Built-in obsolescence is a classic feature of (0) CONSUMERISM (CONSUMER). Products are designed to have a limited lifespan, and manufacturers are always developing new products, which will supersede those currently available. This is, therefore, a business strategy that aims to maintain demand for products by (1) ............ (SURE) that people feel a need to buy a replacement for what they already have, (2) ............ (RESPECT) of its state of repair. This practice is particularly (3) ............ (PREVAIL) in the electronics industry, where there is seemingly constant (4) ............ (DATE) and remodelling of gadgets. What's more, the time span between the launch of a product and the launch of its (5) ............ (SUCCEED), or the version with the latest 'must-have' feature, is often (6) ............ (REMARK) short. Similarly, car manufacturers encourage us to view their products as indicators of our social status, making us more likely to feel we should go for an (7) ............ (GRADE) But is built-in obsolescence such a bad thing? One marketing gum views it as a natural (8) ............ (EXTEND) of the free-market economy, fuelled by technological advance —maybe he has a point.