公共英语一级-144及答案解析.doc

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1、公共英语一级-144 及答案解析(总分：100.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、READING(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、PART ONE(总题数：1，分数：8.00)A. Angus Since coming to the market five years ago, Angus has enjoyed great respect, considerably more than its peers in construction and building materials. This has been well deserved, with its initial profits n

2、ow four times as great. However, the company“s recent warning that such growth is unlikely to be maintained has caused a levelling off in its share price. Investors apparently want to see evidence that the current expansion into North America is paying off and paying for the large workforce, before

3、pushing Angus shares any higher. B. Johnson“s Steven Green, chairman of the ailing furniture manufacturer Johnson“s, has produced his long-awaited turnaround plan for the company, comprising aggressive cost savings targets and some optimistic-looking profit forecasts. Further reducing the cost of ra

4、w materials by 15% is perhaps over-ambitious, given the resistance to the 5% cut the company imposed last year. Remaining savings should be more easily achievable through improving manufacturing efficiency, including job cuts and plant closures. Should Johnson“s miss those targets, including returni

5、ng to an operating profit as early as next year, Green“s job could rapidly be in danger. C. Hora Products Four years ago, the shares of Hora Products, the watches and handbags distributor and retailer, stood at 405p. At that time, Hora revealed profits up by a third to 22m, but warned that growth wa

6、s unlikely to continue at such a pace. The shares immediately dropped 11% and kept on falling, until they hit a trough of 64p. Last year Hora decided to concentrate on its volume divisions, which include the Lagoon and Horato watch brands, and disposed of all its luxury marques, a strategy that will

7、 be watched with interest by its rivals. D. ForYou A 2% drop in UK like-for-like sales in the last 3 months has forced healthcare retailers ForYou to issue a profit warning, with a suggestion that earnings for the year are likely to be cut by 10-15%. Management has been accused of over-optimism in b

8、elieving it could deliver 40% new product growth annually. The turmoil resulting from this strategy will increase stock-carrying costs by 3m, and has resulted in the resignation of the director responsible for product and marketing. The shares closed on Friday at 76p, down 29% in the past year. E. D

9、 this will typically consist of a CEO and 3-4 directors, but larger deals may bring in lower tiers. There“s no room for sentiment. You may have someone who was fine as the accountant of an operating division, but who you then find is not up to being MD of an independent company. 4 To avoid this prob

10、lem you should therefore consider bringing in external talent right from the start. It“s best to keep a low profile until your MBO is pretty much signed and sealed. 5 This might also mean that your customers, employees and other stakeholders become nervous, especially if there“s a prolonged period o

11、f uncertainty. If there are key customers or suppliers whose ongoing commitment you require, wait until the last minute to talk to them. And remember, if your MBO fails, for whatever reason, you may find yourself working with the same colleagues and the current owners of the business. 6 So don“t bur

12、n your bridges just yet! A. Other common reasons are where the business has become non-core to its parent, or where a private owner of a family business is retiring. B. If you are unfortunate enough to have to do this, they won“t thank you if you have criticised their abilities or commitment. C. If

13、you buy at the peak of the market, you may find it difficult ever to make money. D. Financiers want you to put in enough that it would hurt you if you lost it, but not so much that you“d be constantly worrying about it. E. If your financiers come to the same conclusion, you may lose credibility. F.

14、If your interest becomes more widely known, you risk starting an auction, in which case the price will go up. G. Otherwise you risk being turned down at a later stage-and getting your marching orders.（分数：6.00）四、PART THREE(总题数：1，分数：6.00)Small companies often struggle in a crucial area-the recruitment

15、 of additional staff. With little time or budget for recruitment and training, mistakes are made all too easily. Last year, Sally Thomas, managing director of a small software company, thought she had found the ideal project co-ordinator to handle long-term client relationships, after a two-year sea

16、rch. “We had already tried a couple of internal people, but they were not suited to the role,“ she says. “The role does not require a detailed knowledge of information technology, but does demand enough expertise to understand current and future projects and the ability to talk about them meaningful

17、ly and sensitively to customers.“ Ms Thomas and her technical director gave several short-listed candidates in-depth interviews and psychometric tests. They then decided to follow their instinct and pick the individual who had performed least well in the tests but felt like the right person for the

18、job. The new project co-ordinator lasted just six weeks. “It was very disappointing,“ says Ms Thomas. “In the end the psychometric test proved to be more accurate than our own belief in who was best.“ Luckily the candidate who scored most highly in the tests was still available and is now doing well

19、 in the job. Tony Jones used personal contacts when setting up his electronic repair services company, recruiting four people he already knew for the top management team. This worked well, but on technical staff he has been less successful, with a 50% drop-out rate in just four months. “It“s easy to

20、 make snap judgements because you“re so busy running the business,“ Mr Jones says. “Instead of a thorough testing process you tend to do it too fast. Someone seems like a nice person who knows what they“re doing, so you give them the job but eventually you come to regret your decision.“ Mr Jones has

21、 tried employment agencies, but finds them expensive and lacking in knowledge of sectors such as electronics. “Finding electronic engineers is not like looking for bankers for example,“ he says. “The fight people for us tend to have been stuck in the bedroom with a soldering iron in their youth, rat

22、her than having done particularly well academically. We could be talking about the dark side of the moon as far as most agencies are concerned.“ Recruitment from outside is a huge problem for small companies, but according to Louise Punter, chief executive of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce, “People

23、who have moved from other firms bring a fresh look and a big injection of new ideas.“ Those who have worked for medium-sized or large companies are particularly valuable, because they are familiar with processes and systems that can be just as effective in a company of ten people as in a company of

24、thousands. “Small companies tend to deal only with the immediate problem, whereas a larger organisation would put in place a process that would prevent the same thing going wrong again. People who know how to do this can be very valuable.“ On the other hand, given the current skills shortage, low un

25、employment and the expense involved in recruitment, it makes sense to promote from within where possible. “A classic mistake is that companies overlook the skills their existing staff have; for example, a marketing person might have good financial skills,“ says Mrs Punter. She recommends conducting

26、a skills audit to identify staff expertise, in particular what is transferable or not being fully exploited. In larger companies, these issues often come out in appraisals, but in small ones they are easily missed. Not surprisingly, finding the right staff can present small companies with their bigg

27、est challenge.（分数：6.00）(1).Appointing a new project co-ordinator made Sally Thomas realise that（分数：1.00）A.she had misjudged the value of different methods of selection.B.few people had the right combination of qualities for the job.C.she had underestimated the time required to choose the best candid

28、ate.D.internal promotion was unlikely to lead to a successful appointment.(2).In the third paragraph, what point does Tony Jones make?（分数：1.00）A.Different jobs require candidates to have different qualities.B.The demands of running a business ought to take priority over interviewing.C.The most effec

29、tive method of selection is personal contact.D.A mistake in the choice of candidate can have a long-term effect.(3).What criticism does Tony Jones make of agencies?（分数：1.00）A.They do not hold enough discussions with employers.B.They fail to focus on the appropriate skills.C.They underestimate the de

30、mand for electronic engineers.D.They do not react quickly enough to technical developments.(4).According to Louise Punter, it is useful for small companies to recruit people who（分数：1.00）A.understand the problems of small businesses.B.have experience of similar-sized organisations.C.can apply knowled

31、ge gained elsewhere.D.have designed systems in their previous job.(5).In the sixth paragraph, what point does Louise Punter make about small companies?（分数：1.00）A.They are not likely to be able to afford to recruit staff with the right skills.B.They lack the necessary skills for carrying out staff ap

32、praisals.C.They may not be aware of some of the skills of their employees.D.They depend too heavily on staff developing appropriate marketing skills.(6).Which of the following is the writer“s main point in the article as a whole?（分数：1.00）A.Finding the right people is crucial for small companies.B.Ma

33、ny of the selection tools used by large companies are unsuitable for small companies.C.Recruitment experts should provide a better service for small companies.D.Small companies need to reduce the cost of recruiting new staff.五、PART FOUR(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Finding and keeping customersCustomers and buyer

34、s are the lifeblood of any business. The constant challenge is to first find your customers and then sell to them. For businesses which are just starting up, marketing professionals suggest working out a SWOT analysis-a systematic review of your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats-to cl

35、arify your business thinking and 1 realistic sales targets. Once you“ve gained customers it“s important to remember that they can 2 or break your business. After all, if you give excellent service, they will freely advertise your company to colleagues and friends, giving you a competitive 3 over you

36、r rivals. When you“re planning to pay for advertising, business directories, local newspapers and the internet can be very cost-effective. Trade exhibitions can also 4 you to a wide range of useful contacts and lucrative new markets. You may also be able to 5 company news into free PR by sending pre

37、ss 6 to magazines and newspapers. But editors have very 7 space, so your story must be unusually interesting and entertaining to 8 in print. At JS Bank we specialise in helping new businesses 9 off to a promising start. We can help you develop your business, and our free book How to 10 your business

38、 potential is a detailed, practical guide to advertising, endorsed by the Institute of Direct Marketing. Contact your local JS Bank for a copy.（分数：10.00）A.formB.placeC.setD.shapeA.doB.makeC.takeD.putA.benefitB.bonusC.marginD.edgeA.introduceB.initiateC.encounterD.presentA.directB.turnC.pointD.steerA.

39、leafletsB.campaignsC.shotsD.releasesA.shortB.smallC.limitedD.lackingA.appearB.displayC.showD.representA.standB.getC.goD.moveA.advantageB.practiseC.employD.exploit六、PART FIVE(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Company focus-PWTWithin the Telcar group, PWT, maker of energy management systems, is a small player and as suc

40、h has little influence over broad group strategic direction and resource allocation. 1 this, the company can point to a history of operational excellence on 2 it has built up a 30% market share under the nose of competitor Blacktons. Success has been hard won. Before 1990, the main plant, which acco

41、unts 3 three-quarters of company turnover, made its products in traditional mass-production push-mode-building batches for stock to complex schedules and forecasts. Lead times were long, even 4 the warehouse was always bulging with stock, and customer satisfaction was low. A substantial loss in 1995

42、 finally resulted in PWT making fundamental changes in order to survive. Taking a collective deep breath, it moved to stockless production using JIT (just-in-time) principles and production cells in place of the previous assembly line. 5 sooner had it done so than it began to see dramatic results, e

43、.g. lead rimes slashed from six weeks to three days. Without forecasting and scheduling, materials control became massively simplified. 6 really enabled PWT to compete 7 equal terms anywhere in the world were its unbeatable lead times and consistent quality. So efficient had the company“s practices

44、become 8 in 2004 it moved production to a new site with no downtime, meaning that 9 even a single order was missed. The next phase? The company is now engaged 10 introducing a redesigned range. In the group context, it“s as a centre of manufacturing excellence that PWT can keep on punching above its

45、 weight.（分数：10.00）七、PART SIX(总题数：1，分数：12.00)（分数：12.00）八、WRITING(总题数：0，分数：0.00)九、PART ONE(总题数：1，分数：2.00)1. The graph below shows the number of permanent full-time, permanent part-time and temporary contract employees in a software design company called Radnor Design over a four-year period. Using the

46、 information from the graph, write a short report comparing the number of full-time employees with the number of part-time and contract employees. Write 120-140 words. （分数：2.00）_十、PART TWO(总题数：3，分数：6.00)2. You work in your company“s head office and you have recently visited one of the company“s reta

47、il outlets. Your line manager has asked you to write a report on your visit. Write the report for your line manager, including the following information: a brief description of the store you visited an assessment of the performance and attitude of the staff a suggestion for improving the store. （分数：

48、2.00）_3. Your company uses an external transport company to distribute its products. However, there have recently been some problems, and you are considering changing to another company. Your boss has asked you to contact a possible new distribution company. Write a letter to the distribution compan

49、y: outlining what your company does describing your transport requirements explaining how you expect your transport requirements to change in the next few years giving details of the information you would like to receive from the distribution company. （分数：2.00）_4. The management board of your company is considering cl