单选题· Read the article below about teams and management and the questions 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. {{B}} Creative teams and management{{/B}} When Colgate launched its then revolutionary Colgate Gum Protection toothpaste in 1990, company executives were confident they had a hit on their hands. The toothpaste incorporated a groundbreaking antibacterial technology they thought was the biggest innovation since fluoride. But in the mouths after the toothpaste's six-country rollout, the product's market share reached a meager 1% -- one fifth of the company's projections. What went wrong? A new round of market research found that the original launch strategy mural the "breakthrough" message, the ads positioned the new toothpaste as a line extension instead of a revolutionary advance, and the public just didn't buy the product's broad claims. Up to this point, Colgate's president, Bill Shanahan, had attended only quarterly review meetings, now he rolled up his sleeves to rescue the product, establishing a worldwide marketing team and meeting regularly with global business vice president Kathleen Thornhill and CEO Reuben Mark to follow the team's progress. Shanahan and others at the very top sifted through the research and took pat in the advertising development meetings, working elbow to elbow with the marketing team. Renamed Colgate Total, and promoted with a retooled ad campaign that stressed the toothpaste's 12-hour protection, the product was a hit in most of the 103 countries outside the United States. Shanahan continued to lavish personal attention on the product, putting Colgate Total under the direct supervision of Jack Haber, then worldwide director of consumer oral care products, and committing $35 million and a team of 200 employees to the project. With that kind of senior-level backing, Haber pulled out the stops, spending $20 million to promote Colgate Total to U.S. dentists alone. Within two months of its domestic launch in 1997, the product captured 10.5% of the U.S. toothpaste market and within six months muscled perennial champ, Procter & Gamble's Crest, out of first place. Colgate Total has remained number one ever since. What transforms a good product idea like Colgate Total into a blockbuster? We spent ten years studying more than 700 new product development teams and interviewed over 4130 project leaders, team members, senior executives, and CEOs intimately involved in product development and launch. Of the hundreds of teams we studied, just 7% of them -- 49 in all -- created products that scored a perfect ten on our measure of blockbuster success. To achieve that score, products had to reach or exceed company goals, customer expectations, profit and sales targets, garner company and industry awards, and attract national attention. Products don't become blockbusters without the intense, personal involvement of senior management usually a CEO or division head. In every case studied, top management played an intimate, active, often daily role. This approach has been out of favor for decades, creative teams, the thinking goes, should be empowered by management and then left alone. Too much attention stifles innovation. To that we say "Baloney." Our work shows that, in the best case, management involvement should stat on day one. Ideally, senior managers work closely with the product team to establish must-have features and then help clear a path for the team. Top managers control resources, and they have the authority to allow the team to break rules and cut through red tape. And, crucially, senior managers serve as cheerleaders and visionaries, broadcasting a message of organizational commitment that attracts buy-in at all levels of the company.

单选题The Financial Crisis: The World at War No one could have imagined that Japan, the second largest economy in the world, would contract at a rate of nearly 13% on an annualized basis or that Korea's economic output could drop 20%. In the U.S., the GDP is shrinking at a rate of 6% now, but there is nothing in the economic or employment news that keeps us from believing that America will avoid a double-digit drop in GDP. If the U.S. skids at that rate, the other large economies in the world, all of which depend on the American consumer to some great degree, will have the hulls of their exports breached below the water line. One of the reasons that the drop in economic activity has accelerated is that there is no mechanism in place to cope with a failure of this magnitude. The world in which The Great Depression played itself out predated the globalization of credit and economic interdependence. Even the worst of the large post-war recessions rarely lasted more than a year. Even at their most inventive, government policy systems are incapable of operating in an environment where the pace of negative change quickens by the week. The largest issue between now and whenever the cataclysm ends is whether the major economic powers develop more intimate relationships or are driven to isolation in order to defend their economies through protectionism. This development would reach an epic level if nations such as China began to hold capital in their country and slow their purchase of U.S. debt. That would begin a lethal exchange between the greatest exporting and importing nations of the world, with America blocking the inflow of Chinese goods and China flailing back by throttling its appetite for Treasuries. Without the ability to borrow money at reasonable rates any hope of continuing to stimulate the U.S. economy would flag and China's manufacturing machine would lose its largest market. The most valuable treasure that will be lost is the fundamental economic transition from one generation to the next. In developed nations, the old will no longer have the means to retire, the middle-aged will face joblessness and an obliteration of the standard of living to which they believed they were entitled since they were very young, and the young may have to fight for a small number of jobs most of which pay little more than a fraction of what their parents made in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In the underdeveloped world the misery's fallout will be incomprehensible. Whatever social services and generosity that has come from the more wealthy nations will dry up along with the financial capacity that has created a history for large scale compassion. A hoarding of natural resources, especially those that are agriculturally based, will cause the cost of humanitarian aid to become unaffordable, especially when there is so little capital for charity efforts because of ruined economies. In places like East Africa, where millions of people look into the face of starvation every year, the misery could be apocalyptic. It is almost a betrayal to paint such a dark picture of the failure of the American financial system which has carried the nation through sixty years of prosperity. That system is now fractured mid-axle. It may take a lifetime or more for historians to sort out its causes, and the federal government feels the need to sift through that sand in the name of justice. When blame can be defined it will be too late to bring back the world we knew.

单选题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 is the rumor of "Black card"?

单选题· Read the following article about partnership and the questions below the passage.· For each question (13—18), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) mi your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. {{B}}Understanding Partnership{{/B}} The Uniform Partnership Act defines a partnership as "an association of two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for a profit." The partnership came into being us an evolutionary outgrowth of the proprietorship by correcting stone of tile disadvantages of that ownership form. The formation of a partnership is relatively simple, but because it involves two or more people, it must be based upon an understanding between the partners. In other words, a contract is required. Although the contract can be oral. it is wiser to have so important a document drawn up by an attorney. A contract of this sort is called the Articles of Co-partnership. Partnership has ninny advantages. Firstly, it is relatively simple to organize and dissolve. Although not as simple to organize as a sole proprietorship because Articles of Co-partnership are required, partnerships are simpler and less expensive to form than corporations. Second[y, it is subject to less government control. As is the case with sole proprietorships, partnerships are not controlled by the same federal and state laws as are corporations. Thirdly, it can keep larger tax savings. Unlike corporations, partnerships are not legal entities. Partnerships, therefore, do not have special taxes levied on them. Finally, it may provide a high personal incentive. Because the partnership business is carried on by working owners, this form of business ownership retains the high incentive of the sole proprietorship. The partners are working for themselves, and consequently are rewarded for extra effort. Although many of the advantages of a sole proprietorship are carried over into partnership, many of its disadvantages are as well. Like the sole proprietorship, partnerships have the disadvantages of unlimited liability. This means that in the case of bankruptcy of the business, both partners' personal assets must be used to settle partnership debts. When one partner's investment plus his personal assets are insufficient to meet his share of the creditor's claims, these debts must be settled by the remaining partner or partners. Furthermore, it is difficult to raise money for partnership and the disagreements among partners may easily result in the failure of the partnership. The form of partnership previously discussed is that of a general partnership. There are other forms of partnership available to businessmen which have specific advantages or overcome specific disadvantages of the general partnership. A limited partnership is one in which the liability of one or more of the partners is limited to the amount invested by him. A limited partnership must have at least one general partner whose liabilities are unlimited. Limited partnerships take advantage of the tax savings available to partnerships while maintaining some of the capital-raising resources available to corporations. However. they are legally complicated and expensive to set up; further, any activity by a limited partner may result in the loss of his limited status (and his limited liability); and they are not permitted to do business in all states. A joint venture is a partnership that has been set up for one specific undertaking. Upon completion of the undertaking, the joint venture is dissolved. Unlike a general partnership, the joint venture is not a continuing business. However, this need not be the case. The prime characteristic is its limitation to one specific venture.

单选题·Read the article below about the job of store assistants. ·choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D. ·For each question (19-33), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) 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{{U}} (19) {{/U}} taking the customer's payment, and {{U}}(20) {{/U}} the purchases.However, in some shops, the more traditional selling skills are still important.In larger stores, it is normal for a range of{{U}} (21) {{/U}} to be rotated among staff, giving greater work variety. Every customer has different{{U}} (22) {{/U}} and different reasons for coming into the store.Some know{{U}} (23) {{/U}} what they want, ask for it and buy it.Many, however,are not sure, and if they are not{{U}} (24) {{/U}} correctly they may go somewhere else to buy.The store assistant must{{U}} (25) {{/U}} when and how to offer help, and gain the customer's confidence with the{{U}} (26) {{/U}} amount of questioning about what they are looking for.They can then give information and advice about the products which might {{U}}(27) {{/U}} the customer's requirements.This demands both communication skills and knowledge of the product.Finally, they have to persuade the customer to make the {{U}}(28) {{/U}} to buy, and " close the deal " If the customer is just{{U}} (29) {{/U}} the store assistant needs to offer efficient and friendly service, hoping that the customer will return when he or she is ready to buy.It is worth remembering that many stores depend on their{{U}} (30) {{/U}} customers for a large part of their{{U}} (31) {{/U}} . The actual tasks of a store assistant vary with the type of goods sold.In a men's outfitters these could include{{U}} (32) {{/U}} a customer for a suit.In an electronics store,it is vital to be able to{{U}} (33) {{/U}} how a computer or hi-fi unit works and to ensure that the customer has any accessories they might need.

单选题·Read the article below about the difficulties of managing a small business, and the questions 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. {{B}}THE DIFFICULTIES OF MANAGING A SMALL BUSINESS{{/B}}"The organizational weaknesses that entrepreneurs have to deal with every day would cause the managers of a mature company to panic." Andrew Bidden wrote recently in Boston Business Review. This seems to suggest that the leaders of entrepreneurial or small businesses must be unlike other managers, or the problems faced by such leaders must be the subject of a specialized body of wisdom, or possibly both. Unfortunately, neither is true. Not much worth reading about managing the entrepreneurial or small businesses has been written, and the leaders of such businesses are made of flesh and blood, like the rest of us.Furthermore, little has been done to address the aspects of entrepreneurial or small businesses that are so difficult to deal with and so different from the challenges faced by management in big businesses. In part this is because those involved in gathering expertise about businesses and in selling advice to businesses have historically been more interested in the needs of big business. In part, in the UK at least, it is also because small businesses have always preferred to adapt to changing circumstances.The organizational problems of entrepreneurial or small businesses are thus forced upon the individuals who lead them. Even more so than for bigger businesses, the old saying is true--that people, particularly those who make the important decisions, are business' most important asset. The research that does exist shows that neither money nor the ability to access more of it is the major factor determining growth. The main reason an entrepreneurial business stops growing is the lack of management and leadership resource available to the business when it matters. Give an entrepreneur an experienced, skilled team and he or she will find the funds every time. Getting the team, though, is the difficult bit. Part of the problem for entrepreneurs is the speed of change that affects their businesses. They have to cope with continuous change yet have always been suspicious about the latest management solution. They regard the many offerings from business schools as out of date even before they leave the planning board and have little faith in the recommendations of consultants when they arrive in the hands of young, inexperienced graduates. But such impatience with management solutions does not mean that problems can be left to solve themselves. However, the leaders of growing businesses are still left with the problem of who to turn to for advice.The answer is horribly simple: leaders of small businesses can ask each other. The collective knowledge of a group of leaders can prove to be enormously helpful in solving the specific problems of individuals. One leader's problems have certainly been solved already by someone else. There is an organization called KITE which enables those responsible for small businesses to meet. Its members, all of whom are chief executives, go through a demanding selection process, and then join a small group of other chief executives. They come from a range of business sectors and each offers a different corporate history. Each group is led by a moderator, an independently selected businessman or businesswoman who has been specially trained to head the group. Each member takes it in turn to host a meeting at his or her business premises and, most important of all, group discussions are kept strictly confidential. This encourages a free sharing of problems and increases the possibility of solutions being discovered.

单选题 DEBUNKING NEGOTIATION MYTHS Before developing a mom effective negotiation strategy, we need to dispel several faulty assumptions and myths about negotiation. These myths hamper people's ability to learn effective negotiation skills and, in some cases, reinforce poor negotiation skills. A pervasive belief is that good negotiation skills are something that people are born with, not something that can be readily learned. This is false because most excellent negotiators are self-made. In fact, there are very few naturally gifted negotiators. We tend to hear their stories, but we must remember that their stories are selective, meaning that it is always possible for someone to have a lucky day or a fortunate experience. This myth is often perpetuated by the tendency of people to judge negotiation skills by theft car-dealership experiences. Whereas purchasing a car is certainly an important and common type of negotiation, it is not the best context by which to judge your negotiation skills. The most important negotiations are those that we engage in every day with our colleagues, supervisors, co-workers and business associates. These relationships provide a much better index of one's effectiveness in negotiation. In short, effective negotiation requires practice and feedback. The problem is that most of ns do not get an opportunity to develop effective negotiation skills in a disciplined fashion, rather, most of us learn by doing. As the second myth reveals, experience is helpful, but not sufficient. We have all met that person at the cocktail party or on the airplane who boasts about his or her great negotiation feats and how be or she learned on the job. It is only partly true that experience can improve negotiation skills; in fact, naive experience is largely ineffective in improving negotiation skills. There are three strikes against natural experience as an effective teacher. First, if a person does not know how well he or she has performed in the negotiation, it is nearly impossible to improve performance. For example, can you imagine trying to learn mathematics without ever doing homework or taking tests? The second, problem is that our memories tend to be selective, meaning that people tend to remember their successes and forget their failures or shortcomings. This is, of course, comforting to our ego, but it does not improve our ability to negotiate. Finally experience improves our confidence, but not necessarily our accuracy. People with more experience grow more and mom confident, but the accuracy of their judgment and the effectiveness of their behavior do not increase in a commensurate fashion. Overconfidence can be dangerous because it may lead people to take unwise risks. The third pervasive myth is that effective negotiation necessitates taking risks and gambles. In negotiation, this may mean saying things like "This is my final offer" or "Take it or leave it" or using threats and bluffs. This is what we call a "tough" style of negotiation, though negotiators are rarely effective; however, we tend to be impressed by the tough negotiator. An interesting exercise is to ask managers and anyone else who negotiates and to describe their approach to negotiating. Many seasoned negotiators believe that thee negotiation style involves a lot of "gut feeling," intuition, and "in-the-moment" responses. We believe that this type of intuition does not serve people well. Effective negotiator involves deliberate thought and preparation and is quite systematic.

单选题The CIO and Technology Leaders' Forum We live in a world of increasing technological complexity,but just what does that mean for CIOs and other IT leaders in the enterprise today? The (19) generation of employees in IT and other enterprise functions - is working in completely different ways from preceding ones-online (20) and social networking are second nature to them, as is their use of technology (21) both their work and social lives. The impact of this technology-savvy generation on how companies operate promises to be profound,but (22) what changes will come is (23) difficult Security and risk will (24) an ever-present concern for executives in this increasingly (25) environment, but the challenge will (26) in understanding how to reduce the risks without affecting the opportunities that this environment will invariably (27) .This Forum will (28) you with the tools to: ·Put in (29) the building blocks for your company's technology's future, people, solutions, strategy ·Deliver new revenue streams through technology · (30) technology to re-engineer and radically improve innovation in your organisation. To discuss these key strategic (31) , Economist Conferences is introducing its 'CIO and Technology Leaders' Forum' (32) on the number of its previous " CIO Agenda" meetings, this high-level (33) will be limited to 30-40 CIOs and IT directors of multinational companies and influential thinkers in the IT and technology space.

单选题· Read the article below about a critical concern in merger and acquisition strategies.· Choose the best word or phrase to fill each gap from A, B, C, or D on the opposite page.· For each question 19--33, mark one letter (A, B, C, or D) on your Answer Sheet. {{B}} A Critical Concern in Merger and Acquisition Strategies{{/B}} Mergers and acquisitions as growth strategies are once again in vogue. This business drama seems to be {{U}}(19) {{/U}}by recent highly visible mergers between rich and famous players. Even speculation around a low ball offered by Comcast to acquire Disney seems to excite global {{U}}(20) {{/U}} in corporate marriages. However, like all such {{U}}(21) {{/U}}, long-term success is rarely accomplished by a mere combination of cool stuff and know-how. In the midst of all the hype, a well documented fact is that most merger and acquisition activity rarely {{U}}(22) {{/U}} the highly anticipated cooperation between companies. Throughout a merger or acquisition, people in an acquired company often {{U}}(23) {{/U}} that they don't know what is happening, express fear about {{U}}(24) {{/U}} their jobs, and feel demoralized as to the future of their contributions. Failed mergers that otherwise have a {{U}}(25) {{/U}} strategic and financial fit are typically the {{U}}(26) {{/U}} of the irretrievable loss of intangible, messy-to-measure, and difficult-to-implement human {{U}}(27) {{/U}} on which the company's tangible assets ultimately {{U}}(28) {{/U}}. Traditional integration practices have been {{U}}(29) {{/U}} around consolidating key resources, financial and physical assets, {{U}}(30) {{/U}} names, and tradable endowments. The most forward-thinking integration strategies also capture key pieces of elusive core competencies, such as a/an {{U}}(31) {{/U}}'s best practices, skills, knowledge bases, and routines. {{U}}(32) {{/U}} excluded are critical root strategic assets, which can make or break a union that is otherwise "made in heaven". These root strategic assets {{U}}(33) {{/U}}collaborative leadership, cultural cohesion and talent retention.

单选题Tomaintainafavorablebalanceoftrade,Britainmustexport

单选题Latin American stocks fell for a second day on Friday in reaction to Asia's currency and stock market crash. There were fears that the Asian crisis could influence investors in other emerging markets. Argentina and Mexico (19) the highest falls, with their indexes down by 4% by the (20) of trading on Friday. Brazil's Bovespa index, which on the same day (21) by far the steepest plunge in the Americas, was down 2.9 %. "What's happening in Hong Kong has been a terrible (22) to the system," said Richard Watt, who (23) 3.5 billion dollars in emerging market investments for BEA Associates in New York. Investors in Brazil were concerned that its economic problems were dangerously (24) to those that have caused the currency and market plunges in Thailand, Malaysia and other Asian (25) . "Brazil's economy is far from (26) ," said lan Campbell, chief economist at ABN Amro Bank NV Amsterdam. "Its current account and fiscal (27) are large and its currency is overvalued." "There's no (28) in trying to catch a falling knife," said Jane Heap, Latin American stock strategist at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell. "There's no room for (29) in Brazil until the US and Asia get back to normal." There were also concerns that foreign investors who specialize in emerging markets could be (30) to sell their shares in Latin America to (31) their Asian losses. "There's a lot of nervousness about whether investors will (32) their money out of stocks, because of instability in Asia." Said German Guerrero, chief trader at the Chilean brokerage Celfin SA. Chilean markets were down only (33) in afternoon trading. The Chile selective stock index fell 0.72 % and the Chile general stock index was down 0.64 %.

单选题 ·Read the article below about customer loyalty on the opposite page. ·For each question 13-18, mark one letter(A, B, C or D)for the answeryou choose. The MiSmanagement of Customer Loyalty The best customers, we're told, are loyal ones. They cost less to serve, they're usually willing to pay more than other customers. and they often act as word-of-mouth marketers for your company. Win loyalty, therefore, and profits will follow as night follows day. Certainly that's what CRM software vendors—and the armies of consultants who help install their systems—are claiming. And it seems that many business executives agree. Corporate expenditures on loyalty initiatives are booming：The top 16 retailers in Europe, for example, collectively spent more than $1 billion last year。Indeed, for the last ten years, the gospel of customer loyalty has been repeated so often and so loudly that it seems almost crazy to challenge it. But that is precisely what some of the loyalty movement's early believers are starting to do. Take the case of one high-tech corporate service provider. This company set up an elaborate costing scheme to track the performance of its newly instituted loyalty programs. The scheme measured not only direct product costs for each customer but also all associated advertising, service, sales force, and organizational expenses. After running the scheme for five years, the company was able to determine the profitability of each of its accounts over time. Executives were curious to see just what payoff they were getting from their $2 million annual investment in customer loyalty. The answer took them by surprise. About half of those customers who made regular purchases for at least two years—and were therefore designated as ‘loyal’—barely generated a profit. Conversely, about half of the most profitable customers were blow-ins, buying a great deal of high-margin products in a short time before completely disappearing. The research findings echo that company's experience. Some experts have been studying the dynamics of customer loyalty and have found that the relationship between loyalty and profitability is much weaker—and subtler—than the proponents of loyalty programs claim. Specifically, they discovered little or no evidence to suggest that customers who purchase steadily from a company over time are necessarily cheaper to serve, less price sensitive, or particularly effective at bringing in new business. Indeed, in light of their findings, many companies will need to reevaluate the way they manage customer loyalty programs. Instead of focusing on loyalty alone, companies will have to find ways to measure the relationship between loyalty and profitability so that they car better identify which customers to focus on and which to ignore. The experts have found. a new methodology that will enable managers to determine far more precisely than most existing approaches do just when to let go of a given customer and so dramatically improve the returns on their investments in loyalty.

单选题WhichofthefollowingisaresultoftheAsiancrisis?

单选题The Hardships of Operating A Small Business'The organisational weaknesses that entrepreneurs have to cope with every day would cause the managers of a mature company to panic,' Bill Wilson wrote recently in Times. This seems to suggest that the leaders of entrepreneurial or small businesses must be unlike other managers, or the problems faced by such leaders must be the subject of a specialised body of wisdom, or possibly both, Unfortunately, neither is true. Not much worth reading about managing the entrepreneurial or small business has been written, and the leaders of such businesses are made of flesh and blood, like the rest of us.Furthermore, little has been done to address the aspects of entrepreneurial or small businesses that are so difficult to deal with and so different from the challenges faced by management in big business. In part this is because those involved in gathering expertise about business and in selling advice to businesses have historically been more interested in the needs of big business. In part, in the UK at least, it is also because small businesses have always preferred to adapt to changing circumstances.The organisational problems of entrepreneurial or small businesses are thus forced upon the individuals who lead them. Even more so than for bigger businesses, the old saying is true—that people, particularly those who make the important decisions, are a business's most important asset. The research that does exist shows that neither money nor the ability to access more of it is the major factor determining growth. The main reason an entrepreneurial business stops growing is the lack of management and leadership resource available to the business when it matters. Give an entrepreneur an experienced, skilled team and he or she will find the funds every time. Getting the team, though, is the difficult bit.Part of the problem for entrepreneurs is the speed of change that affects their businesses. They have to cope with continuous change yet have always been suspicious about the latest 'management solution'. They regard the many offerings from business schools as out of date even before they leave the planning board and have little faith in the recommendations of consultants when they arrive in the hands of young, inexperienced graduates. But such impatience with 'management solutions' does not mean that problems can be left to solve themselves. However, the leaders of growing businesses are still left with the problem of who to turn to for advice.The answer is horribly simple: leaders of small businesses can ask each other. The collective knowledge of a group of leaders can prove enormously helpful in solving the specific problems of individuals. One leader's problems have certainly been solved already by someone else. These is an organisation called ZERO which enables those responsible for small businesses to meet. Its members, all of whom are chief executives, go through a demanding selection process, and then join a small group of other chief executives. They come from a range of business sectors and each offers a different corporate history. Each group is led by a 'moderator', an independently selected businessman or woman who has been specially trained to head the group. Each member takes it in turn to host a meeting at his or her business premises and, most important of all, group discussions are kept strictly confidential. This spurs a free sharing of problems and increases the possibility of solutions being unveiled.

单选题· Read the passage about the job of store assistants.· Choose the correct word A, B, C or D from below the passage to fill each gap.· For each question (19-33) , mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. 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{{U}} (19) {{/U}}, taking the customer's payment, and{{U}} (20) {{/U}}the purchases. However, in some shops, the more traditional selling skills are still important. In larger stores, it is normal for a range of{{U}} (21) {{/U}}to be rotated among staff, giving greater work variety. Every customer has different{{U}} (22) {{/U}}. and different reasons for coming into the store. Some know{{U}} (23) {{/U}}what they want, ask for it and buy it. Many, however, are not sure, and if they are not{{U}} (24) {{/U}}correctly they may go somewhere else to boy. The store assistant must{{U}} (25) {{/U}}when and how to offer help, and gain the customer's confidence with the{{U}} (26) {{/U}}amount of questioning about what they are looking for. They can then give information and advice about the products which might{{U}} (27) {{/U}}the customer's requirements. This demands both communication skills and knowledge of the product. Finally, they have to persuade the customer to make the{{U}} (28) {{/U}}to buy, and 'close the deal'. If the customer is just{{U}} (29) {{/U}}, 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{{U}} (30) {{/U}}customers for a large part of their{{U}} (31) {{/U}} The actual tasks of a store assistant vary with the type of goods sold. In a men's outfitters these could include{{U}} (32) {{/U}}a customer for a suit. In an electronics store, it is vital to be able to{{U}} (33) {{/U}}how a computer or hi-fi unit works and to ensure that the customer bas any accessories they might need.