BEC中级第二辑阅读真题及问题详解
1 the contact between coach and employee not solving all difficulties at work
2 the discussion of how certain situations could be better handled if they occur again
3 a coach encouraging an employee to apply what has been taught to routine work situations
4 coaching providing new interest to individuals who are unhappy in their current positions
5 coaching providing a supportive environment to discuss performance
6 employees being asked to analyse themselves and practise greater self-awareness
7 coaching enabling a company to respond rapidly to a lack of expertise in a certain area
Coaching
A
Coaching involves two or more people sitting down together to talk through issues that have come
up recently at work, and analysing how they were managed and how they might be dealt with
more effectively on subsequent occasions. Coaching thus transfers skills and information from one
person to another in an on-the-job situation so that the work experience of the coach is used to
advise and guide the individual being coached. It also allows successes and failures to be
evaluated in a non-threatening atmosphere.
B
Coaching means influencing the learner's personal development, for example his or her confidence
and ambition. It can take place any time during an individual's career. Coaching is intended to
assist individuals to function more effectively, and it is a powerful learning model. It begins where
skills-based training ends, and helps individuals to use formally learnt knowledge in day-to-day
work and management situations. Individuals being coached are in a demanding situation with
their coach, which requires them to consider their own behaviour and question their reasons for
doing things.
C
The coach professionally assists the career development of another individual, outside the normal
manager/subordinate relationship. In theory, the coaching relationship should provide answers to
every problem, but in practice it falls short of this. However, it can provide a
space for discussion
and feedback on topics such as people management and skills, behaviour patterns, confidence-building and time management. Through coaching, an organisation can meet skills
shortages, discuss targets and indicate how employees should deal with challenging situations, all
at short notice.
D
Effective coaches are usually those who get satisfaction from the success of others and who give
time to the coaching role. Giving people coaching responsibilities can support their development,
either by encouraging management potential through small-scale one-to-one assignments, or by
providing added job satisfaction to managers who feel they are stuck in their present jobs. A coach
is also a confidential adviser, accustomed to developing positive and effective approaches to
complex management, organisational and change problems.
这篇文章讲的是培训（coaching）的作用。培训对一个公司的发展和员工的成长都是至
关重要的。文章的内容比较泛，但是题目的答案比较明显。
第一题，教练和员工之间的接触不能解决工作中的所有困难。答案是C段的这么一句：
In theory, the coaching relationship should provide answers to every problem, but in practice it
falls short of this.理论上，培训可以提供所有问题的答案。但是实践中达不到这样。Fall short
of是关键词。
第二题，讨论某些情况如果再度出现的话怎么样可以处理的更好。答案是A段的这么
一句：analysing how they were managed and how they might be dealt with more effectively on
subsequent occasions.分析应该如何进行处理并且在接下来的情况下怎样可以处理的更有效。
这里的dealt with more effectively对应于题干中的better handled，on subsequent occasions.也
就是occur again。
第三题，教练鼓励员工将所学应用到日常的工作中。答案是B段的这么一句：helps individuals to use formally learnt knowledge in day-to-day work and management situations.帮助
个人将学到的正式知识用在日常工作和管理情况下。这里的day-to-day work and management
situations就是题干中的routine work situations，what has been taught也就是formally learnt
knowledge。
第四题，培训为在现有岗位上不高兴的个人提供了新的兴趣。答案是D段的这么一句：
providing added job satisfaction to managers who feel they are stuck in their present jobs。对感觉
自己在现有岗位上受困的经理们提供附加的工作满足感。这里的stuck in their present jobs就
是题干中的unhappy in their current position，added job satisfaction可以对应于题干中的new
interest。
第五题，培训提供了一个有力的、支持性的讨论工作表现的环境。答案是A段的：It also allows successes and failures to be evaluated in a non-threatening atmosphere.它允许成功和失败
在一个没有威胁的气氛下被评估。成功和失败也就是performance，supportive environment 可以对应于non-threatening atmosphere。
第六题，员工被要求分析他们自己并且培养出更强的自知。有必要理解下self-awareness 的含义，不能简单的从中文理解成自我意识，看英文解释：knowledge and understanding of yourself。所以答案是B段的这么一句：requires them to consider their own behaviour and
question their reasons for doing things.要求他们考虑自己的行为并且思考这么做的理由。
consider their own behaviour可以对应于题干中的analyse themselves，思考这么做的理由也是
为了进一步增进对自己的认识。
第七题，培训可以使得公司对某个领域的技术缺失迅速做出反应。答案是C段的最后
一句：indicate how employees should deal with challenging situations, all at short notice.指出员
工怎样处理有挑战性的情况，在短时间内。At short notice是一接到通知就，短时间内的意
思,可以对应这一题的respond rapidly，challenging situations可以指代题干中的a lack of
expertise in a certain area.
BUFFET ZONE
Lucy Robertson started working at a takeaway 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 ￡6m.
She had never planned to own a business, and had certainly never considered a career in catering.
(0)... ... . 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 loyalty 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 ￡700,000 to ￡l .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-capitalised 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.
《Buffet Zone》，自助餐区域，在这篇文章里的意思应该是自助餐领域，讲的是一个在自助餐领域取得了惊人成绩的杰出女性创业的故事。这套题目不难，尤其比起第四辑的题目。文章本身有很清晰的故事发展脉络，选项和原文的对应也比较明显。文章的几个段落是按照时间先后、故事发生的先后进行的，很明确。第一段是总括，第二段是讲的创业起步阶段的一些困难以及应对困难的对策，第三段是公司好转后的办公室重置（relocation），第四、五
段是公司的竞争情况，最后一段总结。
第八题，前面说一时冲动她买下了这个外卖餐馆（takeaway），事实上那个时候她对餐
饮业一无所知。空格后面说的是这段时间很困难，但是对获得所需要的经验却是很有必要的。所以第八题的空格部分应该填入跟学习、积累经验有关的内容。D选型最吻合，It was a dramatic learning curve，这里的learning是关键词，很明显的答案信号。还有very small amounts
of money were earned at first，at first也是关键词。
第九题，空格前面说large numbers of office workers wanting takeaway food for their lunches，大量的办公室员工需要外卖食品做午饭，这里的wanting是个很关键的词。空格
后
面话锋一转，说曾经一度5公里内有26家食品商店，但是经济转变了，一条街都空了（blocks started to become vacant）。从上下文来分析，第九空的内容应该和办公室员工的外卖需求有
关，同时带有转折意思。C选项完全符合这一条件：但是这种需求是短暂的，不久，逐渐增长的竞争使得赢得利润变得更加困难。
第十题，上文说经济形势转变了，所以Robertson决定从事多样化的经营。后面说这种
做法永远的改变了公司的经营方式。所以第十空应该填入相应的对策，怎么样来应对经济形势的转变。符合这一条件的是B和E，都是关于解决问题的，但是B选项所说的招募竞争
对手的餐厅经理在上下文内容中没有提到。应该选D，为商业大厦送饭，正好对应下一段所说的。
第十一题，这一题才应该选B，前面说竞争对手给自己造成了很大的困扰。但是
Robertson却不是那么容易屈服的人。后面说部分原因是这个，营业额翻倍了。所以中间应该也是填入对策。和竞争对手有关的，所以应该选B，B的particular是个关键词，rival company
也很明显。
第十二题，前面说Robertson想收购一个竞争对手，但是没成功，结果人家公司自己破
产倒闭了。后面来了一个many accepted，可以看出这中间应该填入的是人家公司破产后Robertson的一些举措。F满足这一条件：一听到这些，Robertson马上联系他们的客户并且
提供了自己公司的服务。
1、buffet: a meal at which people serve themselves from a table and then stand or sit
somewhere else to eat 自助餐
2、takeaway
a、a restaurant that cooks and sells food that you take away and eat somewhere else 外卖餐
馆
b、a meal that you buy at this type of restaurant 外卖的饭菜；外卖食物
3、in retrospect: thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it
from the one you had at the time 回顾
4、under-capitalised: (about a business) not having enough money (capital) to be able to
operate normally, pay debts and grow 资金不足。
5、Instead, she studied accountancy after leaving university, and a steady if unspectacular
professional path seemed set.
这个句子里if的用法比较少见，参见朗文的解释：used when adding one criticism of a person or thing that you generally like
e.g: Lunch was a grand if rather noisy affair.
所以G选项的意思就是：然而，离开大学后她学的是会计，一个平淡无奇的职业道路
似乎已经铺就。
HOW TO MARKET YOURSELF
We manage our own careers now. So knowing how to brand and position yourself in the market as
'Me plc' at different stages of your working life is becoming an increasingly vital skill. At least
that is what image expert Mary Spillane believes. 'Employment as we know it is decreasing. Jobs
don't exist, work exists. In the next decade most of us will be suppliers, not staff. We will have
clients not bosses. If you are under 30, you probably know that there is only one firm to join for
life: Me plc. It promotes you and your potential to others.'
'We're working in multi-national, multicultural, multi-corporate teams and it's important to
understand the implications of this. We need to create a personal brand that is unique, but
complements the brand of the corporation we are working for. You have to find a way to do it so
that you are not just a typical employee,' advises Spillane. 'You have to decide what central values
you want to project, and also what may need to alter from situation to situation.' Many people only remember Mary Spillane for the years she spent running a cosmetics company,
but she actually has masters degrees in information science and politics. She used to hide that
hard-hitting side, but is now eager to show it and forget about cosmetics. 'Now that I'm working in
the boardrooms of major plcs and global companies, I'm playing up my degrees and management
background so that the image side is seen only as an addition to the value side,' says Spillane.
Some contracts take longer than others. 'The City law firms I'm currently working for are really
difficult because they don't have any idea of what their brand should be, and are still very
traditional even when talking about becoming modern. I'm showing them how to do everything
from changing their reception areas -which tend to be very off-putting with their high-fronted
reception desks - to how to make small talk that is less formal and rigid. Companies rebrand
themselves all the time, spending millions on new office interiors and so on. But without an
underlying change of attitudes, it can prove an empty exercise.'
She argues that for individuals too, there must be more than a surface change, as
rebranding goes
deeper than a mere change of wardrobe. Beyond advice on appearance, she tells clients, 'Remind
yourself of what you are selling: the personal values that comprise your brand. Learn to present
yourself in a way that will project what you want to deliver. Lifelong learning is essential, together
with the sort of discovery and adventure that promote personal growth. Always have an
up-to-the-minute CV ready to print out, refreshing it every few months with your most recent
achievements, just to remind others of your brand value.'
She believes it is essential that you understand both your public self and your private self, as well
as your blind spots and your potential, in order to create an effective brand. The public self is the
image you project to the world, the private self is what you know about yourself but others don't,
arid blind spots are those things that others see about you but you can't see for yourself. By
deciding what image you want other people to see, emphasising more of your private self and
sorting out a few blind spots, you will increase not only your potential to influence others, but also
your self-esteem and self-confidence.'
13 In the first paragraph, Mary Spillane says people should learn how to market themselves
because
A it encourages companies to give them a job for life.
B in the future it will be a company requirement.
C in many careers it is becoming difficult to succeed.
D it will help them adapt to developments in the job market.
14 Spillane says that, when creating a personal brand, it is important to
A change things depending on the circumstances.
B decide what image people would like you to present.
C make sure that colleagues feel at ease with your image.
D follow the example of someone in the company you work for.
15 What do we learn about Spillane in the third paragraph?
A She is embarrassed about her career with a cosmetics company.
B She doesn't like talking about her academic background.
C She has qualifications many people are unaware of.
D She worries about how other people see her.
16 Which problem does Spillane refer to when talking about the companies she is presently
working with?
A They find it difficult to accept her ideas.
B They are unaware of how to rebrand themselves.
C They don't want to spend large amounts of money.
D They are unwilling to modernise their work environment.
17 When advising people on rebranding themselves, Spillane tells them to
A attend courses to gain specialist skills.
B update regularly their written proof of what they can do.
C try out different ways of presenting themselves to others.
D remember that what they look like is the most important point.
18 Spillane says that, in order to rebrand yourself successfully, it is important to
A ask for other people's opinions about your image.
B feel confident about what you are trying to achieve.
C learn how to make use of all aspects of your character.
D model yourself on people with a certain amount of influence.
《How to market yourself》，怎样开发你自己。这篇文章主要是一个专家（Mary Spillane）对个人在职业生涯中的一些建议，包括怎么定位、怎样正确认识自己等等。很实用很中肯的一篇文章。看来这国外的专家并不也是夸夸其谈之辈啊。
13题，问第一段Mary Spillane认为人们应该学会开发他们自己的原因是什么。第一段
里这个专家认为就业机会在减少，job不存在了，存在的是work，在未来十年所有人都将成为才华和能力的提供者（supplier），而不是员工（staff），老板将变成自己的客户。从专家的
这段话可以看出她认为人们应该学会开发自己的原因是适应就业市场的发展，也就是D答
案所说的。A在原文没有提到，B的理解有误，原文说there is only one firm to join for life: Me
plc。生活中只有一个值得加入的公司：自我公司。这句的意思还是说人们要学会开发自己，而不是将来有公司需要。C在原文中也没有提到。
14题，问在创造个人品牌的时候，很重要的是什么。答案是第二段的最后一句：You have to decide what central values you want to project, and also what may need to alter from situation
to situation.你必须决定自己要建立的中心价值什么，同时还有哪些是需要随着环境的改变而
改变的。A的表述正确，根据环境来改变事情。B不对，不是说决定人们想要你呈现的形象，而是自己决定自己想要建立的中心价值。C、D在原文都没有提到。
15题，问第三段可以了解到Spillane的什么事。第三段介绍说这个女人曾经经营过一家
化妆品公司，但其实她还拥有信息科学和政治的硕士学位。当在化妆品公司的时候她试图把学历的一面深藏不露，但是现在换了一家公司，她迫不及待的想将这一面给展现出来。从这些可以看出这个女人的思路：需要哪一面就表现哪一面。15题的答案是C：她拥有的素质
很多人都不知道。A不对，没有提到尴尬，B不对，在适当的时候才会去谈论自己的学历背景，D在原文也没有提到。
16题，问Spillane指出了现在工作公司的什么问题。答案是第四段的这么一句：they don't have any idea of what their brand should be, and are still very traditional even when talking about
becoming modern.对于自己的品牌应该是怎么样的他们没有任何概念，同时在谈到变得现代时依然很传统。这一段是讲这个公司在转变时的一些问题，他们投入了巨大的财力想重新树立自己的品牌，但是没有一个深层次的态度的转变，是很难有实效的。答案是B，不知如何重新树立自己的品牌。A不对，没有说不愿意接受，C不对，公司投入巨大，D不对，不是
不愿意现代化，而不知道怎么现代化，说要现代化还是显得很传统。
17题，问对于想要重新树立自己品牌的个人，Spillane的建议是什么。答案是第五段的
最后一句：Always have an up-to-the-minute CV ready to print out, refreshing it every few months
with your most recent achievements时刻要有一个准备打印的最新的简历，每隔几个月用你最
新的成绩来更新一次。总结起来就是B选项所说的“固定更新关于自己能做什么的书面证明”。
18题，问为了能成功的重新树立自己的个人品牌，很重要的是什么。最后一段强调了
人应该了解自己的几个方面：公我（public self）、私我（private self）、盲点和潜力,并且分别
介绍了四种方面的含义。答案是这么一句，需要提炼总结：By deciding what image you want other people to see, emphasising more of your private self and sorting out a few blind spots。更多
的强调私我，并且挑选出一些盲点。总结起来就是B所说的：学会怎样全面利用自己性格
的各个方面。
理解一下D选项一个词组的含义：model yourself on(after) somebody：to try to be like someone else because you admire them
这篇文章其实并不难，但是很有实用价值。某些地道的商务英语表述可以用在口语里，
而更具意义的是，这篇文章里提到了一些关于个人职业的建议，很中肯，值得人参考。
1、jobs don't exist, work exists. In the next decade most of us will be suppliers, not staff. We
will have clients not bosses.这是一种比较新颖的工作观，不应该把自己看做是给老板打
工的。每个人都是自己的老板，出售自己的才学和能力，老板只是自己的客户。有了这
样的心态，人在工作中就会变得积极主动。不过有一点，客户的质量一定要好好把握啊
2、You have to decide what central values you want to project, and also what may need to
alter from situation to situation.树立属于自己的品牌，并且相机而动。
3、Remind yourself of what you are selling: the personal values that comprise your brand.
Learn to present yourself in a way that will project what you want to deliver.一个企业要想
立足商界需要核心价值，同样的，一个人要立足社会也需要核心价值。关键在于你如何
定位自己。找准了定位，就不会迷失方向。
Planning
In any planning system, from the simplest budgeting to the most complex corporate planning,
there is an annual process. This is partly due to the fact that firms (19).......their accounting on a
yearly (20)......., but also because similar (21)....... often occur in the market. Usually, the larger the firm, the longer the planning takes. But typically, planning for next year
may start nine months or more in advance, with various stages of evaluation leading to (22)....... of
the complete plan three months before the start of the year.
Planning continues, however, throughout the year, since managers (23) ....... progress against
targets, while looking forward to the next year. What is happening now will (24)....... the
objectives and plans for the future.
In today's business climate, as markets constantly change and become more difficult to (25)....... ,
some analysts believe that long-term planning is pointless. In some markets they may be right, as
long as companies can build the sort of flexibility into their (26).......which allows them to
(27).......to any sudden changes.
Most firms, however, need to plan more than one year ahead in order to (28).......their long-term
goals. This may reflect the time it takes to commission and build a new production plant, or, in
marketing (29)....... , it may be a question of how long it takes to research and launch a range of
new products, and reach a certain (30)....... in the market. If, for example, it is going to take five
years for a particular airline to become the (31)....... choice amongst business travellers on certain
routes, the airline must plan for the various (32)....... involved.
Every one-year plan, therefore, must be (33)....... in relation to longer-term plans,and it should
contain die stages that are necessary to achieve the final goals.
19 A make up B carry out C bring about D put down
20 A basis B grounds C foundation D structure
21 A distributions B guides C designs D patterns
22 A approval B permission C consent D decision
23 A value B inspect C review D survey
24 A command B prompt C influence D persuade
25 A guess B speculate C reckon D predict
26 A operations B techniques C measures D exercises
27 A answer B respond C counter D reply
28 A move B lead C develop D benefit
29 A expressions B descriptions C words D terms
30 A reputation B position C situation D influence
31 A desired B selected C preferred D supposed
32 A acts B steps C means D points
33 A handed over B drawn up C made out D written off
这篇文章是关于公司计划的（planning），做计划时的过程和需要考虑的一些因素。
全文的第一句话说公司做的决定是一个年度过程（annual process）。接下来谈到原因。
19题，make up是组成、捏造、化妆的意思，用在这里和accounting搭配不上；carry out 是执
行（to do something that needs to be organized and planned）；bring about 是带来，使发生（to
make something happen）；put down 放下，镇压。从意思上看，应该选B，carry out。
事实上，carry out accounting on …..basis是金融英语里专业且地道的说法。最常见的一
种是carry out accounting on the accrual basis 执行权责发生制。相应的，20题选basis，公司
时在一年的基础上执行会计准则的。
21题，这里需要理解上下文的含义。这一整句话仍然是在说明公司进行planning的原因。正是因为相似的模式会在市场上出现，所以公司才需要进行计划。选patterns是最符合原义
的。
22题，很明显，这里填入的词是表示批准、通过之类的，是指年前三个月完整的计划
就会被通过。从中文意思上看，A、B、C三个词都是符合的。具体看英文解释对几个词的
用法进行区分。
approval：when a plan, decision, or person is officially accepted批准，正式的eg:The president has already given his approval to the plan.
permission：when someone is officially allowed to do something允许，也是正式的eg:You must ask permission before taking any photographs inside the church. consent：permission to do something不那么正式的允许
eg:He took the car without the owner's consent.
这一题是讲的计划被批准或者通过，所以用approval。
23题，这里的前后文的意思是计划贯穿全年始终，所以经理们需要回顾过去，展望未来。
后面的looking forward to是个答案信号，相对应的前面应该选review，根据目标回顾过程。
24题比较简单，理解了句子含义不难做出选择。现在发生的事情将会影响未来的目标和
计划。选influence。
25题，从这个句子来看，填入的词是应该可以直接和market搭配的。Predict the market 是商英里地道常见的用法，市场预测。
26题，往他们的操作中增加一点灵活性，这样可以对突然发生的变化做出反应。Operation: the work or activities done by a business or organization, or the process of doing this work.
27题，respond to 对…..做出反应。
28题，为了开发公司的长期目标，需要一年以上的时间来计划。从意思和用法上，只能
选择develop。
29题，in market terms 用市场术语来说。固定用法。
30题，position in the market，市场上的地位。前面已经暗示了这里要用市场术语来表述，
position in the market就是固定表达（positioning is that exclusive space your brand owns in the
marketplace. It's relevant and compelling to your customers, and different from your competitors.）
31题，只需要理解preferred的意思：首选的
32题，想让这个航空公司成为特定路线上商务旅客的首选，必须先计划好相关的步骤。
按步骤来拟定计划，最后才能成功，所以选step。
33题，需要理解四个词组的含义。
hand over: to give something to someone with your hand, especially because they have asked
for it or should have it.交出
draw up: to prepare a written document, such as a list or contract起草（draw up plans/proposal）
e.g: He was asked to draw up proposals for reforming the law
make out:
to be just able to see or hear something 看见或听见
to understand something, especially the reason why something has happened理解
write off:
to write a letter to a company or organization asking them to send you goods or information写信寄出
to decide that someone or something is useless, unimportant, or a failure 注销 to officially say that a debt no longer has to be paid, or officially accept that you cannot get
back money you have spent or lost 勾销
1 Sometimes it is necessary to insist on further explanation.
2 You shouldn't focus on your response while others are still speaking.
3 People are reluctant to admit that they don't listen well.
4 There are benefits in seeing things from the speaker's perspective.
5 Keen observation of the speaker can support our listening skills.
6 It is risky to think about a different issue while someone is speaking.
7 People do not mind hearing their own views summarised.
Good listener, better manager
A
Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our
hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened
carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven't quite understood what someone meant
when they were talking to us. Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know
how hard it is to remember - despite the benefit of notes - exactly what everyone said. But success
depends on getting things right - and that means listening.
B
Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effortless activity. It demands attention and
concentration. It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification - it
is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong. However, if you allow
your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what the speaker is
saying - probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical. And not having
heard, you won't know you've missed anything until it's too late.
C
The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the
subject long before the other speaker has finished. We then stop listening. Even worse, this often
adds rudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you
will interrupt to say it. Good listeners don't interrupt. In fact it is often worth explaining the main
idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is
offended by this and it shows that you have listened well.
D
Above all be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators. It's helpful to
remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal
a great deal about what they are saying. Equally importantly you should put yourself in the other
person's place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they are
getting at and form a response. But don't be too clever. Faced with a know-all, many people keep
quiet because they see no point in continuing.
这篇文章讲的是倾听（listening）的重要性。一个好的管理者必然是一个好的倾听者，
所以要讲究倾听的艺术。
第一题，有时坚持进一步的解释是很有必要的。答案是B段的这么一句：It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification - it is always better to ask than
to continue regardless and get things wrong它可能意味着为了进一步的信息和说明去询问说
话的人——问总比不顾情况的继续并且把事情办错的好。这里的additional information 对应
于further explanation.
第二题，不能在别人还在说的时候就开始关注自己的回应。答案是C段的第一句：The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject
long before the other speaker has finished。我们最常见的坏习惯就是在讲话者远还没结束的时
候就开始思考我们将对这个话题说些什么。这里的before the other speaker has finished 就是
others are still speaking，focus on your response就是start thinking of what we are going to say
about the subject。
第三题，人们不愿意承认自己没有听好。答案是A段的第一句：Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of
the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened carefully enough。我们经常指责别
人没有好好听，假装我们自己是无可指责的，其实在我们心里知道，很多我们所犯的错误都是由于听的不够仔细。这句的意思就是说我们心里知道什么原因，但是口头上喜欢指责别人。也就是第三题题干说的不愿意承认。
第四题，从说话者的视角去考虑问题是有好处的。答案是D段的这么一句：Equally importantly you should put yourself in the other person's place, both intellectually and
emotionally。同样重要的是你必须把自己置于别人的位置上，既是智力上的也是情感上的。
这里的put yourself in other person’s place就是seeing things from the speaker’s perspective。
第五题，对说话者的敏锐观察可以提高倾听技巧。答案是D段的这么一句：It's helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal
a great deal about what they are saying。记住说话人的移动方式和姿势是很有用的，这些可以
揭示出很多他们所说话的信息。连说话的姿势都要记住，当然是keen observation了，helpful
可以对应于support。
第六题，当别人在说话的时候去想着另外一件事是很危险的。答案是B段的这么一句：
if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what
the speaker is saying如果你让自己走神了，哪怕是仅有的几分钟，你也将错过别人所说的话。
allow your mind wander onto something else也就是think about a different issue. 第七题，人们不介意听到他们自己的观点被总结。答案是C段的这么一句：In fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make
your own points. Nobody is offended by this事实上在作出自己观点之前往往很值得解释下刚
刚所听到内容的主要观点。没有人会被这个所冒犯。explaining the main idea of what you have
just been told也就是hearing their own views summarised。do not mind也就是nobody is
offended by this。
Finding the right people
When a small company grows, managers must take on many new roles. Besides the day-to-day
running of the business, they find themselves responsible for, among other things, relations with
outside investors, increased levels of cashflow and, hardest of all, recruitment. For most managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, the job of searching for, interviewing
and selecting staff is difficult and time-consuming. (0) ... .G... . Interviewing, for example, is a
highly skilled activity in itself.
'We have found the whole process very hard,' says Dan Baker, founding partner of a PR company.
'In seven years we have grown from five to eighteen staff, but we have not found it easy to locate
and recruit the right people.' (8).........As Dan Baker explains, 'We went to one for our first
recruitment drive, but they took a lot of money in advance and didn't put forward anybody suitable.
In the end we had to do it ourselves.'
Most recruitment decisions are based on a pile of CVs, a couple of short interviews and two
cautious references. David Rowe, a business psychologist, studied how appointments were made
in five small companies. He claims that selection was rarely based on clear criteria.
(9).........
This kind of approach to recruitment often has unhappy consequences for both employers and new
recruits.
Small companies often know what kind of person they are looking for. (10)......... According to
David Rowe, this means that small company managers themselves have to devote more time and
energy to recruitment. It shouldn't be something that is left to the evenings or weekends.
Many companies start the recruitment process with over-optimistic ideas about the type of person
that will fit into their team. 'It's very easy to say you must have the best people in the top
positions,' says Alex Jones, managing partner of an executive recruitment company. 'But someone
who is excellent in one company may not do so well in another environment.(11).........You can
never guarantee a successful transfer of skills.'
Whatever the candidate's qualifications, their personal qualities are just as important since they
will have to integrate with existing members of staff. This is where, the recruitment industry
argues, they can really help.
According to Alex Jones, 'A good recruitment agency will visit your company and ask a lot of
questions. (12).........They can ask applicants all sorts of questions you don't like to ask and present
you with a shortlist of people who not only have the skills, but who are likely to fit in with your
company's way of doing things.'
A finance director in a big company, for example, will often make a terrible small company
finance director because he or she is used to having a team doing the day-to-day jobs.
B More often than not, the people making the choice prioritised different qualities in candidates or
relied on guesswork.
C Recruitment would seem an obvious task to outsource, but the company's experience of
recruitment agencies was not encouraging.
D They need paying for that, of course, but you will have them working for you and not for the
candidate.
E They are usually in very specific markets and the problem they face is that recruitment agencies
may not really understand the sector.
F This means that companies cannot spend more than the standard ten minutes interviewing each
applicant.
G Yet few are trained and competent for all aspects of the task.
Finding the right people，寻找合适的人。是说的小公司在起步发展阶段找到合适人才的
难度和重要性。第一段总论小公司的经理们往往身兼数职，而其中最有难度的，还是招人。文章介绍了找到合适的人应该注意的问题，并且说招人这种事不可能过度寄希望于招聘机构。
第八题，这一题的前面说招人相当的困难，后面一个as Dan Baker explains，说曾经找
过招聘机构，结果人家要提前收钱并且也没有提供合适的人，最后还是得靠自己。从这里的as …explains和后面的解释可以看出，第八空的内容应该是和招聘机构有关，招聘机构并不
能满足公司的需要。选项C正好满足这一特点：招聘看起来像是个很明显的适合交外办理的任务，但是这个公司同招聘机构打交道的经历不那么的鼓舞人。was not encouraging是关
键点。
第九题，这一段都是讲招人的决策不够科学。基于简历或者是简短的面试，很少有明
确的准则。第九空的后面是This kind of approach to recruitment often has unhappy consequences。可见第九空的内容还是和招聘的方法有关，并且是负面的。B选项符合这一条件：通常（more often than not是often的意思，插入语），做决定的人将候选人身上的不
同素质按优先顺序给排好，或者依赖于猜测。
第十题，这一题的后面说this means the small company managers themselves have to devote more time and energy to recruitment。这意味着小公司自己要多花时间和精力在招人上。
这里的this means的this是个暗示，可以看出第十题这里应该填入的是一些不太有利的因素，
使得公司只有自己去招人。E选项符合这一要求：他们通常处于一些特殊市场上，面临的问题是招聘机构并不真正理解这一行业。
第十一题，这一段是讲招的人能否适应公司的环境的问题。这一空前面说的很明确：
But someone who is excellent in one company may not do so well in another environment。在一
个公司出色的人并不一定能在另一个环境里干的好。这一空的后面一句也是补充说明这一观点的。可见第十一空的内容仍然是这个，没有转折。A选项填入正好，是举例说明11空前面的观点：比方说，一个大公司的财务总监在小公司往往会干的很糟糕，原因是他或她已经习惯有一个团队来进行每日的工作。
第十二题，最后一段是和招聘机构相关的。前面说招聘机构会上门服务并且询问很多
的问题。这一空的后面说的是招聘机构如何帮助招人。选项D可以填入，D的They need paying for that的that是个暗示，指代前面的上门服务。D选项的后半部分说要让招聘公司
为你而不是为候选人服务，可以和这一段的后半部分对应上。
Department Store Magic
For most of the 20th century Smithson's was one of Britain's most successful department stores,
but by the mid-1990s, it had become dull. Still profitable, thanks largely to a series of successful
advertising campaigns, but decidedly boring. The famous were careful not to be seen there, and its
sales staff didn't seem to have changed since the store opened in 1908. Worst of all, its customers
were buying fewer and fewer of its own-brand products, the major part of its business, and
showing a preference for more fashionable brands.
But now all this has changed, thanks to Rowena Baker, who became Smithson's first woman Chief
Executive three years ago. Since then, while most major retailers in Britain have been losing
money, Smithson's profits have been rising steadily. When Baker started, a lot of improvements
had just been made to the building, without having any effect on sales, and she took the bold
decision to invite one of Europe's most exciting interior designers to develop the fashion area, the
heart of the store. This very quickly led to rising sales, even before the goods on display were
changed. And as sales grew, so did profits.
Baker had ambitious plans for the store from the start. 'We're playing a big game, to prove we're
up there with the leaders in our sector, and we have to make sure people get that message.
Smithson's had fallen behind the competition. It provided a traditional service targeted at
middle-aged, middle-income customers, who'd been shopping there for years, and the customer
base was gradually contracting. Our idea is to sell such an exciting variety of goods that everyone
will want to come in, whether they plan to spend a little or a lot.' Baker's vision for the store is
clear, but achieving it is far from simple. At first, many employees resisted her improvements
because they just wouldn't be persuaded that there was anything wrong with the way they'd always
done things, even if they accepted that the store had to overtake its competitors. It took many long
meetings, involving the entire workforce, to win their support. It helped when they