The competition among producers of personal computers is basically a race to get the best，newest products to the marketplace．Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgment as to their competitors' role when making marketing decisions．If major competitors are changing their products，then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitive．Apple Computer，Inc．has introduced two new，faster personal computers，the Mackintosh II and Mackintosh SE，expecting the introduction of a new PC by IBM，one of Apple's major competitors．

　　Apple's new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models．The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that were impossible to run on an Apple PC，including IBM-compatible（兼容的） programs．This compatibility quality shows computer producers' new attitude of giving customers the qualities they want．Making Apple computers capable （有能力的）of running IBM software is Apple's effort at making the Mackintosh compatible with IBM computers and thus more popular in the office，where Apple hopes to increase sales．Users of the new Apple can also add accessories（附件） to make their machines specialize in specific uses，such as engineering and writing．

　　The new computers stand for a big improvement over past models，but they also cost much more．Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyers who want to step up to a more powerful computer．Apple wants to stay in the high-price end of the personal computer market to provide money for the research for even faster，more sophisticated（精密的）computers．

　　Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors，both companies realize that their competitor's computers have certain qualities that their own models do not．The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics （制圖），but the IBM machines have always been favored in offices．In the future，there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies' products，which no doubt will require that both Apple and IBM change marketing plans．

1．According to the passage，Apple Computer，Inc．has introduced the Mackintosh II and the Mackintosh SE because ________．

A．IBM is also putting new computer models onto the market

B．it wants to make its machines specialize in specific uses

C．it wants to stay much ahead of IBM in the competitive computer market

D．it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example

2．Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by ________．

A．making its new models capable of running IBM software

B．improving the color graphics of its new models

C．copying the marketing plans of IBM

D．giving the customers more choices

3．Apples sells its new computer models at a high price because________．

A．they have new qualities and functions

B．they are more sophisticated than other models

C．they have new accessories

D．it wants to get more money for future research

4．It can be inferred from the passage that both Apple and IBM try to gain a competitive advantage by________．

A．copying each other's technology

B．including qualities that make their products different

C．making their computers more expensive

D．making their computers run much faster

5．The best title for the passage would be ________．

A．Apple's Efforts to Stay Much Ahead of IBM

B．Apple's New Computer Technology

C．Apple's New Personal Computers

D．Apple's Research Activities