商务英语初级考试冲刺试题及答案.docx

1、商务英语初级考试冲刺试题及答案2010年下半年商务英语初级考试冲刺试题及答案Reading 1 hourPART ONEQuestions 1 8Look at the sentences below and at the five extracts from a book about staff appraisals and feedback on the opposite page .Which new item (A, B, C ,D or E) dose each statement 1 8 refer to ?For each statement 1 8 , make one let

2、ter(A, B, C ,D or E) on your Answer Sheet .You will need to use some of these letters more than once .1 Genuine feedback would release resources to be used elsewhere.2 Managers are expected to enable their staff to work effectively.3 Experts are unlikely to facilitate a move to genuine feedback.4 Th

3、ere are benefits when methods of evaluating performance have been negotiated.5 Appraisals tend to focus on the nature of the face-to-face relationship between employees and their line managers.6 The idea that employees are responsible for what they do seems reasonable.7 Despite experts assertion, ma

4、nagement structures prevent genuine feedback8 An increasing amount of effort is being dedicated to the appraisal process.APerformance appraisal is on the up and up. It used to represent the one time of year when getting on with the work was put on hold while enormous quantities of management hours w

5、ere spent in the earnest ritual of rating and ranking performance. Now the practice is even more frequent. This of course makes it all the more important how appraisal is conducted. Human resources professionals claim that managers should strive for objectivity and thus for feedback rather than judg

6、ement. But the simple fact of the matter is that the nature of hierarchy distorts the concept of feedback because performance measure are conceived hierarchically. Unfortunately, all too many workers suffer from the injustices that this generates.BThe notion behind performance appraisal- that worker

7、s should be held accountable for their performance-is plausible. However, the evidence suggests that the premise is wrong. Contrary to assumptions appraisal is not an effective means of performance improvement- it is judgement imposed rather than feedback, a judgement imposed by the hierarchy. Usefu

8、l feedback , on the other hand, would be information that told both the manager and worker how well the work system functioned, and suggested ways to make it better.CWithin the production system at the car manufacturer Toyota, there is nothing that is recognizable as performance appraisal. Every ope

9、ration in the system has an associated measure. The measure has been worked out between the operators and their manager. In every case, the measure is related to the purpose of the work. That measure is the basis of feedback to the manager and worker alike. Toyotas basic idea is expressed in the axi

10、om “bad news first” . Both managers and workers are psychologically safe in the knowledge that it is the system- not the worker that is the primary influence on performance. It is managements responsibility to ensure that the workers operate in a system that facilitates their performance.DIn many co

11、mpanies , performance appraisal springs from misguided as assumptions. To judge achievement, managers use date about each workers activity, not an evaluation of the process or systems achievement of purpose. The result is that performance appraisal involves managers judgement overruling their staffs

12、, ignoring the true influences on performance. Thus the appraisal experience becomes a question of pleasing the boss, particularly in meetings, which is psychologically unsafe and socially driven, determining who is “in” and who is “ out”.EWhen judgement is replaced by feedback in the true sense, or

13、ganizations will have a lot more time to devote to their customers and their business. No time will be wasted in appraisal . This requires a fundamental shift in the way we think about the organization of performance appraisals, which almost certainly will not be forthcoming from the human resources

14、 profession.PART TWOQuestions9 14Read the text about career-planning services.Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps .For each gap 9 14, mark one letter (A-H) on your Answer Sheet .Do not use any letter more than once .There is an example at the beginning .(0)Your C

15、areer Path Can Lead You AnywhereWe used to be advised to plan our careers. We were told to make a plan during the later stages of our education and continue with it through our working lives.(0)_ some people still see careers in this way. However, to pursue a single option for life has always been u

16、nrealistic.Planning for a single career assumes that we set out with a full understanding of our likes and dislikes and the employment opportunities open to us. (9)_ For most people this degree of certainty about the future does not exist.Our initial choice of career path and employer is often based

17、 on inadequate knowledge and false perceptions. But with age and experience, we develop new interests and aptitudes and our priorities alter. The structure of the employment market and, indeed of employment itself, is subject to change as both new technologies and new work systems are introduced (10

18、) _ We must face the uncertainties of a portfolio career.It is clear from the recent past that we cannot foresee the changes which will affect our working lives. The pace of change is accelerating , as a result of which traditional career plans will be of very limited use. (11)_ They will need updat

19、ing to reflect changes in our own interests as well as in the external work environment. Flexible workers already account for about half the workforce. (12)_ We are likely to face periods as contract workers, self-employed freelances, consultants, temps or part-timers.Many employers encourage staff

20、to write a personal development development (PDP) (13) Although some people use it only to review the skills needed for their job, a PDP could be the nucleus of wider career plan setting out alternative long-term learning needs and a plan of self-development.A report issued by the Institute of Emplo

21、yment Studies advises people to enhance their employability by moving from traditional technical skills towards the attainment of a range of transferable skills. (14) Instead, special schemes should be established to encourage people to examine their effectiveness and to consider a wider range of ne

22、eds.0 A B C D E F G HA This dual effect means that the relationship between employers and workers has evolved to such and extent that we can no longer expect a long-term relationship with one employer.B. It carries an implicit assumption that we ourselves, and the jobs we enter, will change little d

23、uring our working lives.C. This growth suggests that a career plan should not be expressed only in terms of full-time employment but should make provision for the possibility of becoming one of the.D this is a summary of ones personal learning needs and an action plan to meet them.E Consequently, th

24、ey must now accommodate a number of objectives and enable us to prepare for each on a contingency basis.F However, it warns that employers often identify training needs through formal appraisals, which take too narrow a view of development.G . Such a freelance of consultant would be constantly in de

25、mand.H We were expected to work towards that one clear goal and to consider a career change as a bad thing.PART THREEQuestions 15 20Read the following article on negotiating techniques and the question on the opposite page .For each question 15 20 , mark one letter (A, B, C or D ) on your Answer She

26、et for the answer you choose.The Negotiating Table:You can negotiate virtually anything. Projects, resources, expectations and deadlines are all outcomes of negotiation. Some people negotiate deals for a living. Dr Herb Cohen is one of these professional talkers, called in by companies to negotiate

27、on their behalf . He approaches the art of negotiation as a game because, as he is usually negotiating for somebody else, he says this helps him drain the emotional content from his conversation. He is working in a competitive field and needs to avoid being too adversarial. Whether he succeeds or no

28、t, it is important to him to make a good impression so that people will recommend him.The starting point for any deal, he believes, is to identify exactly what you want from each other. More often than not, one party will be trying to persuade the other round to their point of view. Negotiation requ

29、ires two people at the end saying yes”. This can be a problem because one of them usually begins by saying “no”. However, although this can make talks more difficult, this is often just a starting point in the negotiation game. Top management may well reject the idea initially because it is the safe

30、r option but they would not be there if they were not interested.It is a misconception that skilled negotiators are smooth operators in smart suits. Dr Cohen says that one of his strategies is to dress down so that the other side can relate to you. Pitch your look to suit your customer. You do not n

31、eed to make them feel better than you but, For example, dressing in a style that is not overtly expensive or successful will make you more approachable. People will generally feel more comfortable with somebody who appears to be like them rather than superior to them. They may not like you but they

32、will feel they can trust you.Dr Cohen suggests that the best way to sell your proposal is by getting into the world of the other side. Ask questions rather than give answers and take an interest in what the other person is saying, even if you think what they are saying is silly. You do not need to become their best friends but being too clever will alienate them. A lot of deals are made on impressions. Do not rush what you are