Questions 81 to 85 are based on the following passage： Thin Slice of TV Has Big Market It is too early to write an obituary for bulky picture tubes，which will remain the most affordable TV sets for years to come． But，analysts and industry executives insist that thin screens already have started to become the dominant format for TV sets in the digital era． Sharp price cuts have brought plasma sets and other thin，flat televisions out of high-end electronic boutiques and into thousands of mass-market outlets such as Cosco，a wholesale buying club in the US，best known for offering members bulk items and big discounts． The least expensive plasma sets still cost a hefty US ＄3，000or more ，yet sales are growing so rapidly that many manufacturers are racing to boost production． That increase，combined with expanding production capacity and improved technology， could push the price of plasma sets down by one-third next year，according to analyst Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group，a US research firm． But manufacturers are not just competing with each other；they are also trying to fend off challenges from competing thin-screen technologies，such as liquid crystal displays（LCD）． The demand for thin screens is fuelled in part by the advent of DVDs and digital TV broadcasts，which offer more detailed pictures and more lifelike colors than conventional analog TV signals． To see the difference，consumers need a set that can pack more information onto the screen than their current TVs can． This sharpness is most vivid on screens that are 40inches diagonal or larger．At that size，however，traditional direct view and projection TVs are so bulky that many consumers have trouble finding a place for them at home． Hence the interest in thin screens—models slender and light enough to hang on a wall． The glass panels at the heart of plasma and LCD sets come mainly from about a dozen companies with factories in Japan，South Korea and，increasingly，China．About 800，000 plasma panels will be shipped this year around the world，analysts say． That is a tiny amount compared with the overall market for TVs，which was about 140 million sets last year．But，industry experts said 2003would be a“breakout year” or plasma because shipments should double． Helping drive the growth are new or expanded manufacturing facilities．For example， Japanese electronics giant NEC last year doubled the capacity of its Japanese factory—reaching 300，000to 400，000 plasma panels．And it plans to double it again in 2003，officials said． As competition has heated up during the last four years，prices have fallen more than 50 percent．According to“NPD Tec world”，the average price of a plasma display sold in the US dropped from US ＄12，700in January 1999 to US ＄6，100in October 2002． The best markets for plasma screens have been in Asia，and about half of the sets have gone to businesses instead of homes． LCD TVs carry a premium price—they can be 10 times as expensive as a comparable tube-driven television—that knocks them out of most buyers’ budgets． But LCD panels are quickly taking over the market for computer monitors，and the tens of millions of panels being produced for that segment will help push down prices for LCD TVs，analysts predicted． Sharp Electronics，for one，is betting heavily on LCDs．Its chairman，Toshiaki Urushisako， has predicted that Sharp will switch completely from conventional tube sets to LCD TVs in Japan by 2005． Flat-panel refers to wafer-thin（3 inches or less）TVs，whereas flat-screen may actually describe traditional cathode-ray-tube sets（CRTs）whose glass front lacks the distorting curve that TVs have had for 50 years． Be aware of two things：One，flat-panel technology may not be high-definition TV；for eventual HDTV reception，some of these sets will require a separate HD tuner．Two，some flat-panel TVs are just the panel and lack speakers and sometimes a built-in tuner． Price range：US ＄700－2，000 LCD vs plasma In general，LCD technology is used for smaller screens because of the enormous number of transistors needed to turn the glasslike liquid crystals into color images．The larger the display，the more transistors，the more chance of failed connections． A plasma screen is found in TV sets larger than 20 inches．Color is comparable to an LCD’s．LCDs do not deteriorate over time，while a plasma display averages 30，000 hours（a traditional TV screen can go for 20，000），after which it fades over a period of years．Earlier problems with the quality of plasma’s contrast have been addressed，and current screens are cleaner and better defined． Price range：US ＄600－2，800 HDTV Simply put，high-definition TV is 10 times as sharp as traditional TV，and the sound is digital，like CD sound，not FM ，which is what traditional TV provides．HD technology achieves its visual clarity with more immage lines on the screen．Where analog TVs have 480 horizontal lines，HDTV has 720 or 1，080lines．Be aware ：m any HDTV sets being sold now are in fact only HDTV monitors ，offering a crisp picture ．To receive genuine high-definition television signals，owners must buy a separate HDTV receiver． Price range：US ＄1，000－6，000 LOS ANGELEST IMES