2016年商务英语考试BEC中级练习题4

单项选择题1、根据下面内容，回答题 Buffet Zone Lucy Robertson started working at a take-away food business to supplement her income during her student days at Edinburgh University. Several years later she had bought the business and now, 17 years on, she owns Grapevine Caterers, probably Scotland"s leading independent caterers, with a turnover of almost ε6m. She had never planned to own a business, and had certainly never considered a career in catering. (0)...G… However, her unplanned career began in 1985, when she returned to Edinburgh and discovered that the takeaway she had worked in was up for sale. On impulse, she bought it, but admits that at the time she knew nothing about catering. (8).....It was a difficult time, but essential in terms of gaining the experience she needed. The late 1980s boom was good for business, with large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches. (9)..... "At one point there were 26 food outlets within a 5-kilometre radius," Robertson recalls, as the economy changed and the once packed office blocks started to become vacant, it became clear that Robertson would need to diversify. (10)......It changed the direction of the company for good. As Robertson began to win catering contracts, she decided that the company would have to move to larger premises. In 1994, the move was made when she bought another catering business that already had a number of profitable contracts for boardroom lunches. Meanwhile, Robertson"s main competitor, the oldest catering company in Edinburgh, was causing her some anxiety. "Customer loyally is not to be underestimated," she warns. ButRobertson is not someone who is easily put off. (11)...... Partly as a result of this, turnover doubled, and having outgrown another site, Robertson bought a city-centre location for the group"s headquarters. By now, Grapevine"s main competitor was a new catering company called Towngates. Although Robertson tried to raise enough money to buy Towngates, she did not succeed. Then luck intervened and Towngates went bankrupt. (12)......Many accepted and the company"s turnover went from ε700,000 to ε1.5 million almost overnight. However, the company"s growth was not as smooth as it sounds in retrospect. Robertson admits, "We were close to the edge during the growth period. Like many under-capitalized companies trying to grow, it might easily have collapsed." But that, she feels, is the challenge of developing your own business. A．But there are plenty of similar contracts to be won in the east of Scotland before Robertson turns her attention elsewhere. B．Her way round this particular problem was to recruit the catering manager of the rivalcompany. C．But this demand was short-lived, and before long, increasing competition made it harderto make a profit. D．"It was a dramatic learning curve and very small amounts of money were earned at first," says Robertson. E．She decided that the solution, since many companies required working lunches for meetings with clients, was to prepare and deliver meals to business premises. F．On hearing this, Robertson immediately contacted all of their clients and offered the services of Grapevine Caterers. G．Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set. （8）应选填空题2、Finding the right people　　When a small company grows, managers must take on many new roles. Besides the day-to-day running of the business, they find themselves responsible for, among other things, relations with outside investors, increased levels of cashflow and, hardest of all, recruitment.　　For most managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, the job of searching for, interviewing and selecting staff is difficult and time-consuming. ___(0) G___. Interviewing, for example, is a highly skilled activity in itself.　　“We have found the whole process very hard,” says Dan Baker, founding partner of a PR company. “In seven years we have grown from five to eighteen staff, but we have not found it easy to locate and recruit the right people.” ___(8)___. As Dan Baker explains, “We went to one for out first recruitment drive, but they took a lot of money in advance and didn’t put forward anybody suitable. In the end we had to do it ourselves.”　　Most recruitment decisions are based on a pile of CVs, a couple of short interviews and two cautious references. David Rowe, a business psychologist, studied how appointments were made in five small companies. He claims that selection was rarely based in clear criteria. ___(9)___. This kind of approach to recruitment often has unhappy consequences for both employers and new recruits. 　　Small companies often know what kind of person they are looking for. ___(10)___. According to David Rowe, this means that small company managers themselves have to devote more time and energy to recruitment. It shouldn’t be something that is left to the evenings or weekends.　　Many companies start the recruitment process with over-optimistic ideas about the type of person that will fit into their team. “It’s very easy to say you must have the best people in the top positions,” says Alex Jones, managing partner of an executive recruitment company. “But someone who is excellent in one company may not do so well in another environment. ___(11)___. You can never guarantee a successful transfer of skills.”　　Whatever the candidate’s qualifications, their personal qualities are just as important since they will have to integrate with existing members of staff. This is where, the recruitment industry argues, they can really help.　　According to Alex Jones, “a good recruitment agency will visit your company and ask a lot of questions. ___(12)___. They can ask applicants all sorts of you with a shortlist of people who not only have the skills, but who are likely to fit in with your company’s way of doing things.”A. A finance director in a big company, for example, will often make a terrible small company finance director because he or she is used to having a team doing the day-to-day jobs.B. More often than not, the people making the choice prioritized different qualities in candidates or relied on guesswork.C. Recruitment would seem an obvious task to outsource, but the company’s experience of recruitment agencies was not encouraging.D. They need paying for that, of course, but you will have them working for you and not for the candidate.E. They are usually in very specific markets and the problem they face is that recruitment agencies may not really understand the sector.F. This means that companies cannot spend more than the standard ten minutes interviewing each applicant.G. Yet few are trained and competent for all aspects of the task.3、1. Problems at Southford PlantDear MR Ballard,　　You asked for a brief report concerning the recent events at the Southford Plant.　　We have consulted the files and spoken to relevant members of the higher management and thus are able to provide an explanation for the breakdown reported in the press on 17 May of this year.　　____1____ The handling equipment used to deliver the components to the assembly line has been known to be in need of an overhaul for the past six months. The plant has been working to full capacity to finish the American orders according to schedule.　　As you know, we had commissioned a study by Industrial Research Consultants. ____2____ In it they warned that there was not enough space available to store sufficient components ____3____　　We had decided to install fully automated robot system. However, at the same time it was clear to our production director that given the present maintenance staff, we would not have sufficient staff available if big problems were to arise____4____But we were still only working a two-shift system so the machines were not getting the necessary cover. 　　We all agree that the breakdown was extremely unfortunate and yet we must admit that, under the circumstance, it was not entirely unexpected.　　We now believe that we have managed to sort out the major problems which we had been having with the conveyor equipment ____5____ Added to this is the fact that personnel department has been successful in recruiting some highly qualified maintenance staff who makes us confident that a repetition of the 16 May now seems entirely unlikely.A. They also recommended expanding the present two-shift system to a three-shift one.B. And also when the new robots are installed in September, we feel certain that such problems will become a thing of the past.C. Unfortunately, as you know, there has been a major problem with recognizing the maintenance schedule.D. The wide range of machine we operate is not fully supervised at all times.E. The cause of the breakdown was very simple.F. They submitted their report on April 5.G. There have been a number of delays and breakdowns in production recently which have been reported in the press.H. The firm has been advertising for maintenance engineers for some weeks.I. All the facilities in the plant will be coordinated to enable the workers to step up production of the new range of machines.4、

Questions 8 - 12Read this advertisement about business book reviews.Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps.For each gap 8 - 12, mark one letter A - I on your Answer Sheet.Do not mark any letter twice.

A) These introductory texts are the most important books and using them can pay big dividends.B) Discover practical tips and techniques you can apply without delay.C) In order to avoid this problem, we select for you only the truly worthwhile titles and reject the rest.D) According to studies published in psychology journals, you retain the content of a summary better than a book.E) He or she would take the most important ideas from each one, and compile them into a neat executive summary.F) With the breadth and depth of knowledge gained from books, it is less likely that you"ll be caught off guard.G) Each contains all the key points in the original book, but instead of 200 to 500 pages there are only eight pages.H) There"s a sample of the superb business titles that we summarise for you.I) With all the reading you have to do in the normal course of your work, you find it impossible to keep up with all the new business books.

5、

Banks and Banking : Other Bank Services

A modern bank provides many services other than checking accounts. ____1____If you went to a bank to open a savings account, you would go through almost the same procedures followed in applying for a checking account. ____2____ Then you would be given a passbook in which your initial deposit would be recorded. All deposits and withdrawals from your account are entered into your passbook. ____3____ With a regular passbook savings account, you would be able to withdraw money wherever you needed it. All you would have to do is fill out a withdrawal order and present it, along with your passbook to the teller.All banks pay interest on savings accounts. ____4____ Banks also pay interest at different times. ____5____ Suppose, for example, that on January 1, you deposited $ 1,000 in a bank that paid 4 1/2 percent interest semiannually. By July 1,you would have earned $ 22.50 interest. This interest would automatically be credited to your account; and of you left it in the bank, along with your original deposit, you would receive interest on $ 1,022.50 for the next six-month period. That is, your interest would be compounded.

A. But the majority of them pay semiannually, that is, every six months.B. The interest rate varies from bank to bank, but the general range is from 4 1/2 to 6 percent.C. This means that passbook contains an actual record of all transactions made and that you know the exact amount of savings you have at any one time.D. One of these is checking accounts.E. First you would be asked to fill out a signature card.F. But most banks pay interest at the end of a year.G. One of the most important of these is regular passbook savings.H. One can withdraw money whenever necessary. 6、

Questions 17-20• Using the information in the text, complete each sentence 17-20 with a phrase A-G from the list below.• For each question 17-20, mark one letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet.• Do not use any letter more than once.

17 Most people agree that the recent increase in stress is due to changes in ____________.18 The trainees are taught that the right level of stress at work is important for good.19 Trainees learn that one way of limiting stress is by deciding upon.20 One of the most important parts of the course is learning how to react to___A levels of performanceB shorter deadlinesC employment practices D higher levels of sicknessE unfair demands F successful management structureG practical targets

简答题7、Part OneYou are a manager in a company which manufactures office furniture. Next month you are going to London to discuss an important contract.

Write a note of 30-40 words to your assistant:

1. saying when you want to leave and return2. asking him to book flights3. telling him which hotel to book

Part TwoYou recently attended a one-day training course on health and safety. You were disappointed with the course.

Read the advertisement below, which gives the details of the course. You have written some notes on the advertisement.

Then using your handwritten notes, write a letter to the company, complaining about the course.

Do not include postal address.

Write 100-120 words.

Write on your answer sheet. 8、Part OneYou are the Manager of a small printing company. A new employee, Mark McCabe, is joining your company on 10th May.Write a short memo to your office administrator:Saying who is starting work and when;Telling him what Mark McCabe’s job will be;Suggesting where Mark McCabe’s desk should be put;

Write 30-40 words on your answer sheet.

Part TwoYou were sent on a residential training course for five days. Unfortunately the course was very badly run and there were a lot of problems with it. The advert below shows the details of the course, together with your comments.

Write a report for your manager on the course (100-120 words). Describe the problems with the course and suggest what your company should do.

Write on your answer sheet. 9、• Read the article below about the winner of a business award .• In most of the lines 34-45 there is one extra word . It is either grammatically incorrect or doesn’t fit in the meaning of the text . Some lines, however, are correct .• If a line is correct , write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet .• If there is a extra word in the line , write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTER on your Answer Sheet.• The exercises begins with two examples , (0) and (00) .Examples

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INCREASING CUSTOMERS LOYALTY

0 Customers are not revolutionaries. They are attracted to be the certainty of knowing that

00 what they buy it will be good value for money or will perform a particular task effectively.

34 They are cautious but their loyalty , without once achieved , is the key to business success.

35 Brands can help to create customer loyalty by providing us a signpost to certainty and

36 safety . Ideally , when a customer sees off a product , it leads to a range of positive thoughts

37 so that the product is being bought . Unfortunately , only a small number of products have

38 reached to this level . While everyone in business is aware of the need to attract and

39 retain customers , that they often overlook the second , more important , half of the

40 equation . In the excitement of beating against the competition and securing orders,

41 managers often fail to ensure that the customer remains a customer . It has been

42 estimated that since the average company loses between 10 to 30% of its customers

43 every year and this only recently have organizations started to wake up to these lost

44 opportunities and to calculate the financial implications . Established customers often

45 buy more and, in the addition , they may also provide free word-of-mouth advertising.

10、• Read the article below about airport hotels .• In most of the lines 34-45 there is one extra word . It is either grammatically incorrect or doesn’t fit in the meaning of the text . Some lines, however, are correct .• If a line is correct , write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet .• If there is a extra word in the line , write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTER on your Answer Sheet.• The exercises begins with two examples , (0) and (00) .Examples

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CHECKING IN TO A WORKING BASE

0 Smart business travelers today are staying at the airport to do business. Rather than

00 waste of time in traffic as they try to reach city center venues , business people

34 are using conference facilities on the offer at airports . Busy executives are also

35 staying there overnight to avoid the difficulty of getting there for take an early morning

36 meeting . And it makes senses for our international meetings to be held at airports . It is

37 principally through the improvement in airport hotels that has enabled this

38 development to take place . Today these mini-conference centers provide services are

39 designed for business travelers , look like a quick check-in and round-the-clock restaurants,

40 so they can get to work as quickly as possible . They are also less expensive place

41 than their city center counterparts. Not long years ago, airports hotels were

42 uncomfortable , unattractive and inconvenient for as far as the business traveler was

43 concerned . Yet now that there is strong interest , as travelers become aware of the

44 new facilities . Demand for small meeting rooms is huge , usually for interview or one-

45 to-one meetings , where executives fly in and out of the same day. The age of the

airport is upon us .