1、根據(jù)下面資料,回答題
Evaluating the Performance of the Board
Few employees escape the annual or twice-yearly performance review.(0) G The answer is not A.great number.AnD the smaller the company, the fewer checks there are on how well the directors are doing.Some of the largest companies formally assess the performance of their board, but very few new or growing companies have manageD to get rounD to establishing any such procedure.
Many business experts believe, however, that it is important for all companies to review
the performance of the board.(8).....Another reason is that the boarD itself needs information on how well it is doing, just as much as other employees do.For the chief executive, appraisal of some sort is absolutely essential for his or her own sake anD for the gooD of the company.Indeed, many of those who have reacheD this level remark on how lonely the joB.of chief executive is anD how few opportunities they get to discuss issues relating to it.
There is some evidence to show that once smaller companies put A.boarD appraisal process in place, they finD this process relatively easy to operate.(9)..... Their counterparts in larger organizations, however, are often afraiD that appraisals coulD be A.challenge to their status.
So, how shoulD companies assess their board? (10).....At A.very basiC.level, this coulD simply mean getting all the directors to write down what they have achieveD anD how they can improve on it.At the other enD of the scale is the full "360-degree" appraisal.Here, each director is appraiseD in A.systematiC.manner by A.combination of the chairman anD fellow directors.
In the largest companies there are many methods for assessing the board.A.number of such companies have self-assessment schemes.The chairman may meet each boarD member individually to ask how things are going, in A.fairly informal way.The whole boarD might also meet to talk about its progress in open session.(11).....These might ask for people's opinions on the board's main tasks or on how well the committees are working.
Research indicates there has been some improvement in the way the appraisal of boarD members is conducted.(12)......The chairman will have been involveD directly or indirectly in the appraisal of all members of the board.Whose joB.is it, then, to appraise the chairman?
A.It is often the case that the directors of such companies are even happy to receive criticism, as this can prevent them from making basiC.mistakes.
B.The rest of the workforce sees it as unfair if the directors are the only members of thecompany to escape appraisal.
C.These are encouraging as they put A.limit on the power of the chairman to assess fellow directors.
D .Alternatively, questionnaires might be distributeD to directors, forming the basis for future discussion.
E.One issue remains, however, when all the others have been dealt with.
F.It is generally agreeD that it is the chairman's responsibility to ensure the regular appraisal of each member of the board.
G.However, one wonders how many companies have in place A.formal appraisal process for their boarD of directors.
(8)應(yīng)選
2、根據(jù)下面資料,回答題
A.James King: Chief Executive of Fentons Finance
King was nominateD for the quality of his leadership, with the judges claiming that the Fentons Finance boss is almost revereD by his team.He is crediteD with reinventing Fentons Finance - revitalizing its culture of inflexibility, removing outdateD pre-merger barriers anD playing A.brilliant tactical game.He leD everyone to believe he was opposeD to large mergers anD then jumpeD on the Westcombe Bank opportunity at just the right moment.History will be the judge, but for now the markets consider King to be A.star.
B.Keith Nash: Chief Executive of Hamley's Supermarkets
Nash took over as CEO when Hamley's systems anD distribution were out of date anD the branD badly needeD freshening up.He began refocusing the branD at the higher quality enD of the fooD market anD launcheD several own-branD initiatives for the health conscious.As A.result, the share price has gone up nearly 80 per cent.This shoulD be extremely satisfying for Nash, who haD left the retailer in 1986, disappointeD after failing to secure the top job.
C.Jorge Marquez: Chairman of the Kenwick Group
Marquez was A.popular choice for his achievements at Kenwick.The judges say he has been courageous in pushing through the appointment of controversial or inexperienceD chief executives to companies within the group, anD then sponsoring them as they transformeD their businesses.He operates as A."virtual" chairman, without A.permanent office in any one company.He phones his CEOs regularly, anD several of them have acknowledgeD the vital contribution he makes to their effectiveness.Everyone is impresseD at how he also finds the time to be chairman of two other large companies.
D.RicharD Jenkins: Finance Director of Centron Advertising
Labouring in the shadow of A.high-profile boss can sometimes draw attention away from the finance director, anD the judges considereD it was high time Jenkins got that attention.The CEO may be the publiC.face of Centron, but Jenkins is the one who makes it run smoothly.BehinD the scenes, he is constantly demonstrating that budgets anD forecasts are what is needeD to make A.company successful, particularly now that the advertising market has been hit by recession, it is largely thanks to him that Centron is in much better shape than its rivals.
This businessman has successfully targeteD A.different group of consumers.
3、根據(jù)下面資料,回答題
Morning,NoonandNight The long-hours culture at work
Working an eight-hour day is a luxury for most professional people. Nowadays, the only way to guarantee an eight-hour working day is to have a kind of job where you clock on and off. Those professionals who have managed to limit their hours to what was, 20 years ago, averagely do not wish to identify themselves. "1 can quite easily achieve my work within a normal day, but I don't like to draw attention to it," says one sales manager. "People looked at me when I left at 5 o'clock. Now, I put paperwork in my bag. People assume I'm doing extra hours at home."
But more typical is Mark, who works as an account manager. He says, "My contract says I work from 9 until 5 with extra hours as necessary. It sounds as if the extra hours are exceptional. In fact, my job would be enough not only for me, but also for someone else part- time. The idea of an eight-hour day makes me laugh!" He says he has thought about going freelance but realizes that this doesn't guarantee better working hours.
Professor Cary Cooper, occupational psychologist at the University of Manchester, is the author of the annual Quality of Working, Life survey. The most recent survey found that 77% of managers in Britain work more than their contracted hours, and that this is having a damaging effect for their health, relationships and productivity. Professor Cooper is critical of the long-hour culture. He says that while bosses believe long hours lead to greater efficiency, there is no evidence support this. "In fact, the evidence shows that long hours make you ill." There are, he says, steps that can be taken. One is to accept that the in-tray will never be empty. "There are always things to do. You just have to make the rule that on certain days you go home early. Prioritizing work and doing essential tasks first helps," he says. He also thinks it's time to criticize bad employers and unreasonable terms of employment. By all means, show commitment where necessary but when expectations are too high, people have to begin saying openly that they have a life outside of work.
Personal development coach Mo Shapiro agrees that communication is important. Staff needs to talk to managers about the working practices within a company. Both parties should feel that the expectations are realistic and allow them to have responsibilities and interests outside work. She recognizes, however, that in many organizations the response might well be, "If you want interests outside work, then find another job".
She believes that senior staff has a duty to set an example. "1 recently worked for a firm of solicitors where the partners started at 7:30 am. What kind of message is that to send to the staff?" She believes there is no shame in working sensible hours - in fact quite the reverse."Some people might be in at 7:30 but will be doing very little. You can work really hard from9 to 5 and achieve the same. If you find it difficult to achieve an eight-hour day, there is, as a last resort, the old trick of leaving your jacket on your chair and your computer switched on, even after you have left the building.
What does the writer say in the first paragraph about people who work an eight-hour day?
A. They are reluctant to admit to this.
B. They are disliked by their colleagues.
C. They are limited to certain professions.
D. They often catch up on work in the evenings.
4、根據(jù)下面內(nèi)容,回答題
Although globalization may, in some senses, have brought national economies closer together, societies around the world still have radically different expectations, processes and standards.These are not a function of economic change, but are more deep-rooted and difficult to alter.They can be a major problem for businesses expanding abroad, with the greatest obstacle of all being the language barrier.If you have to deal with clients, suppliers and distributors in a range of countries, you will not only need the skills to communicate with them, you will also need to reconcile any national biases you have with the diverse ways of doing business that exist around the globe.
The value of effective communication is not to be underestimated.New technology such as video-conferencing and email has played a part in making the communication process easier and it may also be possible that the introduction of language interpretation software will help with some global communications problems.But, of course, it is the human element of the communication process that is so vital in business, especially in negotiations, presentations and team-building.It is essential for managers to meet regularly with staff, customers and partners, so that issues can be discussed, messages communicated and feedback obtained.The value of well-organized language training is immense, and can bring benefits to all levels and departments within a multinational organization.Unfortunately, however, many organizations have a very narrow view when it comes to training of any kind.Often, an urgent requirement has to be identified before training is authorized.Then, a training company is employed or a programme is developed in-house, the team is trained, and that is seen as the end of the matter.However, the fact remains that training programmes are effective only if they are relevant to a company's broader, long-term needs.They should be regarded as an investment rather than a cost.
Changes in expectations and attitudes are certain to continue for companies that trade globally.Although such companies are not yet faced with their international partners and clients demanding that business be conducted in their mother tongue, they realize that overseas competition is increasingly fast.If these companies want to continue to achieve success on the international trading circuit, they must be prepared to adapt to situations and speak the local language.If not, someone else will.
According to the first paragraph, improved communications have enabled companies to_______
A.offer a wider variety of products and services
B.expand beyond their domestic markets
C.perform better than their international competitors
D.open more manufacturing facilities abroad
5、根據(jù)下面內(nèi)容,回答題
Buffet Zone
Lucy Robertson started working at a take-away food business to supplement her income during her student days at Edinburgh University. Several years later she had bought the business and now, 17 years on, she owns Grapevine Caterers, probably Scotland's leading independent caterers, with a turnover of almost ε6m.
She had never planned to own a business, and had certainly never considered a career in catering. (0)...G… However, her unplanned career began in 1985, when she returned to Edinburgh and discovered that the takeaway she had worked in was up for sale. On impulse, she bought it, but admits that at the time she knew nothing about catering. (8).....It was a difficult time, but essential in terms of gaining the experience she needed. The late 1980s boom was good for business, with large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches. (9)..... "At one point there were 26 food outlets within a 5-kilometre radius," Robertson recalls, as the economy changed and the once packed office blocks started to become vacant, it became clear that Robertson would need to diversify. (10)......It changed the direction of the company for good.
As Robertson began to win catering contracts, she decided that the company would have to move to larger premises. In 1994, the move was made when she bought another catering business that already had a number of profitable contracts for boardroom lunches.
Meanwhile, Robertson's main competitor, the oldest catering company in Edinburgh, was causing her some anxiety. "Customer loyally is not to be underestimated," she warns. But Robertson is not someone who is easily put off. (11)...... Partly as a result of this, turnover doubled, and having outgrown another site, Robertson bought a city-centre location for the group's headquarters.
By now, Grapevine's main competitor was a new catering company called Towngates. Although Robertson tried to raise enough money to buy Towngates, she did not succeed. Then luck intervened and Towngates went bankrupt. (12)......Many accepted and the company's turnover went from ε700,000 to ε1.5 million almost overnight.
However, the company's growth was not as smooth as it sounds in retrospect. Robertson admits, "We were close to the edge during the growth period. Like many under-capitalized companies trying to grow, it might easily have collapsed." But that, she feels, is the challenge of developing your own business.
A.But there are plenty of similar contracts to be won in the east of Scotland before Robertson turns her attention elsewhere.
B.Her way round this particular problem was to recruit the catering manager of the rival company.
C.But this demand was short-lived, and before long, increasing competition made it harder to make a profit.
D."It was a dramatic learning curve and very small amounts of money were earned at first," says Robertson.
E.She decided that the solution, since many companies required working lunches for meetings with clients, was to prepare and deliver meals to business premises.
F.On hearing this, Robertson immediately contacted all of their clients and offered the services of Grapevine Caterers.
G.Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular professional path seemed set.
(8)應(yīng)選
填空題
6、
Questions 8-12 ·Read this memorandum. ·Choose the best sentence from the list A – I to fill each of the blanks. ·For each blank (8 - 12) mark one letter (A - I) on your Answer Sheet. ·De not mark any letter twice. ·One answer has teen given as an example.
MEMORANDUM To: Filma Williams, school of Architecture From: Ram S. Johnson, Physical Plant Operations Subject: Air-conditioning Installation Costs for East Hall. Date: 4.4.94 As you requested in your memo of March 15, we have studied the costs of installing air conditioning for the seven offices and two studio classrooms in East Hall ____ Example ____ Office and Classroom installation Estimates were obtained from three contractors on the costs of covering the offices and classrooms ____ 8 ____ The work would take about three weeks. Because the central unit would be installed on the roof, some noise problems might occur during a four-or five-day period ____ 9 ____ Sheet metal work to build out lest in the classes could be dine on weekends, and the overtime labour costs of about $ 1,500 have been included in the estimates. Arrangements were not made to do the office space installation on weekends … 10 … Additional Installation Because a larger installation, including a more powerful central unit, would be necessary to handle the halls and stairways, an additional $6,000 would be required for the equipment. ____ 11 ____ If this additional work were delayed until a later time, a new central unit would be required along with changes in the pipe way ____ 12 ____ Summary The total job for the building would be about $ 35,000 if done at one time. A two-stage installation would cost about $55,000. I can get official bids at your request.
Example: A A. As you suggested, we also sought information on the additional cost of air conditioning in the entrance halls and stairways. B. All these three were in the $ 20,000 to $ 25,000 range. C. This later installation would cost about $20,000. D. However, class interruption should be minimal. E. In the same way, each of these three would take at least one month. F. Therefore, the total cost was this $6,000 plus another $5,000. G. Labour costs would be an additional S 5,000, bringing the total cost of the addition to $11,000. H. Each faculty member could expect to have workers in office for about one day. I. So faculty members can continue their office work as usual.
7、
Questions 8-12 ·Read this proposal about the CPT Word Processor. ·Choose the best sentence from the list A-I to fill each of the blanks. ·For each blank (8-12) mark one letter (A-I) on your Answer Sheet. ·De not mark any letter twice. ·One answer has been given as an example.
15 June 1993 Ms. Martha Weston Word Processing Supervisor ABC Company Post Office Box 1072 28 King’s Street London
Dear Ms. Weston, Performance of the CPT Equipment I’m Pleased to tell you about our experience with the CPT Word Processor as you requested recently____example____ I assume you have looked at several machines and have narrowed down your choices. Here are my observations. An approach to adopting word processors Eighteen months ago we adopted CPT equipment on limited scale with the idea in mind that we could gradually get rid of electric typewriters as we became familiar with the word processor. ____8____ The stations are actually in pairs so each pair can share a common printer ____9____ We use the equipment as dedicated word processors, although we do have the ability to link up with our computer installation. The step-at-a-time development of our word-processing center has, we think, saved us money and training time. ____10____ Performance In terms of performance, the CPT equipment is excellent. ____11____ Moreover our service contract and warranty have covered all maintenance costs. We have software packages that check spelling and signal when a mistake occurs. ____12____ Using both printers, we recently prepared 1200 individually typed form letter mailings a under four hours. We have no complaint about our preparation of executive reports.
Example: I
A. So it works very well and has so many different functions. B. Also it has reduced the confusion that exists about buying software packages. C. The train stops at each station for only fifteen minutes. D. We began with two work stations and now have four. E. Our routine letters are prepared from disc-stored masters. F. The Rotary W printer with a speed of 45 characters a second can easily handle two input stations. G. In contrast, its size and weight are ideal for carrying. H. We have not yet experienced mechanical problems so far. I. We are pleased with its performance and multi-functions.
簡答題
8、Part One
You are the Manager of a small printing company. A new employee, Mark McCabe, is joining your company on 10th May.
Write a short memo to your office administrator:
Saying who is starting work and when;
Telling him what Mark McCabe’s job will be;
Suggesting where Mark McCabe’s desk should be put;
Write 30-40 words on your answer sheet.
Part Two You were sent on a residential training course for five days. Unfortunately the course was very badly run and there were a lot of problems with it. The advert below shows the details of the course, together with your comments.
Write a report for your manager on the course (100-120 words). Describe the problems with the course and suggest what your company should do.
Write on your answer sheet.
9、• Read the article below about the winner of a business award . • In most of the lines 34-45 there is one extra word . It is either grammatically incorrect or doesn’t fit in the meaning of the text . Some lines, however, are correct . • If a line is correct , write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet . • If there is a extra word in the line , write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTER on your Answer Sheet. • The exercises begins with two examples , (0) and (00) .
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INCREASING CUSTOMERS LOYALTY |
0 Customers are not revolutionaries. They are attracted to be the certainty of knowing that 00 what they buy it will be good value for money or will perform a particular task effectively. 34 They are cautious but their loyalty , without once achieved , is the key to business success. 35 Brands can help to create customer loyalty by providing us a signpost to certainty and 36 safety . Ideally , when a customer sees off a product , it leads to a range of positive thoughts 37 so that the product is being bought . Unfortunately , only a small number of products have 38 reached to this level . While everyone in business is aware of the need to attract and 39 retain customers , that they often overlook the second , more important , half of the 40 equation . In the excitement of beating against the competition and securing orders, 41 managers often fail to ensure that the customer remains a customer . It has been 42 estimated that since the average company loses between 10 to 30% of its customers 43 every year and this only recently have organizations started to wake up to these lost 44 opportunities and to calculate the financial implications . Established customers often 45 buy more and, in the addition , they may also provide free word-of-mouth advertising. |
10、 • Read the article below about the winner of a business award .
• In most of the lines 34-45 there is one extra word . It is either grammatically incorrect or
doesn’t fit in the meaning of the text . Some lines, however, are correct .
• If a line is correct , write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet .
• If there is a extra word in the line , write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTER on your Answer Sheet.
• The exercises begins with two examples , (0) and (00) .
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THE ART OF DELEGATION |
0 Are you one of these people who don’t trust anyone else to do what needs to be 00 done ? Some managers they can’t bear anyone else to help them in any way . They 34 don’t believe that anyone can do such a job as well as they can . It is not surprising 35 that they get overwhelmed by work and complain that they have so far too much 36 to do, but it could be argued that it is by their own fault. If they learnt to delegate, 37 they would have much more time available. Besides the saving time and freeing 38 them to concentrate on tasks that are important, delegating also benefits to the 39 company. As if managers delegate effectively, their staff will become more skilled and 40 committed. Asking staff to take those decisions improves their efficiency and 41 morale. This will contribute it not only to the success of the team, but to the success 42 of the company as a whole. More importantly, it will also show how good that a 43 person’s managerial skills are, which is useful when candidates are considered for 44 promotion. Trusting other people to do a job properly and in providing them with the 45 opportunity to do so is therefore an essential management skill in all the workplace of today. |