BEC中级全真试题2
- 格式:doc
- 大小:41.50 KB
- 文档页数:7
BEC 中级真题第四辑Test 2READING 1 Hour PART ONE Questions 1-7 · Look at the statements below and the advice to businesses on the opposite page about using other companies to run their IT services. · Which section of the article (A, B, C or D) does each statement (1-7) refer to? · For each statement (1-7), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. · You will need to use some of these letters more than once. 1 the need to teach skills to employees working on the outsourced process 2 remembering the initial reason for setting up the outsourced project 3 the need to d raw up agreements that set out how integration is to be achieved 4 addressing the issue of staff who work on the outsourced process being at a distant site 5 the importance of making someone responsible for the integration process 6 staff on the outsourced project familiarizing themselves with various details of the business 7problems be eng associated with an alternative to outsourcing When a business decides to outsource its IT services, it needs to consider The question of integration .Four experts give their views .CDPARTTWOQuestions 8-12·Read the article below about the changing role of human resources departments●Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the ga ps .●For each gap (8-12),mark one letter(A —G) on your Answer Sheet .●Do not use any letter more than once .●There is an example at the beginning (O).The best person for the jobEmployees can make a business succeed or fail, so the people who choose themhave a vital role to playEmployees are a company’s new ideas .its public face and its main asset .Hiring the right people is therefore a significant factor in a company’s success .(0)_____G___If the human resources department makes mistakes with hiring, keeping and dismissing staff, a business can disappear overnight. Many companies now realize that recruiting the best recruiters is the key to success . Sarah Choi, Head of HR at Enco plc, believes that thinking commercially is a key quality in HR .‘Every de cision an HR manager makes needs to be relevant to advancing the business(8)……… That’s no longer the case .HR managers have to think more strategically these days .They continually need to think about the impact of their decisions on the bottom line .(9)............For example .A chief executive will expect the HR department to advise on everything from the headcount to whether to proceed with an acquisition .’Why do people go into HR in the first place? Choi has a ready answer .‘I think most people in the pr ofession are attracted by a long‘term goal . (10)…………Nothing happens in the company which isn’t affected by or doesn’t’t impact on its employees .so the HR department is a crucial part of any business .’Not all operational managers agree .An informal survey of attitudes to HR departments that was carried out last year by a leading business 10urnal received comments such as ‘What do they actually contribute?’(1I) ………… As Choi points out .salaries have never been higher and in addition .HR managers often receive substantial annual bonuses .Despite the financial rewards ,HR managers often feel undervalued ,and this is a major reason for many leaving their jobs .(12) …………However, a lack of training and development is a more significant factor. “These days, good prof essional development opportunities are considered an essential part of an attractive package .’Choi explains .Kim Noon ,J GTech 0ne way to avoid the difficulties of integration is to create a joint —venture company with the outsourcer, Thus ,a company can swap its assets for a share of the profits .Yet joint ventures bring potential troubles ,and companies should be careful not to lose sight of the original rationale for outsourcing :to gain cost efficiencies and quality of service in an area that for some reason could not be carried out entirely in —house .The complexities and costs of a joint —venture initiative should not be underestimated .A But rising levels of remuneration demonstrate that the profession's growing importance iswidely recognized.B Al one time,a professional qualification was required in order to progress to the top of HR.C Other departments and senior executives used to see HR managers as having a purelyadministrative role.D Since it's one of the few 8teas where you Can see the whole operation,it can lead to aninfluential role on the board.E Being seen as someone who just ticks off other people's leave and sick days does not help build a sense of loyalty.F They therefore need to be competent in many aspects of a company’s operations.G On the other hand,recruiting the wrong staff can lead to disaster.PARTTHREEQuestions 13—18●Read the article below about a technology company and the questions on theopposite page.●For each question(13—18),mark 6he.1etter{A,B,C or D) on your Answer Sheet.13 What event coincided with Critical Path becoming a public company?A Hayden became the Executive Director of Critical Path.B Investors hired a replacement team to run Critical Path.C Critical Path launched a successful new product on the market.D Critical' Path was floated on the Stock Exchange at 24 cents per share.14 Which of the following situations did Hayden face at Critical Path in 2001?A The employees were worried about job security.B The investors were calling for changes to the company structure.C The management was misleading the staff about the company's position.D The board of directors did not realize the scale of the company's problems.15 One reason Hayden was able to turn Critical Path around was thatA he managed to find new investors.B the financial situation was not as bad as he had thought.C he had built up a good relationship with the management team.D he was given the support that he needed.16 What was Hayden's policy regarding the staff of Critical Path?A He paid overtime to everybody who worked outside office hours.B He reduced the workforce by operating an early retirement scheme.C He gave key staff the opportunity to help him set goals for the company.D He restored motivation by showing willingness to work alongside staff.17 According to Hayden, what could indicate that a business is in trouble?A problems keeping accounts up to dateB suppliers refusing to offer new credit termsC a frequent need to increase the amount borrowedD difficulties in getting payment from customers on time18 Hayden left Critical Path after he had rescued the company becauseA he wanted to develop the technology for a new internet service.B he wanted to concentrate on founding a new enterprise.C he had been offered a job with a major internet company.D he decided to go into partnership with a major client.Part FOURQuestions 19—33●Read the news item below about a company that runs health and fitness clubs.●Choose the best word to fill each gap from A,B,C or D on the opposite page.●For each que stion (19--33),mark one letter(A,B,C or D)on your Answer Sheet.●There is an example at the beginning (O).19 A Stating B Reporting C Remarking D Informing20 A taken B felt C experienced D caught21 A released B issued C opened D revealed22 A stays B remains C maintains D keeps23 A track B direction C way D line24 A falling B breaking C cutting D slowing25A bringing B putting C getting D mounting26A shown B resulted C proved D demonstrated27A installed B formed C established D confirmed28A rates B standards C proportions D volumes29A witness B sign C display D evidence30A purely B merely C simply D barely31A trade B office C commerce D business33A trial B venture C proposal D speculationPART FIVEQuestions 34-45●Read the article below about a manufacturing company called Lebrun●In most of the lines (34-45),there is one extra word.1t either is grammatically incorrector does not fit in with the meaning of the text.Some lines,however, are correct.●”a line is correct,write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet.●If there is an extra word in the line,write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS on yourAnswer Sheet.·The exercise begins with two examples(0 and OO).0 After 98 years of trading,the steel manufacturer Lebrun knows from experiences how00 difficult fluctuations in the economic cycle can be for suppliers such as themselves.34 Since many of the nation’s largest production companies which ere its customers,35 Lebrun is adversely affected by any change for the worse in the economy.Yet Lebrun36 has managed to keep on sales steady (in the region of approximately$2.5 billion)37 and has recorded only one annual loss during the difficulties of the past five38 years,but despite the effects of the ongoing industrial slowdown.James Griffith,39 president of Lebrun,now has the task of turning up survival into growth,and40 his strategy is already becoming clear to those industry observers. In February of41 this yea‘the company acquired Bronson plc,additionally a one—time competitor.42 This merger will greatly expand the size of both Lebrun’s labor force,and43 Griffith estimates it will boost its revenue by nearly 50%.While too increasing44 the number of plants and R&D centers in much a similar way Griffith is45 optimistic that while the steel industry is about to pull out of recession,andhe wants Lebrun to be ready for this.WRITING 45 minutesPARTONE●The software company you work for has decided to introduce identity cards for certain staffin your department.●Wr ite an email to all staff in your department:·saying which staff will need identity cards·explaining why the identity cards are needed·informing staff how to get a card.●Write 40-50 words.To All staffCcSubject Identity cardsPARTTWO●The number of staff leaving Parkside,one of your company’s retail stores,is highcompared to another of its stores.You r line manager has asked you to write areport about the situation.●Look at the information below,9n which you have already made somehandwritten notes.●Then,using all your handwritten notes●Write 120-140 words.LISTENING 40 minutes (including 10 minutes' transfer time)PART ONEQuestions 1-12· You will hear three telephone conversations or messages.· Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below. · After you have listened once, replay each recording.Conversation One (Questions 1-4)·Look at the note below.·You will hear a man clarifying some information about a balance sheet Conversation Two (Questions 5-8)●Look at the notes below.●You will hear a man leaving a voicemail message about a negotiating problem Conversation Three (Questions 9-12)●Look at the notes below.●You will hear a woman telephoning a colleague about a new project.E-commerce website projectTeam: We need to recruit an (9)…………………………to solve programming problems.Report:needed by end of week. Should include:●Some indication of (10) ………………………of project.●Details of (11) ……………………that will be needed.●Clear statement of the (12) ……………………of project.PART TWO Questions 13—17●You will hear five short recordings.●For each recording, decide which aspect of conducting interviews each speaker considersparticularly important.●Write One lette r(A-H)next to the number of the recording.●Do not use any letter more than once.●After you have listened once, replay the recordings .Section Two (Questions 18-22)●You will hear another five recordings.Five speakers are talking about problemswith a project.●For each recording,decide what the problem was.●Write one letter(A—H) next to the number of the recording.●Do not use any letter more than once.●After you have listened once,replay the recordings.PART THREEQuestions 23—30●You will hear a radio reporter talking about difficulties faced by the new Chief Executive ofHealthway plc, a chain of health and beauty stores.●For each question (23—30),mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.●After you have li stened once,replay the recordings.23 The Chief Executive is in a difficult position because Healthway plc isA becoming less popular with the general public.B failing to attract new shareholders.C suffering from a history of static sales.24 What form of competition is a threat to Healthway plc?A the growth of internet shoppingB supermarkets undercutting its pricesC other health and beauty chains opening stores25 How does Healthway plc differ from Robert Henlow's previous employer?A Most senior staff have been promoted internally.B Senior staff are generally appointed from outside.C It has a high turnover of senior staff.26 The reporter's criticism of Charles Hamilton's financial strategy is that thecompanyA under-invested in its systems.B failed to grow through takeovers.\ C paid too little attention to its share price.27 With regard to the beauty treatment centers, Charles Hamilton is criticized forA closing a chain which had the potential for making a profit.B over-investing in the centers at the expense of the core activity.C starting a new concept that was unlikely to succeed.28 What mistake did Charles Hamilton make with regard to staff?A failing to ensure that the need for reorganization was understoodB concentrating redundancies in the wrong parts of the companyC getting rid of too many people with essential skills29 What does the consultants" report recommend?A reducing the total number of storesB increasing the average size of the storesC leaving staff numbers unchanged30 Why is Robert Henlow's new position a personal challenge for him?A He has never worked in a company with such serious problems.B It is his first appointment as Chief Executive of a large company.C He is unfamiliar with the sector in which Healthway operates.SPEAKING 14 minutesSAMPLE SPEAKING TASKSPART ONEIn this part, the interlocutor asks questions to each of the candidates in turn.You have to give information about yourself and express personal opinions.PART TWOIn this part of the test, you are asked to give a short talk on a business topic. You have to choose one of the topics from the three below and then talk for about one minute. You have one minute toIn this part of the test ,you are given a discussion topic .You have 30 seconds tolook at the task prompt ,an example of which is below, and then about three minutes to discuss the topic with yourpartner.After that,the examiner will ask you more questions related to the topic.For two candidatesFor three candidatesFollow-on questionsTest 2 答案及文本ReadingPart 11 B2 D3 A4 C5 B6 C7 DPart 28 C 9 F 10 D 11A 12EPart 313 B 14 A 15 D16 D 1 7 C 18 BPart 419 B 20 C 21 D 22 B 23 A24 D 25 A 26 C 27 C 28 A29 D 30 C 31 B 32 D 33 BPart 534 WHICH 35 CORRECT 36 ON 37 CORRECT 38 BUT 39 UP 40 THOSE41 ADDITl0NALITY 42 BOTH 43 TOO 44 MCUH 4S WHILEWritingPart 1Sample ABand 3All content points have been addressed and the organization and register of the email are 0n the whole satisfactory.The range of vocabulary and grammar is adequate,and although there are a number of errors,these are minor and do not prevent the message being clearly conveyed.All points are addressed,and the register and format are on the whole appropriate.The range and accuracy of language are generally good,and the reader would be clearly and fully informed.Part 2Sample CFor number of Parkside staff leaving stores problem,I made a report as follows:At first,look at draw, from this one you can see,Year 2007.Highgate lost 4 person.Parkside lost 5.Until 2008.Highgate's rate is reduced,but Parkside's rate is grew SO high more staff leaving will make the store pay more time & money employ another one instead of this one.This is waste to the manual resource &money.Through communicate with the Parkside staff, I know there are three point very important.Firstly, training wanted.The staff want to more training to improve themselves’level.everyday their make the same job,long and long,their will hate this{ob.I think the company need to provide this benefit to the staff.Secondly, More paid holiday.I think this is the first,but the staff is not pay attention it,SO that is not possible.Thirdly.Bonus Scheme.if the company can pay more money employ the new staff why cannot pay more salary to the current staff? So l suggest the company provide the double—salary as the bonus pay for the current staff end of the years.That’s a11.Sincerely,Lucy.Band 2The report is considerably longer than the recommended word length and does not cover all the content points.Although the report is adequately paragraphed,cohesion is weak.The register and format of the report are not always appropriate;errors are numerous and impede clear communication of the message.Sample DReport on staff turnoverIntroductionThis report aims to explain the high staff turnover 2008 in Parkside and to propose measures to improve staff loyalty.FindingsThe figures dearly show that the high number of staff leaving the stores is a problem that only affects the Parkside store in 2008.While staff turnover in the Highgate store remained on a low level the number of staff leaving Parkside shoot up from 5 to 20.This unfortunately has a bad impact customer service.Research amongst staff revealed their requirements. Firstly staff requires more training what would also benefit the company as the service is likely to improve.Another good idea is the introduction of a bonus scheme for valued staff that would improve staff loyalty.Unlike the mentioned proposals the request for a longer annual lave could not be met.RecommendationsIt is recommended to offer both the requested training opportunities and a bonus scheme for valued staff.Band 5A1J content points are clearly covered,and the report is well organized with good cohesion.Both the register and format are consistently appropriate.Generally, the language used is accurate,and a good range of structures and vocabulary is demonstrated.ListeningPart 11(THE) LAST QUARTER 2 (THE) LONG (-) TERM3 CURRENT4 LOSSES5 SECOND STAGE6 (A) PENALTY (CLAUSE)7 UNSKILLED 8 (ANOTHER)/(A)/(THE)CONTRACT9(SOFTWARE) ENGINEER 10(THE) TIMING11(THE) HARDWARE 12 OBJECTIVES(S)Part 213-17 C B F H D18-22 F D G H CPart 323 C 24 B 25 A 26 A 27 C 28 A 29 B 30 BTypescriptThis is the Business English Certificate Vantage 4,Listening Test 2.Part One.Questions1 to 12.You will hear three telephone conversations or messages.Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.After you have listened once,replay each recording.【pause】Conversation One.Questions I to 4.Look at the note below.You will bear a man clarifying some information about a balance sheet.You have5 seconds to read through the note.【pause】Now listen,and till in the spaces.【pause】Man:Hi,Tom here.Could I speak with Bill?Woman:Sorry, he’s out.Can I take a message?Man:Thanks.It’s about some queries Bill had about the balance she et I prepared.Woman: Which balance sheet exactly? The one for the last financial year?Man:Actually, it was the one for the last quarter.Woman: OK.got that.Man:There were several things Bill wanted to check.Firstly, he asked about the liabilities figures.He thought the figures in column A might be for current liabilities, but in factthose figures indicate the long—term ones.Woman:OK.I’ve got that.What next?Man:The assets figures.He wondered exactly what they cover. Actually, I've put the current assets there, but I’ve still got to work out the fixed assets and the intangible assets before I include them.Woman:Thanks.Anything else?Man: 0ne last thing.Also about assets.Bill wasn’t sure what the figures in brockets in section four refer to. He thought they might represent average figures for the last two years or something like that.In fact,they show losses over that period.Woman:Thanks.I’11 pass all that on.【pause】Now listen to the recording again,【pause】Conversion Two.Questions 5 to 8Look at the notes bellow.You will hear a man leaving a voicemail message about a negotiating problem.You have 15 seconds to read through the notes.【pause】Now 1isten.and 6tfIn the spaces.【pause】Hi,George.This is Kristoff calling from Australia.It's about the contract negotiation for constructing the factory in Melbourne.Our client doesn’t want to agree the date for the completion of the second stage,even though it was accepted when we put in our tender.We specified that we couldn’t complete in less than s ix months.NOW they’re saying they want it brought forward a month.This is a problem,because they want to put in a penalty clause which states that for every week we are late.we have to pay three percent of the total Costs I can’t agree to this at a11.We’re already using our best technical employees.And the only way we can complete in five months is if we use more unskilled staff tight from the beginning,which will mead a substantial investment which we hadn’t budgeted for.There's 9he incentive,however:instead of the usual bonus,we’Il be awarded the contract for thief next project if We call meet their new deadline.【pause】Now listen to the recording again.【pause】Conversation Three.Questions 9 to 12.Look at the notes below.You will bear a woman telephoning a colleague about a new project. You have l5 seconds to read through the notes.【pause】Now listen,and fill in the spaces.【pause】Man:Hello.Joe Fischer speaking.Woman:Joe.it's William here.Can I have a word with you about the e-commerce website? Man:0f course.How did the interview go?Woman:Well.We recruited an excellent business analyst this morning—he’ll join the team in a week or so.There's still a gap for a software engineer, though and we’ll have to fill that as soon as possible.Man:I’ll ask aro und and sec if anyone is able to transfer from other projects.Woman:Thanks.Also,do you think you could produce a report for senior management by the end of the week? They’d like an idea of the timing of the project.Man:No problem.What else should I include?Woman:Let us know exactly what hardware you’ll need,The budget already allows for that.Man:0K—anything else?Woman:Yes—when you describe the project, would you make sure you spell out the objectives in clear and straightforward language? Certain members of the Board have their doubts that it will bring about the results we promised.Man:0K.【pause】Now listen to the recording again.【pause】That is the end of Part one.You now have 20 seconds to check your answers.【pause】Part Two.Questions 23 to 22.Section One.Questions 1 3to 1 7.You will hear five short recordings.For each recording, decide which aspect of conducting interviews each speaker considers particularly important.Write one letter (A-H) next to thenumber of the recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once,replay the recordings.【pause】Now listen,and decide which aspect each speaker considers important.【pause】ThirteenWe all forget how hard interviews can be.Applicants walk into a strange room and face what can be a long line of unknown people who fire a 1ot of tricky questions at them.It’s not surprising that their minds go a complete blank.If you’re the interviewer and you make an effort to put the interviewees at their ease,then they’re more likely to express their opinions coherently and give you a chance to assess them properly.【pause】FourteenInterviews are often too theoretical.You get the applicant’s views on,for example,the principles of marketing and then throw in some tough questions to see if they’re up to speed on the latest developments.But introducing a hands-on activity can be more telling,because then you can assess how they approach everyday activities.I know some people argue that at senior level it’s a waste of time and you should be checking how they deal with clients and colleagues,but I’m not convinced.【pause】FifteenYou have perhaps thirty minutes to assess an applicant l think considerable work needs to be done beforehand with the CVs—checking if they have appropriate qualifications and SO On.What you can’t get from the application,though—except from references.and I don’t find those very reliable—is an idea of how people act in the workplace.To focus on that,by asking questions which should reveal how they’d react in different c ircumstances and with a variety of colleagues.【pause】SixteenInterviewing isn’t something I’m good at.I’m afraid.1 don’t trust my own judgment for such important decisions.That’s why I usually have about five other people with me,not necessarily from the particular department,though.I realize this prevents me from making the interview seem like an informal chat.but I’m not sure of the overall benefit of that—perhaps it provides an insight into how the applicant thinks and behaves outside work, but that’s not crucial.【pause】SeventeenOne's trying to assess so many different aspects of potential employees.Time's limited,and you can get bogged down in asking challenging questions relevant to particular duties in the job description.It's easy to forget to allow time for applicants to find out things that are relevant to them,It’s sometimes seen just as a courtesy or a way of making them feel comfortable,but it can give you real insight into how they think and react to the post.【pause】Now listen to the recordings again.【pause】Section Two.Questions18t0 22.You will hear another live recordings.Five speakers are talking about problems with a project.For each recording, decide what the problem was.Write one letter A-H next to the number of each recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once,replay the recordings.You havel5 seconds to read the list A-H.【pause】Now listen, and decide what each problem was.【pause】EighteenWell,we’d put together what we thought was an excellent team for the project—that is,until we hit technical problems and realized that we needed staff with a wider range of specialized technical experience than the people we’d recruited.So we had to advertise again to replace some key members of the team;we were lucky that we just about managed to cover the extra COSTS within the budget.0nr customers were very satisfied with the outcome.【pause】NineteenAlthough we had minor problems with suppliers from the start,these were easily overcome.Initially, I thought we’d underestimated the cost of the project,as it was so tight most of the time,but we managed to avoid an overspend.It was a very stressful time.However, it was the breakdowns which really upset the staff, and I wouldn’t have blamed them if they’d walkedout on strike the fifth time it happened in a week.【pause】TwentyGenerally speaking,we have an excellent project—management team,trained to deal with any unexpected problems—you know, like when the money runs out or the client wants something different from the original agreement.Unfortunately, we hadn’t anticipated the component manufacturer going out of business.The Purchasing Manager was furious,because there were SO few companies who produced exactly what we wanted.However, finally we found a replacement that enabled us to keep within the limits of our budget.【pause】Twenty-oneWe’ve done several projects in this country and the best thing about working here is that suppliers are very helpful.If you are unhappy with anything,they immediately try and sort it out.If, for example,a digger broke down,they’d replace it within hours and at no extra cost.Another thing is there is no shortage of suitably qualified workers,but we had an expensive delay on our last project,because we’d miscalculated the size of the workforce we needed.【pause】Twenty—twoWe spent so much time making sure that our employees would be comfortable working in such difficult conditions.We warned them about what to expect,as well as checking that they had the right qualifications and experience.We thought we’d anticipated every possible problem.This time,we were proved wrong when the supplier sent us different trucks from the ones ordered.Though they coped well with the extreme conditions,they were too small for our needs.【pause】Now listen to the recordings again.【pause】This is the end of Part Two.【pause】Part Three.Questions 23-30You will hear a radio reporter talking about difficulties faced by the new Chief Executive of Healthway plc, a chain of health and beauty stores.For each question 23 to 30,mark one letter A, B or C next to the correct answer.After you have listened once, replay the recording.You have 45 seconds to read through the questions【pause】Now listen,and mark A,B or C.【pause】Man:Next week,Healthway pie,the health and beauty chain,gets a new Chief Executive.Here's our reporter, Lynne Trencher, to tell us why many people regard the】ob as one of the most difficult in retailing.Hello,Lynne.Woman:Hello.No,it isn’t an enviable position,Robert Henlow, Healthway's Flew CEO,is taking control of a company which may have been a well—loved and trusted retail brand for many years,but its core business is mature,and successive managements simply haven’t come up with a winning formula to deliver dynamic sales growth.And the shareholders see Henlow as Heakhway's last chance.Man:The company faces stiff competition,doesn’t it?Woman:That’s right.In fact,most town—centre health and beauty chains are feeling the pinch,with few planning to expand.Unlike food,it's a high,margin business,which gives supermarkets,particularly those on out—of-town sites,scope to sell similar products for considerably less.Even the development of online shopping hasn’t yet outweighed the convenience of out—of-town sites.Man:Robert Henlow is coming from a company with a very different sort of culture from Healthway, isn’t he?Woman-Yes,he is moving from a firm that’s very open,with plenty of staff coming from other companies,or indeed industries.Healthway, on the other hand,has a culture where people join the group and either leave quickly or not until they retire.It’s famous for breeding its own managers,and outsiders have traditionally not been welcomed.Man:Healthway's financial strategy has been criticized in recent years,I believe.Woman:Under the last Chief Executive;Charles Hamilton.Heathway concentrated on the bottom line,with the aim of supporting the share price.Even the one acquisition that the company made had that same goal.Rut this strategy had its downside:very few improvements were made within the business,so heir IT, for instance, is now several years out of date.Man:Wasn’t it Charles Hamilton who started Healthway's beauty treatment centers?。
PART TWOThis part consists of two sections, each consisting of five short pieces (ie talks). You are required to listen to each talk in order to find out:-either who the speaker is (eg the speaker s job, role, etc) or what the speaker is talking about (eg the topic) or what the speaker is doing (eg refusing, complaining, apologising) or what the speaker is expressing leg disappointment, doubt, surprise) or how the speaker is doing something (eg travelling) or why the speaker is phoning (ie the purpose of the call) or who the speaker is talking to (eg the manager, an accountant) or where the piece takes place (eg in a factory, in an office, in a bank)This part is similar in many ways to a multiple-choice item: you have to choose the correct answer from a box containing 8 possible answers. 5 of these answers are correct but 3 are included as distractors. A distractor may at first glance seem to be correct but on later examination it is seen to be wrong. Consequently, R is very important that you check each of your answers very carefully indeed.For example, because you hear the first speaker talking about a computer, you may at first be tempted to choose B a technician as the correct answer for number 1 in the following example. If you listen carefully to everything Speaker 1 says, however, you will realise that the correct answer is D a salesman .Since each answer in the box can be used only once, the number of choices with which you are faced becomes smaller as you progress through the question. Remember also that you will have a second chance to listen to the five pieces, and so you can check each answer then.Each short piece which you listen to in the following example is concerned in some way or other with computers. Although there are always two sections in Part Two, only one section is given here as this is considered adequate to provide a good idea of the kind of test included in this part of BEC2.You hear.-Section 1. Questions 1 to 5.You will hear five short pieces. For each piece, decide who the speaker is. Write one letter A - H next to the number of the piece. You will hear the five pieces twice.Speaker 1Just a moment while I make a note of your order. I m very pleased that you think the computer I ve been demonstrating will meet your needs, and I confirm that I m happy to offer you 15% discount. I m sure you ll be very happy with the computer. Speaker 2I ll just look at all your details on my computer. Ah, I can now see from thescreen that you had a similar complaint about six months ago. Did you takeall the tablets which I prescribed at the time?Speaker 3I m afraid I ll have to take this computer to pieces in order to locate the fault. It shouldn t take too long, Don t worry. Even if h requires a new board, I can get hold of one today and put R in the computer early tomorrow morning.Speaker 4I can soon-find out if there are any seats available on the flight to London on Monday, September 27th. Let me see, it s coming up now on the computer. Yes, we re in luck. There s a flight which leaves Beijing at 9 o clock and gets into London at 6 o clock London time. Shall I see what hotels are available?Speaker 5There aren t enough computers for all the members of my class, but we re still very lucky to have them. The six computers we have are all on three long tables at the back of the room. We can use the computers in small groups on an individual basis after the lectures have finished.You read. -* You will hear five short pieces* For each piece decide who the speaker is.* Write one letter (A - H) next to the number of the piece. * You will hear the five pieces twice.SpeakersA a studentB a technicianC a doctorD a salesmanE a pilotF a newspaper reporterG a travel agentH a hotel ma eager。
最新商务英语(BEC)中级考试真题及答案1 the failure of a company to set its prices appropriately2 a context that makes it difficult to increase prices3 the consequences of companies trying to conceal their approach to pricing4 the means by which a company ensured precision in the prices it offered5 the fact that companies can learn about the effects of a price reduction6 the first sector to price products according to how much customers were prepared to spend7 the widespread use of rough guidelines to determine pricesGetting the price rightA、Chief executives need to pay more attention to pricing, according to Roberto Lippi of the Apex Group, a consultancy that offers advice on pricing strategy. He accepts that low inflation figures in many industrialised countries makes raising prices tough, but argues that this should not necessarily deter companies. He gives the example of the airlines, which, with their minimum stay requirements and massive premiums for flexibility, led the way in sorting customersinto categories, based on their willingness to pay.B、The key to pricing is to avoid alienating customers. As Lippi points out, once a bad price has been established, it can be very difficult to turn the situation around. He gives the example of a consumer goods company that went bankrupt largely because it did not price its digital cameras properly. In contrast, he cites the case of a Swiss drug company that introduced software for every sales representative's laptop, enabling them to provide consistent and accurate price quotes. To help staff with this innovation, the company also created a new post of director of pricing strategy.C、Many of today's managers have the benefit of modern technology to help them with pricing. Supermarket chains, for example, can easily track customers' 'elasticity' - how their buying habits change in response to a price rise or a discount. But although a company can now measure this sort of thing in a more sophisticated way, following basic rules is still the most common way of setting prices. Most bosses still worry more about their costs than the prices they charge; one recent survey found that they spend as little as 2% of their time on pricing.D、One popular approach to pricing is illustrated by the car companies that charge extra for product add-ons such as electric windows, instead of offering them as part of the standard price. Although many customers are prepared to pay extra, Lippi recommends that companies make sure that price differences reflect real differences in the product, either in quality or in the extra service on offer. The worst approach is to try to keep the pricing structure secret from customers. Nowadays, that is more likely to lead to lost contracts than large profits.这篇文章主要是关于定价(pricing)的。
剑桥商务英语中级(BEC2)阅读全真试题(二)(5)PART FIVESection A Questions 36-40Read the text below about a special kind of competition.In most of the lines 36-40 there is one extra word which does not fit. One or two lines, however, are correct.If a line is correct, write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet.If there is an extra word in the line, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet.Examples:0 The international Youth Skills Olympics is a vocational skills competition in0 C O R R E C T00 which the young people demonstrate their achievements in a range of areas.00 T H E36 The competition, which there is held every two years, is organized by the international37 Training Organisation. All U.K. competitors qualify for the team by getting through38 a tough national competition.Their backgrounds are vary from arts to sciences,39 and students to the self-employed. Since they do not know which skill area they40 will be tested in, they must to train for everything before the start of the competition.Section BQuestions 41-45Read the text below about market research.In each line 41-45 there is one wrong word.For each line 41-45,write the correct word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet.Examples:0 Your business will only success if customers like your product0 S U C C E E D00 or service and are prepared to give you money in exchange about it00 F O RMarket Research41 Before you start a business, it is importance to undertake market research42 and to assess the results with great care: you need to finding out about your43 potential customers and the state of the market, included your competitors.44 The more detailed your market research are, the more profitable your business45 is likely to be. Carry out your study thorough, and repeat it to ensure your resultsare reliable.。
BEC中级真题(第二辑)答案及听力原文Test 1ReadingPart 11 C2 A3 B4 D5 A 6.B 7 CPart 28 D 9 C 10 E 11B 12 FPart 313 D 14 A 15 C 16 B 17.B 18.CPart 419B 20 A 21 D 22 A 23 C 24 C 25 D 26 A 27 B 28 C29 D 30 B 31 C 32 B 33 BPart534 ITSELF 35 IN 36 CORRECT 37.WHILE 38 SEEN 39 FROM40 CORRECT 41 THOSE 42 FOR 43 WITH 44 THAT45 CORRECTWritingPart 1To: P. JonesFrom: Luisa GambonDate: 21 November 2002Subject: LatenessMr Jones,I have noticed that you often arrive late for work, especially on Monday mornings. As your colleagues are starting to complain about that, you understand that unless this habit changes, I will take disciplinary action against you. Come and see me tomorrow at 9 a.m. in my office. Thank youPart 2Report on customer complaintsINTRODUCTIONThis report has the purpose of presenting the reasons for customer complaints in 2002.FIELDINGSThe customer complaints received in 2002 were 300 in January. Then they increased to 540 in February because of the computer system's breakdown.In March they fell to 230 because an improved order system was introduced.The reasons for complaints from January to March were analysed:●firstly the companv received complaints for incorrect orders delivered. Theseerrors were fewer in March.●secondly the time taken to deliver is too high. but the company has planned torecruit new agents.●Finally customers complain for the poor product quality. In order to solve thisproblem more quality controls are making.CONCLUSIONSAt the moment all customers aren't satisfied but many measures have been taken to improve their satisfaction.ListeningPart 11. JAYE2. CUSTOMER SERVICES3. OFFICE ASSISTANT4. 457.605. EUROPE HOLIDAYS6. BUSINESS CARDS7. MARKETING EXECUTIVES8 (THE) (COMPANY) EOGO9 INFORMATION PACK10. PARK HOTEL11. FRONT GATE12. NEW DESIGNSPart 213 E 14 B 15 G 16 F 17 A 18 C 19 G 20 H21 E 22. BPart323 B 24 B 25 C 26 A 27 C28 B 29 A 30 CTapescriptListening Test 1This is the Business English Certificate Vantage 2, Listening Test 1.Part One. Questions 1 to 12.You will hear three telephone conversations or tnessages.Write one or two u'ords or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.After you have listened once, replay each recording.Conversation One.Questions 1 to 4.Look at the form below.You will hear a man asking a colleague for information about a former employee.You have 15 second's to read through the form.[pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Woman: Personnel . . .Man: Hello, it's Tim here, from Finance.Woman: Hi, Tim.Man: I've had a letter from the tax office about a student who worked here last summer – I wonder if you could look him up in your records. Woman: Sure, what's the name?Man: The surname's Jaye. First name Stephen.Woman: How does he spell his surname?Man: J-A-Y-E. Got that?Woman: Oh yes, here we are . . . lives at a hundred and eighty-three School Road,Barnfield . . .Man: Yes, that's the one.Woman: And you say he was working in Finance?Man: Uhm, Customer Services, actually.Woman: Aah - they had lots of students working for them last summer.Man: Well, the tax people want to know his exact job title - I'm not sure why. Woman: Mm, let me see . . . He was an office assistant.Man: Right, got that. They also want to know about his monthly earnings. Woman: Let's have a look . . . five hundred and thirty-eight pounds seventy a month . . . Oh, sorry, he was a scale one, so that's four hundred and fifty-seven pounds sixty. Anything else?Man: That's fine, thanks. I'll send them the information today . . . [pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]Conversation Two.Questions 5 to 8.Look at the note below.You will hear a man describing a problem with an order.You have 15 seconds to read through the note.[pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Woman: Hello, Blackwell Printers. Julie Davidson speaking. How may I help you? Man: Hello. This is Mark Jones from Europe Holidays. I was hoping to speak to Steven Kirby about the stationery you're printing for us.Woman: I'm afraid Steven's away until Friday.Man: Oh - you see I'm not very happy with the business cards and I wanted to see if I could make a couple of changes to the paper too.Woman: Would you like me to pass on a message?Man: Yes, please. The thing is, I've just received your proofs - the cards themselves are fine, but you seem to have misunderstood the quantities. I'm sure I asked for five hundred for each of the marketing executives and seven hundred and fifty for me but you've put everyone down for seven hundred and fifty. Woman: Right, I've made a note of that. Is there anything else?Man: Yes, well this is my mistake really. Could you ask Steven to move the company logo further to the left? It's too close to the address at the moment. I think that's all for now. Thanks.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]Conversation Three. Questions 9 -12Look at the notes below.You will hear a woman making the arrangements for a delegation who are going to visit her company.You have 15 seconds to read through the notes.[pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Woman: Geoff?Man: Yes?Woman: I just want to finalise the preparations for the delegation next week. Man: Certainly. It's Thursday, isn't it?Woman: Yes. Now, can you make sure that each of them gets a name badge and an information pack. The badges are done, but you'll need to prepare the packs with all the relevant information.Man: Ok, that shouldn't take too long. What about catering?Woman: Coffee's organised for eleven and three, but lunch - it's at one - we need to reserve it for twelve people . . . The office restaurant is closed next week . . .can you ring the Park Hotel? The Grand Hotel was a bit disappointing last time. Man: I'll get onto that.Woman: Now, they'll be coming straight from the station, and their taxi will bring them to the front gate, so make sure you're there to greet them. That'll be about ten.Man: Ten. And then . . .Woman: Into Reception, I think. Make sure the new designs are on display, I want them to see those first.Man: OK.Woman: Let me know when it's all finalised. Bye.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]That is the end of Part One. You now have 20 seconds to check your answers. [pause]Part Two. Questions 13 to 22.Section One. Questions 13 to 17.You will hear five short recordings[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]That is the end of Part One. You now seconds to check your answers.[pause]Part Two. Questions 13 to 22. Section One.Questions 13 to 17.You will hear five short recordings.For each recording, decide which type of document the speaker is talking about.Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once, replay the recordings.You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.[pause]Now listen, and decide which type of document each speaker is talking about. [pause] ThirteenWoman: Well no wonder the bank's returned it unpaid. Look, the figures don't match the amount in words. I expect someone was filling it in in too much of a hurry. Let's see, we'd better issue another one straight away to pay Mrs Burton, because it'll be another three weeks if we wait for the next cycle of payments. Her expenses on that sales trip were pretty high, and it wouldn't be fair to keep her waiting much longer.[pause] fourteenMan: Some of the suppliers are already asking about the increases. I'll check, but I seem to remember from last week's meeting that in the end we agreed on three per cent. So what I'll do is go down each column and calculate the new amounts, and then it can be printed in time to be inserted into the new brochures. Can you check the figures for me, though, before it goes to the printers? [pause] fifteenWoman: We've just received the paperwork from you about cleaning our premises, and I have to say that it doesn't reflect what we agreed in our conversation last week. For one thing, it says that we have to supply our security code, and for another it specifies monthly payment in advance, and I told you both of those were out of the question. I'm afraid I really can't sign this. Could you send me a revised one?[pause] SixteenMan: Of course, this only gives a very general picture. But as you can see, cash is a particularly healthy area. That's even when we take into account regular outgoings on loans and leasing equipment, which are included in the final totals. And even more significantly, unpaid orders are actually excluded from the final calculation. These represent a sum of approximately thirty thousand pounds. With that in mind, we can say that the company's overall position is still strong. [pause] SeventeenWoman: I've just asked the Arden Conference Centre about availability for our next training seminar, and they said they still haven't been paid for the one before last, which should have been dealt with six months ago. I've had to ask them to send a duplicate! We really must be careful. Arden give us very favourable prices,but we haven't got a contract with them - Can you deal with it straight away so we stay in their good books?[pause].Vow listen to the recordings again.[pause]Section Two. Questions 18 to 22.You will hear another five recordings.For each recording, decide what the speaker's purpose is.Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once, replay the recordings.You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.[pause]Now listen, and decide what each speaker's purpose is.[pause] EighteenMan: Hello. This is Guy Cooper from Centron Electronics here. I believe you rang for some advice about your alarm system, which isn't functioning properly. The message I got said you weren't sure if you needed someone to come and sort it out, or if we could advise you over the phone. Well perhaps you'd like to get back to me as soon as it's convenient and tell me exactly what the problem is, and I'll see what I can do.[pause] NineteenWoman: Well, as you say, Redlon has been supplying us for years but, quite honestly, two-thirds of the complaints we receive about our products are actually due to faults in components we've had from Redlon. So I talked to the Production Manager and he agreed that I should look at some alternatives.Future World's range is fine for us, and one of their customers who I spoke to recommended them highly, so that's why we've changed to using them. [pause] TwentyWoman: The competition's getting tougher, and you know we're facing serious problems.We need to see more benefit from the undeniably hard work we're putting in, and this means saying no to jobs which aren't profitable. It would be much more beneficial to put all our efforts into winning higher-margin contracts. So the way I feel you can help most is by identifying the types of contacts which will bring in the income we need in order to ensure our future.[pause] Twenty-oneMan: John Woods here, phoning about the project we discussed earlier. Could you give me a ring so that we can talk about it a bit more? I've done a few calculations and I'm beginning to wonder whether it's really a practical proposition. 1 still think the project's got potential, but there are significant additional costs which we hadn't taken into account. So could you get back to me as soon as you can, please?[pause] Twenty-twoWoman: Hello, Sally here, from Pagwell Paints, returning your call. I'm very sorry you aren't happy with the latest consignment you've had from us. It's rather strange, because following your complaint about the last delivery,we did in fact take action to change the specifications in the way you suggested. So it isn't quite fair to say that we ignored your advice. I know it's important to achieve the consistency that you require, but perhaps your recommendation wasn't exactly what's needed.[pause]Now listen to the recordings again.[pause]This is the end of Part Two.[pause]Part Three. Questions 23 to 30.You will hear the chairman of a business institute making a speech about new business awards that his institute has sponsored.For each question 23-30. mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer. After you have listened once, replay the recording.You have 45 seconds to read through the questions.[pause]Now listen, and mark A, 6 or C.[pause]Man: Who are the managers of the best innovation developments in British industry? That was the question which the first Business Today Innovation Awards set out to answer.This project is all about rewarding good practice and performance. So, rather than simply recognising excellence in the design of specific products, or analysing their financial impact on profits, the awards set out to take an objective look at exactly how companies manage the development process itself.Over three hundred and fifty organisations entered the competition and were initially reduced to about forty. Then, after further careful checking, a short list of just fourteen of them was arrived at. These finalists, all manufacturers, were then visited by the competition judges, a panel of four chief executives from leading companies. The panel toured the finalists' facilities, received presentations on the companies and their projects, and interviewed the key development team members. The products varied enormously in their scale, function and degree of technology - from bread for a supermarket chain to a printer inside an automatic cash dispenserInitially the organisers were concerned that this range could create difficulties in the assessment process. But this fear proved baseless, as most elements in the innovation process are shared by all manufacturers.Interestingly, the finalists broke down into two distinct and equal groups: large firms with one thousand employees or more and small firms with two hundred and fifty employees or fewer. With both groups the judges decided to concentrate on two of the clearest indicators of a successful innovation process, which are: how well the new product is combined with the company's existing business, and secondly, how-well the innovation methods are recorded and understood. Small firms naturally tend todo well in the first category since they have fewer layers of management and thus much shorter communication lines. But they seem to put less emphasis on creating formal development methods which would be repeatable in future innovations. Large firms, on the other hand, have difficulty integrating the new development within their existing business for reasons of scale. But they tend to succeed in achieving well-documented and repeatable development methods. This is because larger companies, with their clear emphasis on training, fixed management structure and administrative systems, require more formal, daily record-keeping from their staff.So what were the key questions the judges had in mind when assessing the finalists? One of the most important areas concerned how thoroughly a company checks what is happening in other fields in order to incorporate new ideas into the development process. Many of the finalists impressed in the area. Xatura, for example, had demonstrated genuine energy in searching for new ways of producing their range of specialitv breads. They had looked at styles of home cooking in different countries, as well as the possibility of exploiting new production technologies in order to achieve equally good results but on a high-volume production line.What then occupied much of the judges' thoughts was the quality of the links which the development team established with senior management, suppliers, the market and manufacturing. The best examples of the first category were found in small firms, where the individual entrepreneur at the top was clearly driving the innovation forwardLinks with suppliers were also seen as an important factor, but not all supplier experiences were positive. Occasionally serious problems had to be solved where suppliers were working hard to meet specifications, but the companies that the suppliers were using to adapt their machinery were not so efficient. This, led to disappointing faults or fluctuations in quality.But in conclusion the awards demonstrate that innovation isn't just for high-tech internet companies. You can also be successful in mature markets with determination and skill.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]That is the end of Part Three. You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to your Answer Sheet.Note: Teacher, stop the recording here and time ten minutes. Remind students when there is one minute remaining.[pause]That is the end of the test.Test 2ReadingPart 1I. B 2 C 3 A 4 D 5 D 6 B 7 CPart 28 C 9 B 10 E 11 A 12 DPart 313 D 14 C 15 A 16 A 17 C 18.BPart 419.D 20 D 21 A 22 C 23 A 24 C 25 B 26 A27 A 28 D 29 C 30 A 31 C 32 D 33 BPart 534 THAT 35 CORRECT 36 ONLY 37 SO 38 CORRECT 39 THE 40 HOW 41 CORRECT 42 OUT 43 CORRECT 44 WILL 45 BETest 2 WritingPart 1To: All StaffFrom: Managing DirectorDate: 7 DecemberSubject: Staff rewardI would like to thank you for the contribution in increasing the company's profit. The profit increased due to very hard work and long working hours. Each of the staff will receive an envelope with a reward on Tuesday. The reward is a trip to Hawaii, and I hope that this will be the perfect reward. Enjoy!Thank youPart 2Introduction.The purpose of this report is to assess and recomend a taxi firm that will become our regular transporter. We will need them especially during next year trade fair and conferences. There are two firms to assess.Findings:As regards to Telecars we have a good references on them. It is very experienced traditional firm and is also very reliable. They provide 24-hours service that is useful during night meetings and negotiations. StreetlightCabs is brand new company and there are no references on them. But they provide long distance routes which we usevery often and they are also cheaper. On the other hand they don't have web page and so internet booking isn't available.Conclusion:I recommend to choose Telecars because of their reliability, long tradition and well trained staff.ListeningPart 11TAKING MINUTES213(TH) OCTOBER3CERTIFICATE4CUSTOMER SERVICE5WORLDNET/WORLD NET6OUTSIDE LINES7TRANSFER CALLS8(THE) EQUIPMENT9.TRADE FAIR10AFTER LUNCH11REVISED BUDGETS12HEAD OFFICEPart 213 H 14 E 15 F 16 A 17 D 18 G19 E 20 C 21 B 22 HPart323 C 24 A 25 A 26 C 27 A 28 C 29 B 30 BTapescriptListening Test 2This is the Business English Certificate Vantage 2, Listening Test 2.Part One. Questions 1 to 12.You will hear three telephone conversations or messages.Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.After you have listened once, replay each recording.Conversation One. Questions 1 to 4.Look at the form below.You will hear a woman calling about training courses.You have 15 seconds to read through the form. [pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Man: Good morning, Oakleaf Business Training. How can I help you?Woman: Hello, my name's Enid Stevens, of Appleyard Smith. I've booked two one-day courses, but now I need to change one of them.Man: Let me get your details up on the screen. Right, you've booked Report Writingnext month . . .Woman: Yes, that one's OK. It's Taking Minutes that I can't manage, on the eighth of July. Do you know when it's running again?Man: Let me see. Not until the eighteenth of September, I'm afraid.Woman: That sounds fine. Oh, I think I'll be abroad then.Man: Then there's the first and the thirteenth of October.Woman: I'd like the later date, please.Man: Fine, I'll change your booking.Woman: Another thing; it says in your brochure, everyone attending a course getsa certificate, but I haven't received one from a course I took last January. Man: I'm sorry about that. Which course was it?Woman: Something to do with dealing with the public . . . ?Man: That must have been Customer Service.Woman: Sounds familiar.Man: OK, I'll put it in the post today.Woman: Thank you very much. Goodbye.Man: Goodbye.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]Conversation Two. Questions 5 to 8.Look at the note below.You will hear a woman ringing about problems with a new telephone system.You have 15 seconds to read through the note.[pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Man: Hello, Swinburn Telecoms.Woman: I'd like to speak to Tony Wilson, please.Man: I'm afraid Tony isn't available. Can I take a message?Woman: Yes please. I'm Sheila Dallas, from Worldnet.Man: Right.Woman: I'm ringing about the telephone system your firm installed here yesterday.We're not happy with it.Man: Oh dear. What seems to be the problem?Woman: First of all, your engineer said that with the number of extensions we've got, six outside lines would be enough, but we asked for eight, and anyway you've charged us for the larger system.Man: Right, we'll look into that.Woman: Then, whenever we try to transfer calls from one extension to another we lose them. We're following the instructions, but it just doesn't work.Man: I see.Woman: And finally, could you ask Tony to check the invoice, please? He promised us a discount on installation, which is shown, and one on the equipment, but that isn't there.Man: Right. I'm sorry about all that. I'll get Tony to contact you as soon as he's free.Woman: Thank you. Goodbye. Man: Goodbye.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]Conversation Three. Questions 9 to 12.Look at the note below.You will hear a woman calling about the arrangements for a meeting.You have 15 seconds to read through the note.[pause]Now listen, and fill in the spaces.Man: Good morning. Marketing Department. Peter Menzies speaking.Woman: Hello. Could I speak to John Fitzgerald, please?Man: I'm afraid he's not in the office at the moment.Woman: Well, this is Elizabeth Parnell calling. I wanted to talk to John about the meeting next week. You see, I only get back on Tuesday night from a trade fair in the States.Man: So, would you like me to give him a message?Woman: Yes, could you ask him if we can postpone Wednesday's meeting? Till after lunch. That would be easier. It was originally going to be at ten a.m. Man: OK. I'll ask him to change it. I'll get back to you with a time.Woman: Thanks. And could you also ask him to add another item for discussion at the meeting? I thought we were going to talk about the revised budgets - but I can't see this on the agenda.Man: OK. I'd better ask him to call you . . .Woman: Yes, please. I'm at Head Office at the moment. Can he phone me here today - I won't be back at my own desk until tomorrow afternoon.Man: Right, I'll give him the message.Woman: Thanks.Man: Bye.Woman: Goodbye.[pause]Now listen to the recording again.[pause]That is the end of Part One. You now have 20 seconds to check your answers. [pause]Part Two. Questions 13 to 22.Section One. Questions 13 to 17.You will hear five short recordings. Five people are talking about different business books they have read.for each recording, decide which book the speaker is talking about.Write one letter (A-Hi next to the number of the recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once, replay the recordings.You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.[pause]Note listen, and decide winch book each speaker is talking about.[pause] ThirteenWoman: Yes, it was interesting . . . some of it was rather obvious, of course, like dressing smartly, making sure you arrive on time, that sort of thing . . . but there was also quite a lot I'd never really considered . . . like ways to interpret what the advertisement is really asking for, reading between the lines . . . and a section which lists some of the harder questions they tend to ask you, with effective answers you can give[pause] FourteenMan: Invaluable, I'd say . . . certainly helps prevent you making some of the more embarrassing mistakes. It gives you a kind of timescale to follow through. For example, they stress that you need to get publicity up and running a good six months before you want to stage the event. And get your main speakers booked earlier than that. They say you must make sure you've got a good assistant to support you, check the details.[pause] FifteenWoman: Actually, although it was a bit long, it was definitely useful. The trouble often is, when the management take on new staff, they don't necessarily really know what skills or qualities are needed. I want someone who's more than justa secretary typing out letters every day . . . I'm looking for a right hand,someone to do everything . . . and this book spells out what that means . . .it's helped me to draw up a job description.[pause] SixteenMan: Well, I wish I'd read it years ago! That would have saved me from some of my worst inefficiencies. I'd recommend it to anyone. It shows you how to producea perfect schedule for getting through your workload . . . Once you've gotyourself organised, made lists of tasks and priorities, you can make best use of each and every day . . . otherwise you're just constantly confusing your PA with endless requests, all terribly urgent . . .[pause] SeventeenWoman: Certainly, a lot of the book was very specialised . . . but it did give me an idea of how7 the agencies do the job. Of course, they're the people with the creative ideas, the expertise, so I'm happy to trust the image development work to them . . . but I read the book so I could talk to them on equal terms about what we're trying to do, and how it fits in with our overall business strategy.[pause]Now listen to the recordings again.[pause]Section Two. Questions 18 to 22.You will hear another five recordings, five people are talking about why they decided to use a particular company to supply their officeequipment.for each recording, decide what reason each person gives.Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording.Do not use any letter more than once.After you have listened once, replay the recordings.You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.[pause].Vow listen, arid decide what reason each person gives.[pause] EighteenMan: We were having problems with the company we normally use so we looked at a number of other companies and decided to give this one a try. They're just new in the business and we were impressed as they promised they would deliver the goods we wanted within two days and they did. We had to pay more than we would have liked but the results were worth it. Since then, I've told a lot of other people about them.[pause] NineteenWoman: Apparently they're an established company in Scotland with an excellent reputation, but I didn't know that at the time. I found them through the internet.I was just browsing through the list of suppliers one day and I noticed their name. I looked them up and found that they had this fantastic discount available that particular month. We ordered various things and the quality was so good we've continued using them.[pause] TwentyMan: We like to try out different suppliers to make sure we're always getting the best deal. This particular company was running a big publicity campaign. I'd seen the ads on TV and they really put me off. I just couldn't see theappeal. But then someone I met at a training day told me we should use them.His company had used their service for years with no complaints so we followed his advice.[pause] Twenty-oneWoman: We'd looked round the market to find the cheapest deal possible but to be honest there wasn't much to choose, in terms of cost, between any of the local suppliers. However, we had a visit from a sales representative from one company and we asked him to make up some complimentary printed letterheads for us. They were exactly what we wanted so that was the deciding factor. I think that personal touch gives a company far better results than advertising ever can. [pause] Twenty-twoMan: Obviously there are many different factors to consider when you choose a new supplier. We always used a local company because they were relatively near and we could even pick things up ourselves if necessary. But unfortunately they just became too expensive. Now that express delivery services are widely available, distance is no longer a consideration and we've been able to choose someone who can give us the best package for the lowest cost.[pause]Now listen to the recordings again.[pause]That is the end of Part Two.[pause]Part Three. Questions 23 to 30.。
剑桥商务英语中级(BEC2)阅读全真试题(二)(4)PART FOUR Questions 21-35·Read the text below about job prospects at the Provincial Bank.·Choose the correct word A, B, C, or, D on the opposite page to fill each gap.·For each question 21-35, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet. Employment Opportunities for Graduates with the Provincial BankThe Provincial Bank is one of the biggest (example) ____________ institutions in the U.K. With its 1,900 branches and 58,000 employees, it has (21) ____________ a household name. Almost 4,000 of these employees (22) ____________ managerial or executive positions. The bank has an outstanding (23) ____________ of profitability, which has been achieved by introducing innovations at the same time as maintaining leadership of the (24) ____________.The bank’s comprehensive training programme concentrates on (25) ____________ the most important skills that graduates need in order to (26) ____________ early management responsibility. Trainees take responsibility for their own continuous self-development through visiting other branches and departments, and by (27)____________ courses in management skills. They also receive training in order to increase their knowledge of the bank’s (28) ___________. The bank supports (29)____________ of staff who wish to take professional examinations, and its Graduate Training Scheme is (30)_____________ to the nationally recognized Diploma in Management.Obviously the quality of its mangers is of (31)____________ importance to the bank’s performance. It welcomes good graduates in any subject area, (32)____________ they can demonstrate the ability to influence events, and have the potential to (33)____________ both as leaders and as part of a team. Most graduate trainees join the Retail Banking division initially. Those starting on this programme will soon have the (34)____________ to work in other parts of the bank and can (35)____________ a varied and flexible working life.Example:A budgetary B fiscal C financial D economic0 A B C DExample21 A opened B entered C turned D become22 A hold B do C keep D own23 A career B catalogue C record D experience24 A area B trade C record D market25 A making B reaching C developing D heightening26 A present B treat C deal D handle27 A observing B attending C involving D staying28 A services B goods C creations D abilities29 A colleague B members C people D persons30 A qualified B combined C fastened D linked31 A main B vital C necessary D superior32 A therefore B thus C provided D only33 A succeed B realize C gain D overcome34 A choice B chance C likelihood D probability35 A forecast B believe C suppose D expect【。
BEC中级口试历年真题PART2及答案汇总真题二Whatis important when entertaining clients?•types of activities•CostFirstly,we must chooseappropriate types of activities to entertain different clients. Differentclients have different tastes interests and hobbies. In order t o make them feelsatisfied and comfortable we must choose the activities they prefer and areinterested in. For example if you find your client has a taste f or art or musicthen take him or her to a concert. If he or she is a sports fan take him or herto the sports event.Secondly, Cost isnot always the essential thing. How much we spend is d epending on thenature/characteristics of the transaction or the size of the de al. Butsometimes we should consider the profit issue. If the company is expec ting tomake big gain/profits out of a specific client, it should at least put inp roportional investment to entertain/please its clients. The ideal plan wouldbe spending as little money as possible to get the deal done. But you must not offend your clients. You should make them feel being welcomed.Whatis important when choosing retail premises to rent?•Locationof site (transportation)•Lengthof contract•Demandfor products or services•Laborcosts•Competition•Localworkforce availableFirstly, locationof site is very important. You need to consider whether it’s convenient andeasy for raw material supply and transporting out the produ cts, whether it’seasy to get access to the electricity, water, gas and other su pporting energy,whether it’s convenient for staff to go to work.Secondly, lengthof contract is also important. Longer contract would cove r issues in moredetails. The contract should cover certain matter, which are li kely to happen,such as, assignment, service charges.What isimportant when deciding on packaging for products?•Image•production processThe packaging ofour products is in fact a kind of advertisement for our products. So when wedecide on packaging for products we must first conside r if the packaging canreflect the image of our products. It must best represe nt the quality of ourproducts through its design and layout which can attract our customers to buyour products. The packaging should show the distinctive features of our productsso that every customer can have a better understanding of our products afterjust taking a look at our products. Andwe should make sure that the customers can identify our products immediatelythrough the packaging.Besides, the productionprocess decides the physical characters of your pr oducts. Forexample, what they are made of, metal glass or wood? Because of thesecharacters you have to select different kind of packaging. For example beingfragile your products made of glass should be packaged in a soft contai nerwhich can stand the impact of collision. Your wood products should be ke pt inthe anti-wet and anti-mold packaging. As for metal products anti-wet an danti-rust packaging is necessary. Appropriate packaging can ensure the quali ty ofyour products during the delivery.Whatis important when packaging?•image•production process•convenienceFirst of all, whenpackaging, it’s very important to choose the color, shape and design thatconvey the high-quality image to our customers. With special appearance, ithelps make the product distinct from others and attract cons umers’attention.Second, productionprocess is also important, the product will be handled for many times duringits production process, so the packaging material we u se should be strongenough to resist any damage.(we should also consider the transit process sothat the package we design will protect the product against spoilage.Apart from thistwo aspects, it’s also of great importance to offer consu mers convenience. Packagingshould be designed in such as way to make it e asier for customers to open thecontainer and use the product.What isimportant when selecting staff for promotion?•Attitude to work•Current performance•Personal qualitiesAttitude to work工作态度: The staff who hold a positive attitude toward work should bepromoted. If a person likes his job, he will devote his heart a nd soul into thejob and try every effort to accomplish the task. Moreover, his hard-workingmight well influence the other staff and set a good example for them. Thecompany needs such kind of spirit.Currentperformance (Quality of performance / work-related qualities)专业素质: You know, all staff are looking forward to promotion. The one whogets the chance should be the best one among all staff. Otherwise other staffwon’t be convinced. Current performance can just tell all staff what he or shehas done and can also tell the staff the reason for promotion. Then everybodywill try his/her best to work hand and make some achievements.Personal qualities人品:Relevant personal qualities are important as well, su ch as loyalty to thecompany, responsibility and so on, since these qualities ca n establishcredibility and integrity among colleagues. The selecting staff should be as acontributor to the company and as a person of high personal standing with acapacity for leadership.Communicationskills,Cooperation skillsWhat is importantwhen considering a career change?•Further study or training•Opportunities for future promotion•Salary•Location•Company reputationFirstly, furtherstudy or training cannot be neglected, since training can ke ep their skillscurrent and up-dated, thus making them more competitive throu ghout their lives.Secondly, future promotionnormally provides an increase in pay and stat us and brings you a sense ofcareer achievement.Thirdly, Salary isnot the most important thing in the world. I do think so.But without money, we’llbe in difficulties. When we can’t support our fami lies, we will naturallyconsider career change.Location must betaken into account, especially for one who is married and has children. If thenew job means relocation, moving to a strange city, it can be a great threat toone’s family life, and various problems will arise, such as children’s education,etc. Besides, people have to consider whether the cli mate, food and the culturethere fit them or not.What is importantwhen planning an advertising campaign?•Market research•Selecting appropriate mediaMarket research:It enables you to know what is popular in the market and what prices customerscan accept. All the above are very crucial for you todecide when, where andwhom you can give your advertisement.Selectingappropriate media: For example, if your new product aims to re ach young people,it is a wise choice to put an advertisement on either TV or Internet, for theyoung are used to getting news there. Or it will be a waste of money.Pricing: Aftercarrying out market research, we can know what the most r ational price of a newproduct is.What is importantwhen choosing transport for business trip?•Convenience•Cost-effectiveness•ComfortFirstly,Convenience transport can help to make your trip easy, efficient and free fromfatigue.Secondly, It isadvisable not to choose a transport whose cost is beyond your budget, sinceexpensive transport can even stop you from meeting your targets. You shouldnever allow this kind of cost to ruin your whole business.Finally, Comfortmeans being physically relaxed and contented, free from worries andunhappiness. With comfortable transport, you can arrive well rested and readyfor your work. This is vital for the success of your business.Whatis important when exporting goods or services for the first time?•Cultural differences•Professional adviceWhen exportinggoods or services for the first time ,it is very important t o consider culturaldifferences. Cultural differs from country to country. People in differentcountries have different tastes and needs for goods or services. In order tocater to the tastes and needs of people in foreign countries, a com pany shouldtake cultural differences into consideration when exporting goods or servicesfor the first time. Otherwise, the goods or services won’t sell well.Professionaladvice is also important. Since the company has never done i nternationalbusiness before, it may lack experience of exporting goods or ser vices. If thecompany seeks professional advice, it may avoid marketing disaste rs which maylead to big losses. In addition, it’s also important for the comp any to locatea good exporting firm which can provide great assistance in selli ng goods orservices to foreign countries.What’simportant when dealingwith complaints from clients?•Offering an apology•suggest a solution to the problemOffering anapology is the very basic level. When the clients think that th ey have receivedunfair treatments, the first thing that the company should do is to calm themdown and try to keep the client. An apology is the first step and a usefulmethod to maintain control of the situation. Offering an apolog y is animportant gesture to show that the hosting company is fully aware of thesituation and would like to take the potential responsibility for its mistakes.The complaining clients would feel that their complaints are being paidattenti on and may therefore be happy to proceed to the transaction with thehosting company.It is necessary tosuggest a solution to the problem as well.The clients wantto enter into the transaction in a good mood and with a reliable andtrustworthy business partner. Apart from an apology, the client w ould want tohave the problems and misunderstanding solved before their co mmunication movesto the next level. If the hosting company failed or refused to suggest asolution, its sincerity of entering into the transaction would be put intodoubt.What is importantwhen setting prices for new products?•Production costs•Competitors’prices•Demand•QualityThe first thing wemust take into account is Production costs when setting prices for newproducts. Prices should cover the costs, such as insurance, raw materials, rentand equipment. Otherwise, the company will make a loss.Competitors’prices: If we sell our products at a lower price than our co mpetitors, we canseize a large market share quickly. Then, large sales volume can help ourcompany reduce production costs and achieve higher profits.Demand需求:When demand is strong, we can set high prices. When dem and is weak, we can setlower price. Firms must estimate the quantities of a p roduct that consumerswill demand and then set the price for the new produc t.Quality质量:If the new products are of better quality and can perform m ore functions thancompetitors’, then the prices can be high.Whatis important when aiming to reduce staff turnover?•Financial incentives•career structure•Pleasingwork environment•flexible working hours•trainingFirstly, financialincentives are important. Staff want some sort of recogniti on for the job thatthey do. Correct Financial incentives plan will arouse their enthusiasm.Otherwise, they would feel being ignored (neglect/overlook).Secondly, careerstructure is also important. Employees will remain with th eir employer ifcareer opportunities are presented. Career plans for those who what to upwardin the company undoubtedly improve morale and boost enga gement. (This can leadto some motivational values and enhance employees’fulfillment.)Thirdly, creatinga pleasing workplace is very important when aim to retai n good staff. Apleasing workplace includes everything from having the right t ools available toprovide basic comfort, such as proper lighting and noise cont rol, etc.On top of that,flexible working hours should be also taken into account.It allows the staff acertain degree of freedom, which is essential for the balan ce of life and work.Besides, trainingcannot be neglected, since training can keep their skills c urrent and up-dated,thus making them more competitive throughout their liv es.真题四What is important whenPlanning a presentation?•Audience•Equipment neededFirstly,Youneed to know who is going to be the target audience. Wheth er the audience knowanything about the topic of your presentation, What the y are interested in,and Why they come to your presentation.Once you have f ound out something about the target audience, you need to keepin mind their interests and needs so as to make your presentation interestingand meanin gful for the target audience.Secondly, you needto decide what kind of equipment will be needed for the presentation, e.g.over-head projector; clear transparencies; computer; micr ophone, acoustic forthe venue where the presentation will take place. Also,Yo u need to make surethat the equipment needed will be available on the day when the presentationwill take place. what’s more, you need to check that al l the equipment is ingood condition and works well.What is important whenselecting an interpreter for a meeting with foreig n clients•Experience•ReliabilityFirstly, you needto select an interpreter who is experienced in interpreting for such meetings,the interpreter should have a wide knowledge about business management andfamiliar with the special terms and jargons for commer cial negotiations,finance, law, etc. in addition, a background knowledge about the target countryis also important too.Secondly, theinterpreter for a meeting with foreign clients should be relia ble in thefollowing aspects: being punctual for the meetings,keeping informati on learnedat the meetings confidential and interpreting accurately what is bei ngdiscussedWhat is important whenintroducing a new product range onto the market•Timing•advance publicityFirstly ,theintroduction should be made at an appropriate time, i.e. when the market ismatured for having this new product range, in other words, there will beprospective customers to buy the products. If there are any competitors who areplanning to introduce similar products onto the market, then it is necessarythat the introduction should be made ahead of their introduction s o as to grabas much market share as possible.Secondly, advancepublicity is important in that it will pave the way for the introduction, i.e.to make it known to the general public. There are differentways to implementadvance publicity.-- to have a newsconference to declare the introduction--to advertise onTV/radio, in newspaper/magazines--to deliversamples of the new product (delivery can be made in the stre ets, insupermarkets, to people’s homes etc.)What is important when aimingto improve career prospects (职业规划)?When aiming toimprove career prospects, I would take three factors into account, a goodreading habit, a good command of foreign languages, a furt her education andorganic frame of the worldTo start with, agood reading habit can enrich your knowledge. When you are reading businessarticles, the latest business events will give you a clue of what to do on yourown opinions.Secondly, foreignlanguage learning is becoming increasingly(有意识的替换more and more)popular in companies because it guaranteeseffective commu nication with overseas business partners.Thirdly, furthereducation helps you to step forward. With more training, y our proficiency willbe improved. Last but not least, an organic knowledge syst em also plays animportant part in the career development. A broadened hori zon(开阔眼界) would enhance your professional skills.What is important when aimingto improve career prospects?•Reading business articles•Learning a foreign language•TrainingFirstly, readingbusiness articles is very important when trying to improve career prospects.This is a good way for you to keep up with the latest devel opment in relatedfield which may give you a clue of what to do next.Secondly, learninga foreign language is also important. For instance if yo u are good at speakingEnglish ,that would add weight to the improvement of career prospects since theglobalization economy and the wide-spread interna tional corporation all needsthe bridge of a common language ,and English is one of the most widely usedlanguages.Thirdly, trainingis another factor to consider. By doing so , you get acces s to a range ofskills to meet different sorts of needs from different jobs.What is important whendeciding how to transport goods?•Destination•Speed•delivery and loading of the goods•priceWhen you aredeciding how to transport goods, the destination of the de livery is the primeelement to be consideredFor the sake of (为了)convenience, various means of transportation should be adopted with regard todifferent distance of the delivery.Furthermore, wecan not overlook speed(论点2). A more prompt deliver y means a fasterturnover(此处意为流通量,注意它的其他两种意思:营业额及turno ver rate员工的离职率).On the other hand,delivery and loading of the goods should not be negl ected. If the goods are nottaken care of, there could be damages either in tr ansit or during the loadingand unloading process or by other reasons. If the percentage of the damagedportion is too high and the goods are in a bad c ondition, the company cansuffer from a huge loss.And now it comesto the last point: price. Other things being equal, as lo ng as the transportcompany can handle the items properly(可以用专业术语“野蛮装卸”rough handling表示),we would definitely choose the one that grants u s the best offer.What is important whenpurchasing new machinery?•the level of automation•the level of automation•quality•safetyFirstly, Whenpurchasing new machinery for production line(生产线), the le vel of automation should beconsidered first. Just imagine how much labor it will save if the whole processis computerized and fully automatic, that is exac tly the reason why we buy newmachineries: to save labor and raiseefficiency.Secondly,, weshould be aware of the maintenance requirement of the ma chineries we bought. Itshould be stated crystal clear in the payment terms w hether it is theresponsibility of the buyer or the seller to get the maintenance covered(意为“负责”).Furthermore, qualityshould be viewed before the purchaseFinally, if I werein charge of the purchase, my interest will be towards sa fety. The visual ofsome worker getting caught in the blade(刀片)of the mac hinery is horrifying. If we don’ttake this seriously, this image will not be a h ypothetical casewhat is important whenselecting a retail sales assistant?•previous experiences•appearance•some basic skills and qualitiesWhen selecting aretail sales assistant, several factors should be taken int o consideration.Firstly, I think if the candidate has some previous experiences, he or she mayget a priority or privilege(优先权,特权)for the position, bec ause as many otheremployers, I attach great importance to it for that matter.Secondly, I wouldpay attention to the personal appearances of the applic ants. A good appearancecan make the publicity of the company better and e asier, and the clients andcustomers will have deep impression of a decent, ne atly dressed salesassistant.Thirdly, somebasic skills and qualities are necessary, such as communicati on skills andanalysis skills. And also, to keep contact with our customers is ve ry important(论点4). It can help us to improve our achievements and makes ure we have sustainable resources for the future development.补充词汇:sales manager 销售经理sales promotion 促销sales potential 销售潜力selling profit 销售利润What is important whencontacting clients by telephone?•calling at the right time•listen carefully•positive and enthusiasticWhen contactingclients by telephone, we have to cover the whole range of business master in alimited time, so we have to be very brief and efficient in every minuteavailable (论点1:在已给出的提示中:calling at the right time比较难拓展,需尽量扯到我们熟悉的或常识性的话题,即说话要简洁、有效). As a matter of fact, we talk all day,but how to talk is obviously a somewhat neglected ar t.To be specific,you should make sure that you that you call your clients a t the right time,because it is impropriate, impolite and very annoying to distu rb your clientswhen they are in the middle of something. To put it in anothe r way, the perfecttiming is the key point.Secondly, whencontacting clients by telephone you should listen carefully, because one of thebest ways to show your respects to your clients is to bec ome a good listenerThirdly, you needto have a positive attitude and to let your clients feel t hat you are positiveand enthusiastic. Also, you can keep a harmonious circum stance between you andthe clients. Of course, there are otherdetails that you should pay attention to (论点4), such as do not hang up first. Weoften say t hat the details determine whether you will succeed or fail(细节决定成功还是失败). Note that the details can help a lot to solve theproblems effectively.What is important whenmanaging change?•clear objective•technology and qualified personnel.In thisinformation age, the capacity to manage change is becoming incre asinglyimportant. Consequently, more and more managers begin to put this is sue in thespotlight).In my perspective,when managing change, several factors should be take n into consideration. Thefirst one is to set a clear objective, because it is the blueprint (蓝图)of a company’s future development. Without the guide ofa clearobjective, one will get lost in the business jungle.The second factoris communication skill. An effective communication can promote cooperation, andcommunication is usually considered as an inevitabl e(不可避免的)way to effective management.The third one is technologyand qualified personnel. They are the core co mpetitiveness of enterprises andthey are the software and hardware that drive the enterprise to work in a fullspeed (全速进行). Without them, it is hard to keep pace with the time.The last but notthe least, creativity is also important (论点4). Even a single innovative idea may becapable of helping an enterprise to take the lion’sshare in the market.What is important whenconsidering setting up a staff canteen?•employees' opinions.•CostWith respect tosetting up staff canteens, I suggest that we should be aw are of the following four factors.First of all, Ithink we should listen to the employees' opinions. If most of the employeesagree to setting up a canteen and the company can afford th e expenditure. Ithink the company should not refuse to setting up a canteen. Facilitatingemployees will finally benefit the company. To consider their opini ons is torespect their interests.Secondly, It isnecessary for the company to consider the expenditure of s etting up a newcanteen. Because the company needs profit to sustain itself r un. The companycan also strive for investment from others. Make sure setting up the canteen isbeneficial to employees and companyWhat is important whenworking as a teacher ?•sharingexpertise•decidingresponsibilities•monitorthe studentsWhen working as ateacher, the prime concern is sharing expertise. The n eed of the studentsshould receive careful consideration. Through systematic tr aining and teaching,the students should be able to resort to (依靠,求助于~~ ~)the professional skill of the teacher forreasonable solution of whatever pr oblem they may come across in workingexperience.Secondly, theteacher is expected to decide the responsibilities of his/her fellowman. Inthis case, it is better to tackle with(与do with, deal with, cope with同义)the whole thing in an organic way rather than on a piecemeal(七零八碎的)basis. In other words, the person on the teaching position should becrystal clear(又一次碰到,意为完全明白,十分清楚)of the strength and weak ness of everystudent and assign them to the right positions based on this ju dgment. Giventhis premise, the whole team can work in an efficient way.Another crucialissue is how to monitor the students. Here we should ado pt a flexible policy. It takes wisdom to let thestudents know that their behavi our will be noticed by the supervisor and simultaneously to invoke the creati ve spiritout of them(论点4). Inthis way, we can improve the behaviour patt ern of the students and make fulluse of their potentialities.What is important whennegotiating a contract with a customer?•customer’needs•available budgetIf I amnegotiating a contract with a customer, I will firstly take the custo mer’needsinto consideration. The reason is very simple: it is the basis of the undergoing negotiation; we are sitting around the negotiating table because weneed something from each other. It is our common desire to conclude the business.On the other hand,the success of the negotiation depends on the availab le budget. Without financialsupport, all the rounds of discussing and bargaining won’t make any sense. Thatis why it is an international practice(国际惯例)to consider about the budget first andreasonable design of the contract com es after that.Besides the abovementioned points, long-term cooperation is also an ess ential element(谈判中既要考虑到short-term profits, 又要考虑到long-term relatio nship). Although the well-being of our own party isthe main concern of us, we should insure that the prices we offered are veryfavourable (favorable pric e优惠价格), or we may even make some readjustment inour offer if the custo mer insists. The drive behind these behaviours is thatsustainable profit and wi n-win outcome will make sure the contract can be heldgood for a long term. That is why we ought to make it our permanent principle(不变的原则)to h onor the contract and maintain commercial integrity.。
1 the contact between coach and employee not solving all difficulties at work2 the discussion of how certain situations could be better handled if they occur again3 a coach encouraging an employee to apply what has been taught to routine work situations4 coaching providing new interest to individuals who are unhappy in their current positions5 coaching providing a supportive environment to discuss performance6 employees being asked to analyse themselves and practise greater self-awareness7 coaching enabling a company to respond rapidly to a lack of expertise in a certain areaA 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 end deliver meals to business premises.F On hearing this, Robertson immediately contacted all of their clients and offeredthe services of Grapevine Caterers.G Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.13 In the first paragraph, Mary Spillane says people should learn how to market themselves becauseA it encourages companies to give them a job for life.B in the future it will be a company requirement.C in many careers it is becoming difficult to succeed.D it will help them adapt to developments in the job market.14 Spillane says that, when creating a personal brand, it is important toA change things depending on the circumstances.B decide what image people would like you to present.C make sure that colleagues feel at ease with your image.D follow the example of someone in the company you work for.15 What do we learn about Spillane in the third paragraph?A She is embarrassed about her career with a cosmetics company.B She doesn't like talking about her academic background.C She has qualifications many people are unaware of.D She worries about how other people see her.16 Which problem does Spillane refer to when talking about the companies she is presently working with?A They find it difficult to accept her ideas.B They are unaware of how to rabrand themselves.C They don't want to spend large amounts of money.D They are unwilling to modernise their work environment.17 When advising people on rebranding themselves, Spillane tells them toA attend courses to gain specialist skills.B update regularly their written proof of what they can do.C try out different ways of presenting themselves to others.D remember that what they look like is the most important point.18 Spillane says that, in order to rebrand yourself successfully, it is important toA ask for other people's opinions about your image.B feel confident about what you are trying to achieve.C learn how to make use of all aspects of your character.D model yourself on people with a certain amount of influence.19A make upB carry outC bring aboutD put down20A basisB groundsC foundationD structure21A distributionsB guidesC designsD patterns22A approvalB permissionC consentD decision23A valueB inspectC reviewD survey24A commandB promptC influenceD persuade25A guessB speculateC reckonD predict26A operationsB techniquesC measuresD exercises27A answerB respondC counterD reply28A moveB leadC developD benefit29A expressionsB descriptionsC wordsD terms30A reputationB positionC situationD influence31A desiredB selectedC preferredD supposed32A actsB stepsC meansD points33A handed overB drawn upC made outD written off23 The aim of the 'Business Today' competition was to rewardA good product design.B skilful project management,C rapid financial success.24 How many companies were chosen to compete in the final of the competition?A fourB fourteenC forty25 The types of products which the finalists were developingA caused considerable problems for the judges.B were all connected with the food industry.C involved a common set of development aspects.26 According to the speaker, what are small firms good at?A fitting new products in with current productionB recording methods used in developing new productsC developing new management structures for new products27 The speaker believes big companies document innovation well because ofA the number of staff available.B the involvement of senior management.C the insistence on regular procedures.28 The panel was impressed by Natura because they hadA invested considerable time inventing a new product.B researched new ways of manufacturing their product.C investigated new overseas markets for their product.29 The judges praised the links between development teams in smaller companies andA senior management.B suppliers.C the market.30 The companies sometimes had problems because the suppliersA could not understand the specifications.B could not meet the deadlines.C could not rely on their subcontractors.。
Test 2 Reading 1 PART ONE Questions 1-7 ●Look at the statements below and the text on the opposite page about the importance of listening to people.●Which section (A, B, C or D)does each statement (1-7)refer to? ●For each statement (1-7),mark one letter (A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet. ●Y ou will need to use some of these letters more than once. 1 Sometimes it is necessary to insist on further explanation. 2 Y ou shouldn't focus on your response while others are still speaking. 3 People are reluctant to admit that they don't listen well. 4 There are benefits in seeing things from the speaker's perspective. 5 Keen observation of the speaker can support our listening skills. 6 It is risky to think about a different issue while someone is speaking. 7 People do not mind hearing their own views summarized. Good listener, better manager A Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven't quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us. Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember - despite the benefit of notes - exactly what everyone said. But success depends on getting things right- and that means listening.B Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effortless activity. It demands attention and concentration. It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification - it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong. However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what the speaker is saying - probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical. And not having heard, you won't know you've missed anything until it's too late. C The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the the subject subject subject long long long before before before the the the other other other speaker speaker speaker has has has finished. finished. finished. W e W e then then then stop stop stop listening. listening. listening. Even Even Even worse, worse, worse, this this often adds rudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it. Good listeners don't interrupt. In fact it is often worth explaining the main main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well. D Above Above all all all be be be patient patient patient and and and accept accept accept that that that many many many people people people are are are not not not very very very good good good communicators. communicators. communicators. It's It's helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying. Equally importantly you should put yourself in the other person's place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they they are are are getting getting getting at at at and form and form a a response. response. response. But But But don't don't don't be be be too clever. too clever. Faced with a a know know -all, -all, many many people keep quiet because they see no point in continuing.ANSWER KEYS: 1 B 2 C 3 A 4 D 5 D 6 B 7 C Reading 2 PART TWO Questions 8-12 Read the article below about recruiting staff. Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps. For each gap (8-12), mark one letter (A-G ) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once. There is an example at the beginning, (0)。
1 the contact between coach and employee not solving all difficulties at work2 the discussion of how certain situations could be better handled if they occur again3 a coach encouraging an employee to apply what has been taught to routine work situations4 coaching providing new interest to individuals who are unhappy in their current positions5 coaching providing a supportive environment to discuss performance6 employees being asked to analyse themselves and practise greater self-awareness7 coaching enabling a company to respond rapidly to a lack of expertise in a certain areaA 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 end deliver meals to business premises.F On hearing this, Robertson immediately contacted all of their clients and offeredthe services of Grapevine Caterers.G Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.13 In the first paragraph, Mary Spillane says people should learn how to market themselves becauseA it encourages companies to give them a job for life.B in the future it will be a company requirement.C in many careers it is becoming difficult to succeed.D it will help them adapt to developments in the job market.14 Spillane says that, when creating a personal brand, it is important toA change things depending on the circumstances.B decide what image people would like you to present.C make sure that colleagues feel at ease with your image.D follow the example of someone in the company you work for.15 What do we learn about Spillane in the third paragraph?A She is embarrassed about her career with a cosmetics company.B She doesn't like talking about her academic background.C She has qualifications many people are unaware of.D She worries about how other people see her.16 Which problem does Spillane refer to when talking about the companies she is presently working with?A They find it difficult to accept her ideas.B They are unaware of how to rabrand themselves.C They don't want to spend large amounts of money.D They are unwilling to modernise their work environment.17 When advising people on rebranding themselves, Spillane tells them toA attend courses to gain specialist skills.B update regularly their written proof of what they can do.C try out different ways of presenting themselves to others.D remember that what they look like is the most important point.18 Spillane says that, in order to rebrand yourself successfully, it is important toA ask for other people's opinions about your image.B feel confident about what you are trying to achieve.C learn how to make use of all aspects of your character.D model yourself on people with a certain amount of influence.19A make upB carry outC bring aboutD put down20A basisB groundsC foundationD structure21A distributionsB guidesC designsD patterns22A approvalB permissionC consentD decision23A valueB inspectC reviewD survey24A commandB promptC influenceD persuade25A guessB speculateC reckonD predict26A operationsB techniquesC measuresD exercises27A answerB respondC counterD reply28A moveB leadC developD benefit29A expressionsB descriptionsC wordsD terms30A reputationB positionC situationD influence31A desiredB selectedC preferredD supposed32A actsB stepsC meansD points33A handed overB drawn upC made outD written off23 The aim of the 'Business Today' competition was to rewardA good product design.B skilful project management,C rapid financial success.24 How many companies were chosen to compete in the final of the competition?A fourB fourteenC forty25 The types of products which the finalists were developingA caused considerable problems for the judges.B were all connected with the food industry.C involved a common set of development aspects.26 According to the speaker, what are small firms good at?A fitting new products in with current productionB recording methods used in developing new productsC developing new management structures for new products27 The speaker believes big companies document innovation well because ofA the number of staff available.B the involvement of senior management.C the insistence on regular procedures.28 The panel was impressed by Natura because they hadA invested considerable time inventing a new product.B researched new ways of manufacturing their product.C investigated new overseas markets for their product.29 The judges praised the links between development teams in smaller companies andA senior management.B suppliers.C the market.30 The companies sometimes had problems because the suppliersA could not understand the specifications.B could not meet the deadlines.C could not rely on their subcontractors.。
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATEExaminations in English as a Foreign LanguageBUSINESS ENGLISH CERTIFICATETEST FOR FEADINGREADINGQUESTIONS 1-45PART ONEQuestions 1-7Look at the sentences below and the job advertisements on the opposite page. Which job does each sentence 1-7 refer to?For each sentence, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.You will need to use some of these letters more than once.Example:0 This post involves some secretarial duties.0 A B C D1 You will be responsible for the operation of a computer system.2 You must be able to forecast what people will want to wear.3 You will be able to work with people from many different countries and backgrounds.4 You will have a qualification which covers two subject areas.5 It is necessary to have worked in this sector before.6 You will need to keep in contact with the headquarters of the organization.7 The advertisement emphasises the need to have a suitable approach to important people.ABUSINESS MANAGERYou will be responsible for our global business within specific countries and will have a good understanding of international distribution, possibly based on previous experience, plus the ability to work in markets that are highly varied in their culture. You will be fluent in a second language, be willing to travel extensively, and preferably have a degree.BDEPARTMENT STORE BUYERBased at our head office in London, you will select and order stock from our suppliers in Italy. You will need to predict fashion trends and build a strong relationship with our Italian office. You will have gained your buying experience in women's fashion and will hold a degree in design with a business studies component.CLEGAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATORAs head of the legal office, your work will include managing the office IT network, typing reports, diary maintenance and supervision of another staff member. You will need good organizational skills in order to keep ahead of a varied workload. You will be dealing with senior executives and government officials, so a mature and efficient manner is essential.DREGIONAL LEISURE SITES MANAGERYou will be responsible for budgetary planning, contract negotiations, local marketing and effective administration. You will communicate frequently with our main office using the latest technology. Your experience could be from any business sector but you should enjoy outdoor life and will ideally possess an estate management qualification.PART TWOQuestions 8-12·Read the extract below from an article about the coffee industry.·Choose the best sentence from the list on the opposite page to fill each of the gaps.·For each gap 8-12, mark one letter (A-I)on your Answer Sheet.·Do not use any letter more than once.Coffee is worth approximately $50-60bn per annum in terms of world sales. It is a truly international commodity, and today more than 50 countries in the world grow coffee beans. (example)______I_____. ICO organization helps coffee producers and promotes coffee conumption worldwide.ICO estimates that world production next year will reach 97.5 million bags.11.3 million bags higher than the current year. (8) ____________. As the largest producing country, Brazil is particularly important in the coffee world. In 1994 Brazil was responsible for 25% of world production, Colombia was next with 13.4%, Indonesia had 7.5%, Mexico 4.7%, Guatemala 3.8% and Ethiopia and Vietnam were equal with 3.4%.Coffee is a tough crop, and can be grown in areas where it is difficult or impossible to grow other crops. (9) However, disease is always problem for coffee production, as we can see in some parts of South America at the moment.ICO is active in educating farmers about avoiding disease and dealing with problems when they occur.The distribution chain varies from country to country, explains Pablo Dubois. In most countries the smaller farmers sell their crop to a local trader, who then sells it on to exporters. There are, however, other distribution systems. (10) ____________. Some countries, like Vietnam, have special government marketing organizations for coffee.Coffee prices often vary greatly from one year to the next. In 1997, for example, there was a large rise in the world price, which was immediately felt by the consumer. Rising prices always result in a drop in sales, which will have a bad effect on those developing countries, which are highly dependent on foreign exchange from coffee exports. (11)____________.In the opinion of Pablo Dubois, the biggest problem for his organisation is to create greater consumer awareness of the different varietiesof coffee and different ways of preparing it. (12)____________. ICO is therefore concentrating its promotional activities on Russia and China. It is also encouraging environmentally friendly coffee production, and last year's seminar on coffee and the environment created a lot of interest.The future looks bright for the coffee industry. It is estimated that consumption over the next few years will continue to rise steadily. New markets like Eastern Europe and China are expected to develop fast.A. As a result, the membership now represents 94% of all exporters and 60% of all importers.B. In some of these countries, this can amount to as much as 50% of all export earning.C. In North America, most consumers already have above average knowledge of the range available.D. For example, frost and wind are particularly damaging to coffee crops.E. Larger coffee growers, for example, frequently export directly.F. The main reason for this is higher Brazilian output as production recovers from weather damage to crops.G. It is cultivated in mountain regions which can only be reached by animal transport, and in other difficult areas where modern agricultural equipment cannot be used.H. This is because there is a demand for coffee in Germany, and it is also sold in the UK and in the US.I. This make the coffee industry fairly universal, according to Pablo Dubois, Head of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), based in London.PART THREEQuestions 13-20Read the article below about stress management, and answer questions 13-20 on the opposite page.A Lesson In Stress ManagementDemands placed on us at work can often lead to considerable worry and discomfort. There are, however, ways of protecting ourselves from the stress we face at work. We interviewed Jane Collard, a consultant in stress management.1. In Jane Collard's opinion, stress is becoming an increasingly common feature of the workplace. Stress is a highly individual reaction, which varies considerably from person to person, and it is difficult for some employees to avoid it. Indeed, stress is regarded by many as part of the organizational culture of our institutions: it comes with the job. Recent figures indicate that time taken off work because of stress has increased by 500 per cent since the 1950s. Undoubtedly, changes in working conditions have led to greater pressure at work at all levels. With reductions in staffing, workloads for individual employees have increased. In addition, many employees are left worrying about the security of their jobs.2. On the stress management courses that she runs, Jane Collard tries to make the trainees realise that stress in itself is not harmful. Everyone needs a certain level of stress to enable them to feel motivated and to perform effectively. A complete absence of stress can be as damaging as overstress, since it can make people lose interest in their work, and even lead to depression. The difficulties occur when the amount of stress rises above a level which is healthy for a particular individual. If this happens, the effects are very obvious and the trainees are taught to recognize the signs. Stress may be expressed physically, for example through headaches and tiredness, or through emotional problems such as depression. A person suffering from stress may also start to behave differently, and can be difficult to deal with.3. While it may not always be possible to prevent stress, there are a number of ways in which it can be controlled. The first thing that the trainees learn is how to manage their time effectively. This involves, first of all, setting realistic goals for both the short and long term. Once this framework has been established, tasks are then prioritised on a daily basis. The trainees are also reminded that when they are under pressure the less important items should be left, and they should never hesitate to delegate. Everyone is encouraged to look at ways of reducing 'wasted time ', for example by grouping similar tasks together or dealing with items immediately.4. Jane feels that one of the most useful features of the course is that it enables trainees to deal with those demands or deadlines that they regard as unreasonable. They are encouraged to avoid being defensive, but at the same time they are advised not to be afraid of saying 'no'. They are asked to give reasons only if necessary. The training helps them to foresee difficult situations or unwanted demands, and they learn how to prepare themselves mentally. Everyone is encouraged not to get stuck in negative thought patterns, where stress can feed a circular sense of helplessness. One solution they discuss is to think of a more encouraging alternative for each negative message. They learn, for example, to remind themselves that nothing terrible happens when a demand is refused or a deadline missed. Life goes on.Questions 13-16For questions 13-16, choose the best title for each numbered paragraph from the list below.For each numbered paragraph 1-4, mark one letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once.13 Paragraph 1 ______ 14 Paragraph 2 ______15 Paragraph 3 ______ 16 Paragraph 4 ______A Higher stress levels among top managersB Coping with stress through a positive attitudeC Time lost at work through sicknessD Causes of increased stress in the work environmentE Explanations for missed deadlinesF stress reduction through better organisationG Typical problems associated with stressQuestions 17-20• Using the information in the text, complete each sentence 17-20 with a phrase A-G from the list below.• For each question 17-20, mark one letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet.• Do not use any letter more than once.17 Most people agree that the recent increase in stress is due to changes in ____________.18 The trainees are taught that the right level of stress at work is important for good.19 Trainees learn that one way of limiting stress is by deciding upon.20 One of the most important parts of the course is learning how to react to___A levels of performanceB shorter deadlinesC employment practicesD higher levels of sicknessE unfair demandsF successful management structureG practical targetsPART FOURQuestions 21-35·Read the text below about job prospects at the Provincial Bank.·Choose the correct word A, B, C, or, D on the opposite page to fill each gap. ·For each question 21-35, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet.Employment Opportunities for Graduates with the Provincial BankThe Provincial Bank is one of the biggest (example) ____________ institutions in the U.K. With its 1,900 branches and 58,000 employees, it has (21) ____________ a household name. Almost 4,000 of these employees (22) ____________ managerial or executive positions. The bank has an outstanding (23) ____________ of profitability, which has been achieved by introducing innovations at the same time as maintaining leadership of the (24) ____________. The bank's comprehensive training programme concentrates on (25) ____________ the most important skills that graduates need in order to (26) ____________ early management responsibility. Trainees take responsibility for their own continuous self-development through visiting other branches anddepartments, and by (27)____________ courses in management skills. They also receive training in order to increase their knowledge of the bank's (28) ___________. The bank supports (29)____________ of staff who wish to take professional examinations, and its Graduate Training Scheme is (30)_____________ to the nationally recognized Diploma in Management.Obviously the quality of its mangers is of (31)____________ importance to the bank's performance. It welcomes good graduates in any subject area, (32)____________ they can demonstrate the ability to influence events, and have the potential to (33)____________ both as leaders and as part of a team. Most graduate trainees join the Retail Banking division initially. Those starting on this programme will soon have the (34)____________ to work in other parts of the bank and can (35)____________ a varied and flexible working life.Example:A budgetary B fiscal C financial D economic Example21 A opened B entered C turned D become22 A hold B do C keep D own23 A career B catalogue C record D experience24 A area B trade C record D market25 A making B reaching C developing D heightening26 A present B treat C deal D handle27 A observing B attending C involving D staying28 A services B goods C creations D abilities29 A colleague B members C people D persons30 A qualified B combined C fastened D linked31 A main B vital C necessary D superior32 A therefore B thus C provided D only33 A succeed B realize C gain D overcome34 A choice B chance C likelihood D probability35 A forecast B believe C suppose D expectPART FIVESection AQuestions 36-40Read the text below about a special kind of competition.In most of the lines 36-40 there is one extra word which does not fit. One or two lines, however, are correct.If a line is correct, write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet.If there is an extra word in the line, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet.Examples:0 The international Youth Skills Olympics is a vocational skills competition in0 CORRECT00 which the young people demonstrate their achievements in a range of areas. 00 THE36 The competition, which there is held every two years, is organized by the international37 Training Organisation. All U.K. competitors qualify for the team by getting through38 a tough national competition.Their backgrounds are vary from arts to sciences,39 and students to the self-employed. Since they do not know which skill area they40 will be tested in, they must to train for everything before the start of the competition.Section BQuestions 41-45Read the text below about market research.In each line 41-45 there is one wrong word.For each line 41-45,write the correct word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet. Examples:0 Your business will only success if customers like your product 0 SUCCEED00 or service and are prepared to give you money in exchange about it 00 FORMarket Research41 Before you start a business, it is importance to undertake market research42 and to assess the results with great care: you need to finding out about your43 potential customers and the state of the market, included your competitors.44 The more detailed your market research are, the more profitable your business45 is likely to be. Carry out your study thorough, and repeat it to ensure your results are reliable.。