文：王可达， 博森英语GMAT教学总监
界定和贯穿是达氏攻GMAT法的核心部分。
今天我们结合一个实例来体验一下此法的威力。这是一道在网上被广为争论的阅读题。
原文：
Extensive research has shown that the effects of short-term price promotions on sales are themselves short-term. Companies' hopes that promotions might have a positive aftereffect have not been borne out for reasons that researchers have been able to identify. A price promotion entices only a brand's long-term or "loyal" customers; people seldom buy an unfamiliar brand merely because the price is reduced. They simply avoid paying more than they have to when one of their customary brands is temporarily available at a reduced price. A price promotion does not increase the number of long-term customers of a brand, as it attracts virtually no new customers in the first place. Nor do price promotions have lingering aftereffects for a brand, even negative ones such as damage to a brand's reputation or erosion of customer loyalty, as is often feared.
So why do companies spend so much on price promotions? Clearly price promotions are generally run at a loss, otherwise there would be more of them. And the bigger the increase in sales at promotion prices, the bigger the loss. While short-term price promotions can have legitimate uses, such as reducing excess inventory, it is the recognizable increase in sales that is their main attraction to management, which is therefore reluctant to abandon this strategy despite its effect on the bottom line.
Q13: The passage suggests that evidence for price promotions' "effect on the bottom line" (highlighted) is provided by
A.the lack of lingering aftereffects from price promotions
B.the frequency with which price promotions occur
C.price promotions' inability to attract new customers
D.price promotions' recognizable effect on sales
E.the legitimate uses to which management can put price promotions
解题分析：
根据effect on the bottom line所在句子的逻辑关系，reluctant to abandon this strategy应该与之形成转折否定，这是由despite这个逻辑关系词决定的。使用界定技巧的“方向判定”，由于reluctant to abandon this strategy对促销政策表达正面态度，因此推出：effect应该是表达负面态度。
先把明显表达正面态度的选项排除：
D：促销给销售带来的显著影响，正面，杀（关键词：recognizable，褒义）
E：管理层对促销的合理使用，正面，杀（关键词: legtimate，褒义）
ABC都说不好，哪个最佳？
这题的难点也在于此，按理说，A和C都是明显的负面表达，B偏中性。然而，AC提到的两件事在第一段都出现过，而且恰好组成一个问题的两个方面。直觉告诉我，这是一对捆绑出现的欢喜冤家，要么都对，要么都不对，傻子也知道，单选题的世界里生同鸳鸯，死亦成双 。
需要静下心来，再读最后一句话。
解题钥匙实际上来自于对bottom line的理解。在经济学中，bottom line专指净收益，意思等同于net income。所以答案必须跟钱有直接关系。根据界定技巧的“简化意群”，第一段说的是客户，第二段才提到了钱，因为这句话：“ Clearly price promotions are generally run at a loss, otherwise there would be more of them. And the bigger the increase in sales at promotion prices, the bigger the loss. ”换句话说，促销会带来收入的损失，这才是effects on bottom line的出处。
这时我们看到：otherwise there would be more of them，也就是说：促销发生的次数并不很多，这个与B选项说的frequency恰好形成呼应，答案就是B：促销发生次数之少有力的证明了该政策对公司带来的负面经济作用。
诚然，此种解题方法对阅读能力的苛求实在变态。假如，我是堂堂一名软件公司的CEO，就他妈为了bottom line这么一个破词儿就应该被hold在MBA的校门之外？这岂止是可悲，这简直是可悲！你们丫必须为错过一个未来的中国乔布斯而集体面壁！
别急，看看能不能用贯穿技巧偷出一条生路。从选项里挑选一个用来贯穿原文的线索词。A里的aftereffects, B里的frequency，C里的new customers。回原文寻找出处之前，先用“方向界定”找出文章说促销不好的文字部分，第一段整段，和第二段前半部分。本着从近而远的原则，我们先看第二段前半部分，发现里面有"otherwise there would be more of them"，从而对应到B选项的关键词：frequency，答案由此得到。
今天我们粗浅展示了界定和贯穿中的几个技巧，具体怎么磨练这一技法，将其变成攻G体系中的常备组件，后面咱们接着聊。 |
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