Predicting the trends of the future is very important for business. All of the world's major companies spend considerable amounts of time and money trying to work out what will (1) ____ necessary or popular in the future, and how they can (2) ____ their ideas and make them available to the public (3) _____ other companies do. They try to (4) ____ up with ideas for products or services that no one else can offer. In business, there is nothing better than being the market leader, and new products that sell well are what every company wants.
But there's a problem with predictions. If you get them right, you look like a genius. If you get them wrong, however, you look a bit ridiculous. (5) _____ the early 1990s, some people said that the motor car would never replace the horse; yet, here we are over 100 years (6) ____ with more than 600 million cars on roads around the world. In 1943, the chairman of IBM - today, one of (7) ______ world's biggest computer companies - said that there was a world market for only five computers! He had no idea that computers (8) _____ become smaller, more efficient and more affordable, or that they would be as widespread and popular as they are today.
1. a have b show c be d make
2. a development b developed c developing d develop
3. a before b when c while d until
4. a back b come c hook d set
5. a In b at c On d To
6. a later b earlier c sooner d better
7. a a b an c no d the
8. a shall b would c will d won't
Predicting the trends of the future is very important for business. All of the world's major companies spend considerable amounts of time and money trying to work out what will (1) ____ necessary or popular in the future, and how they can (2) ____ their ideas and make them available to the public (3) _____ other companies do. They try to (4) ____ up with ideas for products or services that no one else can offer. In business, there is nothing better than being the market leader, and new products that sell well are what every company wants. But there's a problem with predictions. If you get them right, you look like a genius. If you get them wrong, however, you look a bit ridiculous. (5) _____ the early 1990s, some people said that the motor car would never replace the horse; yet, here we are over 100 years (6) ____ with more than 600 million cars on roads around the world. In 1943, the chairman of IBM - today, one of (7) ______ world's biggest computer companies - said that there was a world market for only five computers! He had no idea that computers (8) _____ become smaller, more efficient and more affordable, or that they would be as widespread and popular as they are today. 1. a have b show c be d make 2. a development b developed c developing d develop 3. a before b when c while d until 4. a back b come c hook d set 5. a In b at c On d To 6. a later b earlier c sooner d better 7. a a b an c no d the 8. a shall b would c will d won't
