Part B: Ordering Utterances (2010)
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 does not fit in with the text. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)
[A]
The first and more important is the consumers 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 Europes 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 gigantic 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]
[固定位 5] 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 too small to buy straight from producers, and food service operators that cater to consumers when they dont 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, Europes 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 came 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 food producers and existing wholesalers) from trying their hand, for those that master the intricacies of wholesaling in Europe stand to reap considerable gains.
Answer Sheet
答案解析 (Answers & Analysis)
41. [B] 首段定位。 文章的主题是关于欧洲的食品饮料批发市场。B段从零售业（Retail sales）的停滞（standstill）入手，引出了大型零售商在后院忽视的一个巨大机会：批发市场（the wholesale food and drink trade）。这是典型的问题引出式首段。
42. [F] 数据举例支撑。 B段提出了“巨大的盈利机会”，F段首句以 "For example" 开头，用具体的数据（268 billion, 40 percent）支撑说明批发市场的巨大规模，并在段末提到该行业有利于整合（consolidate）。
43. [D] 总结与转折。 经过B和F段的论述，D段首句进行阶段性总结："All in all, this clearly seems to be a market in which big retailers could profitably apply their gigantic scale..."。而在D段的后半部分，笔锋一转，指出各大国家市场存在重大差异（important differences），并强调需要“新技能和不熟悉的商业模式（New skills and unfamiliar business models are needed too）”。
44. [G] 让步与建议衔接。 D段末尾提出了进入批发市场的高要求（需要新技能等）。G段首句立刻用 "However, none of these requirements should deter large retailers..." 进行衔接，"these requirements" 完美指代了D段末尾的新技能和新商业模式要求，鼓励零售商不要退缩。
[E] 固定位。 E段首句 "Despite variations in detail..."（尽管细节上有差异）与D段中提到的“各个国家市场的巨大差异（important differences）”形成逻辑上的呼应与让步。E段重点分析了批发市场的两大需求来源，并在段尾抛出一个悬念：这些数据掩盖了“两个相反的趋势（two opposing trends）”。
45. [A] 趋势解谜与收尾。 E段末尾留下悬念“两个相反的趋势”，A段首句立刻回答："The first and more important is the consumers growing preference for eating out..."，直接点明了第一个重要趋势（外出就餐增加），段落后半部分接着指出了“与此同时（Meanwhile）”人们倾向于在家吃饭的第二个趋势。逻辑严丝合缝。
全文翻译
[A] 首先，更重要的是，消费者越来越偏爱外出就餐：在家庭以外的地方消费食品和饮料的比例已从 1995 年占消费总量的 32% 上升到 2000 年的 35%，预计到 2005 年将接近 38%。这一发展正在推动整个欧洲食品服务领域批发需求每年增长 4% 至 5%，相比之下零售需求仅增长 1% 至 2%。与此同时，随着经济衰退日益迫近，人们变得焦虑起来。他们倾向于紧紧守住钱包，把在家吃饭视为一种现实的选择。
[B] 欧洲最大市场中的食品和饮料零售额处于停滞状态，这使得欧洲的食品杂货零售商渴望寻找增长机会。大多数领先的零售商已经尝试过电子商务，但收效有限，也尝试过海外扩张。但几乎所有零售商都忽视了自家后院中一个巨大且有利可图的机会：食品和饮料批发贸易，而这似乎正是零售商所需要的那种市场。
[C] 这些差异是否会带来食品和饮料市场整体结构的改变？绝对不会。市场的运作基于潜在买家主导的灵活趋势。换句话说，是由买家而非卖家来决定买什么。无论如何，这种变化最终将受到日益增多的国内外消费者的欢迎，无论当前的消费模式将持续多久。
[D] 总而言之，这显然是一个能让大型零售商有利可图地运用其巨大规模、现有基础设施以及在产品系列管理、物流和市场情报方面已证实的技能的市场。掌握欧洲批发业复杂性的零售商很可能由此获得可观的利润。至少，总体上看起来是这样。更仔细的审视揭示了最大国家市场之间的重要差异，尤其是在客户细分市场和批发结构方面，以及各个食品和饮料类别的竞争动态。大型零售商必须了解这些差异，然后才能确定在欧洲批发业的哪些领域中，他们的特定能力可能击败规模较小但根基稳固的竞争对手。还需要新的技能和不熟悉的商业模式。
[F] 例如，2000 年法国、德国、意大利、西班牙和英国的食品和饮料批发销售额达到 2680 亿美元——超过零售额的 40%。此外，批发业的平均整体利润率高于零售业；随着越来越多的欧洲人更频繁地外出就餐，来自食品服务领域的批发需求正在快速增长；这一分散行业的竞争动态变化终于使批发商整合变得可行。
[G] 然而，这些要求都不应该阻止大型零售商（甚至一些大型食品生产商和现有批发商）去尝试，因为那些掌握欧洲批发业复杂性的人有望获得可观的收益。