63/63 第三题

The fact that superior service can generate a competitive

  advantage for a company does not mean that every attempt

  at improving service will create such an advantage. Invest-

  ments in service, like those in production and distribution, 

(5)
                must be balanced against other types of investments on the

  basis of direct, tangible benefits such as cost reduction and

  increased revenues. If a company is already effectively
            on a

  par with its competitors because it provides service that

  avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from

(10)
                    leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher

   service levels may be wasted, since service is a deciding

   factor for customers only in extreme situations.

     This truth was not apparent to managers of one regional

   bank, which failed to improve its competitive position

(15)
                despite its investment in reducing the time a customer had

   to wait for a teller. The bank managers did not recognize

   the level of customer inertia in the consumer banking

   industry that arises from the inconvenience of switching
            

   banks. Nor did they analyze their service improvement to

(20) determine whether it would attract new customers by pro-

   ducing a new standard of service that would excite cus-

   tomers or by proving difficult for competitors to copy. The
            

   only merit of the improvement was that it could easily be

   described to customers.

   investment in enhancing that service?

  (A) It enabled the bank to retain customers at an

     acceptable rate

  (B) It threatened to weaken the bank’s competitive

     position with respect to other regional banks

  (C) It had already been improved after having caused

      damage to the bank’s reputation in the past.

  (D) It was slightly superior to that of the bank’s regional

     competitors.

  (E) It needed to be improved to attain parity with the

     service provided by competing banks.

ans is A Why???

The regional bank's example is mentioned at line 13. An example is always used to illustrate a point, and the point here is what is described in the preceding sentence, starting at line 7: "If a company is already effectively on a  par with its competitors because it provides service that  avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from leaving at an unacceptable rate ...." Because the regional bank is an example of SUCH a bank, we can infer that the service provided by the regional bank enabled the bank to retain customers at an acceptable rate. Therefore (A) is correct.