银符考试题库-在线练习-剑桥商务英语中级真题1

剑桥商务英语中级真题1

READING

PART ONE
●Look at the statements below and the information on the opposite page about feedback on staff performance.
●Which section (A, B, C or D) does each statement 1-7 refer to?
●For each statement (1-7), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.
●You will need to use some of these letters more than once.

Changes in Performance Feedback

A. In the past, feedback about your performance used to mean a quiet chat with the boss. But now 360-degree feedback-the system where employees are also given feedback from peers and from the people they manage-is taking root in corporate culture. The system is characterised by greater participation and has grown out of the desire of companies to create more open working environments where people work better together and ideas and opinions are exchanged between teams and across levels of seniority.
B. PCs linked to the company IT network are set to become the feedback machines. Many firms introducing 360-degree feedback are using Personal Development Planner software. Feedback on an individual, which is based on a questionnaire relating to attributes needed for that person's role in the company, is collected using this electronic system. All the information gathered is analysed and the end result is a suggested development plan. The advantage is that individuals make requests for the feedback themselves and receive the results directly.
C. Sarah Rains, from the pharmaceutical company Optec, said, 'Now feedback is available on our network, we encourage managers to choose how they use it. It is a flexible tool and we tell them that waiting for the annual event of a formal appraisal needn't apply.' At the engineering company NT, 250 technical managers have been through the feedback process. Jack Palmer, a senior manager there said, 'We needed to develop the interpersonal skills of these technically-minded people. In particular, we wanted to build on their team-working and coaching skills.'
D. So, how is the new feedback culture likely to affect you? It could form the basis of your personal development programme, providing pointers to your strengths and also to those areas you need to develop more. Or feedback could be used for 'succession planning', where companies use the information to speculate on who has the right skills to move into more senior positions. As yet, few organisations have stretched the role of feedback so far as to link it to salaries. But one thing is clear: the future will bring even wider participation by all members of staff.

1. staff being reminded that it is not essential to restrict feedback to once a year

2. the way in which feedback could identify people suitable for promotion

3. the aim of improving staff communication throughout an organisation

4. the feedback obtained on an employee being linked to requirements for a particular job

5. aspects of a group of employees' work that were identified as requiring improvement

6. feedback indicating both positive and negative aspects of an individual's work

7. the participation of less senior personnel in a member of staff's feedback

PART TWO
●Read the article below about working in international teams.
●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 Answer Sheet.
●Do not use any letter more than once.
●There is an example at the beginning (0).

INTERNATIONAL TEAMS

An international team can be defined as a group of people who come from different nationalities and work together towards a common goal. （0） (G) The fact that they are spread out presents a range of opportunities and challenges that teams working in the same place do not experience.
One trend, in particular, which is creating the need for more international teams, is that we are in the middle of a dramatic information revolution. 1 Thus, these teams can now spend as much time working apart as together. They can access and share information as never before. Business will increasingly be done in an 'information space', with information becoming a product in its own right. 2 Doing this through the internet and e-mail is inexpensive and relatively easy, in both technologically developed and developing countries.
A question commonly asked by managers is whether these teams actually work. Can they deliver improved performance? After a decade of work experience and research with international teams, I believe the answer is positive. 2 What's more, many of those companies which have actually introduced international teams have focused only on the performance of the teams, without taking into account the context in which they are introduced. Context plays a key role in the likelihood of their success.
Creating the right context for international teams needs more than a quick fix, though. It requires a long-term commitment. 4 On the contrary, companies need to focus on the way they operate, and possibly initiate a complete review of their practices, before introducing an international team.
Given these challenges, what should organisations do to make sure that their international teams are successful? Much has been written about effective team processes in general, and the first thing to say is that most of these guidelines apply equally to international teams. Experience has shown that international teams are simply more complex versions of national teams. 5 While these elements may have a variety of interpretations in different cultures, they are as important to international teams as they are to national teams.
A. If an organisation is just beginning to work globally and has only recently created international teams, it often underestimates the level of support needed by teams.
B. It is now well established that any team will have a greater chance of success if it has clear goals, a strong sense of commitment, appropriate leadership and good interpersonal relationships.
C. The recognition of this has created many more knowledge workers, that is, people who create, exchange and broadcast information as knowledge.
D. Organisations must understand that operating globally affects every aspect of business and they cannot simply set up international teams and assume that everything else can remain unchanged.
E. The first major impact of this is that satellite technology is increasingly allowing team members to participate in discussions wherever they are, at any time they choose.
F. Unfortunately, however, few organisations until now have been prepared to make the necessary investment to gain the potential benefits that international teams offer.
G. Unlike most national teams, international teams often work apart and across cultures and time zones, for extended periods of time.

PART THREE
●Read the article below about leadership in business and the questions on the opposite page.
●For each question (13-18), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.

THE EFFECTIVE LEADER

From workplace surveys, I have found that most people want to be-and feel they could be-more effective leaders. Certainly they want their leaders to be more effective. But what do we mean by effective leadership in business? It would appear a simple question. Unfortunately, effectiveness is more easily recognisable when it is absent. Leaders who attempt to use business jargon and try out the latest ideas are too often perceived as figures of fun. Whilst people frequently agree on what ineffective leadership is, clearly knowing what not to do is hardly helpful in practice.
Huge amounts of research have been done on this very wide subject. When you look at leadership in different ways, you see different things. While descriptions of leadership are all different, they are all true-and this is where disagreement arises. However, leadership is specific to a given context. The effectiveness of your actions is assessed in relation to the context and to the conditions under which you took them.
For a magazine article I wrote recently, I interviewed one publishing executive, author of several well-known publications, about what effective leadership is. It was significant that, at first, he did not mention his own company. He talked at length about what was happening in the industry-the mergers, take-overs and global nature of the business. Before he was able to describe his own objectives for the new publishing organisation he was setting up, he had to see a clear fit between these proposals and the larger situation outside. Obvious? Of course. But I have lost count of the number of leaders I have coached who believed that their ideas were valid, whatever the situation.
At this point, I should also mention another example, that of a finance director whose plan of action was not well received. The company he had joined had grown steadily for twenty years, serving clients who were in the main distrustful of any product that was too revolutionary. The finance director saw potential challenges from competitors and wanted his organisation to move with the times. Unfortunately, most staff below him were unwilling to change. I concluded that although there were certainly some personal skills he could improve upon, what he most needed to do was to communicate effectively with his subordinates, so that they all felt at ease with his different approach.
Some effective leaders believe they can control uncertainty because they know what the organisation should be doing and how to do it. Within the organisation itself, expertise is usually greatly valued, and executives are expected, as they rise within the system, to know more than those beneath them and, therefore, to manage the operation. A good example of this would be a firm of accountants I visited. Their business was built on selling reliable expertise to the client, who naturally wants uncertainty to be something only other companies have to face. Within this firm, giving the right answer was greatly valued, and mistakes were clearly to be avoided.
I am particularly interested in what aims leaders have and what their role should be in helping the organisation achieve its strategic aims. Some leaders are highly ineffective when the aim doesn't fit with the need, such as the manufacturing manager who was encouraged by her bosses to make revolutionary changes. She did, and was very successful. However, when she moved to a different part of the business, she carried on her programme of change. Unfortunately, this part of the business had already suffered badly from two mismanaged attempts at change. My point is that what her people needed at that moment was a steady hand, not further changes-she should have recognised that. The outcome was that within six months staff were calling for her resignation.

1. In the first paragraph, the writer says that poor leaders ______

A.do not want to listen to criticism.
B.do not deserve to be taken seriously.
C.are easier to identify than good ones.
D.are more widespread than people think.

A B C D

2. Why does the writer believe there is disagreement about what effective leadership is? ______

A.Definitions of successful leadership vary according to the situation.
B.There are few examples of outstanding leaders available to study.
C.Leaders are unable to give clear descriptions of their qualities.
D.The results of research on the subject have concluded little.

A B C D

3. The publishing executive's priorities for leadership focused on ______

A.significant and long-term aims.
B.internal organisational aspects.
C.professional skills and abilities.
D.overall business contexts.

A B C D

4. According to the writer, the finance director was unsuccessful because ______

A.staff were uncomfortable with his style.
B.existing clients were suspicious of change.
C.competitors had a more dynamic approach.
D.colleagues gave little support to his ideas.

A B C D

5. Staff at the accountancy firm who were promoted were required to ______

A.correct mistakes.
B.have a high level of knowledge.
C.maintain discipline within the organisation.
D.advise clients on responding to uncertainty.

A B C D

6. The example of the manager at the manufacturing company is given to emphasise that ______

A.managers need support from their employers.
B.leaders should not be afraid of being unpopular.
C.effective leaders must be sensitive to staff needs.
D.managers do not always understand the attitudes of staff.

A B C D

PART FOUR
●Read the extract below from the annual report of a company with manufacturing interests around the world.
●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.

Manufacturing Strategy

During the last year, we announced the significant expansion of our plastic sheeting plant in Malaysia, which, together with the acquisition of the Javanese factory, will approximately double the Group's manufacturing 1 . The cost of this development is within 2 and will be approximately $5.6m, of which $2.7m was incurred during the previous year. It is on schedule to 3 increasing volumes from October 2009.
Following the 4 of plastic tubing manufacture from Germany to Thailand, we have effectively doubled the capacity of this facility at an 5 cost of $12m. The project is set to cost less than the original 6 and is on target for increased production by June 2010.
In February, we announced our 7 to sell our factory in Ireland. This decision is in line with the Group's strategy of 8 on our core categories of branded products.
In June, we announced investment in a new state-of-the-art UK manufacturing facility for specialist plastic components. This facility will be 9 by mid 2009 and will increase the Group's capacity to manufacture products efficiently in-house. At the same time it will 10 about 200 new jobs in an area of high unemployment. The factory is to cost approximately $24m, towards which government 11 of up to $4m are already available. Sadly, as part of this move, we announced the 12 of our Blackburn facility, which is due to take place in the early part of 2010.
As part of our commitment to effective external communications with all our stakeholders, in October we 13 the corporate website, which is now providing up-to-date information on the Group and we look forward to receiving 14 from users of the site. Existing product websites are now in the 15 of being redesigned as part of the global rebranding strategy.

A.output
B.yield
C.total
D.mass

A B C D

A.budget
B.income
C.account
D.fund

A B C D

A.forward
B.transfer
C.advance
D.deliver

A B C D

A.replacement
B.rearranging
C.relocation
D.redistribution

A B C D

A.aimed
B.imagined
C.accepted
D.expected

A B C D

A.guess
B.judgement
C.estimate
D.conviction

A B C D

A.focus
B.object
C.intention
D.purpose

A B C D

A.concentrating
B.planning
C.attending
D.directing

A B C D

A.running
B.implementing
C.executing
D.organizing

A B C D

10.

A.appoint
B.result
C.employ
D.create

A B C D

11.

A.scholarships
B.grants
C.allocations
D.gifts

A B C D

12.

A.finish
B.closure
C.ending
D.conclusion

A B C D

13.

A.dispatched
B.prompted
C.launched
D.effected

A B C D

14.

A.attitude
B.approach
C.outlook
D.feedback

A B C D

15.

A.practice
B.progress
C.process
D.procedure

A B C D

PART FIVE
●Read the article below about market research.
●In most of the lines (34-45), there is one extra word. It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text. Some lines, however, are correct.
●If a line is correct, write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet.
●If there is an extra word in the line, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet.
●The exercise begins with two examples (0 and 00).

Market Research
0 Market research involves in collecting and sorting facts and opinions from specific groups
00 of people. The purpose of research can vary from discovering the popularity of a political
1 party to assessing whether is a product needs changing or replacing. Most work in
2 consumer research involves interviewers employed by market research agencies, but
3 certain industrial and social research is carried out by any specialist agencies. Interviews
4 may be with individuals or groups and can last anything as from minutes to an hour or
5 more. In some interviews, people may be asked to examine or try out products before
6 giving up their opinion. Successful interviewers tend to like meeting people and should not
7 only be shy of addressing strangers. Interviewers are usually expected to work
8 unsupervised, organising their own workload. Self-discipline is absolutely essential-and
9 as are good health and energy. There are no specific age limits for such a work though
10 many agencies prefer to employ older applicants with experience of meeting people.
11 Market research agencies which frequently organise training, where trainees learn how to
12 recognise socio-economic groups and practise approaching to the public. For information on market research training and qualifications, contact the Market Research Association.

CORRECT

ANY

CORRECT

ONLY

AND

10.

CORRECT

11.

WHICH

12.

WRITING

PART ONE

1. ●You are a manager in an international company. You want to reduce the company's spending on courier services.
●Write an email to the staff in your department:
●explaining that spending on courier services has risen
●suggesting how savings could be made
●saying how the money saved will be used.
●Write 40-50 words.

Sample A

Sample B
As I know that spending on courier services has risen recently, as all the staff regarded the time when given for a useless things, and some people in our company enjoyed the services endless, for instance buying everything useless on holidays. To save money, we have to take some measure in controll much which is spend on courier services. Every one who wants to enjoy services must come to the manager and accountant for permission.

[解析] Sample A

Scales

Mark

Commentary

Content

Content is relevant to the task and the target reader would be informed but content
element 2 is not entirely clear.

Communicative
Achievement

The email is written in an appropriate register, holds the reader's attention and
generally communicates straightforward ideas (A detailed plan should be made.).

Organisation

The text is coherent, with content addressed in a logical order,

Language

Uses some complex grammatical forms with control (money would be used to
buy new office equipment) but other sentences are less successful (Certain people
should be pointed to check) and (The money that spend on our company's courier
services...) , Errors do not impede communication.

Sample B

Scales

Mark

Commentary

Content

A number of irrelevances are present (regarded the time when given for a useless
things) , and content element 3 is not adequately addressed. The target reader
would be minimally informed.

Communicative
Achievement

Uses email conventions to communicate ideas in a generally appropriate way,
although lacks concision.

Organisation

The email is connected despite a very long first sentence and uses some cohesive
devices (as; and; for instance) .

Language

Uses everyday vocabulary and simple grammatical forms (we have to; Every
one who wants to...must...) . Errors are noticeable and at times impede
communication (buying everything useless on holidays) although generally meaning
can still be determined.

PART TWO

1. ●You are a manager in the customer services department of a large store. Your line manager has asked you to write a report on the results of a recent customer survey.
●Look at the information below, on which you have already made some handwritten notes.
●Then, using all your handwritten notes, write your report.
●Write 120-140 words.

Sample C

Sample D

[解析] Sample C

Scales

Mark

Commentary

Content

All content is relevant and the points are expanded where appropriate so that the
target reader is fully informed.

Communicative
Achievement

Uses the conventions of a report effectively to hold the target reader's
attention (The purpose of this report; In conclusion) . The report communicates
straightforward and complex ideas clearly and the register is appropriately formal.

Organisation

Uses a variety of features which organise the ideas well (because; Concerning;
Regarding; The reason is: this would) .

Language

A range of less common vocabulary and some complex structures is used (This
should be no longer the case; we have to improve our diversification; we are on
track) . Errors are present (70% of our customer; rapidely; in the same time) but
these do not impede communication.

Sample D

Scales

Mark

Commentary

Content

Content element 1 is not entirely clear (new training for staff should be carried out).
Content element 2 lacks expansion on what type of product (we should increase
our category of goods) and prelong hours in content element 3 is unclear. The
target reader would be partially informed.

Communicative
Achievement

Report writing conventions are generally used appropriately (The aim of this report;
According to the survey) . Register is sometimes inconsistent (That's my analyzis) .

Organisation

Generally well-organised with some suitable linking (In addition) and use of
pronouns to avoid repetition (we/us for the company and them for the customers) .

Language

Uses a range of simple and complex forms. Errors are noticeable (thought bad of
our staff; there was not large range of goods; prelong) but meaning can still be
determined.

LISTENING

PART ONE
●You will hear three telephone conversations or messages.
●Write one or two words or a number in the numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.
●After you have listened once, replay each recording.

Conversation One
●Look at the note below.
●You will hear a man calling his office.

语音下载

(RETAIL) EXHIBITION

[听力原文]
Man: Thank you for calling Andersons International. Our offices are closed at the moment. Please leave your name, number and message after the tone.
Man: Hello, Martin Hayes here-I've just arrived. The journey was fine, no problems at the airport. I've arrived at the Retail Exhibition-the building's really impressive! The only problem is, the stands that we sent by air cargo last week are missing-the computer's arrived, and the posters are here, though. Can you get onto the transport people first thing in the morning to track them down and get them here by tomorrow evening at the very latest? Stress how urgent it is! Also, I've just unpacked the brochures and realised we haven't got enough price-lists to give out with them. We'll need another five hundred; use a courier to get them out here-the day after tomorrow at the latest. Call me back when you know what's happening. I'm at the press conference all morning today, but you can get me during lunch. I'll speak to you again later.

STANDS

PRICE(-)LISTS

(PRESS) CONFERENCE

Conversation Two
●Look at the note below.
●You will hear a woman calling about a job application.

语音下载

MIDDLEMISS/MIDDLE MISS

[听力原文]
Woman: Oh, hello, can I speak to Jill Croft, please?
Man: I'm sorry, but she's not here at the moment. Can I take a message?
Woman: Oh, please. It's Sarah Middlemiss here. M-I-double D-L-E-M-I-double S...from Pegasus Communications Ltd.
Man: Thanks. What's the message?
Woman: Well, I'm the personnel manager here at Pegasus...it's regarding the position of sales executive Jill has applied for. It's just to let her know that before we arrange interview dates, we're inviting applicants to a company presentation on the twenty-eighth. We'll confirm this, of course, by letter.
Man: Fine-I'll let her know that.
Woman: One other thing-we've received her application and curriculum vitae, but can't find any mention of her referees. Could you ask her to let us have their details as soon as possible?
Man: OK-I've noted that down.
Woman: Thanks very much for your help.
Man: No problem. Bye for now...

SALES EXEC(UTIVE)

(COMPANY) PRESENTATION

REFEREES

Conversation Three
●Look at the note below.
●You will hear a man phoning about some arrangements for a meeting.

语音下载

(THE) SHAREHOLDERS

[听力原文]
Woman: Hello. Sales. Can I help you?
Man: Oh, hello. Is Lauren O'Neil there?
Woman: I'm sorry, but she's at lunch right now. Can I take a message?
Man: Um...OK. It's Chris Darcy here, from Human Resources. I'm phoning about next week's...
Woman: ...Hang on, I just need to get a pen. Right, here we are. So, it's Chris Darcy from HR, and it's about...
Man: The shareholders' meeting next week.
Woman: OK. And what shall I tell Lauren?
Man: Tell Lauren the board's decided to make an official statement about the planned merger. I know we weren't going to, but they've changed their mind.
Woman: Oh...Yes, that's interesting.
Man: Mm, but not entirely unexpected. Anyway, the MD needs Lauren to put together a presentation showing the combined sales of the newly-merged group.
Woman: OK. I've got that. Is there anything else?
Man: Yes, tell her that I'll handle the presentation about HR issues, but could Lauren also include something about expected savings in her part of the presentation?
Woman: OK. I'll give her the message.
Man: That's great. Thanks very much.

(THE) (PLANNED) MERGER

THE (COMBINED) SALES

EXPECTED SAVINGS

PART TWO

Section One
●You will hear five short recordings.
●For each recording, decide which aspect of working conditions the speaker is talking about.
●Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording.
●Do not use any letter more than once.
●After you have listened once, replay the recordings.
A. career prospects
B. health and safety
C. working hours
D. holiday allowance
E. training courses
F. disciplinary procedures
G. job security
H. pay increases

语音下载

[听力原文]
The hours vary-sometimes lunchtimes, sometimes late afternoons. We all feel we've improved our skills or picked up new ones which will benefit us in the future in some way. Outside providers are contracted to come in and they've been very good, very professional. There's been a range of things on offer, too. We're given vouchers which we use in a way to pay for the sessions, choosing what to do and how many hours to put in.

[听力原文]
Things have improved a lot since I started working here. We're all more aware now of potential risks and of the correct procedures for everything. For example, reporting anything that isn't working properly, having the appropriate clothing, things like that. We know what to do now, and who to go to. There are regular checks on equipment, too, so that problems are less likely to happen in the first place.

[听力原文]
Well, despite talks with senior management, we've been unable so far to agree on something which all my staff can accept. Management know we have a fair case and that we've waited a long time compared to other departments, who were awarded rises last year. So it's not as if they're against the idea itself... as I say, we've just got to get a final figure which staff will be happy with.

[听力原文]
There are various stages we go through. We try first to reassure staff and give them the opportunity to present their side. We like first to deal with things within the organisation-staff know action won't be taken until the case has been thoroughly investigated. Of course, problems can arise from lots of things-anything from poor timekeeping or inappropriate dress to actual breach of contract. Dismissal would be the very last course of action and all employees have the right to appeal even then.

[听力原文]
I very much like the system we have-I like the opportunities it gives me for other things. Everyone's at work for the agreed essential time, but we all have some choice each side of this. I keep my own record, and it means I can fit in other things, like medical appointments. I like to feel I've got some control over my professional life and I need to be able to plan. It may not suit everyone, but it certainly works for me.

Section Two
●You will hear another five recordings.
●For each recording, decide what each speaker is trying to do.
●Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the recording.
●Do not use any letter more than once.
●After you have listened once, replay the recordings.
A. nominate a supplier
B. present sales figures
C. support a proposal
D. refuse an increment
E. agree to expenditure
F. claim damages
G. negotiate a contract
H. request a postponement

语音下载

[听力原文]
I take your point Brian. I know that since George left you've had to take on some of his tasks which were not in your original job description. However, you were allocated seventy-five per cent of Suzie's time to deal with the paperwork, so I feel that the situation, although not ideal, is manageable and in this financial climate any further expenditure, any rise, however well deserved, might damage the company's future and, I am sure you'll agree, that's too risky.

[听力原文]
I wanted to have a word about the departmental budget forecast you asked me to draw up. I totally agree with you on the need for working out the future expenditure well in advance, it's only that since we've never done this forecast in such a detailed way before, it's taking us much longer than I expected. Would it be acceptable to the board if I deferred the submission date by a fortnight?

[听力原文]
May I come in here? Thank you. I think Tom's last point was very valuable. We mustn't forget how important it is to make a really good impression when we launch the new T-six engine at the Air Show in Paris. Although we're very familiar with the engine's specifications and performance data, we aren't skilled at giving polished multi-media presentations which the audience expects nowadays. Tom's right. I think we should consider hiring in a professional from a marketing company.

[听力原文]
I know why you want Smithson's-they're the biggest in the field and they've got years of experience. The disadvantage is the price. They're the best so they can charge what they like. Personally, I'd prefer to go for someone local like Mackays. They're small, so we could negotiate a favourable deal, and I'm sure they'd do their best to deliver the stuff on time and help us if we had an emergency job and needed extra materials.

[听力原文]
Jones and Sons have always been our haulage company and they've been reliable. But things changed when Michael Jones took over. The service wasn't so efficient and then last month two trucks were four days late on a delivery with no explanation and no apologies. As a result, we lost a new customer. I refuse to just accept that financial loss. So write to Jones please, demanding ten per cent of our expected profit from that contract. I think it's only fair.

PART THREE
●You will hear a radio interview with a leading industrialist and business consultant, Philip Spencer.
●For each question (23-30), mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.
●After you have listened once, replay the recording.

语音下载

1. When visiting companies Philip Spencer's objective is to ______

A.improve staff productivity.
B.identify problem areas.
C.re-train weak management.

A B C

[听力原文]
Woman: ...And now let's meet Philip Spencer, one of Britain's top industrialists, and hear about his experiences and ideas on improving company performance.., welcome, Philip.
Man: Thanks, Gemma. Good to be here.
Woman: Philip, you're famous for your unique approach when called in to advise companies...
Man: Well, I'm certainly very generous with my advice! I always acknowledge genuine effort wherever possible-it is important to do so; but my job isn't to manage the company, it's to hunt down underlying weaknesses in the systems; that's what I'm trained to do.
Woman: Your visit to Manson's received a very mixed response, didn't it?
Man: Well, yes. Following my first visit, they'd researched the market more deeply and had improved product quality considerably, but, on my return, I blamed their failures on the ancient assembly line which they'd still done nothing about, despite my report, and which by now had led to a ten-year waiting list for their customers. The company was so upset by the comments I made during my second visit that they didn't invite me back!
Woman: Another of your consultations took you to Criterion Glass, a family-run business...
Man: Yes. Their troubles started with an over-concentration on the actual making of the product, on the craftsmanship involved, without asking themselves whether there was still enough of a market for that type of product. Prices needed to be more competitive too, something they hadn't considered sufficiently.
Woman: As you said, you're famous for your advice to industry, but for a long time you were not at all successful in business yourself, were you?
Man: True! The first two organisations I headed went into liquidation! They were both relatively new companies, though, without a long history and were trying to establish their brand name. People had tried to warn me, of course. The resources were there-that wasn't the problem-but I just couldn't get things to work-basically because financial services just isn't my field.
Woman: You enjoy a strong public image, with your unusual choice of clothes, etcetera. Why did you start to cultivate this original style?
Man: Well, many people think I've developed this style just to get myself noticed, but it's really because I think my ability is what matters in business-more than my image. I like to do my own thing, so why shouldn't I please myself how I look? I know many other business people prefer to follow convention and dress more seriously-that's up to them.
Woman: Did this help you to get one of the top jobs in the country-the chairmanship of LBI?
Man: That's not really for me to say...the company was in serious trouble when I joined. I think they recognised the risk-taker in me and they needed someone who wasn't afraid of change. The management had preferred to play safe until then-and this, together with their rather poor reputation, was the cause of their problems.
Woman: Your record in the second half of your career speaks for itself, of course. Now, when you look at managers today, how effective do you think they are?
Man: Well-there's great emphasis now on making money, which I know is what business is about, but too many managers today are interested in making money for themselves. There are a lot of strong personalities around, too, in leadership positions. But people forget that the sort of success which lasts requires close attention to every single aspect of the company, however unimportant it may appear.
Woman: Well, you're full of energy yourself, and working harder than ever at the age of seventy...as you reflect on your long career, have you any advice for those just starting?
Man: Well, I've taken risks and made errors, but I've learnt it's best never to worry about things you can't do anything about. If you did your best with the information you had at the time, then you must live with your mistakes and move on.
Woman: Philip Spencer, thank you very much indeed. Now I'll...

2. Problems at Manson's had continued after Spencer's first visit because of ______

A.poor distribution systems.
B.inadequate market research.
C.out-dated production methods.

A B C

3. Difficulties at Criterion Glass stemmed from lack of attention to ______

A.competitors' designs.
B.quality of merchandise.
C.consumer demand.

A B C

4. Philip Spencer blames his early business difficulties on ______

A.inexperience with new companies.
B.lack of knowledge of the financial sector.
C.bad advice from established organisations.

A B C

5. He defends his unusual personal style by saying that ______

A.it is important in business to make a strong impression.
B.his business ideas are more important than his appearance.
C.most business people are too serious and traditional.

A B C

6. He thinks he was appointed chairman of LBI because the company ______

A.knew of his successes with failing companies.
B.felt he had a positive image with the public.
C.liked his fearless approach to problem-solving.

A B C

7. According to Philip Spencer, successful managers are distinguished by their ______

A.concern for detail.
B.desire to make money.
C.strong leadership.

A B C

8. His final advice to people starting in business is to ______

A.make every effort to prevent mistakes.
B.find the best sources of information.
C.maintain a positive attitude at all times.

A B C

SPEAKING

1. PART ONE
In this part, the interlocutor asks questions to each of the candidates in turn. You have to give information about yourself and express personal opinions.
PART TWO
In this part of the test, you are asked to give a short talk on a business topic. You have to choose one of the topics from the three below and then talk for about one minute. You have one minute to prepare your ideas.
A: What is important when...?
Writing a newspaper advertisement for a job vacancy
●Description of the work
●Experience needed by applicants
●
●
B: What is important when...?
Selecting employees for further training
●Commitment to company
●Previous training
●
●
C: What is important when...?
Planning corporate hospitality
●Guest list
●Type of event
●
●
PART THREE
In this part of the test, you are given a discussion topic. You have 30 seconds to look at the task prompt, an example of which is below, and then about three minutes to discuss the topic with your partner. After that, the examiner will ask you more questions related to the topic.
For two candidates

Video Conferencing

The company you work for is concerned about the amount of time staff spend travelling to meetings in other branches of the company, and is looking at alternatives.
You have been asked to make recommendations about introducing video conferencing.
Discuss the situation together and decide:
●what the company needs to know about the meetings that take place at present
●what the advantages and disadvantages of video conferencing might be
●what kinds of practical preparations would be needed before introducing the system.
Follow-on questions
●Would you prefer to have meetings face-to-face or through video conferencing? (Why?)
●In what other ways do you think a company could reduce the need for travelling to meetings? (Why?)
●What do you think are the benefits to staff of business travel? (Why?)
●Do you think modern technology has affected the amount of business travel in recent years? (Why?/Why not?)
●Do you think video conferencing will become more important for meetings in the future? (Why?/Why not?)

INTERLOCUTOR FRAMES
To facilitate practice for the Speaking test, the scripts followed by the interlocutor for Parts 2 and 3 appear below. They should be used in conjunction with Test Speaking tasks. These tasks are contained in booklets in the real Speaking test.
Interlocutor frames are not included for Part 1, in which the interlocutor asks the candidates questions directly rather than asking them to perform tasks.
Part 2: Mini presentations (about six minutes)
Interlocutor:
●Now, in this part of the test I'm going to give each of you a choice of three different topics. I'd like you to select one of the topics and give a short presentation on it for about a minute. You will have a minute to prepare this and you can make notes if you wish. After you have finished your talk, your partner will ask you a question.
●All right? Here are your topics. Please don't write anything in the booklet.
[Interlocutor hands each candidate a booklet and a pencil and paper for notes.]
Interlocutor:
●Now, B, which topic have you chosen, A, B or C?
●Would you like to talk about what you think is important when [interlocutor states candidate's chosen topic]? A, please listen carefully to B's talk and then ask him/her a question about it.
[Candidate B speaks for one minute.]
Interlocutor:
●Thank you. Now, A, please ask B a question about his/her talk.
[Candidate A asks a question.]
Interlocutor:
●Now, A, which topic have you chosen, A, B or C?
●Would you like to talk about what you think is important when [interlocutor states candidate's chosen topic]? B, please listen carefully to A's talk and then ask him/her a question about it.
[Candidate A speaks for one minute.]
Interlocutor:
●Thank you. Now, B, please ask A a question about his/her talk.
[Candidate B asks a question.]
Interlocutor:
●Thank you.
●Can I have the booklets, please?
Part 3: Collaborative task and discussion (about seven minutes)
Interlocutor:
●Now, in this part of the test, you are going to discuss something together.
[Interlocutor holds the Part 3 booklet open at the task while giving the instructions below.]
Interlocutor:
●You have 30 seconds to read this task carefully, and then about three minutes to discuss and decide about it together. You should give reasons for your decisions and opinions. You don't need to write anything. Is that clear?
[Interlocutor places the booklet in front of the candidates so they can both see it.]
Interlocutor:
●I'm just going to listen and then ask you to stop after about three minutes. Please speak so that we can hear you. [Candidates have about three minutes to complete the task.]
Interlocutor:
●Can I have the booklet, please?
[Interlocutor asks one or more of the follow-on questions as appropriate, to extend the discussion.]
●Thank you. That is the end of the test.