BEC中级口语晨读素材.doc

1.1 真题及答题思路 (Authentic testing items & answer cues)

(1) Can you tell me something about yourself?

（这是第一部分考试经常出现的一个问题。面对这样的问题，考生的回答应该包括如下信息：your name, your age, your occupation (or your school and major) and your personality.）

Sample answer for your reference:

Well, my name is Zhang Peng. I’m twenty-one years old. I’m now studying in Dalian Maritime University towards a bachelor degree (of engineering / of science / of arts), majoring in navigation / marine engineering /physics / English. I think I’m an out-going person; I love making friends.

(2) What kind of person would you say you are?

（问及个人性格特点的问题也是一个常问见问题。该问题的各种不同措辞及若干关于个人性格特点描述的常用形容词，详见2.3.1的讲解）

Sample answer for your reference:

I’m always trying to be optimistic, no matter what kind of difficulty I have met with. And I suppose I’m confident and positive, always working hard and sparing no effort to achieve my goals. Also I’m a person with a strong will and an independent mind. But that sometimes leads me to being impulsive, not calm enough, which is one of my major drawbacks.

(3) Can you tell me something about your friends?

（这个问题要求考生描述一下自己的朋友，考生可以考虑从朋友的数量、如何相识、朋友的性格、共同爱好等方面作答。）

Sample answer for your reference:

I have a large circle of friends. Most of them are my former school-mates /work-mates. They are all open, diligent and smart. We have a lot of common interests. We share both happiness and bitterness, and support each other in times of adversity /difficulties．

(4) What has been your most valuable experience?

（这类问题要考生叙述自己最宝贵的经历，考生应当有所展开，略加描述。）

Sample answers for your reference:

1. Up till now, I believe my most valuable experience is studying here, in Peking University, which is regarded as the Harvard of China. I've got the chance to know many talented young people, and have learned a lot from them. Also, I have gained large amounts of knowledge, both in and after class. In addition, the first rate educational facilities enable me to gain access to both the outside world and the research fields.

2. As regards my most valuable experience, I suppose it should be traced back to the year before last, when I managed to have a large order placed on our products through all sorts of hardships. There were so many government restrictions and so much red tape in international trading at that time that it was really an unforgettable moment when the contract was finally signed.

(5) How important is it to you to have opportunities for promotion in your career?

（这类问题考察的是考生的职业规划。回答这种“个人观点”（personal views）类问题，很重要的一个方面是切入点。不同的看问题的角度，会有不同的见解。考生平时应注意培养自己多角度看问题的能力。）

Sample answers for your reference:

1. Well, in fact, the opportunities for career promotion are important to everyone. No one would prefer to stay in one position for the whole of his or her life. Certainly I’m no exception. But what is equally important to me is the kind of job satisfaction I can derive from my work. One might say that career promotion does contribute a lot to one’s job satisfaction, but as I see it, there are many other things that also contribute a lot to one’s job satisfaction, for example, harmonious inter-personal relationship, recognition from co-workers or line managers, and so on.

2. Well, you know I’m a person who is quite reconciled with my status quo, so the opportunities for career promotion are not so important to me. I prefer to do my proper work well and enjoy my life. As you know, higher position in a company means more responsibilities and much more pressure, and I would choose to lead an easy life rather than strain myself for something as vain as higher position in a company
.
(6) Is it better for your career to stay in one company or to work for a number of companies? (Why/Why not?)

（事实上这是一个关于“跳槽（job-hopping）”的老话题。跳槽到底优劣各占多少，仁者见仁，智者见智，只要让你的回答具有说服力就可以了。而谚语的引述可能在这种问题的回答上就起到了画龙点睛的作用。）

Sample answer for your reference:

In fact, different people will adopt different attitude towards “job-hopping”. As I see it, the proverb “A rolling stone gathers no moss” really holds water. And, though job-hopping sometimes does bring about immediate financial benefits, what most contributes to one’s job satisfaction is not solely confined to material gains. In most cases, his or her loyalty to the company and the recognition he or she gets from colleagues and executives do count a lot.

(7) What creates a good or bad impression at an interview?

（在面试过程中，给面试官尽可能多地留下好的印象和尽可能少地留下坏的印象是每个面试者的目的。 这个问题就要求考生在回答中列明什么动作或语言会分别留下好的或不好的印象。当然回答要简洁，不能长篇大论地啰嗦。）

Sample answer for your reference:

In fact every interviewee wants to leave a good impression on the interviewer. Good impression will certainly result from one’s decent dressing, proper answers and being responsive. On the contrary, sloppy answers plus untidy dressing will certainly leave a bad impression on the interviewer. What’s more important is that, when the question is related to your specialty knowledge, you are supposed to talk in professional terminology rather than in layman’s terms.

(8) Do you think interviews are the best method of judging an applicant’s suitability for a job?

（“the best”题目本身就走了一个极端：俗语说“没有最好，只有更好”。所以遇到此类话题完全可以从一个折中的角度切入，看到事物的两面性。）

Sample answer for your reference:

As I see it, interviews do reveal a lot about an applicant’s capabilities. Yet we can not say that they are the best method of judging an applicant’s suitability for a job. As the saying goes, “First impressions are always misleading”. So in order to find out whether an applicant is suitable for a job, we may need more time to find out about the applicant, so usually an internship is required for a newly recruited staff member.

(9) How important is English in business life in your country?

（这个问题本质上是要问“商务英语”的重要性体现，而不是问英语的重要性，因此该问题的回答不要超出“商务英语”这个范畴。）

Sample answer for your reference:

In fact English is playing an important role in China’s business life; it is an essential skill for those who are engaged in foreign trade. What is noticeable is that, since China adopted the open door policy in the latter half of the 20th century, foreign trade has been developing at a dazzling（耀眼的，眼花缭乱的） speed. In addition, now many large multinational corporations are operating on a global basis, and English is an important lingua franca（族际通用语）for the employees of those multinational companies.

(10) How important are imports or exports to your country?

（在全球化程度日益加深的国际大背景下，任何谋求发展的国家都不能忽视进出口贸易的重要性，因为它从经济上担保了一个国家的政治安全。）

Sample answer for your reference:

We can not say that China is a country that wholly relies on imports and exports for its national income, but foreign trade does play an important role in China’s national economy. For many years China has been maintaining a favorable balance of trade（贸易顺差）, so that its foreign-exchange reserves（外汇储备）are massive（大量的，巨大的）. This certainly guarantees the smooth operation of the national economy（国民经济）.

（2）BEC中级口语考试中题目体现形式

Part 1: Interview

(1) Do you think market research is important before launching a new product?

Sample answer for your reference:

Yes, market research is certainly important before launching a new product in that it can provide important information regarding the customer’s need and the potential market size. All this information will help the company identify business growth opportunities and generate feasible business strategies so that it may get an advantage over competitors.

(2) What is the most important factor in conducting market research?

Sample answer for your reference:

Well, the most important factor in conducting market research is whether the adopted method is feasible and effective so as to gather the most useful and relevant information about markets or customers. There are five basic methods: surveys (问卷调查), focus groups (小组讨论), personal interviews (面谈), observation (观察), and field trials (现场试验). The type of data you need and how much money you’re willing to spend will determine which techniques you choose for your business.

Part 2: Mini-Presentation

WHAT IS IMPORTANT WHEN…?
Conducting market research
• Ascertain market need
• Evaluate market size

Answer cues:

a. What the market needs determines what should be manufactured
• Ascertain market need
b. Blind investment will inevitably result in company losses

• Evaluate market size Market size determines the scale of production

• Forecast competitors’ move The purpose of forecasting the competitors’ move is to choose an
appropriate pricing strategy.

Part 3： Collaborative Discussion

Market Research
Your company is planning to launch a new product. You have been asked to help plan the product launch and conduct the market research.
Discuss the situation together, and decide:
l• what should be the aims of your market research?
l• what factors should be included in planning the market research?

Answer cues:

1. What should be the aims of your market research
a. Identify the potential sales volume
b. Support the generation of pricing strategies
c. Evaluate risk and opportunities

2. What factors should be included in planning the market research
a. Identify which of the 5 common methods of conducting market research are applicable in our case
b. Choose appropriate subjects （选择适当的受试者）
c. Adopt proper statistical method （采用适当的统计方法）

Follow-up questions:

(1) What are the most commonly adopted methods in conducting market research?

The most commonly adopted methods include surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, observation, and field trials. The type of data you need and how much money you’re willing to spend will determine which techniques you choose for your business.

(2) Does market research always precede the launch of a new product?

Yes, market research always precedes the launch of a new product. Only by doing so, can it provide important information regarding the customer’s need and the potential market size. All this information will help the company identify business growth opportunities and generate feasible business strategies so that it may get an advantage over competitors.

(3) What are the factors to be considered when you conduct international market research?

When conducting international market research, we should consider such important factors as the language adopted in conducting the research, style and cultural expectations (for example, “positive bias” in certain cultures) in data analyses, choice of an appropriate moderator, and specific timing of the research.

(Positive bias, sometimes called politeness bias, in research means that respondents will often respond more positively in a research situation than in a "real" situation.)

2.3分类试题及答题思路 (Categorized tests & answer cues)

Testing items of Personal Particulars and answer cues

(1) Similar questions related to personality
a. What kind of person would you say you are?
b. How would you describe your personality?
c. What is your best quality?
d. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?

Expressions related to the description of one’s personal character:

introverted （内向的）/ extroverted（外向的）/ out-going（外向的）
open / frank (honest and straightforward in speech or attitude) / outspoken （坦率的，直言不讳的）
optimistic （乐观的）/ pessimistic（悲观的）
easy to get along with / easygoing （脾气随和的；容易相处的）
agreeable / amiable (lovely) （和蔼可亲的）
quiet（沉静的）/ talkative（饶舌的，多嘴的，爱说话的） / conversable（健谈的，乐于交谈的） / garrulous（唠叨的，喋喋不休的）
restless（焦躁不安的,不满足的） / aggressive（好斗的，有闯劲的，有进取心的） / enterprising（有事业心的，有进取心的，有魄力的，有胆量的）/ ambitious（野心勃勃的，有雄心的）
headstrong （刚愎的）/ obstinate（倔强的）
considerate / thoughtful（体贴的，善解人意的）
understanding（聪明的，有理解力的）
（避免使用诸如cute, clever, smart, intelligent, brilliant等形容词，有过分张扬之嫌）
active（积极面对生活的）/ passive（消极面对生活的）
practical（实际的，务实的）/ impractical（不切实际的，不现实的）/ positive（积极的，实际的）
naughty（顽皮的，淘气的，没规矩的） / mischievous（淘气的，恶作剧的）
（避免使用troublesome，因为它的意思是“总是惹是生非的”）
decisive（果断的）/ indecisive（优柔寡断的，犹豫不决的）
confident / self-confident（自信的）
diligent / hard-working（勤奋的）
a person with a strong will（意志坚强的人）
a person with an independent mind（具有独立思想的人）
impulsive (冲动的，任性的，受感情驱使的）/ calm（平静的，沉着的）well-organized（做事有条理的）
creative（富有创造力的）/ having few new ideas（没什么新点子）
patient（有耐性的，能容忍的）/ impatient（不耐心的，焦躁的）
sensitive（敏感的） / insensitive（木讷的，麻木的）
emotional （情绪化的，易激动的）/ unemotional（不易动感情的，无动于衷的）
careful（办事仔细的，小心的）/ meticulous（一丝不苟的，拘泥小节的） / careless（疏忽的，粗心的）

Sample answer for your reference:

Well, my friends say I’m an amiable person; I love making friends, because I think I can learn a lot from them. I’m also a girl with a strong will; I would not yield to any difficulties or hardships. I guess being impulsive is one of my weaknesses, which often leads me to hasty actions or hasty words, but I’m trying to improve that.

(2) Similar questions related to educational background
a. Would you please give me some information on your education?

Sample answer for your reference:

已毕业的学生:
I graduated from Dalian University of Technology in 2001 with a Bachelor Degree of Arts in the field of Scientific English.

未毕业的学生:
I’m now studying in Dalian Maritime University towards a bachelor degree (of engineering / of science / of arts), majoring in navigation.

b. What’s your major?

Answer cues:
My major is …
I major in …

c. Why do you choose your present specialty as your major?

Answer cues:

I chose my present specialty as my major simply because …
… I saw extensive job opportunities in this area.
… I found myself strongly fascinated by this subject.
… my parents intended me for this.
… my middle school teacher said it suits me perfectly.
… it has a promising future.

d. Could you tell me about your reasons for learning English?

Answer cues:

Actually there are several reasons for me to learn English, for example, …
… to improve communication
… to be able to approach a wider range of information resources
… to sharpen my competitive edge in job hunting
… to satisfy my curiosity in western culture

e. Can you tell me about your experience in spoken English？

Sample answers for your reference:

I have attended a selective course on oral English given by a foreign teacher who is a native English speaker.

I have made some foreign friends so that we can exchange ideas and learn languages from each other.

I have taken part in activities held by the English Clubs in my university.

f. How long have you been studying English? Do you like English? Why?

Sample answer for your reference:

I have been learning English for about 10 years, ever since I was a little child. I like English because the language itself attracts me so much, as well as the culture it represents.

Expressions related to the description of degrees:

Bachelor / Master of Arts（文学学士、硕士）
Bachelor / Master of Science（理学学士、硕士）
Bac