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  3. The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, t

The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, t

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问题                 The Tapping of Cellular Phone Software
    Electronic gadgets have changed a great deal in the past few years. Most obviously, they have become smaller sleeker, smarter and more versatile. Billions of people now carry around tiny devices that are more powerful than the desktop computers of a few years ago. But these gadgets have also changed in a less obvious way. Once they were lumps of hardware brought to life by a layer of software; today they might be more accurately described as services in a box.
    It was ever thus with mobile phones, of course: the handset is useless without a network operator, and mobile phones are, in effect, the container in which operators sell their services. But the handset and the network service have hitherto come from different companies. Operators do not manufacture their own phones, and handset-makers are not operators.
    But now device-makers are increasingly providing the services that power their devices—or, to look at things the other way around, building devices that encapsulate services they wish to offer. Apple’s iPod started off as a piece of hardware in 2001, but it really took off in 2003 when Apple launched the iTunes Music Store, a service that makes it easy for iPod owners to download music, video and games to their devices, and which is now the leading online music retailer.
    There are several motivations for the gadget-makers’ shift into services. First, margins on hardware are generally lower than margins on services. Second, saturated markets in many parts of the world mean that hardware sales are slowing in some categories. Soon, everyone in western Europe who wants a satellite navigation will have bought one; what will the manufacturers do then? Make money from subscriptions and updates, of course. At least, that’s the plan. Finally, services provide a way to hold on to customers. If you have signed up for a service tied to a particular gadget-maker, the thinking goes, you are less likely to switch to a different manufacturer’s device in future.
    The world’s most successful gadget-makers are those that have been quickest to recognize the importance of offering accompanying services. Makers of stand-alone music-players, such as Rio, have been unable to compete with Apple; and Motorola, once the top dog in mobile phones, let RIM, once an obscure Canadian start-up, grab the mobile e-mail market.
    With elaborate branding and advertising campaigns, gadget-makers have long promoted the idea that they were selling something more than just a bundle of electronics in a snazzy case. Now, funnily enough, some of them really are.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
选项 A、Branding and advertising are the main strategy for pushing sales.
B、Gadget-makers have confronted difficulties in promoting their idea.
C、Some gadget-makers fail to offer services as they have promised.
D、Some gadget-makers are cheating the customers by inferior goods.
答案C
解析 推理判断题。根据题干提示定位到原文最后一段：With elaborate branding and advertising campaigns，gadget-makers have long promoted the idea that they were selling something more than just a bundle of electronics in a snazzy case．Now，funnily enough，some of them really are．此处提到电子设备的生产商们一向通过精心的品牌建设和广告宣传活动来向大众传递这样一个理念：他们并非仅仅是在兜售装着一堆电子元件的漂亮盒子。有意思的是，当前他们中有一些正是如此。通过后一句可知，作者认为现在有些电子设备只不过是一堆电子元件，即其承诺的服务还远远没有跟上，因此选[C]项。原文提到生产商们一向通过精心的品牌建设和广告宣传活动向大众做宣传，并没提及[A]项“品牌宣传和广告营销是促销的主要策略”；也不能由此判定[B]项“电子设备生产商在推广此理念时遇到困难”；[D]项“一些生产商通过劣质产品来欺骗顾客”也与原文不符。
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