BEC真题 第四辑高级Test 3

沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ BEC 真题 第四辑高级 Test 3 READING 1 hour PART ONE Questions 1-8 • Look at the statements below and the reports about five different companies on the opposite page. • 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) on your Answer Sheet. • You will need to use some of these letters more than once. • There is an example at the beginning (0). 1 This company has expanded at a time of high demand. 2 Good results in one part of this company made up for disappointing results in another part. 3 lt is difficult to predict future prospects furthe kind of products this company sells. 4 Profits for this company are likely to be different from those that were earlier predicted. 5 This company produced more goods than were needed for certain markets. 6 This company has denied rumours about its future plans. 7 A recovery in this company's financial position is expected. 8 This company is likely to benefit from charging more for its products. A Example: 0 This company has outlets in new types of location. 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ B C D E PART TW0 Following the company's poor annual results in November, the share price plunged and has since remained around 200p. Analysts now believe that the company is seriously undervalued by the stock market. The company's biggest problems were in Germany and France last year where supply outstripped demand, leading to a £20 million loss for the year. However, the company has recently appointed a new chairman who has a iirst—rate track record of reviving failing companies. lt is believed that he will be successful in turning round the company’s fortunes. Analysts are impressed with the company's recent performance. In the last six months, it has managed to increase prices by 3 per cent without adversely affecting sales. In such a low-margin, high-sales sector, this ought to translate directly into increased pronts.The company's recent sale of its packaging division has eliminated all its debts. Shares have risen in the past month from 80p to l00p. Despite these promising signs, it must be remembered that the company is trading in an extremely volatile market. For some weeks, there has been widespread expectation that the company will announce the sale of its troubled newspaper-and-magazine distribution arm. Speculation came to an end when this was firmly ruled out as a possibility at the annual general meeting last week. Profits from this division were down from £l3 million to £8 million. However, this drop was more than offset by an improvement in the company’s retail division, which has taken the innovative step of opening stores in places such as hospitals and colleges. Profits in this division rose from The company has had steady growth prospects since it opened four more upmarket hotels and several health and fitness clubs. This move has come at a time when the market is particularly buoyant. There were rumours that the company might become the subject of a takeover bid by one ofthe large American corporations. However, this has not materialised, and it now seems unlikely that any such bids will be made in the immediate future. This is expected to lead to The company has always been popular with shareholders as, for the past ten years, it has consistently provided them with above average returns. Profits for the first half of the year were up by 15 per cent. Development profits from some 30 projects around the country will provide a balanced stream of earnings in the second half of the year. Given this, and the sale of a loss-making division in Bradford, pre-tax profit forecasts have been increased to £2l million and 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ Questions 9-14 • Read this text taken from the results of a survey on employees' priorities at work in the UK. • Choose the 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. • There is an example at the beginning (0). Example: WHAT EMPLOYEES SAY THEY WANT Employees say one thing and do another, a recent UK-based report claims. (0)...H... Addressing these problems is especially important when there are skills shortages, and companies are trying hard to retain the workers they have. According to the report, there is a consistent discrepancy between what really attracts staff and keeps them, and what they say are priorities. The report found that, although there are differences in preferences, depending on age, home country and gender, all age groups say they rate the work/life balance as an extremely important consideration for staying with their particular company. (9) ...... This is followed by job security and financial rewards. However, despite their proclamations about wanting a work/life balance, it was established that this does not have a positive effect on retention for any subgroup. Similarly, people profess to identify more closely with a company which has a clear strategy for success, but in fact that does not result in improved retention either. (10) ...... Another finding was that it is the high-flyers in a company who are most likely to be ungrateful and leave. This is despite the fact that they are more likely to attract fast-track promotion, career development, training and financial rewards, which should be the glue to keep them loyal. (11) ...... All this makes life difficult for managers. (12) ...... This is because they have to spend as much time creating an employment brand that attracts the best talent as they do in creating a consumer brand that builds customer loyalty. That is all the more impommt for major companies, who, increasingly these days, are no longer viewed as the employer of choice by top graduates. (13) ...... This involves both corporate attitudes and individual encouragement. At corporate level, there is a need for a clear and convincing strategy for the business, and an innovative environment low in bureaucracy. One level down from that, there should be tasks that interest and challenge employees, and sharpen their skills. At individual level, profit-related bonuses go down well. (14) ...... Above all, companies should remember that since the requirements are different for the young, middle-aged and elderly, as well as for men and women, the package has to be enticing to the right target age and gender. 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ 0 A B C D E F G H A Top executives find that they can no longer delegate personnel matters. B That is possibly because they are most likely to find other jobs. C What the report did conclude though, was that money, especially performance-related pay, does increase commitment, as do share options and profit-sharing. D In addition, companies need to motivate key people with appropriate recognition and by giving them what they actually want, rather than just relying on an attractive basic salary, which can easily be matched by any other employer. E Moreover, when it comes to choosing a job, women rate it even more highly than men. F As a result, the report concludes that focusing on the top performers can be counterproductive because it can cause underdevelopment, underutilisation and demotivation of the rest of the workforce. G The report reckons that in order to change this situation, a two-stage policy is required. H This will come as no surprise to anyone involved with market research, but it is causing problems for employers trying to recruit staff. PART THREE Question 15-20 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ Questions 15-20 •Read the following article about James Linton, CEO of RoCom, and the questions on the opposite page. • For each question (15-20), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. 15 What is PTL doing, according to the second paragraph? In the world of big business, James Linton is precocious in the extreme. Just two years into the job of reviving one of the most illustrious names in retail finance, RoCom, he has found himself a key player in one of the richest and certainly most audacious deals in the industry: PTL's takeover of RoCom. PTL is paying £25 a share for RoCom - approximately 40 per cent more than the market value of the shares - and its offer document boasted that ‘PTL attaches great importance to key employees having appropriate, performance-related remuneration’. Initially wary about the takeover, Linton has now negotiated a hands—off agreement with PTL, which confirms its intention to leave him very much to his own devices to continue building the business. All this and he will not turn 38 for another fortnight! Although Linton is credited with turning RoCom around, this is more a matter of work in progress than actual achievement. Yet he does seem to have instituted the biggest top-level shake-up in its near 70-year history, promoted some big-hitters amongst key staff and transformed RoCom’s way of doing business. Linton has, however, warned that the takeover is by no means a guarantee of future success; indeed, deteriorating market conditions suggest that the way forward will be anything but smooth. Linton recently ventured the hypothesis that being shareholder-owned had, in recent years, helped the business focus and argued that the sector's experience of rival takeovers was not encouraging. Indeed, the recently reported performance of rival organisations such as Maften Limited has not promoted the notion that big corporations are happy homes for experienced staff and managers such as Linton. It may have been his ideas about independence that made Linton address RoCom’s 900 staff on the day the takeover was announced, rather than doing high—profile media interviews on what was immediately seen as a fantastic deal for shareholders. He is acutely aware of the need to nurture his staff if the business is to succeed, something which is not lost on them. This is not a management— school dictum. It is a genuine belief that every member of staff has contributed to the firm and enabled it to net £l,9 billion from PTL. Other CEOs say he is arrogant, but this probably reflects the fact that Linton may find talking to them difficult. He is also ferociously intelligent, and, while in others this could appear intimidating, in Linton, it awakes further admiration amongst loyal employees. They clearly do not feel they have to grovel in front of this mastermind, and claim that although he's incredibly dedicated to his work, he has an affable manner. Linton boasts that staff turnover rates at RoCom have remained low for the industry, at about l2 per cent since he took over as CEO two years ago. 'People have a real affection for RoCom, and that runs right through the office here. They all want us to be number one,' he says. He is aware of the possibility that the collegiate ethos he has worked so hard to create, the meritocracy on which he thinks much of RoCon1's success depends, could be destroyed if PTL is too heavy-handed. He will need all his skills to keep RoCom on course, particularly when attention has immediately focused on the possibility that Susan Marshall, its respected investment chief, might be the first casualty of the takeover. Whatever the future holds for RoCom, we are certain to go on hearing a lot more of James Linton. 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ A allowing Linton to run RoCom in the way he wishes to B purchasing almost half of the RoCom shares on offer C giving all RoCom staff regular bonuses to promote motivation D drawing up new employment contracts for RoCom employees 16 What do we learn about Linton's work at RoCom in the third paragraph? A He has achieved more than anyone in RoCom's history. B He has widened the range of RoCom's business activities. C He has taken on a number of new employees. D He has made changes to senior management. 17 What does Linton say about RoCom in the fourth paragraph? A The company is likely to face difficult times. B The company has lost a number of experienced staff. C The company is expecting to report encouraging results shortly. D The company needs to change its focus to remain competitive. 18 Which of the following is said about Linton's management style? A He involves others in the decision-making process. B His staff find him approachable. C He expects his staff to work as hard as he does. D His style differs from that of other CEOs. 19 How does Linton feel about the takeover, according to the sixth paragraph? A pleased that staff turnover finally started to fall two years ago B afraid that he will lose his job to Susan Marshall C worried that the company culture might change D happy that employees have been so supportive of his work 20 Which of the following would be the best title for the article? A The Linton way of getting the best from staff B A thin line between success and failure for James Linton C James Linton—a man who will go far D How a good idea went wrong for James Linton PART FOUR 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ Questions 21-30 • Read the extract below from a book about corporate planning. • Choose the correct word word文档格式规范word作业纸小票打印word模板word简历模板免费word简历 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 or D) on your Answer Sheet. • There is an example at the beginning (0). Corporate planning may be (0) ............ as the careful and systematic taking of strategic decisions. In contrast to a short-term plan like a budget, a corporate plan is concemed with taking a long-term (21) ............ of future developments and with designing a strategy so that the organisation can achieve its chosen objectives. Many large companies now recognise the importance of (22) ............ a formal approach to developing a corporate plan. They prepare ‘scenarios’ or forecasts of future developments in the (23) ............ in which they wish to operate, in order to examine whether decisions taken in the present will result in success in the future. In recent years, companies have been developing more sophisticated (24) ............ with which to analyse the risks involved in such decisions. (25) ............ , for example, an oil company deciding if it should invest in a new refinery. Faced with this decision, involving the (26) ............ of millions of pounds on something which might have a life of I5 years or more, the company must have a sound basis for its decision. ln this case, it needs to know whether it can be (27) ............ of a market for the extra volume of its rehned products, and it needs to know whether they can be produced profitably. ln addition, it is necessary to study the (28) ............ of crude oil and other supplies needed in the process. Corporate planning, therefore, involves three main areas: (29) ............ the long-term objectives of an organisation, deciding what market (30) ............ there may be and formulating a product policy to satisfy theme. WHAT IS CORPRORATE PLANNING? Example: A described B accounted C indicated D reported 0 A B C D 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ 21 A sight B picture C scene D view 22 A carrying B practising C placing D adopting 23 A element B condition C environment D atmosphere 24 A techniques B ideas C styles D ways 25 A Refer B Consider C Think D Suppose 26 A outlay B output C outset D outcome 27 A assured B insured C confirmed D ascertained 28 A utility B availability C attainability D usability 29 A guiding B leading C determining D concluding 30 A chance B potential C room D scope PART FIVE 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ Questions 31-40 • Read the newspaper article below about entrepreneurs. • For each question (31-40), write one word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet. • There is an example at the beginning (0). PART SIX Can anyone be an entrepreneur ? Who wants (0) ........... be an entrepreneur? just about everybody - or (31) ........... it seems these days. The values of entrepreneurship are hailed everywhere, (32) ............ the more enterprising small shop owner to the boardrooms of multinationals. Entrepreneurs are seen as the true'wealth creators' and as the initiators of change. They are often creative and always self-driven, and (33) ............ a result, they and the companies they head possess a sense of vision which larger; more amorphous organizations often aim for but hardly ever achieve.So how do you become one? The received wisdom is that entrepreneurs with talents (34) ........... as these are a breed apart. They are born, not formed through education. If that's (35) ............ case,then is there any point in going to business school to learn how to become an entrepreneur, as many do? There are trainers who think it's perfectly feasible. They compare it to training an opera singer (36) ............ the sense that for singers, natural talent is essential, but then trainers instruct and develop it. The (37) ............ goes for would-be entrepreneurs. Trainers develop their skills and impart knowledge. In (38) ............ words, so the argument goes, to be trained, you must be the right kind of person to start with.What is such a person's essential characteristic? lt is the ability to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable levels of risk and act accordingly. That more than (39) ............ else marks entrepreneurs out from others (40) ............ preference is for the safer option of a salaried and structured career. 沪江英语：http://www.hjenglish.com/ 沪江 BEC：http://www.hjenglish.com/bec/ Questions 41-52 • Read the advertisement below about a service for small businesses. •