1、BEC商务英语（中级）阅读模拟试卷 110及答案与解析 一、 PART ONE 0 How to approach Reading Test Part One In this part of the Reading Test you match seven statements with four short texts. First read each short text and then read the sentences to see which ones refer to the text. Make sure you read each text for overall mean
2、ing. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text. Look at the statements below and the views about improvement processes on the opposite page. Which company (A, B, C or D) does each sentence 1 - 7 refer to? For each sentence 1 - 7, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on yo
3、ur Answer Sheet. You will need to use some of the letters more than once. A “Were ahead of our competitors in that every year we invite customers to headquarters to discuss their expectations for the next five years. In addition to customers, the meeting includes approximately 100 employees and supp
4、liers. We parade our five-year plan, including such things as service, quality and on-time delivery, and involve everyone in a feedback process. The outcome becomes part of our long-range strategic plan, which is communicated to every employee in the organisation - a process we call management by pl
5、anning.“ B “The approach we find we need to take to increasing customer satisfaction is systemic. There isnt an easy way to do it. Everything is interconnected and builds. In order to delight customers, you need smooth manufacturing processes, which means you need an accurate warehouse, which in tur
6、n relies on a good manufacturing requirements system and good suppliers. You cant accomplish one in isolation.“ C “As part of our improvement process, employees participate actively in raising customer satisfaction. They establish the areas in which they will be measured that translate into quality
7、performance: things like, How quickly do you respond to a call? or How effective are your dealings with the customer? Feedback is provided regularly to employees. They analyse the data to determine when additional instruction and support are needed, or when processes need to be re-worked or improved
8、, or when our goals need to be changed. They are also encouraged to keep an eye on the competition and how they are doing. These data are used for planning purposes.“ D “Our senior managers are constantly pulling the competitions products apart to see what theyre doing. Theyve also done some benchma
9、rking against our better competitors. There are a few good ones that make us run faster and harder. But, to be honest, in terms of new service initiatives, for example, weve had to look outside our industry to find what could be called best of breed. Weve milked our own industry.“ 1 Staff are invite
10、d to set the standards that are used to assess their productivity 2 Long-term aims are negotiated with people internal and external to the company 3 Staff contribute to the monitoring of competitors progress. 4 Different kinds of company need to be examined for ideas for innovation. 5 Staff decide o
11、n their own requirements for training. 6 Improving one aspect of the business affects other aspects. 7 All staff are informed of the companys future direction. 二、 PART TWO 7 Read the article below about Microsoft anti-trust suit. Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the ga
12、ps. For each gap 8-12, mark one letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once. WHAT NEXT IN THE MICROSOFT SUIT The Justice Departments top anti-trust prosecutor says this week that the government is looking at a full range of remedies. It wants to find the appropriate punis
13、hment following a judges ruling that Microsoft is a monopoly, including the possible breakup of the software company. “We are looking at the range of sanctions; were talking to people in the industry, people who work with Microsoft, people who manufacture computers and were doing an analysis to make
14、 sure that we have a remedy that will promote competition, assure innovation and promote consumer choice, “ he said. He thought the judge was quite clear that innovation has been impaired and he had heard all the evidence. Meanwhile, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said in a letter published today tha
15、t the software maker is committed to “a fair and responsible“ resolution of the anti-trust trial. (8) “Weve been here before in a first lawsuit, “ he said. “And eventually the courts came out on the side of the consumer, saying that all companies should have the ability to innovate their products an
16、d take their chances in the marketplace.“ (9) “As this case moves toward resolution, Microsofts 30, 000 employees are focused on creating the next generation of products that will deliver the benefits of the Information Age, anytime, anywhere and on any device, “ Gates wrote. (10) . On Friday, Jacks
17、on took Microsoft to task for numerous instances of anti-competitive behavior, including its dealings with America Online over the latters browser choices, its contracts with PC makers, which forced them to feature prominently the Internet Explorer Web browser instead of Netscapes competing product.
18、 (11) . The judge noted that Microsofts own studies confirmed that Microsoft could have charged only $ 49 per Windows upgrade and still remained profitable, and that it had enough power within the market to charge $ 89. (12) It is through high “barriers to entry“, in other words, by making it more c
19、ostly to create competing software. A Bob Herbold, the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Microsoft, said that the judges ruling this week is just a first step in the process that is just getting under way. B Microsofts competitors know that the company in fact has a referee st
20、arting directly over the shoulder every time it moves on a playing field. C Whats more, Microsoft erected the barriers to keep others out of the marketplace. D The Justice Departments top anti-trust prosecutor says this week that the government is looking at a full range of remedies. E Jackson said
21、that the company took that additional profit and invested it not in its own products but in efforts to keep other companies out of various software markets. Meanwhile Bill Gates, in a full-page advertisement published in the Washington Post and addressed to the companys customers, partners and share
22、holders, commented on Fridays ruling. G He claimed that Microsoft is committed to resolving this matter in a fair and responsible manner, while ensuring that the fundamental principles of consumer benefit and innovation are protected. 三、 PART THREE 13 Read the article below about a fast-food chain a
23、nd the questions on the opposite page. For each question 13- 18, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Turning around a fast-food chain Sparrow is a well-established fast-food chain, with 200 restaurants run by franchisees, and almost as many company-owned on
24、es. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company, which owned a variety of retail businesses. Although demand for a Sparrow franchise showed no sign of declining, overall the chain was in an unhealthy state. Its properties, the majority of them in small towns
25、, needed refurbishment to stand comparison with its competitors. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the marker, the distinctive Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owners had bought it as one of a number of companies, and had no plans to give it
26、 the investment it required. Sparrow stagnated for another two years, until a new chief executive, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He commissioned a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were overwhelmingly positive about the chain, while custom
27、ers of other fast-food chains, particularly those selling pizzas or hamburgers, were reluctant to be tempted away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign - one that would enhance-the publics perceptions of the chain and set it apart from its competitors. Pearson faced a battle o
28、ver the future of the Sparrow brand. The chains owner now favoured taking Sparrows outlets upmarket and rebranding them as Marcys restaurants, one of its other, better known brands. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurant
29、s were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers spending power. His arguments won the day. The campaign itself broke some of the
30、fast-food industrys advertising conventions. The television commercials played down traditional product shots - most of its competitors advertisements had mouth- watering shots of food - and focused instead on entertainment and humour. The usual jingles gave way to spots featuring original songs per
31、formed by a variety of stars. Instead of trying to show the superiority of a specific product, the intention was to position Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers. Pearson hired two advertising agencies to handle this campaign, and spent a considerable time with them, discussing and developin
32、g the brief he had outlined. Once that had been agreed in detail, he left them m get on with their work. Instead of dividing responsibilities, as would normally happen when two agencies collaborate, they decided to develop a team concept, with both having equal opportunities for creative input. Pear
33、son also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. He laid off 400 employees in the headquarters and company field offices, and reduced the management hierarchy. He insisted on uniformity of standards in all restaurants, and warned franchisees that if they ran
34、 untidy, unprofitable restaurants, Sparrow would dose them, or if necessary, buy them. In addition Sparrow offered to lower the rent of any franchisees who achieved a certain increase in their turnover. These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in th
35、e regions where it operates. 13 According to the first paragraph, what problem did Sparrow face when it was taken over? （ A） Its new owners were uninterested in spending money on it. （ B） Its products were too similar to those of its competitors. （ C） It received few applications from potential fran
36、chisees. （ D） It had a number of restaurants which were poorly situated. 14 The survey commissioned by Carl Pearson showed that （ A） Sparrows existing customers were dissatisfied. （ B） the type of food that Sparrow offered was losing popularity. （ C） people were unwilling to change to Sparrow restau
37、rants. （ D） Sparrows name was not well known to the general public. 15 According to the third paragraph, what was Pearsons plan for Sparrow? （ A） to attract consumers who had more money to spend （ B） to associate it with a certain type of experience （ C） to make it part of another, more famous brand
38、 （ D） to make its restaurants more attractive and up-to-date 16 How were Sparrows TV advertisements different from those of other fast-food businesses? （ A） They used celebrities to present the products. （ B） There was very little use of music. （ C） They compared the company with its competitors. （
39、D） There were very few product shots. 17 How was the advertising campaign handled? （ A） The agencies worked together as one unit. （ B） Pearson kept a close eye on the agencies work （ C） The agencies focused on different parts of the campaign. （ D） Pearson wrote a full brief before contacting the age
40、ncies. 18 According to the sixth paragraph, Pearson decided to （ A） reduce staffing levels in the restaurants. （ B） offer financial incentives to new franchisees. （ C） turn all the restaurants into company-owned outlets. （ D） ensure that all the restaurants were of the same quality. 四、 PART FOUR 19
41、Read the article below about the central problem of Economics. Choose the best word to fill each gap, from A, B, C or D. For each question 19-33,mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. There is an example at the beginning. The Central Problem of Economics The central problem of economic
42、s is to satisfy the peoples and nations wants. The problem we are faced with is that our resources, here identified as money, are limited. The only way we can resolve our problem is to make choices. After looking at our resources, we must examine our list of (19)_ and identify the things we need imm
43、ediately, those we can postpone, and (20)_ we cannot afford. As individuals, we face the central problem involved in economics deciding just how to allocate (分配 ) our limited resources to provide (21)_ with the greatest satisfaction of our wants. Nations face the same problem. As a countrys populati
44、on grows the need for more goods and services grows correspondingly. Resources necessary to production may increase, but there (22)_ are enough re sources to satisfy the total desires of a nation. Whether the budget meeting is taking place in the family (23)_ room, in the conference room of the corp
45、oration (24)_ of directors, or in the chamber of the House of Representatives in Washington, the basic problem still exists. We need to find methods of allocating limited resources in order to satisfy unlimited wants. A short time ago economists (25)_ goods into two categories, free and economic. Th
46、e former, like air and water, were in (26)_ abundance that economists had no concern for them. After all, economics is the (27)_ of scarcity (匮乏 ) and what to do about it. Today many of these “free goods“ are (28)_ very expensive to use. Pollution has made clean air and water expensive for producers
47、 who have to filter their waste products, for consumers who ultimately (最终 ) (29)_ the producers extra costs, and (30)_ taxpayers who pay for the governments involvement in cleaning the environment. In the 1990s, almost all goods are (31)_ Only by effort and money can they be obtained in the form pe
48、ople wish. Meeting the needs of people and forming resources available (32)_ the basic activity of production. In trying to meet (33)_ wants from limited economic goods, production leads to new problems in economics. （ A） want （ B） problems （ C） wants （ D） resources （ A） those （ B） some （ C） others
49、（ D） many （ A） them （ B） themselves （ C） ourselves （ D） him （ A） always （ B） sometimes （ C） often （ D） never （ A） living （ B） bedroom （ C） store （ D） kitchen （ A） management （ B） function （ C） board （ D） group （ A） divide （ B） divided （ C） had divided （ D） were divided （ A） so （ B） great （ C） such （ D） such an （ A） form （ B） study （ C） means （ D） source （ A） practically （ B） in practice （ C） in reality （ D） practical （ A） use （ B） wil
