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  3. TOEFL iBT Writing. In this integrated writing task, you will write a response to a question about a reading passage and a lectur

TOEFL iBT Writing. In this integrated writing task, you will write a response to a question about a reading passage and a lectur

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问题 TOEFL iBT Writing. In this integrated writing task, you will write a response to a question about a reading passage and a lecture. Your response will be scored on the quality of your writing and on how well you connect the points in the lecture with points in the reading. Typically, an effective response will have 150 to 225 words.
Reading Time - 3 minutes
Business revolves around making decisions, and good decisions are based on good intelligence. Creating useful intelligence involves the following steps: asking appropriate questions, carefully interpreting the answers, and gathering sufficient information to make a decision.
The intelligence-gathering process can be seen in the experience of a greeting card company. The company wanted to attract more of their core customers into their stores, so they considered expanding their product line by selling fresh flowers. The company rarely dedicated resources to a new idea without first doing a considerable amount of market research, planning, and preparation. They began collecting the information needed for the decision to sell flowers.
They set up a number of focus groups composed of their core customers (women aged thirty to fifty). In these groups, the company asked relevant questions, for example, "If fresh flowers were available in our stores, would you be inclined to buy them?" The response from participants was extremely positive, with 78 percent saying "yes." The company also decided to get answers from flower producers, so they interviewed botanists and investigated facilities. They identified personnel and equipment needs and estimated costs, concluding that the venture was feasible. The extensive information that the company gathered supported their belief that the flower business would be successful.
The project was approved, and a fresh flower facility opened in the central region. The company’s major stores were equipped with refrigeration units to keep the flowers fresh. A team of botanical experts ensured that the flowers were handled with care during the distribution process. As the stores began receiving shipments of flowers, the company felt optimistic, knowing their decision was based on extensive planning and good intelligence.
Now listen to the lecture. You may take notes, and you may use your notes to help you write your response. After you hear the question, you have 20 minutes to plan and write your response. You may look at the reading passage during the writing time.
Summarize the points made in the lecture, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
Stop
Time - 20 minutes
Now listen to part of a lecture on this topic in a business management class.
You’ve read about the greeting card company’s decision to sell flowers. The company did a great deal of research, including focus groups with customers. Yet, in spite of all that, the flower venture failed. Flowers literally died on the shelves, and before long the flower operation was shut down. Why? Why did it fail, when all the research pointed to success?
Well, the company’s biggest mistake was bias—both in the information they gathered and in how it was interpreted. They had been confident that fresh flowers would be a great addition to their product line. This bias caused them to interpret the available information positively. They didn’t ask enough questions that would have proved their theory wrong. They didn’t realize that the information they had was incomplete. They stopped researching too soon.
They felt certain that the venture would succeed, and all the information they gathered supported this belief. In the focus groups, for example, they asked if people would buy flowers from the company’s stores. Of course the answer was "yes." However, the company neglected to ask when and how customers usually bought flowers. Only later did they learn that people usually buy flowers at the end of their shopping routine. The company’s stores, however, were usually the first or second stop on their list. Furthermore, people don’t like going to malls, where the company’s stores are located, if flowers are the only thing they want. At those times, their neighborhood florist shop is much more convenient.
The company failed because they had been excessively optimistic, and this distorted their intelligence. The lesson here is that decision-makers have to avoid bias when they are collecting and evaluating information.
Summarize the points made in the lecture, explaining how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
选项
答案- The lecture states that the company’s flower venture failed because of bias in the gathering and interpretation of information. This casts doubt on the point in the reading that the intelligence-gathering process can be seen in the experience of a greeting card company. The company’s experience is not a good example of intelligence gathering. - The lecture states that the company had been excessively optimistic. They had been confident in their idea, and this bias caused them to interpret information positively. This casts doubt on the point in the reading that creating useful intelligence involves asking appropriate questions and carefully interpreting answers. - Bias caused the company to gather information that supported their belief. They did not ask their customers the right questions about their shopping habits. This casts doubt on the point in the reading that the company asked relevant questions in the focus groups. - Bias caused the company to stop researching too soon; they did not realize that their information was incomplete. This casts doubt on the point in the reading that creating useful intelligence involves gathering sufficient information to make a decision.
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