BEC中级第二辑阅读真题及答案详解
1 the contact between coach and employee not solving all difficulties at work
2 the discussion of how certain situations could be better handled if they occur again
3 a coach encouraging an employee to apply what has been taught to routine work situations
4 coaching providing new interest to individuals who are unhappy in their current positions
5 coaching providing a supportive environment to discuss performance
6 employees being asked to analyse themselves and practise greater self-awareness
7 coaching enabling a company to respond rapidly to a lack of expertise in a certain area Coaching
A
Coaching involves two or more people sitting down together to talk through issues that have come
up recently at work, and analysing how they were managed and how they might be dealt with more effectively on subsequent occasions.
Coaching thus transfers skills and information from one
person to another in an on-the-job situation so that the work experience of the coach is used to advise and guide the individual being coached. It also allows successes and failures to be evaluated in a non-threatening atmosphere.
B
Coaching means influencing the learner's personal development, for example his or her confidence
and ambition. It can take place any time during an individual's career. Coaching is intended to assist individuals to function more effectively, and it is a powerful learning model. It begins where
skills-based training ends, and helps individuals to use formally learnt knowledge in day-to-day work and management situations. Individuals being coached are in a demanding situation with their coach, which requires them to consider their own behaviour and question their reasons
for
doing things.
C
The coach professionally assists the career development of another individual, outside the normal
manager/subordinate relationship. In theory, the coaching relationship should provide answers to every problem, but in practice it falls short of this. However, it can provide a space for discussion
and feedback on topics such as people management and skills, behaviour patterns, confidence-building and time management. Through coaching, an organisation can meet skills
shortages, discuss targets and indicate how employees should deal with challenging situations, all
at short notice.
D
Effective coaches are usually those who get
satisfaction from the success of others and who give
time to the coaching role. Giving people coaching responsibilities can support their development,
either by encouraging management potential through small-scale one-to-one assignments, or by
providing added job satisfaction to managers who feel they are stuck in their present jobs. A coach
is also a confidential adviser, accustomed to developing positive and effective approaches to complex management, organisational and change problems.
这篇文章讲的是培训（coaching）的作用。培训对一个公司的发展和员工的成长都是至
关重要的。文章的内容比较泛，但是题目的答案比较明显。
第一题，教练和员工之间的接触不能解决工作中的所有困难。答案是C段的这么一句：
In theory, the coaching relationship should
provide answers to every problem, but in practice it
falls short of this.理论上，培训可以提供所有问题的答案。但是实践中达不到这样。Fall short of是关键词。
第二题，讨论某些情况如果再度出现的话怎么样可以处理的更好。答案是A段的这么
一句：analysing how they were managed and how they might be dealt with more effectively on subsequent occasions.分析应该如何进行处理并且在接下来的情况下怎样可以处理的更有效。这里的dealt with more effectively对应于题干中的better handled，on subsequent occasions.也就是occur again。
第三题，教练鼓励员工将所学应用到日常的工作中。答案是B段的这么一句：helps individuals to use formally learnt knowledge in day-to-day work and management situations.帮助
个人将学到的正式知识用在日常工作和管理情况下。这里的day-to-day work and management situations就是题干中的routine work
situations，what has been taught也就是formally learnt
knowledge。
第四题，培训为在现有岗位上不高兴的个人提供了新的兴趣。答案是D段的这么一句：providing added job satisfaction to managers who feel they are stuck in their present jobs。对感觉
自己在现有岗位上受困的经理们提供附加的工作满足感。这里的stuck in their present jobs就是题干中的unhappy in their current position，added job satisfaction可以对应于题干中的new interest。
第五题，培训提供了一个有力的、支持性的讨论工作表现的环境。答案是A段的：It also allows successes and failures to be evaluated in a non-threatening atmosphere.它允许成功和失败在一个没有威胁的气氛下被评估。成功和失败也就是performance，supportive environment
可以对应于non-threatening atmosphere。
第六题，员工被要求分析他们自己并且培养出更强的自知。有必要理解下self-awareness
的含义，不能简单的从中文理解成自我意识，看英文解释：knowledge and understanding of yourself。所以答案是B段的这么一句：requires them to consider their own behaviour and question their reasons for doing things.要求他们考虑自己的行为并且思考这么做的理由。consider their own behaviour可以对应于题干中的analyse themselves，思考这么做的理由也是为了进一步增进对自己的认识。
第七题，培训可以使得公司对某个领域的技术缺失迅速做出反应。答案是C段的最后
一句：indicate how employees should deal with challenging situations, all at short notice.指出员工怎样处理有挑战性的情况，在短时间内。At short notice是一接到通知就，短时间内的意思,可以对应这一题的respond rapidly，challenging situations可以指代题干中的a lack of
expertise in a certain area.
BUFFET ZONE
Lucy Robertson started working at a takeaway food business to supplement her income during her
student days at Edinburgh University, Several years later she had bought the business and now, 17
years on, she owns Grapevine Caterers, probably Scotland's leading independent caterers, with a
turnover of almost ￡6m.
She had never planned to own a business, and had certainly never considered a career in catering.
(0)... ... . However, her unplanned career began in 1985, when she returned to Edinburgh and discovered that the takeaway she had worked in was up for sale. On impulse, she bought it, but admits that at the time she knew nothing about catering. (8).........It was a difficult time, but essential in terms of gaining the experience she needed. The late 1980s boom was good for
business, with large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches. (9)........'At one point there were 26 food outlets within a 5-kilometre radius,' Robertson recalls. As
the economy changed and the once packed office blocks started to become vacant, it became clear that Robertson would need to diversify.(10)........It changed the direction of the company for good.
As Robertson began to win catering contracts, she decided that the company would have to move
to larger premises. In 1994, the move was made when she bought another catering business that already had a number of profitable contracts for boardroom lunches.
Meanwhile, Robertson's main competitor, the oldest catering company in Edinburgh, was causing
her some anxiety. 'Customer loyalty is not to be underestimated,' she warns. But Robertson is
not
someone who is easily put off.(11)........Partly as a result of this, turnover doubled, and having outgrown another site, Robertson bought a city-centre location for the group's headquarters.
By now, Grapevine's main competitor was a new catering company called Towngates. Although Robertson tried to raise enough money to buy Towngates, she did not succeed.Then luck intervened and Towngates went bankrupt.
(12)........Many accepted and the company's turnover
went from ￡700,000 to ￡l .5 million almost overnight.
However, the company's growth was not as smooth as it sounds in retrospect. Robertson admits,
'We were close to the edge during the growth period. Like many under-capitalised companies trying to grow, it might easily have collapsed.' But that, she feels, is the challenge of developing
your own business.
A But there are plenty of similar contracts to be won in the east of Scotland before Robertson turns
her attention elsewhere.
B Her way round this particular problem was to recruit the catering manager of the rival company.
C But this demand was short-lived, and before long, increasing competition made it harder to make a profit.
D 'It was a dramatic learning curve and very small amounts of money were earned at first,’says
Robertson.
E She decided that the solution, since many companies required working lunches for meetings
with clients, was to prepare and deliver meals to business premises.
F On hearing this, Robertson immediately contacted all of their clients and offered the
services of
Grapevine Caterers.
G Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.
《Buffet Zone》，自助餐区域，在这篇文章里的意思应该是自助餐领域，讲的是一个在自
助餐领域取得了惊人成绩的杰出女性创业的故事。这套题目不难，尤其比起第四辑的题目。文章本身有很清晰的故事发展脉络，选项和原文的对应也比较明显。文章的几个段落是按照
时间先后、故事发生的先后进行的，很明确。第一段是总括，第二段是讲的创业起步阶段的
一些困难以及应对困难的对策，第三段是公司好转后的办公室重置（relocation），第四、五
段是公司的竞争情况，最后一段总结。
第八题，前面说一时冲动她买下了这个外卖餐馆（takeaway），事实上那个时候她对餐
饮业一无所知。空格后面说的是这段时间很困难，但是对获得所需要的经验却是很有必要的。所以第八题的空格部分应该填入跟学习、积累经验有关的内容。D选型最吻合，It was a
dramatic learning curve，这里的learning是关键词，很明显的答案信号。还有very small amounts
of money were earned at first，at first也是关键词。
第九题，空格前面说large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches，大量的办公室员工需要外卖食品做午饭，这里的wanting是个很关键的词。空格后面话锋一转，说曾经一度5公里内有26家食品商店，但是经济转变了，一条街都空了（blocks started to become vacant）。从上下文来分析，第九空的内容应该和办公室员工的外卖需求有关，同时带有转折意思。C选项完全符合这一条件：但是这种需求是短暂的，不久，逐渐增
长的竞争使得赢得利润变得更加困难。
第十题，上文说经济形势转变了，所以Robertson 决定从事多样化的经营。后面说这种
做法永远的改变了公司的经营方式。所以第十空应该填入相应的对策，怎么样来应对经济形
势的转变。符合这一条件的是B和E，都是关于解决问题的，但是B选项所说的招募竞争
对手的餐厅经理在上下文内容中没有提到。应该选D，为商业大厦送饭，正好对应下一段所
说的。
第十一题，这一题才应该选B，前面说竞争对手给自己造成了很大的困扰。但是
Robertson却不是那么容易屈服的人。后面说部分原因是这个，营业额翻倍了。所以中间应
该也是填入对策。和竞争对手有关的，所以应该选B，B的particular是个关键词，rival company 也很明显。
第十二题，前面说Robertson想收购一个竞争对手，但是没成功，结果人家公司自己破
产倒闭了。后面来了一个many accepted，可以看出这中间应该填入的是人家公司破产后Robertson的一些举措。F满足这一条件：一听到这些，Robertson马上联系他们的客户并且
提供了自己公司的服务。
1、buffet: a meal at which people serve themselves from a table and then stand or sit somewhere else to eat 自助餐
2、takeaway
a、a restaurant that cooks and sells food that you
take away and eat somewhere else 外卖餐
馆
b、a meal that you buy at this type of restaurant 外卖的饭菜；外卖食物
3、in retrospect: thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it from the one you had at the time 回顾
4、under-capitalised: (about a business) not having enough money (capital) to be able to operate normally, pay debts and grow 资金不足。
5、Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.
这个句子里if的用法比较少见，参见朗文的解释：used when adding one criticism of a person or thing that you generally like
e.g: Lunch was a grand if rather noisy affair.
所以G选项的意思就是：然而，离开大学后她学的是会计，一个平淡无奇的职业道路
似乎已经铺就。
HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF
We manage our own careers now. So knowing how to brand and position yourself in the market as
'Me plc' at different stages of your working life is becoming an increasingly vital skill. At least that is what image expert Mary Spillane believes. 'Employment as we know it is decreasing. Jobs don't exist, work exists. In the next decade most of us will be suppliers, not staff. We will have clients not bosses. If you are under 30, you probably know that there is only one firm to join for
life: Me plc. It promotes you and your potential to others.'
'We're working in multi-national, multicultural, multi-corporate teams and it's important to understand the implications of this. We need to create a personal brand that is unique, but complements the brand of the corporation we are working for. You have to find a way to do it so
that you are not just a typical employee,' advises
Spillane. 'You have to decide what central values you want to project, and also what may need to alter from situation to situation.'
Many people only remember Mary Spillane for the years she spent running a cosmetics company,
but she actually has masters degrees in information science and politics. She used to hide that
hard-hitting side, but is now eager to show it and forget about cosmetics. 'Now that I'm working in
the boardrooms of major plcs and global companies, I'm playing up my degrees and management
background so that the image side is seen only as an addition to the value side,' says Spillane. Some contracts take longer than others. 'The City law firms I'm currently working for are really
difficult because they don't have any idea of what their brand should be, and are still very
traditional even when talking about becoming modern. I'm showing them how to do everything from changing their reception areas -which tend to be very off-putting with their high-fronted reception desks - to how to make small talk that is less formal and rigid. Companies rebrand themselves all the time, spending millions on new office interiors and so on. But without an underlying change of attitudes, it can prove an empty exercise.'
She argues that for individuals too, there must be more than a surface change, as rebranding goes
deeper than a mere change of wardrobe. Beyond advice on appearance, she tells clients, 'Remind yourself of what you are selling: the personal values that comprise your brand. Learn to present
yourself in a way that will project what you want to deliver. Lifelong learning is essential, together
with the sort of discovery and adventure that
promote personal growth. Always have an
up-to-the-minute CV ready to print out, refreshing it every few months with your most recent
achievements, just to remind others of your brand value.'
She believes it is essential that you understand both your public self and your private self, as well
as your blind spots and your potential, in order to create an effective brand. The public self is the
image you project to the world, the private self is what you know about yourself but others don't,
arid blind spots are those things that others see about you but you can't see for yourself. By deciding what image you want other people to see, emphasising more of your private self and sorting out a few blind spots, you will increase not only your potential to influence others, but also