剑桥商务英语中级考试历年真题第四辑阅读精讲.doc

剑桥商务英语中级考试历年真题阅读精讲（1）
注：这里讲解的题目是人邮版第四辑真题TEST 1 阅读部分的Part one.
　　Questions 1-7
　　Look at the statements below and the article about the development of future business leaders on the opposite page.
　　Which section of the article (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.
　　1 Managers need to take action to convince high-flyers of their value to the firm.
　　2 Organisations need to look beyond the high-flyers they are currently developing.
　　3 There is a concern that firms investing in training for high-flyers may not gain the benefits themselves.
　　4 Managers need expert assistance from within their own firms in developing high-flyers.
　　5 Firms currently identify high-flyers without the support of a guidance strategy.
　　6 Managers are frequently too busy to deal with the development of high-flyers.
　　7 Firms who work hard on their reputation as an employer willinterest high-flyers.
　　The Stars of the Future
　　A Existing management research does not tell us much about how to find and develop high-flyers, those people who have the potential to reach the top of an organisation. As a result, organisations are left to formulate their own systems. A more effective overall policy for developing future leaders is needed, which is why the London Business School has launched the Tomorrow's Leaders Research Group (TLRG). The group contains representatives from 20 firms, and meets regularly to discuss the leadership development of the organisations' high-flyers.
　　B TLRG recognises just how significant line managers are in the process of leadership development. Unfortunately, with today's flat organisations, where managers have functional as well as managerial responsibilities, people development all too often falls victim to heavy workloads. One manager in the research group was unconvinced by the logic of sending his best people away on development courses, 'only to see them poached by another department or, worse still, another firm'. This fear of losing high-flyers runs deep in the organisations that make up the research group.
　　C TLRG argues that the task of management is not necessarily about employee retention, but about creating 'attraction centres'. 'We must help line managers to realise that if their companies are known as ones that develop their people, they will have a greater appeal to high-flyers,' said one advisor. Furthermore, selecting people for, say, a leadership development programme is a sign of commitment from management to an individual. Loyalty can then be more easily demanded in return.
　　D TLRG has concluded that a company's HR specialists need to take action and engage with line managers individually about their role in the development of high-flyers. Indeed, in order to benefit fully from training high-flyers as the senior managers of the future, firms must actually address the development of all managers who will be supporting the high-flyers. Without this, managers will not be in a position to give appropriate advice. And when eventually the high-flyers do move on, new ones will be needed to replace them. The next challenge will be to find a new generation of high-flyers.
　　首先得搞明白的是这篇文章到底讲的什么。不用看具体内容，有两个地方直接告诉了。一个是题目说明的第一句话，另一个是正文的标题。从这两个地方就可以看出全文探讨的是公司未来接班人——也就是潜力股——的培养问题。
　　A段讲了TLRG这个贯穿全文的研究组织诞生的原因：现行的研究满足不了需要，于是大多数公司只能自己探索发掘接班人的模式；（即第五题的答案）
　　B段讲了直属经理（line managers）对于发掘接班人的重要性（真是干什么都要从基层抓起），以及经理们的一些疑虑；
　　C段讲的是接班人问题对公司的重要性，并且应该让院线经理们明白这种重要性；
　　D段是针对前面列出的问题，提出的解决建议，什么专家协助等等。
　　整篇文章分为四个部分，层层递进，有很强的逻辑性。拿这样的文章来做阅读材料应该是相对容易把握的。
　　题目解析：
　　图中蓝色的线为答案潜伏的地方。7个题干基本是将原文中的句子用另外的词语和句型表述出来，所以题干中的关键词都能在正文里 找到与之匹配的，比如第四题题干里的expert对应D段的specialists,第六题的too busy to对应于B段里的heavy workloads，第七题的interest对应于C段的appeal。
　　第一题说“经理们必须采取措施使潜力股们相信他们对公司的价值”，也就是要让潜力股们对公司忠诚，即C段说的creating “attraction centres”和loyalty。
　　第二题说“组织必须把目光投向正在培养中的潜力股以外的地方”，即D段最后两句话所说的寻找新一代的潜力股。
　　第三题和B段的最后一句话完全是一个意思：怕培养潜力股的投入收不回成本。
　　第四题说开发潜力股，经理们需要在公司内部得到专家支持。答案是D段的第一句话：公司的人力资源专家需要采取行动。HR specialists就是expert。
　　第五题说公司现在没有在指导策略的支持下辨别潜力股。也就是说公司是依靠自己来发掘人才的。答案是A段的第一句：现行的研究满足不了需要，所以公司只能形成自己的一套体系。
　　第六题，经理们太忙了，无暇顾及潜力股的发展。答案是B段的：Unfortunately, with today's flat organisations, where managers have functional as well as managerial responsibilities, people development all too often falls victim to heavy workloads.。不幸落在了高工作负荷的人的肩上。高工作负荷，也就是too busy。
　　第七题，看重作为雇主名声的公司可以吸引潜力股。答案是C段的这么一句：if their companies are known as ones that develop their people, they will have a greater appeal to high-flyers。如果公司是以开发员工而著称的话，将会对潜力股产生更大的吸引。以开发员工而著称（known as ones that develop their people），名声很好，也就是看重自己作为雇主的名声。
　　疑似生词：
　　1、line managers 直属经理，业务经理
　　2、flat organization 扁平化的组织，即企业中的单层管理组织对应的单词hierarchy 等级制的公司
　　3、poach vt. (侵入他人地界)偷猎(或捕鱼), 水煮，剽窃，挖角
　　eg: A rival firm poached our best computer programmers. 
　　我公司的竞争对手把我们最好的计算机程序编制员挖走了。
　　4、runs deep 纯粹是想说一下那句著名的谚语：Still water runs deep静水流深。
　　5、fall victim to 成为。。。。的受害者
　　B段中的原话：People development all too often falls victim to heavy workloads.人员发展成为高负荷工作的受害者，也就是说经理们因为太忙而无暇顾及潜力股的培养，即第六题的答案。
　　6、retention 保留，在文中指留住员工。是风险管理中常见的专业名词。
这里解析的是人邮第四辑真题TEST ONE阅读部分的PART TWO

从标题和副标题能知道这篇文章讲的是收购（acquisition）。具体说来是讲公司选择收购的原因。全文一共八段，除了第一段是总的概括，后面七段一共说明了收购需要考虑的6个原因（6 considerations）：几乎每段对应一个，而且非常直接。
　　第二段提到的原因是“keep up with a changing environment”，对应选项G里的“a market is changing so fast.”
　　第三段的原因是“The strength of competitors”。这里的competitors在选项F里替换成了rivals。整个第三段是讲一个公司进入一个稳定市场的风险和困难。所以F选项话锋一转，说“如果收购的话，对对手的行为作出反应的风险就降低了。”
　　第五段的原因是“financial motives”。最佳的收购时机当然是在一个公司股票价值处于低位的时候。这种收购是有风险性的，也就是选项C所说的“more speculative acquisitions”
　　第六段的原因“resource considerations”，也就是为了获取某种资源或技术而进行收购，对应的选项E里所说的“research and development expertise”
　　第七段的原因“cost efficiency”。是说收购现成的公司，需要花费的培养成本较少。也即是选项B所说的“必要的发展和组织学习会很慢”。
　　第八段的原因“expectations of key shareholders”。选择GAP 12 的句子需要联系上下文，前后讲的都是收购有风险，可能会使股价下跌。所以GAP 12应该填入一个负面的，即选项D的“remove value”。
　　生词：
　　asset stripping:资产剥离。指金融资本家买断公司后,不予改善扩张,而转卖部分求利润。
　　asset-stripping 资产倒卖
　　speculative：投机性的，风险性的
　　疑似难句：
　　1、A cost efficiency could arise from the fact that an established company may already be very experienced  and have achieved efficiencies which another company would find difficult to achieve quickly by internal means.
　　一个知名公司可能已经很有经验了，能够实现另一个公司通过内部方式短期内很难实现的效率。这样，成本效率就产生了。
这里讲解的人邮第四辑真题TEST 1阅读部分的PART 3

这里解析的是第四辑真题TEST 1阅读部分的PART 4。
　　马上要考试了，争取出解析的速度能快点。当然，不会以牺牲质量为代价。
　　大家有什么疑问，可以提出来，事先甚至单独进行解答。
　　祝大家都能取得好成绩。
　　主要解答蓝色标注的空。
　　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 (19) between a business and the buying public.
　　There are a number of factors in a real-world shop that (20) people's perceptions of a business: these (21)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 (22) a part. In the (23) of these factors, the way customers are (24) 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 (25) their business.Preventing them from doing that means meeting them on their own(26)and providing them with what they want.
　　This necessity, in(27)，means that companies that sell over the net must get back-end functions right. Imposing(28) requirements on customers will not work; a business that (29) 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 (30), and the staff should look for ways of helping even the most awkward customers(31), as is more usual,trying to find some(32) 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 (33) without saying.Experience，however, shows that it does not.
　　19、A relationship B association C. meeting D contact
　　20、A force B determine C decide D fix
　　21、A enclose B consist C include D contain
　　22、A get B run C play D have
　　23、A absence B lack C need D scarcity
　　24、A cared B treated C dealt D considered
　　25、A deliver B bring C move D take
　　26、A policies B standards C terms D conditions
　　27、A turn B sequence C line D order
　　28、A dense B rigid C deep D solid
　　29、A demands B insists C expects D instructs
　　30、A punctually B precisely C promptly D presently
　　31、A apart from B other than C except for D rather than
　　32、A case B excuse C fault D purpose
　　33、A do B make C go D come
　　我个人认为，完形填空这种题型属于BEC阅读里相对不容易把握的。其他几个部分多参照原文就能找到答案，而完形填空的答案有的时候靠分析是得不出结果的，因为会考到一些固定用法，而且是商务英语里的固定用法。固定用法一时半会是无法积累的。要想做好BEC里的完形填空，一是要掌握一定的解题技巧（比如排除法和猜题），二是要培养商务英语的感觉。感觉的培养也有两种途径，一个是多读原版商业英语文章，另一个就是把历年BEC真题里的完形填空原文填上空缺的单词反复朗读。
　　这篇名为《电子商务成功秘诀》的文章主要分析了从事电子商务必须考虑的几个factor。重点考虑的是如何服务客户，不是在线的，而是电话。
　　19题首先考的就是一个固定的商务英语用法。Point of contact,接触点。商业词典的解释：Person or a department serving as the coordinator or focal point of an activity or program.英文WIKI的解释：A point of contact (POC, also single point of contact or SPOC) is the identification of, and means of communication with, person(s) and organizations(s) associated with the resource(s).
　　26题，on one's own terms,根据某人自己的主张。联系此句上下文，是说电子商务的客户不好伺候，得按照他们的意思来提供他们想要的。所以后面的28题应该选择rigid，僵硬的。意思是不能把一些僵硬的要求强加在客户的身上。
　　27题，in turn相应的；in sequence按顺序，依次；in line成一直线；in order整齐，秩序井然。
　　31题，后面的as is more usual是插入语，在这里完全可以忽略不计，联系整个句子的意思。是说员工应该想办法对付哪怕是最难对付的客户，而不是找借口去指责客户。所以应选rather than （而不是）。apart from相当于except for，除了…外（都）,other than相当于except，除…以外。
　　32题，理解了上下文，应该选excuse。与fault相关的短语是find fault with
　　33题，go without saying固定用法，不言而喻的意思。
人邮第四辑真题TEST 1阅读部分PART 5。
0 Regular meetings with clients are important to a healthy collaboration. They
00 may be set up by the client, for example to review with the progress of current
34 projects, to give new instructions that may have lead to a contract variation
35 or to discuss any concerns. The client meeting which can also be arranged
36 by you or another member of your company to attract from new business, to
37 address a problem unless that needs to be solved or to give an update or status
38 report on current business ventures. Your part is in these meetings will dictate
39 the kind of information you need and how you should prepare for them. If you
40 will be responding to questions put by your client, the material you present
41 should deal in specifically with the request that was made. The meeting should not
42 only move off the agenda without the permission of the person you are meeting.
43 If you have prepared properly, you should be able to anticipate both questions and
44 to respond properly. If you are put on the spot and asked for details you do not
45 have, respond honestly - do not speak about matters as you are not familiar with.
一般短文改错常出现的错误有短语搭配、语法，还有根据上下文含义选出不合适的词。所以想做好改错，要有一定的语言基础，还得从整体上把握整篇文章。
　　34题，如果这里有have，那么后面的lead应用分词形式led（may have done），而且考虑这里的时，并不是已经完成，而是表示可能导致的结果。所以去掉have。
　　35题，这里的which必须去掉，如果不去的话，这个句子就缺少谓语动词。36题，attract是及物动词，后面不需要from。
　　37题，根据前后文的意思，unless是多余的。
　　38题，“your part...”这个句子里有两个谓语动词，必须去掉it。
　　39题是对的，不知会不会有人认为这里的how可以去掉。从语法上说how去留都行，但是从后面的意思看，每个人必须根据自己的角色来做准备工作，所以how必须保留。
　　41题，deal with是固定短语，in是多余的。
　　42题，从整个句子的意思和语法上看，only都是多余的。
　　43题，如果both要保留，and后面的内容就必须与questions并列，可这里and后面的内容是与前面的to anticipate并列，所以both去掉。
　　45题，后面的you are not familiar with是修饰matters的，as在这里很多余
人邮第四辑真题TEST2 READING RART 1
Look at the statements below and the advice to businesses on the opposite page about using other companies to run their IT services.
1、the need to teach skills to employees working on the outsourced process
2、remembering the initial reason for setting up the outsourced project
3、the need to draw up agreements that set out how integration is to be achieved
4、addressing the issue of staff who work on the outsourced process being at a distant site
5、the importance of making someone responsible for the integration process
6、staff on the outsourced project familiarising themselves with various details of the business
7、problems being associated with an alternative to outsourcing
　　When a business decides to outsource its IT services, it needs to consider the question of integration. Four experts give their views.
　　A.Gianluca Tramcere, Silica Systems
　　An outsourced IT service is never a fully independent entity. It is tied to the home company's previous and continuing systems of working. But despite the added responsibility of managing new ways of working, many businesses ignore the integration process. They fail to establish contracts that define the ways in which the two companies will work alongside one another, and focus solely on the technological aspects of service delivery.
　　B.Kevin Rayner, Domola
　　Businesses need to build integration competency centres dedicated to managing the integration effort. It is critical to have an individual in charge to check that the external and internal business operations work together. Although companies often think of outsourcing as a way of getting rid of people and assets, they need to remember that, at the same time, outsourcing involves gaining people. Because there is a new operation being carried out in a different way outside of the home business, this creates a training element.
　　C.Clayton Locke, Digital Solutions
　　Communication is the key to success, and outsourcing to other regions or countries can lead to a range of problems. For any such initiative, it is necessary to create a team where there is good, open communication and a clear understanding of objectives and incentives. Bringing people to the home location from the outsourced centre is necessary, since it can aid understanding of the complexities of the existing system. To integrate efficiently, outsourcing personnel have to talk to the home company's executives and users to understand their experiences.
　　D.Kim Noon, J G Tech
　　One way to avoid the difficulties of integration is to create a joint-venture company with the outsourcer. Thus, a company can swap its assets for a share of the profits. Yet joint ventures bring potential troubles, and companies should be careful not to lose sight of the original rationale for outsourcing: to gain cost efficiencies and quality of service in an area that for some reason could not be carried out entirely in-house. The complexities and costs of a joint-venture initiative should not be underestimated.
　　这篇文章讲的是外购（outsourcing）,分别有四位专家就这个问题给出了自己的看法。A段的专家强调建立合同的重要性，B段专家认为要派专人负责，C段专家讲外派人员和本公司之间要有一个互动，D段专家讲如果与外包商（outsourcer）组成联合企业的话可能带来的一系列问题。如果对