Passage Nine
How did Tencent take WeChat so far ahead of its rivals? The answer lies partly in the peculiarities of the local market. Unlike most Westerners, many Chinese possessed multiple mobile devices, and they quickly took to an app that offered them an easy way to integrate them all into a single digital identity. In America messaging apps had potent competitor in the form of basic mobile-phone plans, which bundled in SMS messaging. But text messages were costly in China, so consumers eagerly adopted the free messaging app. And e-mail never took off on the mainland the way it has around the world, mainly because the internet came late; that left an opening for messaging apps.
But the bigger explanation for WeChat's rise is Tencent's ability to innovate. Many Chinese grew up using QQ, a PC-based messaging platform offered by Tencent that still has over 800m registered users. QQ was a copy of ICQ, a pioneering Israeli messaging service. But then the Chinese imitator learned to think for itself. Spotting the coming rise of the mobile internet, Tencent challenged seven internal teams to design and develop a smartphone-only messaging app. The QQ insiders came up with something along the lines of their existing product for the PC, but another team of outsiders (from a just-acquired firm) came up with WeChat. When Tencent launched the new app, it made it easy for QQ's users to transfer their contacts over to the new app.
Another stroke of brilliance came two years ago when the service launched "red packet" campaign in which WeChat users were able to send digital money to friends and family to celebrate Chinese New Year rather than sending cash in a red envelope, as is customary. It was clever of the firm to turn dutiful gift-giving into an exciting game, notes Connie Chan of Andreessen Horowitz, a VC firm. It also encouraged users to bind together into groups to send money, often in randomized amounts.
91. Which of the following is mentioned in paragraph one? ( )
A. American messaging apps are not free.
B. Chinese people like messaging apps more than text messages.
C. Text messages are less expensive than messaging app in America.
D. On the mainland, mobile devises cost a lot.
【答案】B。A 选项原文没有提及。第一段 but text messages were costly in China 可知在美国短信相对便宜，是短信在美国和中国的对比，而不是短信与短信应用的对比，C 选项错误。D 选项未提及。故正确选项为 B。
92. How did Tencent invent WeChat? ( )
A. Tencent copied a pioneering Israeli messaging service.
B. Tencent asked the QQ insiders team to create a product.
C. A team of outsiders acquired by Tencent invented WeChat
D. A team of PC insiders invented WeChat for Tencent.
【答案】C。定位第二段 The QQ insiders came up with something along the lines of their existing product for the PC, but another team of outsiders (from a just-acquired firm) came up with WeChat. 可知，微信是腾讯刚收购的公司的“外来者”团队创造出来的一款软件。故正确选项为 C。
93.What is the outcome of the red packet campaign? ( )
A. It changed the way Chinese people send each other gifts.
B. The gift-giving process became an exciting game.
C. It caused people to send money in random amounts.
D. Users are increasing to form groups.
【答案】B。定位尾段：It was clever of the firm to turn dutiful gift-giving into an exciting game. ACD 都是微信红包“大战”产生的影响，而不是结果。故正确选项为 B。
94. The phrase "stroke of brilliance" means ( ).
A. remarkable idea
B. chance
C. success
D. None of the above
【答案】A。选项 A：卓越的想法;B 选项：机会;C 选项：成功。stroke of brilliance可以理解为“明智之举”。故正确答案为 A。
95. According to the passage, the success of WeChat mainly attributes to ( ).
A. local market opportunity and innovation
B. the lack of competitors.
C. QQ's strong user base.
D. all of the above
【答案】D。第一段 How did Tencent take WeChat so far ahead of its rivals? The answer lies partly in the peculiarities of the local market.可知当地的市场为微信的成功提供了机会。文章倒数第二段在讲微信的创造时，提到 it made it easy for QQ's users to transfer their contacts over to the new app 很容易便可以将 QQ 用户转移到微信上来，B 选项文章虽未明确提及，但是微信是创新的一款应用，与 QQ 是同一家公司，可知缺乏竞争对手。故正确选项为 D。
