求教OG第42篇259题

寂静岭的九尾狐

Modern manufacturers, who need reliable sources ofmaterials and technologically advanced

components to operate profitably, face an increasinglydifficult choice between owning the

producers of these items (a practice known as backwardintegration) and buying from independent

producers. Manufacturers who integrate may reapshort-term rewards, but they often restrict their

future capacity for innovative product development.

Backward integration removes the need for some purchasingand marketing functions, centralizers

overhead, and permits manufacturers to eliminateduplicated efforts in research and development.

Where components are commodities (ferrous metals orpetroleum, for example), backward

integration almost certainly boosts profits.Nevertheless, because product innovation means

adopting the most technologically advanced andcost-effective ways of making components,

backward integration may entail a serious risk for atechnologically active company-for example,

a producer of sophisticated consumer electronics.

A company that decides to make rather than buy importantparts can lock itself into an outdated

technology. Independent suppliers may be unwilling toshare innovations with assemblers with

whom they are competing. Moreover, when an assembler setsout to master the technology of

producing advanced components, the resulting demands onits resources may compromise its

ability to assemble these components successfully intoend products. Long-term contracts with

suppliers can achieve many of the same cost benefits asbackward integration without

compromising a company’s ability to innovate.

However, moving away from backward integration is not acomplete solution either. Developing

innovative technologies requires independent suppliers ofcomponents to invest huge sums in

research and development. The resulting low profitmargins on the sale of components threaten the

long-term financial stability of these firms. Because theability of end-product assemblers to

respond to market opportunities depends heavily onsuppliers of components, assemblers are often

forced to integrate by purchasing the suppliers ofcomponents just to keep their suppliers in

business.

259. Which of the following best describes the way thelast paragraph functions in the context of

the passage?

(A)   The last in a series of arguments supporting the centralargument of the passage is presented.

(B)   A viewpoint is presented which qualifies one presentedearlier in the passage.

(C)   Evidence is presented in support of the argumentdeveloped in the preceding paragraph.

(D)   Questions arising from the earlier discussion areidentified as points of departure for further study of the topic. (B)

(E)   A specific example is presented to illustrate the mainelements of argument presented in the earlier paragraphs.

OG给出B选项是正确答案，而且说明At the end of the third paragraph, the author

indicates that assemblers benefit from contracting with,rather than owning, independent suppliers.

In the last paragraph, however, the author indicates thatcontracting with independent suppliers

can itself present problems. Thus the last paragraphqualifies the viewpoint presented at the end of

the third paragraph

怎么看qualify都没觉得有表示转折的意思啊，考古了下也没有相关的解释。而且qualify这个词在OG其他阅读的正确选项里也出现过，
有人总结过这个是怎么说吗，谢谢了

duoleshi

我也一直很困惑qualify的用法，这是偷懒在有道词典上截取的第四种解释，我觉得比较符合此题的意思，供参考。
4.V-T If you qualify a statement, you make it less strong or less general by adding a detail or explanation to it. (通过增加细节、解释) 使语气缓和; 使…不太笼统
例：
I would qualify that by putting it into context.
我会把它放入上下文中加以解释。
Boyd qualified his opinion, noting that the evidence could be interpreted in other ways.
博伊德补充说明了他的观点，指出证据可以用其他方式加以解释。

f0070515

from Longman
qualify: to add to something that has already been said, in order to limit its effect or meaning