Passage Five
Mass production, the defining characteristic of the Second Wave economy, becomes increasingly obsolete as firms install information intensive, often robotized manufacturing systems capable of endless cheap variation, even customization. The revolutionary result is, in effect, the de-massification of mass production.
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 micro-markets.
Specialty stores, boutiques, superstores, TV home-shopping systems, computer based buying, direct mail and other systems provide a growing diversity of channels through which prod
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
Modem mass-production methods lower the cost of making goods, and thus give us better values. At the same time, American ingenuity and science are constantly at work improving the quality of products. In this way, better quality products at good values are continually being brought to the people of all income groups.
As an example of how this works ,when facial tissues were first put on the market in 1924 ,they were made in limited quantities and sold at 65 cents per box of 200. People liked these facial tissues immediately and began asking for them when they went into different stores. Because there was such a demand for the product, manufacturers began making tissues in larger and larger quantities. Because the manufacturers were making tissues in greater quantities, their production costs were lowered, so that the cost of tissues went down.In the meanwhile, the quality of facial tissues was constantly improving, because more manufacturers went into the business of m
A. Modem society only belongs to the young.
B. Modem life has brought new problems to the old.
C. Today's young people are happier than their parents.
D. It is necessary to take better care of the old peopl
我来回答: