1

1

1

　　●Readthearticlebelowaboutprojectmanagement.　　●Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.　　●Foreachgap(8-12),markoneletter(A-G)onyourAnswerSheet.　　●Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.　　●Thereisanexampleatthebeginning(0).　　CanYourMarketingBeEffectiveWithoutProjectManagement?　　Areyourprojectsflowingsmoothly?　　Areyouassigningresponsibilities,deadlinesandtasks,butitisjustaheadachetokeepup?Alikelyproblemisthattasksarenotgeeinghandedoffwellorattherighttimetoothers.(0)______.Aprojectmanagementsystemisnotacure-all,butitcertainlyisastart.　　Inmarketing,I’malwaysamazedatthelackofformalizedprojectmanagementsystems.(8)______.Theyassumethatthepurposeofadetailedplanisthesameasitwouldbeforotherrepetitiveactivitieslikemanufacturing.Thepurposeofaprojectplaninmarketingistocoordinatemanyoftheuncertainactivitiesthathappen.Andpossiblymoreimportantly,agoodprojectplanwillcoordinatetheactivitiesofyourresourcerequirements.Noteverythingwillbepredictable,butifwecanmakeevensomeoftheunpredictablepredictable,wewillincreasethelikelihoodofsuccess.　　Withinaprojectplan,wecanestablishoverallandindividualprocessmetrics.(9)______.　　Thevalueofthesetypesofmetricsisthattheywillallowyoutotakeactionduringaprojectwhereandwhenyoucanstillinfluenceitssuccess.Measurabilityisperhapsthemostimportantfeatureoftheprojectplan.　　Projectmanagementcoversallaspectsofplanning:coordinatingactivitiesandresourcesandformingabaselinefromwhichtomanagetheproject.(10)______Onceascheduleiscompleted,itshouldbepostedormadeavailabletoallstakeholdersoftheproject.Constantupdatingshouldappearandbevisibletoallparties.Aprojectplanisanactivedocument,andshouldbeusedtomanagetheprocess.Ascheduleisthetranslationoftheprojectplanintoindividualtasks,identifyingdurations,responsibilities,startandfinishdates,resources,flowandmilestones.　　Everyoneknowswecannotdoenoughplanning,butit’sthetimefactorthatpreventsus,right?Howmuchtimedoesitreallytaketoplan?Frommyexperienceyoushoulduseabaselineofaround5％ofyourproject’stimeinplanning.Now,whathappensifplanningtakeslonger?Youneedtotreatyourplanningprocesslikeanyotherprocess.Usingastandardmethodology,suchasLeanSixSigmaandthetoolsetthatitemploys,willallowyoutheopportunitytogetthemostoutofyourplanningcycle.(11)______Ihavefoundmostcompaniesactuallyenjoyplanning,thecollaborationanddecision-makingthattakeplaceduringit.Whateveryonedoesn’tlikeisthewasteinplanning,sogetridofit!　　Thefirstthingyoucandoisplantheplanningprocess.Take5％ofyourplanningtimetoimproveyourplanning.Setobjectives,milestones,createkeyperformanceindicatorsand,mostofall,createastandardworkplan.(12)______Considerthatifyousignificantlyimproveyourplanningprocess,youwillstopfightingsuchanuphillbattleandcreateconsiderabledown-flowopportunitiesofgreatersavings.Tryit!　　Example:A.Thisgiveseveryoneinvolvedthesamereferencepoint.　　B.Wewillneedmetricstoproduceinformationquickly.　　C.Itwillimproveyourplanningprocess,removingthewastethatyouhaveaccumulatedinit.　　D.Afterdoingthisafewtimes,planningwillbecomeveryeasy,intuitiveandmoreproductive.　　E.Thereismoretoprojectplanningthanthis.　　F.Mostmarketersresisttheidea,misunderstandingtheroleofdetailedplanningformarketingprojects.　　G.Anotherproblemmaybethateveryone’sprioritiesseemallmixedup,andoneortwopeopleordepartmentsseemtobeanenormousbottleneck.

1

1

单选题 Another successful year The UK-based agricultural and garden equipment group PLT has had another successful year and is looking forward to the future with (0) confidence The group, which also has distribution and fuel 1 , has enjoyed record profits for the fifth year in a 2 . Pre-tax profits for the year 3 March 31 rose by 24 per cent to ～4.2 million. Total group sales 4 by five per cent to ～155 million, with the agricultural business delivering yet another record 5 , despite the somewhat difficult trading 6 in the industry. Sales in the garden equipment 7 were slow in the early months of the year, but increased dramatically in the final quarter. Chairman Suresh Kumar said, It is my 8 that we have continued to grow by 9 our customers well. I am delighted to 10 the continued development of our customer 11 and I would like to thank all our customers for their 12 As well as an increase in customers, our staff numbers also continue to grow. During the year, we have taken 13 58 new employees, so that our total workforce now numbers in excess of 700. All of the staff deserve my praise for their dedication and continued efforts in 14 these excellent results. The group has proposed a final 15 of 9.4p per share, bringing the total to 13p for the year. 1.

单选题 According to John Sergeant

单选题 The Secret of Success for Online Businesses 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 1 between a business and the buying public. There are a number of factors in a real-world shop that 2 peoples perceptions of a business: these 3 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 4 a part. In the 5 of these factors, the way customers are 6 when they have a reason to call has a fundamental effect on a companys 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 7 their business. Preventing them from doing that means meeting them on their own 8 and providing them with what they want. This necessity, in 9 , means that companies that sell over the net must get back-end functions right. Imposing 10 requirements on customers will not work; a business that 11 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 12 , and the staff should look for ways of helping even the most awkward customers 13 , as is more usual, trying to find some 14 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 15 without saying. Experience, however, shows that it does not. 1.

单选题.1. The Chief Executive is in a difficult position because Healthway plc is ______

单选题. Critical Path When David Hayden realised his company was heading for trouble, he took drastic measures to get it back on track David Hayden founded his company, Critical Path, an email provider, in 1997 to take advantage of the boom in email traffic. Critical Path became a public company two years later, and Hayden took the opportunity to step down from his executive position in order to work on personal projects. At the same time, he agreed to stay with the company as Chairman, but the business was put in the hands of new managers by its investors. With sector-leading products and an expanding market, the company seemed to be on the up and up. However, by early 2001, it was in trouble. Shares that had been worth $26 in 1999, when they were first sold, were down to a mere 24 cents. Called in by a panicking board, Hayden found himself back in charge as Executive Chairman, trying desperately to rescue what he could. The 1,100 staff had lost confidence in the company and did not know what was going to happen to them. And, as Hayden discovered, the management team was incompetent. 'Those guys didn't understand the product or the sector,' says Hayden. 'The heads of department didn't communicate and they didn't lead.' But what was worse, Critical Path had lost the goodwill of its investors. Hayden knew that bringing the figures under control would be a vital step in the company's turnaround. 'You've got to sort out the finances. For me, that meant getting back the goodwill of the investors. That was tough, after what had happened. But although they were angry with the company, they didn't have bad feelings about me. I told them that I knew I could get the company on its feet again.' He was authorised to make whatever changes were required, and his first act was to find people within the company he could trust and put them in charge. The next thing Hayden had to tackle was morale. 'Everyone left the office at five on the dot-they couldn't get away quickly enough. To get the buzz back and win the staff over, I had to prove my own commitment and put in the extra hours with them.' In return, it was assumed that nobody would ask for overtime pay until the company was on its feet again. Contrary to normal practice, Hayden was reluctant to lay people off, and apart from not replacing people as they reached retirement age, he left the workforce largely unchanged, although he did identify key people throughout the company who were given more responsibility. But, as Hayden insists, before a company reaches such a crisis, there are warning signs that any financial director or accountant should take note of. 'A business that has an unrealistic pricing policy or has to negotiate extended credit with its suppliers is in trouble,' is his message. 'Or if you often have to apply for your overdraft limit to be raised or have trouble paying tax on time, something needs to be done.' By 2003, the company was healthy again, with reasonably stable finances and a modest but steady share price of $1.60. 'One thing that helped save us was that our technology worked,' says Hayden. 'With 20 million email accounts, we never lost a single major client because the product kept on working.' With ideas for a fresh venture demanding his attention elsewhere, Hayden has moved on. 'It was time to go,' he says. 'I'm not a turnaround specialist. I prefer start-ups.'1. What event coincided with Critical Path becoming a public company? ______

单选题1. Gareth says that Trident's problem with selling the product is caused by the ______

单选题.Online exchanges

单选题. GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MEETINGS One aspect of business life which many managers are unhappy with is the need to attend meetings. Research indicates that managers will spend between a third and a half of their working lives in meetings. Although most managers would agree that it is hard to think of an alternative to meetings, as a means of considering information and making collective decisions, their length and frequency can cause problems with the workload of even the best-organised executives. Meetings work best if they take place only when necessary and not as a matter of routine. One example of this is the discussion of personal or career matters between members of staff and their line and personnel managers. Another is during the early stages of a project when the team managing it need to learn to understand and trust one another. Once it has been decided that a meeting is necessary, decisions need to be taken about who will attend and about the location and length of the meeting. People should only be invited to attend if they are directly involved in the matters under discussion and the agenda should be distributed well in advance. An agenda is vital because it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused and within the time limit allocated. This is also the responsibility of the person chairing the meeting, who should encourage those who say little to speak and stop those who have a great deal to say from talking too much. At the end of a well organised meeting, people will feel that the meeting has been a success and be pleased they were invited. They will know not only what decisions were made but also the reasons for these decisions. Unfortunately, at the end of a badly organised meeting those present will leave feeling that they have wasted their time and that nothing worthwhile has been achieved. Much thought has been given over the years to ways of keeping meetings short. One man who has no intention of spending half his working life in meetings is Roland Winterson, chief executive of a large manufacturing company. He believes that meetings should be short, sharp and infrequent. 'I try to hold no more than two or three meetings a week, attended by a maximum of three people for no longer than half an hour,' he says. 'They are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective, such as making a decision or planning a strategy, and are based on careful preparation. I draw up the agenda for every meeting and circulate it in advance; those attending are expected to study it carefully and should be prepared to both ask and answer questions. Managers are best employed carrying out tasks directly connected with their jobs not attending endless meetings. In business, time is money and spending it in needless meetings that don't achieve anything can be very costly. Executives should follow the example of lawyers and put a cost on each hour of their time and then decide whether attending a long meeting really is the best way to spend their time.'1. What do most managers think about meetings? ______

单选题GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MEETINGS One aspect of business life which many managers are unhappy with is the need to attend meetings. Research indicates that managers will spend between a third and a half of their working lives in meetings. Although most managers would agree that it is hard to think of an alternative to meetings, as a means of considering information and making collective decisions, their length and frequency can cause problems with the workload of even the best-organised executives. Meetings work best if they take place only when necessary and not as a matter of routine. One example of this is the discussion of personal or career matters between members of staff and their line and personnel managers. Another is during the early stages of a project when the team managing it need to learn to understand and trust one another. Once it has been decided that a meeting is necessary, decisions need to be taken about who will attend and about the location and length of the meeting. People should only be invited to attend if they are directly involved in the matters under discussion and the agenda should be distributed well in advance. An agenda is vital because it acts as a road map to keep discussion focused and within the time limit allocated. This is also the responsibility of the person chairing the meeting, who should encourage those who say little to speak and stop those who have a great deal to say from talking too much. At the end of a well organised meeting, people will feel that the meeting has been a success and be pleased they were invited. They will know not only what decisions were made but also the reasons for these decisions. Unfortunately, at the end of a badly organised meeting those present will leave feeling that they have wasted their time and that nothing worthwhile has been achieved. Much thought has been given over the years to ways of keeping meetings short. One man who has no intention of spending half his working life in meetings is Roland Winterson, chief executive of a large manufacturing company. He believes that meetings should be short, sharp and infrequent. I try to hold no more than two or three meetings a week, attended by a maximum of three people for no longer than half an hour, he says. They are clearly aimed at achieving a specific objective, such as making a decision or planning a strategy, and are based on careful preparation. I draw up the agenda for every meeting and circulate it in advance; those attending are expected to study it carefully and should be prepared to both ask and answer questions. Managers are best employed carrying out tasks directly connected with their jobs not attending endless meetings. In business, time is money and spending it in needless meetings that dont achieve anything can be very costly. Executives should follow the example of lawyers and put a cost on each hour of their time and then decide whether attending a long meeting really is the best way to spend their time. 1. What do most managers think about meetings? ______

单选题.1. Why did Brett decide to try to produce the Rainaway map? ______

单选题Speaking Your Customers Language Modern international trading practices are highlighting the growing importance of language training Modern-day business really does transcend national barriers. Thanks to sophisticated IT and communications systems, businesses can now market their products on a truly global scale. The world is indisputably becoming a smaller place, as service and manufacturing companies search the international marketplace for new suppliers and clients. Businesses must, however, be aware that once they expand the area in which they operate, they face increased competition. The standard and quality of their goods become increasingly important in keeping up with competitors. But most of all, it is the service element accompanying the goods which is crucial to a companys success in a particular market. This new philosophy has led to many companies, some of which have even offered products of a lesser quality, gaining success overseas. Although globalisation may, in some senses, have brought national economies closer together, societies around the world still have radically different expectations, processes and standards. These are not a function of economic change, but are more deep-rooted and difficult to alter. They can be a major problem for businesses expanding abroad, with the greatest obstacle of all being the language barrier. If you have to deal with clients, suppliers and distributors in a range of countries, you will not only need the skills to communicate with them, you will also need to reconcile any national biases you have with the diverse ways of doing business that exist around the globe. The value of effective communication is not to be underestimated. New technology such as video- conferencing and emall has played a part in making the communication process easier, and it may also be possible that the introduction of language interpretation software will help with some global communications problems. But, of course, it is the human element of the communication process that is so vital in business, especially in negotiations, presentations and team-building. It is essential for managers to meet regularly with staff, customers and partners, so that issues can be discussed, messages communicated and feedback obtained. The value of well-organised language training is immense, and can bring benefits to all levels and departments within a multinational organisation. Unfortunately, however, many organisations have a very narrow view when it comes to training of any kind. Often, an urgent requirement has to be identified before training is authorised. Then, a training company is employed or a programme is developed in-house, the team is trained, and that is seen as the end of the matter. However, the fact remains that training programmes are effective only if they are relevant to a companys broader, long-term needs. They should be regarded as an investment rather than a cost. Changes in expectations and attitudes are certain to continue for companies that trade globally. Although such companies are not yet faced with their international partners and clients demanding that business be conducted in their mother tongue, they realise that overseas competition is increasing fast. If these companies want to continue to achieve success on the international trading circuit, they must be prepared to adapt to situations and speak the local language. If not, someone else will. 1. According to the first paragraph, improved communications have enabled companies to ______

单选题. Cruise Ship Holidays Passengers on cruise ship holidays, as they are portrayed on TV programs and films, usually appear to be both rich and elderly. Such people do not, however, accurately represent the 6.8 million 1 who took this kind of holiday last year. Over the last few years the world cruise industry has concentrated on 2 to younger, less wealthy people, giving them a/an 3 more like a floating disco than the traditional quiet holiday on a luxury ship. Even families with young children are no longer so 4 on cruise ship. Partly as a result, the number of passengers taking a cruise has increased by a/an 5 of 8.5% a year since 1990. Cruise Star is now the world's 6 cruise line. The other two major companies are Intersail and Seaways. Together these three carry 7 half the world's cruise passengers and 8 almost all the industry's profits. For the 30 or so smaller firms, life is much tougher. That is because 9 size brings so many benefits to the large firms. They can negotiate bulk discounts on 10 such as food and fuel; and even, if they order enough of them, on ships. A secondary 11 for the smaller operators is that they cannot spread overheads such broadly marketing. A significant part of the cost of 12 people on a cruise happens before they go on board the ship. The three large companies between them spend more than ＄ 100 million a year on TV 13 in America. They 14 armies of salesman. Delivering passengers to the ship is part of package deal and, once again, 15 means savings. Cruise Star is the biggest single buyer of airline tickets in America.1.

单选题 Fighting Fit Fine Fitness

单选题. THE ART OF PERSUASION 'Let me send you our brochure' is probably the most commonly used phrase in business. But all too often, it can spell the end of a customer enquiry because many brochures appear to be produced not to clarify and to excite but to confuse. So what goes wrong and how can it be put right? Too often, businesses fail to ask themselves critical questions like, 'Who will the brochure be sent to?' 'What do we want to achieve with it?' The truth is that a brochure has usually been produced for no other reason than that the competition has one. However, with a little research, it often transpires that what the client wants is a mixture: part mail shot, part glossy corporate brochure and part product catalogue-a combination rarely found. Having said that, the budget is likely to be finite. There may not be enough money to meet all three marketing needs, so the first task is to plan the brochure, taking into account the most significant of these. The other requirements will have to be met in a different way. After all, introducing the company's product range to new customers by mail is a different task from selling a new season's collection to existing customers. The second task is to get the content right. In 95 per cent of cases, a company will hire a designer to oversee the layout, so the final product looks stylish, interesting and professional; but they don't get a copywriter or someone with the right expertise to produce the text, or at least tidy it up-and this shows. A bigger failing is to produce a brochure that is not customer focused. Your brochure should cover areas of interest to the customer, concentrating on the benefits of buying from you. Instead, thousands of brochures start with a history lesson, 'Founded in 1987, we have been selling our products...'. I can assure you that customers are never going to say to themselves, 'They've been around for 20 years-I'll buy from them.' It's not how long you've been in business that counts, it's what you've done in that time. The important point to get across at the beginning is that you have a good track record. Once this has been established, the rest of the brochure should aim to convince customers that your products are the best on the market. It is helpful with content to get inside the customer's head. If your audience is young and trendy, be creative and colourful. As always, create a list of the benefits that potential customers would gain from doing business with you, for example, product quality, breadth of range, expertise of staff and so on. But remember that it is not enough just to state these; in order to persuade, they need to be spelt out. One possibility is to quote recommendations from existing customers. This also makes the brochure personal to you, rather than it simply being a set of suppliers' photographs with your name on the front. At the design stage, there are many production features that can distinguish your brochure from the run of the mill. You may think that things like cutouts or pop-ups will do this for you and thus make you stand out, or you may think they just look like designer whims that add cost. Go through all the options in detail. One of them might be that all-important magical ingredient.1. What point does the writer make about brochures in the first paragraph? ______