Post-it Notes

    Post-it Notes were invented in the 1970s at the 3M company in Minnesota quite by accident, Researchers at 3M were working on developing different types of adhesives, and one particularly weak adhesive, a compound of acrylate copolymer microspheres, was developed. Employees at 3M were asked if they could think of a use for a weak adhesive which, provided it did not get dirty, could be reused. One suggestion was that it could be applied to a piece of paper to use as a bookmark that would stay in place in a book. Another use was found when the product was attached to a report that was to be sent to a colleague with a request for comments on the report; the colleague made his comments on the paper attached to the report and returned the report. The idea for Post-it Notes was born.

    It was decided within the company that there would be a test launch of product in 1977 in four American cities. Sales of this innovative product in test cities were less than stellar, most likely because the product, while innovative, was also quite unfamiliar. A final attempt was then made in the city of Boise to introduce the product. In that attempt, 3M salesmen gave demonstrations of the product in offices throughout Boise and gave away free samples of the produce. When the salesmen returned a week later to the office workers, having noted how useful the simple little product could be, were interested in purchasing it. Over time, 3M came to understand the huge potential of this new product, and over the next few decades more than 400 varieties of Post-it products - in different colors, shapes, and sizes – have been developed.

3. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the first highlighted sentence in the passage 1?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       Of the many adhesives that were being developed at 3M, one was not a particularly strong adhesive.

B.       Researchers at 3M spent many years trying to develop a really weak adhesive.

C.       Numerous weak adhesives resulted from a program to develop the strongest adhesive of all.

D.      Researchers were assigned to develop different types of uses for acrylate copolymer microspheres.

答案： A

4. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the second highlighted sentence in the passage 1?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The 3M company suggested applying for a patent on the product in a report prepared by a colleague.

B.       One unexpectedly-discovered use for the adhesive was in sending and receiving notes attached to documents.

C.       A note was attached to a report asking for suggestion for uses of one of 3M’s products.

D.      A colleague who developed the new product kept notes with suggestions by other workers.

答案： B

5. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the first highlighted sentence in the passage 2?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The 3M company was unfamiliar with the process of using test cities to introduce innovative products.

B.       Sales of the product soared even though the product was quite unfamiliar to most customers.

C.       The new product did not sell well because potential customers did not understand it.

D.       After selling the product for a while, the company understood that the product was not innovative enough.

答案： C

6. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the second highlighted sentence in the passage 2?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The company immediately understood the potential of the product and began to develop it further.

B.       The company worked overtime to develop its new product, initially creating numerous varieties to make it successful.

C.       The company initially introduced 400 varieties of the product and then watched for decades as sales improved.

D.      It took some time for the company to understand how important its new product was and how many variation were possible.

答案： D

Passage Two (Question 3-6)

Post-it Notes

    Post-it Notes were invented in the 1970s at the 3M company in Minnesota quite by accident, Researchers at 3M were working on developing different types of adhesives, and one particularly weak adhesive, a compound of acrylate copolymer microspheres, was developed. Employees at 3M were asked if they could think of a use for a weak adhesive which, provided it did not get dirty, could be reused. One suggestion was that it could be applied to a piece of paper to use as a bookmark that would stay in place in a book. Another use was found when the product was attached to a report that was to be sent to a colleague with a request for comments on the report; the colleague made his comments on the paper attached to the report and returned the report. The idea for Post-it Notes was born.

    It was decided within the company that there would be a test launch of product in 1977 in four American cities. Sales of this innovative product in test cities were less than stellar, most likely because the product, while innovative, was also quite unfamiliar. A final attempt was then made in the city of Boise to introduce the product. In that attempt, 3M salesmen gave demonstrations of the product in offices throughout Boise and gave away free samples of the produce. When the salesmen returned a week later to the office workers, having noted how useful the simple little product could be, were interested in purchasing it. Over time, 3M came to understand the huge potential of this new product, and over the next few decades more than 400 varieties of Post-it products - in different colors, shapes, and sizes – have been developed.

3. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the first highlighted sentence in the passage 1?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       Of the many adhesives that were being developed at 3M, one was not a particularly strong adhesive.

B.       Researchers at 3M spent many years trying to develop a really weak adhesive.

C.       Numerous weak adhesives resulted from a program to develop the strongest adhesive of all.

D.      Researchers were assigned to develop different types of uses for acrylate copolymer microspheres.

答案： A

4. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the second highlighted sentence in the passage 1?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The 3M company suggested applying for a patent on the product in a report prepared by a colleague.

B.       One unexpectedly-discovered use for the adhesive was in sending and receiving notes attached to documents.

C.       A note was attached to a report asking for suggestion for uses of one of 3M’s products.

D.      A colleague who developed the new product kept notes with suggestions by other workers.

答案： B

5. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the first highlighted sentence in the passage 2?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The 3M company was unfamiliar with the process of using test cities to introduce innovative products.

B.       Sales of the product soared even though the product was quite unfamiliar to most customers.

C.       The new product did not sell well because potential customers did not understand it.

D.       After selling the product for a while, the company understood that the product was not innovative enough.

答案： C

6. Which of the sentences below expresses the essential information in the second highlighted sentence in the passage 2?

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A.       The company immediately understood the potential of the product and began to develop it further.

B.       The company worked overtime to develop its new product, initially creating numerous varieties to make it successful.

C.       The company initially introduced 400 varieties of the product and then watched for decades as sales improved.

D.      It took some time for the company to understand how important its new product was and how many variation were possible.

答案： D