PART ONE A Walger, the bus maker, has entered into a joint venture with IMCO Bus Corporation to participate in coach building operations in Mexico. The two companies have just announced the $70 million acquisition of Mexican Coachworks, the largest bus and coach builder in Mexico, with 2,400 employees and three factories. Walger retains a 60% interest in the coach building venture. Analysts have expressed surprise, given the current exchange rate. B Jetline Airports has said that it spent £2.1 million on its failed attempt to dispose of its duty- free retail division. The chief executive said the company's six-month search for a buyer ran up heavy consultancy expenses which left half-year pre-tax profits at £4.5 million. It also emerged that the Director of Finance received a £500,000 settlement when he left the company. C GBD, the manufacturing giant, plans to cut 1,500 jobs at its Portland factory over the next five years after union refusal to increase productivity. A company representative said that although they have invested more than $42 million in the new plant and improved technology, the trade unions are still unwilling to increase output. As a result, GBD have been forced to downsize the Portland plant. D Maybrooke, the Scottish department store, reported a fall in trading profits in the first half of the year from £545,000 to £462,000, on sales which were down two per cent. They blame the disappointing first half on the strength of the pound, which hit the company's tourist business, as well as an increase in traffic and parking problems in the city centre, and the growth of out-of-town shopping centers.
1. A strong currency has had a negative effect on the company.
D
[解析] strong currency,negative effect strength of the pound,hit 题干意为“强势货币对该公司有着消极的影响”也就是说强势的货币阻碍了该公司的发展,与原文D段They blame the disappointing first half on the strength of the pound, which hit the company's tourist business意思一致。
2. The workforce has made it difficult for this company to become more efficient.
C
[解析] workforce,difficult,more efficient cut 1500 jobs,refusal to increase productivity 题干意为“由于劳动力的不足,使该公司提高生产效率成为一件困难的事情”也就是说该公司的劳动力不足使提高生产力变得很困难,与C段plans to cut 1,500 jobs at its Portland factory over the next five years after union refusal to increase productivity相对应。
3. The use of specialists led to very high costs.
B
[解析] specialists,high cost heavy consultancy expenses 题干意为“聘请专家造成了很高的成本花费”与B段the company's six-month search for a buyer ran up heavy consultancy expenses which left half-year pre-tax profits at £4.5 million表述一致。
4. Increased competition has contributed to this company's difficulties.
D
[解析] competition,company's difficulties fall,growth of out-of-town shopping centers 题干意为“激烈的竞争导致了该公司面临困境”与D段They blame the disappointing first half on the strength of the pound, which hit the company's tourist business, as well as an increase in traffic and parking problems in the city centre, and the growth of out-of-town shopping centers相对应。
5. This company has reached an agreement on a new project.
A
[解析] agreement,new project enter into,joint venture 题干意为“该公司就一个新项目已达成协议”与A段Walger, the bus maker, has entered into a joint venture with IMCO Bus Corporation to participate in coach building operations in Mexico意思一致。
6. Part of this company was up for sale.
B
[解析] part,for sale dispose of,division 题干意为“公司的部分产业准备要出售”与B段Jetline Airports has said that it spent £2.1 million on its failed attempt to dispose of its duty-free retail division表述一致。
7. This company has expanded its manufacturing base.
A
[解析] expand,manufacturing base acquisition,Coachworks 题干意为“该公司已经扩大了其生产基地”与A段The two companies have just announced the $70 million acquisition of Mexican相对应。
PART TWO
Banker's Bonuses
Lord Myners, the City minister, is allegedly worth £30m ($47m). He is an unlikely tribune of the people. Yet, he has been sounding off more vociferously than his colleagues about "unacceptable" pay deals for bankers. Derivatives traders are not footballers with unique talents and "should not be paid as though they are", he said last month. More recently he has railed against "market failure"; accusing big clients of investment banks of not challenging the fees and margins they are charged. 1 Lack of transparency makes them seem the more villainous. "The nation is angry about this. I'm angry," says Lord Myners. 2 "We are not an incomes regulator," says Hector Sants, chief executive of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The watchdog's only sanction is to demand more regulatory capital from those banks whose pay policies appear to be putting their firms at greater risk. The Treasury could influence matters at RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, two big banks in which it has substantial shareholdings, but is reluctant to micromanage. 3 The government worries that any attack on bankers' pay could drive financiers offshore, depriving the exchequer of much revenue. City bonuses, which dropped from £10 billion in 2007 to £4 billion in 2008, could bounce back to £6 billion this year, says the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), a consultancy. They mirror the health of a financial-services sector that in the good times brought in up to £67 billion in annual tax revenues, estimates PWC, an accounting firm. This fiscal year the figure could drop to £39 billion, says Douglas McWilliams at the CEBR, although banks' recently buoyant business may increase it. 4 So could the slightly softer option of preventing banks from offsetting past losses against future tax bills. The reluctance to bash bankers' bonuses stems from recognition that wholesale finance is a global business. Bankers are highly mobile, says Marcus Agius, chairman of Barclays. He argues that banks in Britain must be free to pay as much as those elsewhere, but says he is "agnostic" about what that level should be. National and international proposals to reform pay at regulated financial firms are similarly agnostic. They mostly do not spell out how much public disclosure there should be of big pay packages, other than those for board members. 5 It requires a detailed breakdown of the remuneration of "employees whose actions have a material impact on the risk exposure of the firm". Yet that measure is unlikely to be implemented, even though the big British banks and the London-based operations of global investment banks have agreed to it. The FSA, for its part, is not bothered about public disclosure as long as it has the information itself. Sir David Walker, a former central banker charged with an official review of bank-governance practices, has suggested that bands of remuneration for heavy hitters outside the boardroom be disclosed. It seems that banks, in the absence of much more than appeals to their better nature, will be setting their own benchmarks as and when they please. Barclays began a review of its remuneration policies in 2008. It remains unfinished. A. But such attempts at moral suasion are not working, and those in authority seem reluctant to do more. B. A windfall tax on profits, discussed by both government and opposition, might put any recovery at risk. C. The opportunity to take an equity position at a bargain price has been missed. D. The crisis does not seem to have affected the way bankers are rewarded. E. An exception is the communiqué from the Group of 20 (G20) big countries in September F. There was not a murmur when RBS hired a head trader for a rumoured £7m in total. G. Yet, he has been sounding off more vociferously than his colleagues about "unacceptable" pay deals for bankers.
1.
D
文中空白处后一句中的“Lack of transparency makes them seem the more villainous”,不透明让他们显得尤其邪恶。这里的他们指的是银行家们。关键词则是more villainous,更加邪恶,表明前一句很可能也是消极方面的描述。所以与之相符的应该是选项D。
2.
A
空白处是本段的句首,上段讲的是伦敦的一个金融大臣对银行家的收入及银行的各项收费表示的愤怒,空白处后文的意思是英国的金融监管局官员也不能监管银行家的收入。显然选项A中“and those in authority seem reluctant to do more.”意为:“并且看来那些高层也并不太想在这方面花费更多的精力。”符合题意。
3.
F
空白处的前一句,“The Treasury could influence matters at RBS and Lloyds Banking Group”中明确涉及了RBS(苏格兰皇家银行)。而在所给的句子中,只有F:There was not a murmur when RBS hired a head trader for a rumoured £7m in total,涉及了关键词RBS。选项F是正确答案。
4.
B
空白处后一句“So could the slightly softer option of preventing banks from offsetting past losses against future tax bills.”表明前面句子中所提到的某一现象可以阻止银行用未来的税单抵消以往亏损的这种很容易套利的行为。选项B是正确答案。其中“So could...”表示“也一样起作用”,此处应是顺接关系。
5.
E
空白处前一句指出“They mostly do not spell out how much public disclosure there should be of big pay packages, other than those for board members”,表明他们基本上不向公众披露其不计其数薪酬的数量,除了那些国外的成员。而后一句却说“requires a detailed breakdown of the remuneration of 'employees whose actions have a material impact on the risk exposure of the firm'”,意为:“要求‘其行为可能会对公司产生重大影响的雇员’提供一个薪酬细目。”很明显此空是对前面不披露薪酬具体数目的否定。此处注意it所指的内容。所以选项E是正确答案。
PART THREE
Getting the Most out of Meetings
One aspect of business life which many managers are unhappy with is the need to attend meetings. Research indicates that managers will spend between a third and a half of their working lives in meetings. Although most managers would agree that it is hard to think of an alternative to meetings, as a means of considering information and making collective decisions, their length and frequency can cause problems with the workload of even the best-organized executives. Meetings work best if they take place only when necessary and not as a matter of routine. One example of this is the discussion of personal or career matters between members of staff and their line and personnel managers. Another is during the early stages of a project when the team managing it needs to learn to understand and trust one another. Once it has been decided that a meeting is necessary, decisions need to be taken about who will attend and about the location and length of the meeting. People should only be invited to attend if they are directly involved in the matters under discussion and the agenda should be distributed well in advance. An agenda is vital because it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused and within the time limit allocated. This is also the responsibility of the person chairing the meeting, who should encourage those who say little to speak and stop those who have a great deal to say from talking too much. At the end of a well organized meeting, people will feel that the meeting has been a success and be pleased they were invited. They will know not only what decisions were made but also the reasons for these decisions. Unfortunately, at the end of a badly organized meeting those present will leave feeling that they have wasted their time and that nothing worthwhile has been achieved. Much thought has been given over the years to ways of keeping meetings short. One man who has no intention of spending half his working life in meetings is Roland Winterson, chief executive of a large manufacturing company. He believes that meetings should be short, sharp and infrequent. "I try to hold no more than two or three meetings a week, attended by a maximum of three people for no longer than half an hour," he says. "They are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective, such as making a decision or planning a statement, and are based on careful preparation. I draw up the agenda for every meeting and circulate it in advance; those amending are expected to study it carefully and should be prepared to both ask and answer questions. Managers are best employed carrying out tasks directly connected with their jobs not attending endless meetings. In business, time is money and spending it in needless meetings that don't achieve anything can be very costly. Executives should follow the example of lawyers and put a cost on each hour of their time and then decide whether attending a long meeting really is the best way to spend their time."
1. What do most managers think about meetings?
A.Meetings take up most of their working life.
B.Meetings allow them to monitor decision-making.
C.Meetings prevent them from establishing a routine.
D.Meetings are the only way they know of achieving certain objectives.
A B C D
D
[解析] 大多数经理对于会议的看法: 定位段落第一段,定位句为“most managers would agree that it is hard to think of an alternative to meetings, as a means of considering information and making collective decisions.”即:大多数经理都认为会议作为一种搜集信息和做一系列决定的途径很难被替代。 原文定位句中most managers would agree that对应题干中most managers think about;原文定位句中hard to think of an alternative to meetings对应选项D中Meetings are the only way;原文定位句中considering information and making collective decisions是选项D中achieving certain objectives具体要实现的目标。
2. According to the writer, an example of a valuable meeting is one which ______.
A.allows colleagues to achieve a better working relationship
B.requires managers to discuss staffing needs with personnel
C.selects a suitable group of people to work together as a team
D.encourages staff to present ideas on improvements in management
A B C D
A
[解析] 什么样的会议是有价值的会议: 定位段落第二段,定位句为“Meetings work best if they take place only when necessary and not as a matter of routine. One example of this is the discussion of personal or career matters between members of staff and their line and personnel managers. Another is during the early stages of a project when the team managing it needs to learn to understand and trust one another.”即:最有效的会议是要发生在必要的时刻而不是当作一个例行公事。以下两种会议均可看作是有价值的会议:第一种是员工、他们的上司和人事经理之间讨论员工的个人或职业发展问题;另一种是在一个项目实施的初期,使团队中的每个人都相互理解、相互信任。 原文定位句中meetings work best对应题干中a valuable meeting;原文定位句中learn to understand and trust one another与选项A中colleagues to achieve a better working relationship表达的意思近似。
3. According to the writer, the agenda is important because it ______.
A.is seen by everybody before the meeting
B.helps to give direction to the discussions
C.contains items of interest to all those present
D.shows who should speak at each stage of the meeting
A B C D
B
[解析] 会议日程尤为重要的原因: 定位段落第三段,定位句为“An agenda is vital because it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused and within the time limit allocated.”即:制定会议日程非常重要,因为它作为一种导向可以在限定时间内使讨论内容更加集中。 原文定位句中an agenda is vital because对应题干中the agenda is important because;原文定位句中it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused与应选项B中 helps to give direction to the discussions表述一致。
4. The writer says that people leaving a well organized meeting will understand ______.
A.the reason for their invitation to attend
B.how the decisions taken were relevant to them
C.the importance of proposals under discussion
D.why certain courses of action were agreed upon
A B C D
D
[解析] 人们开完一个组织较好的会议会得到哪些信息: 定位段落第四段,定位句为“At the end of a well organised meeting, people will feel that the meeting has been a success and be pleased they were invited. They will know not only what decisions were made but also the reasons for these decisions.”即:在一场组织较好的会议结束后,人们会感觉非常高兴来参加这场成功的会议。他们不仅会知道通过了哪些决定,而且还会知道为什么做这些决定。 原文定位句中at the end of a well organised meeting对应题干中leaving a well organised meeting;原文定位句中the reasons for these decisions与选项D中why certain courses of action were agreed upon的意思相近。
5. What does Roland Winterson say about the meetings that he organizes?
A.He aims to hold them on a regular basis.
B.He ensures they have a definite purpose.
C.He requires his managers to draw up the agenda.
D.He uses them to make decisions about strategy.
A B C D
B
[解析] Roland Winterson对于他自己组织的会议的看法: 定位段落第五段,定位句为“Roland Winterson, chief executive of a large manufacturing company. He believes that meetings should be short, sharp and infrequent. "I try to hold no more than two or three meetings a week, attended by a maximum of three people for no longer than half an hour," he says. "They are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective.”即:Roland Winterson是一家制造业公司的首席执行官,他认为会议需要简短、有针对性、不经常开。“我试着让会议控制在一周2~3次,每次会议最多三人参加,最长半个小时;参会人员要有明确的会议实现目标。 原文定位句中they are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective对应选项B中He ensures they have a definite purpose。
6. What is Roland Winterson's opinion about meetings?
A.They can be a bad use of a manager's time.
B.Their importance is often underestimated.
C.They frequently result in wrong decisions.
D.Their effectiveness could be improved with better planning.
A B C D
A
[解析] Roland Winterson对于会议的观点: 定位段落第五段,定位句为“In business, time is money and spending it in needless meetings that don't achieve anything can be very costly."”即:在企业中,时间就 是金钱,把时间浪费在无休止的会议中不能实现任何目标,还会消耗人们的精力。 原文定位句中spending it in needless meetings that don't achieve anything can be very costly与选项A中they can be a bad use of a manager's time表述大体一致。
PART FOUR
Fighting Fit
Fine Fitness, the health and fitness club operator, announced an impressive set of results yesterday. 1 a 38-per-cent jump in annual pre-tax profits, the company claimed that it had 2 none of the problems 3 last week by its rival, Top Fit. According to Samantha Collier, the chief executive, Fine Fitness 4 strong and is on 5 to reach its target of 100 clubs within three years, its strategy unaffected by the apparent 6 down of the economy. The company opened 12 new clubs in the past year, 7 its total to 51. They have 8 to be highly successful, with people joining in large numbers, especially in the 25-to-40 age range. Even the more 9 clubs are still seeing sales growth, along with rising retention 10 of more than 70 per cent. This can be seen as clear 11 of the appeal of Fine Fitness. Ms Collier admitted that as there were 12 too many companies competing with one another, there would almost certainly be 13 in the health-and-fitness-club sector of the market. She predicted that, within a relatively short time, there might be only about three major companies still in 14 However, she declined to say which these were likely to be. Profits rose by £6.3 million, although there was a fall in gross margins from 31 per cent to 28.6 per cent because of higher insurance premiums, extra management costs and start-up expenses for the company's new 15 in Spain.
1.
A.Stating
B.Reporting
C.Remarking
D.Informing
A B C D
B
2.
A.taken
B.felt
C.experienced
D.caught
A B C D
C
3.
A.released
B.issued
C.opened
D.revealed
A B C D
D
4.
A.stays
B.remains
C.maintains
D.keeps
A B C D
B
5.
A.track
B.direction
C.way
D.line
A B C D
A
6.
A.falling
B.breaking
C.cutting
D.slowing
A B C D
D
7.
A.bringing
B.putting
C.getting
D.mounting
A B C D
A
8.
A.shown
B.resulted
C.proved
D.demonstrated
A B C D
C
9.
A.installed
B.formed
C.established
D.confirmed
A B C D
C
10.
A.rates
B.standards
C.proportions
D.volumes
A B C D
A
11.
A.witness
B.sign
C.display
D.evidence
A B C D
D
12.
A.purely
B.merely
C.simply
D.barely
A B C D
C
13.
A.union
B.consolidation
C.alliance
D.combination
A B C D
B
14.
A.trade
B.office
C.commerce
D.business
A B C D
D
15.
A.trial
B.venture
C.proposal
D.speculation
A B C D
B
PART FIVE ●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).
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