200.Outsourcing is the practice of obtaining from an independent supplier a product or service that a company has previously provided for itself. Since a company’s chief objective is to realize the highest possible year-end profits, any product or service that can be obtained from an independent supplier for less than it would cost the company to provide the product or service on its own should be outsourced.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? (A) If a company decides to use independent suppliers for a product, it can generally exploit the vigorous competition arising among several firms that are interested in supplying that product. (B) Successful outsourcing requires a company to provide its suppliers with information about its products and plans that can fall into the hands of its competitors and give them a business advantage. (C) Certain tasks, such as processing a company’s payroll, are commonly outsourced, whereas others, such as handling the company’s core business, are not. (D) For a company to provide a product or service for itself as efficiently as an independent supplier can provide it, the managers involved need to be as expert in the area of that product or service as the people in charge of that product or service at an independent supplier are. (E) When a company decides to sue an independent supplier for a product or service, the independent supplier sometimes hires members of the company’s staff who formerly made the product or provided the service that the independent supplier now supplies.
The passage argues that a company should obtain a needed product or service from an outside supplier whenever a comparison between the price the outside supplier asks and the cost of a company’s making that product or service for itself shows the outside supplier’s price to be lower. The reason given is that doing so will lower the company’s cost and so contribute to its profits.
The question asks you to identify the answer choice that weakens this argument. The correct answer, therefore, will give a reason why using an outside supplier might not help the company’s profitability even though the price the outside supplier asks is low.
Choice B is the best answer since the possible leakage of sensitive information to the company’s competitors is a hidden cost of relying on outside suppliers and gives a reason why outsourcing might not, ultimately, enhance profitability even if it offers an immediate reduction in costs.
Choices A and D are incorrect because they present benefits of outsourcing, not drawbacks-choice A refers to competition between independent suppliers, and choice D refers to the experienced management ability available. Information about which tasks are in fact commonly outsourced (choice C) does not affect the argument, which is about what tasks should be outsourced. Choice E points out a common consequence of outsourcing, but presents no disadvantage of this consequence to the company.
这道题目对提亮的部分很疑惑。说的我也很绕
有点搞不明白解释中which,what的区别了。请谁帮解释一下
这道题,我主要的疑惑是:题目中说了,any product or service that can be obtained from an independent supplier for less than it would cost the company to provide the product or service on its own should be outsourced.既然是any task都可以被outsouce了,那么C中说出了不能被外包的task,weaken得很对啊!!再昏。
请指点。 |