下面是范文网小编整理的BEC中级考试真题3篇(bec中级考试真题)，供大家参考。
BEC中级考试真题1
BEC真题一
Get better at keyboarding
0 There is a simple way to work more efficiently: improve your keyboard
00 skills by learning to touch keyboard them. If you are one of the vast majority
34 of some people who keyboard with two or four fingers, you may believe that
35 you are reasonably efficient. But the average person seldom achieves more
36 than twelve words by a minute when using this method, while touch keyboarding
37 can achieve up to 120 words, if enabling you to work almost as quickly
38 as you can think. Whatever position you hold in your company, you are
39 probably given responsible for answering emails or generating documents, and it
40 is quite likely that you spend too much time doing this. Stop and consider how
41 far much more you could do in a day as a result of touch keyboarding. You would
42 be able to create such a document faster than you can write and as
43 quickly as you can think and free up time to be more than creative. Moreover,
44 you would save up the cost of a full-time secretary, and no longer have to
45 wait for your documents to be created and either then have to return them for correction.
《Get better at keyboarding》，keyboarding是键盘输入的意思。文章是在讲怎么提高键盘输入的效率。
34题，the vast majority of people，一大部分人，some插进来是多余的，意思重复
35题，正确的
36题，一分钟十二个字，正确的表述是twelve words a minute，介词by是多余的
37题，分词作伴随状语，直接用enabing，if是多余的，而且这里也没有如果的意思
38题，正确的
39题，be responsible for固定搭配，如果要用given，后面得用responsibility。去掉given
40题，正确的
41题，consider how much more you could do in a day，考虑你一天可以多干多少事。How far是形容有多远，在这里意思不对，用法也不对。
42题，create a document，创造一个文档，整个句子的意思是创造一个文档的速度比你自己写还要快。没有特殊指代某一个文档的意思，去掉such。
43题，more creative，更有创造性了，more than是不仅仅是的意思，后面一般接名词而不是形容词，所以去掉than。
44题，save在这里表示节省成本的意思，及物动词，不用up
45题，either一般是用在句末，而且这里没有表示“也。。。”的意思，有then就够了。所以去掉either。
BEC真题二
Consumer Behaviour
0 The consumer is the focus of all retail business and it is important to appreciate how
00 consumers are influenced in their buying decisions. Most of consumers, before making a
34 purchase, gather information and evaluate with the alternatives, but the extent to which
35 they look for information depends on the type of purchase. For example, in the case of
36 routine grocery purchases most consumers respond to automatically. However, for
37 purchases where the risk of making the wrong decision is greater, like buying a new
38 car, so the search for information is more important. The decision to purchase is never a
39 single decision but a number of these separate decisions, and at any time during this
40 process, consumers can change their minds about and choose an alternative route. For
41 example, although a consumer may have decided where to buy a product only to realise
42 at the last moment that this is, in fact, having the wrong choice. The price in the store may
43 be too high or the staff unhelpful. On the other hand, a lack of queues, favourable credit
44 facilities and efficient staff all lead to a too positive impression, so retailers should
45 remember how difficulties in these areas that can affect a sale or even lose a customer permanently.
《Consumer Behaviour》，消费者行为。文章分析了一些影响消费者行为的因素。
34题，evaluate是及物动词，后面直接接宾语。evaluate the alternatives，评估替代的选择。with多余。
35题，正确的
36题，如果是respond to，后面应该要接宾语，而这里的respond to后面的是副词，所以直接用respond表示反应，to是多余的。
37题，正确的
38题，这里并没有因果关系。完整的句子是这样的：for purchases where the risk of making the wrong decision is greater,(so)the search for information is more important.意思风险越大，收集信息越重要。so是多余的。
39题，separate decision是和前面的single decision相对应说的，并没有特别指代，所以代词these在这里是多余的。
40题，change their minds，改变他们的注意，about多余。
41题，这个句子并没有转折的意思，完整的是a consumer may have decided where to buy a product only to realize at the last moment that this is the wrong decision。连词although是多余的。
42题，从上面的完整句子可以看出，已经有了谓语is，having是多余的。
43题，正确的。
44题，too是副词，后面不能跟着来修饰名词，只能是too positive。而从这里的句子的意思来看，是说好的设备和高效率的员工可以带来一个好的印象。所以too是多余的。
45题，that引导从句。而这个句子主谓宾很齐全，that前面是主语，affect是谓语，后面是宾语，不是从句，所以that多余。
BEC真题三
Promise of Jobs with Telephone Banking Centre
An ￡80-million telephone banking centre is to open in Scotland, with the creation of about 500 new jobs. Grand Union Group, which owns the Dundee and Western Bank, said today it hopes to have the (19) fully operational by next August. It will be based at the new Caledonian Industrial Estate currently being built near Edinburgh.
The centre is being (20) through a joint partnership (21) global telecommunications firm Concept and customer care specialists Businesslink.
Sara Grimaldi, chief executive of the Dundee and Western Bank, said, 'I'm delighted we will be working in (22) with Concept and Businesslink and I'm confident we will (23) from their considerable experience. The new centre will make (24) use of innovative business procedures which will (25) to an improved service and experience for our valued customers.' Callum Martin, president of global accounts for Grand Union Group, added that he was very pleased his company will play a key role in such an important development employing state-of- the-art technology.
The local council said new jobs were (26) of the efforts made to (27) investment to the region. Council leader Hugh MacArthur said, 'It's good news for Grand Union, but it will also (28) us to promote Edinburgh to companies considering a (29) to Scotland. The council will continue to work hard to ensure that today's (30) is just the latest (31) in our attempt to create high quality jobs in the area.'
Scotland has become a European leader in terms of telephone banking centres and has (32) itself an excellent reputation. The call centre sector as a whole employs more than 28,000 people at more than 170 sites in Scotland. Taking this into (33), it seems likely that this new centre will be another success story.
19.A facility B plant C function Dsituation
20.Aassisted B invested C funded D paid
21.Aconsisting B engaging C containing Dinvolving
22.Aventure B teamwork C enterprise D collaboration
23.A benefit B improve C grow D advance
24.Ainclusive B uniform C extensive D universal
25.Ahelp B contribute C provide D combine
26.Afacts B reasons C data D evidence
27.Aacquire B gain C attract D win
28.Anecessitate B ease C supportD enable
29.A reorganisation B reassignment C relocation D replacement
30.A announcement B publication C notice D acknowledgement
31.A method B step Cpoint D action
32.A achieved B taken C drawn D earned
33.Amind B regard C account D note
这篇文章主要讲的是一个大型的电话银行中心可能带来的就业前景。
19题，首先排除C、D，因为此处应该填入一个动词，用来指代即将于下个八月完全运作的telephone banking centre。plant是指(工业用的)大型机器、设备，所以此处应该选择facility，设施。
20题，指这个centre是让两个公司联合赞助的。assist后接with，invest后接in，paid意思不对，不是一般付款而是提供资金，所以是fund。
21题，此处的动词是用来表明这个联合赞助所涉及到的两方。consist后需要of，engage意思不对，contain一般用来表示整体包含某个部分，这个空格前后并不是包含关系。involve，涉及到，用法对意思也对。
22题，in collaboration with 固定用法，合作
23题，benifit from 从。。。中获益。
24题和25题，这个句子翻译过来就是新中心将广泛利用创新型商业程序。这种程序有利于对我们珍贵的客户提供改进的服务和经验。理解句子含义，不难选出答案。
26和27题，作为一个整体进行考虑。吸引了投资所以增加了就业机会。26题，B、C首先可以排除，这个空的意思是新的工作是吸引投资所做努力的证明，从意思上讲，应选evidence。27题，attractinvestment吸引投资，是商英里非常地道的表达。其他几个从汉语意思上貌似都说的通，但不是地道的英语表达。
28题，enable to使某人能够。
29题，relocation改变位置，办公室搬迁。意思是促使我们将爱丁堡“推销”给考虑在苏格兰重置办公室的公司。
30题，这个题目要想填对需要费一番心思，从整体上看这个空。整篇文章讲的是一个电话银行中心要开在苏格兰了。这个消息一经宣布，引发了各方的猜想，觉得可以创造就业机会，带动当地经济的发展。而这一段整个就是当地议会的表态，这一空的前面就是议会官员说的话。所以30空和31空是最后的总结，说今天的宣布就是最近的为了创造高质量工作所采取的举措。理解了意思，30空填announcement，31题填step。
32题，为自己挣一个好的名声。用earn，固定用法。
33题，take into account，固定用法，考虑到
BEC真题四
Who Benefits Most from Company Training?
According to recent research, the better educated and the higher up the socio?economic scale you are, the more likely you are to be offered workplace training. And, incidentally, the more likely you are to then turn (19) the offer, pleading family and personal commitments or (20) of work. Less qualified staff, on the other hand, are offered fewer training opportunities, but are more eager to (21) them up. In fact, people with few or no educational qualifications are three times more likely to accept training when it is offered.
In the majority of companies, more (22) are allocated to management training than to other areas. Employers (23) their better qualified staff as more important to the business, so they pay them accordingly and invest more in them in (24) of training. This is (25) by the fact that organisations are dependent on properly (26) managers making the right decisions. But this (27) may mean that companies are (28) other parts of the workforce down.
The researchers found a growing demand for training among the lower-skilled.Unfortunately this demand is not being (29) by employers, even though there are strong indications that companies would benefit from doing so. They also discovered that, despite the substantial (30) between the training provided for managers and that offered to other staff, there was still widespread endorsement of training.
For the purposes of the research, training was defined as any (31) of planned instruction or tuition provided by an employer with the aim of helping employees do their work better. It therefore included a wide variety of approaches. On-the-job and classroom training (32)to be used equally by employers. But learning on the job, which involved observing a certain procedure and then practising it, was easily the most popular method for all categories of employee. While many felt that learning from colleagues was best,very few (33) the internet as an effective way to train.
19.A back B over C down D off
20.A force B pressure C strain D load
21.A pick B keep C take D put
22.A means B reserves C finances D resources
23.A imagine B regard C suppose D know
24.A requirements B specifications C states D terms
25.A allowed B approved C justified D accepted
26.A understanding B intelligent C informed D knowledgeable
27.A stress B emphasis C weight D strength
28.A letting B cutting C breaking D setting
29.A reached B achieved C gained D met
30.A space B gap C hole D room
31.A frame B structure C form D order
32.A showed B appeared C demonstrated D presented
33.A rated B thought C marked D believed
谁从公司培训中获益最多?
第一段的三个空需要在理解整体的基础上联系起来进行选择。根据调查，受教育程度越高，越有可能接受公司的培训。And, incidentally，这里最好能理解下incidentally的意思：used to introduce a new topic, or some extra information, or a question that you have just thought of (引出新话题、附加信息、或临时想到的问题)顺便提一句。你越接受培训，越有可能拒绝这份工作，苦苦哀求的家人、个人承诺以及工作压力。相反倒是接受培训较少的员工，可能会接受他们(指前面被拒绝的这些东西)。19题选turn down拒绝，21题与turn down对应，选take up接收。
22题，更多资源被分配给了管理层培训而不是其他地方。training也是一种资源。
23题，regard….as固定搭配。雇主认为他们具有更好知识的员工更为重要。
24题，in terms of固定短语，就….而论，在…..方面。
25题，根据上下文意思来选择。前面说花在管理层的培训更多，这一句实际上是介绍原因：组织有赖于消息灵通的经理们做出正确的决定。25题，justify证明….正确。组织依赖于经理们所作的正确决定的事实证明了把更多的培训花在他们身上是正确的。
26，informed，见多识广的，消息灵通的。商务英语中常见的一个常见说法是keep informed(It is a good way to keep staff informed)，所以看到这个词应该就很敏感。
27题，emphasis强调(Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to a part or aspect of something.)，指培训的侧重点在经理们的身上。
28题，let down使失望，这种侧重让其他员工失望。
29题，meet the demand满足需要。虽然对低技术职员的培训需求在增长，但经理们并没有满足这样的需要。
30题，两者之间的巨大缺口，gap。
31题，any form of 任何形式的计划好的说明。
32题，后面的一句有个BUT，也就是转折，所以前面用appeared to be，看起来像是。
33题，rate as固定用法，把某事物评价为
BEC题五
Meetings That Work
0 A vital skill for anyone running a business it is the ability to communicate
00 effectively. This is particularly important in a meeting where complex arguments
34 need to be put forward and where it is too vital to get the best out of the situation
35 and those present in as little time as possible. Before calling a meeting, ask
36 yourself if you actually need one, since so many are unproductive results and do
37 not really need to take place. Sending an email or by using another means of
38 communication, such as a simple phone call, might achieve the desired results in
39 half the time. Having established the need for a meeting, so inform those you
40 wish to attend and ask people to be punctual. Concerning the key to a good
41 meeting is an agenda, which needs to be sent out in advance and should state the
42 date, time and location. It should also contain the names of those ones who will
43 be present and setthat out, starting with the most important, the points for
44 discussion. Ask in advance for suggestions for items to be discussed about but
45 set a deadline for submissions in order to reduce the amount of time that has to be spent under 'Any Other Business'.
《Meetings that work》，起作用的会议。文章讲的是开好一个会议应该注意哪些问题。
34题，it is vital to do sth.，做什么事情是至关重要的。too…to结构表示太而不能。从上下文和词组的用法来看，too是多余的。
35题，正确的
36题，since so many are unproductive，是说的很多会议都没有效果。主谓宾很齐全，unproductive做形容词就可以修饰前面的meeting，results是多余的。
37题，完整的句子应该是Sending an email or(by)using another means of communication might achieve the desired results in half the time。介词by是多余的。有by，不仅后面的主语不对，也没有与前面的sending保持一致。
38题，正确的
39题，这个句子的前后没有因果关系，去掉so
40题，(Concerning)the key to a good meeting is an agenda,主谓宾是齐全的，the key to a meeting是主语，is是谓语，an agenda是宾语，意思就是日程表是会议的关键。Concerning是多余的。
41题，正确的
42题，those who固定的搭配，指代哪些人，ones是多余的
43题，去掉插入成分starting with the most important，完整的句子是set(that)out the points for discussion。set out是词组，在这里是陈述、阐明的意思：present information or ideas in a well-ordered way in writing or speech.。所以that多余。
44题，discuss是及物动词，做讨论时直接用discuss，而不是discuss about。事实上，在discuss后面接about时的about一般都是做“大约的”意思讲，而不是一个完整的词组。所以此处about多余。
45题，正确的。
BEC中级考试真题2
BEC真题一
1 the failure of a company to set its prices appropriately
2 a context that makes it difficult to increase prices
3 the consequences of companies trying to conceal their approach to pricing
4 the means by which a company ensured precision in the prices it offered
5 the fact that companies can learn about the effects of a price reduction
6 the first sector to price products according to how much customers were prepared to spend
7 the widespread use of rough guidelines to determine prices
Getting the price right
A、
Chief executives need to pay more attention to pricing, according to Roberto Lippi of the Apex Group, a consultancy that offers advice on pricing strategy. He accepts that low inflation figures in many industrialised countries makes raising prices tough, but argues that this should not necessarily deter companies. He gives the example of the airlines, which, with their minimum stay requirements and massive premiums for flexibility, led the way in sorting customers into categories, based on their willingness to pay.
B、
The key to pricing is to avoid alienating customers. As Lippi points out, once a bad price has been established, it can be very difficult to turn the situation around. He gives the example of a consumer goods company that went bankrupt largely because it did not price its digital cameras properly. In contrast, he cites the case of a Swiss drug company that introduced software for every sales representative's laptop, enabling them to provide consistent and accurate price quotes. To help staff with this innovation, the company also created a new post of director of pricing strategy.
C、
Many of today's managers have the benefit of modern technology to help them with pricing. Supermarket chains, for example, can easily track customers' 'elasticity' - how their buying habits change in response to a price rise or a discount. But although a company can now measure this sort of thing in a more sophisticated way, following basic rules is still the most common way of setting prices. Most bosses still worry more about their costs than the prices they charge; one recent survey found that they spend as little as 2% of their time on pricing.
D、
One popular approach to pricing is illustrated by the car companies that charge extra for product add-ons such as electric windows, instead of offering them as part of the standard price. Although many customers are prepared to pay extra, Lippi recommends that companies make sure that price differences reflect real differences in the product, either in quality or in the extra service on offer. The worst approach is to try to keep the pricing structure secret from customers. Nowadays, that is more likely to lead to lost contracts than large profits.
这篇文章主要是关于定价(pricing)的。题目算是阅读第一部分里比较隐晦的了。四个部分分别介绍了影响定价的一些因素。
第一题，公司没有合理定价。答案是B段引用的一个例子：He gives the example of a consumer goods company that went bankrupt largely because it did not price its digital cameras properly.因为没有对数码相机合理定价，所以一个消费品公司破产了。和第一题吻合。
Consumer goods: goods such as food, clothing, etc. bought and used by individual customers消费品。
第二题，大环境使得涨价很困难。答案是A段，有点不太明显，甚至可能需要点经济学基础：He accepts that low inflation figures in many industrialised countries makes raising prices tough, but argues that this should not necessarily deter companies。很多工业国家的低通货膨胀率使得涨价变得困难。通货膨胀率是衡量一国宏观经济的重要指标，也就是这题所说的context。低通货膨胀率，说明经济不太景气，涨价会很困难。
Deter: to make sb decide not to do sth or continue doing sth阻碍
eg: The price did not deter most customers
第三题，公司隐瞒定价策略的后果。答案是D段的最后一句：The worst approach is to try to keep the pricing structure secret from customers. Nowadays, that is more likely to lead to lost contracts than large profits.最坏的方法是试图让定价结构对消费者保密。今天，它更有可能导致失去合同而不是大的利润。
第四题，一个公司确保定价准确的方式。答案是B段的这么一句：a Swiss drug company that introduced software for every sales representative's laptop, enabling them to provide consistent and accurate price quotes。一个瑞士的医药公司为每一位销售代表的手提电脑引进了软件，确保他们提供持续准确的定价。这里的accurate对应于precision，引进的软件就是方式(means)。
第五题，公司了解降价的后果。答案在C段，但是不那么明显：Supermarket chains, for example, can easily track customers' 'elasticity' - how their buying habits change in response to a price rise or a discount.大的超市可以轻易追踪客户的弹性—他们的购买习惯是如何对涨价或打折做出反应的。这个题需要理解一个常见的经济学术语：弹性。
elasticity ：the extent to which people want to buy more or less of a product or service when its price changes。
这个术语的概念基本吻合第五题所说的。能够了解客户的需求弹性，也就了解了涨价或者降价的效果。
第六题，对产品定价首要的是根据客户所愿意支付的。答案是A的最后一句：based on their willingness to pay.。集于他们的支付意愿。这里的based on对应于the first sector。
第七题，粗糙的定价准则的广泛应用。答案在C段，有点隐晦：But although a company can now measure this sort of thing in a more sophisticated way, following basic rules is still the most common way of setting prices.虽然公司可以用一种更复杂的方式来衡量，遵守基本的规则仍然是定价的最普遍的方式。BUT是个信号。rough可以从反面对应于sophisticated,,the most common way对应于widespread use。
BEC真题二
Lebrun Steel Facing up to Tough Times
0 After 98 years of trading, the steel manufacturer Lebrun knows from experience as how
00 difficult fluctuations in the economic cycle can be for suppliers such as themselves.
34 Since many of the nation's largest production companies which are its customers,
35 Lebrun is adversely affected by any change for the worse in the economy. Yet Lebrun
36 has managed to keep on sales steady (in the region of approximately $2.5 billion)
37 and has recorded only one annual loss during the difficulties of the past five
38 years, but despite the effects of the ongoing industrial slowdown. James Griffith,
39 president of Lebrun, now has the task of turning up survival into growth, and
40 his strategy is already becoming clear to those industry observers. In February of
41 this year, the company acquired Bronson pic, additionally a one-time competitor.
42 This merger will greatly expand the size of both Lebrun's labour force, and
43 Griffith estimates it will boost its revenue by nearly 50%, while too increasing
44 the number of plants and R&D centres in much a similar way. Griffith is
45 optimistic that while the steel industry is about to pull out of recession, and he wants Lebrun to be ready for this.
这篇文章是介绍一个生产商面临的困境及所采取的措施。
34题，这个句子并不是定语从句，主谓宾都很齐全，主语companies，谓语are，宾语its customers.所以which是多余的
35题，正确的
36题，keep on doing继续做什么，接名词的话直接用keep，keep sales steady保持销售平稳，on多余。
37题，正确的
38题，but和despite不能同时使用，必须去掉一个。but后面要接完整的句子，这个后面不是句子，是名词性成分，所以保留despite，去掉but。
39题，turn… into 变为，成为。固定词组。turning survival into growth变生存为增长。Up多余。
40题，句子前后并没有指代的含义，代词those多余。
41题，a one-time competitor是修饰前面的Bronson pic ，additionally是另外的，附加的意思，用在这里意思和用法都不通，所以去掉。
42题，both表并列，而这个句子前后是没有并列的含义的，只说了扩展规模。所以both多余。
43题，too是副词，在这里用法不对
44题，in a similar way固定用法，much多余
45题，while用来引导时间状语从句，而很明显这个句子并不是，只是由that引导的从句，句子成分很齐全。去掉while。
BEC真题三
Fighting Fit
Fine Fitness, the health and fitness club operator, announced an impressive set of results yesterday: (19) a 38-per-cent jump in annual pre-tax profits, the company claimed that it had (20) none of the problems (21) last week by its rival, Top Fit .According to Samantha Collier,the chief executive, Fine Fitness (22) strong and is on (23) to reach its target of 100 clubs within three years, its strategy unaffected by the apparent (24) down of the economy.
The company opened 12 new clubs in the past year; (25) its total to 51. They have (26) to be highly successful, with people joining in large numbers, especially in the 25-to-40 age range. Even the more (27) clubs are still seeing sales growth, along with rising retention (28) of more than 70 per cent. This can be seen as clear (29) of the appeal of Fine Fitness.
Ms Collier admitted that as there were (30) too many companies competing with one another; there would almost certainly be (31) in the health-and-fitness-club sector of the market She predicted that, within a relatively short time, there might be only about three major companies still in (32).However, she declined to say which these were likely to be.
Profits rose by ￡6.3 million, although there was a fall in gross margins from 31 per cent to 28.6 per cent because of higher insurance premiums, extra management costs and start-up expenses for the company's new (33) in Spain.
19 A Stating B Reporting C Remarking D Informing
20 A taken B felt C experienced D caught
21 A released B issued C opened D revealed
22 A stays B remains C maintains D keeps
23 A track B direction C way D line
24 A falling B breaking C cutting D slowing
25 A bringing B putting C getting D mounting
26 A shown B resulted C proved D demonstrated
27 A installed B formed C established D confirmed
28 A rates B standards C proportions D volumes
29 A witness B sign C display D evidence
30 A purely B merely C simply D barely
31 A union B consolidation C alliance D combination
32 A trade B office C commerce D business
33 A trial B venture C proposal D speculation
文章介绍了一个经营健康俱乐部的公司的情况，依旧是形势喜人。
19题，一句话包含三个空，联系在一起做。昨天开会，宣布了一系列结果。报告税前收益增长了38%，公司并没有经历它的竞争对手所暴露的问题。19题选report，20题experienced，21题，revealed by its rival，被竞争对手暴露的问题。
22题，remains strong保持强劲;单看单词的意思，貌似keep也可以(不过说实话，如果不是有同学提醒，我压根想不到会填keep)联系此句上下文，提到了在对手出现问题时这个公司表现依然强劲remain在英文词典的解释是：continue to exist, especially after other similar or related people or things have ceased to exist 在相似或者相关人和事出现状况时仍然存在，所以，remain更符合这个题目的条件
23题，on track 步入正轨。公司正在实现目标的正道上。这个词在其他完型也出现过，不过不是正确答案。
24题，slow down放缓，固定用法。经济放缓。
25题，bring to，使总数达到51，这个题怕是要靠语感。put肯定不对，get to到达，mount在这里用法不对。
26题，proved to be证明是，固定用法
27题，这里填入的词要和前文对照，前面说新开了12家新的俱乐部，这里的空格前有个even和more，所以应该是填入与new相对应的词。established是已确立的(If you use established to describe something such as an organization, you mean that it is officially recognized or generally approved of because it has existed for a long time. )
28题，retention rate保留率，专有名词(Retained earnings divided by total after-tax earnings, expressed as a percentage)，指公司税后收益所保留的那一部分。
29题，公司吸引力的证据。clear evidence明显的证据。不选sign，sign只是迹象。
30题，simply修饰too many从用法和意思上都对，在这里就是表强调的，意思是公司太多了。
31题，consolidation强化、合并(To consolidate a number of small groups or firms means to make them into one large organization.)，有很多的公司相互竞争，所以需要进行一个整合。这是商英里的固定说法。
32题，in business在经营。是说很快这个市场上的公司会淘汰的只剩下三个。
33题，理解了venture的意思就不难做出选择，在这里是指商业冒险，也是商英地道说法。公司要在西班牙进行一些投机活动，因此增加了额外的管理费用。
BEC真题四
Critical Path
When David Hayden realised his company was heading for trouble, he took drastic measures to get it back on track
David Hayden founded his company, Critical Path, an email provider, in to take advantage of the boom in email traffic. Critical Path became a public company two years later, and Hayden took the opportunity to step down from his executive position in order to work on personal projects. At the same time, he agreed to stay with the company as Chairman, but the business was put in the hands of new managers by its investors. With sector-leading products and an expanding market, the company seemed to be on the up and up. However, by early , it was in trouble. Shares that had been worth $26 in , when they were first sold, were down to a mere 24 cents.
Called in by a panicking board, Hayden found himself back in charge as Executive Chairman, trying desperately to rescue what he could. The 1,100 staff had lost confidence in the company and did not know what was going to happen to them. And, as Hayden discovered, the management team was incompetent. Those guys didn't understand the product or the sector,' says Hayden. The heads of department didn't communicate and they didn't lead.' But what was worse, Critical Path had lost the goodwill of its investors.
Hayden knew that bringing the figures under control would be a vital step in the company's turnaround. 'You've got to sort out the finances. For me, that meant getting back the goodwill of the investors. That was tough, after what had happened. But although they were angry with the company, they didn't have bad feelings about me. I told them that I knew I could get the company on its feet again.' He was authorised to make whatever changes were required, and his first act was to find people within the company he could trust and put them in charge.
The next thing Hayden had to tackle was morale. 'Everyone left the office at five on the dot - they couldn't get away quickly enough. To get the buzz back and win the staff over, I had to prove my own commitment and put in the extra hours with them.' In return, it was assumed that nobody would ask for overtime pay until the company was on its feet again. Contrary to normal practice, Hayden was reluctant to lay people off, and apart from not replacing people as they reached retirement age, he left the workforce largely unchanged, although he did identify key people throughout the company who were given more responsibility.
But, as Hayden insists, before a company reaches such a crisis, there are warning signs that any financial director or accountant should take note of. 'A business that has an unrealistic pricing policy or has to negotiate extended credit with its suppliers is in trouble,' is his message. 'Or if you often have to apply for your overdraft limit to be raised or have trouble paying tax on time, something needs to be done.'
By , the company was healthy again, with reasonably stable finances and a modest but steady share price of $1.60. 'One thing that helped save us was that our technology worked,' says Hayden. 'With 20 million email accounts, we never lost a single major client because the product kept on working.' With ideas for a fresh venture demanding his attention elsewhere, Hayden has moved on. 'It was time to go,' he says. 'I'm not a turnaround specialist. I prefer start-ups.'
13 What event coincided with Critical Path becoming a public company?
A Hayden became the Executive Director of Critical Path.
B Investors hired a replacement team to run Critical Path.
C Critical Path launched a successful new product on the market.
D Critical Path was floated on the Stock Exchange at 24 cents per share.
14 Which of the following situations did Hayden face at Critical Path in 2001?
A The employees were worried about job security.
B The investors were calling for changes to the company structure.
C The management was misleading the staff about the company's position.
D The board of directors did not realise the scale of the company's problems.
15 One reason Hayden was able to turn Critical Path around was that
A he managed to find new investors.
B the financial situation was not as bad as he had thought.
C he had built up a good relationship with the management team.
D he was given the support that he needed.
16 What was Hayden's policy regarding the staff of Critical Path?
A He paid overtime to everybody who worked outside office hours.
B He reduced the workforce by operating an early retirement scheme.
C He gave key staff the opportunity to help him set goals for the company.
D He restored motivation by showing willingness to work alongside staff.
17 According to Hayden, what could indicate that a business is in trouble?
A problems keeping accounts up to date
B suppliers refusing to offer new credit terms
C a frequent need to increase the amount borrowed
D difficulties in getting payment from customers on time
18 Hayden left Critical Path after he had rescued the company because
A he wanted to develop the technology for a new internet service.
B he wanted to concentrate on founding a new enterprise.
C he had been offered a job with a major internet company.
D he decided to go into partnership with a major client.
这篇文章名为《Critical Path》，字面上理解是关键路径，但在此文中是指一个公司的名字。整篇文章都是围绕这个公司遭遇的困境，以及这个公司的执行主席是如何力挽狂澜、扭转乾坤的。BEC考试阅读文章的一大特点是逻辑性强，层次分明，读完不会有找不着北的感觉。
13题，题目问当Critical Path成为上市公司时还发生了什么事。
A不对，原文说的很明白：Hayden took the opportunity to step down from his executive position。抓住机会从总裁的位置上退下来。
B项正确。原文说the business was put in the hands of new managers by its investors。业务被投资者交给了新的经理。和B选项的“投资者雇佣了一个替代团队来运营Critical Path”说的是一个意思。
C不对，原文说的是sector-leading products，行业领先的产品，的确是C选项所说的successful，但是new不对。
D不对，首先时间上不吻合，不是Critical Path成为上市公司时的事，其次这一句的描述也不对，只是说股价跌倒了24美分，不是float。
Public company：a company whose shares can be bought and sold on the stock market, etc.上市公司。
14题，题目问在的Critical Path,这个Hayden面临着什么样的情况。答案在第二段找。
A段说员工们担心工作保障。原文中说“The 1,100 staff had lost confidence in the company and did not know what was going to happen to them”，1100号员工对公司失去了信心，不知道将会发生什么。和A的意思吻合。
B、C、D在原文中都没有提到。
这个题目关键是能理解job security的意思，它是商务英语里地道常见的用法(同样的还有employment security)：
job security：a situation where a job is likely to last for a long time and you will keep the job if you do what you are expected to
eg: Consumers have cut back on their spending because of worries about job security.
常见搭配(完形填空可能会遇到)
A high/low level of job security to have/improve/increase/provide job security
15题，题目问Hayden能够扭转局面的一个原因。答案在第三段找，并不很直接，需要一点概括。这一段先说了下公司的一些难处，比如投资人很生气，后果很严重。所幸的是投资人对Hayden并不反感：He was authorised to make whatever changes were required，他被授权进行一切需要的改变，也就是D选项所说的得到了需要的支持。
A不对，不需要找新的投资者，原文说的是“getting back the goodwill of the investors”，挽回投资人的好感。
B不对，财政状况的确很坏。
C在原文没有提到。原文的最后一句说在公司寻找可以信赖的人并让他们负责，不是说和管理层建立好关系。
16题，问针对Critical Path的员工采取的政策是什么。答案是第四段的第一句话：The next thing Hayden had to tackle was morale。需要解决的是士气问题。也就是D段所说的restored motivation。这一段是讲Hayden如何与员工站在一起。
A不对，原文说的很清楚：it was assumed that nobody would ask for overtime pay until the company was on its feet again。任何人不得索取加班补偿。
B不对，原文是apart from not replacing people as they reached retirement age。
C也不对，原文是who were given more responsibility，被赋予了更多的责任，不是“help him set goals”。17题，题目问什么可以表明一个公司陷入了困境。答案是第五段的这么一句：A business that has an unrealistic pricing policy or has to negotiate extended credit with its suppliers is in trouble。有一个不现实的定价政策或者需要和供货商谈判提高贷款。
Credit是很眼熟的单词，用法很多，让人晕头转向。这里的意思是：
Money that financial institutions lend to businesses, governments and people
eg：It is unlikely that the bank will extend additional credit to the firm.
18题，题目问扮演了救世主角色之后的Hayden为什么选择离开。
答案是最后一段：“With ideas for a fresh venture demanding his attention elsewhere”和“I'm not a turnaround specialist. I prefer start-ups.”需要一个崭新的需要他的注意力的企业。也就是B选项所说的想要一个新的企业。
BEC中级考试真题3
1.The bank with ideas
With several hundred years of history behind it, the APL Bank has few problems in convincing businesses that it is reputable and secure__21__ of a range of banking serving. Now, it is demonstrating to business customers that it is flexible and responsive enough to ___22___ their changing needs in the 21st century.
Based in London, APL offers banking services to businesses throughout the UK via its branch __23___. Most customer service provision is ___24_ out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with ___25__ staff at company headquarters.
An important ___26__for APL has been to make it easy for customers to __27__business with the bank. They can contact their account manager by direct line or email; if the manager is on holiday, a carefully chosen colleague becomes the ‘account contact’ and ___28__with the customer during the manager’s ___29___. In addition, for those who want ___30__ to their bank at any time of day or night there is now a 24-hour phone-based service.
In order to remain competitive and build customer loyalty, the bank guarantees to turn around urgent loan___31__within 24 hours. This focus on the customer has also been a driving __32__in APL’s recruitment and development policy. For example, newly inducted staff ___33__a ‘customer service review’ to find out what it is like to be on the other side of the desk, asking to borrow money.
Together, these ___34__in banking have achieved excellent results. The customer__35___is growing fast, and last year the bank gained 36,000 new business accounts.
正确答案为橙色字体
21. A. producer B. supplier C. provider D. giver
22. A achieve B. reach C meet D. assist
23. A. system B. web C. grid D. network
24. A. taken B. brought C. carried D. put
25. A. aid B. support C. guidance D. backing
26. A. objective B. purpose C. direction D. scheme
27. A do B. run C. make D. have
28. A copes B. arranges C. handles D. deals
29. A vacancy B. departure C. absence D. retirement
30. A access B. entrance C. approach D. opening
31. A. demands B. applications C. proposals D. orders
32. A power B. strength C. force D. pressure
33. A take over B. go through C. set down D. put up
34. A. innovations B. adaptations C. revisions D. modernization
35. A. source B. base C. centre D. foundation
网友提问：
Most customer service provision is carried out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with __________ staff at company headquarters.
1. aid
2. support
3. guidance
4. backing
为什么用support，不用backing?两者有什么区别么?
解答：
这里不能选择backing。back有支持的意思，但是backing表支持时却是名词
(support or help, especially with money。
查了朗文词典和剑桥词典，backing做形容词时只在朗文词典里有一种解释：backing singers
意思应该是背景歌手或者是伴唱歌手。
所以给出的空里不能选backing.
Support staff可以说是一种固定的用法，意思是支持人员，或者是后勤人员、运维人员，填入这个句子的空格处正好合适。
这是《金融时报》词典的解释：Employees whose work is helping a company or organization to operate, for example technical or administrative workers
橙色标注的几个空将做重点解答
21、争议的焦点可能在B和C之间，supplier 还是provider。
Supplier更侧重于提供某种产品(朗文：a company or person that provides a particular product)
Provider强调提供某种服务(朗文：a company or person that provides a service)
联系这个空后面的banking serving，这里应该选择provider。
23、network 相互关系(配合)的系统
Branch network 由分支机构构成的网络。
这个词很好理解，看一遍就会了。如果是第一次选，没准会选中system
28、cope with后接事 deal with可接人和事
Handle是及物动词，后面直接接人和事，相当于deal with
31、loan application 贷款申请
Apply for loan 固定用法
33、go through 仔细的查看，后面正好和customer service review搭配。
Driving force和customer base属于固定用法
2.Chairman's Report
I am pleased to report that, although we had been expecting poor results for this half year because of slow growth in the world economy, the company has performed very satisfactorily.Operating profits for this first half are in fact very much (19) with those for the corresponding (20) last year. Profits reached ￡l 15 million before tax, compared with ￡l 16.3 million last year. Much of our success in the last six months can be (21) to the fact that all our major construction projects remained on schedule. Particularly pleasing was the early (22)of a major building contract in Canada.
The company has made good progress with the initiatives announced at the Annual General Meeting. The majority of shareholders (23) the Board's decision to sell the company's loss-making engineering (24). It was the Board's belief that the company would (25) most benefit by (26) its resources on the expansion of its construction activities. Negotiations with a potential buyer began in February and are now at a critical (27).However, we feel that we are not as yet in a (28) to comment on what the outcome is likely to be.
In June, we made a successful (29) for the Renishaw Construction Company of Hong Kong SAR, in order to give us greater (30) to markets in South East Asia. We still have sufficient resources to pursue our growth (31) and are at present (32) several other business opportunities which, like Renishaw Construction, would (33) new markets to us.
19.A in order B on track C in line D on target
20.A session B term C season D period
21.A attributed B referred C assigned D designated
22.A termination B ending C completion D finalising
23.A confirmed B maintained C agreed D supported
24.A portion B component C sector D division
25.A have B gain C find D earn
26.A focusing B directing C pointing D strengthening
27.A height B step C edge D stage
28.A condition B point C position D capacity
29.A request B price C demand D bid
30.A access B approach C admission D entrance
31.A strategy B process C promotion D system
32.A inquiring B deliberating C exploring D searching
33.A send B open C provide D give
文章是一篇报告，介绍了公司某段时间的发展状况，总体的势头是良好的，积极向上。
19和20题需要在一起考虑，从整体上把握句子的意思。in line with与....一致;on track ：doing or saying things that are likely to be successful or correct步入正轨;on target(射击)准。20空选词关键要将空格前面的those for the corresponding和前面的for this first half对应，这里空格填入的词要能和this first half相匹配，表示时间段，时期，所以是period。因为是半年，所以不选season。整个句子的意思是这半年的营业利润(operating profit)实际上是与去年同期相一致的。
21题，attribute to，表原因，联系整个句子不难做出选择。designate是委任、指派
22题，意思是完成了一个主要的建筑合同，从一个pleasing可以看出感情基调，A和B肯定不选，不是终止也不是结束，finalise最后定下来，定案。
23题，大部分股东都支持、赞同董事会的决定，选support，如果是agree的话后面需要with。
24题，董事会的决定是卖掉公司亏损的工程部。A、B首先排除，做完形填空最忌讳的是把汉语思维和汉语含义带入英文语境中，有的时候宁可选自己从来没有见过的用法，也不要从汉语意思出发强塞一个英文单词进去。sector是(尤指一国经济的)部门、行业，division是(一个机构的)部门。
25和26题，句子的意思是公司将通过把资源集中在建筑活动的扩张上来获得大部分的收益。25题的A和C容易排除，关键是看gain还是earn。earn是通过努力挣到一笔钱(to receive a particular amount of money for the work that you do)，gain是获得或者实现什么(to obtain or achieve something you want or need)，因为是公司的战略，所以用gain更合适一些。
27题，at a critical stage，在一个关键的阶段。
28题，in a position to do sth.能够做某事。固定搭配
29题，成功招标，bid
30题，give us greater access to markets给我们更大的市场准入
31题，growth strategy，增长策略，追求我们的增长策略。
32题，探索更多的商业机会。inquire询问;deliberate仔细考虑，深思熟虑;
33题，为我们开放新的市场。provide后需要加wit
3.Achieving a successful merger
However attractive the figures may look on paper, in the long run the success or failure of a merger depends on the human factor. When the agreement has been signed and the accountants have departed, the real problems may only just be beginning. If there is a culture clash between the two companies in the way their people work, then all the efforts of the financiers and lawyers to strike a deal may have been in vain.
According to Chris Bolton of KS Management Consultants, 70% of mergers fail to live up to their promise of shareholder value, riot through any failure in economic terms but because the integration of people is unsuccessful. Corporates, he explains, concentrate their efforts before a merger on legal, technical and financial matters. They employ a range of experts to obtain the most favourable contract possible. But even at these early stages, people issues must be taken into consideration. The strengths and weaknesses of both organisations should be assessed and, if it is a merger of equals, then careful thought should be given to which personnel, from which side, should take on the key roles.
This was the issue in 2001 when the proposed merger between two pharmaceutical companies promised to create one of the largest players in the industry. For both companies the merger was intended to reverse falling market share and shareholder value. However, although the companies' skill bases were compatible, the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation. This illustrates the need to compromise if a merger is to take place.
But even in mergers that do go ahead, there can be culture clashes. One way to avoid this is to work with focus groups to see how employees view the existing culture of their organisation. In one example, where two global organisations in the food sector were planning to merge, focus groups discovered that the companies displayed very different profiles. One was sales-focused, knew exactly what it wanted to achieve and pushed initiatives through. The other got involved in lengthy discussions, trying out options methodically and making contingency plans. The first responded quickly to changes in the marketplace; the second took longer, but the option it eventually chose was usually the correct one. Neither company's approach would have worked for the other.
The answer is not to adopt one company's approach, or even to try to incorporate every aspect of both organisations, but to create a totally new culture. This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can accept. Or almost everyone. Inevitably there will be those who cannot adapt to a different culture. Research into the impact of mergers has found that companies with differing management styles are the ones that need to work hardest at creating a new culture.
Another tool that can help to get the right cultural mix is intercultural analysis. This involves carrying out research that looks at the culture of a company and the business culture of the country in which it is based. It identifies how people, money and time are managed in a company, and investigates the business customs of the country and how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business is done.
13 According to the text, mergers can encounter problems when
A contracts are signed too quickly.
B experts cannot predict accurate figures.
C conflicting attitudes cannot be resolved.
D staff are opposed to the terms of the deal.
14 According to Chris Bolton, what do many organisations do in preparation for a merger?
A ensure their interests are represented
B give reassurances to shareholders
C consider the effect of a merger on employees
D analyse the varying strengths of their staff
15 The proposed merger of two pharmaceutical groups failed because
A major shareholders were opposed.
B there was a fall in the demand for their products.
C there were problems combining their areas of expertise.
D an issue of personal rivalry could not be resolved.
16 According to the text, focus groups can help companies to
A develop new initiatives.
B adopt contingency plans.
C be decisive and react rapidly.
D evaluate how well matched they are.
17 Creating a new culture in a newly merged organisation means that
A management styles become more flexible.
B there is more chance of the merger working.
C staff will find it more difficult to adapt to the changes.
D successful elements of the original organisations are lost.
18 According to the text, intercultural analysis will show
A what kind of benefits a merger can lead to.
B how the national context affects the way a company is run.
C how long it will take for a company culture to develop.
D what changes companies should make before a merger takes place.
《Achieving a successful merger》，实现一个成功的并购。文章没有从技术和经济效益的角度来分析并购成功的因素，而是强调了一个在并购中容易被忽视的重要因素：文化冲突。不同的企业文化走到了一起，能否兼容是并购能否成功的关键因素。一个比较著名的例子是当年惠普与康柏的并购。
第十三题，问什么情况下并购会遇到麻烦。答案是A段的最后一句，关键词是culture clash：如果两个公司的员工在工作方式上存在文化冲突，那么金融专家和律师们为了达成交易所做的一切努力都是徒劳的。所以选C：冲突性的态度无法得到解决。Conflicting attitude对应于culture clash。attitude具体指公司员工做事情的方式和态度。
第十四题，问很多机构为并购所做的准备是什么。答案是第二段的这么一句话：Corporates, he explains, concentrate their efforts before a merger on legal, technical and financial matters。公司都把精力集中在法律、技术和金融事务上了。也就是更多的看重经济等方面的利益，而忽视了人的因素。选A：确保他们的利益得到很好的反映，也就是自己的利益有保障。represent在这里的意思是be present or found in something, especially to a particular degree。
第十五题，问这俩医药公司并购失败的原因是什么。答案是第三段的倒数第二句：the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organisation.在谁来领导新的机构的问题上无法达成一致。所以选D：人员竞争问题无法得到解决。Personal rivalry就是指两个领导谁也不服谁。
第十六题，问focus group可以帮助公司干什么。先弄明白focus group的意思，看剑桥高阶的解释：a group of people who have been brought together to discuss a particular subject in order to solve a problem or suggest ideas。处理问题的团体。答案在第四段。这一段是举例说明两个合并公司的文化兼容性问题。经过focus group的调查，这两个公司的做事方式有很大差别，不能兼容。所以这一题的答案是选D：评估他们能否匹配。
第十七题，问在一个新合并的公司里创造新的文化意味着什么。答案是第五段的这么一句：This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organisation that everyone can accept。吸取双方的优点，创造一个所有人都能接受的新组织。每个人都能接受，那么合并成功的可能性会大大增加。选B：合并起作用的几率增加了。
第十八题，跨文化分析能够表明什么。答案是最后一段的最后一句：how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business is done.看看这个国家的政治、经济和历史是怎么影响商业行为的。也就是考察宏观的国家背景对微观的经济个体的影响。选B：国家背景怎样影响公司的运行方式。
4.Issues in the recruitment world
In the competitive world of investment banking, good senior executives are not easy to find. So what should the industry's hard-pressed directors do when they need to find senior staff? Increasingly, they decide to call in the headhunters. These are busy and profitable times for the recruitment agencies that dominate the world of executive search and selection.
(0) .....They needed new people to revitalise their operations, and the result has been a boom in the recruitment market. Pinnacle, a leading recruitment agency, has helped various UK investment banks to rebuild their entire senior management teams. It is hard to overstate the significance of this. (8)............
But now everything has changed, and Pinnacle is not the only major player in the field. Some analysts believe that rival recruitment specialists ALT Associates has a larger share of the market. However, there is little doubt that over its 13-year history, Pinnacle and its chairman, Matthew Edwards, have built up an impressive reputation.
edwards estimates that his company controls between 10 and 15 per cent of the headhunting market for senior investment banking jobs in the UK. (9)............Rather, it is the high-calibre jobs and people that Pinnacle deals with that define the company's success. For example, the company was recently commissioned to find a new chairman for NBS Bank, a vacancy that was one of the most talked about in the banking world.
Most HR directors recognise that headhunters such as Pinnacle play a valuable role in the recruitment process.(10)............Some are concerned that a few companies, including Pinnacle, have too much power over high-level recruitment.(11)............As Tim Davidson, HR Director at Cawfield Bank, explains, They can be kingmakers. These are the people who decide who gets a future and who doesn't. If Edwards forms a view about an individual, it can affect their ability to get a particular job. That view could just have been formed on a bad day.' (12)............ Final decisions in the selection process are always taken by his clients, he says, whoever they are.
The role of headhunters should not be exaggerated. Many companies never use them. But as top executives are hard to find, there will always be a role for people like Matthew Edwards.
A Although others may put it lower, it is important to remember that the company's reputation is not based on market share alone.
B Their chief worry is that the headhunters can now make or break managerial careers.
C According to Edwards, this is a further indication that the way Pinnacle searches for a candidate tends to favour a certain type of manager.
D But this acceptance does not mean they are universally happy, either with the state of the market or with Pinnacle's role within it.
e Until a few years ago, even the biggest companies were unlikely to use headhunters to fill more than one or two jobs a year.
F Edwards objects to this suggestion, claiming that all he does is find candidates and encourage them to apply for a particular post.
G A number of big investment banks recently decided to make changes to their management boards after disappointing end-of-year results.
《Issues in the recruitment world》，招聘世界里的话题。围绕猎头公司(headhunter)展开，说明了猎头公司的发展和重要性，以及用人单位对猎头公司的一些疑问。第一段引出话题，说现在正是猎头公司占领市场的时候。接下来几段顺序介绍了猎头市场的发展阶段，从起步阶段(第二段的内容)，到逐步发家(第三段)，当中列举了一个猎头公司的情况加以说明(第四段)，然后第五段介绍了用人单位对猎头公司的一些质疑。最后一段是总的概括。做这种题一定要理清文章的逻辑顺序，从整体上把握文章脉络。
第八题，第二段的最后一句。第二段是简单引出猎头公司的起步，起步阶段并没有多少公司认识到猎头公司的重要性，就如第八题前面的一句话所说：It is hard to overstate the significance of this。很难高估这个的重要性，也就是说猎头公司的作用并没有被完全的认识到。后面的空格应该相应的填入猎头公司不太被重视的句子。E选项正好满足这个特点：直到几年前，甚至最大的公司都不可能一年利用猎头公司来填补一两个职位。
第九题，主要是介绍Pinnacle这个猎头公司的情况。前面说这个公司的市场份额在10%到15%，空格后面一个rather(相反)，说定义公司成功的应该是公司所处理的高质量的工作和客户。中间应填入一个表转折意思的句子，并且可能和公司的市场份额有关。A句满足这个要求：虽然其他人可能把它(指市场份额)估计得更低，但一个公司的名声不仅仅是建立在市场份额基础上的。
第五段，集中填入三个句子，所以一定要从意思上进行把握。这一段是用人单位对猎头公司的一些质疑，然后猎头公司Pinnacle的主席Edwards进行了一些反驳。
这一段第一句话说人力资源部经理认为Pinnacle发挥了很重要的作用，接着空格后面说的是Some are concerned that…也就是一些人提出了担心，所以中间的第十题应该填入表示转折意思的句子，而且可能是对猎头公司发挥的作用的消极看法。D满足这一要求：但是这种认可不代表他们完全的高兴。BUT是个关键的信号，acceptance是指代前面人力资源经理们对猎头公司发挥作用的认可。
第十一题，前面的句子是对猎头公司发挥作用的担心，认为它们权力过大了。这一题后面的句子是引用一个人力资源经理的解释，进一步说明猎头公司的影响力太大。所以十一题也应该与此相关。B符合：他们首要担心的是猎头公司会创造或者破坏管理职业生涯。Worry是关键词，同前面的concern相对应，make or break managerial careers也就是上下文所说的权利过大，简直拥有生杀大权。
第十二题，理解了前面的，不难做出选择。这里很明显就是猎头公司为自己辩护。前面指责猎头公司的评价会影响个人的选择。而空格后面是Edwards的解释，说最终的决定权是掌握在客户自己手中。所以这一题很明显应该填入对前面表示反驳的句子，也就是F，object to，非常明显的信号：Edwards反对这种说法，声称他所做的无非就是寻找候选人然后鼓励他们去申请某个特定的职位。
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