bec中级考试阅读模拟题

2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（1）

来源：沪江【考试大：轻松考试，快乐生活！】 2011年1月19日

Confidence can make or break your career. Luckily for those lacking it, self-belief is easy to boost

(1)...........................................

―Hugely from a leadership and team perspective,‖ says Rob Yeung, a corporate psychologist at Talentspace and author of Confidence: The Art of Getting Whatever you Want.

―You must be confident for others to have confidence in you. People equate confidence with competence.‖Bob Etherington, a sales, negotiation and presentation trainer, says it can be the difference between success and failure. ―Companies aren‘t run by people who are the best but by people who think they‘re the best.‖

(2)...........................................

―Often you do need to feign confidence at first,‖ says Mr Etherington. ―You try and adopt the feeling of someone who knows what they‘re doing.‖

But, he adds, the best thing about faking confidence is that it often evolves into the real thing. ―You get a picture in your mind of the outcome you want. Athletes do it all the time – they see the ball going into the hole. Even though you don‘t really believe it, your brain latches on to it. That gets your confidence going.‖

(3)..........................................

When engaging in conversation or making presentations, Mr Etherington‘s advice is: ―Speak clearly and drop your voice, stand with your feet about 30 centimetres apart, use your hands when you talk and make eye contact.‖Peter Shaw, an executive coac h at Praesta, says that personal experiences can also help. ―Remember occasions when you have been confident in the past. Encapsulate memories of success,‖ he says. ―You could also have a mantra, like ?I can do this‘ or ?Keep calm and carry on‘. Or you can think of situations where you‘re confident outside of work and then transfer some of that into the work environment.‖

Mr Yeung says: ―Psychologists also talk about the ?illusion of transparency‘. Most people believe that when they are nervous everyone can see this. But they can‘t. Just remembering this can make you more confident.‖

(4)..........................................

Two ways to improve how you come across are to make sure you have done your homework and to show up to meetings with plenty of time to spare. ―You may not actually need to read all those pages the night before but it will boost your confidence,‖ says Mr Shaw. ―Preparation is as much psychological as practical.‖Arriving early is also a good way to collect your thoughts. ―If you arrive flustered and have to apologise, you won‘t inspire confidence in those you‘re meeting and you start on the back foot.‖

(5)...........................................

There is a fine line between self-belief and arrogance.A confident manager is grounded enough to ―accept criticism and welcome feedback‖, adds Mr Yeung.

Language Points:

1. equate 使等同

2. feign 假装

3. evolve 演变

4. encapsulate 封装

5. mantra 咒语

6. flustered 紧张的

Special Hint:

尝试模仿以下经典句式造句，为日后写优美文章做准备！

Companies aren‘t run by people who are the best but by people who think they‘re the best.

公司的管理者不是最优秀的人才，而是相信自己是最优秀的人

Exam Focus:

此题为BEC中级考试阅读真题第二部分模拟，题目要求如下：

Choose the best sentence below to fill each of the gaps. Do not use any letter more than once, and there is one letter that won‘t be used.

A How to use your confidence?

B What about faking it?

C How important is confidence?

D What can I do to build my confidence?

E How important is preparation?

F Can you be overconfident?

Oral Topic:

In what way can you boost your confidence at work？

此题为BEC考试口试task2部分模拟

相关推荐：Keys:

1、C

2、B

3、D

4、E

5、F

译文参考：

信心能影响你事业的成败。幸运的是，对缺乏自信的人来说，信心是很容易提升的。

自信有多重要？

Talentspace的企业心理学家罗布?杨(Rob Yeung)表示：―从领导力和团队的角度来看，非常重要。‖杨著有《自信：心想事成的技巧》(Confidence: The Art of Getting Whatever you Want)一书。

―你必须相信其他人对你有信心。人们将信心等同于竞争力‖。

销售、谈判和演讲培训人鲍勃?埃瑟林顿(Bob Etherington)表示，自信可以决定你成功与否。―公司的管理者不是最优秀的人才，而是相信自己是最优秀的人‖。

假装自信怎样？

埃瑟林顿表示：―通常你一开始确实需要假装自信。你要努力模仿那些胸有成竹的人的情绪。‖

但他补充称，假装自信的最佳之处在于它往往会演变成真正的自信。―你在脑海中勾画自己想要获得的结果，运动员一直是这么做的——他们在脑海中看到球落入了篮筐里。即便你并非真的相信它，你的大脑也会留下印象。这会激发你的自信‖。

我如何才能建立自信？

埃瑟林顿的建议是，当与人交谈或发表讲话时，―吐字清晰，降低音调，双脚分开约30公分，说话时运用手势，并与听众进行目光接触‖。

Praestad 的高级教练彼得?肖(Peter Shaw)表示，个人经历也能有所帮助。他表示：―记住你曾经自信满满的时刻。封装成功的记忆。你还可以给自己想个咒语，比如?我能做到‘或者?保持镇定并继续‘。或者回想起你在工作之外感到自信的场合，随后把一部分场景转变为工作环境。‖

杨表示：―心理学家也提到了?被洞悉错觉‘(illusion of transparency)。大多数人认为，当自己紧张时，所有人都会知道，但事实并非如此。只要记住这一点便可以让你更自信。‖

提前准备有多重要？

提升表现有两个办法：确保你做足功课和早到。肖表示：―你实际上可能不需要在前一天晚上阅读全部资料，但它会提升你的信心。提前准备既有心理效果，又有现实效果。‖

早到也是集中思想的好办法。―如果你慌慌张张地赶到目的地，并不得不为此道歉，那些与你会晤的人就不会对你有信心，因此你一开始就处于不利地位。‖

一个人有可能自信过头吗？

自信与傲慢之间有着细微差别。杨还补充道，一个自信的经理头脑清醒，能够―接受批评并欢迎反馈‖。

2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（2）

来源：互联网【学而优则进，考试大以成！】 2011年1月28日

Job boards are irresistible because they seemingly put everything within easy reach. Unfortunately, the majority of job hunters are competing for the same small pool of jobs and getting turned down.

More than 80% of job openings are actually unlisted, says Steven Rothberg, founder of job website https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html, in Minneapolis. This can be a good opportunity for outside candidates with research and networking skills since most companies will try to promote from within or rely on employee referrals.

（1）……………………..Keep up with what's going on in your industry. Read trade journals, follow analyst commentary and monitor the stock market for indicators showing which companies are growing, restructuring or contracting out services. Good or bad news can lead to staff changes so regularly check company websites and Facebook pages for jobs since they may not be advertised elsewhere.

Compile a list of companies that you'd like to work for and research relevant positions within those organizations. You can find job deions on career websites and industry blogs. For newly created jobs, try https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,, a site offering inside job information that is supplied by anonymous employees.

Only apply to jobs that closely fit your skills and experience, says Susan Strayer, a career coach in Washington. 'If you want to become that wildcard choice, a 30% match isn't going to cut it. You need to be as close to 100% as possible.'

(2)……………………Tap your personal network of colleagues, friends and family to find those inside connections that can forward your résumé to decision makers. If you don't have a direct line, try reaching outside of your immediate network to friends of friends, old classmates or even cold call somebody in a useful capacity who can offer inside intelligence about company culture. Don't overlook contacts working for company vendors; they are often seen by decision makers as trusted sources of referrals.

The more senior you are, the smaller the network tends to be, so join professional trade organizations and attend trade shows, conferences and seminars.

(3)…………………….Promote your availability by posting your résumé on networking websites like https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html, and on specific industry websites like https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html, or https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,, a website for educators. Emphasize unique skills on your résumé since companies will search online databases when they have specialized needs. That's how Vanessa Broaten, a teacher from Anaheim Hills, Calif., got her job after posting on several teaching websites. She was hired because of her master's in education and fluency in Spanish and Portuguese.

Follow up with employers since first hiring picks don't always work out. The same job may get reposted six months down the line. You want to be available to that employer before they post the new job.

Language Points:

1. irresistible 不可抵抗的

2. vendor 经销商

Exam Focus:

此题为BEC中级考试阅读真题第二部分模拟，题目要求如下：

Choose the best sentence below to fill each of the gaps. Do not use any letter more than once, and there is one letter that won‘t be used.

A Deeds, no words:

B Make it easy to find you:

C Look for signs:

D It's people, not paper:

Oral Topic:

What is important in finding a job？

此题为BEC考试口试task2部分模拟

Keys

1、C

2、D

3、B

译文参考：

招聘资讯似乎把对求职者的一切要求都设定得可以轻易达到，让人难以抗拒。但不幸的是，大多数求职者都只是在同一个很小的范围内竞争，从而难逃遭拒的命运。

明尼阿波利斯市(Minneapolis)求职网站https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,的创始人史蒂文?罗斯伯格(Steven Rothberg)表示，事实上，超过80%的职位空缺都是不对外公开的。这对于公司外部拥有调研和社交能力的求职者来说可能是个不错的机会，因为大多数公司都试图通过内部提拔或者依靠员工推荐来选拔人才。

留心种种迹象：密切关注你所在行业的发展动向。阅读行业期刊，跟踪分析师的评论，留意股市中表明哪些公司股票上涨、正在进行重组或者提供服务外包的信号。不论是好消息还是坏消息，都可能导致人员变化，因此要经常性地查看各公司的网站以及Facebook网站的招聘页面，因为这些招聘资讯不大可能在别的地方发布。

把你愿意为之工作的公司列一张单子，然后对公司里有关的职位做一些研究。你可以在招聘网站和行业博客上找到对这些职位的描述。对于新创建的职位，你可以尝试登陆https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,，这是一个由公司员工匿名提供的介绍内部职位资讯的网站。

华盛顿的职业教练苏珊?斯特雷耶(Susan Strayer)建议，只申请最适合你的技能和经验的职位。如果你想要出奇制胜，仅仅30%的匹配度不足以让你获得成功。你需要尽可能100%地接近职位要求。

人是关键，简历其次：挖掘你的同事、朋友、亲戚等社交资源，找到能为你向决策者递交简历的内部关系。如果你无法建立直接的联系，那就试试找你的朋友的朋友和老同学，甚至直接给能为你提供有关公司文化的内部资讯的人打电话。不要忽视与公司客户有关人员之间的联系，他们通常被公司的决策者视为可以信任的推荐人才的来源。

你的职位越高，社交的圈子可能会越小。所以，你需要加入专业的行业组织，出席各种行业展览、大会以及研讨会。

让别人能够轻易地发现你：在https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,等社交网站以及https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,或者为教育界人士服务的https://www.360docs.net/doc/f59475091.html,等有针对性的行业网站上发布你的简历，表明你的求职状态。在简历中突出你的专长，因为当公司有专门需要的话，它们会在网上的资料库搜寻合适的候选人。加州阿纳海姆希尔斯(Anaheim Hills)的教师瓦内萨?布罗登(Vanessa Broaten)就是这样通过在几家教育网站上发布简历找到工作的。她被雇用的原因是因为拥有教育学硕士学位，而且能够流利地使用西班牙语和葡萄牙语。

密切关注招聘单位的资讯，因为第一次招聘不能保证一定就会成功。同样的职位空缺可能在半年后会再次对外公布。在它们发布新的职位空缺前，确保更新你的求职状态。

2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（3）

来源：沪江【考试大：中国最优秀的考试信息平台】 2011年2月14日

上篇回顾：2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（2）

国家统计局昨天发布了2010中国GDP增速，今天商务链接为大家准备了这一方面的最新文章。商务英语考试虽然不会涉及宏观的经济题目，但是为了能听懂经济类的新闻，了解国家经济动态和外媒评价，

我们还是要一起学习其中地道的表达。读文章时，注意增长和降低的不同表达方式，为以后BEC作文考试的图表描述打好基础。

Fears that the Chinese economy is overheating mounted after official figures revealed that it grew faster than expected at the end of last year and inflation remained above target.

Southern Guangdong province, home to China‘s biggest regional economy, added to concerns by announcing a 26 per cent rise in its minimum wage.

The national economy grew at an annual rate of 9.8 per cent in the final quarter of 2010, and by 10.3 per cent for the entire year.

Consumer price inflation fell to 4.6 per cent in December, after reaching a more than two-year high of 5.1 per cent the previous month.

But analysts said prices would accelerate strongly in the first quarter of this year, complicating efforts to cool the economy without triggering a sharp slowdown. For the whole year, consumer prices rose 3.3 per cent, above Beijing‘s target of 3 per cent. Food prices were the main culprit, increasing 7.2 per cent.

―The growth figures will encourage Beijing to act more decisively on taming inflation, which means more interest rate hikes are just around the corner,‖ said Qu Hongbin, an economist at HSBC. The Shanghai Composite, China‘s benchmark stock market index, dropped 2.9 per cent o n Thursday amid fears of monetary tightening.

Inflation, labour shortages and a series of strikes in major industrial areas last year have led to minimum wage increases across China. This month the Beijing municipal government increased minimum wages by 21 per cent. Officials hope higher wages will increase domestic consumption and help China become less reliant on low-cost manufacturing, exports and investment for growth.

Geoffrey Crothall of the China Labour Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based advocacy group, said the wage hike might not be enough to ease the labour shortages in Guangdong province, which accounts for much of the global production of everything from mobile phones to sports shoes.

Faced with rising inflation, Beijing has raised the amount banks must hold on reserve seven times over the past year, and increased interest rates twice in the fourth quarter. These attempts to rein-in loose monetary conditions have only been partially successful.

To get around tighter lending quotas, Chinese banks moved trillions of renminbi in loans off their balance sheets last year, repackaging them as wealth management products.

On Thursday, the Chinese banking regulator ordered banks to bring an estimated Rmb1,660bn ($252bn) of off- balance sheet lending back on to their books this year. Government attempts to manage liquidity have been further complicated by non-bank lending, which authorities have great difficulty quantifying.

According to a central bank survey, total non-bank lending amounted to about Rmb240bn last year, equivalent to 5.6 per cent of total lending. But central bank officials told the Financial Times that the true scale of informal and underground lending was likely much larger.

Learning to learn:

第一段开篇点题，只用了一句话，就说明了下文要涉及的话题。见到这样的长句我们要学来为我所用哦，分析一下这句话的主干，请用Fears that…开头早一句话。

Language Points:

1. inflation 通货膨胀

2. culprit 主要原因，罪魁祸首

Oral Topic:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of raising wages for your employees？

此题为BEC考试口试task2部分模拟

Keys:

(1) C

(2) D

参考译文：

过去两年，我认识的每家企业都历尽了磨难。遗憾的是，好时光不会很快就回来。因此，我编制了一份较有创意和价值的企业省钱途径列表，帮助企业家在面对挑战时仍能生存。

● 随机审计费用支出

费用滥用属于地方病，但如果员工知道，就连他们的手机账单偶尔也会受到检查，那么他们占公司便宜的可能性就会降低。企业应该制定非常明确的费用政策，这样弄虚作假的人就无法浑水摸鱼逍遥法外

● 购买二手货

我们经常为餐馆购买二手厨房设备。如果能省钱，就不要犹豫选择二手货，而非全新商品。

● 带头控制成本

作为老板，你应该经常对成本提出质疑，并努力让人们认为你很节俭，而不是奢侈浪费——至少是对公司资产。如果你大手大脚，就会为别人树立一个效仿的坏榜样——用公司的钱。

● 要求提前付款折扣

如果你握有现金，这或许是提高利润率一个好办法。如果供应商面临资金压力，他们很可能会答应对快速结款支付5%的折扣。如果你把钱存在银行，以目前的低利率，挣到这笔钱需要差不多两年的时间。

● 了解每个员工在干什么

至少每年对所有员工的职责进行一次彻底分析，努力计算出他们的真实生产率——如有必要，就对岗位进行合理化改革。记住：没有人会告诉你他们的工作负荷不够，或者他们的贡献不重要。

2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（4）

来源：沪江【考试大：中国教育考试第一门户】 2011年2月24日

上篇回顾：2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（3）

看惯了我们中国作者分析中国出口面临的挑战和挫折，今天我们看看德国作者怎么以他们的角度出发阐述―应付―中国挑战之策。本文作者是赫尔曼?西蒙，咨询公司Simon-Kucher & Partners董事长兼创始人，著有畅销书《21 世纪的隐形冠军》(Hidden Champions of the 21st Century)。

When it comes to competition in global markets, especially in exports, China and Germany are increasingly on a collision course. Germany was the number one exporter from 2003 t0 2008. In 2009 China overtook Germany to become number one — and it will stay there.

In 2010 both nations again showed strong export growth and defended their positions, well ahead of the US in exports. With remarkable similarities between Chinese and German exporters, the competition will be tough.

Hidden Champions

Why is Germany, a comparatively small country, so strong in exports? The explanation lies in its ―hidden champions‖, little known mid-sized world market leaders. My total count of these companies is around 2,500 worldwide, and 1,200 of them are from Germany. They alone account for about one quarter of German exports.

Surprisingly I found a rather similar structure in China. 68 percent of all Chinese exports come from companies with fewer than 2,000 employees — not from large corporations. It is also amazing that China already has well over 100 hidden champions, probably more than highly developed countries such as France, the UK or Japan.

Strong ambitions

One outstanding characteristic of these firms is their extreme ambition with regard to global market

leadership. This is the aim that drives hidden-champion entrepreneurs in both China and Germany. In numerous talks in China I asked the audience, ―Who wants to become world market leader?‖ Always more than half raised their hands, very similar to Germany. These ambitions will unavoidably lead to a competitive collision in the global marketplace.

Germans as low-price competitors

Globalization usually starts with exports and sales. Manufacturing follows, then R&D, and later on complete management functions. Most German companies are in the late stages of this process. They are not only building huge manufacturing sites in China, but also moving R&D for cheaper and simpler products there. Siemens and Bosch are well advanced on this path. Schenck Process, a world leader in industrial weighing and measuring processes, has even moved its complete competence centre for the mining industry to Beijing. The only way for German companies to remain competitive against the Chinese in the low-cost, low price-segment is to ―become Chinese‖ themselves.

Tata Nano ‘German’

A very recent idea which I strongly advocate is that German companies should start to attack their Chinese competitors on the cost side. This requires radically simplified products, known as ultra-low-price products, and manufacturing in the lowest-cost locations. These are usually outside China, in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Vietnam. The Tata Nano car in India is a case in point. It is essentially a German car with nine German suppliers involved, Bosch being the biggest. The components delivered by the Germans were developed and are manufactured in India, not in Germany.

Chinese as high-value competitors

But we also see a movement in the opposite direction. The Chinese call it trading up. When I visited the concrete pump plant of Sany in Changsha, China, about a year ago, I was stunned. The first thing I saw in this ultra-modern plant (comparable only to a Scania plant I had visited near Stockholm shortly beforehand) were Mercedes and Volvo truck chassis. Expressing my astonishment, I got the reply, ―We mount our concrete pumps on the best trucks in the world.‖ And it went on. I saw Deutz diese ls, Bosch Rexroth hydraulics and controls from Siemens. Sany stated unequivocally that they use only world-class suppliers.

A few months later I met Sany‘s General Manager Europe in Cologne, near to which Sany is currently building a greenfield plant — t he first Chinese plant in Germany. My ―Why?‖ question again found an interesting reply: ―Sany has to be in a world-class manufacturing location. If we want to become world-class we must be in direct contact with the best global manufacturing and engineerin g talent.‖ In 2009, Sany overtook Putzmeister from Germany as the global leader in concrete pumps.

Sany is not a typical Chinese company, but it is a harbinger of things to come. I consider the Chinese the most serious competitors for the Germans in the future. But with their strong presence in China and other emerging countries, the Germans are well prepared for the looming fight.

Learning to learn:

文章最后一段点题，写出了德国面临的挑战也存在机遇。这种内涵，作者是通过两层转折成功实现的，学习这种写作手法，为以后高阶写作打好基础。

Language Points:

1. collision 碰撞

2. manufacturer 制造商

Exam Focus:

1.Which statement is Not true about ―hidden champions‖?

A They are little know mid-sized world market leaders.

B They play an important role in Germany‘s strong export.

C Nearly half of them are from Germany.

D They contribute to 68% of all Chinese exports.

2. Does the author have confidence in German‘s ability in dealing with Chinese enterprises‘ challenge?

A Yes

B No

C Not given.

参考答案及译文见下页—》Keys:(1) C(2) D

参考译文：

过去两年，我认识的每家企业都历尽了磨难。遗憾的是，好时光不会很快就回来。因此，我编制了一份较有创意和价值的企业省钱途径列表，帮助企业家在面对挑战时仍能生存。

● 随机审计费用支出

费用滥用属于地方病，但如果员工知道，就连他们的手机账单偶尔也会受到检查，那么他们占公司便宜的可能性就会降低。企业应该制定非常明确的费用政策，这样弄虚作假的人就无法浑水摸鱼逍遥法外

● 购买二手货

我们经常为餐馆购买二手厨房设备。如果能省钱，就不要犹豫选择二手货，而非全新商品。

● 带头控制成本

作为老板，你应该经常对成本提出质疑，并努力让人们认为你很节俭，而不是奢侈浪费——至少是对公司资产。如果你大手大脚，就会为别人树立一个效仿的坏榜样——用公司的钱。

● 要求提前付款折扣

如果你握有现金，这或许是提高利润率一个好办法。如果供应商面临资金压力，他们很可能会答应对快速结款支付5%的折扣。如果你把钱存在银行，以目前的低利率，挣到这笔钱需要差不多两年的时间。

● 了解每个员工在干什么

至少每年对所有员工的职责进行一次彻底分析，努力计算出他们的真实生产率——如有必要，就对岗位进行合理化改革。记住：没有人会告诉你他们的工作负荷不够，或者他们的贡献不重要。

2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（5）

来源：沪江【考试大：中国最优秀的考试信息平台】 2011年3月3日

上篇回顾：2011年bec中级考试阅读模拟题（4）

许多企业发展到一定得程度，总会面临一些新的成长挑战，并且在应对的过程中不免走许多弯路。今天我们就来跟随作者Andrew Campbell去了解麦当劳曾经走过的弯路。

The story: By the late-1990s fast-food chain McDonald‘s had enjoyed 40 years of exceptional performance. In 1997, for example, the company had registered 10 years of 20 per cent per annum growth.

The challenge: That year, Jack Greenberg became the co mpany‘s fourth chief executive. His main concern was how to lead the business in less favourable market conditions. McDonald‘s was facing concerns about fatty foods and about beef; competition was squeezing margins; and growth from international markets was slowing.

The strategy: Mr Greenberg did what the textbooks suggest. First, he focused on improving the core business, announcing it as his top priority. Then, he also set a second priority: to find a new platform for growth. With this audacious goal in mind, he supported five acquisitions of related restaurant businesses –including Chipotle, a Mexican food restaurant, and 50 per cent of Pret A Manger, the UK sandwich chain – and he set up the Partner Brands Division, to be responsible for these new businesses. Mr Greenberg also opened the door to a number of other, more organic initiatives led by his head of strategy, Mats Lederhausen.

What happened: Mr Greenberg found it difficult to dedicate enough attention to both priorities. The core

business con tinued to deteriorate and in 2001 McDonald‘s announced its first quarterly loss and the resignation of Mr Greenberg.

Jim Cantalupo, a retired McDonald‘s executive, was asked to return as CEO. His first announcement was that McDonald‘s had been trying to do too many things. He shut down many of the organic initiatives and housed all the new businesses into a structure called McDonald‘s Ventures.

Mr Cantalupo instructed Mr Lederhausen to identify those businesses that could become significant for McDonald‘s without distracting management from its core business and to sell or close the rest. The result was that over the course of the next few years, almost all of them were either sold or closed.

The lessons: First, this story is common. A company forecasts reduced growth in its core business, looks for new sources of revenue, launches initiatives, and makes acquisitions – only to find a few years later, that it is back where it started, having sold or closed its new ventures.

Second, the textbook advice – set a growth ambition, try a portfolio of related ventures and invest heavily in the few successes at the same time as attending to the core –does not always work, in spite of its continuing popularity.

So, what is the alternative? When the core business starts to mature, leaders should be patient rather than energetic. The main risk is that attention is distracted from the core. Therefore, avoid launching a portfolio of initiatives; don‘t set targets for growth outside the core; and don‘t set up a new business division or venturing unit.

Do scan opportunities, but with a tough screening process and the expectation that none will be suitable. Expect to use spare cash to buy back shares, until a really good opportunity comes along.

Above all, look for people rather than projects – successful new growth outside the core nearly always comes from individuals or teams who happen to have a rare combination of both grassroots knowledge of a particular area and an understanding of how your company‘s strength s can be used to succeed.

What happened next: The company‘s leaders have stuck to and revived the core. In fact, as is often the case with a strong core, the hamburger business is growing again, partly because of the fast growth of emerging markets such as China.

McDonald‘s is still looking for other opportunities – but in a patient way.

Oral topic:

Which is more important to a company‘s success？tradition or reform？

Learning to learn:

文章最后一段点题，写出了德国面临的挑战也存在机遇。这种内涵，作者是通过两层转折成功实现的，学习这种写作手法，为以后高阶写作打好基础。

Language Points:

1. initiative 新计划，新措施

2. acquisition 收购

Exam Focus:

1 Which one is not one of Jack Greenberg‘s concerns in 1997 when he became McDonald‘s fourth executive?

A Profit was on a drop because of fierce competition

B Fatty foods and beef became less popular among people

C How to improve core business.

D Foreign markets offered less revenue

2 what is the author‘s suggestion for a company whose core business starts to mature?

A do what the textbook suggests

B start a portfolio of new initiatives

C look for opportunities in a patient way and build up its strength by hiring

D seek growth through acquisitions

Keys:

(1) C

(2) D

参考译文：

过去两年，我认识的每家企业都历尽了磨难。遗憾的是，好时光不会很快就回来。因此，我编制了一份较有创意和价值的企业省钱途径列表，帮助企业家在面对挑战时仍能生存。

● 随机审计费用支出

费用滥用属于地方病，但如果员工知道，就连他们的手机账单偶尔也会受到检查，那么他们占公司便宜的可能性就会降低。企业应该制定非常明确的费用政策，这样弄虚作假的人就无法浑水摸鱼逍遥法外

● 购买二手货

我们经常为餐馆购买二手厨房设备。如果能省钱，就不要犹豫选择二手货，而非全新商品。

● 带头控制成本

作为老板，你应该经常对成本提出质疑，并努力让人们认为你很节俭，而不是奢侈浪费——至少是对公司资产。如果你大手大脚，就会为别人树立一个效仿的坏榜样——用公司的钱。

●要求提前付款折扣

如果你握有现金，这或许是提高利润率一个好办法。如果供应商面临资金压力，他们很可能会答应对快速结款支付5%的折扣。如果你把钱存在银行，以目前的低利率，挣到这笔钱需要差不多两年的时间。

● 了解每个员工在干什么

至少每年对所有员工的职责进行一次彻底分析，努力计算出他们的真实生产率——如有必要，就对岗位进行合理化改革。记住：没有人会告诉你他们的工作负荷不够，或者他们的贡献不重要。