-
BEC
真题
第四辑高级
Test 3
READING
1 hour
PART ONE
Questions 1-8
?
Look at the
statements below and the reports about five
different companies
on the opposite
page.
?
Which
company (A, B, C, D or E) does each statement
(1-8) refer to?
?
For each statement (1-8), mark one
letter (A, B, C, D or E) on your Answer
Sheet.
?
You will need to use some of these
letters more than once.
?
There is an
example at the beginning (0).
Example:
0
This company has outlets in new types
of location.
1 This company has expanded at a time
of high demand.
2 Good
results in one part of this company made up for
disappointing results in
another part.
3 lt is difficult to predict future
prospects furthe kind of products this company
sells.
4 Profits for this
company are likely to be different from those that
were earlier
predicted.
5
This company produced more goods than were needed
for certain markets.
6 This company has denied rumours about
its future plans.
7 A recovery in this company's
financial position is expected.
8 This company is likely to benefit
from charging more for its products.
Following the company's poor annual
results in November, the share price plunged and
has
since remained around 200p.
Analysts now believe that the company is seriously
undervalued
by the stock market. The
company's biggest problems were in Germany and
France last year
where supply
outstripped demand, leading to a ?
20
million loss for the year. However, the
company has recently appointed a new
chairman who has a
iirst
—
rate track record of
reviving
failing companies. lt is
believed that he will be successful in turning
round the company
’
s
fortunes.
B
Analysts are
impressed with the company's recent performance.
In the last six months, it has
managed
to increase prices by 3 per cent without adversely
affecting sales. In such a
low-margin,
high-sales sector, this ought to translate
directly into increased
company's
recent sale of its packaging division has
eliminated all its debts. Shares have risen in
the past month from 80p to l00p.
Despite these promising signs, it must be
remembered that the
company is trading
in an extremely volatile market.
C
For some weeks,
there has been widespread expectation that the
company will announce the sale
of its
troubled newspaper-and-magazine distribution arm.
Speculation came to an end when this
was firmly ruled out as a possibility
at the annual general meeting last week. Profits
from this
division were down from
?
l3 million to ?
8 million.
However, this drop was more than offset by an
improvement in the compa
ny’s
reta
il division, which has taken the
innovative step of opening
stores in
places such as hospitals and colleges. Profits in
this division rose from
D
The
company
has
had
steady
growth
prospects
since
it
opened
four
more
upmarket
hotels
and
several health and fitness clubs. This
move has come at a time when the market is
particularly
buoyant. There were
rumours that the company might become the subject
of a takeover bid by
one
ofthe
large
American
corporations.
However,
this
has
not
materialised,
and
it
now
seems
unlikely that any such
bids will be made in the immediate future. This is
expected to lead to
E
The
company
has
always
been
popular
with
shareholders
as,
for
the
past
ten
years,
it
has
consistently provided
them with above average returns. Profits for the
first half of the year were
up by 15
per cent. Development profits from some 30
projects around the country will provide a
balanced stream of earnings in the
second half of the year. Given this, and
the sale of a
loss-making division
in Bradford, pre-tax profit forecasts have been
increased to ?
2l million and
Questions 9-14
?
Read this text
taken from the results of a survey on employees'
priorities at
work in the UK.
?
Choose the best
sentence from the opposite page to fill each of
the gaps.
?
For each gap (9-14), mark one letter
(A-H) on your Answer Sheet.
?
Do not use any
letter more than once.
?
There is an
example at the beginning (0).
WHAT EMPLOYEES
SAY THEY WANT
Employees
say
one
thing
and
do
another,
a
recent
UK-based
report
claims.
(0)...
H
...
Addressing these problems is especially important
when there are skills
shortages,
and
companies
are
trying
hard
to
retain
the
workers
they
have.
According
to
the
report,
there
is
a
consistent
discrepancy
between
what
really
attracts staff and
keeps them, and what they say are priorities.
The report found that, although there
are differences in preferences, depending on
age, home country and gender, all age
groups say they rate the work/life balance
as an extremely important consideration
for staying with their particular company.
(9) ...... This is followed by
job security and financial
rewards.
However,
despite
their
proclamations
about
wanting
a
work/life
balance,
it
was
established that this does not have a
positive effect on retention for any subgroup.
Similarly, people profess to identify
more closely with a company which has a clear
strategy for success, but in fact that
does not result in improved retention either.
(10) ......
Another finding
was that it is the high-flyers in a company who
are most likely to
be ungrateful and
leave. This is despite the fact that they are more
likely to attract
fast-track
promotion,
career
development,
training
and
financial
rewards,
which
should be the glue to keep them
loyal. (11) ......
All
this
makes
life
difficult
for
managers.
(12) ......
This
is
because
they
have
to
spend as
much time
creating an employment brand that attracts the
best talent
as they do in creating a
consumer brand that builds customer loyalty.
That is all the more
impommt for major companies, who, increasingly
these days,
are
no
longer
viewed
as
the
employer
of
choice
by
top
graduates.
(13) ......
This
involves
both
corporate
attitudes
and
individual
encouragement.
At
corporate
level, there is a
need for a clear and convincing strategy for the
business, and an
innovative
environment
low
in
bureaucracy.
One
level
down
from
that,
there
should be tasks that interest and
challenge employees, and sharpen their skills. At
individual level, profit-related
bonuses go down well. (14) ......
Above
all, companies should remember that since the
requirements are different
for the
young, middle-aged and elderly, as well as for men
and women, the package
has to be
enticing to the right target age and gender.
Example:
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
A Top executives find that
they can no
longer delegate personnel
matters.
B That
is possibly because they are
most likely to find other jobs.
C What the report did
conclude though,
was that money,
especially
performance-related pay,
does
increase commitment, as do share
options and profit-sharing.
D In addition, companies need to
motivate key people with appropriate
recognition and by giving them what
they actually want, rather than just
relying on an attractive basic salary,
which can easily be matched by any
other employer.
E Moreover, when it comes
to choosing
a job, women
rate it even more highly
than men.
F As a result,
the report concludes that
focusing on
the top performers can be
counterproductive because it can
cause underdevelopment,
underutilisation and demotivation of
the rest of the workforce.
G The report reckons that
in order to
change this situation, a
two-stage
policy is required.
H This will come as no
surprise to
anyone involved with market
research,
but it is causing problems
for
employers trying to recruit staff.
PART THREE
Question 15-20
?
Read the following article
about James Linton, CEO of RoCom, and the
questions
on the opposite
page.
?
For each question (15-20), mark one
letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer
Sheet.
In the world of big
business, James Linton is precocious in the
extreme. Just two years into the job
of
reviving one of the most illustrious names in
retail finance, RoCom, he has found himself a key
player in one of the richest and
certainly most
audacious deals in the
industry: PTL's takeover of
RoCom.
PTL is paying ?
25 a share
for RoCom - approximately 40 per cent more than
the market value of
the shares - and
its offer document boasted that
‘
PTL attaches great
importance to key employees
having
appropriate,
performance-
related
remunerati
on’.
Initially
wary
about
the
takeover,
Linton
has now negotiated a
hands
—
off agreement
with PTL,
which
confirms its
intention to
leave him
very much to his own devices
to continue building the business. All this and he
will not turn 38 for
another fortnight!
Although Linton is credited with
turning RoCom around, this is more a matter of
work in progress
than actual
achievement. Yet he does seem to have instituted
the biggest top-level shake-up in its
near 70-year history, promoted some
big-hitters amongst key staff and transformed
RoCom
’
s way
of
doing
business.
Linton
has,
however,
warned
that
the
takeover
is
by
no
means
a
guarantee
of
future success; indeed,
deteriorating market conditions suggest that
the way forward will be anything but
smooth.
Linton recently ventured the
hypothesis that being
shareholder-owned
had,
in
recent
years,
helped
the
business
focus
and
argued
that
the
sector's
experience
of
rival
takeovers
was
not
encouraging.
Indeed,
the
recently
reported
performance
of
rival organisations
such
as Maften Limited
has not promoted
the
notion
that
big
corporations are
happy homes
for experienced staff and managers such as Linton.
It may have been his ideas about
independence that made Linton address
RoCom
’
s 900 staff on the
day
the
takeover
was
announced,
rather
than
doing
high
—
profile
media
interviews
on
what
was
immediately seen as a fantastic deal
for shareholders. He is acutely aware of the need
to nurture his
staff if the business is
to succeed, something which is not lost on them.
This is not a management
—
school
dictum.
It
is
a
genuine
belief
that
every
member
of
staff
has
contributed
to
the
firm
and
enabled it to net
?
l,9 billion from PTL. Other CEOs say
he is arrogant, but this probably reflects the
fact that Linton may find talking to
them difficult. He is also ferociously
intelligent, and, while in
others
this
could
appear
intimidating,
in
Linton,
it
awakes
further
admiration
amongst
loyal
employees. They clearly do not feel
they have to grovel in front of this mastermind,
and claim that
although he's incredibly
dedicated to his work, he has an affable manner.
Linton boasts that staff turnover rates
at RoCom have remained low for the industry, at
about l2 per
cent since he took over as
CEO two years ago. 'People have a real affection
for RoCom, and that
runs right through
the office here. They all want us to be number
one,' he says. He is aware
of
the
possibility
that
the
collegiate
ethos
he
has
worked
so
hard
to
create,
the
meritocracy
on
which
he
thinks
much
of
RoCon1's
success
depends,
could
be
destroyed
if
PTL is
too
heavy-handed. He will need all his
skills to keep RoCom on course, particularly when
attention
has
immediately
focused
on
the
possibility
that
Susan
Marshall,
its
respected
investment
chief,
might be the first casualty of the
takeover. Whatever the future holds for RoCom, we
are certain to
go on hearing a lot more
of James Linton.
15
What is
PTL doing, according to the second paragraph?
A allowing Linton to run RoCom in the
way he wishes to
B
purchasing almost half of the RoCom shares on
offer
C giving all RoCom
staff regular bonuses to promote
motivation
D drawing up new
employment contracts for RoCom
employees
16
What
do we learn about Linton's work at RoCom in the
third paragraph?
A He has achieved more
than anyone in RoCom's history.
B He
has widened the range of RoCom's business
activities.
C He has taken on a number
of new employees.
D He has made changes
to senior management.
17
What does Linton say about RoCom in the
fourth paragraph?
A The company is
likely to face difficult times.
B The
company has lost a number of experienced
staff.
C The company is
expecting to report encouraging results shortly.
D The company needs to change its focus
to remain competitive.
18
Which of the following is said about
Linton's management style?
A He
involves others in the decision-making process.
B His staff find him
approachable.
C He expects
his staff to work as hard as he does.
D
His style differs from that of other CEOs.
19
How does Linton feel
about the takeover, according to the sixth
paragraph?
A pleased that staff
turnover finally started to fall two years ago
B afraid that he will lose his job to
Susan Marshall
C worried
that the company culture might change
D happy that employees have been so
supportive of his work
20
Which of the following would be the
best title for the article?
A The
Linton way of getting the best from staff
B A thin line between success and
failure for James Linton
C
James Linton
—
a man who will
go far
D How a
good idea went wrong for James Linton
PART FOUR
Questions 21-30
?
Read the
extract below from a book about corporate
planning.
?
Choose the correct word to fill each
gap from A, B, C or D on the opposite
page.
?
For each question (21-30), mark one
letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer
Sheet.
?
There is an example at the beginning
(0).
W
HAT IS CORPRORATE
PLANNING?
Corporate
planning
may
be
(0) ............
as
the
careful
and
systematic
taking of strategic decisions. In contrast to a
short-term
plan
like
a
budget,
a
corporate
plan
is
concemed
with
taking
a
long-
term (21) ............ of future developments and
with designing a
strategy so that the
organisation can achieve its chosen objectives.
Many large companies now
recognise the importance of
(22)
............
a
formal
approach
to
developing
a
corporate
plan.
They prepare
‘
sce
narios
’
or
forecasts of future developments in
the
(23) ............ in which they wish to operate,
in order to examine
whether decisions
taken in the present will result in success in the
future.
In
recent
years,
companies
have
been
developing
more
sophisticated (24) ............ with
which to analyse the risks involved
in
such decisions.
(25)
............
,
for
example,
an
oil
company
deciding
if
it
should
invest
in
a
new
refinery.
Faced
with
this
decision,
involving
the
(26) ............ of
millions of pounds on something which might have
a life of I5 years or more, the company
must have a sound basis for
its
decision.
ln
this
case,
it
needs
to
know
whether
it
can
be
(27) ............ of a market for the
extra volume of its rehned products,
and it needs to know whether
they
can
be
produced
profitably.
ln
addition,
it
is
necessary
to
study the (28) ............ of crude
oil and other supplies needed in the
process.
Corporate
planning, therefore, involves three main
areas:
(29) ............
the
long-term
objectives
of
an organisation,
deciding
what market (30)
............ there may be and formulating a
product
policy to satisfy
theme.
Example:
沪江
BEC
：
/bec/
A
described
B accounted
C
indicated
D reported
0
A
B
C
D
21
A
sight
22
A
carrying
B
picture
B
practising
C
scene
C placing
D view
D
adopting
23
A
element
24
A
techniques
25
A
Refer
26
A outlay
27
A
assured
28
A
utility
29
A
guiding
30
A
chance
PART FIVE
B condition
B
ideas
B Consider
B output
B
insured
B
availability
B
leading
B
potential
C
environment
C
styles
C Think
C outset
C
confirmed
C
attainability
C
determining
C
room
D atmosphere
D ways
D
Suppose
D outcome
D ascertained
D
usability
D
concluding
D
scope
?
Read the newspaper article below about
entrepreneurs.
?
For each question (31-40), write one
word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer
Sheet.
?
There is an
example at the beginning (0).
Can anyone
be an
entrepreneur
?
Who wants (0) ........... be an
entrepreneur? just about
everybody
-
or
(31) ...........
it
seems
these
days.
The
values of
entrepreneurship are hailed everywhere,
(32) ............ the more enterprising
small shop owner to
the
boardrooms
of
multinationals.
Entrepreneurs
are
seen as the true'wealth creators' and
as the initiators of
change. They are
often creative and always self-driven,
and (33) ............ a result, they
and the companies they
head
possess
a
sense
of
vision
which
larger;
more
amorphous organizations often aim for
but hardly ever
how
do
you
become
one?
The
received
wisdom is that entrepreneurs with
talents (34) ...........
as these are a
breed apart. They are born, not formed
through education.
If
that's
(35)
............
case,then
is
there
any
point
in
going
to
business
school
to
learn
how
to
become
an
entrepreneur,
as
many
do?
There
are
trainers
who
think it's perfectly feasible. They
compare it to training
an opera singer
(36) ............ the sense that for singers,
natural
talent
is
essential,
but
then
trainers
instruct
and
develop
it.
The
(37)
............
goes
for
would-be
entrepreneurs. Trainers develop their
skills and impart
knowledge.
In
(38)
............
words,
so
the
argument
goes,
to
be
trained,
you
must
be
the
right
kind
of
person to
start is
such a person's essential
characteristic?
lt
is
the
ability
to
distinguish
between
acceptable
and
unacceptable
levels
of
risk
and
act
accordingly.
That
more
than
(39)
............
else
marks
entrepreneurs out from others (40)
............ preference
is
for
the
safer
option
of
a
salaried
and
structured
career.
PART
SIX
Questions 41-52
?
Read the
advertisement below about a service for small
businesses.
?
In most ofthe lines (41-52), there is
one extra word. lt either is
grammatically incorrect or does not fit
in with the sense of the text. Some lines,
however, are correct.
?
lf a line is
correct, write CORRECT on your Answer
Sheet.
?
lf there is an extra word inthe line,
write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS
on your Answer Sheet.
?
The exercise
begins with two examples (0 and 00).
HELP FOR SMALL
BUSINESS
0 It is never going
to be easy running a business, so it is good to
know that sound
00
financial
help
and
advice
are
close
at
your
hand
with
lV|axton
Bank.
With
a
customer
41 base of half a million, our
reputation has been built on years of experience
of
42 dealing with small businesses
like yours. We have a commitment to helping you
can
43 achieve your goals by offering a
special service for either old and new customers.
44 This sewice provides with expert
guidance and support, as our business
45 managers have extensive experience
in working with companies and too have
46 valuable local knowledge and
connections. All them have undergone specialist
47 training, and many have successfully
completed an externally accredited training
48 course. Their aim is to understand
you and your business as fully as possible, so
49 that they can supply you the best
possible assistance. This is all supported by a
50 pack of free material
which covering all aspects of running a business,
such as
51 understanding cashflow and
identify break-even point. ln addition, if you
have
52 any special requirements, our
business managers will put you in touch with the
most right people.
WRITING 1 hour 10 minutes
PART ONE
Question
1
?
The graph below shows passenger revenue
(in
?
m) and the percentage
of
trains arriving on time for a train
company, Cruiseline, for each quarter of a
two-
year period, 2005-2006.
?
Using
the
information
from
the
graph,
write
a
short
report
describing
the passenger revenue and the
percentage of trains arriving on time during
the two-year period,
?
Write 120-140
words.
PART TWO
Write an answer to one of the questions
2-4 in this part. Write your answer in
200-250 words.
Question 2
?
The
Managing
Director
of
the
company
you
work
for
has
decided
to
review
training
in
the
company.
You
have
been
asked
to
submit
a
report
about the training provided.
?
Write your
report for the Managing Director
?
summarising the
content of the current training
?
describing the
strengths ofthe training provided
?
explaining the
weaknesses ofthe training provided
?
suggesting how
the company's training could be
improved.
Question 3
?
Your company
employs an office cleaning service to clean its
offices every
evening. Your company is
dissatisfied with the service, and you have been
asked
to write a letter to the office
cleaning service.
?
Write your letter to the office
cleaning service
?
explaining why
you are writing
?
describing ways in which the cleaning
service is unsatisfactory
?
saying what
effect this has on clients visiting the
office
?
outlining what action you intend to
take if the service does not improve.
Question 4
?
Your organisation has recently had some
bad publicity, and the Chief
Executive
has asked you to propose ways to improve the
organisation's public
image.
?
Write a
proposal for your Chief Executive, including the
following information
?
what the bad
publicity was
?
what problems it presents for your
organization
?
ideas for improving the organisations
image
?
any possible disadvantages of these
ideas.
LISTENING
Approximately 40 minutes (including10
minutes'
transfer time)
PART ONE
Questions 1-12
?
You will hear
an adviser giving a talk to a group of purchasing
managers
about how to make good use of
visits to trade fairs.
?
As you listen, for questions 1-12,
complete the notes using up to three words
or a number.
?
After you have listened once, replay
the recording.
VISITING TRADE
FAIRS
Betore
booking:
1
Try to
obtain the ........................., which is
free;
2
Study the
........................................
carefully.
3
Use
the .................................... to help
you Gnd suitable accommodation.
4
From the lntormation Pack.
retain visitor names and the
........................... .
5
Remember to pack a
........................................ .
6
Take plenty of
.............................................. .
7
Take several
of your
............................................ .
8
On arrival at
the tain Hrst visit the
........................................ .
9
Use the
'.....................................' to help
you choose appropriate stands to
visit.
10 Stands belonging to smaller
companies often display
................................. .
11 Ask about
.................................... ,which are
not always advertised.
12 Don't wait longer than
.................................... to be
contacted after a trade
fair.
PART TN0
Questions 13-22
?
You will hear five different people
talking about a project they carried out
at
work, and
their experience while carrying it out.
?
For
each
extract,
there
are
two
tasks.
For
Task
One,
choose
the
purpose
of
the
project from the list A-H. For Task Two, choose
the person's experience from
the list
A-H.
?
After you
have listened once, replay the
recording.
Task One -
Purpose of project
?
For
questions
13-17,
match
the
extracts
with
the
purpose
of
the
project,
listed
A-H.
?
For each extract choose the purpose of
the project that the person carried
out.
?
Write one letter (A-H) next to the
number of the extract.
13
................................. A to make
changes to the Marketing Department
14 .................................
B to propose changes in managers'
responsibilities
15
................................. C to
implement a programme of redundancies
16 .................................
D to automate the production process
17 .................................
E to introduce a staff development
system
F to improve the
company's distribution system
G to attract other domestic market
segments
H to expand the
company's geographical coverage
Task Two
—
Experience of project
?
For questions
18-22, match the extracts with the experience,
listed A-H.
?
For each extract, choose the experience
that the person had while doing
the
project.
?
Write
one letter (A-H) next to the number of the
extract.
18
................................. A I felt that
other employees didn't co-operate with
me.
19
................................. B The
documents l wanted didn't exist.
20 .................................
C My terms of reference were unclear.
21 .................................
D The timescale was inadequate.
22 .................................
E The project was not adequately
funded.
F Managers
underestimated the difficulties of the
project.
G My colleagues
objected to my being given the
project.
H I wanted to broaden the focus of the
project.
PART THREE
Questions 23-30
?
You
will hear a discussion between two managers, Kathy
and Duncan, who
work in the
Human Resources department of a
company.
?
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 Duncan
thinks that a new employee is needed to
A
assist
in
marketing
activities.
B deal with customer enquiries.
C implement database changes.
24 Kathy suggests that the new employee
will have to
A work for several
departments.
B undergo further
training.
C delegate various
duties.
25 Kathy criticises
the way in which
A vacancies are
advertised.
B interviews are conducted.
C job specifications are
changed.
26 Duncan thinks
many of the company's staff are dissatisfied with
their
A salaries.
B workloads.
C holidays.
27 In which area does Duncan believe
proposals for change will be accepted?
A IT
B
finance
C production
28
Kathy says she is concerned about the
A
make-up of teams.
B meeting
of deadlines.
C lack of information.
29 What does
Duncan want to be introduced?
A an in-
company newsletter