1、BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷 129及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and at the five extracts about different mergers from newspaper articles on the opposite page.Which extract(A, B, C, D or E)does each statement(1-8)refer to?For each statement(1-8), mark one letter(A, B, C, D or E)on your Answer
2、Sheet.You will need to use some qf these letters more than once.There is an example at the beginning(0).Example:0 A small store horizontally merges with another one, the effect on the market may be little. AYou probably need to reduce the number of people. Cost savings through combining redundant ta
3、sks is a common goal for mergers. The trick is to release the individuals least well equipped to contribute in the new organisation and to hold on to the best people. Make sure the evaluation of “best“ looks at both companies people equally. After all, you dont want to lose a great person from Compa
4、ny B so you can keep a mediocre person from Company A.BBut signing a deal to join forces is only the beginning. The crucial next step requires knowing how to merge fast and well. In the Internet economy, that means more than changing a logo or reconciling two chief executives egos to the fact that t
5、hey cant both be boss. A successful merger requires an unflinching commitment to what the new strategy will be, along with a focus on making sure that vital but fragile assets-customer lists, engineering-talent pools, and so on dont get trampled by the deal.CA horizontal merger is when two companies
6、 competing in the same market merge or join together. This type of merger can either have a very large effect or little to no effect on the market. When two extremely small companies combine, or horizontally merge, the results of the merger are less noticeable. These smaller horizontal mergers are v
7、ery common. If a small local drug store were to horizontally merge with another local drugstore, the effect of this merger on the drugstore market would be minimal. In a large horizontal merger, however, the resulting ripple effects can be felt throughout the market sector and sometimes throughout t
8、he whole economy.DImpact of mergers and acquisitions on top level management may actually involve a “clash of the egos“. There might be variations in the cultures of the two organisations. Under the new set-up the manager may be asked to implement such policies or strategies, which may not be quite
9、approved by him. When such a situation arises, the main focus of the organisation gets diverted and executives become busy either settling matters among themselves or moving on. If however, the manager is well equipped with a degree or has sufficient qualification, the migration to another company m
10、ay not be troublesome at all.EHow your company deals with merger issues such as communication, employee retention and/ or layoffs, customer notification and reassurance, consolidation of staff and integration of systems will play a huge role in determining the overall success or failure of the merge
11、r or acquisition. Dont wait until the deal is finalized to think about these issues. Assemble a team of stakeholders and experts to analyse the challenges and risks of integrating the two companies and have an action plan in place long before the official merger date. 1 It elaborates on what horizon
12、tal integration is and its effect on the market. 2 It stresses staff of both companies should the considered fairly in business mergers. 3 It talks about the factors that ensure business mergers are fruitful. 4 It implies large-scale mergers may have a chain reaction on the whole market. 5 It consid
13、ers that top level managers should adapt to the new company as soon as possible. 6 It suggests that enough preparations should be made before the merger. 7 It considers a well-qualified manager should react actively to the mergers to ensure smooth transfer. 8 It stresses on keeping the outstanding e
14、mployees and eliminating average ones in mergers. 二、 PART TWO 8 Read this text about the job creation cutting by private employers. Choose the best sentence form the opposite page to fill each of the gaps. For each gap(9-14), mark one letter(A-H)on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than
15、once. There is an example at theibeginning(0). Private Employers Drastically Cut Job Creation Private employers drastically cut job creation during May 2010, according to a government report released on Friday. Initially, the report appeared to show positive trends in the job market, with 431, 000 j
16、ob; being added across the US the highest figure since March 2000.(0)_B_ Within the private sector, only 41, 000 jobs were created. 【 P1】_ Although the 411, 000 people hired by the Census did help to boost the economy and drive down unemployment rates, these jobs will no longer exist after the Censu
17、s has been completed.【 P2】 _ The survey also revealed that the number of persons employed part-time for economic reasons declined by 343, 000 in May to 8. 8 million. 【 P3】 _And now that private employers have cut job creation so severely, it seems this trend is set to continue for some time. Statist
18、ics also reinforced the lasting effects of the recession and the long road to recovery that the US labour market is still slowly travailing. 【 P4】 _And there are still approximately 15 million people who want to be working but cannot find a job. 【 P5】 _ Construction employers, for example, added 41,
19、000 jobs in March and April after months of decline, but then eliminated 35,000 of these jobs in May. Wall Street viewed the latest figures as extremely disappointing.【 P6】 _ In fact, industry analysts believe that unemployment will remain high for at least two years and, according to an Associated
20、Press-GFK Poll, only one in five members of the American public considers the economy in good condition.Example: A Some sectors that were growing are now shrinking again.B On the surface the employment figures lock great, but that beauty was only skin-deep.C Therefore 431,000 jobs being added do not
21、hing to improve the nations economy in the long run.D However, all of these jobs were in fact created merely for the purpose of the nationwide census that takes place once every 10 years.E The national unemployment rate, which is calculated using a separate household survey, fell only moderately, to
22、 9. 7 percent in May from 9.9 percent in April.F It is far less than the 218, 000 added in April, and the 180,000 jobs private sector employers had anticipated.G These individuals were working part-time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.H It is
23、 a possible indicator that recovery from the recession has come to a standstill. 9 【 P1】 10 【 P2】 11 【 P3】 12 【 P4】 13 【 P5】 14 【 P6】 三、 PART THREE 14 Read the following article about responsibility for the natural environment and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(15-20), mark on
24、e letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet. The difficulty of balancing profits and social responsibility is very apparent when you consider environmental issues. Consumers value the goods and services that business produces, but businesses cannot produce goods and services without polluting to some
25、 degree. Businesses strive to lower their costs in order to offer products to consumers more efficiently and to make profits for investors, but sometimes it is necessary for businesses to spend more in order to pollute less. When such situations arise, whose interests should be served first those of
26、 society, the consumer, or the investor? Clearly, this question has no easy answer, but examining how businesses pollute may provide some perspectives. Economic progress threatens our air, water, and land because these elements can so easily be tainted by pollution. Moreover, the pollution in any on
27、e element can easily taint the others. This problem is pervasive in industrialised and developing nations alike. In fact, the emerging economies of Asia and Latin America have built much of their growth on very loose environmental standards. But Mexico, Malaysia, and other countries are realising th
28、at their prosperity can be sustained only if their citizens can enjoy a quality of life that comes with a clean environment. At the same time, the countries of Eastern Europe are scrambling to reverse the decade of environmental neglect that occurred around the middle of the 20th century. As you can
29、 imagine, this is no easy task. The most noticeable form of air pollution, smog, is produced by the interaction of sunlight and hydrocarbons(gases released when fossil fuels are burned). We need only look at the smog that hangs over many major cities of the world to know that air pollution is a prob
30、lem that businesses, consumers, and governments must address together. Another damaging air pollutant is acid rain, created when emissions from coal-burning factories and electric utility plants react with air. In addition, emissions from factories and cars pollute the air and contribute to global w
31、anning through the greenhouse effect, in which heated gases form a layer of unusually warm air around the earth, trapping the suns heat and preventing the earths surface from cooling. Experts worry about airborne toxins that are emitted during some manufacturing processes. Large and small companies
32、together release millions of pounds of chemical wastes into the air each year. Although the effects of many of these substances are unknown, some are known to be cancer causers. Of special concern in recent years are microscopic particulates in the air that may be responsible for more than 150, 000
33、deaths each year. Our air is not the only part of our environment to suffer. Water pollution has damaged many U. S. lakes, rivers, stream, harbours and coastal waters. This pollution comes from a variety of sources: manufacturing facilities, mining and construction sites, farms, and city sewage syst
34、ems. The main threat is the careless day-to-day disposal of wastes from thousands of individual sources. Even if all wastewater were purified before being discharged, our groundwater would still be endangered by leakage from the millions of tons of hazardous substances that have been buried undergro
35、und or dumped in improper storage sites. Much of this pollution was created years ago by companies that carelessly but legally disposed of substances now known to be unhealthy. Cleaning up these wastes is extremely difficult and expensive. In addition, companies and individuals generate enormous amo
36、unts of solid wasteover 200 million tons in the United States each year. Much of this waste ends up in landfills. A large part of the problem is consumer demands for convenience and fashion. These demands lead to creating disposable items, manufacturing products with excess packaging, and discarding
37、 useful items that are no longer the hot style or colour. Fortunately, recent efforts to conserve and recycle resources are helping to combat the land pollution problem. 15 What is the problem that businesses face when considering environmental issues? （ A） Businesses face the problem of producing g
38、oods and services that customer needs. （ B） Businesses face the problem of lowering costs. （ C） Businesses face the problem of making more profits for investors. （ D） Businesses face the problem of balancing profits and social responsibility. 16 Which countries need to change most in order to protec
39、t our environment? （ A） countries of Eastern Europe （ B） Mexico （ C） Malaysia （ D） countries of Asia and Latin America 17 What is greenhouse effect? （ A） It is produced by the interaction of sunlight and hydrocarbons. （ B） It is created when emissions from coal-burning factories and electric utility
40、 plants react with air. （ C） It is the gradual rise in temperature of the earth atmosphere which is caused by an increase of gases in the air trapping the heat of the sun. （ D） It is produced by airborne toxins that are emitted during some manufacturing processes. 18 Experts worry about airborne tox
41、ins that are emitted during some manufacturing processes because （ A） companies release millions of pounds of chemical wastes into the air each year. （ B） the effects of many of these substances are unknown. （ C） some airborne toxins are known to be cancer causers. （ D） microscopic particulates in t
42、he air are responsible for 150,000 deaths each year. 19 How would our groundwater be endangered according to the fifth paragraph? （ A） It would be endangered by manufacturing factories. （ B） It would be endangered by leakage from masses of hazardous substances that were buried underground or clumped
43、 in improper storage sites. （ C） It would be endangered by careless day-to-day disposal of wastes from thousands of individual sources. （ D） It would be endangered by substances which are thrown away carelessly by companies. 20 What is the tone of this passage? （ A） optimistic （ B） pessimistic （ C）
44、subjective （ D） objective 四、 PART FOUR 20 Read the article below about how capital controls and monetary policy are important adoptable in developing countries. Choose the correct word or words to fill each gap from A, B, C or D on the opposite page. For each question(21 30), mark one letter(A, B, C
45、 or D)on your Answer Sheet. There is an example at the beginning(0). Capital Controls and Monetary Policy in Developing Countries This paper -looks at both the theoretical and empirical literature on capital controls and finds that (0). D.controls can play an important role in developing countries b
46、y helping to insulate them from some of the harmful【 C1】 _of volatile and short-term capital flows. The authors look at controls on capital inflows in Malaysia(1989-1995); Colombia(1993-1998); Chile(1989-1998); and Brazil(1992-1998), and also consider the【 C2】 _of Malaysias controls on outflows in 1
47、998-2001. They conclude that there is sufficient backing in both economic theory and empirical evidence to consider more widespread【 C3】 _ of capital controls in order to 【 C4】 _some of the macroeconomic problems【 C5】_with short-term capital flows, to enable certain development strategies, and to al
48、low policymakers more flexibility with regard to crucial monetary and exchange rate policies. The paper follows what appears to be a shift in the position of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)towards such controls. In a February paper, the IMF concluded that “there may be【 C6】 _ in which capital
49、controls are a legitimate【 C7】 _of the policy【 C8】 _to surges in capital inflows.“ The Funds Global Financial Stability Report【 C9】 _ in April 2010 was less sanguine about capital controls, but the net result is that the IMF appears more open to【 C10】 _capital controls than in the past.Example:A these B those C economic D capital 21 【 C1】 （ A） effects （ B） affects （ C） influence （ D） influences 22 【 C2】 （ A） case （ B） situation （ C） study （ D） finding 23 【 C3】 （ A） adaption （ B） adoption （ C
