Part B

Directions:

For Questions 41-45, choose the most suitable paragraphs from the list A-G and fill them into the numbered boxes to form a coherent text. Paragraph E has been correctly placed. There is one paragraph which dose not fit in with the text. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1. (10 points)

[A] The first and more important is the consumer’s growing preference for eating out; the consumption of food and drink in places other than homes has risen from about 32 percent of total consumption in 1995 to 35 percent in 2000 and is expected to approach 38 percent by 2005. This development is boosting wholesale demand from the food service segment by 4 to 5 percent a year across Europe, compared with growth in retail demand of 1 to 2 percent. Meanwhile, as the recession is looming large, people are getting anxious. They tend to keep a tighter hold on their purse and consider eating at home a realistic alternative.

[B] Retail sales of food and drink in Europe’s largest markets are at a standstill, leaving European grocery retailers hungry for opportunities to grow. Most leading retailers have already tried e-commerce, with limited success, and expansion abroad. But almost all have ignored the big, profitable opportunity in their own backyard: the wholesale food and drink trade, which appears to be just the kind of market retailers need.

[C] Will such variations bring about a change in the overall structure of the food and drink market? Definitely not. The functioning of the market is based on flexible trends dominated by potential buyers. In other words, it is up to the buyer, rather than the seller, to decide what to buy .At any rate, this change will ultimately be acclaimed by an ever-growing number of both domestic and international consumers, regardless of how long the current consumer pattern will take hold.

[D] All in all, this clearly seems to be a market in which big retailers could profitably apply their scale, existing infrastructure and proven skills in the management of product ranges, logistics, and marketing intelligence. Retailers that master the intricacies of wholesaling in Europe may well expect to rake in substantial profits thereby. At least, that is how it looks as a whole. Closer inspection reveals important differences among the biggest national markets, especially in their customer segments and wholesale structures, as well as the competitive dynamics of individual food and drink categories. Big retailers must understand these differences before they can identify the segments of European wholesaling in which their particular abilities might unseat smaller but entrenched competitors. New skills and unfamiliar business models are needed too.

[E] Despite variations in detail, wholesale markets in the countries that have been closely examined-France, Germany, Italy, and Spain-are made out of the same building blocks. Demand comes mainly from two sources: independent mom-and-pop grocery stores which, unlike large retail chains, are two small to buy straight from producers, and food service operators that cater to consumers when they don’t eat at home. Such food service operators range from snack machines to large institutional catering ventures, but most of these businesses are known in the trade as “horeca”: hotels, restaurants, and cafes. Overall, Europe’s wholesale market for food and drink is growing at the same sluggish pace as the retail market, but the figures, when added together, mask two opposing trends.

[F] For example, wholesale food and drink sales come to $268 billion in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2000-more than 40 percent of retail sales. Moreover, average overall margins are higher in wholesale than in retail; wholesale demand from the food service sector is growing quickly as more Europeans eat out more often; and changes in the competitive dynamics of this fragmented industry are at last making it feasible for wholesalers to consolidate.

[G] However, none of these requirements should deter large retailers (and even some large good producers and existing wholesalers) from trying their hand, for those that master the intricacies of wholesaling in Europe stand to reap considerable gains.
 

       41 ． B

　　解析：本题需要找出文章的首段，可用排除法做。首先 A 选项中提到“ the first and more important…” 中的 “ more” 应该在前文中提到，故排除。 B 选项首句就提出了欧洲食品零售所面临的问题，根据文章结构法：提出问题 — 分析问题 — 解决问题，此段符合首段要求，即提出了文章的中心问题，而且本选项中也没有明显的需要和上文衔接的关系词，而其它选项都有明显的与上文衔接的信息词，不能在首段出现，故 B 为正确答案。

　　42 ． F

　　解析：首段一旦确定，本段内容便可根据上文顺藤摸瓜，第一段最后一句话“ but” 后指出了虽然食品零售商面临着“ at a standstill ( 几乎停止发展 )” 的问题，他们却忽略了一个潜在的市场即他们身边的 “wholesale food and trade( 食品批发市场 )” 。而 F 选项首句便举例说明法国、德国、意大利等国家的食品批发产业的市场规模比食品零售产业要大 40% 。而且在“ moreover” 后又进一步说明批发的利润大零售很多。因此可以判断此选项是对第一段的例证说明。其中 “ for example” 是明显的信息提示词。

　　43 ． D

　　解析：上段介绍了食品批发商的优势，而 D 选项第一句“ All in all, this clearly seems to be a market in which…” 则对上文的内容进行总结，其中 all in all 是较明显的信息提示词，即上文中提到的食品批发的优势推出这是明显对于 “ big retailers that master the intricacies of wholesaling” 是一个“ market” 。因此 D 项为正确答案。

　　44 ． G

　　解析：上段最后一句提出的“ particular abilities” 以及“ new skills and unfamiliar business models are needed.” , 即零售商需要新的技能及不熟悉的商业模式。而 G 选项第一句提到的 “ these requirements （这些要求） ” 正是指上文所提到的技能。

　　45 ． A

　　解析：此题可以用排除法做，所剩下的选项只有 A 和 C ，需要注意的是本题并没有明显的信息词，所以需要阅读选项的内容进而找出正确答案。此题前文的已知段落 E 选项中最后一句“ two opposing trends” 在 A 选项中得到了体现，即一方面由于人们选择在外就餐而扩大了食品批发的需求，而另一方面人们又开始感到“ anxious( 焦虑 ) ”。而 C 选项第一句提到的“ such variations” 在上文中并没有得到体现，因此可以断定 A 为正确答案。