•This part of the Reading Test tests your vocabulary,

•Read the whole text quickly to find out what it is about. As you read, try to predict the words that might fill the gaps.

•Next, look at the four possible answers for each gap and cross out any obviously incorrect words.

•Then read both before and after each gap to decide which word should go in it. The word needs to fit both the meaning and the grammar

•After completing all the gaps, read the whole text again to check your answers.

•Read the article on the opposite page about why some small companies fail to grow.

•Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below.

•For each question 19 - 33, mark one fetter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.•There is an example at the beginning (0).

Why do some small companies stay small ?

It is often assumed that if a small company fails to (0)..., it is because of external factors. So it may come as something of a surprise to discover that many small companies have only themselves to (19)... for their lack of growth. In fact, if you run a small business, you shouldn't waste much time wondering whether you have (20)... to investment capital; still less, analysing fluctuations in (21)... exchange rates. You are more likely to (22)... the main barrier to greater success by looking in the mirror.

This is a conclusion that can be (23) ... from a recent study based on interviews with the owner-managers of 40 small businesses. The research makes the reason (24) ... : management behaviour, however well intentioned, is often the (25) ... of the problem. This was the overwhelming view (26) ... by the managers surveyed: the main barrier to growth was the fact that day-to-day issues (27) ... all their time. The problems that many larger businesses face - lack of funds and insufficient government support - were of relatively minor (28) ... for these small companies.

The survey shows that while owner-managers often work very hard running their business, many never take it on to the next (29) .... The reason is that they are too busy (30) ... their sales, marketing and finance functions. Limited resources may (31) ... to this, but many owner-managers are unwilling to delegate even insignificant decisions. As a result, without realising it, they create a style. of working that (32) ... them from moving forward. One of the most important lessons for managers is learning to let go - very few people can do everything themselves. Instead they need to hire staff able to take (33) ... some of their responsibilities.

(19)

A．condemn

B．a(chǎn)ccuse

C．charge

D．blame

•This part of the Reading Test tests your vocabulary.

•Read the whole text quickly to find out what it is about. As you read, try to predict the words that might fill the gaps.

•Next, look at the four possible answers for each gap and cross out any obviously incorrect words.

•Then read both before and after each gap to decide which word should go in it The word needs to fit both the meaning and the grammar.

•After completing all the gaps, read the whole text again to check your answers

•Read the article on the opposite page about an experiment to help managers improve their workJlife balance.

•Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below.

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

•There is an example at the beginning (0).

GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT

Leaving work on time may not sound like much of a (0).... However, in an experiment by glass manufacturers Dartington Crystal, it (19) ... surprisingly difficult. Four managers, who all worked very long hours, took (20) ... in a simple experiment: they agreed to (21) ... to their set hours for a week, with no coming in early, leaving late or taking work home. The aim of the exercise was to (22) ... the balance between the managers' work and home lives. It was a way to get everyone thinking about their working hours and how to (23) ... them,

Robin Ritchie, the company's managing director, was very aware that his company was (24) ,.. on the experiment at its busiest time of the year. They were also just days away from a big product (25) .... So not surprisingly, perhaps, it soon became clear that it wasn't going to be easy: even on the first day, director of design Simon Moore took home a design problem to (26) .... as he couldn't relax until he had dealt with it.

As the week progressed, the four people involved found it hard to (27) ... with the pressure of leaving work undone. They felt they were (28) ... people down, and worried about the effect on the business. (29) ... crises made it more and more difficult to go home on time. Changing working habits wasn't easy. (30) .... they saw the experiment through to the end.

There was some (31) ... up to do the following week, but the company did not appear to have suffered. Significantly, too, the experiment made the managers reappraise their (32) ... to staying late and start prioritising tasks. All in all, they felt the experiment was of (33) ... benefit, and that it helped them to create a better balance in their lives.

(19)

A．displayed

B．showed

C．proved

D．demonstrated

•This part of the Reading Test tests your vocabulary.

•Read the whole text quickly to find out what it is about. As you read, try to predict the words that might fill the gaps.

•Look at the four possible answers for each gap and cross out any obviously incorrect words,

•Then read both before and after each gap to decide which word should go in it. The word needs to fit both the meaning and the grammar

•After completing all the gaps, read the whole text again to check your answers,

? Read the text on the opposite page about decision-making.

? Choose the best word from below to fill each gap.

? For each question 21-30, mark one letter (A,B,C or D)on your Answer sheet.

Decisions, decisions ...

Poor decisions are commonplace. In fact, they are often institutionalised In the workplace, poor decisions (21) good ones in many situations. While management consultants (22) companies on many aspects of running a business, basic decision-making is often (23) out of the equation. Professor Larry Phillips, who teaches at the London School of Economics, says: 'Because we make decisions all the time, it is (24) that we know how to do it.' It is a skill which is supposed to come (25) but many of us would fare better with coaching.

Psychologist Rob Yeung of consultancy Kiddy & Partners says millions of pounds are lost in business because the wrong people are hired. 'Although businesses may be quite good at (26) the terrible candidates from the mediocre ones, they aren't very good at (27) those who are just good from those who are excellent.'

And many businesses have procedures that repress good decisions. Phillips says: 'One of the most commonplace problems is that people are held to (28) without the requisite responsibility to meet that authority .That creates tremendous anxiety.' For instance, you will see manufacturing departments which are (29) by the sales income they achieve - but the sales price is set by someone else. Managers will often be blamed by their bosses for a downturn in commercial activity when the true culprit is market conditions. 'There is a failure to understand variability,' says Phillips, who bemoans the (30) tendency to judge companies by their last quarter's results alone.

(21)

A．overestimate

B．exaggerate

C．outnumber

D．supersede

•In this part of the Reading Test you read a longer text and answer six questions.

•First read the questions. Try to get an idea of what the text will be about Then read the text for general understanding.

•Then read the text and questions more carefully, choosing the best answer to each question. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text.

? Read the article on the opposite page about a food group's event for its managers and the following questions,

? Each question has four suggested answers or ways of finishing the sentence (A - D).

? Mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.

Chadwick's, the struggling high street food retailer, has been having a horrible time. Not only did its recent takeover of cash-and-carry chain DeeDee create more problems than it solved, but its risky move into organic-only, own-label frozen vegetables nudged prices up and alienated traditional customers. Sales fell sharply, with dire effects on suppliers who had geared up to meet Chadwick's much larger orders – not to mention the group's profits. As a result investors lost their initial confidence in the plan and the share price tumbled. The architect of this policy, the former Chief Executive, abruptly departed last January, and Carl Hammond was brought in to pick up the pieces.

Mr Hammond sees the corporate culture as a major barrier to a revival in the group's fortunes, and is making strenuous efforts to change it. Today's event is one part of the process: the delegates - over a thousand of them - are all managers, whose attitude to company policy is crucial to its implementation. By setting out his recovery strategy face to face, he hopes to get the managers on board, and equip them to carry the right messages back to the group's 20,000 employees. He believes this is essential if the group is to turn around its declining sales.

The format he has chosen is one that Mr Hammond has no experience of. 'Normally I use traditional conference-style. presentations with speeches, or television studio arrangements with well-known TV journalists to tease out the issues, ' he says. These are quite easy to organise but they are net participatory. Today's event is much less predictable, but ironically it's been a nightmare to choreograph everything in such a way as to encourage spontaneity.'

First, delegates are sent to booths around the hall to learn from senior managers about the effects of the takeover on each part of the business, and why some functions, such as finance and logistics, are being integrated at group level. The senior managers then fire questions at the delegates to reinforce the learning process. Done at breakneck speed, it keeps everyone on their toes, and there's a definite buzz in the hall.

Several other activities follow, and after lunch comes the main event, a 2g-minute session in which Mr Hammond answers questions from delegates, covering pay scales, investors' attitudes, to the recovery strategy, possible job losses, and so on. The reaction of one store manager, Carol Brinkley, sums it up: 'It was quite demanding, with lots of people eager to ask questions, so he didn't always go into as much depth as perhaps he should have done. But at least everything that I was hoping to find out was touched on, and he came across as being quite approachable and willing to accept criticism.'

Mr Hammond believes the event was effective in getting important messages across to a large number of people, and in raising their morale, which had been appallingly low. The questions that he was asked confirmed his belief that many managers were unhappy with what had been going on in the group and were optimistic about the new strategy - though few of the suggestions whi

A．Profit margins were set at too low a level.

B．There were difficulties with getting enough supplies.

C．Investors doubted whether it would lead to long-term success.

D．The group misjudged the attitude of its customers.

&8226;In this part of the Reading Test you match seven statements with four short texts.

&8226;First read each short text and then read the sentences to see which ones refer to the text.

&8226;Make sure you read each text for overall meaning. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text.

&8226;Look at the sentences below and the information about mergers and takeovers involving four companies on the opposite page.

&8226;Which company (A, B, C or D) does each sentence 1 - 7 refer to?

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

? You will need to use some of the letters more than once.

A

Tour operator Jarmin Travel is waiting for its chief executive and finance director to make the final decision before making a formal bid for rival HarmonAir. The two companies tried to merge five years ago, when the deal was blocked by the competition authorities. Since then the regulator has eased the criteria by which any merger would be judged. Competition lawyers say a tie-up would almost certainly be allowed this time, and industry analysts believe that both companies are eager for a merger.

B

Bus operator Barkway has been hit by stiff competition and dwindling profitability. As a result the company has been forced to scrap its plans to expand overseas and instead will concentrate on growing its existing business. The continuing decline in the company's share price has led to speculation that it may fall prey to one of its rivals. This may well prove wrong), though, as Barkway's founder and chief executive, Kerry Matthews, has persuaded the board to do everything in its power to resist a takeover.

C

Carolyn Swaine, the former chief executive of coffee shop chain Marshmont's, is trying hard to raise capital for a bid for her old company. Swaine left last year after a series of disagreements over Marshmont's future direction, and several top managers are expected to leave if she succeeds in buying the chain. Although Marshmont's is profitable, it is too small to stay independent for much longer, and even if Swaine takes control, the company will soon have to become part of a larger chain.

D

Keston, the respected maker of television programmes, has announced that it has agreed an outline deal to merge with Stardust TV. A year ago, with its profits plunging, Keston faced a strong takeover bid by another of its competitors, but fought hard against it, and has since become more profitable. The company is now convinced, however, that its future success lies in being part of a larger organisation. Both Keston and Stardust have a reputation for producing striking television programmes, and a merger is likely to be beneficial, both creatively and financially.

This company has changed its attitude towards remaining independent.

?In this part of the Reading Test you read a longer text and answer six questions.

?First read the questions. Try to get an idea of what the text will be about. Then read the text quickly for general understanding.

?Then read the text and questions more carefully, choosing the best answer to each question. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text.

?Read the article below about communication and the questions on the opposite page.

?For each question 13 - 18, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.

How well do you communicate？

In today's fast-paced work environment, communication can come low down on your list of priorities. If you can't remember the last time you spoke to some of your friends, how do you find time to brief thousands of employees on a regular basis？ That said, internal communication plays an integral part in any healthy business strategy. If done well it ensures that staff are kept abreast of the visions and values of the company they work for; if done badly it can lead to speculation and rumour.

Jenny Davenport, a director of the change management and communications consultancy, People in Business, says ongoing dialogue with staff is a necessity. 'You must educate employees to understand your business if you want them to perform,' she says. 'Unless you do, people will not trust you when times are bad.' Communication is also about discussion rather than rhetoric. Flat communication devices- email, intranets, employee publications - have a part to play but must be mixed with more interactive methods involving face-to- face contact to encourage response.

Remember that individuals are different and like to receive information in different ways,' adds Davenport. 'As well as written communication via intranets or traditional employee magazines, team managers must talk to staff about how what they de affects the business. Twice a year, ensure employees come face to face with senior management- a conference is ideal.'

Khalid Aziz, chairman of communications consultancy The Aziz Corporatior), feels that company-wide conferences are an ideal way to interact with large numbers of staff. 'It is important to organise and plan correctly,' he says. 'Have a clear aim before you start and be careful not to pack too much in - facts that can be communicated via email, for example, are a waste of conference space. Ask for response but don't ask for questions - it always sounds like a threat,' he adds. 'Get people to raise their hands if they agree with a certain statement about the company and then ask one person to elaborate.'

The intranet plays a big part in the communications strategy at One 2 One, says Nell Lovell, the company's director of communications. 'Our intranet touches everybody,' he says. 'We have set up cybercafes for staff who don't have PC access.' One 2 One's intranet carries news and general information and is supported by a monthly magazine mailed to homes, a weekly email update on matters of fact and webchats which staff are invited to join.

Getting feedback from employees is the key to hi- fi company Richer Sounds' communications policy. 'Like other businesses, we run a suggestions scheme. The difference with ours is the way it works,' says John Clayton, training and recruitment director. 'Our chairman Julian Richer reads every suggestion and we answer them all. Each proposal is rewarded with up to f25 cash - we find this is more motivational than a big prize to one employee once a year.'

What point is made in the first paragraph？

A．Pressures of work have a negative effect on social relationships.

B．Poor communication can create an atmosphere of doubt.

C．Keeping records of employees should be a high priority.

D．Communicating effectively can take up a lot of time.

?In this part of the Reading Test you match five people with items in a list.

?First read all the information. Note all the possible answers.

?Look for overall meaning. Do not choose an answer just because you can seethe same words in the text.

?Go back and decide which is the final answer

?Check that you have not used any letter' more than once.

?Look at the list below. It shows areas in a factory.

?For questions 6-10, choose the area (A-H) each person should go to.

?For each question, mark one letter (A-H).

?Do not use any letter more than once.

FACTORY AREAS

A Factory canteen

B Production

C Finance

D Delivery yard

E Human Resources

F Packing area

G Training rooms

H Warehouse

Janet Tomlinson, who currently works for a packaging company, has just arrived for a job interview.

•In this part of the Reading Test you read a longer text and answer six questions.

•First read the questions, Try to get an idea of what the text will be about. Then read the text for general understanding,

•Then read the text and questions more carefully, choosing the best answer to each question. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text.

? Read the article on the opposite page about innovation in business and the questions below.

? For each question 15 - 20, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.

Not long ago innovation was The Big Idea in marketing circles. Now, however, it's hard to see the benefits of this rush to innovate. Indeed if anything, companies seem to be drawing back from innovation, not charging ahead. But just a few years ago many companies were combining a commitment to create entirely new product categories through innovative technologies - working to hugely ambitious growth targets -with a root-and-branch organisational overhaul designed to free up creativity and speed new product roll-outs.

The result was that as resources were shifted away from core businesses, sales and profits faltered, share prices slumped and CEOs were ousted. Now the mantra is a more conservative focus on the top brands, the top retail customers and the top markets. It's being rewarded in many cases by healthier share prices. This sustained effort to cut long tails of smaller brands and focus marketing resource on existing leaders seems to be paying off.

So were we wrong to pinpoint innovation as key to tong-term market success? Surely not. But we might have underestimated the enormous complexity of this beast. The term 'innovation' may be simple enough but it spans a vast landscape, including the type and degree of innovation, marketing purpose, management process and market circumstance - not all of which are well understood.

Take 'type' of innovation. Are we talking about new products only? Or new processes, new channels, underlying technologies, organisational structures and business models? When should the innovation involve a new brand? Or take 'degree'. Are we aiming for blue-sky inventions that will transform. markets and create new categories? Or marginal tweaks in, say, formulation or packaging that give us an excuse to advertise something 'New! Improved!'? Likewise, is the marketing purpose of the project to steal a march on competitors and drive incremental growth, or to update an obsolete product line and play catch-up to competitors? As one business news editorial complained, 'innovation' is often just 'simple proliferation of similar products'. Then there's process. What is the best way to manage this particular innovation? Is it to employ creative revolutionaries and set them free, or is disciplined risk management, requiring the careful testing and sifting of options to pick winners, a better approach? In larger organisations, has, senior management really made time spent in cross4unctional teams a recognised element of successful career paths? What time frames (eg payback periods) and degrees of risk is senior management comfortable with? And does the organisation have a culture that fits the chosen approach? Does it 'celebrate failure', for example, or is it actually a risk-averse blame culture (despite what the CEO says in the annual report)?

Successful innovation requires clearing two hurdles. First, it needs the right project with the right degree of innovation to fit with the right marketing purpose, the right innovation process, corporate culture and market circumstance. Second, it needs senior managers that understand the interplay between these different factors, so that rather than coming together simply by chance, they are deliberately broug

A．trusted in technology to improve existing products.

B．chose to focus heavily on marketing activities.

C．expected that growth would increase steadily, '

D．believed they needed to produce new goods.

•In this part of the Reading Test you read a longer text and answer six questions.

•First read the questions. Try to get an idea of what the text will be about. Then read the text quickly for general understanding.

•Then read the text and questions more carefully, choosing the best answer to each question. Do not choose an answer just because you can see the same words in the text.

•Read the article below about report writing and the questions on the opposite page.

•For each question 13 - 18, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose.

Report writing: a growing demand

Writing reports is an essential business skill, one which is often thought to be quite distinct from those required for letter writing and speech making, for instance, yet in each case success comes from taking a common basic approach. Nowadays, the availability of computers makes it tempting to devote much of the planning stage of writing a report to experimenting with graphics and layout - which may well benefit the reader - but we risk focusing on presentation at the expense of substance. After all, the absence of visible corrections may not mean an absence of errors.

Skill at report writing is needed for anything from a short magazine article to a lengthy submission to a public enquiry. In business, it is nor only required for more and more jobs; it can also make a difference to your chances of promotion. When you speak, people know that you don't have the time to organise your ideas, or choose the fight words. But when you write, they assume you've got the time, and expect better organisarion, more careful expression. And - worryingly, perhaps, for many - they may read your words several times.

The increasing importance of reports reflects changes in the workplace. Gone are the days when businesses or departments were small enough for decisions to be taken after a discussion between the manager and a specialist on the shop floor. Companies and organisations have expanded and are now increasingly dependent on documentation. This provides a record of decisions taken, and evidence that the issues have been analysed, Effective reports can enable management to retain the confidence of shareholders, directors and binkers.

Some reports, like the minutes of a meeting, record the main points of discussions, any decisions made and advice given. They also have one eye on the future. Lawyers and other professionals file reports as a record of their contact with clients. These are then available for future reference and for consukation by colleagues if necessary. A report filed at the time is considered an accurate account of events should the facts be challenged subsequently. It provides evidence that you took appropriate steps, which may be valuable if things go wrong Later.

It is always important to be clear about who your readers are. The report may be written for a particular senior executive, but, unless it is confidential, a number of other people are likely to see it. Make sure your report is relevant to their needs too. If you are set a deadline, you will give a poor impression if you miss it. Busy managers can only cope with all the documents they receive by being selective, perhaps turning just to the introduction and summary. If they are really harassed, your report may not even leave the pending tray!

To be successful, a report must be read without undue delay, understood without undue effort, accepted and, where appropriate, acted upon. But reading a report can be a daunting experience, in which case the recipient will resist the idea of spending time wading through it. This natural resistance is known as the 'cognitive cost'. A technical, clos

A．The degree of accuracy in reports is higher now than in the past.

B．Report writing and other forms of communication need similar skills.

C．Readers are likely to respond favourably to attractively presented reports.

D．The use of a computer can simplify the planning stage of a report.

&8226;This part of the Reading Test tests your grammar

&8226;Read the whole text quickly to find out what it is about. As you read, try to predict the words that might fill the gaps.

&8226;Then read the text again, and write down one word for each gap. Make sure the word fits both the meaning and the grammar

&8226;Read the article below about communicating clearly.

&8226;For each question 31 - 40, write one word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet.

Write clearly to prevent problems later

Business communication has never been quicker. Faxes, emails and text messages can be written and sent almost as soon as the thought has occurred to the writer.

Yet messages sent with too (31) consideration can cause serious problems, (32) as damage to budgets or business relationships. They can also lead to long and expensive disputes. Because many contractual relationships between organisations are based on a series of communications, (33) a single detailed agreement, those communications must be prepared carefully to ensure they are clear and unambiguous. Problems can be avoided if a (34) basic rules are followed.

The favoured style. in English, these days, is that communications should be accurate, brief and clear. Everyone they are devised (35) should be able to understand them easily, and (36) should anyone who may have to deal with them at a later stage. Use plain language without unnecessary words, and write positively (37) a negative is necessary.

Avoiding ambiguity is surprisingly difficult. For instance, 'Priority should be given to on-time delivery' does not specify (38) party has the relevant obligation, but 'Company X must deliver on time' is unambiguous.

Make sure the subject and purpose of the document are apparent, and that the communication follows a logical structure. Short sentences, with one idea per sentence, are easier to understand and considerably (39) prone to ambiguity.

Tips like these may seem like common sense, but if they were more widely observed, (40) 'would be far fewer disputes. Clear business communication can really pay off.

(31)