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1、READING1 hour剑桥 BEC 真题集中级 第三辑 Test 4PART ONE Questions 1-7 Look at the statements below and the advice given by four market experts to aholiday company on the opposite page. Which experts advice (A, B, C or D) does each statement (1-7) refer to? For each statement (1-7), mark one letter (A, B, C or
2、D) on your Answer Sheet. You will need to use some of these letters more than once.Example:0SunTours should consider the domestic market for future development.0ABCD1 SunTours runs a risk by selling similar holidays to customers in different income brackets.2 It is worth offering holidays at a disco
3、unt to increase the number of bookings.3 SunTours needs to reflect on its marketing methods if it wants to boost repeat custom.4 It would be a good idea to sell holidays to locations which other promoters have ignored.5 SunTours has been disadvantaged by its approach in the past.6 In certain locatio
4、ns, SunTours may be able to negotiate more favourable contracts.7 There is an alternative to discount holidays that would be more satisfactory forSunTours customers.Four market experts offer advice to Sun Tours, theARobert Worthmiddle-market tour operatorMarketing to a wider audience could lead to m
5、ore people buying direct from SunTours rather than going through travel agents, and the consequent reduction in agents commissions might boost company profits. Towards the end of the season, reducing the cost of holidays would attract last-minute customers, thus avoiding any possible loss on unfille
6、d accommodation and flights. The company could also increase profits by selling more specialised holidays here in Britain, perhaps by offering breaks at historic sites and coastal destinations.BSteven WorrelWhether its worth discounting surplus holidays is an arguable point, as it not only cuts into
7、 profits, but also results in budget-conscious holidaymakers being put next to SunTours more affluent customers, thus damaging the brand. lt may seem attractive at first because of tight margins, but SunTours should think twice before taking up this option. Currently, SunTours is planning to sell hi
8、gher-margin holidays to previously unmarketed destinations for which demand is greater than supply. It is likely that accommodation providers in these emerging holiday destinations will be more flexible when it comes to setting terms. The firm should go ahead with this policy.CUrsula CapalboGood ris
9、k management and higher sales can guarantee higher profits. Although SunTours has always been averse to planning, the company would in fact benefit from a risk model that forecasts the impact of discounting on cash flow and profitability l throughout the year. SunTours would then be able to change d
10、irection when things go wrong, as they inevitably do from time to time. Diversification can increase rather than spread risk, so caution is needed as the company enters regions where facilities for tourists are not yet fully developed. Targeting customers nearing retirement age, whose disposable inc
11、ome and leisure time are increasing, would be ideal.DGillian WilmotSunTours knows that good relationships with customers is the key to success in the travel business. With this in mind, the company should consider that brochure mailings, unlike electronic communications, can attract customers and ma
12、ximise year-round opportunity. They encourage summer tourists to take another break and can even be used to send a thank-you letter to returning customers. Selling holidays at a reduced price is definitely not a sensible option. A better choice would be value-added promotions which can improve profi
13、tability and build on SunTours customers desire for high-quality service.PART TWO Questions 8-12 Read the article below about the importance of human resource (HR) management. Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps. For each gap (8-12), mark one letter (A-G) on your
14、 Answer Sheet. Do not use any letter more than once. There is an example at the beginning, (0).Human resource mamagementIt is nearly a century since the car manufacturer Henry Ford said, You can destroy my factories and offices, but give me my people and I will build the business right back up again
15、.(0) G But a few business theorists are beginning to argue that managing people well can add more to the bottom line than anything else.Mike Manzotti, a leading American author in this area, has strong views about the growing importance of human resources in todays business world. (8) . A company wi
16、th high staff commitment, for example, has an asset that its rivals find hard to copy.Research in Britain would appear to support this notion. A recent business school survey into the performance of eight multinationals found that people management could be the most decisive factor in a companys per
17、formance. Another study indicated the same thing in medium-sized manufacturing firms. (9) . After all, how can an organisation evaluate the commitment of its staff?For this reason, the researcher George Hessenberg argues that a scientific approach is needed. He feels that when HR professionals sugge
18、st changing an organisations compensation structure orbeing more selective in recruiting, they are asking for things that require resources. (10) .Some new approaches are emerging that attempt to do just that, including the scheme devised by consultants Couze jordan. The scheme, which covers communi
19、cation, recruitment, and use of resources, predicts that significant improvements in these areas achieve an increase in shareholder value of up to 30 per cent.Another programme, launched byjames Lesten an independent human resources expert, approaches the problem from a perspective that is designed
20、to appeal to a wide range of managers. (11) . Both, he argues, involve appropriate decisions being made about the allocation of resources within a particular budget.Lesters expertise enables him to carry out an organisational audit for his clients to identify which areas of HR are in most need of im
21、provement. This is because there is no point in businesses spending large amounts without knowing if the investment is worthwhile. (12) . Lesters advice, however, is for companies to think twice before hiring people, since it is vital they assess whether they are getting value for money.Example:0ABC
22、DEFGABut the findings are inconclusive because of the difficulty of collecting reliable evidence.BHe argues that the role of a skilled, motivated and flexible workforce has become more significant as traditional sources of competitive advantage diminish.CFor example, a common mistake is to spend a f
23、ortune on recruitment to cover up for deficiencies in training.DHowever, most leading experts in the field believe that there is sufficient evidence to support this model of workplace dynamics.EHe compares the positive use of human resources to effective fund management, as this is something that se
24、nior executives can relate to.FHe believes, however, that the only way they will gain approval for these potentially expensive initiatives is to have some data that demonstrates positive financial benefits.GIn the light of this statement, it is odd that people management has taken so many years to m
25、ove up the agenda.PART THREE Questions 13-18 Read the article below about common problems affecting mergers, and thequestions on the opposite page. For each question (13-18), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.Achieving a successful mergerHowever attractive the figures may look on p
26、aper, 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. lf there is a culture clash between the two companies in the way their people work, then all the e
27、fforts 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, not through any failure in economic terms but because the integration of people is unsuccessful. C
28、orporates, 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 atway to avoid this is to work with focus groups to see how employees view the existing culture of the
29、ir 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 involve
30、d 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 companys approach would have worked for the other.The ans
31、wer is not to adopt one companys approach, or even to try to incorporate every aspect of boththese 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 give
32、n 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 s
33、hareholder 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
34、 can be culture clashes. Oneorganisations, but to create a totally new culture. This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organization that everyone can accept. Or almost everyone. Inevitably there will be those who cannot adapt to a different culture. Research into the impact of m
35、ergers 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 bus
36、iness 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.13According to the text, mergers can encounter pro
37、blems whenA 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.14According to Chris Bolton, what do many organisations do in preparation for a merger?A ensure their interests are represe
38、ntedB give reassurances to shareholdersC consider the effect of a merger on employeesD analyse the varying strengths of their staff15The proposed merger of two pharmaceutical groups failed becauseA major shareholders were opposed.B there was a fall in the demand for their products.C there were probl
39、ems combining their areas of expertise.D an issue of personal rivalry could not be resolved.16According to the text, focus groups can help companies toA 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
40、 a newly merged organisation means thatA 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
41、showA 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.PART FOUR Questions 19-33 Read the article below about a bank with a
42、reputation for excellence. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D on the opposite page. For each question (19-33), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. There is an example at the beginning, (0).The bank with ideasWith several hundred years of history behind it, the A
43、PL Bank has few problems in (0) B businesses that it is a reputable and secure (19) of a range of banking services. Now, it is demonstrating to business customers that it is flexible and responsive enough to (20) their changing needs in the 21st century.Based in London, APL offers banking services t
44、o businesses throughout the UK via its branch (21) . Most customer service provision is (22) out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with (23) staff at companyheadquarters.An important (24) for APL has been to make it easy for customers to (25) . business with the bank. Th
45、ey can contact their account manager by direct line or email; if the manager is on holiday, a carefully chosen colleague becomes theaccount contact and (26) with the customer during the managers (27) . In addition, for those who want (28) to their bank at any time of day or night there is now a 24-h
46、our phone-based service.In order to remain competitive and build customer loyalty, the bank guarantees to turn around urgent loan (29) within 24 hours. This focus on the customer has also been a driving (30) in APLs recruitment and development policy. For example, newly inducted staff (31) 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 (32) in banking have achieved excellent results. The customer (33) is growing fast, and last year the bank