剑桥商务英语中级模拟100

Test8READINGPARTONEQuestions1-7·Lookatthestatementsbelowandpassagesonbanksystemsinfourcountriesontheoppositepage.·Whichsection(A,B,CorD)doeseachstatement(1-7)referto?·Youwillneedtousesomeoftheselettersmorethanonce.1.Bankindustryisdevelopingundertheregulationofbankinglaws.2.Traditionalbankingsystemwhichhascontributedtothestabilityoffinancialinstitutionsinhistorybecomesclumsyandcostlyinthiscountry.3.Badloansareoneofthefactorswhichaffectpeople'sconfidenceinbanks.4.Banksinthiscountryaretakingpainstoincreasemarketshareandsavecosts.5.Supervisingtoolsforbanksinthiscountryhavechangedalotinthepastyears.6.Thegovernmentinthiscountryhastriedhardtoregainpeople'sconfidenceinitsbankingindustry.7.Somebanksinthiscountryprovidedifferentkindsoffinancialserviceproductssuchassaving,lendingandinsurance,etc.A.Enteringthe21stcenturyUKbanksappeartobeattheirstrongestfordecades.ConsolidationandrestructuringhaveoccurredatarapidpaceManymergersandacquisitionsareundertakenwiththeaimofincreasingorprotectingmarketshare,improvingshareholdervaluegettingcostsavings,improvingeconomiesofscaleorgeneratingnewcross-sellingopportunities.Britainnowhassixuniversalbanksofferingawiderangeoffinancialserviceproductsincludingcorporateandpersonallending,saving,insuranceandotherpersonalfinanceproducts.B.TheOCC(OfficeoftheComptrolleroftheCurrency)supervisesnationalbanksandenforcesfederalbankinglaws.Itrules:onnewcharteraridmergerapplicationsfornationalbanks,andconductsbasicresearchonbankingandtheeconomy.Thetoolshavechanged,butfortheOCC,thebasicmissionremainsthesameasinthedaysofLincoln:toensureasafe,soundandcompetitivenationalbankingsystemthatsupportsthecitizens,communities,andeconomyoftheUnitedStates.C.Today,thefinancialinstitutionsofJapanarewellonthewaytoregainingrobusthealth.Therecoveryisgoingwellenoughthatthegovernmenthasremovedpartiallyoneofthemeasuresthathashelpedmaintainpublicconfidenceinthefinancialsystem—anunlimitedguaranteeonbankdeposits.Since1996,thegovernmenthasofferedanunlimitedguaranteeonbankdeposits--asupportforfinancialinstitutionswhichpermitteddepositorstoignorefundamentalquestionsabouttheviabilityandstabilityoftheirbanks.Evenmoreencouraginghasbeentheprogressthebankshavemadeinreducingtheirnon-performingloans.Theratioofbadloansinthelargestbankshasbeencutinhalf.D.ThestabilityoftheGermanbankingsystemishistoricallybasedontheuniversalbankingapproach.Doingbusinessthroughdiversifiedbankinginstitutionsand/orbankgroupshashistoricallyallowedforriskmitigationovervariousbusinesslines.However,thedrivingforcesbehindthestructuralchangesareincreasinglyprovinguniversalbankingastoocumbersomeandcost-intensive.Thebankingindustryiscurrentlyintheprocessofmakingadjustmentstotheorganizationatstructureandstrategicpositioningofbankconglomerates,bankgroupsandstrategicallianceswithmoresignificantmeasurestofollow.Thebanksaremakingstrongeffortstofocusoncorebankactivities,touseexistingcapitalresourcesmoreefficiently,toclosedownretailbranches,andtobundleoroutsourceback-officefunctions.PARTTWOQuestions8-12·Readthistexttakenfromanarticleaboutproductionandcircularflow.·Choosethebestanswerfromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.·Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.·Thereisanexampleatthebeginning(0).ProductionandtheCircularFlowEconomicsdealswiththeproduction，distribution,anduseofgoods,includingmaterialgoodsorcommoditiesandnonmaterialgoodsorservices.Agoodisafreegoodifthereissomuchofitthatpeoplecanhavealltheywantatazeroprice.Springwaterisanexample.(0)GCoffeeonthesupermarketshelfisanexample.Economicsdealsonlywithscarcegoods,sincefreegoodspresentnoproblemsofsupplyordistribution.TheAmericaneconomyisusuallycalledaprivateenterpriseeconomy,oramarketeconomy.Governmentproducessomegoodpoliceandfireprotection,publiceducation,streetsandhighways.(8)Weusethisterminabroadsense.Afarmisabusiness.Soistheofficeofadoctor,lawyer,orotherprofessionalpersons.Insteadofbusinesswecouldsayproducingunit,buttheformertermissimplerandmorefamiliar.Inordertocarryonproduction,abusinessneedsinputs,alsocalledfactorsofproduction.(9)Labourmeansanykindofphysicalormentaleffortexertedonproduction.Itincludestheworkofthecorporationexecutive,lawyer,orcollegeteacheraswellasthatofthefarmer,salesclerk,orplumber.(10)Ineverydayspeechitisoftenusedtomeanasumofmoneyrepresentingtheassetsofacorporationoranindividual.Wesaythatacompanyhasacapitalof$200baconorthatapersonisworth$200,000.Suchsumsofmoneyareimportant;butwhenthatiswhatwemean,weshouldbecarefultosayfinancialcapital.Ineconomics,thetermcapitalusedalonemeansphysicalcapital,orinstrumentsorproduction.(11)Soisthebuilding,whichhousesthemachines.Soisanybuildingusedforproduction—adepartmentstore,anofficebuilding,ahotelRawmaterialsandsemi-finishedgoodsinthehandsofproducersarealsocapitals.Thefactorsofproductionareownedbyindividuals.(12)Doesn'ttheCoca-ColaCompanyowntheplantsandmachineryitoperates?Yes,butwhoownsCoca-Cola?Thecompany,andthusallofitsassets,belongstothemanythousandsofpeoplewhoowncommonstockinthecompany.A.Themostimportantinputsarelabourandcapital,whichhaveaspecialmeaningineconomics.B.I