BEC中级考试真题

BEC中级考试真题 READING   QUESTIONS 1-45  PART ONE  Questions 1-7   Look at the sentences below and the job advertisements on the opposite page.  Which job does each sentence 1-7 refer to?  For each sentence, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.  You will need to use some of these letters more than once.   0 A B C D  This post involves some secretarial duties.   1 You will be responsible for the operation of a computer system.  2 You must be able to forecast what people will want to wear.  3 You will be able to work with people from many different countries and backgrounds.  4 You will have a qualification which covers two subject areas.  5 It is necessary to have worked in this sector before.  6 You will need to keep in contact with the headquarters of the organization.  7 The advertisement emphasises the need to have a suitable approach to important people.   A  BUSINESS MANAGERYou will be responsible for our global business within specific countries and   will have a good understanding of international distribution, possibly based on previous   experience, plus the ability to work in markets that are highly varied in their culture. You   will be fluent in a second language, be willing to travel extensively, and preferably have a   degree.  B  DEPARTMENT STORE BUYERBased at our head office in London, you will select and order stock from   our suppliers in Italy. You will need to predict fashion trends and build a strong relationship   with our Italian office. You will have gained your buying experience in women's fashion and will   hold a degree in design with a business studies component.  C  LEGAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATORAs head of the legal office, your work will include managing the   office IT network, typing reports, diary maintenance and supervision of another staff member.   You will need good organizational skills in order to keep ahead of a varied workload. You will   be dealing with senior executives and government offi cials, so a mature and efficient manner is   essential.  D  REGIONAL LEISURE SITES MANAGERYou will be responsible for budgetary planning, contract   negotiations, local marketing and effective administration. You will communicate frequently with   our main office using the latest technology. Your experience could be from any business sector   but you should enjoy outdoor life and will ideally possess an estate management qualification.   PART TWO   Questions 8-12  Read the extract below from an article about the coffee industry.  Choose the best sentence from the list on the opposite page to fill each of the gaps.  Each gap 8-12, mark one letter (A-I)on your Answer Sheet.  Not use any letter more than once.  Coffee is worth approximately $50-60bn per annum in terms of world sales. It is a truly   international commodity, and today more than 50 countries in the world grow coffee beans.   (example) ______I_____. ICO organization helps coffee producers and promotes coffee conumption   worldwide.ICO estimates that world production next year will reach 97.5 million bags.11.3   million bags higher than the current year. (8) ____________. As the largest producing country,   Brazil is particularly important in the coffee world. In 1994 Brazil was responsible for 25% of   world production, Colombia was next with 13.4%, Indonesia had 7.5%, Mexico 4.7%, Guatemala 3.8%   and Ethiopia and Vietnam were equal with 3.4%.Coffee is a tough crop, and can be grown in areas   where it is difficult or impossible to grow other crops. (9) However, disease is always problem   for coffee production, as we can see in some parts of South America at the moment.ICO is active   in educating farmers about avoiding disease and dealing with problems when they occur.The   distribution chain varies from country to country, explains Pablo Dubois. In most countries the   smaller farmers sell their crop to a local trader, who then sells it on to exporters. There are,   however, other distribution systems. (10) ____________. Some countries, like Vietnam, have   special government marketing organizations for coffee.Coffee prices often vary greatly from one   year to the next. In 1997, for example, there was a large rise in the world price, which was   immediately felt by the consumer. Rising prices always result in a drop in sales, which will   have a bad effect on those developing countries, which are highly dependent on foreign exchange   from coffee exports. (11)____________.In the opinion of Pablo Dubois, the biggest problem for   his organisation is to create greater consumer awareness of the different varieties of coffee   and different ways of preparing it. (12)____________. ICO is therefore concentrating its   promotional activities on Russia and China. It is also encouraging environmentally friendly   coffee production, and last year's seminar on coffee and the environment created a lot of   interest.The future looks bright for the coffee industry. It is estimated that consumption over   the next few years will continue to rise steadily. New markets like Eastern Europe and China are   expected to develop fast.   A. As a result, the membership now represents 94% of all exporters and 60% of all importers.  B. In some of these countries, this can amount to as much as 50% of all export earning.  C. In North America, most consumers already have above average knowledge of the range available.  D. For example, frost and wind are particularly damaging to coffee crops.  E. Larger coffee growers, for example, frequently export directly.  F. The main reason for this is higher Brazilian output as production recovers from weather   damage to crops.  G. It is cultivated in mountain regions which can only be reached by animal transport, and in   other difficult areas where modern agricultural equipment cannot be used.  H. This is because there is a demand for coffee in Germany, and it is also sold in the UK and in   the US.  I. This make the coffee industry fairly universal, acc ording to Pablo Dubois, Head of the   International Coffee Organisation (ICO), based in London.  PART THREE   Questions 13-20  Read the article below about stress management, and answer questions 13-20 on the opposite page.   A Lesson In Stress Management  Demands placed on us at work can often lead to considerable worry and discomfort. There are,   however, ways of protecting ourselves from the stress we face at work. We interviewed Jane   Collard, a consultant in stress management.   1. In Jane Collard's opinion, stress is becoming an increasingly common feature of the   workplace. Stress is a highly individual reaction, which varies considerably from person to   person, and it is difficult for some employees to avoid it. Indeed, stress is regarded by many   as part of the organizational culture of our institutions: it comes with the job. Recent figures   indicate that time taken off work because of stress has increased by 500 per cent since the   1950s. Undoubtedly, changes in working conditions have led to greater pressure at work at all   levels. With reductions in staffing, workloads for individual employees have increased. In   addition, many employees are left worrying about the security of their jobs.  2. On the stress management courses that she runs, Jane Collard tries to make the trainees   realise that stress in itself is not harmful. Everyone needs a certain level of stress to enable   them to feel motivated and to perform effectively. A complete absence of stress can be as   damaging as overstress, since it can make people lose interest in their work, and even lead to   depression. The difficulties occur when the amount of stress rises above a level which is   healthy for a particular individual. If this happens, the effects are very obvious and the   trainees are taught to recognize the signs. Stress may be expressed physically, for example   through headaches and tiredness, or through emotional problems such as depression. A person   suffering from stress ma y also start to behave differently, and can be difficult to deal with.  3. While it may not always be possible to prevent stress, there are a number of ways in which it   can be controlled. The first thing that the trainees learn is how to manage their time   effectively. This involves, first of all, setting realistic goals for both the short and long   term. Once this framework has been established, tasks are then prioritised on a daily basis. The   trainees are also reminded that when they are under pressure the less important items should be   left, and they should never hesitate to delegate. Everyone is encouraged to look at ways of   reducing 'wasted time ', for example by grouping similar tasks together or dealing with items   immedkiately.  4. Jane feels that one of the most useful features of the course is that it enables trainees to   deal with those demands or deadlines that they regard as unreasonable. They are encouraged to   avoid being defensive, but at the same time they are advised not to be afraid of saying 'no'.   They are asked to give reasons only if necessary. The training helps them to foresee difficult   situations or unwanted demands, and they learn how to prepare themselves mentally. Everyone is   encouraged not to get stuck in negative thought patterns, where stress can feed a circular sense   of helplessness. One solution they discuss is to think of a more encouraging alternative for   each negative message. They learn, for example, to remind themselves that nothing terrible   happens when a demand is refused or a deadline missed. Life goes on.   Questions 13-16  For questions 13-16, choose the best title for each numbered paragraph from the list below.  For each numbered paragraph 1-4, mark one  letter (A-G) on your Answer Sheet.  Do not use any letter more than once. 13 Paragraph 1 ___________  14 Paragraph 2 ___________  15 Paragraph 3 ___________  16 Paragraph 4 ___________  A Higher str