A certain automaker aims to increase its market share by deeply discounting its vehicles’ prices for the next several months. The discounts will cut into profits, but because they will be heavily advertised the manufacturer hopes that they will attract buyers away from rival manufacturers’ cars. In the longer term, the automaker envisions that customers initially attracted by the discounts may become loyal customers.

In assessing the plan’s chances of achieving its aim, it would be most useful to know which of the following?

1. Whether the automaker’s competitors are likely to respond by offering deep discounts on their own products

2. Whether the advertisements will be created by the manufacturer’s current advertising agency

3. Whether some of the automaker’s models will be more deeply discounted than others

4. Whether the automaker will be able to cut costs sufficiently to maintain profit margins even when the discounts are in effect

5. Whether an alternative strategy might enable the automaker to enhance its profitability while holding a constant or diminishing share of the market

题目就是说该公司以减少利润为代价，抢占market share的strategy

我在答案a,e间犹豫，a 讲其他competitors的反应，e讲是否有更好的strategy在维持不变或较少market share的情况下来增加利润，对于题目该公司的最终目的是profit, 所以e对于assess the plan很有用啊，请指教

我觉得答案是a

这是一个评价题，按加强题做。文章的逻辑是：降价—〉增加销量-〉成为忠实客户。按这个思路去加强。文章没有提到alternative strategy，也无法去证实e会带来忠实客户。

E的方法很有用，但是不能说明原文的方法是否有用。

所以可以说是无关的。

A is the answer I think.

In E  I think it is on opposites to the automaker's wish, to

make a better makert share by attracting the more customers from

competitors.