首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
The good news is that after last year’s precipitous decline, worldwide demand for microchips is rising again. The not-so-good ne
The good news is that after last year’s precipitous decline, worldwide demand for microchips is rising again. The not-so-good ne
admin
2009-04-27
34
问题
The good news is that after last year’s precipitous decline, worldwide demand for microchips is rising again. The not-so-good news is that the recovery is likely to be more muted than the industry had hoped. In fact, it could be years before the market makes up fully for 2001’s record fall of 32% in chip sales. The latest figures from World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, an industry body, suggest that demand will creep up this year by 2.3% (to $142 billion) and by a healthier 16.6% or so in 2003. Se it could still be 2004 or beyond before the market for chips regains its former heights.
Why is the recovery so weak? The main reason is that sales of personal computers(PCs), which run on such chips and which dominate the market for them, are still struggling to recover from last year’s collapse in demand. Gartner Dataquest, a research firm, says worldwide sales of PCs rose by 5.8% year-on-year in the three months to the end of September. Don’t be misled: although this is a welcome return to growth, the increase recovers barely half the ground lost last year when the market for new PCs slumped after the bursting of the technology bubble; the September 11th terrorist attacks further depressed the market.
The uncertain outlook for the world economy is encouraging companies to postpone their spending on information technology (IT). In better times, companies would usually begin to replace outdated equipment during the third quarter. This time around, says Gartner Dataquest, the IT industry will probably have to wait until the middle of next year to see any real improvement in sales. Slowest to recover are likely to be sales in Latin America and Japan, where shipments of new PCs actually fell during the third quarter of this year.
Dan Niles of Lehman Brothers, an investment bank, is optimistic that, beginning next year, overall spending on IT will recover. He believes corporate expenditure in the United States is "slowly beginning to stabilize and to pick up". He predicts single-digit growth in America, followed by an improvement elsewhere later in the year. A noted pessimist for the past two years or so, Mr. Niles points to the declining level of inventories as a sign that the market is close to a recovery. Stocks of PCs and electronics goods have fallen every month, year-on-year, for the past 12’ months, he says.
A recovery in demand cannot come too soon for some. Chartered Semiconductor, one of the world’s largest producers of custom-made chips, said recently that it plans to cut its workforce in Singapore by 7%. Reporting its seventh consecutive quarterly loss, the company said it expected sales to fall again during the current period. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, one of Chartered’s main rivals, is also expecting a tough end to the year.
The gloom is not shared by all. Intel, the world’s biggest chip producer, saw its share of total sales rise significantly during the third quarter—to 87% of the worldwide market, the highest it has been for four years. Intel’s gain came mainly at the expense of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an American rival. Like others in the industry, AMD has suffered from falling orders as customers used up the excess stocks of chips overhanging the market. Worse, the soft market has also forced down the prices of its chips, squeezing its profit margins.
选项
A、contrary to expectations
B、far from certain
C、not so quick as expected
D、at a record-breaking speed
答案
C
解析
细节分析。文章第一段讲对芯片的需求虽然开始回升,但比业界所希望的要缓慢,也就是说不如预期的快。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/eCURFFFM
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
FrankSinatraknewhewasgettingarawdeal.Hecouldsingbuthewasnotmuchofasongwriter,soheneversawacentwhenmos
FrankSinatraknewhewasgettingarawdeal.Hecouldsingbuthewasnotmuchofasongwriter,soheneversawacentwhenmos
FrankSinatraknewhewasgettingarawdeal.Hecouldsingbuthewasnotmuchofasongwriter,soheneversawacentwhenmos
Thedeclineofcivilityandgoodmannersmaybeworryingpeoplemorethancrime,accordingtoGentilityRecalled,editedbyDigb
AstudypublishedintheInternationalJournalofBusinessAdministrationfoundthatwhatstudentsreadincollegedirectlyeffe
Icouldn’tstopcrying.Monthsoflateeveningsanddemandingtravelhad【C1】______myprofessionalexterior.Itriedto【C2】______
Icouldn’tstopcrying.Monthsoflateeveningsanddemandingtravelhad【C1】______myprofessionalexterior.Itriedto【C2】______
Icouldn’tstopcrying.Monthsoflateeveningsanddemandingtravelhad【C1】______myprofessionalexterior.Itriedto【C2】______
TheessentialfunctionsoftheUNaretomaintaininternationalpeaceandsecurity,todevelopfriendlyrelationsamongnations,
随机试题
B超检查胆道疾病的优点,不正确的是
视黄醛的来源是
治疗小面积烧伤过程中错误的是
根据《工程建设项目货物招标投标办法》的规定,下列关于工程货物招标项目联合体投标的变更表述中不正确的是()。
一般建设项目的投资机会研究可分为()。
水闸管理单位对水闸工程的管理范围()。
在常规格式下,在Excel单元格中输入5/20,则单元格中的数据为()。
亚洲货币市场中,最重要的资金来源是()。
宁波北仑凤凰山主题乐园是新一代高科技大型国际化主题乐园,由()几个主题园区构成。
设向量组(I)a1,a2,a3;(II)a1,a2,a3,a4;(III)a1,a2,a3,a5,若向量组(I)与向量组(II)的秩为3,而向量组(III)的秩为4.证明:向量组a1,a2,a3,a5-a4的秩为4.
最新回复
(
0
)