BEC商务英语中级考试真题

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1.The bank with ideas

With several hundred years of history behind it, the APL Bank has few problems in convincing businesses that it is reputable and secure__21__ of a range of banking serving. Now, it is demonstrating to business customers that it is flexible and responsive enough to ___22___ their changing needs in the 21st century.

Based in London, APL offers banking services to businesses throughout the UK via its branch __23___. Most customer service provision is ___24_ out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with ___25__ staff at company headquarters.

An important ___26__for APL has been to make it easy for customers to __27__business with the bank. They can contact their account manager by direct line or email; if the manager is on holiday, a carefully chosen colleague becomes the ‘account contact’ and ___28__with the customer during the manager’s ___29___. In addition, for those who want ___30__ to their bank at any time of day or night there is now a 24-hour phone-based service.

In order to remain competitive and build customer loyalty, the bank guarantees to turn around urgent loan___31__within 24 hours. This focus on the customer has also been a driving __32__in APL’s recruitment and development policy. For example, newly inducted staff ___33__a ‘customer service review’ to find out what it is like to be on the other side of the desk, asking to borrow money.

Together, these ___34__in banking have achieved excellent results. The customer__35___is growing fast, and last year the bank gained 36,000 new business accounts.

正确答案为橙色字体

21. A. producer B. supplier C. provider D. giver

22. A achieve B. reach C meet D. assist

23. A. system B. web C. grid D. network

24. A. taken B. brought C. carried D. put

25. A. aid B. support C. guidance D. backing

26. A. objective B. purpose C. direction D. scheme

27. A do B. run C. make D. have

28. A copes B. arranges C. handles D. deals

29. A vacancy B. departure C. absence D. retirement

30. A access B. entrance C. approach D. opening

31. A. demands B. applications C. proposals D. orders

32. A power B. strength C. force D. pressure

33. A take over B. go through C. set down D. put up

34. A. innovations B. adaptations C. revisions D. modernization

35. A. source B. base C. centre D. foundation

网友提问：

Most customer service provision is carried out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with __________ staff at company headquarters.

1. aid

2. support

3. guidance

4. backing

为什么用support，不用backing?两者有什么区别么?

解答：

这里不能选择backing。back有支持的意思，但是backing表支持时却是名词

(support or help, especially with money。

查了朗文词典和剑桥词典，backing做形容词时只在朗文词典里有一种解释：backing singers

意思应该是背景歌手或者是伴唱歌手。

所以给出的空里不能选backing.

support staff可以说是一种固定的用法，意思是支持人员，或者是后勤人员、运维人员，填入这个句子的空格处正好合适。

这是《金融时报》词典的解释：Employees whose work is helping a company or organization to operate, for example technical or administrative workers

橙色标注的几个空将做重点解答

21、争议的焦点可能在B和C之间，supplier 还是provider。

supplier更侧重于提供某种产品(朗文：a company or person that provides a particular product)

provider强调提供某种服务(朗文：a company or person that provides a service)

联系这个空后面的banking serving，这里应该选择provider。

23、network 相互关系(配合)的系统

branch network 由分支机构构成的网络。

这个词很好理解，看一遍就会了。如果是第一次选，没准会选中system

28、cope with后接事 deal with可接人和事

handle是及物动词，后面直接接人和事，相当于deal with

31、loan application 贷款申请

apply for loan 固定用法

33、go through 仔细的查看，后面正好和customer service review搭配。

driving force和customer base属于固定用法

2.Chairman's Report

I am pleased to report that, although we had been expecting poor results for this half year because of slow growth in the world economy, the company has performed very satisfactorily.Operating profits for this first half are in fact very much (19) with those for the corresponding (20) last year. Profits reached ￡l 15 million before tax, compared with ￡l 16.3 million last year. Much of our success in the last six months can be (21) to the fact that all our major construction projects remained on schedule. Particularly pleasing was the early (22)of a major building contract in Canada.

The company has made good progress with the initiatives announced at the Annual General Meeting. The majority of shareholders (23) the Board's decision to sell the company's loss-making engineering (24). It was the Board's belief that the company would (25) most benefit by (26) its resources on the expansion of its construction activities. Negotiations with a potential buyer began in February and are now at a critical (27).However, we feel that we are not as yet in a (28) to comment on what the outcome is likely to be.

In June, we made a successful (29) for the Renishaw Construction Company of Hong Kong SAR, in order to give us greater (30) to markets in South East Asia. We still have sufficient resources to pursue our growth (31) and are at present (32) several other business opportunities which, like Renishaw Construction, would (33) new markets to us.

19.A in order B on track C in line D on target

20.A session B term C season D period

21.A attributed B referred C assigned D designated

22.A termination B ending C completion D finalising

23.A confirmed B maintained C agreed D supported

24.A portion B component C sector D division

25.A have B gain C find D earn

26.A focusing B directing C pointing D strengthening

27.A height B step C edge D stage

28.A condition B point C position D capacity

29.A request B price C demand D bid

30.A access B approach C admission D entrance

31.A strategy B process C promotion D system

32.A inquiring B deliberating C exploring D searching

33.A send B open C provide D give

文章是一篇报告，介绍了公司某段时间的发展状况，总体的势头是良好的，积极向上。

19和20题需要在一起考虑，从整体上把握句子的意思。in line with与....一致;on track ：doing or saying things that are likely to be successful or correct步入正轨;on target(射击)准。20空选词关键要将空格前面的those for the corresponding和前面的for this first half对应，这里空格填入的词要能和this first half相匹配，表示时间段，时期，所以是period。因为是半年，所以不选season。整个句子的意思是这半年的营业利润(operating profit)实际上是与去年同期相一致的。

21题，attribute to，表原因，联系整个句子不难做出选择。designate是委任、指派

22题，意思是完成了一个主要的建筑合同，从一个pleasing可以看出感情基调，A和B肯定不选，不是终止也不是结束，finalise最后定下来，定案。

23题，大部分股东都支持、赞同董事会的决定，选support，如果是agree的话后面需要with。

24题，董事会的决定是卖掉公司亏损的工程部。A、B首先排除，做完形填空最忌讳的是把汉语思维和汉语含义带入英文语境中，有的时候宁可选自己从来没有见过的用法，也不要从汉语意思出发强塞一个英文单词进去。sector是(尤指一国经济的)部门、行业，division是(一个机构的)部门。

25和26题，句子的意思是公司将通过把资源集中在建筑活动的扩张上来获得大部分的收益。25题的A和C容易排除，关键是看gain还是earn。earn是通过努力挣到一笔钱(to receive a particular amount of money for the work that you do)，gain是获得或者实现什么(to obtain or achieve something you want or need)，因为是公司的战略，所以用gain更合适一些。

27题，at a critical stage，在一个关键的阶段。

28题，in a position to do sth.能够做某事。固定搭配

29题，成功招标，bid

30题，give us greater access to markets给我们更大的市场准入

31题，growth strategy，增长策略，追求我们的增长策略。

32题，探索更多的商业机会。inquire询问;deliberate仔细考虑，深思熟虑;

33题，为我们开放新的市场。provide后需要加wit

3.Achieving a successful merger

However 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》，实现一个成功的并购。文章没有从技术和经济效益的角度来分析并购成功的因素，而是强调了一个在并购中容易被忽视的重要因素：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成功的关键因素。一个比较著名的例子是当年惠普与康柏的并购。

第十三题，问什么情况下并购会遇到麻烦。答案是A段的最后一句，关键词是culture clash：如果两个公司的员工在工作方式上存在文化冲突，那么金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：冲突性的态度无法得到解决。Conflicting attitude对应于culture clash。attitude具体指公司员工做事情的方式和态度。

第十四题，问很多机构为并购所做的准备是什么。答案是第二段的这么一句话：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原因是什么。答案是第三段的倒数第二句：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致。所以选D：人员竞争问题无法得到解决。Personal 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，看剑桥高阶的解释：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：评估他们能否匹配。

第十七题，问在一个新合并的公司里创造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，创造一个所有人都能接受的新组织。每个人都能接受，那么合并成功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。答案是最后一段的最后一句：how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business 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。

4.Issues in the recruitment world

In the competitive world of investment banking, good senior executives are not easy to find. So what should the industry's hard-pressed directors do when they need to find senior staff? Increasingly, they decide to call in the headhunters. These are busy and profitable times for the recruitment agencies that dominate the world of executive search and selection.

(0) .....They needed new people to revitalise their operations, and the result has been a boom in the recruitment market. Pinnacle, a leading recruitment agency, has helped various UK investment banks to rebuild their entire senior management teams. It is hard to overstate the significance of this. (8)............

But now everything has changed, and Pinnacle is not the only major player in the field. Some analysts believe that rival recruitment specialists ALT Associates has a larger share of the market. However, there is little doubt that over its 13-year history, Pinnacle and its chairman, Matthew Edwards, have built up an impressive reputation.

Edwards estimates that his company controls between 10 and 15 per cent of the headhunting market for senior investment banking jobs in the UK. (9)............Rather, it is the high-calibre jobs and people that Pinnacle deals with that define the company's success. For example, the company was recently commissioned to find a new chairman for NBS Bank, a vacancy that was one of the most talked about in the banking world.

Most HR directors recognise that headhunters such as Pinnacle play a valuable role in the recruitment process.(10)............Some are concerned that a few companies, including Pinnacle, have too much power over high-level recruitment.(11)............As Tim Davidson, HR Director at Cawfield Bank, explains, They can be kingmakers. These are the people who decide who gets a future and who doesn't. If Edwards forms a view about an individual, it can affect their ability to get a particular job. That view could just have been formed on a bad day.' (12)............ Final decisions in the selection process are always taken by his clients, he says, whoever they are.

The role of headhunters should not be exaggerated. Many companies never use them. But as top executives are hard to find, there will always be a role for people like Matthew Edwards.

A Although others may put it lower, it is important to remember that the company's reputation is not based on market share alone.

B Their chief worry is that the headhunters can now make or break managerial careers.

C According to Edwards, this is a further indication that the way Pinnacle searches for a candidate tends to favour a certain type of manager.

D But this acceptance does not mean they are universally happy, either with the state of the market or with Pinnacle's role within it.

E Until a few years ago, even the biggest companies were unlikely to use headhunters to fill more than one or two jobs a year.

F Edwards objects to this suggestion, claiming that all he does is find candidates and encourage them to apply for a particular post.

G A number of big investment banks recently decided to make changes to their management boards after disappointing end-of-year results.

《Issues in the recruitment world》，招聘世界里的话题。围绕猎头公司(headhunter)展开，说明了猎头公司的发展和重要性，以及用人单位对猎头公司的一些疑问。第一段引出话题，说现在正是猎头公司占领市场的时候。接下来几段顺序介绍了猎头市场的发展阶段，从起步阶段(第二段的内容)，到逐步发家(第三段)，当中列举了一个猎头公司的情况加以说明(第四段)，然后第五段介绍了用人单位对猎头公司的一些质疑。最后一段是总的概括。做这种题一定要理清文章的逻辑顺序，从整体上把握文章脉络。

第八题，第二段的最后一句。第二段是简单引出猎头公司的起步，起步阶段并没有多少公司认识到猎头公司的重要性，就如第八题前面的一句话所说：It is hard to overstate the significance of this。很难高估这个的重要性，也就是说猎头公司的作用并没有被完全的认识到。后面的空格应该相应的填入猎头公司不太被重视的句子。E选项正好满足这个特点：直到几年前，甚至最大的公司都不可能一年利用猎头公司来填补一两个职位。

第九题，主要是介绍Pinnacle这个猎头公司的情况。前面说这个公司的市场份额在10%到15%，空格后面一个rather(相反)，说定义公司成功的应该是公司所处理的高质量的工作和客户。中间应填入一个表转折意思的句子，并且可能和公司的市场份额有关。A句满足这个要求：虽然其他人可能把它(指市场份额)估计得更低，但一个公司的名声不仅仅是建立在市场份额基础上的。

第五段，集中填入三个句子，所以一定要从意思上进行把握。这一段是用人单位对猎头公司的一些质疑，然后猎头公司Pinnacle的主席Edwards进行了一些反驳。

这一段第一句话说人力资源部经理认为Pinnacle发挥了很重要的作用，接着空格后面说的是Some are concerned that…也就是一些人提出了担心，所以中间的第十题应该填入表示转折意思的句子，而且可能是对猎头公司发挥的作用的消极看法。D满足这一要求：但是这种认可不代表他们完全的高兴。BUT是个关键的信号，acceptance是指代前面人力资源经理们对猎头公司发挥作用的认可。

第十一题，前面的句子是对猎头公司发挥作用的担心，认为它们权力过大了。这一题后面的句子是引用一个人力资源经理的解释，进一步说明猎头公司的影响力太大。所以十一题也应该与此相关。B符合：他们首要担心的是猎头公司会创造或者破坏管理职业生涯。Worry是关键词，同前面的concern相对应，make or break managerial careers也就是上下文所说的权利过大，简直拥有生杀大权。

第十二题，理解了前面的，不难做出选择。这里很明显就是猎头公司为自己辩护。前面指责猎头公司的评价会影响个人的选择。而空格后面是Edwards的解释，说最终的决定权是掌握在客户自己手中。所以这一题很明显应该填入对前面表示反驳的句子，也就是F，object to，非常明显的信号：Edwards反对这种说法，声称他所做的无非就是寻找候选人然后鼓励他们去申请某个特定的职位。

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