经济和cluster

　　【段落大意】

　　第一段：

　　传统观点认为随着经济的发展location不重要。随着现在信息的全球化，公司有了一些改变。以前的公司之间的竞争主要集中在成本控制上，也就是说谁的劳动力雇佣地低，材料成本低谁就比较有优势，但是现在由于信息全球化了 ，公司可以轻易从全球各地弄到便宜的资源，于是现在的竞争就主要集中在资源的使用效率和公司的创新上了，而这些因素和公司本身所处的地理位置没什么关系。

　　some argue that global market and long distance network would make “location” less important to a business success.

　　第二段：

　　新观点认为location容易形成cluster，对经济发展有帮助。反驳第一段，上来举例子说如果不是地理因素的话，那如何解释XXXX(例子)，然后这一段引入了一个企业群的概念(cluster)，主要讲这个cluster怎么促进竞争之类的。这个策略有什么好处：(1)降低采购成本;(2)学校，研究所什么的提供培训(考题);(3)容易找到人才。虽然有competition，但好处大于坏处，公司们还是趋之若鹜。The author rejects such view by listing the advantages of clustering of business such as readily available worker pool in specialized areas, stable and larger supplied bases, lower local inputs (without transaction costs compared to long distance inputs), etc.

　　第三段：

　　作者让步。即使cluster有缺点，但还是应该推广该策略。The author contend there might be some drawbacks about cluster such as… But he argues there are more benefits such as…that would outweigh the drawbacks.

　　【问题】

　　Q1: the author would most like agree with which statement regarding the increasing global market and faster transportation?

　　Q2: the purpose of the third paragraph?

　　My key: the author point out some of the objections that others might have

　　Q3: Which would the author agree with about local input and long distance input?

　　My key: long distance input would force local input to lower its price (answer can be found in the third paragraph: “…force local suppliers to offer competitive prices”)

　　Q4：What is true about business in the past?

　　My key: The key should be articulated in a way similar to “the most important input to get raw materials…” in the article.