BEC剑桥商务英语中级考试真题汇总

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BEC真题一

Market Entry —The Pioneer

Marc Crystal discusses the 'be first to market’principle

The timing of market entry is critical to the success of a new product. A company has two alternatives: it can compete to enter a new product market first - otherwise known as 'pioneering' - or it can wait for a competitor to take the lead, and then follow once the market has been established. Despite the limitations of existing research, nobody denies that there are advantages to being a pioneering company. Over the years, there has been a good deal of evidence to show a performance advantage for pioneers.

For many new products, customers are initially unsure about the contribution of product characteristics and features to the product's value. Preferences for different characteristics and their desired levels are learned over time. This enables the pioneering company to shape customer preferences in its favour. It sets the standard to which customers refer in evaluating followers' products. The pioneering product can become the classic or 'original' product for the whole category, opening up a flood of similar products onto the market, as exemplified by Walkman and Polaroid.

The pioneering product is a bigger novelty when it appears on the market, and is therefore more likely than those that follow to capture customer and distributor attention. In addition, a pioneer's advertising is not mixed up with competitors' campaigns. Even in the long term, followers must continue to spend more on advertising to achieve the same effect as pioneers. The pioneers can set standards for distribution, occupy the best locations or select the best distributors, which can give them easier access to customers. For example, in many US cities the coffee chain Starbucks, as the first to market, was able to open coffee bars in better known locations than its competitors. In many industrial markets, distributors are not keen to take on second and third products, particularly when the product is technically complex or requires large inventories of spare parts.

'Switching costs' arise when investments are required in order to switch to another product. For example, many people have developed skills in using the traditional 'qwerty' keyboard. Changing to the presumably more efficient 'dvorak' keyboard would require relearning how to type, an investment that in many cases would exceed the expected benefits in efficiency. Switching costs also arise when the quality of a product is difficult to assess. People who live abroad often experience a similar 'cost' when simple purchase decisions such as buying detergent, toothpaste or coffee suddenly become harder because the trusted brand from home is no longer available. Pioneering products have the first chance to become this trusted brand. Consequently, the companies that follow must work hard to convince customers to bear the costs and risks of switching to an untried brand of unknown quality.

Unlike other consumer sectors, the value to customers of many high technology products relies not only on their features but also on the total number of users. For example, the value of a videophone depends on the number of people using the same or a compatible system. A pioneer obviously has the opportunity to build a large user base before competitors enter the market. This reduces followers' ability to introduce differentiated products. There are other advantages of a large user base, such as the ability to share computer files with other users. Thus, software companies are often willing to give away products to build the market quickly and set a standard.

13 In the first paragraph, the writer points out that

A there is general agreement on the benefits of pioneering products.

B companies are still uncertain about how to market new products.

C most companies prefer to market new products independently.

D there are now guidelines to help those who wish to pioneer.

14 According to the information in the second paragraph, how do customers approach new products?

A They take some time to develop a liking for them.

B They make comparisons with other new products.

C They need some persuasion to purchase them.

D They consider cost an important feature.

15 The writer refers to Walkman and Polaroid because they were

A better than any of their followers.

B copied many times by their followers.

C quickly accepted by consumers.

D designed for a particular market.

16 When pioneering products are promoted, the writer notes that

A a heavy financial investment is required.

B a wide variety of advertising methods must be used.

C a clear message is likely to be communicated.

D a long campaign is usually necessary.

17 In the keyboard example, the 'costs' the writer is referring to are concerned with

A the price of the products.

B the quality of the products.

C the need for user training.

D the lack of useful information.

18 According to the final paragraph, the high technology market differs from other consumer markets in that

A it is still a relatively new area of consumerism.

B it is not dependent on product characteristics alone.

C there are so many different types of product on the market.

D there is such a great demand for high technology products.

《Market Entry—The Pioneer》，市场准入，先行者。这篇文章讲的就是经济学里提到的“先行者优势”。在一个市场上抢占了先机，给了消费者先入为主的印象，后来者想要占领市场就会比较困难。

13题，问第一段作者指出了什么观点。第一段是引出全文，说明了做先行者的优势。答案是despite后面的一句：Despite the limitations of existing research, nobody denies that there are advantages to being a pioneering company。没有人会否认做先驱公司有很多的优势。所以这题的答案是A：对于先驱产品的好处已经达成了共识。nobody denies也就是there is general agreement，advantages to being a pioneering company对应于the benefits of pioneering products。

14题，问根据第二段的信息，消费者是怎么处理新产品的。Approach在这里是处理的意思：to start dealing with a problem, task, etc. in a particular way:。答案是这一句：Preferences for different characteristics and their desired levels are learned over time对不同特性的喜爱以及他们预期的水平是要通过时间来培养的。也就是答案A所说的他们需要时间来培养喜欢。

15题，问作者列举walkman和Polaroid的原因是什么。作者是在第二段的最后一句话里列举他俩的：The pioneering product can become the classic or 'original' product for the whole category, opening up a flood of similar products onto the market, as exemplified by Walkman and Polaroid.这些先驱产品变成了全部目录里德经典或者原版产品，引发了一系列相似产品涌进市场。所以答案选B：被追随者抄袭了无数次。Similar products其实就是copy的含蓄说法。

16题，有待斟酌~

17题，问在键盘的例子中，作者提到的成本是同什么相关联的。答案在第四段：For example, many people have developed skills in using the traditional 'qwerty' keyboard. Changing to the presumably more efficient 'dvorak' keyboard would require relearning how to type。很多人已经培养出了使用传统键盘的技巧，换做可能更有效的键盘需要重新学习怎么样打字。也就是这题的答案选C：使用者需要重新训练。

18题，问在最后一段中，高科技市场同其他消费者市场相区别的地方在哪里。答案是最后一段的这么一句：the value to customers of many high technology products relies not only on their features but also on the total number of users不仅依赖于高科技产品的特征还有使用者的总人数。答案选B：不仅仅只依赖于产品的特性。

BEC真题二

Another successful year

The UK-based agricultural and garden equipment group PLT has had another successful year and is looking forward to the future with confidence. The group, which also has distribution and fuel (19),has enjoyed record profits for the fifth year in a (20) . Pre-tax profits for the year (21) March 31 rose by 24 per cent to £4.2 million.

Total group sales (22) by five per cent to £155 million, with the agricultural business delivering yet another record (23), despite the somewhat difficult trading (24) in the industry. Sales in the garden equipment (25) were slow in the early months of the year, but increased dramatically in the final quarter.

Chairman Suresh Kumar said, ‘It is my (26) that we have continued to grow by (27) our customers well. I am delighted to (28) the continued development of our customer (29) and I would like to thank all our customers for their (30).As well as an increase in customers,our staff numbers also continue to grow. During the year, we have taken(31)58 new employees, so that our total workforce now numbers in excess of 700. All of the staff deserve my praise for their dedication and continued efforts in (32) these excellent results.’

The group has proposed a final (33) of 9.4p per share, bringing the total to 13p for the year.

19 A commitments B interests C responsibilities D benefits

20 A row B series C line D sequence

21 A completing B closing C finalising D ending

22 A extended B lifted C expanded D climbed

23 A display B production C performance D demonstration

24 A conditions B features C states D aspects

25 A part B division C component D side

26 A certainty B thought C belief D idea

27 A caring B dealing C providing D treating

28 A inform B notify C comment D report

29 A source B base C foundation D origin

30 A support B favour C assistance D service

31 A up B back C on D over

32 A winning B gaining C achieving D earning

33 A dividend B recompense C return D interest

这是一篇总结性的文章，讲述了一个公司一年的业绩状况，形势喜人。

19题，interests在这里的用法比较特殊，不是兴趣，而是股权，权益的证明：

1)Something in which such a right, claim, or share is held:

权益、债权或股权的证明：

has interests overseas.

有海外产权

2)A person or group of persons holding such a right, claim, or share:

持有此种权益、债权或股权的人或集团：

a petroleum interest.

石油业者

20题，很显然意思是连续五年利润创记录，in a row是固定短语，连续几次的，连续不断的;in a line是成一排。

21题，年税前收益截至3月31日增长了24%，达到了420万英镑。the year ending March 31，表示以3月31日结束

22题，意思很明显，销售增长了5%。climb有一种用法是指数量或水平的增长(to increase in number, amount, or level)。例句：The temperature has climbed steadily since this morning.

23和24题，虽然整个行业的贸易状况很困难，但是agricultural business创造了另一个创纪录的表现。

25题，garden equipment division 园林设备部。截至目前所做的解析，这个division已经是第二次在完形填空里出现了。

26和27题，It is my belief that 我相信。我相信是因为好好对待了客户所以我们才会持续增长。

28题，很高兴报告客户基数的持续增长。从意思上看可以排除C，A和B都是比较正式的通知，选D，报告。

29题，customer base客户基数，这也已经是第二次考到了。

30题，典型的客套话，感谢客户的支持。

31题，新增了58位新员工。take up占据，拿起，继续，开始从事等等;take back拿回，收回;take on一般做呈现讲，有雇佣的意思(朗文：to start to employ someone)，例句：We're taking on 50 new staff this year.take over接管。

32题，付出了持续不断的努力实现了这些结果。achieve是最地道的。

33题，只需要理解dividend的意思就行了，因为后面有share(股份)，dividend是红利。recompense是给….以补偿。

疑问：

23题为什么不能选D做“示范”讲?

先从文章的内容来理解的话，23这个空说的是agricultural business的业绩好，表现好，用performance是很完美合适的

具体说这个demonstration,的确有“示范”的意思，但在英英词典是这么解释的：

“an act of explaining and showing how to do something or how something works”,中文做“演示”讲

所以用在这里是不合适的，并没有进行业绩演示

你理解的“示范”，应该是那种带有榜样性质的示范。单看中文意思很容易混淆

BEC真题三

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》，字面上是百货公司的魔力。讲的是英国的一个百货公司如何摆脱困境。第一段是点明公司所遭遇的困境，接着第二段讲一个女CEO上台开始转变局面，第三段和第四段具体讲这位女CEO的应对措施，最后一段总结：革命尚未成功，同志仍需努力。

13题，问在90年代中期这个百货公司的情况是什么样的。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.这个题目的答案有相当的迷惑性。整个句子都是在讲客户购买的越来越少，偏好更多的时尚品牌。所以很容易误选A，但实际上这里并没有说亏损。关键是这个地方：its own-brand products, the major part of its business。自由品牌仍然是公司业务的主要部分。所以应该选D：主要销售Smithson名下的产品。Under the Smithson’s name也就是its own brand products。

14题，问Smithson的利润从三年前开始增长，原因是什么。答案是第二段的这么一句：she took the bold decision to invite one of Europe's most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area她做出了一个大胆的决定，邀请了欧洲最刺激的室内设计师来开发时尚领域。后面紧接着就说This very quickly led to rising sales，所以答案选C：Rowena Baker的设计师选择。

15题，问当Rowena Baker加入时公司面临的一个问题是什么。这题的关键是要理解一个句子中一个词的含义：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.。它提供的传统服务目标人群是中年中等收入者，这些人已经在那购物多年。并且客户基数逐渐减少。Contracting:缩小，收缩的意思。所以答案选A。

16题，问很多员工反对Baker计划的原因是什么。答案是这么一句：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。不愿意被说服他们以前做事情的方式有什么问题。意思也就是不愿意改变他们工作的方式。选A。

17题，问Baker改变员工政策的原因是什么。答案在第四段，Baker的原话：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。你怎么能穿着黑西服卖牛仔?Smithson有一个新的身份，这些必须对客户很明确。也就是C选项说的“客户必须能辨别出服务他们的员工”，A不对，没有提到改善公司形象，B和C在原文没有提到。

18题，问John认为Smithson面临的问题是什么。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.事实上除非她尽快的开更多的店，Smithson的利润将会减少因为现有商店的营业额将不可避免的开始下降。也就是B所说的除非扩张，公司的利润才会继续增长。

BEC真题四

Lucy Robertson started working at a takeaway 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 ￡6m.

She had never planned to own a business, and had certainly never considered a career in catering. (0)... ... . 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 loyalty is not to be underestimated,' she warns. But Robertson 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 ￡700,000 to ￡l .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-capitalised 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 rival company.

C But this demand was short-lived, and before long, increasing competition made it harder to 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.

《Buffet Zone》，自助餐区域，在这篇文章里的意思应该是自助餐领域，讲的是一个在自助餐领域取得了惊人成绩的杰出女性创业的故事。这套题目不难，尤其比起第四辑的题目。文章本身有很清晰的故事发展脉络，选项和原文的对应也比较明显。文章的几个段落是按照时间先后、故事发生的先后进行的，很明确。第一段是总括，第二段是讲的创业起步阶段的一些困难以及应对困难的对策，第三段是公司好转后的办公室重置(relocation)，第四、五段是公司的竞争情况，最后一段总结。

第八题，前面说一时冲动她买下了这个外卖餐馆(takeaway)，事实上那个时候她对餐饮业一无所知。空格后面说的是这段时间很困难，但是对获得所需要的经验却是很有必要的。所以第八题的空格部分应该填入跟学习、积累经验有关的内容。D选型最吻合，It was a dramatic learning curve，这里的learning是关键词，很明显的答案信号。还有very small amounts of money were earned at first，at first也是关键词。

第九题，空格前面说large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches，大量的办公室员工需要外卖食品做午饭，这里的wanting是个很关键的词。空格后面话锋一转，说曾经一度5公里内有26家食品商店，但是经济转变了，一条街都空了(blocks started to become vacant)。从上下文来分析，第九空的内容应该和办公室员工的外卖需求有关，同时带有转折意思。C选项完全符合这一条件：但是这种需求是短暂的，不久，逐渐增长的竞争使得赢得利润变得更加困难。

第十题，上文说经济形势转变了，所以Robertson决定从事多样化的经营。后面说这种做法永远的改变了公司的经营方式。所以第十空应该填入相应的对策，怎么样来应对经济形势的转变。符合这一条件的是B和E，都是关于解决问题的，但是B选项所说的招募竞争对手的餐厅经理在上下文内容中没有提到。应该选D，为商业大厦送饭，正好对应下一段所说的。

第十一题，这一题才应该选B，前面说竞争对手给自己造成了很大的困扰。但是Robertson却不是那么容易屈服的人。后面说部分原因是这个，营业额翻倍了。所以中间应该也是填入对策。和竞争对手有关的，应该选B，B的particular是个关键词，rival company也很明显。

第十二题，前面说Robertson想收购一个竞争对手，但是没成功，结果人家公司自己破产倒闭了。后面来了一个many accepted，可以看出这中间应该填入的是人家公司破产后Robertson的一些举措。F满足这一条件：一听到这些，Robertson马上联系他们的客户并且提供了自己公司的服务。 疑似生词和句子：

1、buffet: a meal at which people serve themselves from a table and then stand or sit somewhere else to eat 自助餐

2、takeaway

a、a restaurant that cooks and sells food that you take away and eat somewhere else 外卖餐馆

b、a meal that you buy at this type of restaurant 外卖的饭菜;外卖食物

3、in retrospect: thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it from the one you had at the time 回顾

4、under-capitalised: (about a business) not having enough money (capital) to be able to operate normally, pay debts and grow 资金不足。

5、Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.

这个句子里if的用法比较少见，参见朗文的解释：used when adding one criticism of a person or thing that you generally like

e.g: Lunch was a grand if rather noisy affair.

所以G选项的意思就是：然而，离开大学后她学的是会计，一个平淡无奇的职业道路似乎已经铺就

BEC真题五

B 1 It would be advisable for Flacks to consult customers before developing a new product.

D 2 Producing goods for specialist markets might increase Flacks' profits.

C 3 Flacks may need to change the function of one of its facilities.

A 4 Flacks should utilise its current expertise to enter a different market.

B 5 Flacks may need to consider closing its current production facility.

C 6 Flacks should develop the connections it has established with leading retailers.

A 7 Expanding the product range would not be a problem for the workforce.

Flacks is a UK-based company that produces fashion accessories for women. How can it continue to grow its business?

A Susan Falmer

Faced with a shrinking market, cheap imports and competitive pricing, Flacks will have to work hard to increase its margins. They need to move into a more promising market, one where demand is growing and where the company can exploit existing skills and contacts. They could think about brand extension - this would not be a giant leap and the sales force would take it in its stride. Also, they wouldn't need to re-equip their factory and could use non-UK sourcing if facilities here are in short supply.

B Mesut Guzel

They have the fundamentals of a survival strategy in a market where outsourced manufacture and brand differentiation hold the key to success. I think they should initially locate some of their production in another country, where manufacturing quality tends to be better and it is easier to meet changing customer demands. But they should also regularly monitor production in Britain and think about outsourcing all this work abroad at some point if they need it done faster. The company should continue to work on innovative products, and thorough market research will help to ensure any new ideas are well received.

C Gary Wilmot

In order to beat their rivals in a highly competitive market, Flacks should ensure their products are attractive and build on their relationships with the big stores rather than trying to go it alone and market directly. They should also consider refocusing production by using their UK factory for high-specification products. They could eventually build more production overseas in a cycle of continuous development.

D Michal Kaminski

The demand for fashion accessories is relatively flat and the company should consider exploiting niche markets to improve its margins. But even within these, Flacks must distinguish its goods from those of its rivals in terms of quality, performance and design. Innovative sales, marketing and PR are vital to exploit these niche products. One competitive advantage that Flacks does have is production times. Many retail chains now have two-tier supply chains and Flacks could focus on top-up orders. They might also investigate other sales channels such as mail order.

这篇文章是关于一个女性时尚饰品公司——Flacks的发展战略问题，四个专家给出了自己的建议。这套题目的答案稍微有些隐晦。

第一题，说在开发新产品前咨询客户的意见对于Flacks来讲是很明智的。答案是B段的最后一句：thorough market research will help to ensure any new ideas are well received.彻底的市场调查能够确保新的思想很好的被接受。Market research，市场调查，在很大程度上就是咨询客户的意见(consult customers)，any new ideas可以对应于developing a new product,能够well received，那么对于公司来讲当然就是advisable了。选B。

第二题，说为专业市场生产产品可以增加利润。答案是D段的这么一句：the company should consider exploiting niche markets to improve its margins这题关键是要理解一个市场的含义：niche market。看英英解释：a small area of trade within the economy, often involving specialized products。improve its margins也就是increase profits，选D。

第三题，说Flacks可能需要改变它的一个设备的功能。这里答案不是太明显，是C段的这么一句：They should also consider refocusing production by using their UK factory for high-specification products。他们也需要考虑通过利用英国工厂生产高规格产品来调整生产焦点。也就是说，英国工厂原来不是生产高规格产品的，即题目说的改变它的一个设备的功能。

第四题，说Flacks可以利用现有的技能来进入一个新的市场。答案是A段的这么一句：They need to move into a more promising market, one where demand is growing and where the company can exploit existing skills and contacts。他们需要进入一个更有发展前景的市场，一个需求增长并且公司可以利用现有技能和合同的市场。exploit existing skills也就是utilise its current expertise。

第五题，说Flacks可以考虑关闭现有的生产设备。这题也有些隐晦，答案是这么一句：think about outsourcing all this work abroad。关键就在于outsource这个词的意思：turn to outside suppliers or manufacturers外购。既然是要考虑outsource——turn to outside manufactures，那么也就是可以考虑关闭自己的生产设备了。选B。

第六题，说Flacks应该考虑发展同领先的连锁商已经建立起来的关系。答案在C段：build on their relationships with the big stores发展他们同大商店的关系。

第七题，说扩展产品范围对劳动力来讲不是问题。答案在A段：They could think about brand extension - this would not be a giant leap and the sales force would take it in its stride.他们可以考虑品牌扩张——这不是一个巨大的跳跃，在销售力量的步调范围之内。言下之意，不是问题。选A。