GWD7-35，36

Q34 to Q36:

      Firms traditionally claim that they

       downsize (i.e., make permanent

       personnel cuts) for economic reasons,

Line       laying off supposedly unnecessary staff

  (5)      in an attempt to become more efficient

and competitive.  Organization theory

would explain this reasoning as an

example of the “economic rationality”

that it assumes underlies all organi-

(10)      zational activities.  There is evidence

that firms believe they are behaving

rationally whenever they downsize; yet

recent research has shown that the

actual economic effects of downsizing

(15)      are often negative for firms.  Thus,

organization theory cannot adequately

explain downsizing; non-economic

factors must also be considered.

One such factor is the evolution of

(20)      downsizing into a powerful business

       myth:  managers simply believe that

       downsizing is efficacious.  Moreover,

downsizing nowadays is greeted

favorably by the business press; the

(25)      press often refers to soaring stock

prices of downsizing firms (even though

research shows that stocks usually

rise only briefly after downsizing and

then suffer a prolonged decline).

(30)      Once viewed as a sign of desperation,

downsizing is now viewed as a signal

that firms are serious about competing

       in the global marketplace; such signals

are received positively by key actors—

(35)    financial analysts, consultants,

shareholders—who supply firms with

vital organizing resources.  Thus, even

if downsizers do not become economi-

      cally more efficient, downsizing’s mythic

(40)     properties give them added prestige

in the business community, enhancing

their survival prospects.

Q35:

The passage suggests that downsizing’s mythic properties can be beneficial to a downsizing firm because these properties

35， A is better in that the text"such signals are received positively by key actors—  financial analysts, consultants, shareholders—who supply firms with vital organizing resources. "  suggests it.  Remember, such verbs as suggest, infer, imply means we should deduct or reason something out from text, not find the word explicitly from inside text.

36, I stand with for this question. D should be the key of this subject.

Here are my picks: B, D.

Taiwan, do you mean B for Q35?

Q35: downsizing’s mythic properties can be beneficial to a downsizing firm because "downsizing is now viewed as a signal ...; such signals are received positively by key actors ...who supply firms with vital organizing resources."

Q36: D is right.  "yet recent research has shown that the actual economic effects of downsizing  are often negative for firms"

B, D

Q34:

The primary purpose of the passage is to

1. criticize firms for engaging in the practice of downsizing
   
   


2. analyze the negative economic impact of downsizing on firms


3. offer an alternative to a traditional explanation for the occurrence of downsizing
   



4. chronicle how perceptions of downsizing have changed over time


5. provide evidence disputing the prevalence of downsizing

请问Q34. 文章没有criticize实行downsizing的公司吗?

这题我选A.... 请告诉我思路哪错了 谢谢

criticize firms for engaging in the practice of downsizing ,

不是针对公司，而是针对这个practice进行评价。

B, D

顺便提醒斑竹阅读GWD汇总里的链接错了。本贴链到GWD9－35里了。

recent research has shown that the

actual economic effects of downsizing

(15)      are often negative for firms.

But there is no content about the negative aspects in the following text. So what is the logical line about the passage. Thank you.