在问一道argument的审题

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

152) The following appeared in a memo to the board of directors of Bargain Brand Cereals.
One year ago we introduced our first product, Bargain Brand breakfast cereal. Our very low prices quickly drew many customers away from the top-selling cereal companies. Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering their prices and although several plan to introduce their own budget brands, not once have we needed to raise our prices to continue making a profit. Given our success in selling cereal, we recommend that Bargain Brand now expand its business and begin marketing other low-priced food products as quickly as possible.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

红色的这句话和前后句有什么关系啊？不是很懂！

小飞行UID: 2980207

Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering their prices and although（the companies have made） several plan to introduce their own budget brands, not once have we needed to raise our prices to continue making a profit.

个人觉得主句应该这么来划，to continue making profit的是那些大牌公司。
而not once have we needed to raise our prices应该看做插入语来理解，
once if we have not needed to raise our prices，这类语法有点忘了，我觉得大概意思就是如果我们不涨价，让出一些利润空间给他们，他们就会推出一些计划中的新品种来应对我们的低价策略。

小飞行UID: 2980207

依旧不理解这题目要argue些啥

小飞行UID: 2980207

对这种新题型主旨把握完全找不到重心.....

writing101UID: 3473575

小飞行 发表于 2013-9-24 12:53
Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering thei ...

Although the companies producing the top brands have since tried to compete with us by lowering their prices and although several plan to introduce their own budget brands, not once have we needed to raise our prices to continue making a profit.

红色部分应该是 several (of those companies) plan to... 这里plan是动词，如果是名词显然应该用复数。

not once have we needed to...是倒装句。正常顺序是 we have not once needed to...我们一次也没有需要涨价来盈利。

writing101UID: 3473575

整句话的意思是，

尽管那些知名品牌的生产公司一直以降价来跟我们竞争，尽管好几个（这样的公司）计划推出自己的低价品牌，我们还是继续保持盈利，一次也没有需要涨价才能盈利。

说这话的目的就是为了得出下一句中的our success in selling cereal，低价cereal的成功，当然这些evidence并不足以证明success, 更无法证明future success.

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

writing101 发表于 2013-9-24 13:36
整句话的意思是，

尽管那些知名品牌的生产公司一直以降价来跟我们竞争，尽管好几个（这样的公司）计划推 ...

我意思看懂了，但是为什么需要“涨价才能盈利”，他们不是廉价好好的吗？涨价不是失去优势了吗？这里哪里来的转折我不懂？

小飞行UID: 2980207

writing101 发表于 2013-9-24 13:36
整句话的意思是，

尽管那些知名品牌的生产公司一直以降价来跟我们竞争，尽管好几个（这样的公司）计划推 ...

BB的盈利模式从文中看是薄利多销的手段，但如果把他们继续保持盈利理解为：尽管那些大牌公司采取了这么多的举措，但依旧没有把顾客拉过去，所以我们不用涨价也能够保持盈利，这样是不是有违argument的初衷？毕竟加入了自己的推导成分。但不这么去解释，我觉得那句话的意思还是很拗口

writing101UID: 3473575

Leon-Wang 发表于 2013-9-24 13:43
我意思看懂了，但是为什么需要“涨价才能盈利”，他们不是廉价好好的吗？涨价不是失去优势了吗？这里哪里 ...

强调不用涨价，就是为了说明低价策略的成功，以此提出要将低价策略应用到其它食品上去。对于这句话你可以质疑：尽管继续在盈利，但利润是不是在降低呢？而且那些大公司是计划推出还未推出，没有对Bargain Brand造成影响很正常，那么等到它们推出了呢，会造成多大影响？低价策略还能继续盈利吗？

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

writing101 发表于 2013-9-24 14:33
强调不用涨价，就是为了说明低价策略的成功，以此提出要将低价策略应用到其它食品上去。对于这句话你可以 ...

从那句话中我们似乎读出"涨价以获取利润"是他们保留的一招,我不明白这背后的逻辑是怎么来的？