inventory-珙
剑桥
BEC
真题集中级
第四辑
T
est 1
READING
1 hour
PART ONE
Questions 1-7
?
Look at the statements
below and the article about the development of
future
business leaders on the opposite
page.
?
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.
Example:
0
A new organisation has been formed to
assist firms in developing high-flyers.
0
A
B
C
D
1
Managers need to take
action to convince high-flyers of their value to
the firm.
2
Organisations need to look beyond the
high-flyers they are currently developing.
3
T
here is a concern that
firms investing in training for high-flyers may
not gain the
benefits themselves.
4
Managers need expert assistance
from within their own firms in developing
high-flyers.
5
Firms currently identify
high-flyers without the support of a guidance
strategy.
6
Managers are frequently too busy to
deal with the development of high-flyers.
7
Firms who work hard on
their reputation as an employer will interest
high-flyers.
The Stars of
the Future
A
Existing
management
research
does
not
tell
us
much
about
how
to
find
and
develop
high
—
flyers, those people
who have the potential to reach the top of an
organisation. As a result,
organisations are left to formulate their own
systems. A
more
effective
overall
policy
for
developing
future
leaders
is
needed,
which
is
why
the
London
Business
School
has
launched
the
Tomorrow
’
s
Leaders
Research Group
(TLRG). The group contains representatives from 20
firms, and
meets regularly to
discuss the leadership development of the
organizations
high-flyers.
TLRG
recognises just how significant line managers
are in the process of
B
leadership
development.
Unfortunately,
with
today's
flat
organisations,
where
managers have functional as
well as managerial responsibilities,
people
development all too often falls
victim to heavy workloads. One manager in the
research group was unconvinced by the
logic of sending his best people away on
development courses,
’
only to see them poached by
another department or, worse
still,
another firm'. This fear of losing high-flyers
runs deep in the organisations
that
make up the research group.
TLRG
argues
that
the
task
of
management
is
not
necessarily
about
employee
C
retention, but about creating
'attraction centre
s’,
’
We must help line managers
to
realise that if their companies are
known as ones that develop their people, they
will
have
a
greater
appeal
to
high-flye
rs,’
said
one
advisor. Furthermore,
selecting
people
for,
say,
a
leadership
development
programme
is
a
sign
of
commitment from management to an
individual. Loyalty can then be more easily
demanded in return.
D
TLRG
has
concluded
that
a
company's
HR
specialists
need
to
take
action
and
engage
with
line
managers
individually
about
their
role
in
the
development
of
high-flyers.
Indeed,
in
order
to
benefit
fully
from
training
high-flyers
as
the
senior
managers of the future, firms must actually
address the development of all
managers who will be supporting the
high-flyers. Without this, managers will not
be in a position to give appropriate
advice. And when eventually the high-flyers
do move on, new ones will be needed to
replace them. The next challenge will be
to find a new generation of high-
flyers.
PART TWO
Questions 8-12
?
R
ead the article below about possible
reasons for acquiring a company.
? 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
).
ACQUISITION
When should a company consider
acquisition as a way forward?
There are many circumstances in which a
There
may
also
be
resource
company
may
wish
to
take
over
another
considerations.
There
may
be
a
lack
of
organisation through an acquisition.
resources
or
skills
to
compete
The
need
to
keep
up
with
a
changing
successfully,
so
they
must
be
acquired.
environment
often
dominates
thinking
(10)
It may also be that it has
about
acquisitions.
One
compelling
knowledge
of
a
particular
type
of
reason
to
develop
by
acquisition
is
the
production
system
，
business process or
speed
with
which
it
allows
the
company
market
need.
In
an
international
context,
to enter new product or market
areas.
acquisition
is
often
a
means
of
gaining
(0)
G This is particularly
true
of
market
knowledge.
e-commerce.
The
strength
of
competitors
may
Sometimes
there
are
reasons
of
cost
influence
a
company
to
choose
efficiency
which
make
acquisition
look
acquisition
as
a
way
forward.
In
markets
attractive.
A
cost
efficiency
could
arise
that
are static and where market shares of
from the fact that an established
company
companies
are
reasonably
steady,
it
can
may
already
be
very
experienced
and
be
difficult
for
a
company
to
break
into
have
achieved
efficiencies
which
another
the
market,
since its
presence
may
create
company
would
find
difficult
to
achieve
excess capacity.
(8)
quickly by
internal means.
(11)
In consumer goods
industries,
cost
The same arguments also apply` when an
efficiency
is
usually
the
reason
for
an
established
supplier
in
an
industry
acquisition.
Acquisition
can
also
be
acquires a competitor.
This may either be
driven
by
the
expectations
of
key
to gain
the competitor
’
s
market share or,
shareholders.
Share-holders
usually
in
some
cases,
to
shut
down
its
capacity
expect
to
see
continuing
growth,
and
in
order
to
restore
a
situation
where
acquisition may be a quick way to
deliver
supply and demand
are more balanced.
this
growth.
But
there
are
considerable
There may be financial motives
for
dangers
mat
an
acquisition
can
lower
acquisition. lf the share value
of a
share price rather than increase
it.
company
is
high,
the
motive
may
be
to
spot and acquire a firm
with a low share
(12)
This is more likely when the
value.
(9)
An
extreme
example
decision
to
acquire
is
speculative
as
is
asset stripping, where the main motive
opposed
to
strategic.
There
are
some
for
the
acquisition
is
short-term
gain
by
shareholders
who
favour
acquisition
buying up undervalued assets and
selling
simply to bring a short-
term boost to
them on bit by bit.
share value.
Example:
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
The necessary development and
organisational learning would be too slow.
B
In the same way, an
organisation can increase manufacturing
opportunities.
C
Indeed, this is one of the
major reasons for the more speculative
acquisitions that
take place.
D
It
may be that the parent company may not have
sufficient understanding of the
acquired business, and this could
remove value.
F
For
example,
a
company
may
be
taken
over
for
its
research
and
development
expertise.
G
If, however, the company enters by
acquisition, the risk of reaction from industry
rivals is reduced.
F
In
some
cases,
a
market
is
changing
so
fast
that
acquisition
becomes
the
only
way of successfully breaking into it.
PART THREE
Questions 13-18
?
Read the
article below about changing attitudes to
creativity in the workplace,
and the
questions on the opposite page.
?
For each
question (
13-18
), mark one
letter (
A, B, C
or
D
) on your Answer
Sheet.
CREATIVITY IN THE
WORKPLACE
Nowadays, many UK
companies
are
striving
to
be
more
creative.
But
according
to
a
recent
survey
of
senior
managers,
the
lack
of
a
can-do
mentality
amongst employees and an aversion
to
risk
is
hindering
British
business.
Many
think
there
is
too
much
focus
on
delivering
results
quickly,
which
leaves
insufficient time to think creatively.
Some
complain that a lack of coherent
vision on
creativity
prevents
their
organisation
from being more innovative.
Yet while senior managers may
regret the lack of creativity,
they must
take
much
of
the
blame
for
creating
the
situation.
Until
recently
successive
management
science,
‘
promoting
creativity
means
reevaluating
most
of
what
we
know
about
management.
It
means
organisations
must
be
prepared
to
invest
in
ideas
without
being
sure
of
the
return
on
that
Investment
.’
K
atrina
Murray
agrees
with
this view.
‘
Businesses are expert at
the measured
approach, which
involves analysis and
risk
avoidance.
But
there
is
another
approach, which involves intuition
and
not
always
looking
at
the
bottom
line.
What
is
hard
is
establishing
a
working
environment
in
which
both
these
approaches can function
simultaneously
.’
Nevertheless,
there
are
some
generations
of
management
ignored
innovative ideas from
employees.
Indeed,
new
ways
of
thinking
were
often
regarded
as
an
unwanted
distraction,
and
original
thinkers
received
little
support.
Despite
the
fact
that
many
organisations
are
now
taking
steps
to
re-
orient
the
business
culture
to
promote
creativity,
it
is
not
surprising,
given
this
background,
that
a
creative
environment
is
hard
to
establish.
Another related
issue is raised by
Katrina
Murray,
a
partner
in
a
management
consultancy:
‘
While many
senior
managers
still
complain
about
the
lack
of
support
for
creativity
in
their
organizations,
they
also
fail
to
appreciate
the
contribution
that
they
themselves
can
make.
In
some
companies,
there
is
a
perception
that
only
managers
at
board
level
can
influence
the
company cultur
e.’
Murray
feels
that
such
organisations
are
unlikely to change.
For her,
‘
creative
organisations
are
made
up
of
individuals
who
believe
they
can
dictate
their
own
future. Companies need to be able to
spot
these
individuals
and
gently
encourage
them to lead the
way
.’
It
is
also
necessary
for
senior
managers
to
re-
examine
their
role.
According
to
Alex
Sadowski,
an
American professor of area. Many the
pleasing
indicators
of
progress
in
this
of
senior
managers
interviewed
in
the
survey
say
their
organisations
have
adopted
a
number
of
strategies
to
encourage
individuals
to
channel
their
creativity.
Among
these
are
giving
open
and honest
feedback,
allowing
employees
the freedom to
measure their performance
against
more
flexible
goals,
and
higher
toleration
levels
of
failure.
Senior
managers
also
recognise
that
the
way
an
organisation is led and
managed is critical
to building a
creative environment and
that
they
themselves
have
an
important
role to play.
But
there
are
some
experts
who
believe an even more fundamental change
is
needed. Tom
Robertson,
a professor of
creative
education,
believes
that
the
lack
of
creativity
in
companies
is
a
problem
that
originated
in
schools
and
universities. The
solution, he says, lies in
more
enlightened
educational
policies.
‘
There
are
already
signs
of
this,
but
creativity
is
still
concentrated
in
certain
sectors,
such
as
pharmaceuticals,
advertising
and
the
media.
These
sectors
have always valued
creativityg but the
real challenge
will be
to shift some of
these
sec
tors’
p
ractices
into
more
traditional
manufacturing
and
service
companie
s.’
13
Many senior
managers feel that organisations have difficulties
innovating because
of
A
a poor level of skills among employees.
B
an emphasis on rapid
achievement.
C
an increased
risk associated with change.
D
an insistence on a standard company
philosophy.
14
According
to the writer, many organisations today are
A
finding it easier to
introduce a creative approach.
B
having problems
understanding innovation as a concept.
C
actively developing the
conditions for a creative approach.
D
resisting innovative staff suggestions.
15
In the third paragraph, Katrina Murray
expresses the view that
A
top management must dictate the pace of
change.
B
some employees
lack a commitment to change.
C
most organisations are incapable of
bringing about effective change.
D
some senior managers
underestimate the role they can play
in achieving
change.
16
Alex
Sadowski
and
Katrina
Murray
agree
that
to
be
truly
innovative,
o
rganisations must
A
invest in the right
managers.
B
place less
emphasis on financial considerations.
C
have a double focus to their policies.
D
adopt an approach with
clearly defined stages.
17
According to the
survey, which of the following strategies has been
introduced to
encourage creativity?
A
greater acceptance of
error
B
financial rewards
for higher levels of creativity
C
the introduction of specific
performance targets
D
the
promotion of creative individuals to senior posts
18
Tom Robertson believes
that, in the future, it will be difficult to
achieve
A
an educational
system that encourages creativity.
B
a combination of practices that promote
creativity.
C
the spread of
creativity to a range of businesses.
D
a greater respect for creativity in
pharmaceutical companies.
PART FOUR
Questions
19-33
?
Read the article below about doing
business online.
?
Choose the best word or phrase to fill
each gap from
A
,
B
,
C
or
D
on the
opposite page.
?
For each question
(
19-33
), mark one letter
(
A
,
B
,
C
or
D
) on your Answer
Sheet.
?
There is an example at the beginning
(
0
).
The
Secret of Success for Online Businesses
The secret of success in electronic
commerce
(0)
B
in placing a new emphasis
on
a
well
—
established
area.
That
area
is
customer
service,
which
is
now
the
only
point of
(19)
between a business and the buying
public.
There
are
a number
of factors
in a real
—
world
shop that
(20)
people
’
s
perceptions
of
a
business:
these
(21)
............
the
location
and
the
appearance
of
the
premises, the quality
and the pricing of the merchandise or
services, and the
behaviour of the
staff.
However,
if
a
company
is
trying
to
make
a
good
impression
with
online
customers,
most of these factors do not
(22)
a part.
In the
(23)
of these factors,
the way
customers are
(24)
when they have a reason to call
has a
fundamental
effect
on
a
company
’
s
ability
to
retain
them
as
customers.
Even
more
than regular telephone
or in
—
person customers,
web customers are impatient, easily
frustrated
and
always
conscious
that
they
have
other
places
where
they
can
(25)
their business.
Preventing them from doing that means
meeting them on their own
(26)
and
providing them with what
they want.
l
This necessity, in
(27)
, means that companies that sell over
the net must
get
back
—
end functions right.
Imposing
(28)
requirements on customers
will
not
work;
a
business
that
(29)
on
customers
emailing
for
assistance
instead of using the phone, for
example, will lose repeat custom.
If
the phone is used, it must be answered
(30)
, and
the staff should look for
ways of
helping even the most awkward customers
(31)
, as is
more usual,
trying to {ind some
(32)
to blame
the customer for any problem.
An
important,
final
point
is
that
it
is
vital
that
all
addresses,
web
links
and
phone
numbers work properly and efficiently.
This ought to
(33)
without saying.
Experience,
however, shows that it does not.
Example:
A
stays
B
lies
0
A
C
exists
B
C
D
D
stems
19
A
relationship
B
association
C
meeting
D
contact
D
fix
20
A
force
B
determine
C
decide
C
include
21
A
enclose
B
consist
B
run
D
contain
D
have
22
A
get
C
play
C
need
23
A
absence
B
lack
D
scarcity
24
A
cared
B
treated
C
dealt
D
considered
D
take
25
A
deliver
B
bring
C
move
C
terms
26
A
policies
B
standards
B
sequence
D
conditions
D
order
27
A
turn
C
line
C
deep
28
A
dense
B
rigid
B
insists
D
solid
D
instructs
29
A
demands
C
expects
C
promptly
30
A
punctually
B
precisely
D
presently
D
rather than
31
A
apart from
B
other than
C
except for
C
fault
32
A
case
B
excuse
D
purpose
D
come
33
A
do
B
make
C
go
PART FIVE
Questions
34-45
Examples:
0
0
C
W
O
I
R
T
R
H
E
C
T
?
Read the advice below about meetings
with clients.
?
ln
most
of
the
lines
(
34-45
),
there
is
one
extra
word.
lt
either
is
grammatically incorrect
or
does not fit in with the meaning ofthe text. Some
lines, however, are correct.
?
lf a line is
corre
c
t, 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.
?
The exercise
begins with two examples (
0
and
0
).
0
C O
R R
C T
0
W I
Client Meetings
0
Regular meetings with clients are
important to a healthy collaboration. They
0
may be set up by the
client, for example to review with the progress of
current
34
projects, to give new instructions that
may have lead to a contract variation
35
or to discuss any
concerns, The client meeting which can also be
arranged
36
by you or
another member of your company to attract from new
business, to
37
address a
problem unless that needs to be solved or to give
an update or status
38
report on current business ventures.
Your part is in these meetings will dictate
39
the kind of information
you need and how you should prepare for them. lf
you
40
will be responding to
questions put by your client, the material you
present
41
should deal in
specifically with the request that was made. The
meeting should not
42
only
move off the agenda without the permission of the
person you are meeting.
43
lf you have prepared properly, you
should be able to anticipate both questions and
44
to respond properly. If
you are put on the spot and asked for details you
do not
45
have, respond
honestly
—
do not speak
about matters as you are not familiar
with.
WRITING
45 minutes
PART
ONE
?
You are organising a meeting to discuss
possible cuts to your
department
’
s
budget.
?
Write an
email
to
all staff in your department:
?
giving them the
date of the meeting
?
explaining why
some cuts have t0 be made
?
saying why it
is important for all staff t0 attend.
?
Write
40-50
words.
T
o…
All staff
Cc
…
Subject:
Budget cuts-meeting
PART TWO
?
The
retail
company
you
work
for
is
considering
installing
a
TV
system
in
its
store to give customers information on
products and services while they shop. You
have seen an advertisement for a
company which provides this type of system.
?
Look
at
the
information
below,
on
which
you
have
already
made
some
handwritten notes.
?
Then,
using
all
your
handwritten
notes,
write
a
letter
to
Chris
Taylor
at
TVInfoSystems.
?
Write
120-140
words.
Ask for
more
details of this
How can in-store TV systems improve
your
company
’
s
sales?
Most buying decisions
are made while a
customer is in the
store. You can use in
—
st0re
TVs
to provide customers with
information of your
products and
services.
Give
details
of
our
retail company
·
complete TV
systems
·
any
number of screens
·
training
service provided
Urgent orders a speciality
Say
what
information
we
want
customers
to
see
For further details, contact Chris
Taylor at
TVInfoSystems
System
must
be
ready
in
one
month- say why
About
20
TV
screens needed
LISTENING
40 minutes
(including
10
minute
s’
transfer
time)
PART ONE
Questions
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 phoning a customer
about an order.
MESSAGE
To:
Bob Cole
From:
Alex Parker at Pilton Engineering
?
The delivery
date for our new
(1)
machines ha been delayed.
?
He asked if
we needed to apply the
(2)
in the contract on this
occasion.
?
He is now offering free
(3)
.
?
One
thing
not
clear
in
the
contract
–
who
is
responsible
for
(4)
during transit?
Conversation Two
(Questions 1-4)
?
Look at the
notes below.
?
You will hear a man leaving a message
for a colleague about another
c0mpany
’
s
press conference.
NOTES ON
WEBSTER
’
S PRESS
CONFERENCE
Webster intends
to:
?
increase
number of
(5)
next few years.
?
create position
of
(6)
Marketing Director.
?
centralise the system for
(7)
?
introduce
(8)
in
und
er
.
.
Conversation Three
(Questions 9-12)
?
Look at the
notes below.
?
You will hear a man telephoning a
colleague about a building he has seen.
Good points
?
Not
necessary to
(9)
it.
?
Lower
(10)
than many other buildings for rent.
?
It
’
s in the
suburbs, so the
(11)
is
lower.
But
…
?
Further from
HQ.
?
In
the
(12)
it may
not be spacious enough.
ENTERPRISE
BUSINESS COLLEGE
Notes about 15
lemmington Road
tax
,
PART
TWO
Questions 13-22
Section One
(Questions 13-17)
?
You will hear
five short recordings. Five speakers are talking
about the use
of' technology in
recruitment.
?
For each recording, decide what
recommendation the speaker makes
concerning technology in recruitment.
?
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.
13
A
Advertise posts
within the companyaswellas
outside.
14
B
Include
detailed information about vacancies.
C
Make sure your website is kept up to
date.
15
D
Allocate suitable staff to maintain the
website.
E
Re-design
your
non-web-based
recruitment
16
advertising.
F
Use a range of technologies for
contact with
17
applicants.
G
Ask
potential
applicants
the
most
important
questions first.
H
Maximise
the
opportunities
offered
by the
internet.
Section
Two
(Questions
18-22)
?
You will hear another five recordings.
Five speakers are talking about how to
deal with complaints about goods.
?
For each
recording, decide what action the speaker is
recommending.
?
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.
18
19
20
21
17
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
initiating an
investigation
giving money back
providing an identical replacement
offering an upgrade
arranging free servicing
organising free training
extending the warranty
offering a credit note
PART Three
Questions 23-30
?
You
will
hear
John
Sergeant,
a
retail
analyst,
being interviewed
about
a
chain
of clothing stores called Sangra.
?
For each
question (
23
—
30
), mark one letter (
A, B
or
C
) for the
correct answer.
?
After you have listened once, replay
the recording.
23
According to
John Sergeant, why is Sangre doing so badly?
A
It has fallen behind
changes in the market.
B
It
is employing unsuitable designers.
C
its stores are unattractive buildings.
24
In John
Sergeant
’
s opinion, Sangra
has failed to realise that
A
some competitors are selling identical
items more cheaply.
B
middle-market customers have more money
to spend.
C
its current
advertising campaign is unsuccessful.
25
John Sergeant blames
Sangra
’
s last Chief
Executive for not
A
following the advice of the Board.
B
planning who should
follow him.
C
choosing a
good time for expansion,
.26
What difficulty is Sangra having in
introducing the 'Iifestyle' idea?
A
Few of its stores are large enough.
B
The staff oppose the
change.
C
The costs are
too high.
27
John Sergeant
expects Sangra to solve its problems by
A
improving productivity.
B
closing a number of stores.
C
reducing its profit
margins.
28
Sawgras management are starting to
A
work more closely with
the suppliers.
B
do
market research on the customers.
C
encourage suggestions from the staff.
29
John Sergeant advises Sangre to
A
concentrate on its new
strategy.