BEC商務(wù)英語中級考試真題及答案解析

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一、

1 This businessman has successfully targeted a different group of consumers.

2 With careful forward planning, this businessman is helping the company survive a difficult period.

3 The company is now more open to change because of this businessman's way of thinking.

4 This businessman has made and implemented certain decisions despite opposition to them.

5 This businessman has achieved some success by misleading people about his intentions.

6 The abilities of this businessman were previously doubted by the company that employs him.

7 This businessman is admired for his ability to manage a number of business interests.

'Businessman of the Year' Award

A James King: Chief Executive of Fentons Finance

King was nominated for the quality of his leadership, with the judges claiming that the Fentons Finance boss is almost revered by his team. He is credited with reinventing Fentons Finance - revitalising its culture of inflexibility, removing outdated pre-merger barriers and playing a brilliant tactical game. He led everyone to believe he was opposed to large mergers and then jumped on the Westcombe Bank opportunity at just the right moment. History will be the judge, but for now the markets consider King to be a star.

B Keith Nash: Chief Executive of Hamley's Supermarkets

Nash took over as CEO when Hamley's systems and distribution were out of date and the brand badly needed freshening up. He began refocusing the brand at the higher quality end of the food market and launched several own-brand initiatives for the health conscious. As a result, the share price has gone up nearly 80 per cent. This should be extremely satisfying for Nash, who had left the retailer in 1986, disappointed after failing to secure the top job.

C Jorge Marquez: Chairman of the Kenwick Group

Marquez was a popular choice for his achievements at Kenwick. The judges say he has been courageous in pushing through the appointment of controversial or inexperienced chief executives to companies within the group, and then sponsoring them as they transformed their businesses. He operates as a 'virtual' chairman, without a permanent office in any one company. He phones his CEOs regularly, and several of them have acknowledged the vital contribution he makes to their effectiveness. Everyone is impressed at how he also finds the time to be chairman of two other large companies.

D Richard Jenkins: Finance Director of Centron Advertising

Labouring in the shadow of a high-profile boss can sometimes draw attention away from the finance director, and the judges considered it was high time Jenkins got that attention. The CEO may be the public face of Centron, but Jenkins is the one who makes it run smoothly. Behind the scenes, he is constantly demonstrating that budgets and forecasts are what is needed to make a company successful, particularly now that the advertising market has been hit by recession. It is largely thanks to him that Centron is in much better shape than its rivals.

《‘Businessman of the Year' Award》年度企業(yè)家獎。分別介紹了這個獎項的四個候選人的英雄事跡。

第一題，這個企業(yè)家成功的定位了不同的消費群體。答案在B段：He began refocusing the brand at the higher quality end of the food market and launched several own-brand initiatives for the health conscious。他開始將品牌定位在高質(zhì)量的食品市場并且發(fā)起了幾項注重健康的自主品牌的運動。Health conscious是指注重健康的。一個是高質(zhì)量的食品市場，一個是注重健康的，聯(lián)合起來，就是瞄準(zhǔn)了不同的消費市場，即不同的消費群體。

第二題，通過小心的前進計劃，這個企業(yè)家?guī)椭径冗^了一個困難時期。答案是D段的這么一句：budgets and forecasts are what is needed to make a company successful, particularly now that the advertising market has been hit by recession.。預(yù)算和預(yù)告正是使得公司可以成功的，尤其當(dāng)現(xiàn)在整個廣告市場被衰退襲擊的時候。Budgets and forecast就是題干中說的careful forward planning，successful對應(yīng)于survive，a different period對應(yīng)于the market has been hit by recession。

第三題，因為這個企業(yè)家的思維方式，公司對待變化更加開明了。答案是A段的這么一句：He is credited with reinventing Fentons Finance - revitalising its culture of inflexibility。他以重塑了Fentons Finance而受到嘉獎——給了固定守舊的文化以新的生命。more open to change就可以對應(yīng)于revitalising its culture of inflexibility。revitalising是give new life to的意思。

第四題，盡管有反對意見，這個企業(yè)家還是制定并執(zhí)行了某些決定。答案是C段的這么一句：he has been courageous in pushing through the appointment of controversial or inexperienced chief executives to companies within the group在推動某些爭議性的或者是經(jīng)驗不足的執(zhí)行官的任命時他很有勇氣。從controversial和courageous可以看出來，這些任命時不完全被接受的，有反對意見(opposition)，但他還是堅持了。

第五題，這個企業(yè)家通過讓人們誤會自己的意圖而取得某些成功。答案是A段的這么一句：He led everyone to believe he was opposed to large mergers and then jumped on the Westcombe Bank opportunity at just the right moment他讓所有人相信他是反對大的并購的，然后在最佳時期跳上Westcombe銀行的機會(即收購了這個銀行)。let everyone believe，也就是misleading people about his intentions。

第六題，這個企業(yè)家的能力最初在雇傭他的公司里受到了懷疑。答案是B段最后一句，稍微隱晦點：This should be extremely satisfying for Nash, who had left the retailer in 1986, disappointed after failing to secure the top job.因為無法得到高層的職位而失望離開，結(jié)果因為他的決策，公司股價上升了，讓他很滿足。意思就是本來以這個人的能力是可以勝任高層的工作的，但是他卻沒有得到。

第七題，這個企業(yè)家因為處理一些商業(yè)利益的能力而受到仰慕。答案在C段。C段最后說這個人在不同的公司擔(dān)任要職(be chairman)，不同的公司會有商業(yè)利益的沖突，而他卻能好好處理(manage)，所以答案選C。

二、

Achieving a successful mergerHowever attractive the figures may look on paper, in the long run the success or failure of a merger depends on the human factor. When the agreement has been signed and the accountants have departed, the real problems may only just be beginning. If there is a culture clash between the two companies in the way their people work, then all the efforts of the financiers and lawyers to strike a deal may have been in vain.

According to Chris Bolton of KS Management Consultants, 70% of mergers fail to live up to their promise of shareholder value, riot through any failure in economic terms but because the integration of people is unsuccessful. Corporates, he explains, concentrate their efforts before a merger on legal, technical and financial matters. They employ a range of experts to obtain the most favourable contract possible. But even at these early stages, people issues must be taken into consideration. The strengths and weaknesses of both organisations should be assessed and, if it is a merger of equals, then careful thought should be given to which personnel, from which side, should take on the key roles.

This was the issue in 2001 when the proposed merger between two pharmaceutical companies promised to create one of the largest players in the industry. For both companies the merger was intended to reverse falling market share and shareholder value. However, although the companies' skill bases were compatible, the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation. This illustrates the need to compromise if a merger is to take place.

But even in mergers that do go ahead, there can be culture clashes. One way to avoid this is to work with focus groups to see how employees view the existing culture of their organisation. In one example, where two global organisations in the food sector were planning to merge, focus groups discovered that the companies displayed very different profiles. One was sales-focused, knew exactly what it wanted to achieve and pushed initiatives through. The other got involved in lengthy discussions, trying out options methodically and making contingency plans. The first responded quickly to changes in the marketplace; the second took longer, but the option it eventually chose was usually the correct one. Neither company's approach would have worked for the other.

The answer is not to adopt one company's approach, or even to try to incorporate every aspect of both organisations, but to create a totally new culture. This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can accept. Or almost everyone. Inevitably there will be those who cannot adapt to a different culture. Research into the impact of mergers has found that companies with differing management styles are the ones that need to work hardest at creating a new culture.

Another tool that can help to get the right cultural mix is intercultural analysis. This involves carrying out research that looks at the culture of a company and the business culture of the country in which it is based. It identifies how people, money and time are managed in a company, and investigates the business customs of the country and how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business is done.

13 According to the text, mergers can encounter problems when

A contracts are signed too quickly.

B experts cannot predict accurate figures.

C conflicting attitudes cannot be resolved.

D staff are opposed to the terms of the deal.

14 According to Chris Bolton, what do many organisations do in preparation for a merger?

A ensure their interests are represented

B give reassurances to shareholders

C consider the effect of a merger on employees

D analyse the varying strengths of their staff

15 The proposed merger of two pharmaceutical groups failed because

A major shareholders were opposed.

B there was a fall in the demand for their products.

C there were problems combining their areas of expertise.

D an issue of personal rivalry could not be resolved.

16 According to the text, focus groups can help companies to

A develop new initiatives.

B adopt contingency plans.

C be decisive and react rapidly.

D evaluate how well matched they are.

17 Creating a new culture in a newly merged organisation means that

A management styles become more flexible.

B there is more chance of the merger working.

C staff will find it more difficult to adapt to the changes.

D successful elements of the original organisations are lost.

18 According to the text, intercultural analysis will show

A what kind of benefits a merger can lead to.

B how the national context affects the way a company is run.

C how long it will take for a company culture to develop.

D what changes companies should make before a merger takes place.

《Achieving a successful merger》，實現(xiàn)一個成功的并購。文章沒有從技術(shù)和經(jīng)濟效益的角度來分析并購成功的因素，而是強調(diào)了一個在并購中容易被忽視的重要因素：文化沖突。不同的企業(yè)文化走到了一起，能否兼容是并購能否成功的關(guān)鍵因素。一個比較著名的例子是當(dāng)年惠普與康柏的并購。

第十三題，問什么情況下并購會遇到麻煩。答案是A段的最后一句，關(guān)鍵詞是culture clash：如果兩個公司的員工在工作方式上存在文化沖突，那么金融專家和律師們?yōu)榱诉_成交易所做的一切努力都是徒勞的。所以選C：沖突性的態(tài)度無法得到解決。Conflicting attitude對應(yīng)于culture clash。attitude具體指公司員工做事情的方式和態(tài)度。

第十四題，問很多機構(gòu)為并購所做的準(zhǔn)備是什么。答案是第二段的這么一句話：Corporates, he explains, concentrate their efforts before a merger on legal, technical and financial matters。公司都把精力集中在法律、技術(shù)和金融事務(wù)上了。也就是更多的看重經(jīng)濟等方面的利益，而忽視了人的因素。選A：確保他們的利益得到很好的反映，也就是自己的利益有保障。represent在這里的意思是be present or found in something, especially to a particular degree。

第十五題，問這倆醫(yī)藥公司并購失敗的原因是什么。答案是第三段的倒數(shù)第二句：the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation.在誰來領(lǐng)導(dǎo)新的機構(gòu)的問題上無法達成一致。所以選D：人員競爭問題無法得到解決。Personal rivalry就是指兩個領(lǐng)導(dǎo)誰也不服誰。

第十六題，問focus group可以幫助公司干什么。先弄明白focus group的意思，看劍橋高階的解釋：a group of people who have been brought together to discuss a particular subject in order to solve a problem or suggest ideas。處理問題的團體。答案在第四段。這一段是舉例說明兩個合并公司的文化兼容性問題。經(jīng)過focus group的調(diào)查，這兩個公司的做事方式有很大差別，不能兼容。所以這一題的答案是選D：評估他們能否匹配。

第十七題，問在一個新合并的公司里創(chuàng)造新的文化意味著什么。答案是第五段的這么一句：This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can accept。吸取雙方的優(yōu)點，創(chuàng)造一個所有人都能接受的新組織。每個人都能接受，那么合并成功的可能性會大大增加。選B：合并起作用的幾率增加了。

第十八題，跨文化分析能夠表明什么。答案是最后一段的最后一句：how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business is done.看看這個國家的政治、經(jīng)濟和歷史是怎么影響商業(yè)行為的。也就是考察宏觀的國家背景對微觀的經(jīng)濟個體的影響。選B：國家背景怎樣影響公司的運行方式。

三、

Setting up an appraisal scheme

Appraisals can be a wonderful opportunity for your staff to focus on their jobs and make plans to develop their unused potential. (0) ..........So, if you have decided that an appraisal scheme should be set up in your company, you need to establish some formal procedures and make some decisions before you begin. Even if your company already has a scheme, you need to consider what you want to achieve and how you are going to do this.

First of all, you need to decide on your key objectives and the real purpose of your scheme.(8).............A scheme should never be introduced at a time of redundancies, or simply for profit or competitive edge, because this will create fear and alienate staff. The next step is to decide how the scheme can most successfully be managed. It is essential that all senior staff are committed to the process and willing to make a positive contribution.

The person given responsibility for designing the scheme and the appraisal forms needs to have knowledge of all roles within the organisation. He or she must also be aware of employees' potential needs. (9).............It should be someone who is trusted and whom staff will turn to if they are concerned about their appointed appraiser or the appraisal interview. The design of the scheme should indicate who will be appraising whom. This needs great tact and sensitivity. First, remember that no manager can effectively appraise more than seven or eight people. It is equally important to remember that, if significant numbers of staff are appraised by someone they dislike, or by a person whose values they do not share, the success of your scheme may be threatened.(10) ............. So bear this in mind from the beginning and, if necessary, establish an appeals procedure.

Having decided on your policy and who will appraise which members of staff, you need to communicate this in the simplest possible way. Avoid lengthy documents - few people will read them. (11).............Most organisations choose a person's line manager to be the appraiser. This can be seen as an opportunity or a threat, so be ready to consider alternatives if necessary.

Once you have established the appraisal process, make sure that appraisal interviews take place at a convenient time, and ideally on neutral ground. It should be borne in mind that some appraisals may involve the disclosure of confidential information. (12) .............These will show the decisions that were taken during the interview and will also indicate any new performance targets that have been agreed.

A It is important to select a manager who can deal effectively with any suspicions staff may have about appraisals.

B Such a measure can also reduce insecurity and unite staff in recognising the positive elements of appraisal.

C Having even one staff member in such a position may affect how others respond to the process.

D Ideally, this should be to provide a supportive framework that aids staff development.

E Simply make sure that staff know who will appraise them and why, and what form the interview will take.

F It is therefore important to decide who will have access to written records of the appraisal.

G They can also be a means of getting the best out of staff, both as individuals, and as team members.

《Setting up an appraisal scheme》，制定評估計劃。

第八題，前面說做評估最重要的是決定關(guān)鍵的目標(biāo)，以及計劃的真正目的。那么接著應(yīng)該說的就是這個計劃的目的是什么。符合這一條件的是D：理想的說，這是為了提供一個幫助員工發(fā)展的支持性框架。

第九題，這一段是講選人的重要?？崭袂懊嬲f要挑選一個了解各個員工潛在需求的人，后面說這個人要能被大家信任，這樣當(dāng)員工有什么疑問時才會轉(zhuǎn)向他。從上下文看，第九空仍然是和選人有關(guān)。A最符合這個特點，有兩個關(guān)鍵地方。select a manager和deal with any suspicions，分別可以和上下文對應(yīng)。Select a manager可以對應(yīng)于前面的 the person given responsibility，deal with any suspicions可以對應(yīng)于后文的staff will turn to if they are concerned.

第十題，前面說讓員工被自己不喜歡的或者是價值觀不認(rèn)同的人來評估的話，評估計劃的成功會打折扣。所以這個第十空的講的還是關(guān)于選人的。C可以填在這里，C選項的in such a position是個暗示：讓即使只有一個員工處在這樣的位置上都會影響他人的反應(yīng)。意思是不能讓一個被大家不喜歡的人處在評估人的位置上。

第十一題，這段講評估的形式要盡可能的簡單，避免冗長的文件。能接上的是E：只需要讓員工知道誰來評估，為什么評估，以及評估的形式就行了。沒有必要弄那些復(fù)雜的沒人愿意讀的文件。

第十二題，前面說評估可能會涉及到一些機密信息的披露。后面說這些會展現(xiàn)一些訪談的決定。關(guān)鍵要理解空格后面的these代表什么。能夠show the decisions that were taken during the interview，一般是文字材料?？崭?2應(yīng)該填入F，written records是個關(guān)鍵暗示：因此決定誰來接觸這些文字材料是很重要的。

四、

Department Store Magic

For most of the 20th century Smithson's was one of Britain's most successful department stores, but by the mid-1990s, it had become dull. Still profitable, thanks largely to a series of successful advertising campaigns, but decidedly boring. The famous were careful not to be seen there, and its sales staff didn't seem to have changed since the store opened in 1908. Worst of all, its customers were buying fewer and fewer of its own-brand products,the major part of its business, and showing a preference for more fashionable brands.

But now all this has changed, thanks to Rowena Baker, who became Smithson's first woman Chief Executive three years ago. Since then, while most major retailers in Britain have been losing money, Smithson's profits have been rising steadily. When Baker started, a lot of improvements had just been made to the building, without having any effect on sales, and she took the bold decision to invite one of Europe's most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area, the heart of the store. This very quickly led to rising sales, even before the goods on display were changed. And as sales grew, so did profits.

Baker had ambitious plans for the store from the start. 'We're playing a big game, to prove we're up there with the leaders in our sector, and we have to make sure people get that message. Smithson's had fallen behind the competition. It provided a traditional service targeted at middle-aged, middle-income customers, who'd been shopping there for years, and the customer base was gradually contracting. Our idea is to sell such an exciting variety of goods that everyone will want to come in, whether they plan to spend a little or a lot.' Baker's vision for the store is clear, but achieving it is far from simple. At first, many employees resisted her improvements because they just wouldn't be persuaded that there was anything wrong with the way they'd always done things, even if they accepted that the store had to overtake its competitors. It took many long meetings, involving the entire workforce, to win their support. It helped when they realised that Baker was a very different kind of manager from the ones they had known.

Baker's staff policies contained more surprises. The uniform that had hardly changed since day one has now disappeared. Moreover, teenagers now get young shop assistants, and staff in the sports departments are themselves sports fans in trainers. As Baker explains, 'How can you sell jeans if you're wearing a black suit? Smithson's has a new identity, and this needs to be made clear to the customers.' She's also given every sales assistant responsibility for ensuring customer satisfaction, even if it means occasionally breaking company rules in the hope that this will help company profits.

Rowena Baker is proving successful, but the City's big investors haven't been persuaded. According to retail analyst, John Matthews, 'Money had already been invested in refurbishment of the store and in fact that led to the boost in sales. She took the credit, but hadn't done anything to achieve it. And in my view the company's shareholders are not convinced. The fact is that unless she opens several more stores pretty soon, Smithson's profits will start to fall because turnover at the existing store will inevitably start to decline.'

13 According to the writer, in the mid-1990s Smithson's department store

A was making a loss.

B had a problem keeping staff.

C was unhappy with its advertising agency.

D mostly sold goods under the Smithson's name.

14 According to the writer, Smithson's profits started rising three years ago because of

A an improvement in the retailing sector.

B the previous work done on the store.

C Rowena Baker's choice of designer.

D a change in the products on sale.

15 According to Rowena Baker, one problem which Smithson's faced when she joined was that

A the number of people using the store was falling slowly.

B its competitors offered a more specialised range of products.

C the store's prices were set at the wrong level.

D customers were unhappy with the service provided.

16 According to the writer, many staff opposed Baker's plans because

A they were unwilling to change their way of working.

B they disagreed with her goals for the store.

C they felt they were not consulted enough about the changes.

D they were unhappy with her style of management.

17 Baker has changed staff policies because she believes that

A the corporate image can be improved through staff uniforms.

B the previous rules were not fair to customers.

C customers should be able to identify with the staff serving them.

D employees should share in company profits.

18 What problem does John Matthews think Smithson's is facing?

A More money needs to be invested in the present store.

B The company's profits will only continue to rise if it expands.

C The refurbishment of the store is proving unpopular with customers.

D Smithson's shareholders expect a quick return on their investments.

《Department store magic》，字面上是百貨公司的魔力。講的是英國的一個百貨公司如何擺脫困境。第一段是點明公司所遭遇的困境，接著第二段講一個女CEO上臺開始轉(zhuǎn)變局面，第三段和第四段具體講這位女CEO的應(yīng)對措施，最后一段總結(jié)：革命尚未成功，同志仍需努力。

13題，問在90年代中期這個百貨公司的情況是什么樣的。答案是第一段的最后一句：its customers were buying fewer and fewer of its own-brand products, the major part of its business, and showing a preference for more fashionable brands.這個題目的答案有相當(dāng)?shù)拿曰笮浴Ｕ麄€句子都是在講客戶購買的越來越少，偏好更多的時尚品牌。所以很容易誤選A，但實際上這里并沒有說虧損。關(guān)鍵是這個地方：its own-brand products, the major part of its business。自由品牌仍然是公司業(yè)務(wù)的主要部分。所以應(yīng)該選D：主要銷售Smithson名下的產(chǎn)品。Under the Smithson’s name也就是its own brand products。

14題，問Smithson的利潤從三年前開始增長，原因是什么。答案是第二段的這么一句：she took the bold decision to invite one of Europe's most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area她做出了一個大膽的決定，邀請了歐洲最刺激的室內(nèi)設(shè)計師來開發(fā)時尚領(lǐng)域。后面緊接著就說This very quickly led to rising sales，所以答案選C：Rowena Baker的設(shè)計師選擇。

15題，問當(dāng)Rowena Baker加入時公司面臨的一個問題是什么。這題的關(guān)鍵是要理解一個句子中一個詞的含義：It provided a traditional service targeted at middle-aged, middle-income customers, who'd been shopping there for years, and the customer base was gradually contracting.。它提供的傳統(tǒng)服務(wù)目標(biāo)人群是中年中等收入者，這些人已經(jīng)在那購物多年。并且客戶基數(shù)逐漸減少。Contracting:縮小，收縮的意思。所以答案選A。

16題，問很多員工反對Baker計劃的原因是什么。答案是這么一句：many employees resisted her improvements because they just wouldn't be persuaded that there was anything wrong with the way they'd always done things。不愿意被說服他們以前做事情的方式有什么問題。意思也就是不愿意改變他們工作的方式。選A。

17題，問Baker改變員工政策的原因是什么。答案在第四段，Baker的原話：How can you sell jeans if you're wearing a black suit? Smithson's has a new identity, and this needs to be made clear to the customers。你怎么能穿著黑西服賣牛仔?Smithson有一個新的身份，這些必須對客戶很明確。也就是C選項說的“客戶必須能辨別出服務(wù)他們的員工”，A不對，沒有提到改善公司形象，B和C在原文沒有提到。

18題，問John認(rèn)為Smithson面臨的問題是什么。答案是最后一段的最后一句：The fact is that unless she opens several more stores pretty soon, Smithson's profits will start to fall because turnover at the existing store will inevitably start to decline.事實上除非她盡快的開更多的店，Smithson的利潤將會減少因為現(xiàn)有商店的營業(yè)額將不可避免的開始下降。也就是B所說的除非擴張，公司的利潤才會繼續(xù)增長。