1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 117及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 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(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 An
2、swer Sheet. You will need to use some of these letters more than once. When a business decides to outsource its IT services, it needs to consider the question of integration. Four experts give their views. A Gianluca Tramcere, Silica Systems An outsourced IT service is never a fully independent enti
3、ty. It is tied to the home companys previous and continuing systems of working. But despite the added responsibility of managing new ways of working, many businesses ignore the integration process. They fail to establish contracts that define the ways in which the two companies will work alongside o
4、ne another, and focus solely on the technological aspects of service delivery. B Kevin Rayner, Domola Businesses need to build integration competency centres dedicated to managing the integration effort. It is critical to have an individual in charge to check that the external and internal business
5、operations work together. Although companies often think of outsourcing as a way of getting rid of people and assets, they need to remember that, at the same time, outsourcing involves gaining people. Because there is a new operation being carried out in a different way outside of the home business,
6、 this creates a training element. C Clayton Locke, Digital Solutions Communication is the key to success, and outsourcing to other regions or countries can lead to a range of problems. For any such initiative, it is necessary to create a team where there is good, open communication and a clear under
7、standing of objectives and incentives. Bringing people to the home location from the outsourced centre is necessary, since it can aid understanding of the complexities of the existing system. To integrate efficiently, outsourcing personnel have to talk to the home companys executives and users to un
8、derstand their experiences. D Kim Noon, J G Tech One 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
9、 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. 1 the need to teach skills to
10、employees working on the outsourced process 2 remembering the initial reason for setting up the outsourced project 3 the need to draw 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 importan
11、ce of making someone responsible for the integration process 6 staff on the outsourced project familiarising themselves with various details of the business 7 problems being associated with an alternative to outsourcing 二、 PART TWO 7 Read the article below about possible reasons for acquiring a comp
12、any. 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 a
13、re many circumstances in which a company may wish to take over another organisation through an acquisition. The need to keep up with a changing environment often dominates thinking about acquisitions. One compelling reason to develop by acquisition is the speed with which it allows the company to en
14、ter new product or market areas. (0)_G_ This is particularly true of e-commerce. The strength of competitors may influence a company to choose acquisition as a way forward. In markets that are static and where market shares of companies are reasonably steady, It can be difficult for a company to bre
15、ak into the market, since its presence may create excess capacity. (8)_ The same arguments also apply when an established supplier in an industry acquires a competitor. This may either be to gain the competitors market share or, in some cases, to shut down its capacity in order to restore a situatio
16、n where supply and demand are more balanced. There may be financial motives for acquisition. If the share value of a company is high, the motive may be to spot and acquire a firm with a low share value. (9) _An extreme example is asset stripping, where the main motive for the acquisition is short-te
17、rm gain by buying up undervalued assets and selling them on bit by bit. There may also be resource considerations. There may be a lack of resources or skills to compete successfully, so they must be acquired. (10)_It may also be that It has knowledge of a particular type of production system, busine
18、ss process or market need. In an international context, acquisition is often a means of gaining market knowledge. Sometimes there are reasons of cost efficiency which make acquisition look attractive. A cost efficiency could arise from the fact that an established company may already be very experie
19、nced and have achieved efficiencies which another company would find difficult to achieve quickly by internal means. (11)_ In consumer goods Industries, cost efficiency is usually the reason for an acquisition. Acquisition can also be driven by the expectations of key shareholders. Shareholders usua
20、lly expect to see continuing growth, and acquisition may be a quick way to deliver this growth. But there are considerable dangers that an acquisition can lower share price rather than increase It (12)_This is more likely when the decision to acquire is speculative as opposed to strategic. There are
21、 some shareholders who favour acquisition simply to bring a short-term boost to share value. 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
22、 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. E For example, a company may be taken over for its research and development expertise. F If, however, the company enters by acqu
23、isition, the risk of reaction from industry rivals is reduced. G In some cases, a market is changing so fast that acquisition becomes the only way of successfully breaking into it. 三、 PART THREE 12 Read the article below about the need for language training in the international marketplace and the q
24、uestions on the opposite page. For each question(13-18), mark one letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet. Speaking Your Customers Language Modern international trading practices are highlighting the growing importance of language training Modern-day business really does transcend national barriers
25、. Thanks to sophisticated IT and communications systems, businesses can now market their products on a truly global scale. The world is indisputably becoming a smaller place, as service and manufacturing companies search the international marketplace for new suppliers and clients. Businesses must, h
26、owever, be aware that once they expand the area in which they operate, they face increased competition. The standard and quality of their goods become increasingly important in keeping up with competitors. But most of all, it is the service element accompanying the goods which is crucial to a compan
27、ys success in a particular market. This new philosophy has led to many companies, some of which have even offered products of a lesser quality, gaining success overseas. Although globalisation may, in some senses, have brought national economies closer together, societies around the world still have
28、 radically different expectations, processes and standards. These are not a function of economic change, but are more deep-rooted and difficult to alter. They can be a major problem for businesses expanding abroad, with the greatest obstacle of all being the language barrier. If you have to deal wit
29、h clients, suppliers and distributors in a range of countries, you will not only need the skills to communicate with them, you will also need to reconcile any national biases you have with the diverse ways of doing business that exist around the globe. The value of effective communication is not to
30、be underestimated. New technology such as videoconferencing and email has played a part in making the communication process easier, and it may also be possible that the introduction of language interpretation software will help with some global communications problems. But, of course, it is the huma
31、n element of the communication process that is so vital in business, especially in negotiations, presentations and team-building. It is essential for managers to meet regularly with staff, customers and partners, so that issues can be discussed, messages communicated and feedback obtained. The value
32、 of well-organised language training is immense, and can bring benefits to all levels and departments within a multinational organisation. Unfortunately, however, many organisations have a very narrow view when it comes to training of any kind. Often, an urgent requirement has to be identified befor
33、e training is authorised. Then, a training company is employed or a programme is developed in-house, the team is trained, and that is seen as the end of the matter. However, the fact remains that training programmes are effective only if they are relevant to a companys broader, long-term needs. They
34、 should be regarded as an investment rather than a cost. Changes in expectations and attitudes are certain to continue for companies that trade globally. Although such companies are not yet faced with their international partners and clients demanding that business be conducted in their mother tongu
35、e, they realise that overseas competition is increasing fast. If these companies want to continue to achieve success on the international trading circuit, they must be prepared to adapt to situations and speak the local language. If not, someone else will. 13 According to the first paragraph, improv
36、ed communications have enabled companies to （ A） offer a wider variety of products and services. （ B） expand beyond their domestic markets. （ C） perform better than their international competitors. （ D） open more manufacturing facilities abroad. 14 Some companies have succeeded at an international l
37、evel even though they have （ A） produced inferior goods. （ B） failed to adapt products for local markets. （ C） ignored the standards set by their competitors. （ D） reduced the standard of the service they offer. 15 Approaches to doing business vary between countries because of （ A） local economic co
38、nsiderations. （ B） the existence of cultural differences. （ C） strong wishes to remain independent. （ D） regulations about business practices. 16 The writer thinks that the use of modern technology will （ A） speed up the process of language interpretation. （ B） never replace the need for face-to-fac
39、e interaction. （ C） help solve the problems involved in maintaining strong teams. （ D） not lead to greater communication between companies and clients. 17 A common weakness of training courses is that they （ A） are developed by the wrong team. （ B） do not give good value for money. （ C） are provided
40、 only if there is an immediate need. （ D） do not deal with a companys specific requirements. 18 Why should companies do business in the language of the countries they are operating in? （ A） to prevent other companies taking their business （ B） to help them find new international partners （ C） to mee
41、t clients current expectations （ D） to become more aware of their competitors activities 四、 PART FOUR 18 Read the article below about online exchanges, a type of internet business. 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
42、one letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet. There is an example at the beginning(0). Online exchanges? Online exchanges have emerged as some of the internets best businesses - but also as some of the worst So the internet hasnt revolutionised the(0)_A_ most of us buy petrol, or watch movies. But t
43、here is one thing the internet does very well. It can bring together(19)_ dispersed buyers and sellers to create active, efficient markets where none(20)_ before. This facility has(21)_ to the emergence of online exchanges: retail businesses with none of the usual traders risks - no merchandise, no
44、storefronts - and with nothing to do but take a(22)_of each transaction that takes place on the site. This may sound straightforward, but some high-profile online exchanges have (23)_ out to be major embarrassments. One company, which tried to establish a central marketplace on the internet for auto
45、 parts, has invested, in (24)_a massive $250m and is(25)_to stay in business. Another businessman, who facilitated online trading in business equipment and supplies,(26)_after he had lost $280m. So what does a company need in order to be successful? You could call it good market architecture - a str
46、ucture that(27)_the right business plan and top technology with good timing and the(28)_of both buyers and sellers. Mike Phams company, eStream, is an excellent example of one business that met these(29)_.Back in 1996, when Pham was looking for a loan, he didnt like filling in the same form every ti
47、me he(30)_to a new lender. That got him thinking. Why not(31)_prospective borrowers to complete a standard form and circulate that to a number of lenders, who would then make an offer to the borrower, in(32)_with each other? Phams company is doing well. Last year, eStream(33)_more than 1.5 million l
48、oans on behalf of 170 lenders. （ A） largely （ B） deeply （ C） mainly （ D） widely （ A） existed （ B） occurred （ C） happened （ D） developed （ A） led （ B） brought （ C） caused （ D） resulted （ A） number （ B） percentage （ C） division （ D） quantity （ A） pulled （ B） made （ C） turned （ D） carried （ A） sum （ B）
49、 total （ C） amount （ D） figure （ A） applying （ B） exerting （ C） struggling （ D） forcing （ A） left out （ B） gave up （ C） drew back （ D） ran down （ A） adds （ B） connects （ C） combines （ D） links （ A） confidence （ B） security （ C） certainty （ D） promise （ A） necessities （ B） propositions （ C） measures （ D） criteria （ A） requested （ B） asked （ C） applied （ D） demanded （ A） attract （ B） invite （ C） suggest （ D） recommend （ A） contrast （ B） conflict （ C） challenge （ D） comp
