单选题 New technology links the world as never betore. Our planet has shrunk. It's a new "globalvillage" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course,our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreignlanguage skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business-people who have agrowing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, successoverseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are bec, oming increasingly important to advancement within executiveranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer needs fear being "out of sight and outof mind" . He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan forsuccess, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad, if an employeecan succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or herability to come back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign languageissues are becoming more and prevalent (普遍的) .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive commuMeations devices with businessapplications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need forpeople who can speak another language. A second language isn' t generally required to get a job inbusiness, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appearto be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunityto fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better tomove more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clientsover the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.
单选题 What is the author's attitude toward high-tech communications equipment?
  • A. Critical.
  • B. Prejudiced.
  • C. Indifferent.
  • D. Positive.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 从短文第1段第1句及第3句中benefit，enhanced，第4段thanks to…，inexpensive等褒义词语的使用，作者对高科技通信设备的积极态度显而易见。
单选题 With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, business people______
  • A. have to get familiar with modern technology
  • B. are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations
  • C. are attaching more importance to their overseas business
  • D. are eager to work overseas
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 由题干中关键词high-tech communication equipment和businesspeople确定本题答案指向短文第2段，而这一段的中心内容是海外业务发展的经济价值及对国内业务的促进作用。
单选题 In this passage, "out of sight and out of mind" (Lines 2-3, Para. 3) probablymeans______
  • A. being unable to think properly for lack of insight
  • B. being totally out of touch with business at home
  • C. missing opportunities for promotion when abroad
  • D. leaving all care and worry behind
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题引述的短语出现在第3段第2句，从接下来第3句中的promotions oftenfollow or accompany an assignment ahroad可知C项正确。
单选题 According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporationsin employing people today?
  • A. Connections with businesses overseas.
  • B. Ability to speak the client's language.
  • C. Technical know-how.
  • D. Business experience.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 结合短文主题，特别是第5、6段有关要点，可推知跨国公司在聘用人员时一个重要的考虑应当是除英语以外能否说公司所在国的语言。
单选题 The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can______
  • A. better control the whole negotiation process
  • B. easily find new approaches to meet market needs
  • C. fast-forward their proposals to headquarters
  • D. easily make friends with businesspeople abroad
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题答案涉及短文第6段要点归纳：have an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations 以及have the cultural insight to know when it is hetter to move moreslowly，故选A。