GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文五一

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51.        We ordinarily think, as the speaker does here, that the presence of competition is
always healthy for business because it sparks efficiency and innovation. While
competition is generally good for business in these respects, the speaker here ignores the
' M1 K5 O) d+ l: t0 m% Emany problems that can accrue from attempting to keep up with or beat a competitor,
9 a( x* _6 ], V: N# [% Y( xand that may be decidedly detrimental to a business.
      Admittedly, competition among businesses can occasion all sorts of improved -
practices. The need for competitive product pricing can motivate effective micro-
- R8 K) }# j3 _0 g  Amanagement of production and marketing costs. Competition for market share can spark
/ h4 ^. Z" n$ @1 W* z5 minvention and innovation in product design that lead to the cutting edge of technology.
4 U( [$ p  \, b/ Z) w! I. _External competition is known to inspire team spirit within an organization, thereby
4 {. Z+ ~$ j; i1 Z; J: byielding greater productivity. And competition can challenge a company to streamline
9 V9 R; _" r" ?operations, thereby improving efficiency.
      But taken too far, attempting to keep up with or beat competitors brings about
! ?5 ^' x7 x- K$ ?# `. Ydetrimental results for a company. In some cases, companies compromise product
3 D/ [4 V; e8 f- _- X6 uquality by switching to inferior, less expensive materials in order to keep prices
/ J9 \- `5 G' Hcompetitive. Other times, plant managers ignore important employee-safety measures
' P4 a# z7 U5 @1 L$ b0 Sjust to save money. And companies are even known to trade off consumer safety in the
interest of competition. Perhaps the paradigmatic case involved the Ford Pinto, where
Ford management rejected an inexpensive retrofit that would have saved hundreds of
lives in rear-end collisions, solely in order to shave a few dollars off the car's sticker
price, thereby enhancing the car's competitiveness.
: @7 T2 y- G3 _* x* ^7 O      Competition can even bring about large-scale social change that some consider
undesirable. For instance, the emergence of large, efficient factory farms has resulted in
- |6 U& Q* u! d2 i$ B* N; Gthe virtual disappearance of family farming in the U.S. And it isn't clear that the factory
9 r( W6 _- l  K3 p5 ^farms always improve farming practices, in the case of the tomato, the old homegrown
$ @# r& X. d( n* \1 gkind are far superior in taste and texture to the tough, underripe version that has been
genetically engineered for machine picking in huge quantity.
7 h  J5 d, i. c8 h# R& n3 }3 l      In conclusion, competition frequently motivates changes that are beneficial in
' K$ f  k$ k% g* R# g& Rmany ways. But competition is a double-edged sword that can also result in-inferior or
! H+ e/ P; ?5 E6 N: j: S. Dunsafe products and dangerous working conditions for employees. Moreover, large
competitors can swallow up smaller concerns without yielding noticeably better
4 @0 }: O# o! }0 E; Jproducts or practices.