剑桥商务英语中级分类模拟43及答案解析.doc

1、剑桥商务英语中级分类模拟 43 及答案解析(总分：100.05，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING(总题数：0，分数：0.00)Sheer Genius or a Waste of Time?Encourage your original thinkers and live with their strange habits, says Alan Worthin If one of your research staff announced that he had worked out a way to propel a vehicle on a cushion of air, woul

2、d you tell him to concentrate on something practical, or suggest taking it further? If a member of your development team asked if she could come in late because she had her best ideas at 3 am, would you insist that she is in the office at 9 am like everyone else? Current business wisdom is that comp

3、anies need creative, innovative people to beat competitors. The reality is that companies have always needed new ideas to survive and progress, but in the past they weren“t particularly good at encouraging the people who produced them. Original thinkers don“t always fit easily into the framework of

4、an organization. However, the advice from managing director, John Serrano is, “Get rid of the dull people and encourage the unusual ones“. Essentially, he believes that companies need to learn how to manage their original thinkers in order to ensure that the business profits from their contribution.

5、 He also says, “Original thinkers often find it difficult to drive change within the organization, so they resign, feeling angry and disappointed. It is essential to avoid this.“ “You can“t recognize original thinkers by the way they look,“ says lan Freeman. “An apparently ordinary exterior can conc

6、eal a very creative thinker.“ His consultancy, IBT Personnel, has devised a structured way to identify original thinkers. “We define employees as champions, free-wheelers, bystanders and weak links, and most original thinkers come into the category of free-wheelers. They may miss deadlines if they b

7、ecome involved in something more interesting. They are passionate and highly motivated but have little or no understanding of business directions and systems.“ Headhunter George Solomon also thinks original thinkers have their disadvantages. “They may have a bad influence within an organization, esp

8、ecially given the current management trend for working in teams. The original thinkers themselves may be unaware of any problem, but having them around can be disruptive to colleagues, who have to be allowed to point out when they are being, driven crazy by the original thinkers“ behaviour.“ Yet, in

9、 his opinion, the dream team“ in any creative organization consists of a balanced mixture of original thinkers and more practical, realistic people. So, having identified your original thinkers, how do you handle them? One well-known computer game company has a very inventive approach. “We encourage

10、 our game designers by creating an informal working environment,“ says director Lorna Marsh. “A company cannot punish risk-takers if it wants to encourage creativity. Management has to provide support, coaching and advice and take the risk that new ideas may not work. Our people have flexible workin

11、g hours and often make no clear distinction between their jobs and their home lives.“ Original thinkers may fit into the culture of 21st century organizations, but more traditional organizations may have to change their approach. Business psychologist Jean Row believes that the first step is to chec

12、k that original thinkers are worth the effort. “Are the benefits they bring worth the confusion they cause? If so, give them what they want, allow plenty of space, but set clear limits. Give them extremely demanding targets. If they fail to meet them, then the game is up. But if they succeed, your o

13、rganization stands only to gain.“（分数：18.00）(1).It is important for a company to encourage original thinkers because _.（分数：3.00）A.this allows it to promote innovative products.B.this enables it to stay ahead of its rivals.C.they are very flexible about their working hours.D.their talents are ideally

14、suited to the market.(2).John Serrano thinks that original thinkers should be _.（分数：3.00）A.helped to develop better people management skillsB.asked to manage change within the organizationC.supported so they can perform well for the companyD.encouraged to follow company procedures(3).What does lan F

15、reeman say about original thinkers?（分数：3.00）A.They are unenthusiastic and poorly motivated.B.Their work standards are impossibly high.C.Their abilities are hard to recognize.D.They lack awareness of commercial processes.(4).What problems can be observed when there are original thinkers in the workfo

16、rce?（分数：3.00）A.They may have a negative effect on other workers.B.They dislike the concept of teamwork.C.They rush tasks through to completion.D.They cannot work with less creative colleagues.(5).In what way is the game company“s approach to original thinkers special?（分数：3.00）A.It allows them to wor

17、k from home whenever they wish.B.It uses different forms of disciplinary action for them.C.It promotes a relaxed atmosphere in the workplace.D.It encourages them to reduce the risks that they take.(6).A traditional organization wishing to employ original thinkers needs to _.（分数：3.00）A.provide them w

18、ith projects they are interested inB.assess whether their contribution makes up for any problemsC.have a flexible approach if goals are not always achievedD.be prepared to handle any negative feedback from colleaguesGetting the Most out of MeetingsOne aspect of business life which many managers are

19、unhappy with is the need to attend meetings. Research indicates that managers will spend between a third and a half of their working lives in meetings. Although most managers would agree that it is hard to think of an alternative to meetings, as a means of considering information and making collecti

20、ve decisions, their length and frequency can cause problems with the workload of even the best-organized executives. Meetings work best if they take place only when necessary and not as a matter of routine. One example of this is the discussion of personal or career matters between members of staff

21、and their line and personnel managers. Another is during the early stages of a project when the team managing it needs to learn to understand and trust one another. Once it has been decided that a meeting is necessary, decisions need to be taken about who will attend and about the location and lengt

22、h of the meeting. People should only be invited to attend if they are directly involved in the matters under discussion and the agenda should be distributed well in advance. An agenda is vital because it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused and within the time limit allocated. This is also

23、the responsibility of the person chairing the meeting, who should encourage those who say little to speak and stop those who have a great deal to say from talking too much. At the end of a well organized meeting, people will feel that the meeting has been a success and be pleased they were invited.

24、They will know not only what decisions were made but also the reasons for these decisions. Unfortunately, at the end of a badly organized meeting those present will leave feeling that they have wasted their time and that nothing worthwhile has been achieved. Much thought has been given over the year

25、s to ways of keeping meetings short. One man who has no intention of spending half his working life in meetings is Roland Winterson, chief executive of a large manufacturing company. He believes that meetings should be short, sharp and infrequent. “I try to hold no more than two or three meetings a

26、week, attended by a maximum of three people for no longer than half an hour,“ he says. “They are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective, such as making a decision or planning a statement, and are based on careful preparation. I draw up the agenda for every meeting and circulate it in advanc

27、e; those amending are expected to study it carefully and should be prepared to both ask and answer questions. Managers are best employed carrying out tasks directly connected with their jobs not attending endless meetings. In business, time is money and spending it in needless meetings that don“t ac

28、hieve anything can be very costly. Executives should follow the example of lawyers and put a cost on each hour of their time and then decide whether attending a long meeting really is the best way to spend their time.“（分数：18.00）(1).What do most managers think about meetings?（分数：3.00）A.Meetings take

29、up most of their working life.B.Meetings allow them to monitor decision-making.C.Meetings prevent them from establishing a routine.D.Meetings are the only way they know of achieving certain objectives.(2).According to the writer, an example of a valuable meeting is one which _.（分数：3.00）A.allows coll

30、eagues to achieve a better working relationshipB.requires managers to discuss staffing needs with personnelC.selects a suitable group of people to work together as a teamD.encourages staff to present ideas on improvements in management(3).According to the writer, the agenda is important because it _

31、.（分数：3.00）A.is seen by everybody before the meetingB.helps to give direction to the discussionsC.contains items of interest to all those presentD.shows who should speak at each stage of the meeting(4).The writer says that people leaving a well organized meeting will understand _.（分数：3.00）A.the reaso

32、n for their invitation to attendB.how the decisions taken were relevant to themC.the importance of proposals under discussionD.why certain courses of action were agreed upon(5).What does Roland Winterson say about the meetings that he organizes?（分数：3.00）A.He aims to hold them on a regular basis.B.He

33、 ensures they have a definite purpose.C.He requires his managers to draw up the agenda.D.He uses them to make decisions about strategy.(6).What is Roland Winterson“s opinion about meetings?（分数：3.00）A.They can be a bad use of a manager“s time.B.Their importance is often underestimated.C.They frequent

34、ly result in wrong decisions.D.Their effectiveness could be improved with better planning.Morning, Noon and NightThe long-hours culture at workWorking an eight-hour day is a luxury for most professional people. Nowadays, the only way to guarantee an eight-hour working day is to have a kind of job wh

35、ere you clock on and off. Those professionals who have managed to limit their hours to what was, 20 years ago, averagely do not wish to identify themselves. “I can quite easily achieve my work within a normal day, but I don“t like to draw attention to it,“ says one sales manager. “People looked at m

36、e when I left at 5 o“clock. Now, I put paperwork in my bag. People assume I“m doing extra hours at home.“ But more typical is Mark, who works as an account manager. He says, “My contract says I work from 9 until 5 with extra hours as necessary. It sounds as if the extra hours are exceptional. In fac

37、t, my job would be enough not only for me, but also for someone else part- time. The idea of an eight-hour day makes me laugh!“ He says he has thought about going freelance but realizes that this doesn“t guarantee better working hours. Professor Cary Cooper, occupational psychologist at the Universi

38、ty of Manchester, is the author of the annual Quality of Working Life survey. The most recent survey found that 77% of managers in Britain work more than their contracted hours, and that this is having a damaging effect for their health, relationships and productivity. Professor Cooper is critical o

39、f the long-hour culture. He says that while bosses believe long hours lead to greater efficiency, there is no evidence support this. “In fact, the evidence shows that long hours make you ill.“ There are, he says, steps that can be taken. One is to accept that the in-tray will never be empty. “There

40、are always things to do. You just have to make the rule that on certain days you go home early. Prioritizing work and doing essential tasks first helps,“ he says. He also thinks it“s time to criticize bad employers and unreasonable terms of employment. By all means, show commitment where necessary b

41、ut when expectations are too high, people have to begin saying openly that they have a life outside of work. Personal development coach Mo Shapiro agrees that communication is important. Staff needs to talk to managers about the working practices within a company. Both parties should feel that the e

42、xpectations are realistic and allow them to have responsibilities and interests outside work. She recognizes, however, that in many organizations the response might well be, “If you want interests outside work, then find another job“. She believes that senior staff has a duty to set an example. “I r

43、ecently worked for a firm of solicitors where the partners started at 7:30 am. What kind of message is that to send to the staff?“ She believes there is no shame in working sensible hours in fact quite the reverse. “Some people might be in at 7:30 but will be doing very little. You can work really h

44、ard from 9 to 5 and achieve the same. If you find it difficult to achieve an eight-hour day, there is, as a last resort, the old trick of leaving your jacket on your chair and your computer switched on, even after you have left the building.（分数：18.00）(1).What does the writer say in the first paragra

45、ph about people who work an eight-hour day?（分数：3.00）A.They are reluctant to admit to this.B.They are disliked by their colleagues.C.They are limited to certain professions.D.They often catch up on work in the evenings.(2).What does Mark say about his work?（分数：3.00）A.His main concern is job security.

46、B.Too much of his time at work is wasted.C.The terms of his contract are misleading.D.He objects to being given other people“s work.(3).What does Cary Cooper say about recent trends in the workplace?（分数：3.00）A.He believes that a long working day is counter-productive.B.He has doubts about the result

47、s of the Quality of Working Life survey.C.He says that employers should accept the link between working hours and safety.D.He argues that further research is needed into the relationship between work and health.(4).How does Cary Cooper think people should deal with the requirements of the workplace?

48、（分数：3.00）A.Obtain help in negotiating terms of employment.B.Let people know when demands are unreasonable.C.Delegate the less important work to other staff.D.Accept that the modern workplace is a competitive place.(5).What does Mo Shapiro see as a problem for employees today?（分数：3.00）A.They lack the

49、 communication skills that modern business requires.B.Many employers would not regard requests for shorter hours favourably.C.Most employers do not want to be responsible for the professional development of staff.D.They have difficulties adapting to the rapid changes occurring in working practices.(6).What does Mo Shapiro think about present working hours?（分数：3.00）A.In many Companies senior staff need to work a long day.B.The best staff are efficient enough to finish their work within eight hours.C.There are too many staff deceiving employers about their hou