1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 52及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and the information on an automobile insurance company case on the opposite page. Which section (A, B, C, or D) does each statement 1-7 refer to? For each statement 1-7, mark one letter (A, B, G, or D) on your Answer Sheet. You wi
2、ll need to use some of these letters more than once. A Lawyers for State Farm policyholders complaining about after-market parts had asked for more than $ 5.4 billion in damages in a class action. The suit accused the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. of breaching its contract with policyho
3、lders to restore their cars to their pre-accident conditions. The lawsuit combined the potential claims of $ 4.7 million current and former State Farm policyholders. Plaintiffs sought $1.4 billion on the breach of contract and about $ 4 billion on the other counts. B At issue before the jury was use
4、 of parts such as door panels, hoods and fenders that were modeled on original parts produced by or for automakers but made without use of original specifications. About 15 percent of all crash-repair parts used last year were after-market replacements, according to insurance and auto-body repair gr
5、oups. Critics claimed such parts failed to provide the same fit corrosion protection and, in some cases, safety as more expensive parts made for automakers. C State Farm said the use of the parts did not affect drivers safety and helped hold down premiums. During trial, State Farm lawyers said the u
6、se of after-market parts saved policyholders more than $ 233 million in premiums in 1998. Meanwhile, the companys spokesman said the company wouldnt immediately change its policy, but he added that was not to say it wouldnt review its policy at some time. D A decision on parts of the suit was still
7、pending while the jury has ordered State Farm to pay $ 456 million for allegedly cheating customers by ordering body shops to use substandard repair parts. Industry analysts and some consumer advocates have said a large verdict against State Farm could reduce the use of after-market parts in the aut
8、o-repair business and drive up the price of crash repairs. The verdict was also considered a great victory for policyholders and the body-shop industry as a whole plaintiff. 1 The decision against State Farm made by the jury would result in the reduction of imitation parts when making repairs. 2 The
9、 plaintiffs in State Farm case claimed damage award. 3 The use of after-market parts could bring benefit to policyholders according to State Farm. 4 After-market parts didnt accord with specified standard, which may make automakers in potential risk. 5 State Farm broke the promise that the policyhol
10、ders cars would be repaired and returned to their pre-crash condition. 6 The jury in the case was deciding whether State Farm willfully deceived. 7 State Farm will consider its repair policy and make some changes. 二、 PART TWO 7 Read the article below about the history of IBM. Choose the best sentenc
11、e 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. IBM was established in the state of New York on June 15, 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company. But its origins can be traced back to 1
12、890, when the United States was experiencing waves of immigration. The U.S. Census Bureau knew its traditional methods of counting would not be adequate for measuring the population, so it sponsored a contest to find a more efficient means of tabulating census data. The winner was Herman Hollerith,
13、whose Punch Card Tabulating Machine used an electric current to sense holes in punch cards and keep a running total of data. Capitalizing on his success, Hollerith formed the Tabulating Machine Co. in 1896. (8) The combined Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., or C-T-R, manufactured and sold machiner
14、y ranging from commercial scales and industrial time recorders to meat and cheese slicers and, of course, tabulators and punch cards. Thomas J. Watson joined the company as general manager in 1914, when the diversified businesses of C-T-R proved difficult to manage. Watson boosted company spirit wit
15、h employee sports teams, family outings and a company band. He preached a positive outlook, and his favorite slogan was “THANK“. (9) He understood that the success of the client translated into the success of his company, a belief that, years later, manifested itself in the popular saying, “Nobody w
16、as ever fired for buying from IBM.“ Within 11 months of joining C-T-R, Watson became its president. The company focused on providing large-scale, custom-built tabulating solutions for businesses, leaving the market for small office products to others. During Watsons first four years, revenues double
17、d to $ 2 million. He also expanded the companys operations to Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. (10) During the Great Depression of the 1930s, IBM managed to grow while the rest of the U.S. economy struggled. Watson took care of his employees. (11) While most businesses had shut down, Watso
18、n kept his workers busy producing new machines even while demand was slack. Thanks to the resulting large inventory of equipment, IBM was ready when the Social Security Act of 1935 brought the company a landmark government contract to maintain employment records for 26 million people. It was called
19、“the biggest accounting operation of all time, “ and it went so well that orders from other U.S. government departments quickly followed. IBMs size and success inspired numerous anti-trust actions. A 1952 suit by the Justice Department, settled four years later, forced IBM to sell its tabulating mac
20、hines-at the time, IBM offered them only through leases-in order to establish a competing, used-machine market. Another federal anti-trust suit dragged on for thirteen years until the Justice Department concluded it was “without merit“ and dropped it in 1982. (12) . A IBM was among the first corpora
21、tions to provide group life insurance, survivor benefits and paid vacations. B IBM is the most prominent casualty of the technology spending freeze, but others are suffering as well. C In 1911, Holleriths company was merged with two others, Computing Scale Co., of America and International Time Reco
22、rding Co D But its origins can be traced back to 1890, when the United States was experiencing waves of immigration. E IBMs competitors filed 20 anti-trusts during the 1970s and none succeeded. F In 1924, to reflect C-T-Rs growing worldwide presence, its name was changed to International Business Ma
23、chine Corp., or IBM. G Watson also stressed the importance of the customer, a lasting IBM principle. 三、 PART THREE 12 Read the article below about process management to quality improvement, and the questions on the opposite page. For each question 13-18, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answe
24、r Sheet for the answer you choose. PROCESS MANAGEMENT TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT The examples above illustrate the need for integrated process and quality management, based on well-structured procedures, sensibly applied. For an organization to function effectively, it must have visible and easily under
25、stood procedures that assist staff in carrying out their work and provide accountability for all operations. Providing such a system is not trivial, and it cannot be done without considerable thought and hard work. But the results will more than justify the effort. Modern management must deal with d
26、egrees of complexity unheard of only a few decades ago. They must integrate many systems-for example, for purchasing, personnel, accounting, stock control, and computing-when each of these systems is itself highly complex. At the same time, they must ensure that they comply with a baffling variety o
27、f legal, safety, and regulatory and other requirements relevant to their organization. While struggling with these issues, the manager is under irresistible pressure from global competition to reduce costs to the minimum. With such pressure, we are obliged to provide structure and organization, whic
28、h enable us to deal with such complexity. We group similar processes, collect similar information into records and classify the various activities that the organization must deal with. We organize staff and computer systems into units that deal with similar types of problems or situations. In all di
29、sciplines, the provision of structure of classification is dealt with through a systematic method recognized by the practitioners. In engineering, architecture, medicine and other practical professions, the practitioners learn the relevant methods and then apply them to solve problems. Process and q
30、uality management have the same need to approach the problems with a systematic method, which facilitates structuring of problems and produces practical solutions. One of the key criteria for a satisfactory method is that it should be applicable to a wide range of problems and concerns dealt with by
31、 the discipline. Once a method is in place, it provides a language and a framework for doing works therefore, it must have the scope to deal with all problems that may arise. In quality management, the range of problems centers on “conformance to requirements“. When this is interpreted most widely,
32、as in TQM, requirements are not just those of the direct customer, but also those in internal departments and the wider requirement of the law and of regulatory agencies. Seen this way, all procedures and operations carried out are deal with all such issues uniformly which will provide an efficient
33、and elegant solution to the problem of quality management. In process management, the problem centers on definition of the objectives of the organization, and the design of processes that support them. Since efficiency and effectiveness are always major objectives, the organization will also require
34、 that processes make efficient use of resources, including human and material resources and provide effective results, in terms of meeting the requirements of customers and other stakeholders in the organization. A systematic method must also provide support for these essential process attributes. F
35、inally, the method must support people as they carry out processes. It should enhance their working lives and help them to discover better and more interesting ways of doing their jobs. It should endow empowerment and an involvement in decision-making by everyone involved in the process. 13 Which of
36、 the following is not true? （ A） Integrated process and quality management is called for. （ B） Considerable thought and hard work are the premise of providing such a mentioned system. （ C） The procedures mentioned here can help employees fulfill their work. （ D） The effort made in providing such a s
37、ystem will be great while what we get will be little. 14 When modern management integrates many highly complex systems, they must make sure that _. （ A） these highly complex systems are in agreement with different requirements related to their organization （ B） they are different systems unheard of
38、a few decades ago （ C） the requirements are relevant to their organization （ D） do without understanding social and behavioral pressure 15 To provide structure and organization, managers should do all the following except _. （ A） group similar processes and collect similar information into records （
39、 B） provide a language and a framework for doing work （ C） arrange the various activities into different classes （ D） organize employees and computer systems into units 16 As the practitioners in all disciplines do, managers in process and quality management need _. （ A） make structuring of problems
40、 easier （ B） deal with the problems with a systematic method （ C） apply theories into practice （ D） learn how to produce practical solutions 17 What is satisfactory method in quality management then? （ A） It is a method which can deal with problems centering on “conformance to requirements“. （ B） It
41、 is a method which can approach the problem of direct customer requirements. （ C） It is a method which can cope with problems of efficiency and effectiveness. （ D） It is a method which can solve problems of meeting the requirements of law. 18 In process management, a good systematic method _. （ A） m
42、ust support the requirements of customers （ B） can help workers work faster but less efficiently （ C） should allow workers involved in the process to make decisions with management （ D） must deal with compliance issues 四、 PART FOUR 18 Read the article below about robots at work. Choose the best word
43、 or phrase to fill each gap from A, B, C, or D on the opposite page. For each question 19-33, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet. Robots at Work The newspaper production process has come a long way from the old days when the paper was written, edited, typeset and ultimately printed
44、 in one building with the journalists working on the upper floors and the printing (19) going on the ground floor. These days the editors, sub-editors and journalists who put the paper together are (20) to find themselves in a totally different building or maybe even in a different city. This is the
45、 (21) which now prevails in Sydney. The daily paper is complied at the editorial headquarters, known as the pre-press centre, in the heart of the city but printed far away in the suburbs at the printing centre. Her human beings are in the (22) as much of the work is done by automated machines contro
46、lled by computers. (23) the finished newspaper has been created for the next mornings edition, all the pages are (24) electronically from pre-press centre to the printing centre. The system of transmission is an update on the sophisticated page facsimile system already in use on many (25) newspapers
47、. An image-setter at the printing centre delivers the pages as films. Each page (26) less than one minute to produce, although for color pages four versions are used, one each for black, cyan, magenta and yellow. The pages are then processed into photographic negatives and the film is used to produc
48、e aluminum printing plates (27) for the presses. A procession of automated vehicles is busy at the new printing centre where the Sydney Morning Herald is printed each day. With (28) flashing and warning horns honking, the robots look for all the world like enthusiastic machines from a science-fictio
49、n movie, as they follow their random paths around the (29) busily getting on with their jobs. Automation of this kind is now (30) in all modern newspaper plants. The robots can (31) unauthorized personnel and alert (32) staff immediately if they find an intruder and not surprisingly, tall tales are already being told about the machines starting to take on (33) of their own. （ A） presses （ B） sessions （ C） plans （ D） schedules （ A） sorry （ B） likely （ C） forced （ D） expectant （ A） mood （ B） sample （ C） situatio
