1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 78及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the sentences below and the following introduction about the types of ownership. Which type of ownership does each sentence 1 7 refer to? For each sentence 1 7, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. You will need to use some of the lett
2、ers more than once. A Partnerships On the whole, this is not a popular form of business organization, but it is often used by people in the professions, like doctors, dentists or lawyers, to expand their business. Greater efficiency is possible because people in this sort of association can spend th
3、eir time doing what they are best at. If one person is sick, then the remaining partner(s)can carry on the work. The main disadvantage is that even with this form of ownership, the amount of money available to the business may be limited. If people quarrel or disagree over decision-making there can
4、be problems and serious delays. B Public( Plc) Companies These are the largest businesses in the private sector. There is no limit to the number of people holding shares in it and many of the larger companies have their shares listed on the stock exchange. The advantage of big businesses like this i
5、s that they find it easier to raise money as banks consider them a good risk . There are strict laws governing the setting-up of this kind of business and each year the company has to publish its accounts. The larger such businesses grow, the more difficult it is to control them. Workers in such bus
6、inesses may feel that management doesnt understand their problems. C Private (Ltd) Companies Such businesses are not allowed to sell shares to the public. They must consist of at least two members, but there is no upper limit to the numbers who own the company. The larger size makes it possible for
7、such companies to borrow more money from the banks or from issuing additional shares to its members. The advantage is that such a business is able to offer its members limited liability(responsibility)for debts and losses. Many companies of this type exist in England, Europe and the U. S. D Sole Pro
8、prietorships Sole proprietorships, the most common business form, consist of one person doing business with no legal charter. While they offer the owner great freedom and are easy to form, they also present grave financial risks. General partnerships are merely proprietorships with multiple owers. 1
9、 There is no limit to the number of people holding shares in it. 2 The company can list on the stock exchange and the share can be sold to the public. 3 The company usually is organized by doctor and lawyer. 4 The shares of the company are not allowed to be sold to the public 5 The company has to pu
10、blish its accounts each year. 6 The members of the company bear limited liability for debts and losses. 7 In this form, people can spend their time in doing what they are best at. 二、 PART TWO 7 Read the article about supermarket. Choose the best sentence to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 8 12,
11、mark one letter (A G) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once. There is an example at the beginning. Supermarket Supermarket is E that has a moderately broad product assortment spanning groceries and some nonfood lines, that ordinarily emphasizes price in either an offensive or de
12、fensive way. As a method, supermarket retailing features several related product lines, a high degree of self-service, largely centralized checkout, and competitive prices. The supermarket approach to retailing is used to sell various kinds of merchandise, 8. The term supermarket usually refers to a
13、n institution in the grocery retailing field. Most supermarkets emphasize price. Some use price offensively by featuring low prices in order to attract customers. Other supermarkets use price more defensively by relying on leader pricing to avoid a price disadvantage. Since supermarkets typically ha
14、ve very thin gross margins, they need high levels of inventory turnover to achieve satisfactory returns on invested capital. Supermarkets originated in the early 1930s. They were established by independents9. Supermarkets were an immediate success, and the innovation was soon adopted by chain stores
15、. In recent decades supermarkets have added various nonfood lines to provide customers with one-stop shopping convenience and to improve overall gross margins. Today stores using the supermarket method of retailing are dominant in grocery retailing. However, different names are used to distinguish t
16、hese institutions10. A superstore is a larger version of the supermarket. It offers more grocery and nonfood items11Many supermarket chains are emphasizing superstores in their new construction. Combination stores are usually even larger than superstore. They, too, offer more groceries and nonfoods
17、than a supermarket but also most product lines found in a large drugstore. Some combination stores are joint ventures between supermarkets and drug chains such as Kroger and Savon. For many years the supermarket has been under attack from numerous competitors. For example, a grocery shopper can choo
18、se among not only many brands of supermarkets but also various types of institutions (warehouse stores, gourmet shops, meat and fish markets, and convenience stores). Supermarkets have reacted to competitive pressures12: Some cut costs and stressed low prices by offering more private brands and gene
19、ric products and few customer services. Others expanded their store size and assortments by adding more nonfood lines(especially products found in drugstores), groceries attuned to a particular market ar-ea(foods that appeal to a specific ethnic group, for example) , and various service departments
20、(including video rentals, restaurants, del icatessens, financial institutions, and pharmacies). A including building materials, office products, and, of course, groceries B attracting more customers with their low prices C primarily in either of two ways D to compete with grocery chains E a type of
21、retailing institution F by size and assortment G than a conventional supermarket does 三、 PART THREE 12 Read the article about managing a small business and the questions below. For each question 13 18, mark one letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet, for the answer you choose. The Hardships of Ope
22、rating A Small Business the organisational weaknesses that entrepreneurs have to cope with every day would cause the managers of a mature company to panic, Bill Wilson wrote recently in Times. This seems to suggest that the leaders of entrepreneurial or small businesses must be unlike other managers
23、, or the problems faced by such leaders must be the subject of a specialised body of wisdom, or possibly both. Unfortunately, neither is true. Not much worth reading about managing the entrepreneurial or small business has been written, and the leaders of such businesses are made of flesh and blood,
24、 like the rest of us. Furthermore, little has been done to address the aspects of entrepreneurial or small businesses that are so difficult to deal with and so different from the challenges faced by management in big business. In part this is because those involved in gathering expertise about busin
25、ess and in selling advice to businesses have historically been more interested in the needs of big business. In part, in the UK at least, it is also because small businesses have always preferred to adapt to changing circumstances. The organisational problems of entrepreneurial or small businesses a
26、re thus forced upon the individuals who lead them. Even more so than for bigger businesses, the old saying is true that people, particularly those who make the important decisions, are a businesss most important asset. The research that does exist shows that neither money nor the ability to access m
27、ore of it is the major factor determining growth. The main reason an entrepreneurial business stops growing is the lack of management and leadership resource available to the business when it matters. Give an entrepreneur an experienced, skilled team and he or she will find the funds every time. Get
28、ting the team, though, is the difficult bit. Part of the problem for entrepreneurs is the speed of change that affects their businesses. They have to cope with continuous change yet have always been suspicious about the latestmanagement solution . They regard the many offerings from business schools
29、 as out of date even before they leave the planning board and have little faith in the recommendations of consultants when they arrive in the hands of young, inexperienced graduates. But such impatience withmanagement solutionsdoes not mean that problems can be left to solve themselves. However, the
30、 leaders of growing businesses are still left with the problem of who to turn to for advice. The answer is horribly simple: leaders of small businesses can ask each other. The collective knowledge of a group of leaders can prove enormously helpful in solving the specific problems of individuals. One
31、 leaders problems have certainly been solved already by someone else. These is an organisation called ZERO which enables those responsible for small businesses to meet. Its members, all of whom are chief executives, go through a demanding selection process, and then join a small group of other chief
32、 executives. They come from a range of business sectors and each offers a different corporate history. Each group is led by amoderator , an independently selected businessman or woman who has been specially trained to head the group. Each member takes it in turn to host a meeting at his or her busin
33、ess premises and, most important of all, group discussions are kept strictly confidential. This spurs a free sharing of problems and increases the possibility of solutions being unveiled. 13 According to the second paragraph, what has led to a lack of support for entrepreneurs? （ A） Entrepreneurs ha
34、ve always preferred to act independently. （ B） The requirements of big businesses have always taken priority. （ C） It is difficult to find solutions to the problems faced by entrepreneurs. （ D） Entrepreneurs are reluctant to provide information about their businesses. 14 What does the writer say abo
35、ut entrepreneurs in the first paragraph? （ A） It is wrong to assume that they are different from other managers. （ B） The problems they have to cope with are specific to small businesses. （ C） They find it difficult to attract staff with sufficient expertise. （ D） They could learn from the organisat
36、ional skills of managers in large companies. 15 What does the writer say is an additional problem for entrepreneurs in the fourth paragraph? （ A） They rely on management systems that are out of date. （ B） They will not adopt measures that provide long-term solutions. （ C） They have little confidence
37、 in the business advice that is available. （ D） They do not take market changes into account when drawing up business plans. 16 What does the writer say about the expansion of small businesses? （ A） Many small businesses do not produce enough profits to finance growth. （ B） Many employees in small b
38、usinesses have problems working as part of a team. （ C） Being able to recruit the right people is the most important factor affecting growth. （ D） Leaders of small businesses lack the experience to make their companies a success. 17 The writer says that ZERO groups are likely to succeed because_. （
39、A） members are able to elect their leader. （ B） the leaders have received extensive training. （ C） members are encouraged to adopt a critical approach. （ D） information is not passed on to non-members. 18 What does the writer say the members of the ZERO organisation provide? （ A） Advice on how to se
40、lect suitable staff. （ B） A means of contacting potential clients. （ C） A simple checklist for analysing problems. （ D） Direct experience of a number of industries. 四、 PART FOUR 18 Read the article below about Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Choose the best word to fill each gap, from A, B, C
41、 or D. For each question 19 33, make one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. There is an example at the beginning. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Before 1993, and particularlyexample the period 1929 -33, bank failures were not uncommon. (19)a bank overextended itself in creating credi
42、t or if several of its important loans could not be repaid, depositors in the bank would frequently become panicky(惊慌的 )and (20) to make large withdrawals. (21) the bank had only a small number of its deposits backed by currency, the bank would soon be unable to meet withdrawals , and most depositor
43、s (22)their money. Most frequently a bank merely needed time to improve its cash position by calling in some of its loans and not making additional ones. In 1933, the number of bank failures (23)a peak, forcing the federal government to intervene and (24) the banks temporarily ( 暂时地 ). To help resto
44、re the publics confidence in banks and strengthen the banking community, Congress passed legislation setting (25)the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. (26)corporation, an agency of the federal government, now insures over 90 percent of all mutual (互相的 ) savings and commercial bank deposits for
45、(27)$ 100, 000 per deposit. The FDIC has (28)its insurance fund by charging member institutions one-twelfth of 1 percent of their total deposits. As a result of the protection (29) by the FDIC and t hrough other kinds of supervision (监管 )， bank failures have been reduced to a few isolated instances.
46、 When deposits are federally insured, people (30) rush to withdraw their money if they (31)the financial condition of their bank. The delay gives the banks the necessary time to adjust their cash credit balance, and this action helps to reduce the (32)of bankruptcy( 破产 ). For an example of the value
47、 of the FDIC, note that the failure in 1974 of the huge Franklin National Bank did not (33)a panic, and that d epositors lost no money as Franklin was taken over by another bank. （ A） Although （ B） Even if （ C） If （ D） Because （ A） have begun （ B） begin （ C） can begin （ D） will begin （ A） Because （
48、B） Because of （ C） As a result （ D） Considering （ A） lost （ B） had lost （ C） will lost （ D） would lose （ A） fell from （ B） reached （ C） climbed up （ D） arrived （ A） closed （ B） closing （ C） close （ D） has closed （ A） in （ B） about （ C） up （ D） to （ A） For the （ B） This （ C） As a （ D） A （ A） up to （
49、B） as much （ C） as many as （ D） equal （ A） built up （ B） build up （ C） built （ D） build （ A） provided （ B） providing （ C） provided with （ D） provided by （ A） no （ B） any more （ C） no longer （ D） not （ A） become concerned about （ B） become concerned with （ C） become concerned in （ D） concern （ A） likely （ B） possibility （ C） possibly （ D） opportunity （ A） touch up （ B） touch down （ C） touch off （ D） touch on 五、 PART FIVE 33 Read the text below about supermarket checkouts. In most of the lines 41 52 there is one extra word. It is either
