单选题· You will hear a news story on the latest development in the U.S. government's legal battle against Microsoft.· For each question 23--30, mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer.· You will hear the recording twice.

单选题·Read the article below about corporate culture on the opposite page. ·For each question 13-18, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. The term corporate culture refers to an organization's value system. Managerial philosophies, workplace practices, and organizational network are included in the concept of corporate culture. Tyson Food's corporate culture is reflected in the fact that everyone—even CEO Don Tyson wears clothes of a yellowish brown color on the job. The leaders who developed the company and the corporate culture typically shape the corporate culture.One generation of employees passes on a corporate culture to newer employees. Sometimes this is part of formal training. New managers who attend McDonald's Hamburger University may learn skills in management,but they also pick up the basics of the organization's corporate culture. Employees can absorb corporate culture through informal contacts as well, by talking with other workers and through their experiences on the job. Corporate culture has a major impact on the success of an organization. In organizations with strong cultures,everyone knows and supports the organizations' objectives. In those with weak cultures, no clear sense of purpose exists. In fact, the authors of the classic book In Search of Excellence concluded the presence of a strong corporate culture was the single common thread among many diverse but highly successful companies such as General Electric and McDonald's. As you can imagine, changing a company's corporate culture can be very difficult. But some managers try to do just that when they feel the current culture is weak, or when the organization's objectives change and the old culture no longer fits. Sometimes the competitive situation of a company changes.For instance, electric utilities, which once had their profits guaranteed by public regulation, now face more competition than ever. Firms that were comfortable competing against other American companies now find themselves fighting competitors from overseas, too. Management expert Peter Duckers feels that, rather than trying to change culture, managers should focus on changing employees and corporate practices, as follows. ·Define what results are needed. Specify in measurable terms what the organization or department,or office) needs to achieve. ·Determine where these results are already being achieved within the current organization. Analyze the departments that are already effective and find out what they are doing differently from the rest. ·Determine what top management can do to encourage these good results. Duckers suggests that executives openly ask what they can do to help, and then do it. ·Change the reward system—or develop a new one—to recognize these effective practices. When employees realize that the organization really does reward the new approach, they will adopt it much more quickly. Whether one wants to change an organization culture or not, it is important to choose managers and employees whose personal styles fit the organization's goals.

单选题What does "potential" mean in the sentence "01d pieces with great potential abound…"(Para1)

单选题·Read this letter about giving presentations.·Choose the best word to fill each gap.·For each question (19 -33) , mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.·One answer has been given as an example. Most presentations today depend on the use of some sort of technology, such as a laptop computer linked to a projector. While this technology can help to {{U}}(19) {{/U}} presentations better, it also has a {{U}}(20) {{/U}} of getting in the way. As a general {{U}}(21) {{/U}}. it is better to {{U}}(22) {{/U}} on the content of a presentation as a means of {{U}}(23) {{/U}} your audience's attention, rather than relying on sophisticated equipment. Bear in mind that when an organization invites {{U}}(24) {{/U}} for a contract, they may {{U}}(25) {{/U}} four or five presentations from different companies on the same day. Each of these companies will probably be using the same computer graphics {{U}}(26) {{/U}} and the same equipment. The chances are the presentations will be similar too. That's why the content and {{U}}(27) {{/U}} of what you say are important. Think about what you want to say and how to say it as clearly as possible. As a first step, you need to {{U}}(28) {{/U}} the main points you want to get across. Audiences are easily bored and {{U}}(29) {{/U}} to remember only the most entertaining, exciting or unusual ideas. Next create your materials, choosing the images for your presentation carefully. Remember you do not want to stop your audience from listening to you, nor do you want to {{U}}(30) {{/U}}. them. Finally, make all the necessary {{U}}(31) {{/U}} for the equipment you need. If technology is to be an important {{U}}(32) {{/U}} of your presentation, make sure you know how to use it {{U}}(33) {{/U}} and test it out beforehand.

单选题Would you be kind enough to inform us whether the price you have quoted for the units does or does not include a twelve-month service contract, which we understood to be part of our agreement with you? They want us to let them know ... a. if we're providing a year's free service b. how much our service costs c. how much the units will cost

单选题FAMILY BUSINESSES A great many people maybe at some stage in their lives consider setting up a business with their family members. The idea may seem very attractive, but the reality of working with someone close to you can often cause unforeseen problems. 80% of family-run businesses think that when times get tough, love, romance or family bonds will see them through. But the fact is that although 70% of businesses are family-run, only 40% of these companies survive to the second generation. Why do so many family businesses fail? While money has traditionally been thought to be the root of all difficulties, the major problem is much more clear. In businesses which don't have family ties or relationships, people find it easier to communicate and to say what is on their mind. In contrast, with family businesses, people often make the mistake of thinking they know what views other family members have without actually discussing with them. There is one strategy which should be used in all family businesses to protect potential problems. As time goes by, one partner may lose interest or not work as effectively as they are expected to. If each partner's responsibilities are identified from the start so that they know exactly what is required of them, difficulties are less likely to arise as the business develops. It is also recommended to ask yourselves a few "what if" questions before starting a family business. For example, what if one of the partners brought a friend into the family business and others didn't like this person? What would you do? To avoid this kind of problem, you should talk it over amongst yourselves. This sort of research can make you aware of both your own attitudes and the attitudes of the other members of the family before problems actually occur. Contracts are another potential problems. Too many family businesses are run on the most informal terms. People often think it is unfriendly to ask a relative to sign a contract outlining the terms of a business venture. But you should treat the family business like any other business and be professional to draw up a contract. Whether the business is profitable or not, it is supposed who owns the shares must be clearly defined and written into a formal contract. It must also be clear who is running the company. Some family businesses take a vote on every decision. Perhaps this exercise in democracy should be applauded, but it created so many complications that in the end the business failed. Even a small committee can sometimes be too large. In matters affecting the entire company. only one of you should be the decision-maker. He or she doesn't have to be the largest shareholder, but should be the one best able to lead the business. Another type of problem arises when a relative decides to join an already established business. In these cases, you should do everything you can to avoid favourism. It is important to avoid putting him straight into any kind of managerial position. Instead, encourage him to learn not only the company but the people who make it work by working on the shop floor on the assembly line. They have to prove to be a valuable asset not to the family but to the business.

单选题PRICE SYSTEMPrices determine how resources are to be used. They are also the means by which products and services that are in limited supply are rationed among buyers. The price system of the United States is a very complex network composed of the prices of all the products bought and sold in the economy as well as those of a myriad of services, including labor, professional transportation, and public utility services. The interrelationships of all these prices make up the "system" of prices. The price of any particular product or service is linked to a broad, complicated system of prices in which everything seems to supply to the transaction, guarantees on the product or service, delivery terms, return privileges, and other factors. In other words, both buyer and seller depend more or less upon everything else. If one were to ask randomly selected individuals to define "price", many would reply that price is an amount of money paid by the buyer to the seller of a product of service or, in other words, that price is the money value of a product of service as agreed upon in a market transaction.This definition is, of course, valid as far as it goes. For a complete understanding of a price in any particular transaction, much more than the amount of money involved must be known. Both the buyer and the seller should be familiar with not only the money amount, but with the amount and quality of the product or service to be exchanged, the time and place at which the exchange will take place and payment will be made, the form of money to be used, the credit terms and discounts that should be fully aware of all the factors that comprise the total "package" being exchanged for the asked--for amount of money in order that they may evaluate a given price.

单选题AccordingtoBrian,whatisthemostimportantfactortobeingagoodmanager?A.Tobehonest.B.Tobefair.C.Respectothers.

单选题Employment Opportunities for Graduates with the Provincial Bank The provincial Bank is one of the biggest fiscal institutions in the U. K. . With its 1,900 branches and 58,000 employees, it has (19) a household name. Almost 4,000 of these employees (20) managerial or executive positions. The bank has an outstanding (21) of profitability, which has been achieved by introducing innovations as maintaining leadership of the (22) The bank's comprehensive training programme concentrates on (23) the most important skills that graduates need in order to (24) early management responsibility. Trainees take responsibility for their own continuous self-development through visiting other branches and departments, and by (25) courses in management skills. They also receive training in order to increase their knowledge of the bank's (25) The bank supports (27) of staff who wish to take professional examinations, and its Graduate Training Scheme is (28) to the nationally recognized Diploma in Management. Obviously the quality of its mangers is of (29) importance to the bank's performance. It welcomes good graduates in any subject area, (30) they can demonstrate the ability to influence events, and have the potential to (31) both as leaders and as part of a team. Most graduate trainees join the Retail Banking division initially. Those starting on this programme will soon have the (32) to work in other parts of the bank and can (33) a varied and flexible working life.

单选题As a manager in the service industry sector, I've looked at hundreds of CVs in my time. They are not necessarily the bland documents, some bosses might think they are! They are full of little pointers towards individuals' personalities and suitability for the job. The first thing I always look at is an applicant's employment record. I check for continuity and stability. If somebody has a long list of previous jobs, all of varying length, alarm bells start ringing. Rather than an irregular route from job to job, what I hope to see is stable career progression. What does their career path look like-- is it all steps forward, or are there a lot of sideways moves? And I am always pleased to find a family person with children, because in my experience they tend to be responsible and reliable. I never rely on OVs alone. We get applicants to fill in one of our own application forms. We ask why they've applied, what their aspirations and personal goals are, and also about their interests and hobbies and any clubs they belong to. That gives you a useful insight into their personality and lifestyle. The application form also enables us to test how much people have actually been progressing in their careers, because we ask for details of the salaries they have received for each job. It's always worth looking at CVs and designing application forms with great care. Taking on employees might be rewarding, but it is also a big investment for any business. Mistakes in choosing staff can cost companies dear, so it makes sense to spend time ensuring you get the right person. In the service sector, one of the aims of companies is to maintain and improve customer service, and this is achieved partly through low staff turnover. You need to take on people who understand that and will want to stay. That's why, when you've taken staff on, the next thing is getting the best out of them. My management style comes from the days when I took over my first business, an ailing road haulage firm which I was certain I could turn into a profitable company. The first thing is to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself. As soon as I took over the business, I talk to everybody individually, and looked for ways to make sure their particular skills benefited the company. I didn't have much experience then of managing people, but above all I always tried to be fair and honest with everyone. As a result, I think the staff knew that and accepted my decisions, even if they didn't agree with them all. Also, bosses must be able to communicate. You also need to create team spirit, and build on the strength of the team. I explained my plans for the company to all the staff, and let them all know what I needed from them. The lorry drivers responded brilliantly, and were the key to turning the business round. They understood that we had to develop a professional reputation, and from then on the days of poor quality deliveries were over. Lastly, I am a great believer in profit-sharing. It takes a team to make a company work, so profits should be shared by all. Job satisfaction is important, but it doesn't pay the rent. Shared profit and bonuses help to strengthen team spirit by giving everyone a common goal that they work towards, together.

单选题14 Mr Brown ten years. A. has been head of this department for B. is head of this department for C. is head of this department since D. has been head of this department since

单选题 Benefits of Business Intelligence One of the most effective uses of business intelligence is within the enterprise, disseminating key business metrics to knowledge workers and information stakeholders at every level. The benefits of business intelligence, however, (19) beyond the walls of the enterprise. Customers can (20) from the sharing of information like how effective the company has been in meeting delivery (21) and product quality objectives. Perhaps more importantly, providing (22) to this information sends a powerful (23) to the customer base that the company will live up to its (24) . Business intelligence can help improve the performance levels of suppliers by providing them with metrics such as competitiveness of bids, ease of (25) , timeliness of delivery, accuracy of invoicing or any other important (26) Providing suppliers these (27) typically creates for them powerful (28) to improve performance where (29) . Effective business intelligence solutions ensure that you are able to share the data from these solutions with all of these (30) Business intelligence solutions enable you and your employees to make better, more (31) decisions that will have a (32) impact on your company. They also enable your company to (33) its partnerships with customers and suppliers, which, in return, makes your business even stronger.

单选题Readthearticlebelowaboutgoodsreturnedbycustomerstomailordercompanies.ChoosethebestwordorphrasetofilleachgapfromA,B,CorDontheoppositepage.Foreachquestion(19-33),markoneletter(A,B,CorD)onyourAnswerSheet.Thereisanexampleatthebeginning(0).UnwantedGoodsIncreasedsalesisalwaysgoodnewsformailordercompanies.Butmoresalesalso(0)___A___moreitemsarereturned.Mostcompanieshaveafullreturnspolicy,butasMegPowell,ManagingDirectorofmailordercompanyGoFirst,explains,thisusually【C1】______alotofextrawork.'Ifanitemcomesback,wehaveto【C2】______withrefunds,apologymailingsandstockcontrol.Thisisacomplexprocessandeachreturneditemundergoesclose【C3】______fordefects.Ifgoodsareinafit【C4】______forstock,theyneedrepackingandputtingbackinthewarehouse.Ifnot,we'lllookatwhy.Anything【C5】______tothequalityofreturnedgoodsis【C6】______information.Insomeinstanceswecanidentifyafaultinproductionanddosomethingaboutit.'Estimatesofthenumberofreturnsforthesector【C7】______Inthe【C8】______ofGoFirst,whichdelivers100millionpackagesayear,26millioncomeback.Reducingthisnumberisanimportant【C9】______forthecompany.Onewayitaimstodothisisbymakingtheinitialorder-takingprocessasaccurateaspossible,andbyclosely【C10】______thepackingofgoods.【C11】______thereasonsforreturnsalsohelps.GoFirsttelephonesa【C12】______ofpeoplereturninggoodstoestablishtheirreasonsfordoingso.Clearly,acustomer-focusedreturnsprocessisessentialforfosteringtrustinthecompany.'Itisstandard【C13】______inthisbusiness,'saysMegPowell.'Itattractscustomers,givesthemagreater【C14】______ofsecurityandencouragesthemtobuy.Werealisethatmakingthereturnofgoodsasmooth,fastprocesscanonly【C15】______customersatisfaction.'Example:AmeansBleadsCproposesDgives

单选题According to the passage, which of the following is not true about the definition of price?

单选题Effective Product Differentiation As obvious as it may sound, the truth is there are a lot of businesses out there. The odds of not having any competition are next to impossible, and something any worthwhile business, whether big or small, has to eventually come to accept. Every one of those businesses are trying to do the exact same thing: get people to buy their products. When flooded with so many potential prospects it isn't always easy for the customers to know which business is the best and which one has the best product. What you need to do is help them along. Differentiating your business and your products from the competition is by far one of the most important details when dealing with any kind of industry. Everything a company does, from the creative ads they run to the inventive promotions they produce to the full color business cards they hand out is geared towards separating themselves from the rest of the flock. If you're going to compete with them you're going to have to do the same, and do it more effectively. Sometimes the most effective approaches can be some of the most simplistic. Printing well-colored brochures gives a business the chance to show their customers the subtle or not so subtle differences between them and the competition, whether it is better designs, better features, or better prices. Handing them a list of all the products or services you offer allows them the ability to see exactly what they're getting when they do business with you, and the more a customer knows about a business the better the odds are they'll feel comfortable with them. But, even going beyond the products, boosting up your company can also be an effective tool to place you above the competition. When you hand a person a business card, fully colored with a unique design you're handing them a means to remember you. A business card can say a lot about a person and the business they run. Simple, drab colors can be off putting to the per,son looking for a friendlier business. The right color scheme alone can differentiate you from the competition,and once you've managed to separate yourself out, you'll be in a prime position to be who the person favors when they need that specific product. With competition as steep as it is today, every business has its hands full trying to stay above the rest.When every little thing counts, the business the customers will take to heart will be the one who can show them just why they're the best qualified. Printing out the right kind of colorful brochure or business card can be a valuable method of stepping away from the crowded business field.

单选题Staff AppraisalManagement and staff have agreed to put in place (example) a company-wide system for staff appraisal. Each member of staff will meet at least once a year with their manager to discuss and assess the employee's performance and to complete an appraisal form.Staff appraisal interviews are a valuable means of (19) between managers and subordinates: they ensure that an organization develops its human (20) and that employees get maximum job (21) The guidelines below have been drawn up in order to assist in this (22) The Appraisal InterviewThe main (23) of the interview is to (24) employees be as effective as possible in their present jobs. It (25) the manager and subordinate the opportunity to review past and present job performance together, and to (26) for the future.First Stage—Preparation for the interviewBefore the appraisal interview the manager and subordinate should (27) the specific areas for discussion and agree on a time-period which the appraisal should (28) (normally 12 months).Second Stage—At the interviewIf necessary the employee and manager should (29) to last year's appraisal and decide whether key aims and targets have been achieved. They should (30) on aims for the future appraisal period and how performance should be judged.Third Stage—Assessment of performanceThe appraisal document should be completed by the manager after the interview. It should then be discussed with the employee before the (31) signing.It should include:a) Areas of the employee's work where there have been failures.b) Areas where there have been prominent successes.c) An assessment of the employee's (32) to organize and plan his or her time, and to make the most efficient (33) of resources.