Why Doesn’t Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete.This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable.When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple’s products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple’s success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price.Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P(标准普尔)500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future.Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized(商品化)very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The climax of this hypothesis is the “chief-sorcerer” theory of success which places one magician, like Steve Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells(符咒).
What about Apple’s own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It’s a better explanation.Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort.A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted.There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula.It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic.It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.
1.When a new product of Apple comes out, often it ______.
A.ruins an industry dramatically
B.starts a revolution of an industry
C.puts itself in an unbeatable position
D.is soon overtaken by imitated products
2.According to the passage, other companies don’t “copy being Apple” because ______.
A. Apple is not a successful company
B. they have no access to relevant resources
C. It’s hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs
D.being Apple takes more than time and efforts
3.We can infer from Para. 5 that ______.
A.other companies are dedicated to integration
B.Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages
C.Apple will hold the leading position in this industry
D.other companies don't have a great team as Apple does
4.What does the author think of Tim Cook's statement?
A.Acceptable. B.Disappointing. C.Unquestionable. D.Convincing.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Why Doesn’t Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete.This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable.When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple’s products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple’s success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price.Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P(标准普尔)500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future.Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized(商品化)very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The climax of this hypothesis is the “chief-sorcerer” theory of success which places one magician, like Steve Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells(符咒).
What about Apple’s own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It’s a better explanation.Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort.A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted.There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula.It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic.It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.
1.When a new product of Apple comes out, often it ______.
A.ruins an industry dramatically
B.starts a revolution of an industry
C.puts itself in an unbeatable position
D.is soon overtaken by imitated products
2.According to the passage, other companies don’t “copy being Apple” because ______.
A. Apple is not a successful company
B. they have no access to relevant resources
C. It’s hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs
D.being Apple takes more than time and efforts
3.We can infer from Para. 5 that ______.
A.other companies are dedicated to integration
B.Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages
C.Apple will hold the leading position in this industry
D.other companies don't have a great team as Apple does
4.What does the author think of Tim Cook's statement?
A.Acceptable. B.Disappointing. C.Unquestionable. D.Convincing.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The main reason why Apple’s products always manage to capture the imagination of people worldwide is their attention to _____. Each and every part of an Apple product is perfect in its body.
A.details B.functions C.features D.trends
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Why doesn’t the man wear his yellow shirt?
A. It’s missing. B. He doesn’t like it. C. Two buttons are off it.
高三英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析
—Who’s knocking at the door?
—Maybe wanting to sell some new products.
A、everyboby B、anybody C、somebody D、noboby
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.Why doesn’t the man want to book the seats downstairs?
A.They are too close to the stage.
B.They are uncomfortable.
C.They are too expensive.
2.When does the man plan to see the performance?
A.On October 21st. B.On October 1st. C.On October 25th.
高三英语长对话简单题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.Why doesn’t the man want to book the seats downstairs?
A.They are too expensive.
B.They are uncomfortable.
C.They are too close to the stage.
2.When does the man plan to see the performance?
A.On October 1st. B.On October 21st. C.On October 25th.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析
The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” –-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet ---used the title in 2008. A lovely bear --- popular in the US and UK --- that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version(简装本) of London’s Independent newspaper was started last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce(电子商务) first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at (针对)young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s“ i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition(定义),” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now connected with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade(十年).
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was connected with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared.
1.People use iPlayer to __________.
A. listen to music B. make a call
C. watch TV programs online D. read newspapers
2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.
A. young readers B. old readers C. fashionable women D. engineers
3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
A. popular B. uncertain C. clear D. unique
4. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
A. portable B. environmentally friendly C. advanced D. recyclable
5.The writer suggests that __________.
A. “i” products are often of high quality
B. iTeddy is alive bear
C. the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products
D. the popularity of “i” products may not last long
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The report at the conference analyses in detail why a new legal is needed to better protect the environment.
A. currency B. framework C. allowance D. occupation
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The report at the conference analyses in detail why a new legal is needed to better protect the environment.
A.currency B.framework C.allowance D.occupation
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A. At home. B. In a hospital. C. In an office.
2.Why doesn’t the man sleep well?
A. His cough is particularly bad at night. B. He has to prepare for the conference.
C. He has got a fever.
3.Why doesn’t the man go to the clinic?
A. He is having a meeting. B. He is too busy to go there.
C. He can take care of himself.
高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析