填空题A group of underwriters who share the risks of insurance.

填空题Put the words into the correct order to make questions. how / far / is / you / know / do / the station Do you know how far the station is?

填空题Task One-Industry that each speaker works in For questions 13-17 , match the extracts with industry each speaker works in, listed A-H . For each extract, decide on the industry each speaker works in. Write one letter(A-H)next to the number of the extract. A The speaker works in a wine company. B The speaker works in a school. C The speaker works in an airline company. D The speaker works in an online electrical appliances company. E The speaker works in a software company. F The speaker works in a bank. G The speaker works in a consulting company. H The speaker works in a sales company.

填空题Transformation of Strategies of Thomson Corporation How does a business-to-business company find out exactly what end users do with its products? That was the question we wrestled with at the Thomson Corporation, because the people who buy from us are not the same people who actually use our products in their daily work. But as older generations die out and younger ones come online, and as generations in the middle try e-books and realise their advantages, the demise of paper books will continue to accelerate. For Thomson, the answer has been to combine multiple methods of deep customer inquiry, from market surveys to observing users directly in their workplace. Those efforts have been part of a front-end customer strategy that has become the cornerstone of the company"s transformation. This strategy has included asking lawyers, accountants, financial analysts, investment managers, scientific researchers, and other professionals who use our products and services what they do on a minute-by-minute basis. 1 By doing so, we"ve learned how to help end users with their work in ways that might otherwise never have occurred to us. Such scrutiny of the end user wouldn"t be unusual if we were a consumer products company. 2 But like most other B2B companies, Thomson historically had a much better understanding of its buyers than of its end users. 3 The transformation of Thomson began a little over a decade ago. 4 We published more than 200 newspapers, along with textbooks, law books, and professional journals, and operated the largest leisure travel business in the United Kingdom. Thomson was a prosperous leader in its markets, but we were concerned about the long-term viability of our business portfolio. First, our markets were not equal in terms of growth potential. Leisure travel, for example, was becoming increasingly competitive and turning into a commodity. To realise Thomson"s full potential, we needed to become less diversified and more focused on the business model with the best prospects for the future. Second, as we looked around the corner we could see the beginnings of a radical change in market dynamics. 5 The worth of our considerable paper assets was in jeopardy. The transformation began with the divestiture of businesses that didn"t fit our strategic focus on information publishing services and with the acquisition of professional information publishing assets that did, along with investments in the technology needed to build and deliver products and services online. 6 These advances were driven by the changing needs of our end users and, by extension, our buyers. A The real breakthroughs, however, came a few years into the transformation process. In 2001, when we realised we needed to focus more closely on customers than ever before. B At the time, Thomson was a nearly 70-year-old holding company with $8.7 billion in revenue. C But as older generations die out and younger ones come online, and as generations in the middle try e-books and realise their advantages, the demise of paper books will continue to accelerate. D P&G is known for following consumers around stores and observing them in their kitchens. E We knew a fair amount about, say, financial services information managers, who were responsible for making purchasing decisions for an entire department, but little about the individual brokers or investment bankers who used our data, research, and other resources daily to make investment decisions for their clients. F In particular, it appeared that the rise of the internet would change the newspaper and publishing markets forever. G The internet has indeed become an integral part of consumers" commercial activities. H Then we"ve systematically sought to deliver solutions that meet their needs during each of those hours.

填空题·You will hear five different people talking about something others might be interested in.·For each extract there are two tasks. For Task One, decide who the listener is from the list A-H. For Task Two, choose the purpose of the talk from the list A-H.·You will hear the recording twice. {{B}}TASK ONE--THE LISTENER OF THE TALK{{/B}}·For questions 13-17, match the extracts with the people, listed A-H.·For each extract, decide who the listener is.·Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the extract.A a computer teacherB a globe travellerC a visitorD a job applicantE a group of touristsF a personnel officerG a clientH a band leader

填空题 Shoppers wary of 'premium' goods One of the marketing industry's favourite terms is 'premium' - usually taken to mean 'luxury' or 'top quality'. The ideal is to create a premium car, wristwatch or perfume - something that appears to transcend the ordinary. When they succeed, marketers are able to charge high prices for the resulting product. However, manufacturers should take note of a recent survey of shoppers' attitudes to so-called premium goods. (9) In fact, the tag seems to have become devalued by overuse. Consumers of all socio-economic backgrounds are very keen to buy the best - but not all product categories lend themselves to a premium status. 'Premium' can be used in any category where image is paramount, and that includes cars, toiletries, clothes and electronics. (10) Banking and insurance are typical of this second group. More than 70 per cent of consumers interviewed in the survey said that a premium tag on everyday items such as coffee or soap is an excuse to charge extra for products that don't always have extra benefits. (11) The prevalence of such a suspicious attitude makes life hard for the marketers. While the word 'luxury' had a clear and definable meaning among respondents - most related it to cars - 'premium' was found to be harder to define. Oddly, the only category apart from cars where 'premium' was understood to mean something specific was bread. (12) Several respondents said they would never pay much for a standard sliced loaf but on special occasions would happily pay double for something that qualifies as a treat. Packaging was found to be an important factor in charging extra for premium products, with sophisticated design enabling toiletries, electronics or food items to sell for far more. Shoppers are willing to pay extra for something that has had thought put into its outward appearance. (13) Yet the knowledge has no impact on their choice. The profit margin on premium-priced toiletries and beauty items can be as much as 300--400 per cent - and in excess of 500 per cent for hi-fi and other electronic goods. (14) In a crowded marketplace such as cars or mobiles, it's far more difficult to achieve this transformation than you might think. A The term is less effective, however, in areas where style and fashion play a smaller role.B The product hidden behind this attractive exterior may be exactly the same as an item selling for half the price, and shoppers may be quite aware of this.C The results suggest that the term 'premium' means very little to consumers.D A fifth of them went further, and dismissed the very word as simply a way of loading prices.E It follows that price and utility are not the only factors in play when it comes to purchasing decisions.F With such an incentive, the challenge for marketers is to find the triggers that can turn an ordinary product into something consumers will accept as premium.G The survey found that consumers were prepared to pay top prices for speciality items, just as long as prices for everyday products remained low.H When they succeed, marketers are able to charge high prices for the resulting product.

填空题with problems, and put off notes and cheques into bags for periodic collection.

填空题{{B}}PART ONE{{/B}}{{B}} · Look at the sentences below and following texts. · Which text does each sentence refer to? · For each sentence 1--8, mark one letter A, B, C, D or E. · You will need to use some of the letters more than once.{{/B}} {{B}}A. Cablevision Extends $ 90 Triple-Service Promotion{{/B}}Persuaded by popular demand, Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) is extending a promotional offer that combines cable TV, Internet and phone service for $ 90 a month. First launched in mid-June, the offer was originally slated to end July 31 but was pushed out to mid-August. Now it seems the company wants hold on to the offer still longer. The Bethpage, N. Y., company hasn't specified when the promotion will end. During a quarterly conference call last week, Chief Operating Officer Tom Rutledge said simply that the company was continuing to advertise the offer based on its early success. Rutledge also said promotional offers "will continue to play a key role in both building new customer relationships and expanding existing ones."{{B}}B. McDonald' s CEO has new surgery{{/B}}The chief executive of McDonald's Corp. is recuperating after another surgery, the world's largest fast-food company said Saturday. Charlie Bell underwent a procedure Friday to correct a blockage caused by scar tissue build-up from colorectal surgery he had in May, the company said. "I am delighted to report that The procedure was a complete success and that Charlie is resting comfortably," said Andrew McKenna, chairman of Chicago area-based McDonald's. "During Charlie's brief recuperation period... there is absolutely no change in the leadership of the company," McKenna said in a statement. Bell, previously chief operating officer of the global fast-food giant, became CEO after the unexpected death in April of former CEO Jim Cantalupo at a meeting in Florida.{{B}}C. Google governance flawed{{/B}}Google Inc. ranks lower in corporate governance than any company in the Standard Poor's 500 stock index, according to influential proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services, said a newspaper report published Monday. ISS, which advises shareholders on how to vote, found 21 weaknesses in the governance practices of Mountain View, Calif.- based Google, which is expected to join the S＆P 500, said the Financial Times. These flaws, it said, include a dual-class capital structure that gives effective control to insiders, too few outside directors and a lack of stock ownership guidelines for executives and independent directors. The adviser also found problematic of the company's compensation plan that lets Google reprice stock options if the stock price falls, as well as loans to company insiders.{{B}}D. US Airways talks with pilots collapse{{/B}}Negotiations between US Airways and its pilots union over a new round of steep concessions collapsed on Monday, heightening pressure on the carrier as it tries to avert insolvency. Jack Stephan, a spokesman for the company's chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association, said more than a week of discussions between the two sides at the airline's Arlington, Va. , headquarters yielded little progress. "Since the beginning of these talks, we have witnessed a disturbing trend by the company to seemingly dismiss several significant proposals from our pilot negotiators," Stephan said. "Instead, management has responded by 'piling on' additional demands to their counterproposals."{{B}}E. Mylan wins OK for generic Zoloft{{/B}}Shares of Mylan Laboratories Inc. rose Monday after U. S. regulators gave tentative marketing approval to the company's generic forms of popular depression and allergy drugs sold by Pfizer Inc. Mylan said the Food and Drug Administration had granted tentative approval to its forms of Pfizer's Zoloft, or sertraline, anti-depressant, and Zyrtec, or cetirizine, allergy pill. But Mylan will not be allowed to sell the copycats for several years until Pfizer's patents on the medicines expire. Zoloft and Zyrtec are among Pfizer's biggest products, with global 2003 sales of $ 3.12 billion for Zoloft, and $1.34 billion, for Zyrtec.

填空题A Extract 1You are not providing product or service to yourself, so even if you are convinced that you have your finger on the pulse of the buying public, you must remain objective in your view of how others see you. How do you do this? Simply ask your customers and prospects! Most of them will be happy to tell you how they feel about dealing with your business. However, if you can't find the time or wherewithal to ask customers directly, then enlist the assistance of a third patty to collect this information for you. But once you have this information, turn it into knowledge by using it to improve your customer interactions!B Extract 2If there are any difficult but necessary policies or procedures that your customers must navigate through in order to do business with you, don't sugarcoat it by pretending that it's simple or nonexistent. Instead, take some time to come up with a well thought-out explanation of the issue, and provide clear, detailed, and easy to find directions for addressing the issue. Usability testing for any automated system is a must!C Extract 3Not to be condescending, but many times we axe so familiar with our product or service that we unconsciously feel that everyone has the same understanding we do. Assume that explanations and definitions are necessary, and then provide customers the option of passing them by when they are not needed. Web sites am great for this, as terms and phrases can be presented in hypertext, where a user can click on the text and a definition or example can pop up in a new window. Don't make your customers have to seek out understanding of your product or service. Many of them will not pother with the effort, and simply move on to a competitor who provides a clearer presentation of what they do, and the benefits therein.D Extract 4You and your competition are going after the same market. Obviously, some of that market is choosing a competitor instead of you. Why is that? What is it that the competitor is doing to present itself, its business, and its benefits, which appeals to certain segments of the market? Identify, understand, and utilize these things to your advantage. If there are aspects of your competitors’ business that can improve your offerings, then borrow them and make them your own. If you can do them better, by all means, do them and let customers and prospects know. You are never the only game in town; your market knows that, and you need to know it, too.E Extract 5Be specific when you promise something, and by all means, deliver on that promise. If something prohibits you from delivering on that promise, you need to notify the customer as soon as possible, be upfront about why you cannot deliver, and inquire as to what you can do to make amends. Your business's credibility is at stake, so do not take this lightly. Otherwise, the expectations that you've set for your customers will be one of disappointments, which is a surefire way to kill your business.

填空题A．break even B．the place or shop where a product is sold C．smear D．assembly line E．corporate culture F．stressful G．high flyer/high flier H．typical ways of behaving I．the difference between the cost of producing something and the price at which you sell it J．upmarket

填空题Compared with support requests, Web host operations worried less about sales and marketing.

填空题Predicting what word(s) will go into each space is a key skill in Part One of the Listening Test. Study the sentences in the seminar notes below and predict what kind of word(s) will go into each gap. The missing word(s) or phrase(s) might be a date, a name, an adjective, an adverb, a verb phrase etc. IMPACTO SEMINAR Introduction 1. Impacto was founded in ______. 2. It specialises in improving business people's ______. 3. Most business people communicate ______. 4. This is a one-day taster course, but you can follow courses for up to ______. Good communication 5. Good communication is about feeling ______. 6. If you can show this quality, other people will ______. 7. What we aim to do is bring out your ______. 8. It's also very important to understand the dynamics of ______. The main topics 9. Today we are going to look at dealing with difficult ______. 10. Everyone finds themselves in situations which are ______. 11. We will use video case studies, demonstrations and ______. 12. As you leave you can help yourself to a ______.

填空题Stock Trading Participants in the stock market range from small individual stock investors to large hedge fund traders, who can be based anywhere. Their orders usually end up with a professional at a stock exchange, who executes the order of buying or selling. (9) thus providing a marketplace (virtual or real). The exchanges provide real-time trading information on the listed securities, facilitating price discovery. Some exchanges are physical locations where transactions are carried out on a trading floor, by a method known as open outcry. This type of auction is used in stock exchanges and commodity exchanges where traders may enter "verbal" bids and offers simultaneously. (10) composed of a network of computers where trades are made electronically via traders. Actual trades are based on an auction market model where a potential buyer bids a specific price for a stock and a potential seller asks a specific price for the stock. (11) ... When the bid and ask prices match, a sale takes place, on a first-come-first-served basis if there are multiple bidders or askers at a given price. The New York Stock Exchange is one of the physical exchanges, also referred to as a listed exchange- (12) ... Orders enter by way of exchange members and flow down to a floor broker, who goes to the floor trading post specialist for that stock to trade the order. (13) ... If a spread exists, no trade immediately takes place—in this case the specialist should use his/her own re sources (money or stock) to close the difference after his/her judged time. Once a trade has been made the details are reported on the "tape" and sent back to the brokerage firm, which then notifies the investor who placed the order. (14) computers play an important role, especially for so-called "program trading". A. The other type of stock exchange is a virtual kind B. The purpose of a stock exchange is to facilitate the exchange of securities between buyers and sellers C. Although there is a significant amount of human contact in this process D. stocks listed on one exchange can also be traded on other participating exchanges E. The specialist's job is to match buy and sell orders using open outcry F. Buying stock on margin means buying stock with money borrowed against the stocks in the same account. G. Buying or selling at market means you will accept any ask price or bid price for the stock, respectively H. only stocks listed with the exchange may be traded

填空题numbered. Roughly equal in size, the two have long been competing for the

填空题The shipment arrived late because the dockers went on strike. If the dockers ______.