单选题A Risky Business As everyone in business knows, working life can be difficult. At times, it seems impossible to reach a position, where everything is running smoothly. Computer failure, client indecision and even mistakes by staff can quickly send a company into crisis. Many disasters are completely unforeseen, and it is becoming increasingly important for managers to learn how to live with the unexpected. After several major disasters in the City of London, a group of managers have got together to form an organization, called Survive. Their objective is to advise companies of the steps they should take in order to maintain business continuity in the event of disaster. So far they have worked with 600 companies in the UK and they are rapidly branching out to locations around the world. Survive Singapore, which offers its services to companies in the Pacific Rim, is the latest branch of the organization to be established. The advice they offer can be broken down into three areas. Whatever size your company is, the basic lessons are the same. Firstly, if you listen to employees and customers, then you are more likely to discover the risks you may be running which you hadn't thought of. Maybe safety procedures have got a little out of date; it is your employees who can tell you which working practices are dangerous or inadequately supervised. Wider issues, such as polluting a local river, may be discovered through the public. If you have systems to keep in touch with what people are saying about you, then you will have a chance of preventing problems before they arrive. Secondly, many companies don't have adequate insurance. In fact, many small companies have very little insurance at all and only discover that they are underinsured when it is too late. A fire may break out in the office and damage to not only the office furniture but also invaluable customer recorder and legal documents. The effect of the damage to the company can often make recovery impossible. Survive will assist companies in assessing their risk of unexpected events, and point them in the direction of suitable insurance companies. The third area to look at is what to do if your office did burn down and all your records were lost. What you need is a business continuity plan. Professional assistance in drawing up a plan can be provided by Survive, who will give you access to publications, conferences, databases and workshops where you can discuss problems with people in similar situations to yours.

单选题·Look at the article below about effective communication and the questions over the page.·For each question (13-18) , mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. {{B}}Good Communication Counts in the Workplace{{/B}} 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 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 tile overall success of the firm. Personal communication should also include target setting. People usually respond well to goals, provided these are agreed between the manager and the subordinate and not imposed. However firms often have communication problems that can undermine their performance. In many cases, these problems occur because messages are passed on in an inappropriate way. There are, of course, several ways of conveying information to others in the organization. These include speaking to them directly, e-mailing, telephoning or sending a memo. The most appropriate method depends on what exactly it is you are communicating. For example, anything that is particularly sensitive or confidential, such as art employee's appraisal, should be done fee-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 companies, 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 communication, such as 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. MP3 and network systems, is speeding up communication immensely. However, this does not mean that more investment in technology automatically proves beneficial: systems can become outdated or employees may lack appropriate training. There are many communications tools available but a firm cannot usually afford all of them. And even if it could, it does not actually need them all. The organisation must weigh up the potential gains against the costs, and firms should realise that more communication does not necessarily mean better communication. As the number of people involved in an organisation increases, the use of written communication rises even faster. Instead of a quick conversation to sort something out numerous messages can be passed backwards and forwards. This can lead to a huge 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 they have understood and feedback is immediate. 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. The amount of written information generated in large organizations today can lead to communication overload. So much information is gathered that it gets in the way of making decisions. Take a look at the average manager's desk and you will see the problem --it is often covered in 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. Communication is also becoming more difficult with the changes occurring in employment patterns. With more people working part-time and working from home. managing communication is becoming increasingly complex.

单选题The move to self-service has meant that in many shops, fewer tasks are now performed by store assistants. Typical tasks which remain are making sure that shelves and counters are fully (19) , taking the customer's payment, and (20) the purchases. However, in some shops, the more traditional selling skills are still important. In larger stores, it is normal for a range of (21) to be rotated among staff, giving greater work variety. Every customer has different (22) . and different reasons for coming into the store. Some know (23) what they want, ask for it and buy it. Many, however, are not sure, and if they are not (24) correctly they may go somewhere else to boy. The store assistant must (25) when and how to offer help, and gain the customer's confidence with the (26) amount of questioning about what they are looking for. They can then give information and advice about the products which might (27) the customer's requirements. This demands both communication skills and knowledge of the product. Finally, they have to persuade the customer to make the (28) to buy, and 'close the deal'. If the customer is just (29) , the store assistant needs to offer efficient and friendly service, hoping that the customer will return when he or site is ready to buy. It is worth remembering that many stores depend on their (30) customers for a large part of their (31) The actual tasks of a store assistant vary with the type of goods sold. In a men's outfitters these could include (32) a customer for a suit. In an electronics store, it is vital to be able to (33) how a computer or hi-fi unit works and to ensure that the customer bas any accessories they might need.

单选题What does the example of selling doughnut in the passage demonstrate?

单选题The tip" know when to walk away" tells us that______.

单选题Early American industries depended largely on skilled artisans working in small shops to serve a local market. But the Industrial Revolution that started in England during the 18th century did not take long to cross the Atlantic. It brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860. Because labor was scarce in the United States and wages were high, employers welcomed any new method that could reduce the requirement for labor. One key development was the introduction of the factory system, which gathered many workers together in one workplace and produced goods for distribution over a wide area. The first factory in the United States is generally dated to 1793, when an Englishman named Samuel Slater came to America to build a cotton cloth factory. He built the machinery from memory, because it was a crime to carry factory plant out of England. The success of Slater's factory started a process of change that turned the northeastern region of the United States into an important manufacturing center. The making of textiles also meant increased demand for cotton, grown in the southern region for the United States. As a result, the nation became a major cotton producer. Another important development was the "American system" of mass production, which originated in the firearms industry about 1800. The new system required precision engineering to create parts that were interchangeable. This, in return, allowed the final product to be assembled in stages, each worker specializing in a specific operation. Just as Slater's new factory system was being introduced, an American named Eli Whitney made cotton production more efficient by inventing a machine—the cotton gin—that rapidly removed the seeds from the bolls of cotton. Removing the seeds by hand was a difficult task; Whitney's machine made the job almost easy. Whitney also began manufacturing rifles in a new way. Guns had always been made by gun makers working in their homes or small shops. Because the guns were handmade individually, a part from one gun would not necessarily fit another gun. Whitney began making guns with machinery, so that all the parts were the same in each gun. This method of manufacturing goods in a factory, with interchangeable parts, helped to advance American industry. In 1913, the automaker Henry Ford introduced the "moving assembly" line. This was a variation on the earlier practice of continuous assembly. By improving efficiency, it made possible a major saving in labor costs. A new breed of industrial managers began the careful study of factory operations with the aim of finding the most efficient ways of organizing tasks. Their concepts of "scientific management" helped to lower the costs of production still further. Lower costs made possible both higher wages for workers and lower prices for consumers. More and more Americans were gaining the ability to purchase products made in the United States. During the first half of the 20th century, mass production of consumer goods such as cars, refrigerators and kitchen ranges helped to revolutionize the ways in which Americans lived.

单选题Mobile Advertising The Next Big Thing A Advertising on mobile phones is a tiny business. Last year spending on mobile ads was $ 871 million worldwide according to lnforma Telecoms Media, a research firm, compared with $ 24 billion spent on internet advertising and $450 billion spent on all advertising. But marketers are hailing the mobile phone as advertising's promised land. It is destined, some say, to replace not only internet advertising,the latest fad, but also television, radio, print and billboards, the four traditional pillars of the business. B The 2.5 billion mobile phones around the world can potentially reach a much bigger audience than the planet's billion or so personal computers. The number of mobile phones in use is also growing much faster than the number of computers, especially in poorer countries. Furthermore, most people carry their mobile with them everywhere—something that cannot be said of television or computers. C Yet the biggest selling point of mobile ads is what marketing types call ' relevance' . Advertisers believe that about half of all traditional advertising does not reach the right audience. But mobile advertising through text messages is the most focused: if marketers use mobile firms' profiles of their customers cleverly enough, they can tailor their advertisements to match each subscriber's habits. D In September, Blyk, a new mobile operator, launched a service in Britain that aims to do just that. It offers subscribers 2]7 free text messages and 43 free minutes of voice calls per month as long as they agree to receive six advertisements by text message every day. To sign up for the service,customers must fill out a questionnaire about their hobbies and habits. So advertisers can target their messages very precisely. ' Britain is the largest, but also the trickiest European ad market, so if it works here it will work everywhere,' says Pekka Ala-Pietila, chief executive and one of the founders of Blyk.

单选题Three Middling Mining Firms Bet on Scale and Scarcity In May prices for copper, nickel and other metals rose to record levels, although they have since fallen a bit. Now three mining firms are proposing the most expensive merger in the industry's history. The $40 billion deal, in which an American company, Phelps Dodge, plans to take over two Canadian ones, Inco and Falconbridge, would create the world's biggest producer of nickel, the number two in copper, and the fifth-ranked mining firm overall. The records may not stop there: two other mining firms, Xstrata and Teck Cominco, had previously bid for Falconbridge and Inco respectively, and could make further offers. Soaring commodities prices have left mining firms flush with cash and keen to expand. One way would be to search for more metal in the ground, instead of on the stockmarket. But organic growth is expensive at the moment: as firms rush to increase their output to take advantage of high prices, every conceivable input, from engineers to mining trucks' huge tyres,Those shares is in desperately short supply. Developing new mines is also slow. Mining executives worry, that projects that get the go-ahead when prices are high will not look so attractive when the next recession comes. That could be true of the proposed merger too. Phelps Dodge offered a premium of 23% over the price of Inco's shares and 12% over Falconbridge's. Those shares, in turn, have been rising for several years along with the firms' wares—nickel, for the most part, at Inco, and nickel and copper at Falconbridge. The bosses of the firms insist that the mark-up is justified, for several reasons. For one thing, they reckon they can squeeze savings of $900m a year out of the combined entity by 2008, by sharing equipment and personnel among adjacent mines. for example, and pooling their marketing staff. More importantly, they argue that the size and diversity of the new comparty will make it less vulnerable to mining's painful cycles, and so more artractive to investors. The biggest and most diversified mining companies, such as BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, do boast higher share valuations. They produce everything from aluminium to zircon. and so are less susceptible to fluctuations in the price of any particular metal. By the same logic, the more mines a firm is running or developing, and the more countries it operates in. the less risk each individual project poses to profits. The merged trio will certainly have a broader geographical spread, with mines in five continents. But its main projects, in stable places like the United States. Canada and Chile, never seemed that risky in the first place. Furthermore, despite having sidelines in cobalt and molybdenum, the new firm's fortunes will depend chiefly on the price of copper and nickel—two of most volatile metals in recent years. Some analysts mutter that Phelps Dodge embarked on the merger chiefly to save itself from being taken over. Investors seem to share their doubts: Phelps Dodge's shares fell by 8% after it announced the deal, despite a simultaneous pledge to spend $5 billion on a share buy-back scheme once the merger is concluded. On the other hand, the price of nickel and copper jumped on the news. Traders seem to have assumed that the companies would have contemplated such an expensive deal only if they thought that metals would remain in short supply for some time. The more money that mining firms spend buying one another, rather than exploring and developing new mines, the likelier that is.

单选题MAKING THE RIGHT IMPRESSION The first thing to remember when you go for a job interview is that this is not a one- sided affair. Treat it as you would do in a negotiation. After all, both you and the prospective employer are selling something. If you approach an interview with the attitude of "any job will do", the interviewer will realize that immediately. If the job is worth anything, you won't get it. You should prepare yourself for an interview just as you would do for a negotiation. Find out as much as you can about the company and the person who is to interview you. Don't be caught unawares. Go to the Internet and look at the company's website. Compare it with that of its competitors. Alternatively, look at the Yellow Pages or trade magazines to see how they advertise themselves. Make enquiries at the Chamber of Commerce and other relevant organizations. Find out at least a little about the sector so that you can ask interesting questions. Think of and note down your strengths and the opportunities that lie ahead. No matter how high the rate of unemployment is, regardless of how miserable you are in your current job, it's always an advantage to see things in a positive way. If you have little or no experience in a particular area, consider your capabilities in a similar area. Spend some time trying to imagine what type of employee the company is looking for and what makes you suitable for the job being advertised. First impressions count, so look good and feel good before you go. Choose clothes that make you feel confident. Find out what clothes may put the interviewer off. Ensure you arrive at the interview with time to spare. According to one recruitment agency we have spoken to, interviewees must understand the importance not only of their personal appearance but also of their body language. During the interview, breathe calmly and try not to appear too nervous. Look the interviewer in the eye and adopt similar body language to theirs. Smile and feel relaxed, enthusiastic and assertive. Remember one thing, though: assertive does not mean aggressive. Don't just answer "yes" or "no" to questions. Treat every question as an opportunity to demonstrate that you are suitable for the job, but remember to stick to the point. When asked about your interests, include group as well as individual activities and hobbies. Be on the lookout for tricky questions about your personal life. You don't need to lie and just tell yourself in the best light. This is something the interviewee needs to be able to do as well. You have the right to find out whether or not you want to work for the company. Furthermore, your interest in the nature of the company and how it is run may well end up being your big selling point.

单选题[此试题无题干]

单选题· You will hear a job applicant talking to the Personnel Manager of a chain of stores.· For each sentence 23- 30, mark one letter A, B or C for the correct answer.· After you have listened once, relay the recording.

单选题PROBLEMS FACING POTENTIAL EXPORTERS Many firms fail because when they begin exporting they have not researched the target markets or developed an international marketing plan. To be successful, a firm must clearly define goals, objectives and potential problems. Secondly, it must develop a definitive plan to accomplish its objective, regardless of the problems involved. Unless the firm is fortunate enough to possess a staff with considerable expertise, it may not be able to take this crucial first step without qualified outside guidance. Often top management is not committed enough to overcome the initial difficulties and financial requirements of exporting. It can often take more time and effort to establish a firm in a foreign market than in the domestic one. Although the early delays and costs involved in exporting may seem difficult to justify when compared to established domestic trade, the exporter should take a more objective view of this process and carefully monitor international marketing efforts through these early difficulties. If a good foundation is laid for export business, the benefits derived should eventually outweigh the investment. Another problem area is in the selection of the foreign distributor. The complications involved in overseas communications and transportation require international distributors to act with greater independence than their domestic counterparts. Also, since a new exporter's trademarks and reputation are usually unknown in the foreign market, foreign customers may buy on the strength of the distributing agent's reputation. A firm should therefore conduct a thorough evaluation of the distributor's facilities, the personnel handling its account, and the management methods employed. Another common difficulty for the new exporter is the neglect of the export market once the domestic one booms: too many companies only concentrate on exporting when there is a recession. Others may refuse to modify products to meet the regulations or cultural preferences of other countries. Local safety regulations cannot be ignored by exporters. If necessary modifications are not made at the factory, the distributor must make them, usually at a greater cost and probably not as satisfactorily. It should also be noted that the resulting smaller profit margin makes the account less attractive. If exporters expect distributing agents to actively promote their accounts, they must be trained, and their performance continually monitored. This requires a company marketing executive to be located permanently in the distributor's geographical region. It is therefore advisable for new exporters to concentrate their efforts in a few geographical areas until there is sufficient business to support a company representative. The distributor should also be treated on an equal basis with domestic counterparts. For example, special discount offers, sales incentive programmes and special credit terms should be available. Considering a joint-venture or licensing agreement is another option for new exporters. However, many companies still dismiss international marketing as unviable. There are a number of reasons for this. There may be import restrictions in the target market, the company may lack sufficient financial resources, or its product line may be too limited. Yet, many products that can compete on a national basis can be successful in the majority of world markets. In general, all that is needed for success is flexibility in using the proper combinations of marketing techniques.

单选题Stages of Advertising Strategy As a business begins, one of the major goals of advertising must be to develop awareness of the business and its products. Once the business' reputation is established and its products are positioned within the market, the (19) of resources used for advertising will decrease as the consumer develops a kind of (20) to the product. Ideally, this established and ever-growing consumer base will eventually aid the company in its efforts to carry their advertising message out into the market, both through its purchasing actions and its testimonials on (21) of the product or service. Essential to this rather abstract process is the development of a positioning statement. A positioning statement explains how a company's product (or service) is (22) from those of key competitors. With this statement, the business owner (23) intellectual objectives into concrete plans. In addition, this statement acts as the (24) for the development of a selling proposal, which is (25) of the elements that will (26) up the advertising message's "copy platform". This platform delineates the image, copy, and art work that the business owner believes will sell the product. With these concrete objectives, the following elements of the advertising strategy need to be considered. (27) audience, product concept, communication media, and advertising message. These elements are at the core of an advertising strategy, and are often (28) to as the "creative mix." Again, what most advertisers (29) from the beginning is clear planning and flexibility. And (30) to these aims is creativity and the ability to adapt to new market trends. A (31) advertising strategy often leads to a loss of market share. Therefore, the core elements of the advertising strategy need to mix in a way that allows the message to envelope the target consumer, providing (32) opportunities for this consumer to become (33) with the advertising message.

单选题Their product more imaginatively this season. A. is being marketed B. is marketing C. is been marketed D. is marketed

单选题The expert refers to one area of application which ... a. cannot minimize the noise of aircraft engines and helicopter vibrations. b. would be able to reduce noise in the cabin of an aircraft to more acceptable levels. c. has resulted in new aircraft engines that are noisier than earlier ones.

单选题[此试题无题干]

单选题Gianni Agnelli, Chairman of Fiat, Italy's largest private industrial corporation, is known in Italy as the Lawyer, because he was trained in law at Turin University. That he has never practiced, his training may soon be useful. On April l7th Mr. Agnelli admitted to a group of Italian industrialists in Venice (19) Fiat had been (20) in some corruptions in Italy. On April 2lst, Fiat's lawyers and Cesare Romiti, its managing director, met Milan magistrates to (21) the firm's involvement in bribery to win business from state-owned companies. Fiat is not the (22) Italian company caught up in Italy's increasing Political corruption scandal. According to the latest figure, some 200 businessmen and politicians were sitting in prison (23) a result of judicial inquiries into kickbacks paid to politicians by firms. Hundreds more are still (24) influence of Fiat, (25) sales are equal to 40% of Italy's home product, the scandal at the company has (26) the industrial establishment. Though neither Mr. Agnelli (27) Mr. Romiti has been (28) of wrongdoing, several other senior Fiat managers have allegedly been involved in paying kickbacks to win state-owned contracts. (29) arrested include Francesco Mattiol, Fiat's finance director, and Antonio Moscon, the (30) head of its Toro insurance branch. (31) men have been (32) about their previous roles on the board of Cogefar-Impresit, Fiat's construction subsidiary. Last May, Enzo Papi admitted paying a 1.5 million-dollar bribe for a contract, (33) to Milan's underground.

单选题The economic incidence of a tax partly depends on______.

单选题·Read the article below about general managers and the questions.·For each question 13- 18, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. General Managers (GMs) are a part of middle management and play a key role in organisations. Depending on the size of the organisation a GM can be, for example, a senior manager responsible for a division or a subsidiary company or a less senior manager in charge of a department or section. They are a link or a less senior manager in charge of a department or section. They are a link between top management, who make policy decisions, and junior managers, who carry out these policies. Top management work through GMs and they can make the difference between good and bad policy and a motivated or demotivated workforce. The relationships GMs have with their bosses, subordinates and each other are very important for the success or failure of an organisation. GMs within the same organisation need to have good working relationships with each other in order to apply policies in the same way throughout the organisation. At the same time, GMs are also required to make broad policies into plans that suit their particular divisions or departments.In a company conflicts between the activities of various departments will inevitably arise, and it is the job of the GM to act as a link between the departments. Research has shown that the personality of a GM is very important in helping to resolve these departmental problems. The research has also shown that (as far as the personalities of GMs are concerned) GMs are ambitious people who have balanced temperaments and are good with people. In addition, good GMs combine these personality traits with a detailed knowledge of their business. They work hard to fit into and be accepted by the culture of their particular organisation. It has also been demonstrated that high performing GMs have three sets of skills.First, they need agenda-setting skills, so that they can identify and convince others of the most important objectives of a project. Second, GMs need to develop networking skills. Good GMs deliberately attempt to develop contacts-within and outside the organisation. Such a network of contacts means that the GM is aware of issues and can act on them quickly. To develop agenda-setting and networking skills, it is essential for a GM to be skilful in dealing with people. This is particularly important as they spend such a large amount of time working with employees at all levels of a company.In terms of work, tasks and attitude, the research has shown that managerial work is done in short bursts, with managers Working on many simultaneous projects, which can sometimes have conflicting aims. GMs discuss a wide range of subjects in an unconnected way and tend to ask questions rather than give orders. They require large amounts of information which they pass on to top management to help them to make decisions. In order to collect this information, they must learn to work in uncertain and changing environments. As a result, both the approach and style of a GM change to adapt to the setting in which they are operating. They must be flexible to succeed.