BEC商务英语中级考试真题及答案解析汇总.docx

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1、BEC商务英语中级考试真题及答案解析二、 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 t

2、here 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, rio

3、t 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 the

4、se 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

5、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 e

6、xecutives 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 em

7、ployees 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 in

8、itiatives 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 app

9、roach 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 a

10、lmost 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

11、 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

12、 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.

13、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 pharmaceut

14、ical 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 ne

15、w 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 diffi

16、cult 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 cult

17、ure to develop. D what changes companies should make before a merger takes place. Achieving a successful merger，实现一个胜利的并购。文章没有从技术和经济效益的角度来分析并购胜利的因素，而是强调了一个在并购中简单被忽视的重要因素：文化冲突。不同的企业文化走到了一起，能否兼容是并购能否胜利的关键因素。一个比较闻名的例子是当年惠普与康柏的并购。 第十三题，问什么状况下并购会遇到麻烦。答案是A段的最终一句，关键词是culture clash：假如两个公司的员工在工作方式上存在文化冲突，那么金

18、融专家和律师们为了达成交易所做的一切努力都是徒劳的。所以选C：冲突性的看法无法得到解决。Conflicting attitude对应于culture clash。attitude详细指公司员工做事情的方式和看法。 第十四题，问许多机构为并购所做的打算是什么。答案是其次段的这么一句话：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、技术和金融事务上了。也就是更多的看重经济等方面的利益，而忽视了人的因素。选

19、A：确保他们的利益得到很好的反映，也就是自己的利益有保障。represent在这里的意思是be present or found in something, especially to a particular degree。 第十五题，问这俩医药公司并购失败的缘由是什么。答案是第三段的倒数其次句：the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation.在谁来领导新的机构的问题上无法达成一样。所以选D：人员竞争问题无法得到解决。Pers

20、onal rivalry就是指两个领导谁也不服谁。 第十六题，问focus group可以帮助公司干什么。先弄明白focus group的意思，看剑桥高阶的说明：a group of people who have been brought together to discuss a particular subject in order to solve a problem or suggest ideas。处理问题的团体。答案在第四段。这一段是举例说明两个合并公司的文化兼容性问题。经过focus group的调查，这两个公司的做事方式有很大差别，不能兼容。所以这一题的答案是选D：评估他们能

21、否匹配。 第十七题，问在一个新合并的公司里创建新的文化意味着什么。答案是第五段的这么一句：This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can accept。吸取双方的优点，创建一个全部人都能接受的新组织。每个人都能接受，那么合并胜利的可能性会大大增加。选B：合并起作用的几率增加了。 第十八题，跨文化分析能够表明什么。答案是最终一段的最终一句：how its politics, economics and history impact on the way busin

22、ess is done.看看这个国家的政治、经济和历史是怎么影响商业行为的。也就是考察宏观的国家背景对微观的经济个体的影响。选B：国家背景怎样影响公司的运行方式。 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

23、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

24、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 seni

25、or 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 sho

26、uld 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 app

27、raise 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 n

28、ecessary, 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 a

29、ppraiser. 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 appra

30、isals 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 ma

31、y 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 aid

32、s 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 individu

33、als, and as team members. Setting up an appraisal scheme，制定评估安排。 第八题，前面说做评估最重要的是确定关键的目标，以及安排的真正目的。那么接着应当说的就是这个安排的目的是什么。符合这一条件的是D：志向的说，这是为了供应一个帮助员工发展的支持性框架。 第九题，这一段是讲选人的重要。空格前面说要选择一个了解各个员工潜在需求的人，后面说这个人要能被大家信任，这样当员工有什么疑问时才会转向他。从上下文看，第九空仍旧是和选人有关。A最符合这个特点，有两个关键地方。select a manager和deal with any suspicion

34、s，分别可以和上下文对应。Select a manager可以对应于前面的 the person given responsibility，deal with any suspicions可以对应于后文的staff will turn to if they are concerned. 第十题，前面说让员工被自己不喜爱的或者是价值观不认同的人来评估的话，评估安排的胜利会打折扣。所以这个第十空的讲的还是关于选人的。C可以填在这里，C选项的in such a position是个示意：让即使只有一个员工处在这样的位置上都会影响他人的反应。意思是不能让一个被大家不喜爱的人处在评估人的位置上。 第十一

35、题，这段讲评估的形式要尽可能的简洁，避开冗长的文件。能接上的是E：只须要让员工知道谁来评估，为什么评估，以及评估的形式就行了。没有必要弄那些困难的没人情愿读的文件。 第十二题，前面说评估可能会涉及到一些机密信息的披露。后面说这些会呈现一些访谈的确定。关键要理解空格后面的these代表什么。能够show the decisions that were taken during the interview，一般是文字材料。空格12应当填入F，written records是个关键示意：因此确定谁来接触这些文字材料是很重要的。 四、 Department Store Magic For most o

36、f 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

37、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 beca

38、me 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,

39、 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 t

40、he 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 custome

41、rs, 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 fa

42、r 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 enti

43、re 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

44、 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

45、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 Matthe

46、ws, '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 p

47、retty 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 agen

48、cy. 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