SectionC

WhatalovelyplaceXeroxistoworkKimMoloney,aclientservicesexecutive,can’tsayenoughnicethingsaboutheremployer.‘It’saveryspecialenvironment,’shesays.‘PeopledescribeXeroxasafamilyandIwasamazedatthenumberofpeoplewhohaveworkedhereforsolong.’It’stemptingtotakeMoloney’scommentswithapinchofsalt,especiallyconsideringthatwhenyou’vebeenworkingsomewhereforonlytwoyears,asshehasatXerox,everyoneseemsoldandestablished.Butthere’struthbehindherenthusiasm.

TakeCarolePalmer,thegroupresourcesdirector.ShejoinedXeroxin1978asatempandhasbeeninherpresentroleforsevenyears.‘Xeroxhasbeengoodtomeovertheyears,’shesays.‘Ithassupportedmethroughqualifications…andlastyearItookpartinthevice-presidentincumbentprogram.’HumanresourcesistakenseriouslyatXerox,Palmersays,andthecompanyhasapolicyofpromotingfromwithin(whichwouldexplainMoloney’samazementathercolleagues’longevity).ThecompanytakesononlyfifteentotwentygraduateseachyearandMoloneywaspartofanintakewhojoinedhavingalreadyacquiredacoupleofyears’workexperience.ShestartedasaprojectmanagerforXeroxGlobalServicesbeforemovingintosales.Nowherresponsibilityisto‘growandmaintaincustomerrelationships’.

MoloneyisbasedattheheadofficeinUxbridge.‘It’sgreatintermsofworkingenvironment,’shesays.‘We’vejustgotanewproviderinthecanteenand…wehavebrainstormingroomsandbreakoutareas.’MuchofMoloney’sroleisvisitingclients,soshedoesn’thaveapermanentdeskatheadoffice.‘I’mahot-desker,whichisgoodbecauseyougettositwithdifferentpeopleinthehot-deskareas.Andyou’regivenaplacetostoreyourthings.’Headofficestaffnumbersbetween1,200and1,500people,Palmersays.ThecompanyhasfourothermainofficesintheUK.Thenatureoftheorganization,whichencompassessalesandmarketing,globalservices(thebiggestdivision),developingmarkets,researchanddevelopmentandmanufacturing,meansthattheopportunitiesatthecompanyvaryfromserviceengineerstosalesrolesandconsultants.

Perksincludeafinal-salarypensionschemeandvariousdiscountschemes.Therewardandrecognitionschemeisalittledifferent,andrathernice:‘Eachmanagerhasabudgeteveryyeartorecognizeandrewardstaff,’Palmersays.‘Itcanbeintheformofamealfortwo,orabottleofwine.Itcanbeupto£1,000.There’stherecognition,andthenthere’sputtingmoneybehindit.’Moloney,however,likesthenon-cashrewards.‘Xeroxtakescareofallitsstaffbutitalsorecognizesthepeoplewhoputintheaddedeffort,’shesays.‘Itoffersonce-in-a-lifetimeincentivetrips,andrecentlyIorganizedasailingtripformyteam.’

Theideaofworkingabroadwiththecompanyappealstoher,andshesaysthathercareergoalistobepartoftheseniormanagementteam.Here’sanotheremployee,itwouldseem,whoisinitforthelonghaul.

()1.Thejournalistofthisarticlethinksthat.

A.staffatXeroxarenottellingthetruthabutthecompany.

B.Xeroxoffersgreatbenefitstostaff.

C.Xeroxisthebestcompanyintheworld.

D.Xeroxhasthebestworkingenvironment.

()2.Thecompanytendstofinditsnewmanager.

A.onlyformgraduatesB.ontrainingcourses

C.fromexistingstaffD.fromjobmarkets

()3.Whatdoesthephrase“totakeon”inthesentence“Thecompanytakesononlyfifteentotwentygraduateseachyearand…”ofthesecondparagraphmean?.

A.TotrainB.Toemploy

C.TointerviewD.Tomaintain(A)

()4.Aswellasrecognizingitsstaffthroughpromotion,Xerox.

A.givescashbonuses

B.givesunpaidleavetotaketripsofalifetime.

C.providesanumberofperks.

D.provideshugeend-of-yearbonuses.

()5.OnecommonfeatureofXeroxstaffisthattheytend.

A.toworkhardB.togetpromoted

C.worklongerhourseachdayD.nottochangeemployer

Asianeconomieswillcontinuetoexpandrapidlyinthenexttwoyearsonthebackofforeigninvestments,exportsanddomesticdemand,butwillnotbefreeofworries,accordingtoarecentsecuritiescompanyeconomicreport.Massiveinfrastructurespending,thebenefitsofpastinvestmentsandderegulationandgrowingregionaltradewillpushalongregionalgrowth.

ThereporttippedChina’sgrossdomesticproducttogrowby9.5percentin1996and10.5percentin1997,andHongKong’stogrowby4.3and5.0percent.Singapore’srealGDPwasforecasttogrowby7.6and7.4percent,Malaysia’sby8.6and8.1percent,Thailand’sby8.8and8.4percent,Indonesia’sby7.3and7.1percentandPhilippines’by5.6and5.8percent.

“However,allisnotrosy,”cautionedthereport,whichlistedoverheatingastheregion’sbiggestchallengeintheshorttermandskilled-laborshortagesinthelongrun.

Itcitedstrainsfromrapidgrowththathadbeguntostretchcurrentaccountdeficitsandspurinflationinsomeregionaleconomies,whichcouldpreventtheircentralbanksfromloweringinterestrates.

“Thisimpliesthateconomicvulnerabilitytounexpectedshockswillremainhigh,”thereportsaid,forecastingafurthertighteningofmonetarypolicyincountriessuchasthePhilippinesandMalaysia,andnosignificanteasinginThailand,IndonesiaandChina.

CrosbySecuritiesalsocitedmassivenewinvestmentprogramsgeneratedbydemandsoninfrastructuresuchaspower,telecommunicationsandtransportwhichhadfuelledover-heating.

ItsaidAsiawouldalsofaceabiggerchallengefromnewlyderegulatingeconomiesinEasternEuropewhichofferedlowercostsandbetter-educatedworkerstoforeigninvestors.

Asia’smainforeigninvestorsshould,however,continuetoexpandtheirpresenceintheregion,thesecuritieshousesaid,notingnewtrendsofintra-Asianinvestment.

Singaporeisshiftingitslowervalue-addeddiscdriveandelectronicsindustrytoMalaysia,whichinturnismovingsomeofitsgarment-makingandconsumerelectronicsmanufacturingtoIndonesiaandThailand.Thailand,MalaysiaandSingaporeareincreasinglyinvestinginVietNam,MyanmarandLaos.

“Asiawillbenefitfromthistrendinseveralways,”thereportsaid.

()1Asiaeconomywillcontinuetogrowbecauseof_____________.

A.foreigninvestmentB.demandsinAsiancountries.

C.exportD.alloftheabove

()2Inthenext2years,thehighesteconomicgrowthwillappearin____________.

A.SingaporeB.Thailand

C.HongKongD.China

()3Yearslater,theprobleminAsianeconomymaybe_________________.

A.toolittleinvestmentB.toomuchinvestment

C.notenoughqualifiedlaborsD.monetaryinstability

()4Accordingtothisreport,economicchangesinEastEuropeare___________.

A.harmfulB.challenging

C.helpfulD.useless

()5ThereportisabouttheprospectofAsianeconomy.

A.optimisticB.pessimistic

C.moreoptimisticthanpessimisticD.morepessimisticthanoptimistic

SectionB

Directions:Therearetenblanksinthefollowingletter.YouarerequiredtochoosethebestonefromthegivenfourchoicesmarkedA,B,C,andD.Thenwritedownthecorrectanswerinthebrackets.Thissectiontotals10points,onepointforeachblank.

DearMr.Bush

Thankyouforyour1ofJanuary5forourBeautyBrandBlouses.

Wearenowexporting2ofvariousbrands,amongwhichBeautyBrandisthemostfamous.Theyareingreat3abroadandourstocksarerunning4quickly.Theyarepopularnotonlyfortheirnoveldesign,butalsoforthereasonableprices.Weareconfidentthatonceyouhavetriedourblouses,youwillplacerepeatorderswithus5largequantities.

Asyourequested,wearenow6asfollows:

Price:US$600perdozenCIFNewYork

TermsofPayment:BysightL/Ctobeopenedthroughabanktobe7bytheSellers.

Shipment:InMarch2007.

Pleasenotethatwedonotallowanycommission8ourblouses,butadiscountof5%maybe9ifthequantityismorethan1,000dozen.

Theaboveofferismadewithout10andissubjecttoourfinalconfirmation.

Wehopethatyouwillplaceanorderwithusatanearlydate.

Sincerelyyours

()1.A.requestB.enquiryC.acquisitionD.requirement

()2.A.blousesB.womanblousesC.womanshirtsD.ladyshirts

()3.A.needB.wantC.requireD.demand

()4.A.upB.offC.downD.away

()5.A.atB.forC.inD.with

()6.A.orderingB.offeringC.placingD.advising

()7.A.agreedB.approvedC.acceptableD.covered

()8.A.onB.inC.ofD.at

()9.A.providedB.suppliedC.furnishedD.granted

()10.A.promiseB.dutyC.engagementD.onus

Thestoreisinanideal(　)todrawtourists.

ApplicantsarerequiredtohavetwoGCSEsatgradeCorabove(orequivalent)includingEnglishLanguageandpreferablysomeexperienceinadministration.Candidatesmusthave