BEC中级2002真题2.doc

2002真题2PART ONEQuestions 1 8l Look at the sentences below and at the five items of company news from a business magazine on the opposite page .l Which new item (A, B, C ,D or E) dose each statement 1 8 refer to ?l For each statement ! 8 , make one letter(A, B, C ,D or E) on your Answer Sheet .l You will need to use some of these letters more than once .Example :0 Someone has left a competitor to join this company.0A B C D E1 Someone is moving from one firm to its parent company . 2 It is rumoured that someone was asked to leave this company .3 This company is trying to halt the decline in sales of one of its products .4 One of the founders of this company has left .5 There is a plan to change the image of a section of this company .6 For the first time , this company has taken over a foreign company .7 One of the staff of this company has no clear function .8 This company used to be headed by two people .AWestern Media Western Media has drafted in Carol Spencer, the top marketer in its radio subsidiary, to beits first marketing director and give its Music & Sports Magazines division a major revamp . She will take charge of a portfolio of six titles, and plans to give the division a new identity, replacing its current, very functional name with a more emotionally involving one . Spencer also intends to develop a TV or radio show based on one of its magazines , in an attempt to reverse its flagging sales figures.BFranklinsUK furniture manufacturer Franklins has parted company with its marketing director Gary Parker . Franklins refused to comment as to whether he left of his own accord, although sources hint that this was not the case . His replacement , Julia Howell , previously his number two , has been a successful marketer since she starter her own marketing consultancy twenty years ago .Her task now is to regain Franklins former position as UK market leader: although sales have held steady , in percentage terms the company has been overtaken by several rivals.CFlyway Flyway, the low-cost airline, has appointed Simon Lewis as its new head of sales and marketing to develop the brand throughout Europe. Lewis has spent his entire working life within the industry, joining from the marketing department of longtime rival Coastal Airways, where he controlled marketing activities in the UK. He will work with Teresa Campbell, who helped launch the Flyway brand . However, not only Coastal is unhappy with the appointment : Charles Walters, Flyways former controller of marketing planning , is poised to quit after being left without a role .DBDHAlan Dean,the colourful joint chief executive of media company BDH, has resigned from the company which he helped establish, citing personal issues. Shareholders and staff were informed of his decision last month. Joint chief executive officer Charles Burnett takes sole charge of the company temporarily, and has announced that there will be no change in strategy. According to insiders, Alan Deans departure is the result of a personality clash rather than disagreement on the way the company was moving , and the search is on for a replacementEGranvilleSoft drinks producer Granville has acquired an Australian producer, a departure for Granville as previously it had only shown interest in domestic purchases.As a result, Jenny Norris, formerly head of corporate development, has been promoted to the newly created position of head of international soft drinks. As such she will be responsible for developing all the groups international activities, including both marketing and acquisitions. Her move has resulted in a reshuffle of her previous department, where, instead of replacing her, the company intend to reallocate responsibilities to remaining staff .PART TWOQuestions9 14l Read the text taken from the annual report of a retail company .l Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps .l For each gap 9 14, mark one letter (A-H) on your Answer Sheet .l Do not use any letter more than once .l There is an example at the beginning .(0)During the past year, turnover increased by 6.8 per cent and profits rose by 7.5 per cent to 127.9 million . These results were achieved by a combination of improved products , new and better stores , and the commitment of the staff. During the year sales patterns fluctuated, particularly at Christmas. (0)_H_ This was , however, compensated for by advances made in most other departments of the company .The boards objective is to earn a place as a leader in the retail sector, based on achieving consistent levels of profitable growth. It is important, therefore, that we should know what people using our stores want of us.(9)_ During the past two years, we have been working hard to improve the standard of our products in both these areas. Certain key products have been subject to a thorough review, most notably menswear, where significant advances have been made in product design and manufacture.(10)_ All of these have reported an increase in market share.The company has also aimed to improve the visual appeal of its stores. A design plan has been adopted which introduces several new features such as wooden finishes on display areas, new store layouts, increased use of photographic panels and better displays.(11)_ The result is a more modern and compelling shopping experience.The introduction of state-of-the-art technology systems to support the organization has continued as planned. (12)_As part of its continuing modernisation programme , the company is also introducing new technology at its points-of-sale at an expenditure of 25 million. This investment will result in improved efficiency, better customer service and closer relationships with our suppliers.There is no doubt that, in an increasingly competitive trading environment, we are better equipped than ever to compete and to win on the strength of product quality, fashion and price all areas where the company feels increasingly optimistic. (13)_ The board believes that the groups development is being managed in a prudent manner and at an appropriate speed to produce sustainable profit growth. However, it is clear that the upward pressure on the costs as a result of our capital investments will begin to show through in the coming year. (14)_ We are therefore pleased to report that already the improved trend in sales and profit margins experienced in the second half of last year shows every sign of continuing. Example :0A B C D E F G HA These have vastly improved our operations in the areas of range planning, financial control and merchandise management.B Other areas where product innovation has been particularly effective are in lingerie, gifts and homeware.C In spite of this , we remain confident that our profitability will continue to increase.D These elements are designed to inspire customers and to create a particular look in the stores.E These commitments have already had an effect on our trading position and there are indications that there will be a slight fall in profits.F Research commissioned by the company shows that, above all else, customers expect fashion and value.G This is due to our now having a clear strategy with a focus on the customer, product improvement and store refurbishment.H One area which remained difficult throughout the year was childrens clothing.PART THREEQuestions 15 - 20l Read the following extract from a book on management and the questions on the opposite page .l For each question 15 20,mark one letter (A, B, C or D ) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. Leaders have a key role to play in developing effective organisations. They set people in the right direction, gain commitment to achieving the organisations mission and motivate them to achieve their goals. As John Klotter has written: The direction-setting aspect of leadership does not produce concrete plans; it creates visions and strategies. These describe a business, technology or corporate culture in terms of what it should become over the long term and articulate a feasible way of achieving this goal.Visionary leaders have the capacity or the gift to create or reorientate organizations towards success. In the words of Tom Peters: The vision and managers consistent, daily actions in support of it is the sea anchor, the basis for keeping people from running as the waves of change throw them to and fro. Visionary leaders are people who see and do things diffenretly. They are often outsiders, recruited into an organization, or unconventional insiders.Lets take the example of Elwyn Jones. He was the personnel director of a large conglomerate in the food industry with over 80,000 employees. The firm had grown fast by acquisition and was highly decentralized. Staff were deliberately kept to a minimum at headquarters and Jones had only four executives responsible directly to him. He was, however, also responsible for the implementation of group personnel policies in each of the divisions and on these matters the divisional personnel directors were responsible to himJones was therefore not in a position to dictate to divisions what he wanted them to do. He could only influence them, and he felt that he had to get genuine acceptance for new policies before they could be introduced. Thus he had to consult on any changes or innovations he wished to introduce and to seek co-operation on the testing of new ideas.With his headquarters staff, Jones adopted a highly informal approach. He gave them broad guidelines on how they should develop their ideas in the divisions but encouraged them to think the rigid structure of traditional meetings, he took the same approach with the divisional personnel directors and in this way the groups strategies gradually evolved.From Joness example, we can see that leadership is about achieving results through people. It happens when there is an objective to be reached or a task to be carried out, and when more than one person is needed to do it. All managers are, by definition, leaders: they can only do their job with the support of their team, who must be inspired or persuaded to follow them. Leadership is about encouraging and inspiring individuals and teams to give of their best to achieve a desired result. Leaders build up the morale of their groups, which will be high when the group is productive. They often put such groups under pressure to achieve more than they could as individuals, and so create success for the company.15 According to Johe Kotter , one of the purposes of leadership is to A introduce a more effective use of technology.B decide on the future goals of the company.C resolve conflict within an organization.D develop practical ways of implementing plans.16 Tom Peters says that a leaders visionA operates as a challenge to managers.B needs to be open to change.C encourages people to work harder.D helps provide a sense of security.17 Why didnt Elwyn Jones enforce his ideas directly?A He was occupied by various responsibilities.B Different divisions of the group were fairly independent.C He was required to focus on company growth.D Responsibility for personnel policy was above his level.18 When Elwyn Jones had new ideas, heA asked for help to experiment with them.B often failed to gain approval for them.C often changed them to make them more popular.D decided whether they followed company policy.19 Why didnt Jones have formal meetings?A He feared conflict with his colleagues.B They didnt suit the companys structure.C They didnt suit his managerial style.D He had been criticized for the way he ran them.20 The author says that leaders need toA be influenced by their teams.B create high levels of co-operation.C accept that they may be unpopular.D feel satisfied in order to be motivated.PART FOUR Questions 21 -30l Read the article below about the difficulties companies find in developing relationships with their customers.l Choose the correct word to fill each gap from (A, B, C or D) on the opposite page .l For each question 21-30,mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet .l There is an example at the beginning , (0)Keeping your customers loyalWhen it started, relationship marketing that is, developing a personal relationship with your customers to keep them loyal aroused great enthusiasm, but now it is starting to get a bad (0)_ The basic idea, however, is attractive. We all know that money invested in keeping a customer is more productive than money spent trying to (21)_customers we have lost. A good way of (22)_customers seems to be by communicating with them, and responding to the needs they (23)_through his dialogue.The trouble is that real relationship marketing is extremely difficult. Those companies that have succeeded have (24)_themselves up around the concept right from the beginning, making computers to (25)_, or shoes to fit each persons specific foot measurements, for instance.Unfortunately many would-be relationship marketers seem to (26)_their way. Some have been tricked by advisers who use the new terminology to sell old ideas. Others have simply done it badly: the very things that marketers are doing to build relationships with customers are often the things that are (27)_those relationships. Moreover, the enormous demand by companies for information about consumers is (28)_to irritation on the part of those consumers.Marketing gurus can (29)_remarkably few real-life examples of really successful relationship marketers. And there are very few companies that have a clear (30)_ about how to create good relationships with their customers no matter how obvious it might seem . Example :A name B title C label D heading0A B C D 21 A return B replace C resort D revert22 A retaining B saving C continuing D remaining23 A comment B account C relate D express24 A built B established C based D constructed25 A requirement B taste C arrangement D order26 A miss B fail C lose D waste27 A separating B messing C destroying D crashing28 A developing B leading C causing D creating29 A refer B give C put D make30 A thought B aim C idea D pointPART FIVEQuestions 31-40l Read the article below about a booklet published by a bank .l For each question 31-40, write one word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet .l There is an example at the beginning, (0) . Example A USEFUL BOOKLETFear has expressed by the managers of (0)_ number of small companies about the possibility of a downturn in the economy. As a response to this, (31)_ of the major banks is offering small businesses a free practical guide to help them (32)_ problems should occur.The booklet is about helping firms identify and cope with a changing economic climate. Each chapter of the booklet highlights a key area that a small business needs to examine and sets out a survival plan to follow, assisting businesses (33)_anticipate problems and be better prepared. The bank has published the guide as it is keen to help its customers survive and thrive no (34)_ what the climate. The guide should allow them to consider the issues facing business and to understand the way in (35)_ their customers attitudes and values are likely to change if times do get hard.(36)_the bank does not believe that we are on the verge of entering a recession, many businesses are facing a slowdown. In (37)_a climate, cashflow is crucial. Just (38)_ cars do not run without fuel, so firms do not run without cash. Clearly, managers need to know how to make the most of their cash and how to avoid running out of it .Small businesses are always on the lookout