[语言类考试复习资料大全]剑桥商务英语中级模拟104

1、书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟。祝愿天下莘莘学子：学业有成，金榜题名！语言类考试复习资料大全剑桥商务英语中级模拟104剑桥商务英语中级模拟104READINGPART ONE Four market experts offer advice to SunTours, the middle-market tour operatorA Robert Worth Marketing to a wider audience could lead to more people buying direct from SunTours rather than going through travel age

2、nts, and the consequent reduction in agents commissions might boost company profits. Towards the end of the season, reducing the cost of holidays would attract last-minute customers, thus avoiding any possible loss on unfilled accommodation and flights, The company could also increase profits by sel

3、ling more specialised holidays here in Britain, perhaps by offering breaks at historic sites and coastal destinations. B Steven Worrel Whether its worth discounting surplus holidays is an arguable point, as it not only cuts into profits, but also results in budget-conscious holidaymakers being put n

4、ext to SunTours more affluent customers, thus damaging the brand. It may seem attractive at first because of tight margins, but SunTours should think twice before taking up this option. Currently, SunTours is planning to sell higher-margin holidays to previously unmarketed destinations for which dem

5、and is greater than supply. It is likely that accommodation providers in these emerging holiday destinations will be more flexible when it comes to setting terms. The firm should go ahead with this policy. C Ursula Capalbo Good risk management and higher sales can guarantee higher profits. Although

6、SunTours has always been averse to planning, the company would in fact benefit from a risk model that forecasts the impact of discounting on cash flow and profitability throughout the year. SunTours would then be able to change direction when things go wrong, as they inevitably do from time to time.

7、 Diversification can increase rather than spread risk, so caution is needed as the company enters regions where facilities for tourists are not yet fully developed. Targeting customers nearing retirement age, whose disposable income and leisure time are increasing, would be ideal. D Gillian Wilmot S

8、unTours knows that good relationships with customers is the key to success in the travel business. With this in mind, the company should consider that brochure mailings, unlike electronic communications, can attract customers and maximise year-round opportunity. They encourage summer tourists to tak

9、e another break and can even be used to send a thank-you letter to returning customers. Selling holidays at a reduced price is definitely not a sensible option. A better choice would be value-added promotions which can improve profitability and build on SunTours customers desire for high-quality ser

10、vice. 1. SunTours runs a risk by selling similar holidays to customers in different income brackets.答案: B2. It is worth offering holidays at a discount to increase the number of bookings.答案: A3. SunTours needs to reflect on its marketing methods if it wants to boost repeat custom.答案: D4. It would be

11、 a good idea to sell holidays to locations which other promoters have ignored.答案: B5. SunTours has been disadvantaged by its approach in the past.答案: C6. In certain locations, SunTours may be able to negotiate more favourable contracts.答案: B7. There is an alternative to discount holidays that would

12、be more satisfactory for SunTours customers.答案: DPART TWOForeign Exchange TradingWithout foreign exchange trading, international trade itself could not exist. In former times trade was based on barteringgoods were exchanged for other goods. The introduction of precious metals (i.e., gold and silver)

13、 to pay for goods can be considered the forerunner of the foreign exchange market. The Greeks and Romans commonly used gold as a medium of exchange. Most world trade continued to be based on gold until the nineteenth century. But then industrialization in Western Europe and the United States had boo

14、sted world trade to such an extent that gold reserver were no longer adequate to meet the requirements. Governments introduced a par value of their respective local currencies in gold. Thus, the currencies were related to one another through a system called the gold standard. The gold standard syste

15、m determined the value of all currencies based on gold 1 The system worked well until World War I, when trade was interrupted. After the war, currencies fluctuated widely in terms of gold and, thus, in relation to each other. The value of currencies was meant to be regulated by supply and demand (th

16、e market mechanism), but speculators often interfered with this mechanism. So in an effort to create more stable exchange markets, some countries, notably the United States, England, and France, returned to the gold standard 2 By 1971 it was the only country whose currency remained convertible into

17、gold, and se, by declaring the dollar inconvertible, the gold standard was finally abolished.In 1944 toward the end of World War , the Western industrialized nations realized that foreign trade would be necessary to quickly and effectively heal the wounds of war. To create a calm and stable foreign

18、exchange market, the United States government called for a conference in the summer of 1944. It was held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire 3The Bretton Woods Agreement stipulated that all member countries would express the value of their currencies in gold. However, only the United States dollar was c

19、onvertible into gold, at the price of 35 an ounce.Central banks of the member countries were required to intervene in the foreign exchange markets to keep the value of their currencies within 1 percent of the par value. This intervention was achieved by buying or selling foreign exchange or gold. A

20、given currency could, therefore, never rise above nor fall below fixed points, which are called intervention points. These are the prices beyond which the central bank intervenes 4The system of fixed early 1970s. At that time a number of countries devalued their currencies. This meant that their cur

21、rencies were now worth less in terms of gold. England in 1967, France in 1969, and the United States in 1971 and 1973, devalued their currencies, This caused an almost unprecedented turbulence in the foreign exchange markets. In addition, countries such as West Germany and Holland revalued their cur

22、rencies (increased the par value of their currencies in terms of gold). Intervention by central banks became very costly. Foreign currency and gold reserves were drained 5A This meant the values of different currencies could be compared in terms of one another.B At this conference, both the Internat

23、ional MONETARY Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development were established.C The Greeks and Romans commonly used gold as a medium of exchange.D It is not surprising, then, that the world saw a return to such payment.E Except for a brief period in the early 1930s, the Un

24、ited States stayed on the gold standard.F Countries had to buy their own currency with gold and foreign exchange in order to keep its value above the minimum intervention point, as agreed a Bretton Woods.G This is called the system of fixed exchange rates.1.答案:A2.答案:E3.答案:B4.答案:G5.答案:FPART THREE The

25、 Importance of Good Communications Effective communication is essential for all organizations. It links the activities of the various parts of the organization and ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal. It is also extremely important for motivating employees. Staff need to know how

26、they are getting on, what they are doing right and in which areas they could improve. Working alone can be extremely difficult and it is much easier if someone takes an interest and provides support. Employees need to understand why their job is important and how it contributes to the overall succes

27、s of the firm. Personal communication should also include target setting. People usually respond well to goals, provided these are agreed between the manager and subordinate and not imposed. However, firms often have communication problems that can undermine their performance. In many cases, these p

28、roblems occur because messages are passed on in an inappropriate way. There are, of course, several ways of conveying information to others in the organization which include speaking to them directly, e- mailing, telephoning or sending a memo. The most appropriate method depends on what exactly it i

29、s you are communicating. For example, anything that is particularly sensitive or confidential, such as an employees appraisal, should be done face-to-face. One of the main problems for senior executives is that they do not have the time or resources needed to communicate effectively. In large compan

30、ies, for example, it is impossible for senior managers to meet and discuss progress with each employee individually. Obviously this task can be delegated but at the cost of creating a gap between senior management and staff. As a result, managers are often forced to use other methods of communicatio

31、n, like memos or notes, even if they know these are not necessarily the most suitable means of passing on messages. The use of technology, such as e-mail, mobile phones and network systems, is speeding up communication immensely. However, this does not mean that more investment in technology automat

32、ically proves beneficial: systems can become outdated or employees may lack appropriate training. There are many communications tools now available but a firm cannot afford all of them. Even if it could, it does not actually need them all. The potential gains must be weighed up against the costs, an

33、d firms should realize that more communication does not necessarily mean better communication. As the number of people involved in an organization increase, the use of written communication rises even faster. Instead of a quick conversation to sort something out numerous messages can be passed backw

34、ards and forwards. This can lead to a tremendous amount of paperwork and is often less effective than face-to-face communication. When you are actually talking to someone you can discuss things until you are happy that they have understood and feedback is immediate. With written messages, however, y

35、ou are never quite sure how it will be received what you think you have said and what the other person thinks you have said can be very different. The amount of written information generated in large organizations today can lead to communication overload. So much information is gathered that it gets

36、 in the way of making decisions. Take a look at the average managers desk and you will see the problem it is often covered with letters, reports and memos. This overload can lead to inefficiencies. For example, managers may not be able to find the information they want when they need it. Communicati

37、on is also becoming more difficult with the changes occurring in employment patterns. With more people working part-time and working at home, managing communication is becoming increasingly complex. 1. In the first paragraph the writer recommends that communication with staff should includeA.some fe

38、edback on their job performance.B.an explanation of how company targets have been set.C.information on promotion prospects within the company.D.an indication of which duties they can expect assistance with.答案:A解析 文中第一段：“Staff need to know how they are getting on, what they are doing right and in whi

39、ch areas they could improve. ”意为：“员工需要知道他们进展得怎么样，做对了什么事，在哪些方面需要改进。”选项A符合题意。2. According to the writer, the best way of achieving effective communication is toA.adapt the message to suit a particular audience.B.make the content of messages brief and direct.C.select the most suitable means of conveyin

40、g a particular message.D.ensure that information is targeted at the appropriate group of people.答案:C解析 文中第二段：“The most appropriate method depends on what exactly it is you are communicating. For example, anything that is particularly sensitive or confidential, such as an employees appraisal, should

41、be done face-to-face.”意为：“最合适的方法取决于你正在交谈的内容。”选项C符合题意。suitable与appropriate为同义替换。3. What does the writer say about the communication options available to senior managers?A.Sending memos to staff is one of the most efficient methods.B.It is important to find the time to discuss certain matters with sta

42、ff.C.They should increase the range of options that they use.D.Getting junior managers to talk to staff can create different problems.答案:D解析 文中第三段：“Obviously this task can be delegated but at the cost of creating a gap between senior management and staff.”意为：“显而易见这个任务可以派代表来完成，但是却会在高级管理层和员工之间形成隔阂。”选项

43、D符合题意。create different problems与creating a gap between.为同义替换。4. What advice is given about the communication tools made available by technology?A.Aim to limit staff use of certain communication tools.B.Evaluate them in terms of the expenditure involved.C.Select them on the basis of the facilities th

44、ey offer.D.Encourage more staff to attend training courses in their use.答案:B解析 文中第四段：“The potential gains must be weighed up against the costs, and firms should realize that more communication does not necessarily mean better communication. ”意为：“潜在的所得必须与耗费相权衡，公司应该意识到较多的交流并不一定是好的交流。”选项B符合题意。expenditu

45、re与costs为同义替换。同时第四段中的“must”及“should”问题中的“advice”相对应。5. According to the writer, a problem with written communication is thatA.the message can be interpreted differently to what was intended.B.it can be easy for people to ignore the contents of a written message.C.most people are more comfortable wit

46、h face-to-face communication.D.it is possible for correspondence to get lost within a large organization.答案:A解析 文中第五段：“with written messages， however, you are never quite sure how it will be received what you think you have said and what the other person thinks you have said can be very different”意为

47、：“然而，在书面信息中，你 永远不能确定自己的意思与收到信息人的解读是否一致。”选项A符合题意。6. According to the article, what is the effect of receiving large amounts of written information?A.It is counter-productive.B.It causes conflict in a company.C.It leads to changes in work patterns.D.It makes the main points more difficult to identify.

48、答案:A解析 见最后一段“This overload can lead to inefficiencies. ”可知大量的信息会导致效率低下。选项A符合题意。counter-productive与 inefficiencies为同义替换。PART FOUR Chairmans ReportI am pleased to report that, although we had been expecting poor results for this half year because of slow growth in the world economy, the company has pe

49、rformed very satisfactorily. Operating profits for this first half are in fact very much 1 with those for the corresponding 2 last year. Profits reached 115 million before tax, compared with116.3 million last year. Much of our success in the last six months can be 3 to the fact. that all our major c

50、onstruction projects remained on schedule. Particularly pleasing was the early 4 of a major building contract in Canada.The company has made good progress with the initiatives announced at the Annual General Meeting. The majority of shareholders 5 the Boards decision to sell the companys loss-making

51、 engineering 6 It was the Boards belief that the company would 7 most benefit by 8 its resources on the expansion of its construction activities. Negotiations with a potential buyer began in February and are now at a critical 9 However, we feel that we are not as yet in a 10 to comment on what the o

52、utcome is likely to be.In June, we made a successful 11 for the Renishaw Construction Company of Hong Kong SAR, in order to give us greater 12 to markets in South East Asia. We still have sufficient resources to pursue our growth 13 and are at present 14 several other business opportunities which, l

53、ike Renishaw Construction, would 15 new markets to us.1.A.in orderB.on trackC.in lineD.on target答案:C2.A.sessionB.termC.seasonD.period答案:D3.A.attributedB.referredC.assignedD.designated答案:A4.A.terminationB.endingC.completionD.finalising答案:C5.A.confirmedB.maintainedC.agreedD.supported答案:D6.A.portionB.c

54、omponentC.sectorD.division答案:D7.A.haveB.gainC.findD.earn答案:B8.A.focusingB.directingC.pointingD.strengthening答案:A9.A.heightB.stepC.edgeD.stage答案:D10.A.conditionB.pointC.positionD.capacity答案:C11.A.requestB.priceC.demandD.bid答案:D12.A.accessB.approachC.admissionD.entrance答案:A13.A.strategyB.processC.prom

55、otionD.system答案:A14.A.inquiringB.deliberatingC.exploringD.searching答案:C15.A.sendB.openC.provideD.give答案:BPART FIVEEthics and Mission Statement As business emerged from the profit-oriented in 1980s, values and social responsibilities were being emphasized on corporate mission statements. 1 Because gr

56、eed was out, and ethics were in. Business and their employees 2 became actively engaged in less activities that contributed to their communities. 3 To spell out their goals, companies were increasingly developed codes of ethics. 4 Mission statements that were written because they required consensus and 5 commitment. Not everyone who, however, agreed with the trend toward the 6 strong social stances of some public corporations. Respected economist Milton 7 Friedman contended, Many Few trends could so thoroughly undermine the very 8 foundation of our