2024年3月15日发(作者：)

剑桥商务英语中级-75

(总分100,考试时间90分钟)

READING

PART ONE

· Look at the statements below and the advice given by four market experts to

a **pany on the opposite page.

· Which expert's advice (A, B, C or D) does each statement (1-7) refer to?

· For each statement (1-7), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.

· You will need to use some of these letters more than once.

Four market experts offer advice to SunTours, the middle-market tour

operator

A Robert Worth

Marketing to a wider audience could lead to more people buying direct from

SunTours rather than going through travel agents, and the consequent reduction

in agents' commissions might **pany profits. Towards the end of the season,

reducing the cost of holidays would attract last-minute customers, thus avoiding

any possible loss on unfilled accommodation and flights, **pany could also

increase profits by selling more specialised holidays here in Britain, perhaps by

offering breaks at historic sites and coastal destinations.

B Steven Worrel

Whether it's worth discounting surplus holidays is an arguable point, as it not

only cuts into profits, but also results in budget-conscious holidaymakers being

put next to SunTours' more affluent customers, thus damaging the brand. It may

seem attractive at first because of tight margins, but SunTours should think twice

before taking up this option. Currently, SunTours is planning to sell higher-margin

holidays to previously 'unmarketed' destinations for which demand is greater than

supply. It is likely that accommodation providers in these emerging holiday

destinations will be more flexible when it comes to setting terms. The firm should

go ahead with this policy.

C Ursula Capalbo

Good risk management and higher sales can guarantee higher profits.

Although SunTours has always been averse to planning, **pany would in fact

benefit from a risk model that forecasts the impact of discounting on cash flow

and profitability throughout the year. SunTours would then be able to change

direction when things go wrong, as they inevitably do from time to time.

Diversification can increase rather than spread risk, so caution is needed as **pany

enters regions where facilities for tourists are not yet fully developed. Targeting

customers nearing retirement age, whose disposable income and leisure time are

increasing, would be ideal.

D Gillian Wilmot

SunTours knows that good relationships with customers is the key to success

in the travel business. With this in mind, **pany should consider that brochure

mailings, unlike **munications, can attract customers and maximise year-round

opportunity. They encourage summer tourists to take another break and can even

be used to send a thank-you letter to returning customers. Selling holidays at a

reduced price is definitely not a sensible option. A better choice would be

value-added promotions which can improve profitability and build on SunTours

customers' desire for high-quality service.

1. SunTours runs a risk by selling similar holidays to customers in different

income brackets.

2. It is worth offering holidays at a discount to increase the number of

bookings.

3. SunTours needs to reflect on its marketing methods if it wants to boost

repeat custom.

4. It would be a good idea to sell holidays to locations which other promoters

have ignored.

5. SunTours has been disadvantaged by its approach in the past.

6. In certain locations, SunTours may be able to negotiate more favourable

contracts.

7. There is an alternative to discount holidays that would be more satisfactory

for SunTours' customers.

PART TWO

· Read the article below about the importance of human resource (HR)

management.

· Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps.

· For each gap (8-12), mark one letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet.

· Do not use any letter more than once.

Human resource management

It is nearly a century since the car manufacturer Henry Ford said, 'You can

destroy my factories and offices, but give me my people and I will build the

business right back up again.' In the light of this statement, it is odd that people

management has taken so many years to move up the agenda. But a few business

theorists are beginning to argue that managing people well can add more to the

bottom line than anything else.

Mike Manzotti, a leading American author in this area, has strong views about

the growing importance of human resources in today's business world. (8) . A

company with high **mitment, for example, has an asset that its rivals find hard to

copy. Research in Britain would appear to support this notion. A recent business

school survey into the performance of eight multinationals found that people

management could be the most decisive factor in a company's performance.

Another study indicated the same thing in medium-sized manufacturing

firms. (9) . After all, how can an organisation evaluate **mitment of its staff?

For this reason, the researcher George Hessenberg argues that a scientific

approach is needed. He feels that when HR professionals suggest changing an

organisation's compensation structure or being more selective in recruiting, they

are asking for things that require resources. (10) .

Some new approaches are emerging that attempt to do just that, including the

scheme devised by consultants Couze Jordan. The scheme, which **munication,

recruitment, and use of resources, predicts that significant improvements in these

areas achieve an increase in shareholder value of up to 30 per cent.

Another programme, launched by James Lester, an independent human

resources expert, approaches the problem from a perspective that is designed to

appeal to a wide range of managers. (11) . Both, he argues, involve appropriate

decisions being made about the allocation of resources within a particular budget.

Lester's expertise enables him to carry out an organisational audit for his

clients to identify which areas of HR are in most need of improvement. This is

because there is no point in businesses spending large amounts without knowing

if the investment is worthwhile. (12) . Lester's advice, however, is **panies to

think twice before hiring people, since it is vital they assess whether they are

getting value for money.

A But the findings are inconclusive because of the difficulty of collecting

reliable evidence.

B He argues that the role of a skilled, motivated and flexible workforce has

become more significant as traditional sources of competitive advantage diminish.

C For example, a common mistake is to spend a fortune on recruitment to

cover up for deficiencies in training.

D However, most leading experts in the field believe that there is sufficient

evidence to support this model of workplace dynamics.

E He compares the positive use of human resources to effective fund

management, as this is something that senior executives can relate to.

F He believes, however, that the only way they will gain approval for these

potentially expensive initiatives is to have some data that demonstrates positive

financial benefits.

G In the light of this statement, it is odd that people management has taken

so many years to move up the agenda.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

PART THREE

· Read the article below **mon problems affecting mergers, and the questions

on the opposite page.

· For each question (13-18), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer

Sheet.

Achieving a successful merger

However attractive the figures may look on paper, in the long run the success

or failure of a merger depends on the human factor. When the agreement has

been signed and the accountants have departed, the real problems may only just

be beginning. If there is a culture clash between the **panies in the way their

people work, then all the efforts of the financiers and lawyers to strike a deal may

have been in vain.

According to Chris Bolton of KS Management Consultants, 70% of mergers fail

to live up to their promise of shareholder value, not through any failure in

economic terms but because the integration of people is unsuccessful. Corporates,

he explains, concentrate their efforts before a merger on legal, technical and

financial matters. They employ a range of experts to obtain the most favourable

contract possible. But even at these early stages, people issues must be taken into

consideration. The strengths and weaknesses of both organisations should be

assessed and, if it is a merger of equals, then careful thought should be given to

which personnel, from which side, should take on the key roles.

This was the issue in 2001 when' the proposed merger between two **panies

promised to create one of the largest players in the industry. For **panies the

merger was intended to reverse falling market share and shareholder value.

However, although **panies' skill bases **patible, the chief executives of the

**panies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation. This

illustrates the need to compromise if a merger is to take place.

But even in mergers that do go ahead, there can be culture dashes. One way

to avoid this is to work with focus groups to see how employees view the existing

culture of their organisation. In one example, where two global organisations in

the food sector were planning to merge, focus groups discovered that **panies

displayed very different profiles. One was sales-focused, knew exactly what it

wanted to achieve and pushed initiatives through. The other got involved in

lengthy discussions, trying out options methodically and making contingency

plans. The first responded quickly to changes in the marketplace; the second took

longer, but the option it eventually chose was usually the correct one. **pany's

approach would have worked for the other.

The answer is not to adopt **pany's approach, or even to try to incorporate

every aspect of both organlsations, but to create a totally new culture. This means

taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can

accept. Or almost everyone. Inevitably there will be those who cannot adapt to a

different culture. Research into the impact of mergers has found **panies .with

differing management styles are the ones that need to work hardest at creating a

new culture.

Another tool that can help to get the right cultural mix is intercultural analysis.

This involves carrying out research that looks at the culture of a company and the

business culture of the country in which it is based. It identifies how people,

money and time are managed in a company, and investigates the business

customs of the country and how its politics, economics and history impact on the

way business is done.

13. According to the text, mergers can encounter problems when

A. contracts are signed too quickly.

B. experts cannot predict accurate figures.

C. conflicting attitudes cannot be resolved.

D. staff are opposed to the terms of the deal.

14. According to Chris Bolton, what do many organisations do in preparation

for a merger?

A. ensure their interests are represented

B. give reassurances to shareholders

C. consider the effect of a merger on employees

D. analyse the varying strengths of their staff

15. The proposed merger of two pharmaceutical groups failed because

A. major shareholders were opposed.

B. there was a-fall in the demand for their products.

C. there were **bining their areas of expertise.

D. an issue of personal rivalry could not be resolve

16. According to the text, focus groups can **panies to

A. develop new initiatives.

B. adopt contingency plans.

C. be decisive and react rapidly.

D. evaluate how well matched they ar

17. Creating a new culture in a newly merged organisation means that

A. management styles become more flexible.

B. there is more chance of the merger working.

C. staff will find it more difficult to adapt to the changes.

D. successful elements of the original organisations are lost.

18. According to the text, intercultural analysis will show

A. what kind of benefits a merger can lead to.

B. how the national context affects the way a company is run.

C. how long it will take for a company culture to develop.

D. what **panies should make before a merger takes plac

PART FOUR

· Read the article below about a bank with a reputation for excellence.

· Choose the best word or phrase to fill each gap from A, B, C or D on the

opposite page.

· For each question (19-33), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer

Sheet.

The bank with ideas

with several hundred years of history behind it, the APL Bank has few

problems in convincing businesses that it is a reputable and secure (19) of a

range of banking services. Now, it is demonstrating to business customers that it is

flexible and responsive enough to (20) their changing needs in the 21st century.

Based in London, APL offers banking services to businesses throughout the UK

via its branch (21) . Most customer service provision is (22) out by personal

account managers based in local branches, together with (23) staff at company

headquarters.

An important (24) for APL has been to make it easy for customers

to (25) business with the bank. They can contact their account manager by direct

line or email; if the manager is on holiday, a carefully chosen colleague becomes

the 'account contact' and (26) with the customer during the manager's (27) .

In addition, for those who want (28) to their bank at any time of day or night

there is now a 24-h0ur phone-based service.

In order to **petitive and build customer loyalty, the bank guarantees to turn

around urgent loan (29) within 24 hours. This focus on the customer has also

been a driving (30) in APL's recruitment and development policy. For example,

newly inducted staff (31) a 'customer service review' to find out what it is like to

be on the other side of the desk, asking to borrow money.

Together, these (32) in banking have achieved excellent results. The

customer (33) is growing fast, and last year the bank gained 36,000 new

business accounts.

19.

A. producer B. supplier

C. provider D. giver

20.

A. achieve B. reach

C. meet D. assist

21.

A. system B. web

C. grid D. network

22.

A. taken B. brought

C. carried D. put

23.

A. aid B. support

C. guidance D. backing

24.

A. objective B. purpose

C. direction D. scheme

25.

A. do

C. make

26.

A. copes

C. handles

27.

A. vacancy

C. absence

28.

D. have

B. arranges

D. deals

B. departure

D. retirement

B. run

A. access B. entrance

C. approach D. opening

29.

A. demands B. applications

C. proposals D. orders

30.

A. power B. strength

C. force D. pressure

31.

A. take over B. go through

C. set down D. put up

32.

A. innovations B. adaptations