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2015年6月第3套 仔细阅读 第2题
Kodak's decision to file for bankruptcy (破产) protection is a sad, though not unexpected, turning point for a leading American corporation that pioneered consumer photography and dominated the film market for decades, but ultimately failed to adapt to the digital revolution.
It wasn't that Kodak was blind to the future, said Recap Henderson, a professor at Harvard Business School, but rather that it failed to execute on a strategy to confront it. By the time the company realized its mistake, it was too late.
Kodak is an example of a firm that was very much aware that they had to adapt, and spent a lot of money trying to do so, but ultimately failed. Large companies have a difficult time switching to new markets because there is a temptation to put existing assets into the new businesses.
Although Kodak anticipated the inevitable rise of digital photography, its corporate culture was too rooted in the successes of the past for it to make the clean break necessary to fully embrace the future. They were a company stuck in time. Their history was so important to them. Now their history has become a liability.
Kodak's downfall over the last several decades was dramatic. In 1976, the company commanded 90% of the market for photographic film and 85% of the market for cameras. But the 1980s brought new competition from Japanese film company Fuji Photo, which undermined Kodak by offering lower prices for film and photo supplies. Kodak's decision not to pursue the role of official film for the 1984Los Angel Olympics was a major miscalculation. The bid went instead to Fuji, which exploited its sponsorship to win a permanent foothold in the marketplace.
1.What do we learn about Kodak?
A. It went bankrupt all of a sudden. 文中not unexpected
B. It is approaching its downfall.
C. It initiated the digital revolution in the film industry.
D. It is playing the dominant role in the film market.
2.Why does the author mention Kodak's Invention of the first digital camera?
A. To show its early attempt to reinvent itself.
B. To show its effort to overcome complacency.
C. To show its quick adaptation to the digital revolution.
D. To show its will to compete with Japan's Fuji Photo.
3.Why do large companies have difficulty switching to new markets?
A. They find it costly to give up their existing assets.
B. They tend to be slow in confronting new challenges.
C. They are unwilling to invest in new technology.
D. They are deeply stuck in their glorious past.
4.What does the author say Kodak's history has become?
A. A burden.
B. A mirror.
C. A joke.
D. A challenge.
5.What was Kodak's fatal mistake?
A. Its blind faith in traditional photography.
B. Its failure to see Fuji Photo's emergence.
C. Its refusal to sponsor the 1984 Olympics.
D. Its overconfidence in its corporate culture.
