1、BEC商务英语（高级）阅读模拟试卷 13及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 Look at the statements below and at the five extracts on the opposite page from the annual reports of five mobile phone companies. Which company (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)
2、on your Answer Sheet. You will need to use some of these letters more than once. A Our management team is dedicated to delivering operational excellence and improved profitability. In the coming year, we will focus our marketing on professional young adults, who represent the high value segment of t
3、he market and who - according to independent research - are most likely to adopt our more advanced mobile data products. Customer retention is central to our strategy, and we have been successful in reversing the customer loss of recent years by loyalty and upgrade schemes. A restructuring programme
4、, resulting from changing marketing conditions, has seen our workforce scaled down to 6,100 people. B As the only network operator in the country, our marketing is aimed at expanding the size of the market. In the business sector, we have targeted small and medium-sized businesses by offering standa
5、rdised services, and large customers by offering tailored telecommunications solutions. We have been at the fore- front of introducing new telecommunications technology and services and have recently distributed 150 of our most advanced handsets to customers to assess the likely demand for advanced
6、data services. Last year, the industry recognised our achievement when we won a national award for technological progress. C A new management team has driven our improved performance here. It is committed to bringing the business into profitability within three years after reaching break-even point
7、in the next financial year. We are focused on delivering rising levels of customer service and an improvement in the quality and utilisation of our network. Good progress has been made on all these fronts. The cost of acquiring new subscribers has been reduced and new tariffs have been introduced to
8、 encourage greater use of the phone in the late evening. D We have continued to expand our network in a cost-efficient manner and have consolidated our retail section by combining our four wholly-owned retail businesses into a single operating unit. We expect this to enhance our operational effectiv
9、eness and the consistency of our service. Our ambition is to give customers the best retail experience possible. We were, therefore, delighted earlier this year when we won a major European award for customer service. This was particularly pleasing to us as we have always given high priority to cust
10、omer satisfaction and operational excellence. E Here, we are focused on continuously realising cost efficiencies as well as improving the level of customer satisfaction and retention. We have already taken effective measures to reduce customer loss and to strengthen our delivery of customer service.
11、 The quality of our network has improved significantly over the past year and an increase in the utilisation of our network is now a priority. The operation of our customer service centre has been outsourced to a call centre specialist and this has led to a substantial increase in the level of servi
12、ce. 1 This company is still making a financial loss. 2 This company is having part of its business handled by an outside agency. 3 This company has grown without undue expense. 4 This company is trying to find out what the market response will be to a new product. 5 This company continues to lose cu
13、stomers. 6 This company aims to target a specific group of consumers. 7 This company is finding it less expensive than before to attract new customers. 8 This company has rationalised its outlets. 二、 PART TWO 8 Read the article below about consumers attitudes to goods described as premium. Choose th
14、e best sentence from 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 once. Shoppers wary of premium goods One of the marketing industrys favourite terms is premium - usually taken to mean luxury or top quali
15、ty. The ideal is to create a premium car, wristwatch or perfume - something that appears to transcend the ordinary. When they succeed, marketers are able to charge high prices for the resulting product. However, manufacturers should take note of a recent survey of shoppers attitudes to so-called pre
16、mium goods. (9) In fact, the tag seems to have become devalued by overuse. Consumers of all socio-economic backgrounds are very keen to buy the best - but not all product categories lend themselves to a premium status. Premium can be used in any category where image is paramount, and that includes c
17、ars, toiletries, clothes and electronics. (10) Banking and insurance are typical of this second group. More than 70 per cent of consumers interviewed in the survey said that a premium tag on everyday items such as coffee or soap is an excuse to charge extra for products that dont always have extra b
18、enefits. (11) The prevalence of such a suspicious attitude makes life hard for the marketers. While the word luxury had a clear and definable meaning among respondents - most related it to cars - premium was found to be harder to define. Oddly, the only category apart from cars where premium was und
19、erstood to mean something specific was bread. (12) Several respondents said they would never pay much for a standard sliced loaf but on special occasions would happily pay double for something that qualifies as a treat. Packaging was found to be an important factor in charging extra for premium prod
20、ucts, with sophisticated design enabling toiletries, electronics or food items to sell for far more. Shoppers are willing to pay extra for something that has had thought put into its outward appearance. (13) Yet the knowledge has no impact on their choice. The profit margin on premium-priced toiletr
21、ies and beauty items can be as much as 300-400 per cent - and in excess of 500 per cent for hi-fi and other electronic goods. (14) In a crowded marketplace such as cars or mobiles, its far more difficult to achieve this transformation than you might think. A The term is less effective, however, in a
22、reas where style and fashion play a smaller role. B The product hidden behind this attractive exterior may be exactly the same as an item selling for half the price, and shoppers may be quite aware of this. C The results suggest that the term premium means very little to consumers. D A fifth of them
23、 went further, and dismissed the very word as simply a way of loading prices. E It follows that price and utility are not the only factors in play when it comes to purchasing decisions. F With such an incentive, the challenge for marketers is to find the triggers that can turn an ordinary product in
24、to something consumers will accept as premium. G The survey found that consumers were prepared to pay top prices for speciality items, just as long as prices for everyday products remained low. H When they succeed, marketers are able to charge high prices for the resulting product. 三、 PART THREE 13
25、Reed the following article about personal selling. For each question 15- 20, mark one letter (A, B, C or. D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Personal Selling Personal selling is a process of informing potential buyers about and persuading them to purchase a product. It is the most fl
26、exible of all promotional methods because it allows marketers to communicate specific information that might trigger a purchase. Of all the promotional activities, only personal selling can zero in on a prospect and attempt to persuade the prospect to make a purchase. Although personal selling has a
27、 lot of advantages, it is one of the most costly forms of promotion. A sales mil on an industrial customers in the U.S. can cost as much as $ 200or $ 300. Many products require personal selling in order for the company to achieve sales results. A company must employ effective salespeople to describe
28、 a products advantages and benefits to compete with the sales forces of competing firms. Professional salespeople are professional communicators. They know their companies, their products, competitors, customers, and themselves. Many factors affect a marketers selection of the type of salesperson to
29、 employ. The products complexity, the type of market, and the general nature of distribution in a particular industry are all important considerations. Three distinct salespersons are order takers, creative salespersons, and support salespersons. Order takers are salespeople who execute sales for cu
30、stomers who have already decided to buy the product from a particular organization. Their major role is to make sure that suppliers are adequate and there are no problems in the purchase. Inside order takers are located in sales offices and receive orders by mail or telephone. Outside order takers m
31、any engage in some important sales functions for the corn- party by encouraging customers to increase the size o their orders or reminding them to purchase certain products. In many firms, order takers generate the majority of sales. Creative salespersons are involved in informing and persuading a p
32、rospect to buy a product. The creative salesperson tries to increase the firms sales by finding new customers and encouraging old customers to purchase. A key role of the creative salesperson is to find new prospects and convert them into customers. Products such as automobiles, insurance, furniture
33、, and appliances require the skill of creative salespeople to maintain sales levels. Support salespersons facilitate and assist in the selling function but usually do not take orders. They are used in markets where educating the customer, building good will, and providing service are important for s
34、upporting the overall sales volume of the company. Technical salespersons, for example, are support salespersons who provide engineering and other types of technical assistance. They help with product application, specific system design, and provide technical information about how a product will fun
35、ction best under particular environments or situations. Technical salespersons are often used for computers, machinery and equipment, and steel and chemicals. Prospecting. The first step in personal selling is to identify potential buyers of the product that is being sold. This can be done by examin
36、ing directories or trade lists that identify people who use various types of products. The salesperson concentrates his or her efforts on prospects who have needs and wants, financial ability, and authority to purchase the product. Approaching. The salesperson finds and analyzes information about pr
37、ospects needs and desires for products. The information helps the .salesperson approach the potential customer. There are different types of approaches. Using a referral, the salesperson explains to the prospect that an acquaintance or some other person has indicated that the prospect might be inter
38、ested in the product. Using cold canvassing, the salesperson calls on potential customers without any prior notice or referral. Presenting. After making the approach, the salesperson must make a presentation to get the prospects attention and to persuade the prospect to buy the product. In making th
39、e presentation, it is important for the salesperson to use stimulating methods. Demonstrating the product and using visual aids such as a videotape or slides can assist greatly in the presentation. The salesperson should demonstrate what the product can do and the benefits associated with it. Handli
40、ng objections. Objections are reasons mentioned by the prospect for not buying the product. One of the best ways for a salesperson to handle an objection is to try to anticipate and counter it before it is expressed. Doing this is risky, however, because the salesperson may bring up an objection tha
41、t the prospect had not thought of. At any rate, objections should be dealt with immediately when they arise. A good salesperson does not dodge objections but find out what the objections are and tries to deal with them. A successful sale may depend on how well the salesperson handles objections. Clo
42、sing. Closing is asking the prospect to buy the product. It is an important step in personal selling because a customer may actually be reluctant to volunteer to purchase a product. Prospects usually need some encouragement or persuasion to make a purchase decision. This is the salespersons last spu
43、rt and determines whether the sale will be consummated. A trial close involves asking questions that assume the customer is going to buy the product, its purpose is to get answers to identify objections. The trial close indicates what decision is going to be made. Trial closing questions relate to m
44、atters such as delivery dates and model colors. Following up. A good salesperson follows up on a successful sale to make sure the customer is satisfied with the purchase. The salesperson may check to see whether the product was delivered on time and whether the buyer got exactly what he or she wante
45、d. Waiters and waitresses often ask “How was your dinner?“ This is a follow-up question to make sure that customers are leaving satisfied. Only a satisfied customer will return; therefore, the follow-up is necessary for the salesperson to have repeat business. The follow-up helps develop rapport wit
46、h the buyer and ensure an ongoing relationship. 14 Compared with other promotional methods, personal sailing is more _. （ A） reliable （ B） communicative and direct （ C） believable （ D） dissuasive 15 One of the disadvantages of personal selling lies in its _. （ A） competition （ B） flexibility （ C） co
47、mplexity （ D） heavy cost 16 According to the passage, the key role of creative salespeople is to find _. （ A） new prospects （ B） potential customers （ C） new consumers （ D） potential markets 17 To ensure adequate supplies and smooth purchase is the main task for _. （ A） order-take salespeople （ B） c
48、reative salespeople （ C） support salespersons （ D） persuasive salespersons 18 The main role of following up is to _. （ A） ask how the customer likes the product （ B） ensure customer satisfaction （ C） continue to persuade customers to buy the products （ D） make further efforts to identify potential b
49、uyers 19 Of these selling steps, which plays a more critical role in a successful sale? （ A） Approaching. （ B） Prospecting. （ C） Presenting. （ D） Handling objections. 四、 PART FOUR 19 Read the article below about banking. Choose the best word from the opposite page to fill each gap. For each question 21-30 mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. A CHALLENGE TO TRADITIONAL BANKING Traditional methods of banking are under threat from a new type of account which is actually meant to be almost perpetu
