Question

From ""Amazon.com."" Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2013.

'The Kindle Shakes Up Publishing'
By 2010 the rift between book publishers and Amazon.com over the price of e-books had grown. The publishing company Macmillan Books threatened to pull its e-books from Amazon.com, which retaliated by removing all Macmillan books, both printed and electronic, from the site. However, within weeks, Amazon.com capitulated and allowed Macmillan and other publishers to set prices of e-books.In 2009 the company introduced its first publishing line, AmazonEncore, dedicated to popular self-published and out-of-print books. It also let individuals publish their own e-books. In 2011 its e-book ambitions led to the launch of Amazon Publishing with the intent to develop and publish its own titles. That year Amazon.com announced that Kindle e-books were outselling all printed books. While many book publishers continue to derive significant revenue through sales at Amazon.com, the company is no longer considered by publishers merely as another bookseller. It is now also a major competitor in their industry.

What connection is established between the two paragraphs about Amazon and e-books?
a) The first promotes an idea, and the second makes a prediction.
b) The first criticizes actions, and the second gives results of the actions.
c) The first describes a problem, and the second explains a solution.
d) The first describes a company, and the second tells how the company changed.

Answer 1

The connection established between the paragraphs on Amazon and e-books is that the first describes a pricing conflict between publishers and Amazon, and the second discusses Amazon's transition from bookseller to publishing competitor.

Step-by-step explanation:

The connection between the two paragraphs about Amazon and e-books is best described as the first paragraph detailing a problem between publishers and Amazon about the pricing of e-books, and the second paragraph explaining how Amazon developed a solution to becoming not just a bookseller but also a competitive publisher. Initially, the publishers, like Macmillan Books, clashed with Amazon regarding e-book pricings, leading to a serious rift. Amazon responded by diversifying into the publishing industry and successfully released its first publishing line, AmazonEncore, eventually launching Amazon Publishing. This not only helped solve the price control issues but also made Amazon a major competitor in the book publishing industry, going as far as outselling printed books with their Kindle e-books.

Amazon revolutionized the book selling industry through its efficient production model and cost structure, allowing it to offer lower prices than competitors. The online giant managed to not only provide a massive range of books but also introduced the Kindle, shaking up traditional publishing norms and establishing itself powerfully within the e-book market.