[外语类试卷]BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷130及答案与解析.doc

1、BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷 130及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and at the five news bulletins on the opposite page.Which bulletin(A, B, C, D or E)does each statement(1-6)refer to?For each statement(1-6), mark one letter(A, B, C, D or E)on your Answer Sheet.You will need to use some of the le

2、tters more than once.There is an example at the beginning(0).Example:0 This company has suspended plans to work closely with another company. ATaler to cut UK workforceTaler Chemicals, the Anglo-German industrial chemical company, announced yesterday that it is to cut 600 blue-collar jobs in a serie

3、s of downsizing measures at three of its British plants. The news coincided with confirmation that the company also plans to dispose of its loss-making operations, CapPaints, the industrial solvent and paint division. This restructuring comes as the company reported a sharp drop in pre-tax profits.

4、According to a company spokesman, the proposed joint venture with DTR International, one of the Taler Chemicals main competitors, is likely to be shelved.BMerger creates Hungarian software powerhouseSilcom has finalised merger terms with ARER to create one of Hungarys largest computer software compa

5、nies. Details of the merger are expected to be released later today. However, it is believed that Silcoms plans to break into France and Germany have been put on hold for the time being and that major job losses will soon be announced. Silcom looks set to benefit from the merger with ARER, which has

6、 recently been awarded a number of major contracts, including a contract with the Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which will be worth in excess of $345,000 for the company.CProfits warning at LYT InternationalLYT International, one of Europes leading Management Training Organisations, has wa

7、rned shareholders to expect a fall in full year profits. The company, whose flagship training centre in Copenhagen is currently being modernised and refurbished, made an interim profit of $12m, compared with $23m in 1998. In response to its poor financial results, LYT has announced plans to cut jobs

8、 in its French and Spanish centres. An employee spokesman said that the move would prove unpopular and that with insufficient employees, some centres would struggle to deliver the high level of service demanded.DShake-up at BTEDNina Rantamen, former government adviser and the new CEO at BTED Power i

9、n Finland, has announced cost-cutting measures at the company. This decision has already led to the resignation of one of the companys most respected employees. Annika Ehlers had been with BTED Power for over 20 years, most recently as its Head of Operations. It is believed that she objected to comp

10、any plans to reduce staffing levels at two of BTED Powers plants. Indications are that further high level resignations will follow in the next few months.ERestructuring plans announced at San FreightSan Freight has responded to redundancy rumours by revealing that it is to cut the number of office-b

11、ased staff employed in its Scandinavian division by 25% over the next 24 months. The announcement follows confirmation that the company has also decided to postpone the planned upgrading of haulage systems at its Stockholm subsidiary. A senior staff member has revealed that San Freights business has

12、 deteriorated in recent months due to the escalating price war with central and eastern European rivals. 1 This company will be working with a government organisation. 2 This companys decision to restructure will result in staff shortages. 3 This company is to reduce the number of administrative pos

13、ts. 4 This company will sell off assets to offset poor financial results. 5 This company has made cuts which are unpopular with senior staff. 6 This company is in the process of upgrading some of its facilities. 7 This company has postponed its entry into new western European markets. 8 This company

14、 is suffering from the effects of increased competition. 二、 PART TWO 8 Read this text about New York Stock Exchange. 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

15、an example at the beginning(0). New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange(NYSE)is the largest stock market in the world and also the oldest financial market in the United States where billions of dollars worth of stock change hands each day. The exchange evolved from a meeting where 24 bro

16、kers and merchants signed the historic “Buttonwood Agreement“ to trade a handful of securities on what is now Wall Street in New York City in 1792.(0).G.The present name was adopted in 1863. Today, 2,800 companies trade their shares on the NYSE. These companies are all publicly traded.【 P1】 _ The NY

17、SE is owned by its members. A membership is traditionally called a seat. Membership, limited to 1,366 since 1953, is obtained by purchasing(since 1868)a seat from an existing member. Unlike some of the newer exchanges, the NYSE still uses a large trading floor in order to conduct its transactions.【

18、P2】 _ This is called the open outcry system and it usually produces fair market pricing. Only the highest quality companies can choose to list their securities on the NYSE. To be considered for an NYSE listing, companies must meet strict financial and regulatory criteria.【 P3】 _ And once they do, th

19、e NYSE plays a unique role in providing deep and liquid markets for the trading of those securities, benefiting all investors, large and small. Listed companies pay both initial listing fees and annual fees. When companies first list on the NYSE, the companys top officials are often invited to ring

20、the Opening Bell on the NYSE Trading Floor.【 P4】 _ In addition to having the highest overall listing standards of any securities marketplace in the world, the NYSE is among the worlds most well-recognised brand names.【 P5】 _ In the more than two centuries that have followed, the NYSE has continued t

21、o adapt and evolve into the worlds largest global equities marketplace.【 P6】 _Its mission is to add value to the capital-raising and asset-management process by providing the highest-quality and most cost-effective marketplace for the trading of financial instruments, to promote confidence in and un

22、derstanding of that process, and to serve as a forum for discussion of relevant national and international policy issues.Example: A Issuers that list with the NYSE benefit from association with this brand name while gaining access to the worlds largest, most liquid market for the trading of their se

23、curities.B Even meeting these requirements is not a guarantee that the NYSE will list the company.C That means any investor can buy their stock.D Many new exchanges have stopped using the trading floor to conduct their transactions.E It is here that the representatives of buyers and sellers, profess

24、ionals known as brokers, meet and shout out prices at one another in order to strike a deal.F The NYSE has remained unwavering in its commitment to customers and to building a truly global marketplace with great breadth of product and geographic reach.G It was formally constituted as the New York St

25、ock and Exchange Board in 1817.H Ringing the Bell, which signals the start and close of the trading day, is part of the NYSEs rich heritage and signifies the opportunities the financial markets provide. 9 【 P1】 10 【 P2】 11 【 P3】 12 【 P4】 13 【 P5】 14 【 P6】 三、 PART THREE 14 Read the following article

26、about forms of business ownership and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(15-20), mark one letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet. Forms of Business Ownership A business may have a small beginning as a sole proprietorship, later expand into a partnership, and finally become a cor

27、poration. Many corporate giants started as sole proprietoriships. Sole Proprietorships The oldest, most common form of private business ownership is the sole proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is a business owned and managed by one individual. That person may receive help from others in operating

28、 the business but is the only boss; the sole proprietor is the company. Typically the sole proprietor owns a small service or retail operation, such as a roadside produce stand, hardware store, bakery, or restaurant. The sole owner, often sided by one or two employees, operates a small shop that oft

29、en supplies goods to a group of regular customers. The capital(money)needed to start and operate the business is normally provided by the owner through personal wealth or borrowed money. The sole proprietor is usually an active manager, working in the ship every day. He or she controls the operation

30、s, supervises the employees, and makes the decisions. The managerial ability of the owner usually accounts for the success or failure of the business. Many people desire to be their own boss;. A sole proprietorship accomplishes this goal; it has other advantages as well. Sole proprietorship is the e

31、asiest way to start a business. The sole owner has all profits earned or losses by operation. Another advantage of the proprietorship is that the business pays no income tax. It is also easy to close a business. A sole proprietorship also has disadvantages, for example, unlimited liability, difficul

32、ty in raising capital, limitations in managerial ability, demands on time, difficulty in hiring and keeping high a-chievement employees, and etc. Partnerships There are three major types of partnerships. A general partnership is a business with at least one general partner who has unlimited liabilit

33、y for the debts of the business. A limited partnership has at least one or more limited partners. The joint venture is a special type of partnership established to carry out a special project or to operate for a specific time period. The advantages of a partnership include the following: more capita

34、l, combined managerial skills, ease of starting, tax advantages, and etc. The disadvantages of a partnership include the following: unlimited liability, disagreements among partners, investment withdrawal difficulty, limited capital and etc. Corporations Some industries, such as automobile manufactu

35、ring, computer manufacturing, oil refining, and natural gas production, require millions of dollars to operate a business. Typically such vast sums of money are put together by attracting many investors. The unincorporated forms of businessthe proprietorship and the partner-shipdo not attract invest

36、ors who do not want to make decisions or to be actually involved in managing the firm. The corporation, by contrast, provides a form of business ownership in which owners spread over a wide geographical area can hire professional managers to operate the business. It has the legal rights of an indivi

37、dual: it can own property, purchase goods and services, and sue other persons or corporations. The advantages of a corporation include the following: limited liability, skilled management team, transfer of ownership, greater capital base, and etc. the disadvantages of a corporation include the follo

38、wing: difficulty and expenses of starting, lack of control right to the operation, government involvement, lack of personal interest, double taxation, credit limitations. 15 Which of the following is not true about the sole proprietorship? （ A） It has more than one boss. （ B） It is usually a small s

39、ervice or retail operation. （ C） It is a business owned and managed by one person. （ D） It is a company. 16 The advantages of the sole proprietorship include the following except （ A） being their own boss, easy to close a business and demanding on time （ B） having all profits and losses, being their

40、 own boss and easy to start a business （ C） easy to start a business, easy to close a business （ D） paying no income tax 17 A limited partnership has （ A） only one general partner. （ B） only limited number of partners. （ C） at least one or more unlimited partners and is a subtype of partnership. （ D

41、） different subtypes, including a general partnership, a limited partnership and an unlimited partnership. 18 The advantages of a partnership include the following except （ A） unlimited liability, investment withdrawal difficulty, more capital. （ B） unlimited liability, tax advantages and combined m

42、anagerial skills. （ C） disagreements among partners, investment withdrawal difficulty and limited liability. （ D） unlimited liability, limited capital and disagreements among partners. 19 Which of the following disadvantages does a corporation have? （ A） It does not attract people who do not want to

43、 make decisions of their own or to be actually involved in managing the firm. （ B） Difficulty in raising capital, limitations in managerial ability and unlimited liability. （ C） Disagreements among partners, limited capital and limited liability. （ D） Lack of personal interest, high taxation and cre

44、dit limitations. 20 Some business such as oil refining and natural gas productions are operated by （ A） sole proprietorships. （ B） partnerships. （ C） corporations. （ D） none of the mentioned three. 四、 PART FOUR 20 Read the article below about mergers and acquisitions.Choose the correct word or words

45、 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) Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and managemen

46、t(0). D with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow【 C1】 _without having to create another business entity. In business or economics a merger is a【 C2】 _of two companies into one larger company. Such actions

47、are commonly【 C3】 _and involve stock swap or cash payment to the target. Stock swap is often used as it allows the shareholders of the two companies to【 C4】 _ the risk involved in the deal. A merger can resemble a takeover but result【 C5】 _a new company name and in new branding; in some cases,【 C6】

48、_the combination a “merger“ rather than an acquisition is done purely for political or marketing reasons. An acquisition, also known as a takeover or a buyout, is the buying of one company by another. An acquisition may be friendly or hostile. In the【 C7】 _ case, the companies cooperate in negotiati

49、ons; in the latter case, the takeover target is【 C8】 _to be bought or the targets board has no prior knowledge of the offer. Acquisition usually refers to a purchase of a smaller firm by a larger one. Sometimes,【 C9】 _, a smaller firm will acquire management control of a larger or longer established company and keep its name for the combined entity. The acquisition process is very complex, with many dimensions influencing its【 C10】_Example:A coping B connecting C concerning D dealing 21 【 C1】 （ A