1、BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷 111及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 A. Wal-Mart cuts sales forecast Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. cut its August sales forecast Monday, saying it expects sales at stores open at least a year to be flat to up 2 percent, citing weak back-to-school trends and hurricanes that forced it to close up to 75 s
2、tores. Wal-Mart had been forecasting that sales at stores open at least a year, known as same-store sales, would rise 2 to 4 percent for the month. Wal-Mart stock fell about 2 percent in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. B. El Paso sees $ 2. 7B drop in assets El Paso Corp. on Monday di
3、sclosed the full damage from its drastic cut in reserves earlier this year, saying a long-awaited restatement will slash the value of its oil and gas assets by $ 2.7 billion. The Houston company, the largest U.S. natural gas pipeline operator, also said it expects to cut its debt by 9 percent from i
4、ts current level to under $17 billion by year-end. El Paso, which earlier this year cut its proven natural gas reserves by 41 percent and said it would restate earnings back to 1999, had about $ 2. 7 billion in cash and credit revolvers as of July 31. C. FedEx shares rise on outlook FedEx Corp. rais
5、ed its earnings forecast for the fiscal first quarter and frill year Monday, citing strong demand for its international express, ground and less-than-truckload services. Shares of FedEx rose as much as 3:7 percent in the first half of Mondays New York Stock Exchange trading. Chief Financial Officer
6、Alan Graf said risks existed, such as prolonged high oil prices, that could hurt the world economy, but the company expects its business to remain strong. D. IBM sees 30% gain in Web hosting International Business Machines Corp. widened its lead last year in the U. S. market for Internet hosting ser
7、vices as it won a greater share of the medium-sized business market, according to data recently published by market research firm IDC. The Armonk, N. Y. - based company has identified Web hosting as a key to boosting overall revenue growth. As the hardware business that had been its mainstay has mat
8、ured over the past several years, IBM has focused on services. According to the most recent report from IDC, published in late July, IBMs Web hosting market share in the United States rose to 24.8 percent in 2003 from 23.5 percent in 2002 and just 15 percent in 2000. E. Viagra abuse may boost HIV ri
9、sk San Francisco has petitioned federal regulators to warn that use of anti-impotence drugs such as Viagra could increase the risk of sexually transmitted disease and HIV, officials said on Monday. The request to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month is a response to the recreational u
10、se of Viagra among gay men, who use it to enhance promiscuous sex. “The predominant problem that we see in San Francisco is with widespread use among gay men with multiple partners,“ said Jeffrey Klausner, director of sexually transmitted disease prevention at the citys health department. 1 The comp
11、any has decreased its expectation of turnover. 2 The company has further developed the medium-sized business market. 3 The company has seen the rise of its stocks. 4 The company focuses its business on natural gas. 5 The company has a positive attitude towards its future. 6 The company has witnessed
12、 some stores were shut down. 7 The company has depreciated. 8 The company has raised its market share over the past few years. 二、 PART TWO 8 Read this text from an article about job references. Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps. For each gap 9-14, mark one lett
13、er (A-H) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once. There is an example at the beginning, (0). REFERENCES CANNOT ALWAYS BE TRUSTED BY POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS Dull, but reliable, will make a good parent - so said a head teachers reference which I was once sent for a school-leaver. (0) H
14、Most references are unreliable, although recruiters usually ask for them. Few ask for character references today, as these have proved useless. (9) However, these cannot always be trusted. A few may be biased. (10) This can also occur if there has been friction between boss and subordinate over pers
15、onal or business matters. On the other hand, there can also be positive bias. An employer who wants to get rid of someone may fail to mention any relevant failings or even give a glowing report to help the individual go quickly. (11) But if they do, the law in Britain says they owe a duty of care to
16、 both the employer to whom it is supplied and to the individual to whom it refers. Most written references are unreliable because they are not specific enough. So how do you, and a potential employer, ensure that any reference given on your behalf is genuinely helpful? (12) Employers normally expect
17、 two: one, your immediate superior in your current or most recent job; the other, your boss in the post before, so long as it was in the last five years or so. For a senior post, more may be required. For their part, no prospective employer should approach your current employer until you have an off
18、er subject to references and you have given permission. (13) Once you get the offer, and before giving permission to make contact, tell your boss and explain that the prospective employer will be asking for a reference. Do this face-to-face and during the meeting describe the job for which you have
19、applied. If you can provide a job description or the relevant job advertisements, even better. (14) Even if your referee does express some doubts about your fitness for the post, dont worry, employers often prefer to back their own judgement. A. It would also be wrong for anyone to contact your penu
20、ltimate firm before then because word may reach your current employer on the grapevine. B. In fact, employers do not have to give references at all. C. These might include your bosss immediate senior and someone at the same level as your boss who is familiar with your work. D. Your boss can then mat
21、ch the reference needs to the needs of the job. E. What they seek are references from previous employers. F. Some managers think it an act of disloyalty if an employee applies for a job elsewhere and will give poor references or only weak praise. G. Firstly, as an employee, make sure you choose the
22、right referees. H. It amused me at the time, but said more about the referee than the candidate. 三、 PART THREE 14 Read the following extract from an article about some job problems, and the questions followed. For each question 15 20, mark one letter(A, B, C, or D)on your Answer Sheet for the answer
23、 you choose. Last years economy should have won the Oscar for best picture. The macroeconomic situation was good, but the microeconomic numbers were not. Yes, 3 million new jobs were there, but not enough of them were permanent, good jobs paying enough to support a family. Yes, unemployment went dow
24、n, but over 1 million workers were so discouraged they left the labor force. More than 6 million who wanted full-time work were only partially employed; and another large group was either overqualified or sheltered behind the euphemism of self-employment. White-collar workers found out they were no
25、longer immune. For the first time, they were let go in numbers virtually equal to those for blue-collar workers. Many resorted to temporary work with lower pay, fewer benefits and less status. Then there is a matter of remuneration. Whatever happened to wage gains four years into a recovery? The Lab
26、our Department recently reported that real wages fell 2.3 percent in the 12-month period ending this March. Since 1973, wages adjusted for inflation have declined by about a quarter for high school dropouts, by a sixth for high school graduates and by about 7 percent for those with some college educ
27、ation. What is going on here? In previous business cycles, companies with rising productivity raised wages to keep labor. Is the historical link between productivity improvements and income growth severed? Of all the reasons given for the wage squeeze-international competition, technology, deregulat
28、ion, the decline of unions and defense cuts- technology is probably the most critical. It has favored the educated and skilled. The earning squeeze on middle-class and working-class and the scarcity of “good, high-paying“ jobs will be the big political issue of the 1990s. Americans have so far respo
29、nded to their falling fortunes by working harder. Two-worker families rose by more than 20 percent in the 1980s. Seven million workers hold at least two jobs, the highest proportion in half a century. America is simply not growing fast enough to tighten the labor market and push up real wages. The d
30、anger of the information age is that while in the short run it may be cheaper to replace workers with technology, in the long run it is potentially self-destructive because there will not be enough purchasing power to grow economy. To avoid this dismal prospect, we must get on the virtuous cycle of
31、higher growth and avoid the vicious cycle of retrenchment. Otherwise, an angry, disillusioned and frustrated population whose rage today is focused on big government, excess taxes, immigration, welfare and affirmative action- may someday be brought together by its sense of diminished hopes. Then we
32、will all be in for a very difficult time. 15 The prosperous picture of present economy situation indicates that_. （ A） the economy is developing fast and in a good cycle （ B） there is some serious problem behind the scene （ C） real wages are wonderful （ D） the governments policy is correct and worki
33、ng 16 How many people were partially employed last year? （ A） Over 2 million. （ B） 3 million. （ C） Over 6 million. （ D） 8 million. 17 Which of the following statements is NOT true? （ A） American economical growth was quite satisfying last year. （ B） Companies with rising productivity would raise wag
34、es to retain their labours. （ C） White-collar workers are also fired in large numbers. （ D） Self-employment was a way out for the American economy. 18 “Real wages“ in the third paragraph means here_. （ A） new income records （ B） wages keeping up with the rising inflation （ C） credit card instead of
35、cash （ D） wages that can build the countrys economy 19 What does the writer think will be the consequence if the present situation goes on? （ A） Political turmoil. （ B） The decline of unions. （ C） Deregulation. （ D） International competition. 20 The best title of this article should be_. （ A） The La
36、st Years Economy Picture （ B） How To Push Up The Real Wages （ C） Job Insecurity: A Potential Problem （ D） How To Keep Up With The Inflation 四、 PART FOUR 20 Read the article below about market research. Choose the correct word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D. For each question (21-30), mark one le
37、tter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. Market Research Market research has become increasingly important in recent years. In some organisations, in fact, managers will not initiate any activity without market research to back them up. The first thing about market research is that it is not an (21
38、) to management decision-making. No form of market research, no matter how deep, complicated and detailed, can ever be seen as a substitute for creative decision-making by professional managers (22) its very best, all it can do is (23) some doubt and clarify the nature of the problem. It may even be
39、 seen as a tool which can help improve the (24) of decisions but it is not in itself a decision-making mechanism. Market research, in (25) with a number of other approaches in marketing, suffers from the frequent complaint that it is not really accurate. Market research results can never be complete
40、ly accurate because they (26) with a dynamic, ever-changing marketplace. It is essential that this is understood by everyone with an interest in the results. There is, therefore, an ongoing need for creativity and imagination, when (27) market research results and when making any (28) to apply them
41、in the marketplace. Finally, it should always be remembered that market research is not an end in itself but simply a (29) by which some degree of risk can be removed from marketplace activity. If no activity (30) from the research, then the entire research has been completely pointless. （ A） option
42、 （ B） alternative （ C） end （ D） opening （ A） For （ B） From （ C） At （ D） With （ A） reject （ B） omit （ C） deny （ D） remove （ A） quality （ B） goodness （ C） well-being （ D） virtue （ A） association （ B） common （ C） addition （ D） connection （ A） work （ B） manage （ C） deal （ D） operate （ A） deciding （ B） t
43、hinking （ C） proving （ D） considering （ A） attempt （ B） venture （ C） choice （ D） try （ A） mode （ B） means （ C） way （ D） progress （ A） shows （ B） produces （ C） results （ D） appears 五、 PART FIVE 30 Keep an Eye on CEOs Government policy decisions could speed or slow the pace of rehabilitation for the b
44、anks, and (31) turn, the stock market. David A. Hendler, a New York-based bank analyst at Credit-Sights, says his job has shifted from financial analysis toward Washington analysis. Essentially, his task is to figure (32) how quickly the government will permit weak banks to consolidate. When investo
45、rs believe (33) know which banks will survive, theyll buy their stocks. The process is (34) critical to the stock market that Richard Bernstein, chief investment strategist at Merrill Lynch, is tracking six signposts for financial industry consolidation. Among them: the extent to which the governmen
46、t carves up and sells bad banks rather than buying into them to prop them (35) Other strategists are keeping a close eye on the people who really know whats happening in the economy: business leaders. Biderman says hell know corporations are getting confident (36) they start buying back their own sh
47、ares and acquiring other companies. Right now they show no such bravado. Announcements of share buybacks are down 90% from a year ago, leaving that market thermometer so cold that the mercury is off the scale. In the end, the timing of the bears retreat (37) likely hinge on that great market imponde
48、rable: psychology. How investors feel has a lot to do with (38) they start seeing mixed signals as proof of a glass half-full. “The market stress causes the analytical part of our brains to shut down, and that makes us hyperreactive (39) bad news, “says Michael A. Ervolini, CEO of Cabot Research, a
49、consultancy catering to institutional investors. People become convinced conditions are worse than rock-bottom bad, he says. Only (40) they see that theyve overacted can things improve: “We look for the market to start saying tomorrow will be brighter.“ 六、 PART SIX 40 Read the text below about how to order products. In most of the lines (41-52) there is one extra word. It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the sense of the text. Some lines, however, are correct. If a line is correct, write
