剑桥商务英语中级真题1文档格式.docx

剑桥商务英语中级真题1文档格式.docx

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A.Inthepast,feedbackaboutyourperformanceusedtomeanaquietchatwiththeboss.Butnow360-degreefeedback-thesystemwhereemployeesarealsogivenfeedbackfrompeersandfromthepeopletheymanage-istakingrootincorporateculture.Thesystemischaracterisedbygreaterparticipationandhasgrownoutofthedesireofcompaniestocreatemoreopenworkingenvironmentswherepeopleworkbettertogetherandideasandopinionsareexchangedbetweenteamsandacrosslevelsofseniority.

B.PCslinkedtothecompanyITnetworkaresettobecomethefeedbackmachines.Manyfirmsintroducing

360-degreefeedbackareusingPersonalDevelopmentPlannersoftware.Feedbackonanindividual,whichisbasedonaquestionnairerelatingtoattributesneededforthatperson'

sroleinthecompany,iscollectedusingthiselectronicsystem.Alltheinformationgatheredisanalysedandtheendresultisasuggesteddevelopmentplan.Theadvantageisthatindividualsmakerequestsforthefeedbackthemselvesandreceivetheresultsdirectly.

C.SarahRains,fromthepharmaceuticalcompanyOptec,said,'

Nowfeedbackisavailableonournetwork,we

encouragemanagerstochoosehowtheyuseit.Itisaflexibletoolandwetellthemthatwaitingfortheannualeventofaformalappraisalneedn'

tapply.'

AttheengineeringcompanyNT,250technicalmanagershavebeenthroughthefeedbackprocess.JackPalmer,aseniormanagertheresaid,'

Weneededtodeveloptheinterpersonalskillsofthesetechnically-mindedpeople.Inparticular,wewantedtobuildontheirteam-workingandcoachingskills.'

D.So,howisthenewfeedbackculturelikelytoaffectyou?

Itcouldformthebasisofyourpersonal

developmentprogramme,providingpointerstoyourstrengthsandalsotothoseareasyouneedtodevelopmore.Orfeedbackcouldbeusedfor'

successionplanning'

wherecompaniesusetheinformationtospeculateonwhohastherightskillstomoveintomoreseniorpositions.Asyet,feworganisationshavestretchedtheroleoffeedbacksofarastolinkittosalaries.Butonethingisclear:

thefuturewillbringevenwiderparticipationbyallmembersofstaff.

1.staffbeingremindedthatitisnotessentialtorestrictfeedbacktoonceayear

C

2.thewayinwhichfeedbackcouldidentifypeoplesuitableforpromotion

D

3.theaimofimprovingstaffcommunicationthroughoutanorganisation

A

4.thefeedbackobtainedonanemployeebeinglinkedtorequirementsforaparticularjob

B

5.aspectsofagroupofemployees'

workthatwereidentifiedasrequiringimprovement

6.feedbackindicatingbothpositiveandnegativeaspectsofanindividual'

swork

7.theparticipationoflessseniorpersonnelinamemberofstaff'

sfeedback

PARTTWO

●Readthearticlebelowaboutworkingininternationalteams.

●Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.

●Foreachgap（8-12）,markoneletter（A-G）onyourAnswerSheet.

●Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.

●Thereisanexampleatthebeginning（0）.

INTERNATIONALTEAMS

Aninternationalteamcanbedefinedasagroupofpeoplewhocomefromdifferentnationalitiesandworktogethertowardsacommongoal.（0）（G）Thefactthattheyarespreadoutpresentsarangeofopportunities

andchallengesthatteamsworkinginthesameplacedonotexperience.

Onetrend,inparticular,whichiscreatingtheneedformoreinternationalteams,isthatweareinthemiddleofadramaticinformationrevolution.1Thus,theseteamscannowspendasmuchtimeworkingapartastogether.Theycanaccessandshareinformationasneverbefore.Businesswillincreasinglybedoneinan

'

informationspace'

withinformationbecomingaproductinitsownright.2Doingthisthroughtheinternetande-mailisinexpensiveandrelativelyeasy,inbothtechnologicallydevelopedanddevelopingcountries.

Aquestioncommonlyaskedbymanagersiswhethertheseteamsactuallywork.Cantheydeliverimprovedperformance?

Afteradecadeofworkexperienceandresearchwithinternationalteams,Ibelievetheanswerispositive.2What'

smore,manyofthosecompanieswhichhaveactuallyintroducedinternationalteamshavefocusedonlyontheperformanceoftheteams,withouttakingintoaccountthecontextinwhichtheyareintroduced.Contextplaysakeyroleinthelikelihoodoftheirsuccess.

Creatingtherightcontextforinternationalteamsneedsmorethanaquickfix,though.Itrequiresalong-term

commitment.4Onthecontrary,companiesneedtofocusonthewaytheyoperate,andpossiblyinitiateacompletereviewoftheirpractices,beforeintroducinganinternationalteam.

Giventhesechallenges,whatshouldorganisationsdotomakesurethattheirinternationalteamsare

successful?

Muchhasbeenwrittenabouteffectiveteamprocessesingeneral,andthefirstthingtosayisthatmostoftheseguidelinesapplyequallytointernationalteams.Experiencehasshownthatinternationalteamsaresimplymorecomplexversionsofnationalteams.5Whiletheseelementsmayhaveavarietyofinterpretationsindifferentcultures,theyareasimportanttointernationalteamsastheyaretonationalteams.

A.Ifanorganisationisjustbeginningtoworkgloballyandhasonlyrecentlycreatedinternationalteams,it

oftenunderestimatesthelevelofsupportneededbyteams.

B.Itisnowwellestablishedthatanyteamwillhaveagreaterchanceofsuccessifithascleargoals,astrongsenseofcommitment,appropriateleadershipandgoodinterpersonalrelationships.

C.Therecognitionofthishascreatedmanymoreknowledgeworkers,thatis,peoplewhocreate,exchangeandbroadcastinformationasknowledge.

D.Organisationsmustunderstandthatoperatinggloballyaffectseveryaspectofbusinessandtheycannot

simplysetupinternationalteamsandassumethateverythingelsecanremainunchanged.

E.Thefirstmajorimpactofthisisthatsatellitetechnologyisincreasinglyallowingteammemberstoparticipateindiscussionswherevertheyare,atanytimetheychoose.

F.Unfortunately,however,feworganisationsuntilnowhavebeenpreparedtomakethenecessaryinvestmenttogainthepotentialbenefitsthatinternationalteamsoffer.

G.Unlikemostnationalteams,internationalteamsoftenworkapartandacrossculturesandtimezones,for

extendedperiodsoftime.

1.E

2.C

3.F

4.D

5.B

PARTTHREE

●Readthearticlebelowaboutleadershipinbusinessandthequestionsontheoppositepage.

●Foreachquestion（13-18）,markoneletter（A,B,CorD）onyourAnswerSheet.

THEEFFECTIVELEADER

Fromworkplacesurveys,Ihavefoundthatmostpeoplewanttobe-andfeeltheycouldbe-moreeffectiveleaders.Certainlytheywanttheirleaderstobemoreeffective.Butwhatdowemeanbyeffectiveleadershipinbusiness?

Itwouldappearasimplequestion.Unfortunately,effectivenessismoreeasilyrecognisablewhenitisabsent.Leaderswhoattempttousebusinessjargonandtryoutthelatestideasaretoooftenperceivedasfiguresoffun.Whilstpeoplefrequentlyagreeonwhatineffectiveleadershipis,clearlyknowingwhatnottodoishardlyhelpfulinpractice.

Hugeamountsofresearchhavebeendoneonthisverywidesubject.Whenyoulookatleadershipindifferent

ways,youseedifferentthings.Whiledescriptionsofleadershiparealldifferent,theyarealltrue-andthisiswheredisagreementarises.However,leadershipisspecifictoagivencontext.Theeffectivenessofyouractionsisassessedinrelationtothecontextandtotheconditionsunderwhichyoutookthem.

ForamagazinearticleIwroterecently,Iinterviewedonepublishingexecutive,authorofseveralwell-knownpublications,aboutwhateffectiveleadershipis.Itwassignificantthat,atfirst,hedidnotmentionhisowncompany.Hetalkedatlengthaboutwhatwashappeningintheindustry-themergers,take-oversandglobalnatureofthebusiness.Beforehewasabletodescribehisownobjectivesforthenewpublishingorganisationhewassettingup,hehadtoseeaclearfitbetweentheseproposalsandthelargersituationoutside.Obvious?

Ofcourse.ButIhavelostcountofthenumberofleadersIhavecoachedwhobelievedthattheirideaswerevalid,whateverthesituation.

Atthispoint,Ishouldalsomentionanotherexample,thatofafinancedirectorwhoseplanofactionwasnot

wellreceived.Thecompanyhehadjoinedhadgrownsteadilyfortwentyyears,servingclientswhowereinthemaindistrustfulofanyproductthatwastoorevolutionary.Thefinancedirectorsawpotentialchallengesfromcompetitorsandwantedhisorganisationtomovewiththetimes.Unfortunately,moststaffbelowhimwereunwillingtochange.Iconcludedthatalthoughtherewerecertainlysomepersonalskillshecouldimproveupon,whathemostneededtodowastocommunicateeffectivelywithhissubordinates,sothattheyallfeltateasewithhisdifferentapproach.

Someeffectiveleadersbelievetheycancontroluncertaintybecausetheyknowwhattheorganisationshouldbedoingandhowtodoit.Withintheorganisationitself,expertiseisusuallygreatlyvalued,andexecutivesareexpected,astheyrisewithinthesystem,toknowmorethanthosebeneaththemand,therefore,tomanagetheoperation.AgoodexampleofthiswouldbeafirmofaccountantsIvisited.Theirbusinesswasbuiltonsellingreliableexpertisetotheclient,whonaturallyw