Unit4

ResearchandDevelopment

ContentsLearningObjectivesStartersPassageAPassageBReadingSkillsSupplementaryReading

LearningObjectivesAfterstudyingthisunit,you’llbeabletohaveagoodcommandofmakinginferenceswhenreading;appreciatethewritingstyleofbusinesscomments;understandtheroleofresearchanddevelopmentinbusiness.

StarterIsthereanycompanywithasuccessfulRDstrategythatyouareimpressedwith?

PassageA

CantheAppleWatchsucceedbywooing1femalebuyers?

AppleWatchisalineofsmartwatchesdeveloped,designed,andmarketedbyAppleInc.Itincorporatesfitnesstrackingandhealth-orientedcapabilitieswithintegrationwithAppleproductsandservices.AnnouncedbyAppleCEOTimCookinSeptember2014,thedevicewasreleasedinApril24,2015.TheAppleWatchquicklybecamethebest-sellingwearabledevicewiththesupplyof4.2millionsmartwatchesinthesecondquarterofthe2015fiscalyear.

fitnesstrackers

FunctionsofAppleWatchnavigatingtranslationConnectingwithfamiliesWorkout

LiuWenonVogueCandiceSwanepoelonSelf

PassageB

KFC’sExplosiveGrowthinChinaYum!Brands,Inc.,orYum!andformerlyTriconGlobalRestaurants,Inc.,isanAmericanfastfoodcompany.AFortune500corporation,Yum!operatesthebrandsTacoBell,KFC,PizzaHut,andWingStreetworldwide,exceptinChina,wherethebrandsareoperatedbyaseparatecompany,YumChina.Priorto2011,Yum!ownedLongJohnSilversandAWRestaurants.KFCisknownforitsslogansFingerLickinGood,NobodydoeschickenlikeKFCandSogood.

FirstKFCinChina,Qianmen,1987

KFCinChinanow

Youngemployeeandcustomerservice

Supplychain

MenuinAmericaMenuinChina

profitsThenewYumBrandswillfocusonUSgrowthalongwithinternationalgrowthoutsideofChina,asshowninthefigure.Meanwhile,theChinabusinesswillhaveaspecificcountryfocusforPizzaHutandKFC—whichhaveacombined7,300restaurants—alongwithadevelopingpresenceforT