银符考试题库-在线练习-剑桥商务英语中级模拟133

剑桥商务英语中级模拟133

READING

PART ONE

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

GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR STAFF

Ed Smith, a senior manager for Trustco Ltd in Worcester, used to work a minimum of 70 hours a week. He travelled regularly between the UK and USA and began to feel he had become almost a stranger to his wife and his two young sons. （0） (G) This idea worked.
These days, he still goes to work very early but he also leaves early. He now sees his children before they go to bed and then does about an hour's work by computer from home in the evening, keeping in touch with American colleagues. 1 The key to Ed Smith's changing his hours was persuading his employer that he and other staff were more productive when they worked the hours that suited them. This is easier said than done, of course. 2 Many of them are slow to realise the benefits of letting employees work fewer or more flexible hours.
A recent survey of five thousand senior managers found that nearly half of them always worked more than their contract hours, while many worked evenings and weekends. A majority thought that this not only had a negative effect on their family relationships and their health, but also reduced their productivity. 3 It seems that it is job satisfaction that is the deciding factor when it comes to employee productivity.
However, the good news is that more employers are now starting to realise that they are only going to get higher output from their staff if those staff are happy and want to be at work. 4 His company have brought in changes partly for competitive reasons. The research and development part of the business employs highly trained scientists, who are expensive to replace. 5 The employees seem to be very happy with the new arrangements and, as a result, productivity rates have gradually but consistently increased and staff turnover rates have fallen dramatically. According to Ed Smith, many companies would benefit from a similar scheme, and everyone, from directors to employees' families, would have something to gain.
A. Ed Smith's new working hours are just one example of the attempt to alter corporate culture.
B. This adds to the increasing evidence that long hours are not necessarily useful hours.
C. They are often willing to accept that happy employees produce more.
D. He admits to feeling much happier, and believes he has established a balance between work and home life.
E. It can be difficult to persuade organisations that a change of this type is in their interest, too.
F. To keep them happy, 'trust time' has been introduced, where the company trusts employees to do what is required, in whatever time it takes.
G. Realising that he was putting himself under too much stress, he decided to try to change his working hours.

PART THREE

FINANCING YOUR START-UP

When it comes to financing your new business idea, perhaps the best starting point is to consider whether you can do it yourself. This is sometimes called 'bootstrapping' and refers to the idea that you begin with the lowest possible amount of money and go from there. The advantage is that you will always be free to manage the business in the way you want to. Increasingly, modern entrepreneurs can work this way because of the ease of selling online. The cost of building and maintaining a website is minimal with few of the overheads of bricks and mortar retail. Then, as soon as you start generating some income, you put all the money back into the business.
Of course, if you really feel you need some initial capital but don't want to give away shares, you could try a crowd funding website. This is what three friends who had spent over 25 years living in China did. They wanted to start a new international magazine about Chinese food, with articles featuring eating habits in China and recipes for Chinese food, and show the influence of Chinese food around the world. To raise an initial f5,000, they used a site called Kickstarter. The site lets you ask people to give you (not lend) some of the money in return for rewards such as badges, T-shirts or a free meal. In the end, 162 people supported the new magazine called 'The Cleaver Quarterly' and it's been on sale for a year.
But for much larger sums of money you'll have to look elsewhere. Traditionally, many businesses started as family businesses. This is when someone in the family sets up a new business by borrowing money from a (usually older) family member to do so. If you go down this path, you might be lucky and find a family member who will lend you the money with no interest. On the other hand, if borrowing the money also means that you have to allow a relative to share the profits-and potentially start advising you on how you run your business-you might want to try your local bank.
In the past, borrowing from a bank was a popular method but in recent years it's become harder and the cost of the interest on the loan can be too high. If you do decide to approach a bank, you'll need a very detailed business plan about you (and your team) and your business concept. In particular, the section on finance will need to show how many products you will need to sell in the first year in order to cover all your costs.
The final option is to use an outside investor or 'angel investor'. Unlike the bank, they won't want to charge interest on the loan, but they will want a share in the business in return for their investment. This might put you off, but good angel investors are usually people with a lot of entrepreneurial experience. They can be very supportive and they would also understand the difficult process of starting a new business from scratch.

1. 'Bootstrapping' is more realistic for modern entrepreneurs because ______

A.you can manage the business on your own without others.
B.people often have more money than they did years ago.
C.it's easy to trade online due to lower costs.
D.there are more opportunities for small business these days.

A B C D

[解析] “步步为营法对现代企业家来说更为现实，因为网络成本较低在网络上销售更容易”。因为文章第一段提到：This is sometimes called 'bootstrapping' and refers to the idea that you begin with the lowest possible amount of money and go from there…. Increasingly, modern entrepreneurs can work this way because you can sell online. The cost of building and maintaining a website is minimal with few of the overheads of bricks and mortar retail. Then, as soon as you start generating some income, you put all the money back into the business. (有时候把它称为“步步为营法”，指的是从最低成本一步步起家这种理念……因为可以在网络上销售，越来越多的现代企业家可以网上创业。建立和维护网站的成本极低，几乎没有实体零售店的开支。然后，只要你一开始赚钱，就可以把所有的钱投资回生意中去。)故选C。

2. The writer advises new entrepreneurs using 'bootstrapping' to ______

A.always spend some of the money on a new website.
B.manage on your own and ignore what other people say.
C.reinvest their initial turnover back into the business.
D.avoid retail businesses which need a physical location.

A B C D

[解析] “作者建议新企业家使用‘步步为营法’，将第一笔盈利资金投回到生意中去。”因为文章第一段提到：This is sometimes called 'bootstrapping' and refers to the idea that you begin with the lowest possible amount of money and go from there....... Then, as soon as you start generating some income, you put all the money back into the business. (有时候把它称为“步步为营法”，指的是从最低成本一步步起家这种理念。……然后，只要你一开始赚钱，就可以把所有的钱投资回生意中去)。故选C。

3. Crowdfunding has the advantage of raising money without ______

A.giving away shares to people.
B.giving away rewards to people.
C.having other people's money.
D.having to convince people.

A B C D

[解析] “众筹的优点是筹到钱却不用把股份分给别人。”因为文章第二段提到：Of course, if you really feel you need some initial capital but don't want to give away shares, you could try a crowdfunding website. (当然，如果你的确觉得需要起步经费但却不想把股份分给别人，你开始试着建立一个众筹网站)。故选A。

4. A well-written business plan shows a bank ______

A.how you can break even in 12 months.
B.the amount you would like to borrow.
C.how much interest you'd pay after 12 months.
D.information on your other investors.

A B C D

[解析] “一个精心撰写的商务计划能向银行说明你将如何在短短12个月内取得突破的。”因为文章第四段提到：If you do decide to approach a bank, you'll need a very detailed business plan about you (and your team) and your business concept. In particular, the section on finance will need to show how many products you will need to sell in the first year in order to cover all your costs. (如果你决定向银行借款，你需要撰写一个关于你自己(和团队)及其经营理念的详细商业计划。特别是，在经费部分你要说明第一年你要销售多少产品以收回所有成本。)故选A。

5. The writer thinks that borrowing from family members ______

A.means they have to manage the business as well.
B.can be a good option for bigger amounts of capital.
C.may not work out very well in the end.
D.only used to happen in the past.

A B C D

[解析] “作者认为从家庭成员借钱可能是借到大额资金的好办法”。因为文章第三段提到：But for much larger sums of money you'll have to look elsewhere. Traditionally, many businesses have often started as family businesses. This is when someone in the family sets up a new business by borrowing money from a (usually older) family member to do so. (如果你需要大额资金你就得想想其他途径。传统上，很多新企业是以家族企业的方式起步的。也就是说一个家族成员通过向另一个通常较年长的成员借钱来建立新企业。)故选B。

6. Why does the writer suggest an angel investor is a good option? ______

A.They will own shares in your company but not get involved in running the business.
B.They tend to lend you more money.
C.They won't ask you to pay back the money you borrowed from them.
D.They can give advice about running a business.

A B C D

[解析] 题目：“为什么作者认为天使投资是一个好选择?答：他们能为你提供如何经营企业的建议”。因为文章最后一段提到：Unlike the bank, they won't want to charge interest on the loan, but they will want a share in the business in return for their investment. This might put you off, but good angel investors are usually people with a lot of entrepreneurial experience. They can be very supportive and they would also understand the difficult process of starting a new business from scratch. (与银行不同，他们不想对贷款收利息，但他们会要求参股以获取投资回报。这或许会使你打消热情，但好的天使投资者通常是经验丰富的企业家。他们会非常支持你，也很理解企业从零开始的艰难过程。)故选D。

PART FOUR

The Secret of Success for Online Businesses

The secret of success in electronic commerce lies in placing a new emphasis on a well-established area. That area is customer service, which is now the only point of 1 between a business and the buying public.
There are a number of factors in a real-world shop that 2 people's perceptions of a business: these 3 the location and the appearance of the premises, the quality and the pricing of the merchandise or services, and the behaviour of the staff.
However, if a company is trying to make a good impression with online customers, most of these factors do not 4 a part. In the 5 of these factors, the way customers are 6 when they have a reason to call has a fundamental effect on a company's ability to retain them as customers. Even more than regular telephone or in-person customers, web customers are impatient, easily frustrated and always conscious that they have other places where they can 7 their business. Preventing them from doing that means meeting them on their own 8 and providing them with what they want.
This necessity, in 9 , means that companies that sell over the net must get back-end functions right. Imposing 10 requirements on customers will not work; a business that 11 on customers emailing for assistance instead of using the phone, for example, will lose repeat custom.
If the phone is used, it must be answered 12 , and the staff should look for ways of helping even the most awkward customers 13 , as is more usual, trying to find some 14 to blame the customer for any problem.
An important, final point is that it is vital that all addresses, web links and phone numbers work properly and efficiently. This ought to 15 without saying. Experience, however, shows that it does not.

A.relationship
B.association
C.meeting
D.contact

A B C D

A.force
B.determine
C.decide
D.fix

A B C D

A.enclose
B.consist
C.include
D.contain

A B C D

A.get
B.run
C.play
D.have

A B C D

A.absence
B.lack
C.need
D.scarcity

A B C D

A.cared
B.treated
C.dealt
D.considered

A B C D

A.deliver
B.bring
C.move
D.take

A B C D

A.policies
B.standards
C.terms
D.conditions

A B C D

A.turn
B.sequence
C.line
D.order

A B C D

10.

A.dense
B.rigid
C.deep
D.solid

A B C D

11.

A.demands
B.insists
C.expects
D.instructs

A B C D

12.

A.punctually
B.precisely
C.promptly
D.presently

A B C D

13.

A.apart from
B.other than
C.except for
D.rather than

A B C D

14.

A.case
B.excuse
C.fault
D.purpose

A B C D

15.

A.do
B.make
C.go
D.come

A B C D

PART FIVE
●In most of the lines (34-45), there is one extra word. It either is 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).

Elco and social responsibility
0 Elco is a leading electrical retailer based in France. The company has been involved in
00 issues of social responsibility for many years and has always aimed to achieve as a
1 positive social impact while tackling the environmental issues are raised by electrical
2 retailing. As a consequence, Elco has been an integrated approach to social and environmental
3 issues and is particularly involved it in community schemes and recycling projects. As
4 part of this commitment, Elco helps to run like a two-year programme that trains
5 people with learning difficulties to make repair domestic electrical appliances. These
6 appliances are collected by Elco from customers' homes so when new products are
7 delivered. About 10% of them are suitable for repair, leaving the other 90% to be dismantled
8 and sold them for appropriate industrial treatment. The repaired appliances are then sold on
9 the second-hand market at a low price and with a one-year guarantee. Elco is also
10 currently working to reduce in the impact its own transport system has on the
11 environment. Drivers attend training sessions, which offered in partnership with car suppliers
12 and transport companies, to learn from how to drive in a way that respects the environment.

ARE

BEEN

MAKE

CORRECT

THEM

CORRECT

10.

11.

WHICH

12.

FROM

WRITING

PART ONE

1. ●You work in the Human Resources department of a large company. You have to delay the new English lessons for your staff.
●Write an email to the staff about the English courses:
●apologising for the delay
●explaining why there is a problem with starting the courses
●saying when the lessons will start
●Write 40-50 words.

[范文]
Sample answer:
Subject: English lessons
I'm writing to apologize for the continued delay in starting the new English lessons. Unfortunately, due to illness, the teacher is unable to take up her post as scheduled. Instead, lessons will begin on October 1^st. I appreciate everyone's patience regarding this matter.

PART TWO

1. ·Your company requires a taxi firm that could use on a regular basis for staff and clients. Your secretary has selected two advertisements from the local newspaper.
·Look at the advertisements below, on which you have already made some handwritten notes.
·Then, using all your notes. Write a proposal for your line manager, saying which firm you think your company should use.
·Write 120-140 words.

[范文]
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to assess and recommend a taxi firm that will become our transporter. We will need them especially during next year's trade fair and conferences. There are two firms to assess.
Findings
We have found good references regarding Tele- cars. Besides having a long-running tradition of being very reliable, they also provide 24-hour service which will be very useful for meetings and negotiations held at night.
Streetlight Cabs, however, is a brand new company without references. They do provide cheap prices for long distance routes we often use, but as they do not have a web page, internet booking is not possible.
Recommendation:
I recommend choosing Telecars because of their long tradition of reliability and well trained staff.

本文是对商务建议书的考查，内容要求是秘书根据两则出租车广告内容给自己的经理建议选择哪家公司。
内容方面，文章要强调最终给出的建议。TELECARS公司的特点在于第1、2和3，STREETLIGHT CABS公司的却有着没有参考记录、没有网络定车服务、不方便等缺点。形式方面，商务建议书与商务报告大体一致，但差别在于前者用建议(Recommendation)代替了后者的结论(Conclusion)。

LISTENING

PART ONE

Conversation One
The customer was leaving China soon, so he went to buy a Chinese 1 for his 2 son as 3 present. Finally he chose an 4 "Panda Trucker".

语音下载

toy

[听力原文]
Woman: Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?
Man: Yes, please, I am leaving China soon. I want to buy a Chinese toy for my son as his birthday present. I don't know which one is the best for him.
Woman: How old is your son?
Man: Three years old.
Woman: This is a "Panda Trucker". It is an electric toy. I think your son will enjoy playing with it.
Man: Show me how it works, please.
Woman: It's very simple. Put two batteries into this box, then turn on the switch, and the panda will drive the truck.
Man: What an interesting toy it is! I'll take one. I'm sure my son will be delighted. Here's the money. Thank you for your suggestion.
Woman: You are welcome. Wish you a pleasant journey.
[解析] 从题目要求“a man buying toys for his son in a Chinese shop”可以得知他要去买玩具。从听力中得到的答案验证了这一预测。

3-year-old

[解析] 从“Three years old”可以得出答案。

birthday

[解析] 根据听力中“I want to buy a Chinese toy for my son as his birthday present”可以得出答案。

electric

[解析] 从“This is a Panda Trucker. It is an electric toy.”可以找到答案，他买的玩具是一个电动玩具。

Conversation Two
Call from 1
There's been a mix-up about the labeling of product number 15437 B — that's the one for the 2 market.
Reach Paola at this number till 3 evening: 4

语音下载

Rome

[听力原文]
A: Green and Harding, good morning.
Paola: Oh, good morning. This is Paola Andretti calling from Rome. I'd like to speak to Mr. Guy Dobson, please.
A: Oh, certainly, ma'am, I'll connect you immediately.
Bob: Hello.
Paola: Oh, is that Guy Dobson?
Bob: Oh, hi! This is Bob Swenson.
Paola: Oh, hi. Urn... is Guy around?
Bob: Er... just a minute, I'll check... Um... no, he doesn't seem to be. He should be back... er... any minute. Er... can I help you?
Paola: Um... yeah. Look, can I leave a message with you?
Bob: Yes, sure.
Paola: It's urgent. There's been a mix-up about the labeling of product number 15437 B — that's the one for the Italian market.
Bob: Uhuh, I've got that.
Paola: And I'd like him to get in touch so that it can be cleared up.
Bob: OK.
Paola: Um... he can reach me at this number till tomorrow evening, OK?
Bob: Mmm.
Paola: It's 0025589847.
Bob: OK. He can reach you at this number till tomorrow evening: 0025589847.
Paola: That's right, great. Thanks Bob.
Bob: OK, bye.

通过原文“This is Paola Andretti calling from Rome.”可知来自罗马。

Italian

通过原文“that's the one for the Italian market.”可知是意大利市场。

tomorrow

通过原文“he can reach me at this number till tomorrow evening,”可知是在昨天晚上。

0025589847

通过原文“He can reach you at this number till tomorrow evening: 0025589847.”可知。

Conversation Three

语音下载

HEADED

[听力原文]
Man: Sarah Williams, please.
Woman: I'm afraid she's not available right now.
Man: Ah, can you ask her to call me back? Brian Jones-it's urgent.
Woman: Of course. Can I ask what it's about?
Man: You tell her there's been a mix-up yet again. Instead of plain paper, we've got headed paper. Last month, we even got lined paper!
Woman: I do apologise. I'll ask her to phone you as soon as possible. She's at lunch at the moment, and then she'll be in a training session, but I'll make sure she contacts you when that finishes.
Man: Ah, we need the goods by Thursday, otherwise our production line will be held up, and we'll miss our deadlines. If you can't sort it out, we'll have to change supplier. We can't afford to wait around.
Woman: Of course.
Man: And another thing-the amount owing on the invoice is given in full-that's not right. I'd thought we'd agreed I'd settle the bill by instalments. I could pay half now, but I'm not prepared to.
Woman: I'm sure she can sort something out.

TRAINING SESSION

CHANGE SUPPLIER

INSTALMENTS

PART TWO

Section One
A. It was useful for increasing output.
B. It helped me to make a difficult decision.
C. I used it to improve my career prospects.
D. It increased my confidence.
E. It was an opportunity to speak my mind.
F. It was effective because it was short.
G. I used it to collect valuable data for future use.
H. It was a chance to exchange ideas.

语音下载

[听力原文]
My company's been doing annual appraisals for all employees ever since I started here. I thought it was a waste of time at first, just another boring thing to do. But I appreciate it now. In my appraisal, I looked back over the year and saw what I'd achieved, and that helped my belief in myself. Without the annual appraisal, I think time would slip by without my ever getting a real idea of my worth to the company.

[听力原文]
Most of my colleagues hate the annual appraisal. They're afraid of criticism and worried about what sort of information will go on their file-so they can't see the value of the whole thing. Not me. I've just had my latest interview, and I spent weeks planning it. Promotion is awarded according to a points system in my firm, but there's room for manoeuvre, and the appraisal is an opportunity to work your way onto the next step up the ladder.

[听力原文]
I'm a line manager, and I've just carried out the latest lot of appraisals for my staff. It's very time-consuming and difficult for me. I get on well with my team, and I don't want to spoil my relationship with them by saying the wrong thing. But nobody's perfect, and the appraisals have improved productivity by getting people to do something about their weaknesses. Constructive criticism is the key, but finding the right words is a problem.

[听力原文]
When annual appraisals first became general practice, we were pretty bad at it. As personnel manager, I called the staff into my office for a ten-minute chat-there was some form to fill in, and that was it. But nowadays a lot of thought goes into the process, and the last round of appraisals was treated very seriously. I used questionnaires constructed to build up a profile of each employee-so I could make informed decisions regarding training, promotion etc.

[听力原文]
Appraisals have to be a positive encounter. And they must be confidential, if the employees are to trust the process enough to be open. I'm a manager-when it comes to appraisals, my policy is to keep the initial review part short, and spend longer discussing future projects. I treated my last lot of appraisals as a sort of question and answer session with my staff. Not everything that came out of the interviews was practical, but it was interesting to hear what they thought.

Section Two
A. defining objectives tightly
B. planning the schedule carefully
C. ensuring the plans have some flexibility
D. handing over some tasks to other team members
E. ensuring the team is motivated
F. dealing with problems promptly
G. arranging regular status meetings
H. keeping in constant email contact with team

语音下载

[听力原文]
I can tell you from my own experience that the most important thing in project management is not to try to do everything yourself. That'll lead to problems sooner rather than later. You must plan which tasks you really need to do yourself and then delegate responsibility for each of the other tasks to others. You should of course, make sure the members of your team have the initiative and flexibility necessary for such responsibilities.

[听力原文]
I think, it's absolutely crucial that all the people to whom you've delegated responsibilities should get together at least once a month so that you can all share information about how your own bits of the project are going. If you don't do that, then it's easy to assume something has been done by someone else when it hasn't-after all, not everyone has the same level of motivation. Email contact is great, of course, but nothing beats face-to-face communication.

[听力原文]
You have to get off to a good start which means you have to be absolutely clear about what your aims are right from the start. These should be discussed with the team and should be put in writing so that everyone shares full knowledge about the precise parameters of the project. I know from several projects I've been involved with that confusion about goals often leads to problems early on, problems which could very easily have been prevented.

[听力原文]
When you're working on a new project, you have to delegate, of course. But, if anything starts to go wrong you should handle it yourself. As project manager, it is up to you to keep a close eye on how things are progressing. You should try to predict any difficulties and sort them out immediately so the project can move on. There are many tasks that can be handed over to other people, but not this.

[听力原文]
Planning things in detail is, of course, vital. However, it makes sense to ensure that your initial plan incorporates a degree of adaptability. You and your project team can't assume that circumstances will stay the same for ever, and so it makes sense for your plan not to be so rigid that it cannot take account of any developments and changes in circumstance. It should not, of course, need to stray from its basic objectives.

PART THREE

语音下载

1. Desmond Butler was dissatisfied working with his father's company because ______

A.the market share was declining.
B.his earning potential was limited.
C.there was little room for expansion.

A B C

[听力原文]
Woman: Today I'm talking to Desmond Butler, Managing Director of Klikset, the construction toy which every youngster wants. Welcome Desmond.
Man: Hello Jenny.
Woman: So, how did it all start?
Man: I'd been running my father's plastic component business and I'd taken it as far as I could, and was bored. We were producing make-up cases-you know, eye-shadow, lipstick, mascara cases and so on. It was a steady market, although very competitive, but I needed a new challenge. I was getting quite a good income from it, but money isn't everything.
Woman: So what gave you the idea for Klikset?
Man: I was at a wedding party, sitting in a corner toying with plastic drinking straws on my table thinking about the manufacturing process that made them. I began piecing them together and managed to build a small flat structure. I realised that with the right connectors I could build some impressive objects and I thought this might be the seed idea for a new toy.
Woman: How did you plan to get started?
Man: Well, my initial idea was to develop the toy and sell the concept to a big toy company. I would then retain the contract to make it and get them to sell it under their brand name. I didn't know anything about the toy market and thought it'd be better to leave the selling to the experts.
Woman: Did it take long to get a prototype ready?
Man: Longer than I'd anticipated. I spent eighteen months refining the straw idea with six lengths of rod connectors before the basic Klikset was ready. Once I'd decided to go down the path that was it. Nothing was going to stop me. If it was a total failure, it would set me back five years financially, but I believed it would catch on eventually.
Woman: So did you go ahead and set up your company then?
Man: I tried to sell it to the big manufacturers, who didn't want to know. I decided that as they weren't interested, I would learn their business and do it myself. I researched the toy industry thoroughly. I even applied for jobs in toy shops just so I could go to the interviews and find out more about the business. I also contacted as many store buyers as possible and asked what kind of toys they were looking for. I got a part-time job in a toy factory before setting up Klikset in nineteen ninety-three.
Woman: And was it easy to sell your product?
Man: At first, no. The biggest toy store initially turned me down, but finally I saw their chief buyer Jim Taylor. He liked my business plan, but told me that what I had to offer probably had zero value to him. So I asked for five minutes to do a presentation and I pulled out all the stops. I made a Ferris wheel, a windmill and a bulldozer and within a couple of minutes Jim Taylor was won over. I sold one million pounds worth of toys through his store that first year.
Woman: An amazing success story. But it didn't stop there, did it?
Man: No. Elto, one of the companies which had turned me down initially, contacted me and said they were interested in my designs after all. So I negotiated a deal with them to form a partnership to make Klikset and market it abroad. I even persuaded them to buy ten per cent of my business for ten million pounds. They wanted a fifty-fifty partnership but I wanted to keep control of my business.
Woman: Finally, Desmond, what do you put your success down to?
Man: Well, however much you plan you can never be sure how things will turn out. You have to make decisions and just live with the consequences. I've always learnt something from my mistakes.
Woman: Well thank you Desmond for your wonderful...

2. Desmond Butler came up with the idea of Klikset while he was ______

A.producing some plastic connectors.
B.researching different plastic toys.
C.playing with plastic straws.

A B C

3. His original intention was to use another company to ______

A.manufacture the toy.
B.market the toy.
C.develop the toy.

A B C

4. Whilst producing the prototype, Desmond was ______

A.confident of instant success.
B.worried about failing.
C.determined to continue.

A B C

5. Before establishing the Klikset company, Desmond ______

A.became a buyer for a big toy company.
B.worked in a toy factory.
C.accepted a job working in a toy shop.

A B C

6. Before hearing Desmond's presentation, Jim Taylor, a customer, thought that ______

A.the product would fail to sell.
B.the business plan needed developing.
C.the idea had potential.

A B C

7. Desmond joined forces with Elto because he wanted ______

A.to use their design department.
B.to export his product.
C.to sell half his company.

A B C

8. Desmond believes the way to succeed is by ______

A.being prepared to take risks.
B.making quick decisions.
C.producing very detailed plans.

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...?
Planning a presentation
●Audience
●Equipment needed
●
●
B: What is important when...?
Selecting an interpreter for a meeting with foreign clients
●Experience
●Reliability
●
●
C: What is important when...?
Introducing a new product range onto the market
●Timing
●Advance publicity
●
●
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

Selling old stock

The manufacturing company you work for needs to make space in its warehouse to stock its new products. The company would like to sell off end-of-range products at discounted prices.
You have been asked to make recommendations.
Discuss the situation together and decide:
●how much discount should be offered
●whether to offer the same discount on all products
●how customers could be informed of the discounts.
Follow-on questions
●Do you think discounts are a good way of selling old stock? (Why?/Why not?)
●In what other ways do you think companies can get rid of unwanted stock? (Why?)
●What do you think is the main disadvantage for a company of having too much stock in its warehouse?
●How do you think companies could plan their stock requirements more accurately?
●Why do you think it can be difficult to sell stock sometimes?
●How do you think discounting could affect a company's image? (Why?)

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 Tests 1-4 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 bands 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 following questions as appropriate, to extend the discussion.]
Examples:
●Do you think magazines are a good way to keep staff informed? (Why?/Why not?)
●Do you think companies of all sizes should have staff magazines? (Why?/Why not?)
●Is it important for senior managers to contribute to staff magazines? (Why?/Why not?)
●Would you like to contribute to staff magazines? (Why?/Why not?)
●Do you think an internal company website would be a good way of keeping staff informed? (Why?/Why not?)
●Do you think magazines for customers are a useful marketing tool? (Why?/Why not?)
●Thank you. That is the end of the test.