阅读理解。

     A brand is a name, word, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the

goods or services of a company or a group of companies. Another purpose of a brand is to contrast

one company from another. The most important skill of professional marketers is the ability to create,

maintain, protect, and enhance the brands of their products and services. Branding has become so

important that today hardly any company or product is without one. Therefore, brand management is

an increasingly important element in marketing.

    Brand power refers to the relative strength of a company's brand in the minds of consumers, and can

influence consumers' choice of products. Brands are powerful to the extent that they give high brand

loyalty and strong brand associations, name recognition, perceived quality and other assets to a company. A strong brand can be one of a company's most important assets.

    High brand power provides a company with many competitive advantages. A powerful brand enjoys

a high level of consumer brand awareness and loyalty. Because consumers expect stores to carry the

brand, the company has more bargaining power when negotiating with retailers (零售商). And because

the brand name brings high credibility, a company with a strong brand can more easily launch new

products with the same brand name.

    Many companies use the advantage of a strong brand power strategically to expand their business.

When a company introduces an additional item with a new flavour, form, colour or package size in a

given product category and under the same brand name, it is called a line extension. Another strategy

is called brand extension. This involves the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified

products in a new category, thereby employing brand recognition in order to increase sales of new

products.

     Brand recognition is certainly important. Because consumers often hold long-standing perceptions

about brands, high brand power ensure a company continued sales of its products.

1. What does the word "assets" in the 2nd paragraph mean?

A. points    

B. advantages    

C. aspects    

D. elements

2. All of the following statements are the advantages of a high brand power EXCEPT    that______.

A. a high brand wins the loyalty of consumers

B. a high brand usually sets a much higher price

C. it's easy for a high brand company to launch new products

D. a high brand company is more competitive when doing business with retailers

3. A brand extension ______.

A. happens when the company is developing a new product

B. means the expansion of a company's business in its established field

C. takes place when the company introduces a similar item but with a new colour

D. refers to the use of an established brand name to promote a new product in a new category

4. What might be the best title of this passage?

A. Brand Power              

B. Famous Brands

C. Company Brands          

D. Brand Products