1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 79及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and the article about pricing on the opposite page. Which section (A, B, C or D) does each statement (1-7) refer to? You will need to use some of these letters more than once. Getting the price right A Chief executives need to pay
2、 more attention to pricing, according to Roberto Lippi of the Apex Group, a consultancy that offers advice on pricing strategy. He accepts that low inflation figures in many industrialised countries makes raising prices tough, but argues that this should not necessarily deter companies. He gives the
3、 example of the airlines, which, with their minimum stay requirements and massive premiums for flexibility, led the way in sorting customers into categories, based on their willingness to pay. The key to pricing is to avoid alienating customers. As Lippi points out, once a bad price has been establi
4、shed, it can be very difficult to turn the situation around. He gives the example of a consumer goods company that went bankrupt largely because it did not price its digital cameras properly. In contrast, he cites the case of a Swiss drug company that introduced software for every sales representati
5、ves laptop, enabling them to provide consistent and accurate price quotes. To help staff with this innovation, the company also created a new post of director of pricing strategy. C Many of todays managers have the benefit of modern technology to help them with pricing. Supermarket chains, for examp
6、le, can easily track customers elasticity-how their buying habits change in response to a price rise or a discount. But although a company can now measure this sort of thing in a more sophisticated way, following basic rules is still the most common way of setting prices. Most bosses still worry mor
7、e about their costs than the prices they charge; one recent survey found that they spend as little as 2% of their time on pricing. D One popular approach to pricing is illustrated by the car companies that charge extra for product add-ons such as electric windows, instead of offering them as part of
8、 the standard price. Although many customers are prepared to pay extra, Lippi recommends that companies make sure that price differences reflect real differences in the product, either in quality or in the extra service on offer. The worst approach is to try to keep the pricing structure secret from
9、 customers. Nowadays, that is more likely to lead to lost contracts than large profits. 1 the failure of a company to set its prices appropriately 2 a context that makes it difficult to increase prices 3 the consequences of companies trying to conceal their approach to pricing 4 the means by which a
10、 company ensured precision in the prices it offered 5 the fact that companies can learn about the effects of a price reduction 6 the first sector to price products according to how much customers were prepared to spend 7 the widespread use of rough guidelines to determine prices 二、 PART TWO 7 Read t
11、he article below about marketing partnerships. 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. When two brands are better than one Elena Alvarez takes a look at the effect
12、iveness of marketing partnerships In the corporate world, rivalry is more common than co-operation. But increasingly, companies have been setting aside their differences; the new idea is that two brand names are better than one. Sharing databases, strategies and communication systems can be the most
13、 effective means of attracting customers. This partnership will give it access to the utility companys database of thousands of corporate clients, who will be offered special deals on all its products. The philosophy behind such joint ventures is simple. In economically challenging times, marketing
14、partnerships provide a cost-effective method of increasing brand awareness and sales. As one expert in the field puts it, Clever marketing partnerships allow brands to target the right people, cutting down the above-the-line spend. (8) It is better to simplify the process and give them one focal poi
15、nt. Recent research has indicated that marketing partnerships can be up to 27 per cent more productive than single company campaigns. (9) In particular, it is ideal for bringing instant branding to companies that lack immediate consumer appeal. One well-established UK phone manufacturer, ITB, was qu
16、ick to realise this, and formed an alliance with Talk, a leading womens magazine. The phone company has benefited from the strong branding of the magazine, which has its customer base among professional women in their early 20s. (10) This combined approach also offered ITB a quick route into image e
17、nhancement, and this is true of many other marketing partnership deals. To give another illustration, it is no coincidence that some well-known cartoon characters are currently enhancing the image of Nasco household cleaning products. (11) And, of course, this strategy should also guarantee that con
18、sumers children insist on these products rather than rival brands. However, while association with a powerful brand can give a significant boost to sales, being connected to a devalued brand can have a negative result. The problems of one brand inevitably impact on the other in a partnership. (12) A
19、 company may take years to recover from this sort of bad publicity. Indeed, there are numerous examples of disastrous marketing alliances. In such cases, not enough thought has been given to the partnership and the reasons behind it, and it has brought little value to either the customer or the comp
20、anies involved. A. In such circumstances, the effects are frequently major and can be long-lasting. B. Some experts therefore predict that this style of marketing will take up an increasingly large proportion of many companies total marketing budgets. C. Successful marketing partnerships can consequ
21、ently bring a financial advantage even to small and struggling companies such as these. D. In return, its partner enjoys a broader distribution platform from which to promote its brand. E. With only a finite number of consumers in any target market, there is no need to overwhelm prospects with compe
22、ting messages from different organisations. F. These are fairly standard items, but clearly the company hopes to transform them by broadening the associations consumers have with the brand. G. For example, Profit Plus, a large UK financial services company, has recently joined forces with a leading
23、supplier of electricity. 三、 PART THREE 12 Read the article below about a technology company and the questions on the opposite page. Critical Path When David Hayden realised his company was heading for trouble, he took drastic measures to get it back on track David Hayden founded his company, Critica
24、l Path, an email provider, in 1997 to take advantage of the boom in email traffic. Critical Path became a public company two years later, and Hayden took the opportunity to step down from his executive position in order to work on personal projects. At the same time, he agreed to stay with the compa
25、ny as Chairman, but the business was put in the hands of new managers by its investors. With sector-leading products and an expanding market, the company seemed to be on the up and up. However, by early 2001, it was in trouble. Shares that had been worth $26 in 1999, when they were first sold, were
26、down to a mere 24 cents. Called in by a panicking board, Hayden found himself back in charge as Executive Chairman, trying desperately to rescue what he could. The 1,100 staff had lost confidence in the company and did not know what was going to happen to them. And, as Hayden discovered, the managem
27、ent team was incompetent. Those guys didnt understand the product or the sector, says Hayden. The heads of department didnt communicate and they didnt lead. But what was worse, Critical Path had lost the goodwill of its investors. Hayden knew that bringing the figures under control would be a vital
28、step in the companys turnaround. Youve got to sort out the finances. For me, that meant getting back the goodwill of the investors. That was tough, after what had happened. But although they were angry with the company, they didnt have bad feelings about me. I told them that I knew I could get the c
29、ompany on its feet again. He was authorised to make whatever changes were required, and his first act was to find people within the company he could trust and put them in charge. The next thing Hayden had to tackle was morale. Everyone left the office at five on the dot-they couldnt get away quickly
30、 enough. To get the buzz back and win the staff over, I had to prove my own commitment and put in the extra hours with them. In return, it was assumed that nobody would ask for overtime pay until the company was on its feet again. Contrary to normal practice, Hayden was reluctant to lay people off,
31、and apart from not replacing people as they reached retirement age, he left the workforce largely unchanged, although he did identify key people throughout the company who were given more responsibility. But, as Hayden insists, before a company reaches such a crisis, there are warning signs that any
32、 financial director or accountant should take note of. A business that has an unrealistic pricing policy or has to negotiate extended credit with its suppliers is in trouble, is his message. Or if you often have to apply for your overdraft limit to be raised or have trouble paying tax on time, somet
33、hing needs to be done. By 2003, the company was healthy again, with reasonably stable finances and a modest but steady share price of $1.60. One thing that helped save us was that our technology worked, says Hayden. With 20 million email accounts, we never lost a single major client because the prod
34、uct kept on working. With ideas for a fresh venture demanding his attention elsewhere, Hayden has moved on. It was time to go, he says. Im not a turnaround specialist. I prefer start-ups. 13 What event coincided with Critical Path becoming a public company? （ A） Hayden became the Executive Director
35、of Critical Path. （ B） Investors hired a replacement team to run Critical Path. （ C） Critical Path launched a successful new product on the market. （ D） Critical Path was floated on the Stock Exchange at 24 cents per share. 14 Which of the following situations did Hayden face at Critical Path in 200
36、1? （ A） The employees were worried about job security. （ B） The investors were calling for changes to the company structure. （ C） The management was misleading the staff about the companys position. （ D） The board of directors did not realise the scale of the companys problems. 15 One reason Hayden
37、was able to turn Critical Path around was that （ A） he managed to find new investors. （ B） the financial situation was not as bad as he had thought. （ C） he had built up a good relationship with the management team. （ D） he was given the support that he needed. 16 What was Haydens policy regarding t
38、he staff of Critical Path? （ A） He paid overtime to everybody who worked outside office hours. （ B） He reduced the workforce by operating an early retirement scheme. （ C） He gave key staff the opportunity to help him set goals for the company. （ D） He restored motivation by showing willingness to wo
39、rk alongside staff. 17 According to Hayden, what could indicate that a business is in trouble? （ A） problems keeping accounts up to date （ B） suppliers refusing to offer new credit terms （ C） a frequent need to increase the amount borrowed （ D） difficulties in getting payment from customers on time
40、18 Hayden left Critical Path after he had rescued the company because （ A） he wanted to develop the technology for a new internet service. （ B） he wanted to concentrate on founding a new enterprise. （ C） he had been offered a job with a major internet company. （ D） he decided to go into partnership
41、with a major client. 四、 PART FOUR 18 The Principles of Selling The principles of selling are useful for all people, whether they work in business, in not-for-profit organisations, or at home. Influencing people is an important aspect of all interpersonal relationships. Thus, hermits may be the only
42、people in our society who do not need to (19) the principles of selling. Four-year-old children soon (20) the most effective way to sell their parents on a trip to the circus. As college students, they use more (21) techniques to convince their parents that they need a car at school. As young gradua
43、tes, they are confronted with more important sales, job-selling themselves to an employer. To do this effectively, they will (22) the same essential steps used in marketing a sale. They (23) potential employers. They analyse the needs of the potential employer and the (24) points in their background
44、. Then they develop a presentation to demonstrate how their capabilities are (25) with the employers needs. During the interviews, they answer questions and provide additional information. This is selling at a personal level. An increasing number of people are studying selling (26) they do not plan
45、on selling as a (27) They recognise that almost everyone in business uses certain principles of selling in everyday work. (28) executives are eager to sell themselves to associates, superiors, and (29) .The accountant uses selling to present a research budget for (30) .The industrial relations or pe
46、rsonnel executive uses sales techniques to handle negotiations with a union. People in non-business situations also practice the art of selling. (31) encourage people to come at services. Political candidates ask (32) votes. People who are skilled at influencing the (33) of others are usually the le
47、aders in our society. （ A） adopt （ B） apply （ C） employ （ D） neglect （ A） discover （ B） learn （ C） memorise （ D） study （ A） deceptive （ B） polite （ C） careful （ D） refined （ A） go through （ B） come up with （ C） go against （ D） go after （ A） identify （ B） distinguish （ C） recognise （ D） designate （ A
48、） interesting （ B） strong （ C） influential （ D） weak （ A） harmonious （ B） standardised （ C） compatible （ D） familiar （ A） unless （ B） when （ C） if （ D） even though （ A） career （ B） position （ C） profession （ D） work （ A） Lazy （ B） Aspiring （ C） Humorous （ D） Honest （ A） coordinators （ B） authorities
49、 （ C） customers （ D） subordinates （ A） approval （ B） argue （ C） consultation （ D） reference （ A） Businessmen （ B） Candidates （ C） Ministers （ D） Financiers （ A） to （ B） in （ C） at （ D） for （ A） actions （ B） custom （ C） hobbies （ D） performance 五、 PART FIVE 33 Read the article below about time management and money. In most of the lines (34-45) there is one extra word. It either is grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text. Some lines, however, are correct. If a line is correct, write CORRECT on your An
