BEC中级阅读测试1Reading Test 1.docx

BEC中级阅读测试1Reading Test 1.docx

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BEC中级阅读测试1ReadingTest1

BEC中级阅读测试一ReadingTest1

PARTONE

Questions1-7

●Lookatthestatementsbelowandtheeconomicnewsreportsontheoppositepage.

●Whichnewsreport（A,B,CorD）doeseachstatement1-7referto?

●Foreachsentence1-7,markoneletter（A,B,CorD）onyourAnswerSheet.

●Youwillneedtousesomeofthelettersmorethanonce.

Example:

0Thiscompanyisgoingtoreducestaffnumbers.

0

ABCD

1Thiscompany’sexecutiveshavebeensellingsharessuccessively.

2Promotionplanhasbeenusedtokeepcustomers’loyalty.

3Thiscompanyisexpandingitsresearchspending.

4Theexecutiveofthiscompanyenteredasalecontractforcash.

5Thiscompanyisinthemid-stageofnewdrugtest.

6Sellingsomeofthecompany’sshareswillnotunderminetheownership.

7Oneoftheexecutivesofthiscompanywillleavefornoreason.

A

PulteHomesInc.'schiefexecutiveintendstosellabout4.8millionshares,or11percentofhispersonalstakeinthehomebuilder,throughaprepaidvariableforwardcontract,accordingtoaregulatoryfilingMonday.ThecontractallowsWilliamJ.Pulte,whoalsofoundedthecompany,toreceivecashnow,whilealsokeepingtherighttomaintainownershipofthestockattheendofthecontract's16-monthtermbysettlingitwithcash.Theexecutivewillusesomeoftheproceedsofthecontracttosettleaprevious,prepaidvariableforwardcontractheenteredintoayearago,thecompanysaid.Thenewcontractcombinestheroughly3.4millionsharespledgedintheFebruary2008contractwith1.4millionnewshares.

B

StarbucksCorp.saidMondaythatGerardoLopezisleavinghispostasexecutivevicepresidentofglobalconsumerproducts,foodserviceandSeattle'sBestCoffee,forpersonalreasons,effectiveFeb.20.Starbucks,whichistryingtorefashionitsimageasamorerecession-friendlycoffeehouse,willintroducevalue-mealtypeoptionsfor$3.95eachinitsU.S.company-ownedstoresstartingMarch3.TheSeattle-basedcompanyhasstruggledtokeepitscustomersastherecessionhasdeepenedandhasbeenpromotingloyaltycardsandotheroptionstogivecustomersmorevaluewithouthurtingitspremiumbrandstatus.

C

MicrosoftDirectorBillGatessold2millionsharesofthesoftwarecompanyhefoundedfor$37.7million,accordingtoalateMondayfilingwiththeSecuritiesandExchangeCommission.Thecurrentslateofsalescomesontheheelsof20millionsharesGatessoldfromOct.31toNov.13lastyearatavalueof$435million.Inthepastsixmonths,excludingMonday'sfiling,companyinsidershavesoldatotalof37.2millionsharesfor$749.6million.Noshareswerepurchased.

D

Vertexisconductinglate-stagetestsoftelaprevir,ahepatitisCtreatment.ItispreparingtobeginmidstagetestingofacysticfibrosisdrugcandidatedesignatedVX-809,andplanstostartregistrationprogramofasecondCFdrugcandidatecalledVX-770.Vertexsaiditanticipatesspending$500millionto$530milliononresearchanddevelopment,includingabout$75millioninstock-basedcompensation.Thatcompareswith$516.3millioninresearchanddevelopmentcostsin2008.Stock-basedcompensationcoststotaled$45.5million.

PARTTWO

Questions8-12

●Readthearticlebelowaboutchangesinworkinghours.

●Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofillineachofthegaps.

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

●Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.

●Thereisanexampleatthebeginning,（0）.

BRANDSANDCOMPETITIVEADVANTAGE

（0）_____D____.Thebrandcultureconcepthelpsusseewhythisisso.Brandculturesare“sticky.”（8）__________.Unlesstheyhaveproductexperiencesorencounterbrandstoriesthatprofoundlycontradictconventions,peopleareusuallyhappytomaintainthetaken-for-grantedunderstandings.Therearetworeasonsforthisdurability.

Psychologicalresearchdemonstratedthatbrandculturesaredurablebecausepeoplearecognitivemisers.Becausewearesooverloadedwithinformation–farmoreinformationthanwecanreasonablydigestevenifwewantedto–werelyuponavarietyofheuristicstosimplifytheworld.（9）__________.Brandculturesworkasonesuchheuristic.Oncewedeterminethattheconventionalwisdomofabrandculture“works”forus（e.g.adetergentwhoseconventionalbrandstoryisthatitperformsgreatinalltemperaturesseemstodoso）,wearenotinterestedinseekingoutnewinformationthatwouldcontradictthisassumption.Theheuristicprovidedbythebrandworkswell,sowegoonusingit.

（10）__________.Brandculturesaresharedbymanypeopleandexpressedinavarietyofcontexts（talk,productexperiences,ads,andsoon）.Brandculturesaremaintainedasthebrand’sstories,images,andassociationspulsethroughthesenetworks.Hence,itisquitedifficultforanindividualtooptoutoftheconventionalwisdomofabrandcultureandassignthebrandalternativemeanings.（11）__________.Becauseofthisnetworkeffect,brandmeaningsmaintainatenaciousholduntilacriticalmassofcustomersandinfluencersjointogethertotransformconventions.

（12）__________.Astrongbrandculturegivesthefirmconsiderableleverageinconfiguringchannelpoliciesandprovidedleverageinnegotiatingwithretailers.

Example:

0

ABCDEFG

AFromaneconomicpointofview,brandsserveascontainersofreputation.

BWeseekwaystominimizetheamountofthinkingandsearchingthatwemustdotomakegooddecisions.

CJustasbrandculturesareformedcollectively,todecommissionabrandisalsoacollectivedecision.

DBrandingisapotentmeanstoestablishcompetitiveadvantage.

ESociologicalresearchdemonstratesanotherreasonwhybrandculturesaredurable.

FPowerfulbrandculturesprovidecompetitiveadvantagenotonlywithrespecttoconsumersbutalsoinnegotiationswithchannelpartners.

GOncetheyhaveacceptedthemasconventionalwisdom,peopleareusuallyreluctanttoabandontheconventionsofthebrandculture.

PARTTHREE

Questions13-18

•Readthearticlebelowandthequestionsontheoppositepage.

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

CITIGROUPWON’TBEGETTINGANEWCORPORATEJETAFTERALL

UnderpressurefromPresidentBarackObama,oneofthenation’slargestbanksreversedcourse,announcingthatitwillnottakedeliveryofthejetithadplannedtopurchasebeforethecreditcrisisunfolded.Thecanceleddealcameasmanypoliticiansvoicedconcernabouthowbanksarespendinggovernmentbailoutmoney.

TheWhiteHousereachedouttoCitigrouponMondaytoreiterateObama’spositionthatsuchjetsarenot“thebestuseofmoneyatthispoint,”callingthem“outrageous”spendingforacompanygettingtaxpayerdollars,saidaWhiteHouseofficialwhospokeonconditionofanonymitybecausetheofficialwasdescribingprivateconversations.

InastatementlateMonday,CitigroupInc.saiditpaidadepositin2005toacquirethejet.TheNewYork-basedbanksaiditdidnotplantousegovernmentmoneyforthepurchase,anditnotedthatanycancellationofthedealwouldprobablyleadtomultimillion-dollarpenalties.

Withthecancellationofthejetdeal,adepositontheplanewillbelost,butisrecoverableoncethejetissold,accordingtoapersonfamiliarwiththesituation.CitiwasintheprocessofpurchasingaDassaultFalcon7Xfor$50million,thepersonsaid.

Citiisplanningtocutthenumberofcorporatejetsinitsexistingfleetfromfivetotwo,saidtheperson,whoalsospokeonconditionofanonymitybecausethedetailshavenotbeenmadepublic.

Corporatejetshavebecomecontroversialduringthecreditcrisisascriticsoflargecompaniesquestionthecostofowningandoperatingtheaircraft,especiallyforbusinessesreceivinggovernmenthelp.

InNovember,executivesofautomakersFordMotorCo.,GeneralMotorsCorp.andChryslerLLCweresharplycriticizedforflyingoncorporatejetstoWashingtontoaskCongressforfederalbailoutmoney.

Amidthecreditwoes,Citihasbeenworkingtostreamlineitsoperationsandshedassetstoregainprofitability.Thebankhaspostedfiveconsecutivequarterlylosses,includingafourth-quarterlossof$8.29billion.

Earlierthismonth,CitireachedadealtosellamajoritystakeinitsSmithBarneybrokerageunittoMorganStanley.Citihasalsoannouncedplanstosplititsoperationsintotwounits,separatingitstraditionalbankingbusinessesfromitsriskieroperations.

Citimayhavetowaitawhiletorecoveritsdepositonthecanceledjetdeal,asthemarketforcorporateaircrafthassoftenedwiththeeconomy.

13Fromthefirstparagraph,wecaninferthat

ACitigroupmaycontinueitspurchaseoftheplanedespitethecreditcrisis.

BManystatesmenarecriticizinglargecompanies'irrationaluseofgovernmentalfunds.

CUSpresidentbolstersCitigroup'spurchaseofthejet.

DCitigroupcontinuesitsefforttobuythejetdespitethecriticismfromthepublic.

14Aninsiderhaditthatthedepositthegrouppaidin2005isrecoverableonce

Athepresidentgiveshisconsenttothepurchase.

BCitigrouporsomeothercompanybuysthejet.

CCitigroupresumesitseffortstobuytheplane.

DtheplanemakerdecidesnottoselltheplanetoCitigroup.

15Inthefollowingstatements,whichoneisnotCitigroup'sendeavortoregainprofitability?

ACitihascutdownonthenumberofcorporatejets.

BCitihasdivestedsomeassetstootherestablishments.

CCitihassplitisoperationsintotwounits,separatingtraditionalbankingfromriskieroperations.

DCitiistryingitsutmosttostreamlineitscorporateoperations.

16InParagraph2,theword“anonymity”means

Athe