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7. Two major factors of quality

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리스닝 듣기



 

Question:
Using points and examples from the talk, explain two major factors of quality presented by the professor.

 

말하기 준비 시간: 30초
말하기 녹음 시간: 1분

 

리스닝 스크립트

If a consumer has to choose between two products, what determines the choice? Assume that someone, a purchaser, is choosing between two products that cost the same, ok? If people have a choice between two identically priced products, which one will they choose? They choose the one they think is of higher quality of course. But what does it mean for a product to be a high-quality product. Well, business analysts usually speak of two major factors of quality. One factor is reliability. And the other is what we call features.
So, reliability. What’s reliability? Well, a product is reliable if it works the way we expect it to work, if it can go a reasonable amount of time without needing repairs. If a product, a car, for example, doesn’t work the way it should and needs repairs too soon, we say it’s unreliable. So, product reliability means, basically, the absence of defects or problems that you aren’t expecting. It used to be when people thought about product quality, they thought mainly about reliability. Today, it’s different. People do still care about reliability, don’t get me wrong, It’s just that manufacturing standards are now so high that…Well, take cars for example, today, today’s cars are very reliable, so reliability is important but it’s not gonna be the deciding factor.
So if reliability isn’t the deciding factor anymore, what is? Features, all those extras, the things the product has that aren’t really necessary but that make it easier to use or that make it cool. For example, new cars today are loaded with features like electric windows, sunroofs, air-conditioning, stereos and so forth. When people are comparing products today, they look at features because reliability is pretty much equal across the board. And that’s why manufacturers include so many features in their products.

 

30점을 위한 해설

교수는 품질의 두 주요한 요소에 대해 설명한다 (A professor explains two major factors of quality that consumers consider when choosing two identically priced products.)
첫번째 특성은 신뢰성이다 (The first quality is reliability.)
제품의 신뢰성은 어떤 제품이 우리가 기대한대로 작동하고 오랫동안 수리할 필요없이 잘 작동하는 것을 말한다 (Product reliability means that a product works as we expect and a product does not need replacement for a long time.)
그러나 최근에는 대부분의 상품이 꽤 믿을 수 있기 때문에 이것이 결정적인 요소라고 보기는 힘들다. (Recently, most products, however, have proven to be pretty reliable, thus eliminating the need to consider reliability a deciding factor for purchase.)
두번째 요소는 특색이다 (The second factor is features.)
특색이라는 것은 상품에 있어서 정말로 필요한 부분은 아니지만, 그 상품을 사용하기 더 쉽게 만들거나 더 멋지게 보이게 하는 것들이다. (Features are not necessarily must-have parts of a product but they make a product easy to use and look cool.)
예를 들어, 자동차에 있는 자동 창문, 선루프, 스테레오 등이 그것이다 (For example, electric windows, sunroofs, and stereos of a car are features.)
요즘 사람들은 상품을 비교할 때, 신뢰성보다는 특색을 더 많이 본다. 왜냐하면 신뢰성은 어느정도 비슷하기 때문이다. (Today, when people compare products, they are more inclined to consider features over reliability because reliability is pretty much standard.)

 

샘플 답안

In the lecture, the professor discusses two primary factors of quality that consumers typically weigh when selecting between two identically priced products.

The first factor is reliability, which pertains to the consistency and durability of a product. A reliable product is one that performs as expected and maintains functionality over an extended period without the need for frequent replacements. However, in recent times, advancements in manufacturing processes have led to most products being inherently reliable, thereby diminishing the significance of reliability as a decisive factor in consumer purchasing decisions.

The second factor highlighted is features, which encompass additional functionalities or attributes that enhance the user experience or aesthetic appeal of a product. While not essential components, features contribute to the convenience, usability, and overall attractiveness of a product. Examples of features include electric windows, sunroofs, and stereo systems in automobiles. In contemporary consumer evaluations, there is a growing inclination towards prioritizing features over reliability, as reliability has become more standardized across products.