products.

D. The design of Microsoft's products is original and unique.

2.Why does the author mention the science fiction movie in Paragraph 2?

A. To show how trendy Microsoft’s new products are.

B. To tell us Microsoft's new products can be used in movies.

C. To encourage more people to see the science fiction movie.

D. To show Microsoft’s new products are inspired by the movie.

3.What can we infer from the last two parts of the text?

A. Apple is changing its focus on consumer groups from average to high-end ones.

B. Microsoft is changing its focus on consumer groups from high-end to average ones.

C. The two companies are adopting different business strategies from their own before.

D. The two companies are facing fierce competition with each other.

4.In which section of a newspaper can we most probably read this passage?

A. Leisure and Entertainment.

B. Economics and Business.

C. Culture and Education.

D. Life and Fashion.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】苹果和微软各自推出新产品。一个公司震惊了每一个人，而另一个公司却让人无聊到想要睡着。你能分辨出说的是谁吗？

1.细节理解题。根据While Microsoft, which stole a move out of the Apple Playbook, won cheers from high-end, creative-class consumers like business analysts, media designers and music producers.得知，微软发布了一款平板电脑在社交网络、媒体发布和企业应用等方面的优势超过苹果的iPad。赢得了消费者好评。故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据But if you've ever watched science fiction movies like Minority report--where Tom Cruise seems to operate pictures and data hanging on mid-air by touching them, spreading his fingers to increase on details, and sending files and information sliding from one folder to another with a click of the fingers, you can see how Microsoft is trying to show the same experience..得知，作者提到科幻电影为了突出微软发布了的这款平板电脑可以实现电影中想像的应用。故选A。

3.推理判断题。根据In many ways, Apple is focusing on attracting the average consumers who have been attracted by Microsoft. And Microsoft is focusing on targeting the high-end professionals Apple has historically been associated with. You can even see this is the companies' ad campaigns: Microsoft's ads stress imagination and creativity, while Apple,s commercial chief performance and convenience of its Macbooks.多年来苹果公司关注于吸引微软的消费者，得知苹果公司和微软竞争激烈。故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据首段介绍微软发布了一款平板电脑在社交网络、媒体发布和企业应用等方面的优势超过苹果的iPad。赢得了消费者好评。得知摘自于经济商业版面。故选B。