1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 35及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and the text about four businessmen who were nominated for a business award on the opposite page. Which businessman (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 you
2、r Answer Sheet. You will need to use some of these letters more than once. A James King: Chief Executive of Fentons Finance King was nominated for the quality of his leadership, with the judges claiming that the Fentons Finance boss is almost revered by his team. He is credited with reinventing Fent
3、ons Finance - revitalising its culture of inflexibility, removing outdated pre-merger barriers and playing a brilliant tactical game. He led everyone to believe he was opposed to large mergers and then jumped on the Westcombe Bank opportunity at just the right moment. History will be the judge, but
4、for now the markets consider King to be a star. B Keith Nash: Chief Executive of Hamleys Supermarkets Nash took over as CEO when Hamleys systems and distribution were out of date and the brand badly needed freshening up. He began refocusing the brand at the higher quality end of the food market and
5、launched several own-brand initiatives for the health conscious. As a result, the share price has gone up nearly 80 per cent. This should be extremely satisfying for Nash, who had left the retailer in 1986, disappointed after failing to secure the top job. C Jorge Marquez: Chairman of the Kenwick Gr
6、oup Marquez was a popular choice for his achievements at Kenwick. The judges say he has been courageous in pushing through the appointment of controversial or inexperienced chief executives to companies within the group, and then sponsoring them as they transformed their businesses. He operates as a
7、 virtual chairman, without a permanent office in any one company. He phones his CEOs regularly, and several of them have acknowledged the vital contribution he makes to their effectiveness. Everyone is impressed at how he also finds the time to be chairman of two other large companies. D Richard Jen
8、kins: Finance Director of Centron Advertising Labouring in the shadow of a high-profile boss can sometimes draw attention away from the finance director, and the judges considered it was high time Jenkins got that attention. The CEO may be the public face of Centron, but Jenkins is the one who makes
9、 it run smoothly. Behind the scenes, he is constantly demonstrating that budgets and forecasts are what is needed to make a company successful, particularly now that the advertising market has been hit by recession. It is largely thanks to him that Centron is in much better shape than its rivals. 1
10、This businessman has successfully targeted a different group of consumers. 2 With careful forward planning, this businessman is helping the company survive a difficult period. 3 The company is now more open to change because of this businessmans way of thinking. 4 This businessman has made and imple
11、mented certain decisions despite opposition to them. 5 This businessman has achieved some success by misleading people about his intentions. 6 The abilities of this businessman were previously doubted by the company that employs him. 7 This businessman is admired for his ability to manage a number o
12、f business interests. 二、 PART TWO 7 Read the article below about the importance of human resource (HR) management. 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. Human re
13、source management It is nearly a century since the car manufacturer Henry Ford said, You can destroy my factories and offices, but give me my people and I will build the business right back up again. In the light of this statement, it is odd that people management has taken so many years to move up
14、the agenda. But a few business theorists are beginning to argue that managing people well can add more to the bottom line than anything else. Mike Manzotti, a leading American author in this area, has strong views about the growing importance of human resources in todays business world. (8) . A comp
15、any with high staff commitment, for example, has an asset that its rivals find hard to copy. Research in Britain would appear to support this notion. A recent business school survey into the performance of eight multinationals found that people management could be the most decisive factor in a compa
16、nys performance. Another study indicated the same thing in medium-sized manufacturing firms. (9) . After all, how can an organisation evaluate the commitment of its staff? For this reason, the researcher George Hessenberg argues that a scientific approach is needed. He feels that when HR professiona
17、ls suggest changing an organisations compensation structure or being more selective in recruiting, they are asking for things that require resources. (10) . Some new approaches are emerging that attempt to do just that, including the scheme devised by consultants Couze Jordan. The scheme, which cove
18、rs communication, recruitment, and use of resources, predicts that significant improvements in these areas achieve an increase in shareholder value of up to 30 per cent. Another programme, launched by James Lester, an independent human resources expert, approaches the problem from a perspective that
19、 is designed to appeal to a wide range of managers. (11) . Both, he argues, involve appropriate decisions being made about the allocation of resources within a particular budget. Lesters expertise enables him to carry out an organisational audit for his clients to identify which areas of HR are in m
20、ost need of improvement. This is because there is no point in businesses spending large amounts without knowing if the investment is worthwhile. (12) . Lesters advice, however, is for companies to think twice before hiring people, since it is vital they assess whether they are getting value for mone
21、y. A But the findings are inconclusive because of the difficulty of collecting reliable evidence. B He argues that the role of a skilled, motivated and flexible workforce has become more significant as traditional sources of competitive advantage diminish. C For example, a common mistake is to spend
22、 a fortune on recruitment to cover up for deficiencies in training. D However, most leading experts in the field believe that there is sufficient evidence to support this model of workplace dynamics. E He compares the positive use of human resources to effective fund management, as this is something
23、 that senior executives can relate to. F He believes, however, that the only way they will gain approval for these potentially expensive initiatives is to have some data that demonstrates positive financial benefits. G In the light of this statement, it is odd that people management has taken so man
24、y years to move up the agenda. 三、 PART THREE 12 Read the article below about suggestions for effective meetings and the following questions. For each question (13-18), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet, for the answer you choose. Suggestions for Effective Meetings Meetings are wind
25、ows on the soul of business: they reveal the quality of its management. Well-organized, well-conducted meetings bespeak an effective organization. Meetings afflicted with sloppy planning, flimsy agendas, and fuzzy expectations indicate a not-so-effective one. Here are some tips for tightening and en
26、ergizing your meetings: Prepare smartly. At Intel Corporation, those who call a meeting must first assess whether the meeting is necessary. Theyll e-mail ideas to a few people for comments and suggestions, draft an agenda, and then distribute it to a wider audience for revisions. The result is a one
27、-pager containing the meetings purpose and goals, subtopics with time frames for each, a list of attendees, and what each one should bring to the table. Its distributed in advance to attendees and to the appropriate business-unit chief, who might later check it for quality. Stand up and create. You
28、dont always have to meet in an airless conference room. Senior executives at Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta gather each morning in the hallway outside the presidents office for a ten minute “quality talk.“ Managers at Cabletron Systems have mastered the art of the stand-up meeting. No seats, just solutions
29、. The food teams at Whole Goods Market stores meet weekly to forecast the financials, but when theyre behind schedule, they might meet in the frozen-food aisle. Get creative; shake things up. Consider hosting your next brainstorming session outdoors. Make rules. Create roles and policies to stimulat
30、e discussion and keep it on track. A facilitator equipped with a watch or egg timer leads the discussion. A scribe takes notes on a dry-erase board. Intel also has a gatekeeper who makes sure everyone has a chance to speak. Of course, employees need to feel they can speak honestly without retributio
31、n. Springfield Manufacturing Corp has a no-griping policy to ensure that comments are positive and objective. At Foldraft Co. , managers dressed as referees call timeout when speakers at all-company meetings stray from the topic at hand. Follow up. At the close of Intels meetings, attendees are enco
32、uraged to mentally answer questions posted on conference room walls. Why was I here? What was my role? Was I well prepared? What was resolved? The process helps people clarify their thoughts so they can contribute to the meeting-minutes document, which is posted on internal Web pages within 24 hours
33、. This one-page summary lists key issues, decisions made, action items, expected results, firm deadlines, and the next meeting date. All these are for tracking purposes. According to the surveys by the Wharton Center for Applied Research, managers report that only 56% of their meetings are productiv
34、e, and that 25% would have been more effective as conference calls, memos, e-mails, or voicemails. Conclusion: the cost of misguided meetings is high. When meetings arent paying off, explore your options and make substitutions. Kris Burton of Total Restoration switched to a combination of broadcast
35、voicemail and follow-up memos when the cost-to-payoff ration for weekly meetings shot up. He explains. “The system is easier and much less costly.“ 13 What is the best paraphrase for “bespeak an effective organization“? （ A） Speak for an effective organization. （ B） Represent an effective organizati
36、on. （ C） Mean the organization is effective. （ D） Call for an effective organization. 14 At Intel Corporation, what should be done before a meeting is opened? （ A） An email should be sent to meeting attendees. （ B） An agenda should be drafted and changed by attendees. （ C） Each attendee should be pr
37、epared for one meeting topic. （ D） The meeting should be evaluated for its necessity. 15 The writer says meetings dont always have to be held in an airless conference room （ A） because there is not enough fresh air in conference rooms. （ B） because quality talk can be better carried out outside conf
38、erence rooms. （ C） because meetings can sometimes be more efficient when not held in conference rooms. （ D） because people sometimes need a change. 16 According to Paragraph 4, which of the following is not true? （ A） The facilitator who leads the discussion should have a watch. （ B） There should be
39、 a person who takes notes on a dry-erase board. （ C） Intel Corporation employs a gatekeeper who authorizes people chances to speak. （ D） At Foldraft Co., managers dressed as referees keep people stay on the meeting topic. 17 At the close of Intels meetings, attendees are encouraged to mentally answe
40、r questions posted on conference room walls. The purpose of this process is to （ A） help attendees write a document. （ B） help attendees add more to the meeting minutes and clarify the meeting purpose. （ C） help attendees clear their minds of doubts. （ D） help attendees make contributions to a docum
41、ent in meeting minutes. 18 When meetings are not paying off, they should be （ A） replaced by something else. （ B） canceled. （ C） displaced by voicemails. （ D） be assessed on the cost-to-payoff ration. 四、 PART FOUR 18 Read this letter about buying a computer. Choose the best word to fill each gap. Fo
42、r each question (19-33), mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet. One answer has been given as an example. 1stApril 20 Dear Mr. Jones, I am pleased to confirm our ability to meet your requirements for the HDC Graphics Workstation. Considering your special needs, I suggest that you place
43、 your order for the agreed equipment as soon as possible. The (19) time for hardware for example is 6 weeks from receipt of order to (20) . Thus, an order placed with us tomorrow will (21) delivery to your site by the week commencing Monday, May 15th. All orders must be accompanied by a (22) of 20%
44、of the total amount shown on the attached (23) . The (24) amount should be paid no later than one week following delivery. Please note that (25) charges have not been included, and a separate invoice covering these charges will be (26) at the time of delivery. As I (27) you on the phone, this partic
45、ular hardware runs the (28) version of EUCLID-IS, 2.2b. However, it is not expected that this software will be (29) in this country until next month. We have every (30) in the suitability of our hardware for such software. Moreover, you can be assured of our (31) to solve any minor difficulties thro
46、ugh our experienced customer service team. As I informed you, the equipment carries a one-year (32) . During this period, we undertake to send one of our staff to carry out repairs on site within a period of 12 hours. For your future (33) , however, we also operate an insurance scheme, covering the
47、equipment against breakdowns for a small additional cost. Sincerely Jackie Lee （ A） delivery （ B） arrival （ C） transport （ D） postage （ A） institution （ B） initiation （ C） introduction （ D） installation （ A） compel （ B） ensure （ C） promise （ D） maintain （ A） portion （ B） percentage （ C） deposit （ D）
48、 discount （ A） cheque （ B） invoice （ C） charge （ D） demand （ A） payable （ B） credited （ C） owing （ D） outstanding （ A） transportation （ B） transference （ C） transformation （ D） transmission （ A） written （ B） conveyed （ C） issued （ D） distributed （ A） affirmed （ B） confirmed （ C） certified （ D） assur
49、ed （ A） latter （ B） latest （ C） last （ D） late （ A） serviceable （ B） available （ C） workable （ D） presentable （ A） confidence （ B） certainty （ C） dependence （ D） conviction （ A） skill （ B） facility （ C） ability （ D） talent （ A） undertaking （ B） guarantee （ C） insurance （ D） obligation （ A） notice （ B） concern （ C） awareness （ D） reference 五、 PART FIVE 33 Read the article below about a training company. In most of the lines 34- 45, there is one extra word. It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text. Some
