单选题 In the world of big business, James Linton is precocious in the extreme. Just two years into the job of reviving one of the most illustrious names in retail finance, RoCom, he has found himself a key player in one of the richest and certainly most audacious deals in the industry PTL's takeover of RoCom.
PTL is paying ￡25 a share for RoCom—approximately 40 per cent more than the market value of the shares—and its offer document boasted that "PTL attaches great importance to key employees having appropriate performance related remuneration". Initially wary about the takeover, Linton has now negotiated a hands-off agreement with PTL, which confirms its intention to leave him very much to his own devices to continue building the business. All this and he will not turn 38 for another fortnight!
Although Linton is credited with turning RoCom around, this is more a matter of work in progress than actual achievement. Yet he does seem to have instituted the biggest top-level shake-up in its near 70-year history, promoted some big-hitters amongst key staff and transformed RoCom's way of doing business.
Linton has, however, warned that the takeover is by no means a guarantee of future success; indeed, deteriorating market conditions suggest that the way forward will be anything but smooth. Linton recently ventured the hypothesis that being shareholder owned had, in recent years, helped the business focus and argued that the sector's experience of rival takeovers was not encouraging. Indeed, the recently reported performance of rival organizations such as Marten Limited has not promoted the notion that big corporations are happy homes for experienced staff and managers such as Linton.
It may have been his ideas about independence that made Linton address RoCom's 900 staff on the day the takeover was announced, rather than doing high-profile media interviews on what was immediately seen as a fantastic deal for share-holders. He is acutely aware of the need to nurture his staff if the business is to succeed, something which is not lost on them. This is not a management-school dictum. It is a genuine belief that every member of staff has contributed to the firm and enabled it to net ￡1.9 billion from PTL. Other CEOs say he is arrogant, but this probably reflects the fact that Linton may find talking to them difficult. He is also ferociously intelligent, and, while in others this could appear intimidating, in Linton it awakes further admiration amongst loyal employees. They clearly do not feel they have to grovel in front of this mastermind, and claim that although he's incredibly dedicated to his work, he has an affable manner.
Linton boasts that staff turnover rates at RoCom have remained low for the industry, at about 12 percent since he took over as CEO two years ago. "People have a real affection for RoCom, and that runs right through the office here. They all want us to be number one" he says. He is aware of the possibility that the collegiate ethos he has worked so hard to create, the meritocracy on which he thinks much of RoCom's success depends, could be destroyed if PTL is too heavy-handed. He will need all his skills to keep RoCom on course, particularly when attention has immediately focused on the possibility that Susan Marshall, its respected investment chief, might be the first casualty of the takeover. Whatever the future holds for RoCom, we are certain to go on hearing a lot more of James Linton.

单选题 What is PTL doing, according to the second paragraph?
A. Allowing Linton to run RoCom in the way he wishes to.
B. Purchasing almost half of the RoCom shares on offer.
C. Giving all RoCom staff regular bonuses to promote motivation.
D. Drawing up new employment contracts for RoCom employees.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查考生理解具体细节的能力。第二段说PTL为RoCom的股票每股出价25英镑，高出市值40%，并在其报价文件里夸下海口：“PTL很重视关键员工，确保他们得到与业绩相关的适当薪酬”。Linton当初对此收购十分警惕，但在PTL说明其意图后(即给他充分的自由，让他继续经营自己的企业)他便对收购表示同意了。据此，可确定A项为正确选项。B、D两项文中未提及；C项与文巾提到的PTL所做的承诺不符，也可予以排除。
单选题 What do we learn about Linton's work at RoCom in the third paragraph?
A. He has achieved more than anyone in RoCom's history.
B. He has widened the range of RoCom's business activities.
C. He has taken on a number of new employees.
D. He has made changes to senior management.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查考生理解具体细节的能力。文章第三段指出：他使RoCom扭亏为盈；开展了公司近70年来最大的高层变革(...have instituted the biggest top-level shake up)，提拔了一些有影响力的关键员工(big-hitter)，并改变了公司的经营方式，D项所述的“他变动了一些高级管理人员”与此段内容相符，因此正确答案为D。A、B、C均未在文中提及，予以排除。
单选题 What does Linton say about RoCom in the fourth paragraph?
A. The company is likely to face difficult times.
B. The company has lost a number of experienced staff.
C. The company is expecting to report encouraging results shortly.
D. The company needs to change its focus to remain competitive.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查考生推理判断的能力。Linton在第四段开头就警告说，收购并不能为RoCom未来的成功提供保证；实际上，不断恶化的市场条件暗示前方绝非坦途。最近Linton大胆提出了股份制可在近年来帮助公司重点发展核心业务这一假设，并认为竞争对手收购并重建这一块儿可借鉴的好经验不多。这与A项内容一致，由此可以确定A项正确；C、D两项表述的内容与此不符，可予以排除；此段最后提到，根据竞争对手报告的业绩显示：对于有经验的员工和管理人员，大公司并非是最好归宿。B项与此内容不符，故可排除B项。
单选题 Which of the following is said about Linton's management style?
A. He involves others in the decision-making process.
B. His staff find him approachable.
C. He expects his staff to work as hard as he does.
D. His style differs from that of other CEOs.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查考生推理判断的能力。第五段后一部分提到，其他首席执行官说他很自负，这可能反映了Linton难以和他们交流的事实，他极富才智，这会给人带来压力，但却为Linton赢得了更多的赞赏。忠于他的员工清楚地感觉到他们不需要在这位策划者面前奴颜婢膝，并声称尽管Linton一心扑在工作上，他也平易近人。综合四个选项，B项表述与此相符，approachable对应了文中的affable；A项所述内容与此段相悖；C、D两项内容未在文中提及，所以可确定B为正确选项。
单选题 How does Linton feel about the takeover, according to the sixth paragraph?
A. Pleased that staff turnover finally started to fail two years ago.
B. Afraid that he will lose his job to Susan Marshall.
C. Worried that the company culture might change.
D. Happy that employees have been so supportive of his work.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查考生推理判断的能力。第六段前两句讲到，Linton对公司的低人员流动率颇感满意，但是并非如A项中所说的“人员流动率下降”，且这与题目无关，由此可排除A项。试题问的是Linton对收购的感受。该段第四句讲到“他清楚，如果PTL过于强硬，自己一直努力营造的集体文化以及他认为RoCom成功所依赖的英才管理可能被破坏”，即C项所说的“担心公司的文化会改变”，因此C项是正确选项，B、D两项文中均未提及，可予以排除。