BEC阅读材料

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BEC商务英语阅读材料：埃及民主之死

The illusion that Egypt’s military-backed interim government was willing and able to take the country to inclusive elections after last month’s anti-Islamist coup vanished amid the carnage on Cairo’s streets on Wednesday. With chaos spreading across the country, the military has declared a state of emergency. As the army tightens its grip and the death toll mounts, so too does the threat of civil war.

Violence was inevitable once the security forces moved in on the Islamist protesters who have occupied public squares in Cairo to call for the release of former President Mohamed Morsi. All sides share the blame. Islamists have refused every offer of negotiation, demanding as a precondition the release and reinstatement of the deeply unpopular Mr Morsi. Worse, at the height of the violence, they called for more protesters to join the pitched battles instead of appealing for calm.

The military, which brought down a democratically elected government last month and now pulls the strings of a nominally civilian executive, has ignited Islamist fury further by trying to crush the Muslim Brotherhood. Hundreds of leaders have been rounded up and jailed, while Mr Morsi is being held on trumped-up charges. Until the resignation on Wednesday evening of Mohamed ElBaradei, secularists in the government have stood by as state forces were deployed against civilians in weeks of clashes that have left hundreds dead.

International efforts to bring the warring camps to the bargaining table have failed. Diplomatic missions by the US and EU could not prevent the bloodshed on Wednesday. Yet more than diplomacy is needed to overcome the intransigence of those who believe the only path to victory is the destruction of the other. Washington has so far refused to suspend the $1.3bn in aid to Egypt’s military. This should now be done until the violence is halted and all parties agree to talks. The release of Mr Morsi has to be on the table.

But pressure also has to be exerted on the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey or Qatar are best placed to intervene with Egypt’s Islamists. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, condemned the earlier military coup, but this should not rule out him acting as an intermediary in concert with other parties. Qatar could also play a useful role. The new emir may be wary of foreign entanglements but he and the rest of the world should be even more wary of the consequences for the region of a descent into sectarian anarchy in Egypt.

学习指南：

1.Word of the day

coup: a sudden, illegal and often violent, change of government 政变

e.g1：He seized power in a military coup in 1997.

例1：他在 1997 年的军事政变中夺取了政权。

e.g2：She lost her position in a boardroom coup (= a sudden change of power among senior managers in a company).

例2：她在董事会的人事突变中失去了职位。

2.Phrase of the day

pitched battles：a fierce battle fought in close combat between troops in predetermined positions at a chosen time and place 激战

3.Sentence of the day

The new emir may be wary of foreign entanglements but he and the rest of the world should be even more wary of the consequences for the region of a descent into sectarian anarchy in Egypt.

卡塔尔新任埃米尔或许对卷入外国事务感到担心，但他以及国际社会的其他人士更应该担心的是，埃及若陷入宗派敌对的无政府状态，会给该地区带来的种.种后果。

小编注：tangle的意思是“(线、毛发等的)缠结的一团，乱团，乱糟糟的一堆”，en是一个使动的前缀，entangle就是使……纠缠在一起意思。你可以说出几个类似的动词吗?

4.Cultural point of the day

Muslim Brotherhood：穆斯林兄弟会是一个有近百年历史的伊斯兰复新运动宗教组织，最近因为埃及内战而常常见诸报端。其他有名的伊斯兰组织还有哈马斯(HAMAS，即Islamic Resistance Movement，伊斯兰抵抗运动)、基地组织(Al-Qaida)、东突厥斯坦伊斯兰运动(Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement,ETIM) 等。

5.Translation of the day

As the army tightens its grip and the death toll mounts, so too does the threat of civil war.

在军方收紧控制、死亡人数不断上升之际，内战的威胁也在迫近。

小编注：death toll的意思是死亡人数，时政新闻中说到死亡人数，几乎用的都是这个词，另外有一个表示伤亡人数的高频词是the number of casualties。

e.g:Clinton said the Obama administration deeply regrets the civilian casualties.

例句：国务卿克林顿说，奥巴马政府对平民伤亡深表遗憾。

The illusion that Egypt’s military-backed interim government was willing and able to take the country to inclusive elections after last month’s anti-Islamist coup vanished amid the carnage on Cairo’s streets on Wednesday. With chaos spreading across the country, the military has declared a state of emergency. As the army tightens its grip and the death toll mounts, so too does the threat of civil war.

上月埃及发生反伊斯兰主义政变后，人们曾幻想埃及军方支持的临时政府愿意且能够带领这个国家举行包容性的选举。但昨日开罗街头上演的大屠杀击碎了这种幻想。随着动乱向全国蔓延，埃及军方宣布全国进入紧急状态。在军方收紧控制、死亡人数不断上升之际，内战的威胁也在迫近。

Violence was inevitable once the security forces moved in on the Islamist protesters who have occupied public squares in Cairo to call for the release of former President Mohamed Morsi. All sides share the blame. Islamists have refused every offer of negotiation, demanding as a precondition the release and reinstatement of the deeply unpopular Mr Morsi. Worse, at the height of the violence, they called for more protesters to join the pitched battles instead of appealing for calm.

信仰伊斯兰主义的抗议者们占领了开罗的公共广场，呼吁释放前总统穆罕默德-穆尔西(Mohamed Morsi)。一旦武装安全部队开始对这些抗议者采取激烈行动，暴力就立刻变得不可避免。哪一方都逃脱不了责任。伊斯兰主义者拒绝了所有谈判请求，宣称谈判的前提条件是，军方释放极不受欢迎的穆尔西并让他官复原职。更糟糕的是，在暴力冲突最严重的时候，他们还号召更多抗议者加入激战，而不是呼吁保持冷静。

The military, which brought down a democratically elected government last month and now pulls the strings of a nominally civilian executive, has ignited Islamist fury further by trying to crush the Muslim Brotherhood. Hundreds of leaders have been rounded up and jailed, while Mr Morsi is being held on trumped-up charges. Until the resignation on Wednesday evening of Mohamed ElBaradei, secularists in the government have stood by as state forces were deployed against civilians in weeks of clashes that have left hundreds dead.

埃及军方上月推翻了民选政府，如今操纵着一位名义上的文职总统。军方试图镇压穆斯林兄弟会(Muslim Brotherhood)，进一步点燃了伊斯兰主义者的怒火。数百名穆兄会领导人遭拘捕和囚禁，穆尔西则因莫须有的罪名遭扣押。国家武装力量被调来对付平民，数周来，两者之间的冲突已造成数百人丧生，而临时政府内的文官们对此一直默不作声，直到昨晚穆罕默德-巴拉迪(Mohamed ElBaradei)宣布辞职，才打破了这种沉默。

International efforts to bring the warring camps to the bargaining table have failed. Diplomatic missions by the US and EU could not prevent the bloodshed on Wednesday. Yet more than diplomacy is needed to overcome the intransigence of those who believe the only path to victory is the destruction of the other. Washington has so far refused to suspend the $1.3bn in aid to Egypt’s military. This should now be done until the violence is halted and all parties agree to talks. The release of Mr Morsi has to be on the table.

国际社会推动冲突双方展开谈判的努力已告失败。美国和欧盟的外交使团没能阻止昨日的流血。然而，要化解冲突双方的不妥协态度，需要的不仅仅是外交努力，因为冲突双方都坚信，取得胜利的唯一办法就是毁灭对方。美国政府迄今仍拒绝暂停对埃及军方的13亿美元援助。但美国现在真的应当暂停这一援助了，直到暴力停止、各方同意谈判为止。释放穆尔西也应提上谈判日程。

But pressure also has to be exerted on the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey or Qatar are best placed to intervene with Egypt’s Islamists. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, condemned the earlier military coup, but this should not rule out him acting as an intermediary in concert with other parties. Qatar could also play a useful role. The new emir may be wary of foreign entanglements but he and the rest of the world should be even more wary of the consequences for the region of a descent into sectarian anarchy in Egypt.

与此同时，也需要对穆斯林兄弟会施压。土耳其和卡塔尔两国最适合担当调停者。土耳其总理雷杰普-埃尔多安(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)曾谴责埃及此前发生的军事政变，但不应因此就排除他与其他方面一起充当调解人的可能性。卡塔尔也能发挥有益的作用。卡塔尔新任埃米尔或许对卷入外国事务感到担心，但他以及国际社会的其他人士更应该担心的是，埃及若陷入宗派敌对的无政府状态，会给该地区带来的种.种后果。

BEC商务英语阅读材料：中德大战

When it comes to competition in global markets, especially in exports, China and Germany are increasingly on a collision course. Germany was the number one exporter from 2003 t0 2008. In 2009 China overtook Germany to become number one — and it will stay there.

In 2010 both nations again showed strong export growth and defended their positions, well ahead of the US in exports. With remarkable similarities between Chinese and German exporters, the competition will be tough.

Hidden Champions

Why is Germany, a comparatively small country, so strong in exports? The explanation lies in its “hidden champions”, little known mid-sized world market leaders. My total count of these companies is around 2,500 worldwide, and 1,200 of them are from Germany. They alone account for about one quarter of German exports.

Surprisingly I found a rather similar structure in China. 68 percent of all Chinese exports come from companies with fewer than 2,000 employees — not from large corporations. It is also amazing that China already has well over 100 hidden champions, probably more than highly developed countries such as France, the UK or Japan.

Strong ambitions

One outstanding characteristic of these firms is their extreme ambition with regard to global market leadership. This is the aim that drives hidden-champion entrepreneurs in both China and Germany. In numerous talks in China I asked the audience, “Who wants to become world market leader?” Always more than half raised their hands, very similar to Germany. These ambitions will unavoidably lead to a competitive collision in the global marketplace.

Germans as low-price competitors

Globalization usually starts with exports and sales. Manufacturing follows, then R&D, and later on complete management functions. Most German companies are in the late stages of this process. They are not only building huge manufacturing sites in China, but also moving R&D for cheaper and simpler products there. Siemens and Bosch are well advanced on this path. Schenck Process, a world leader in industrial weighing and measuring processes, has even moved its complete competence centre for the mining industry to Beijing. The only way for German companies to remain competitive against the Chinese in the low-cost, low price-segment is to “become Chinese” themselves.

Tata Nano ‘German’

A very recent idea which I strongly advocate is that German companies should start to attack their Chinese competitors on the cost side. This requires radically simplified products, known as ultra-low-price products, and manufacturing in the lowest-cost locations. These are usually outside China, in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. The Tata Nano car in India is a case in point. It is essentially a German car with nine German suppliers involved, Bosch being the biggest. The components delivered by the Germans were developed and are manufactured in India, not in Germany.

Chinese as high-value competitors

But we also see a movement in the opposite direction. The Chinese call it trading up. When I visited the concrete pump plant of Sany in Changsha, China, about a year ago, I was stunned. The first thing I saw in this ultra-modern plant (comparable only to a Scania plant I had visited near Stockholm shortly beforehand) were Mercedes and Volvo truck chassis. Expressing my astonishment, I got the reply, “We mount our concrete pumps on the best trucks in the world.” And it went on. I saw Deutz diesels, Bosch Rexroth hydraulics and controls from Siemens. Sany stated unequivocally that they use only world-class suppliers.

A few months later I met Sany’s General Manager Europe in Cologne, near to which Sany is currently building a greenfield plant — the first Chinese plant in Germany. My “Why?” question again found an interesting reply: “Sany has to be in a world-class manufacturing location. If we want to become world-class we must be in direct contact with the best global manufacturing and engineering talent.” In 2009, Sany overtook Putzmeister from Germany as the global leader in concrete pumps.

Sany is not a typical Chinese company, but it is a harbinger of things to come. I consider the Chinese the most serious competitors for the Germans in the future. But with their strong presence in China and other emerging countries, the Germans are well prepared for the looming fight.

Learning to learn:

文章最后一段点题，写出了德国面临的挑战也存在机遇。这种内涵，作者是通过两层转折成功实现的，学习这种写作手法，为以后高阶写作打好基础。

Language Points:

1. collision 碰撞 2. manufacturer 制造商

Exam Focus:

1.Which statement is Not true about “hidden champions”?

A They are little know mid-sized world market leaders.

B They play an important role in Germany’s strong export.

C Nearly half of them are from Germany.

D They contribute to 68% of all Chinese exports.

2. Does the author have confidence in German’s ability in dealing with Chinese enterprises’ challenge?

A Yes B No C Not given.

BEC商务英语阅读材料：成竹在胸

Confidence can make or break your career. Luckily for those lacking it, self-belief is easy to boost

(1)...........................................

“Hugely from a leadership and team perspective,” says Rob Yeung, a corporate psychologist at Talentspace and author of Confidence: The Art of Getting Whatever you Want.

“You must be confident for others to have confidence in you. People equate confidence with competence.”

Bob Etherington, a sales, negotiation and presentation trainer, says it can be the difference between success and failure. “Companies aren’t run by people who are the best but by people who think they’re the best.”

(2)...........................................

“Often you do need to feign confidence at first,” says Mr Etherington. “You try and adopt the feeling of someone who knows what they’re doing.”

But, he adds, the best thing about faking confidence is that it often evolves into the real thing. “You get a picture in your mind of the outcome you want. Athletes do it all the time – they see the ball going into the hole. Even though you don’t really believe it, your brain latches on to it. That gets your confidence going.”

(3)..........................................

When engaging in conversation or making presentations, Mr Etherington’s advice is: “Speak clearly and drop your voice, stand with your feet about 30 centimetres apart, use your hands when you talk and make eye contact.”

Peter Shaw, an executive coach at Praesta, says that personal experiences can also help. “Remember occasions when you have been confident in the past. Encapsulate memories of success,” he says. “You could also have a mantra, like ‘I can do this’ or ‘Keep calm and carry on’. Or you can think of situations where you’re confident outside of work and then transfer some of that into the work environment.”

Mr Yeung says: “Psychologists also talk about the ‘illusion of transparency’. Most people believe that when they are nervous everyone can see this. But they can’t. Just remembering this can make you more confident.”

(4)..........................................

Two ways to improve how you come across are to make sure you have done your homework and to show up to meetings with plenty of time to spare. “You may not actually need to read all those pages the night before but it will boost your confidence,” says Mr Shaw. “Preparation is as much psychological as practical.”

Arriving early is also a good way to collect your thoughts. “If you arrive flustered and have to apologise, you won’t inspire confidence in those you’re meeting and you start on the back foot.”

(5)...........................................

There is a fine line between self-belief and arrogance.A confident manager is grounded enough to “accept criticism and welcome feedback”, adds Mr Yeung.

Language Points:

1. equate 使等同 2. feign 假装

3. evolve 演变 4. encapsulate 封装

5. mantra 咒语 6. flustered 紧张的

Special Hint:

尝试模仿以下经典句式造句，为日后写优美文章做准备!

Companies aren’t run by people who are the best but by people who think they’re the best.

公司的管理者不是最优秀的人才，而是相信自己是最优秀的人

Exam Focus:

此题为BEC中级考试阅读真题第二部分模拟，题目要求如下：

Choose the best sentence below to fill each of the gaps. Do not use any letter more than once, and there is one letter that won’t be used.

A How to use your confidence?

B What about faking it?

C How important is confidence?

D What can I do to build my confidence?

E How important is preparation?

F Can you be overconfident?

Oral Topic:

In what way can you boost your confidence at work?

Keys(反白可见):

1、C 2、B 3、D 4、E 5、F

译文参考：

信心能影响你事业的成败。幸运的是，对缺乏自信的人来说，信心是很容易提升的。

自信有多重要?

Talentspace的企业心理学家罗布•杨(Rob Yeung)表示：“从领导力和团队的角度来看，非常重要。”杨著有《自信：心想事成的技巧》(Confidence: The Art of Getting Whatever you Want)一书。

“你必须相信其他人对你有信心。人们将信心等同于竞争力”。

销售、谈判和演讲培训人鲍勃•埃瑟林顿(Bob Etherington)表示，自信可以决定你成功与否。“公司的管理者不是最优秀的人才，而是相信自己是最优秀的人”。

假装自信怎样?

埃瑟林顿表示：“通常你一开始确实需要假装自信。你要努力模仿那些胸有成竹的人的情绪。”

但他补充称，假装自信的最佳之处在于它往往会演变成真正的自信。“你在脑海中勾画自己想要获得的结果，运动员一直是这么做的——他们在脑海中看到球落入了篮筐里。即便你并非真的相信它，你的大脑也会留下印象。这会激发你的自信”。

我如何才能建立自信?

埃瑟林顿的建议是，当与人交谈或发表讲话时，“吐字清晰，降低音调，双脚分开约30公分，说话时运用手势，并与听众进行目光接触”。

Praestad 的高级教练彼得•肖(Peter Shaw)表示，个人经历也能有所帮助。他表示：“记住你曾经自信满满的时刻。封装成功的记忆。你还可以给自己想个咒语，比如‘我能做到’或者‘保持镇定并继续’。或者回想起你在工作之外感到自信的场合，随后把一部分场景转变为工作环境。”

杨表示：“心理学家也提到了‘被洞悉错觉’(illusion of transparency)。大多数人认为，当自己紧张时，所有人都会知道，但事实并非如此。只要记住这一点便可以让你更自信。”

提前准备有多重要?

提升表现有两个办法：确保你做足功课和早到。肖表示：“你实际上可能不需要在前一天晚上阅读全部资料，但它会提升你的信心。提前准备既有心理效果，又有现实效果。”

早到也是集中思想的好办法。“如果你慌慌张张地赶到目的地，并不得不为此道歉，那些与你会晤的人就不会对你有信心，因此你一开始就处于不利地位。”

一个人有可能自信过头吗?

自信与傲慢之间有着细微差别。杨还补充道，一个自信的经理头脑清醒，能够“接受批评并欢迎反馈”。