The shift toward smart flextechs promotes diversity and feeds consumer choice to the point that a WalMart store can offer the buyer nearly 110,000 products in various types,sizes,models and colors to choose among.But WalMart is a mass merchandiser.Increasingly,the mass market itself is breaking up into differentiated niches as customer needs diverge and better information makes it possible for businesses to identify and serve micromarkets.

　　Specialty stores,boutiques,superstores,TV homeshopping systems,computer based buying,direct mail and other systems provide a growing diversity of channels through which producers can distribute their wares to customers in an increasingly demassified marketplace.When we wrote Future Shock in the late 1960s,visionary marketers began talking about “market segmentation”.Today theyno longer focus on “segments” but on “particles”—family units and even single individuals.Meanwhile,advertising is targeted at smaller and smaller market segments reached through increasingly demassified media.The dramatic breakup of mass a udiences is underscored by the crisis of the once great TV networks,ABC,CBS,and NBC,at a time when TeleCommunications,Inc.of Denver,announces afiberoptic network capable of providing viewers with five hundred interactive channels       of television.Such systems mean that sellers will be able to target buyers with even greater precision.The simultaneous demassification of production,distri bution and communication revolutionizes the economy and shifts it from homogeneity toward extreme heterogeneity.

1.Which is true about “mass production” according to the author?

　　A) It promotes further development in manufacturing systems.
　　B) It defines the Second Wave economy and will last.
　　C) It involves intensive information,automation,and customization.
　　D) It is becoming dated for the present economy.

2.The word “niches” in this context in paragraph 3 means .

　　A) proper positions
　　B) various parts
　　C) holy recesses
　　D) small stores

3.The author calls those marketers “visionary” mainly because .

　　A) they began talking about “market segmentation” in 1960s
　　B) they focus on “market particles”
　　C) they have a good sense of market prediction
　　D) they are good at identifying micromarkets

4.Why are great TV networks,ABS,CBS and NBC mentioned in the passage?

　　A) As examples of breakup of mass audiences.
　　B) In comparison with Telecommunications,Inc.of Denver.
　　C) To show their capability of providing lots of channels.
　　D) To present their prosperity in advertising among viewers.

5.What would be the proper title for this passage?

　　A) Future Shock.
　　B) Demassification.
　　C) Changing Trend.
　　D) Market Segmentation.

语言注释

1.Mass production,the defining characteristic of the Second Waveeconomy,becomes increasingly obsolete as firms install information intensive,often robotized manufacturing systems capable of endless cheap variation,even customization.各公司安装了自动化、信息密集型的生产线，从而可源源不断制造出廉价、甚至为客户量身定做的多样化产品。因此大规模生产——第二次经济浪潮的鲜明特征——现在越来越不合时宜了。此句中the Second Waveconomy即工业革命。customization意为“用户化、定制”。
2.demassification即非大规模生产。de是英语中常用的前缀，表示“分离，反，非”。如deemphasize意为“不再强调,不再重视”。
3.The shift toward smart flextechs promotes diversity and feeds consumer choice to the point that a WalMart store can offer the buyer nearly 110,000 products in various types,sizes,models and colors to choose among.朝灵活的小规模生产的转变促进了商品的多样化，可以满足消费者的选择需求。以至于一个沃尔马连锁店便有11万种不同式样、大小、型号、颜色的产品可供顾客选择。
4.differentiate vt.区别、区分
5.diverge n.(道路)分叉,(意见)分歧
6.The dramatic breakup of mass audiences is underscored by the crisis of the on cegreat TV etworks,ABC,CBS,and NBC,at a time when TeleCommunications,Inc.of Denver,announces a fiberoptic network capable of providingviewers with five hundred interactive channels oftelevision.当丹佛的电信公司宣布其光纤网可为广大电视观众提供500个交流式频道的时候，美国实力雄厚的三大电视网ABC(美国广播公司)、CBS(哥伦比亚广播公司)、NBC(全国广播公司)面临严重的危机。这一危机加剧了广大电视观众的分流。underscore意为“加强，着重说明”。
7.heterogeneity n.多样性

答案

1.D
在文章的开头作者就指出，大规模生产是第二经济浪潮的特点，但是已经越来越不合时宜。这里的关键词是obsolete(过时)与dated同义。

2.D
文章第三段的主要内容是因为顾客需要多样化的产品，大规模商品市场本身也逐渐分裂成不同的小市场。而且信息的发展也使商家了解到各微型市场的需求，并提供这方面的服务。从上下文可猜出niches是小商场，小商店的意思，因为它是由大市场(mass market)分裂(break up)而形成的。故正确答案为D。

3.C
第三段最后指出，60年代末，在《未来冲击》一书中，一些远见卓识的市场研究人员就开始讨论“市场分割”。现在他们不再注意分割的小市场了，而是注意更微小的市场——每个家庭甚至每个消费者。visionary意为“远见卓识的”。

4.A
第四段开头指出，广告越来越多地通过非规模化的媒体针对分工越来越细的市场。全美三大电视网一例正是用来说明广大电视观众的分流。故A为正确答案。

5.B
本文的中心是第二次经济浪潮的特点——大批量生产的产品已经过时，消费者要求产品的多样化，即非大批量生产的产品。现代技术的发展，市场的分割以及广告媒体的发展都使这种非大批量生产的产品成为可能。因此B(demassification)为正确答案。Future Shock(未来的冲击)，Changing Trend(变化的趋势)，Market Segmentation(市场分割)都不是文章的中心。