BEC中级真题第三辑阅读及答案解析版

TEST1PARTONEB1ItwouldbeadvisableforFlackstoconsultcustomersbeforedevelopinganewproduct.D2ProducinggoodsforspecialistmarketsmightincreaseFlacks'profits.C3Flacksmayneedtochangethefunctionofoneofitsfacilities.A4Flacksshouldutiliseitscurrentexpertisetoenteradifferentmarket.B5Flacksmayneedtoconsiderclosingitscurrentproductionfacility.C6Flacksshoulddeveloptheconnectionsithasestablishedwithleadingretailers.A7Expandingtheproductrangewouldnotbeaproblemfortheworkforce.FlacksisaUK-basedcompanythatproducesfashionaccessoriesforwomen.Howcanitcontinuetogrowitsbusiness?ASusanFalmerFacedwithashrinkingmarket,cheapimportsandcompetitivepricing,Flackswillhavetoworkhardtoincreaseitsmargins.Theyneedtomoveintoamorepromisingmarket,onewheredemandisgrowingandwherethecompanycanexploitexistingskillsandcontacts.Theycouldthinkaboutbrandextension-thiswouldnotbeagiantleapandthesalesforcewouldtakeitinitsstride.Also,theywouldn'tneedtore-equiptheirfactoryandcouldusenon-UKsourcingiffacilitieshereareinshortsupply.BMesutGuzelTheyhavethefundamentalsofasurvivalstrategyinamarketwhereoutsourcedmanufactureandbranddifferentiationholdthekeytosuccess.Ithinktheyshouldinitiallylocatesomeoftheirproductioninanothercountry,wheremanufacturingqualitytendstobebetteranditiseasiertomeetchangingcustomerdemands.ButtheyshouldalsoregularlymonitorproductioninBritainandthinkaboutoutsourcingallthisworkabroadatsomepointiftheyneeditdonefaster.Thecompanyshouldcontinuetoworkoninnovativeproducts,andthoroughmarketresearchwillhelptoensureanynewideasarewellreceived.CGaryWilmotInordertobeattheirrivalsinahighlycompetitivemarket,Flacksshouldensuretheirproductsareattractiveandbuildontheirrelationshipswiththebigstoresratherthantryingtogoitaloneandmarketdirectly.TheyshouldalsoconsiderrefocusingproductionbyusingtheirUKfactoryforhigh-specificationproducts.Theycouldeventuallybuildmoreproductionoverseasinacycleofcontinuousdevelopment.DMichalKaminskiThedemandforfashionaccessoriesisrelativelyflatandthecompanyshouldconsiderexploitingnichemarketstoimproveitsmargins.Butevenwithinthese,Flacksmustdistinguishitsgoodsfromthoseofitsrivalsintermsofquality,performanceanddesign.Innovativesales,marketingandPRarevitaltoexploitthesenicheproducts.OnecompetitiveadvantagethatFlacksdoeshaveisproductiontimes.Manyretailchainsnowhavetwo-tiersupplychainsandFlackscouldfocusontop-uporders.Theymightalsoinvestigateothersaleschannelssuchasmailorder.这篇文章是关于一个女性时尚饰品公司——Flacks的发展战略问题，四个专家给出了自己的建议。这套题目的答案稍微有些隐晦。第一题，说在开发新产品前咨询客户的意见对于Flacks来讲是很明智的。答案是B段的最后一句：thoroughmarketresearchwillhelptoensureanynewideasarewellreceived.彻底的市场调查能够确保新的思想很好的被接受。Marketresearch，市场调查，在很大程度上就是咨询客户的意见（consultcustomers），anynewideas可以对应于developinganewproduct,能够wellreceived，那么对于公司来讲当然就是advisable了。选B。第二题，说为专业市场生产产品可以增加利润。答案是D段的这么一句：thecompanyshouldconsiderexploitingnichemarketstoimproveitsmargins这题关键是要理解一个市场的含义：nichemarket。看英英解释：asmallareaoftradewithintheeconomy,ofteninvolvingspecializedproducts。improveitsmargins也就是increaseprofits，选D。第三题，说Flacks可能需要改变它的一个设备的功能。这里答案不是太明显，是C段的这么一句：TheyshouldalsoconsiderrefocusingproductionbyusingtheirUKfactoryforhigh-specificationproducts。他们也需要考虑通过利用英国工厂生产高规格产品来调整生产焦点。也就是说，英国工厂原来不是生产高规格产品的，即题目说的改变它的一个设备的功能。第四题，说Flacks可以利用现有的技能来进入一个新的市场。答案是A段的这么一句：Theyneedtomoveintoamorepromisingmarket,onewheredemandisgrowingandwherethecompanycanexploitexistingskillsandcontacts。他们需要进入一个更有发展前景的市场，一个需求增长并且公司可以利用现有技能和合同的市场。exploitexistingskills也就是utiliseitscurrentexpertise。第五题，说Flacks可以考虑关闭现有的生产设备。这题也有些隐晦，答案是这么一句：thinkaboutoutsourcingallthisworkabroad。关键就在于outsource这个词的意思：turntooutsidesuppliersormanufacturers外购。既然是要考虑outsource——turntooutsidemanufactures，那么也就是可以考虑关闭自己的生产设备了。选B。第六题，说Flacks应该考虑发展同领先的连锁商已经建立起来的关系。答案在C段：buildontheirrelationshipswiththebigstores发展他们同大商店的关系。第七题，说扩展产品范围对劳动力来讲不是问题。答案在A段：Theycouldthinkaboutbrandextension-thiswouldnotbeagiantleapandthesalesforcewouldtakeitinitsstride.他们可以考虑品牌扩张——这不是一个巨大的跳跃，在销售力量的步调范围之内。言下之意，不是问题。选A。PARTTWOEvaluatingtheperformanceoftheboardFewemployeesescapetheannualortwice-yearlyperformancereview.(0).....G......Theanswerisnotagreatnumber.Andthesmallerthecompany,thefewerchecksthereareonhowwellthedirectorsaredoing.Someofthelargestcompaniesformallyassesstheperformanceoftheirboard,butveryfewneworgrowingcompanieshavemanagedtogetroundtoestablishinganysuchprocedure.Manybusinessexpertsbelieve,however,thatitisimportantforallcompaniestoreviewtheperformanceoftheboard.(8).............Anotherreasonisthattheboarditselfneedsinformationonhowwellitisdoing,justasmuchasotheremployeesdo.Forthechiefexecutive,appraisalofsomesortisabsolutelyessentialforhisorherownsakeandforthegoodofthecompany.Indeed,manyofthosewhohavereachedthislevelremarkonhowlonelythejobofchiefexecutiveisandhowfewopportunitiestheygettodiscussissuesrelatingtoit.Thereissomeevidencetoshowthatoncesmallercompaniesputaboardappraisalprocessinplace,theyfindthisprocessrelativelyeasytooperate.(9).............Theircounterpartsinlargerorganisations,however,areoftenafraidthatappraisalscouldbeachallengetotheirstatus.So,howshouldcompaniesassesstheirboard?(10)........