剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-（通用8篇）

篇1：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

Top-3 Strategies to Create a Zero Waste Business

Kerri Hollingsworth

Modern-day waste is currently being treated with an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude. If we can’t see our waste, it doesn’t exist. But this mindset is directly making businesses complacent, and more importantly financially irresponsible when believing that for reduction of waste means a rise in costs and expenditure.

The way we conduct business through production, transportation, consumption and the discarding of materials, all attribute to the landfill issues that are rapidly becoming a real problem for our government and citizens alike.

But, what if there was a way to create a successful business without the waste? Being mindful of your waste in the workplace isn’t something that is being brushed off like it might have been ten years ago, with more and more employees and managers implementing huge strategies to ensure their businesses are operating in an eco-conscious manner for the betterment of our environment.

According to the Zero Waste Alliance, “Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.”

“Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”

Going beyond a recycling bin by our desks and metal straws in the staff kitchen, here are the top three high-level strategy tips to implement into your business for a zero-waste approach in .

Conduct an audit on your current waste streams

It’s easy to introduce a new piece of tech or office rule to cut down on your waste, but without treating your current waste streams like a business system that needs improvement, these efforts will only act as a band-aid on a much larger issue, which is temporary. Take a step back and fully analyse all aspects of where waste is being produced and how it’s being discarded. Are there ways in which you can stop the creation of the waste or re-route to waste in your business to be reused someplace else? A great example of this is identifying areas in which you might be over providing resources. Instead of delivering corporate reports and document to every staff member on paper, digitalise it and offer physical copies as a back-up to those who might want them.

Designate a role to zero-waste

When you’re serious about waste management, it’s going to be a no-brainer to delegate this work to an existing or new staff member. Having someone (or even a committee!) who always have zero waste on their minds is going to fill in any blanks that might have been missed during your audit and ensure that the new systems being introduced are executed and adopted by staff properly. Knowing that the goal for zero-waste not only comes with the extra added benefits of saving dollars in the long run, it’s also a great initiative for your company’s image and could even be a great PR angle to show that your business is leading the way in real zero-waste implementation.

Set your waste reduction goals

Once you’ve started working with the intention to build a zero-waste business, understand that this might take some time to effectively be implemented (especially in large and established companies). With your waste management employee or team, set realistic goals in-house for you to aim for to one day when the company becomes completely zero-waste! It could be that you want to reach zero-waste by 2025 but have yearly KPIs in place that will build towards that larger, long-term goal. Remember, waste management can be orchestrated on many different levels in the company, and to completely change your current level of waste is not going to happen in one go. Set attainable short, medium and long-term goals, and work towards them!

Leading a business that is conscious about their environmental impact and how they manage their waste internally is something that might take time but will construct a foundation for positive growth, and even promote productivity in work output and a reduction in financial expenditure when implemented. Further, with these amazing additions, aiming for zero-waste creates a philosophy within the organization where employees can feel cared for in a society where the average person is concerned about their environmental impact, and that the company they work for is one that promotes sustainability long-term and is on the forefront of eco-consciousness in business.

篇2：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

Lydia Dishman

It was a big promise to build an entire business on. But for the last handful of years, both Uber and Lyft have capitalized on the notion that by providing rides to people on demand via an app, traffic and pollution would be mitigated – especially in major urban centers. New research from both the ride-hailing juggernauts now suggests that’s not the case.

A joint analysis led by transportation consultancy Fehr & Peers examined Uber’s and Lyft’s combined mileage in September in the metro areas of Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. New York City wasn’t studied because of its vast public transportation system.

The results (which include city centers and their surrounding suburbs) reveal that, overall, Uber and Lyft make up just 1% to 3% of vehicle miles overall in the six metro areas. However, in places like San Francisco county, Uber and Lyft account for as much as 13.4% of all vehicle miles. It’s 8% in Boston, and 7.2% in Washington, D.C.. On average, between the six cities, as much as 62% of miles driven had a passenger. The rest were drivers on their way to pick up someone or just driving around between getting booked for a ride.

However, both Uber and Lyft are justifiably pointing their fingers toward the biggest cause of traffic and emissions: privately owned and commercial vehicles. Those account for 87% to 99% of total miles in the six areas studied.

篇3：高级商务英语阅读授课体会

关键词：高级商务英语阅读,教材,案例,考试

作为我校的一门重要商务英语课, 高级商务英语阅读课是针对完成通用英语课程的经贸相关专业的大三学生开设的, 其首要教学目的是培养学生对西方报刊经贸文章的阅读力。

笔者在商务英语阅读教学和实践中不断摸索, 形成了自己的见解和风格。

1. 教材的编写

目前, 市面上关于商务英语阅读的教材并不少, 但或多或少都存在一些问题。有的书出版日期较早, 里面的例子已不再鲜活, 不能紧跟时代的潮流; 有的书过于强调理论, 读起来枯燥乏味, 不能激发学生的兴趣; 等等。针对此种情况, 我校外国语系六名有外贸实际工作经验的老师依照商务英语教学大纲的有关要求, 自编、出版了一本案例集, 内容覆盖了整个商务领域并紧跟时代潮流。

课文的选材来自国外主流经济学和管理学刊物, 如《彭博商业周刊》《哈佛商业评论》等权威刊物, 既为学生提供了最新的专业研究动态和实践案例, 也为全面提高学生的阅读速度和理解能力提供了优秀的原始素材。

本套教材突出自主学习的教学功能, 突破以教师为中心的教材编写模式, 强调学生与教师的互动和交流。在教材设计体系上, 编者在单元的导入、讨论、案例分析、写作、角色转换和辩论等部分有意识地增加学生的“戏份”, 强调学生为中心, 教师为主导。比如, 在写作方面, 要求学生做案例分析、写调研报告, 锻炼写作技能; 在口语方面, 要求学生作演示报告、锻炼演讲技巧、增强实际交流能力。本课程通过大量与专业相关的语言练习, 使语言练习具有目的性和针对性, 能有效提高学生的实际工作能力。

本教材充分强调了人文素养、思辨能力等可变通能力的培养。实际上, 商务英语并不是简单的“英语”+ “商务”, 还包括跨文化交际、人文素养等其他技能的训练。本教材在每个专题的后面都设有与课文内容相关的有一定深度的问题, 对学生思辨思维的培养起到了积极的作用。

2. 教学方式方法的改革

案例教学法能加强学生的兴趣以及解决问题的能力, 因此, 案例教学法在高级商务英语阅读教学中得到了普遍的使用。笔者选取了高级商务英语阅读里的一个专题“展会”来分析案例教学法的实施步骤。

( 1) 编选案例。“展会”选材于《参展商》杂志。该杂志系展会方面的专业杂志, 提供了大量营销者可立即付诸实施的信息, 并深度分析了美国最为成功的展会案例, 以提供经验给即将参展的人员。笔者从中选取了“OperationOrange”这一篇素材, 讲的是高尔夫工业展上, 并不具备优势的杰克森公司如何利用展会营销策略提高品牌知名度, 赢得市场份额的案例。此案例为经典商务案例, 与教学内容和教学进度相适应, 并具有一定代表性和针对性。

( 2) 描述案例。笔者在网上找到2013年美国高尔夫展的视频, 清楚地展现了展会时的实况。学生通过观看视频可以加深对展会的理解, 也更容易对展会所采取的营销策略进行描述。

( 3) 案例讨论。随后教师提出了以下问题供学生分组讨论: 1展会的营销策略表现在哪些方面? 2在展会中, 发放礼物或赠品为一个较好的宣传公司品牌的机会, 需要注意哪些事项? 3在展会营销中有哪些注意事项? 如何强化顾客对品牌的印象, 为其提供印象深刻的服务? 4分享更多的关于“游击营销”的例子。5除课文提到的展会营销策略以外, 你还知道哪些展会营销策略? 6假设你在一家儿童礼服公司工作, 公司打算到美国参加展会, 你有哪些好的营销策略? 教师将全班学生分为6个小组, 以小组为单位进行分析、讨论、辩论; 小组讨论结束后指派代表向全班对案例作分析, 阐述各自观点, 并作小结发言。

( 4) 教师总结。最后, 教师指出了本次案例的思路、重难点、主要解决的问题、如何运用理论知识, 并评价本次案例的成功之处与不足等。

案例教学法改变了传统的教学模式, 从基础知识的传授转移到运用基本知识分析解决实际问题的能力培养, 并且贯彻了学以致用的原则。

3. 自身的商务英语水平的提高

商务英语教师的商务实践能力体现为教师对商务英语语言应用环境的了解、对商务英语语言技能在商务环境中的需求及实际应用的熟谙。所有这一切的实现都要求商务英语教师不仅是学科骨干, 还应是商务社会活动的积极参与者。鉴于学校对商务英语的重视, 笔者2012年暑期在东莞一家外贸公司进行了为期一个月的学习, 2013上半年则在另一家公司进行了为期半年的顶岗实训。通过到企业学习, 笔者了解到公司的文化、外贸的操作流程, 加强了商务知识储备, 为日后的教学工作奠定了基础。

协调好教学和科研的关系, 在成功进行课堂教学的同时注意提高自身理论素养, 把教学过程变成科研过程。笔者通过参与本校商务英语实务精品课程的建设, 对商务英语有了更为直观深刻的体会, 科研能力得到了加强, 同时也提高了教学水平。

4. 实践机会的提供

我校开始了以技能水平提高为目的的实训活动, 由实训目标、实训项目内容、实训方式、实训效果以及评价标准等几个方面构成, 目的是培养学生独立第进行相关贸易操作等方面的能力, 并使其具备较强的分析问题和解决问题的能力。实训的项目内容包括单项训练和综合训练。单项训练包括如进出口实务与单证、国际支付与结算等。综合实训是将各单项的技能联系起来, 进行综合运用, 提高学生的综合应用能力。

在岗实训或顶岗实习是将学生的校内技能训练延伸到校外进行, 在实习基地或实习单位的具体工作岗位上检验学生在校学习和训练的技能和能力。

5. 商务英语证书考试的辅导

剑桥商务英语证书考试是根据英语为非母语国家的人员进行国际商务活动的需要而设计的。BEC考试从听、说、读、写四个方面全面考查学生在经济贸易和商务活动中使用英语的能力, 并颁发标准统一的权威证书。该证书可作为应聘各类涉外企业、部门、组织或机构的英语能力证明, 对即将进入就业领域的在校学生或已工作的青年来说, 它将是他们就业、求职的砝码。

就BEC考试阅读部分而言, 题型较多, 包括平时考生所熟悉的完形填空和四选一阅读理解, 同时还有三个不太常见的题型。所以, 教师应让学生在平时做多方面的练习, 如多阅读商务杂志, 增加商务常识等。

6. 结语

高等学校商务英语专业旨在培养具有扎实的英语基本功、宽阔的国际化视野、合理的国际商务知识与技能的复合型英语人才。英语教师一方面需要不断优化自己商科专业知识结构, 密切关注商业社会的发展和变化, 使自己在专业领域可以和学生平等对话, 积极参与到学生的讨论中, 成为复合型、实战型的英语教师; 另一方面, 教师也可以通过教授商务英语和商科融为一体的复合型教材, 进行ESP教与学两方面的研究工作, 以提高我国的ESP科研水平。

参考文献

[1]金黎明.提高商务英语教学水平的初步探讨[J].南京工业职业技术学院学报, 2003 (02) :66.

篇4：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

【关键词】剑桥商务英语证书 一体化设计 商务英语教学

一、剑桥商务英语证书考试介绍

商务英语证书（BUSINESS ENGLISH CERTIFICATE，简称BEC）是教育部考试中心和英国剑桥大学考试委员会合作，专为职场或即将进入职场的英语学习者提供的国际商务英语资格证书考试，旨在考查真实商务环境中实际运用英语语言的能力。自1993年进入中国以来，BEC已成为中国影响力最大的职业类英语证书，成为“职场英语”、“商务英语”的代名词。正由于其权威性和高含金量，近年来BEC在中国一直保持快速增长的态势，报名人数以每年300%的比率高速增长，备受追捧。在职业资格证书如此重要的今天，素有“名企绿卡”、“500强敲门砖”美誉的BEC对学生就业的意义是不言而喻的。更重要的是，剑桥商务英语作为商务英语专业重要的专业课，如果能在课堂上给学生提供更多的指导，让学生正确理解BEC的商务理念，培养逻辑思维，提高商务语言的组织能力，不仅可以增加考试的砝码，也能让学生增加商务交流的信心，从而拥有更好的职业发展。

二、BEC考试对商务英语教学的启示

纵观BEC考试，我们发现，根据语言学习中的听、说、读、写四种基本能力的要求BEC设计了阅读、写作、听力和口语四大部分，全面考察了学生的语言综合能力，具有很强的科学性和客观性。要通过这样的考试，我们的商务英语教学就必须从实际出发，全面提高学生的语言综合能力。

1、以输出为驱动，转变课堂教学模式

外语学习的动力来源于输出，没有输出驱动的输入，就没有对语言假设的检验和反思，也就不能促成学习者对语言知识的整合、重构与内化。要通过BEC考试，考生必须具备一定的阅读、听力、口语及书面表达能力。那么在实际的商务英语教学中，就要从输出的要求出发，全面提高学生的听、说、读、写能力。为此，我们要减少基础性语言知识的传授，增加产出性的数量和权重，将商务英语知识融入到英语语言学习中，精讲商务知识、专业术语、商务英语专业的英文表达。我们要重视的是学生掌握了什么，能够输出什么，如何提高学生的技能，切实让学生把输入的知识内化为自己的东西，而不仅仅是我们教了什么，学生学了什么。只熟悉语法，只会在四选一的选择题中来回穿梭的考生是不会在BEC考试中取得好成绩的，也不会在将来的工作岗位流利使用英语。商务英语教学必须要以输出为驱动，激发学生参与的兴趣，要想方设法通过“输出”来提高学生的听、说、读、写能力。

2、设置恰当的语言情景，促进输出

語言的输入与输出和语言环境有密切关系，语言只有在一定的环境中才有意义，环境也会促进人对语言的理解。情景的重要性在 BEC 中级测试的各个部分都得到了充分体现。阅读材料题材涉及面广，包括工作岗位说明，事件报告，公司介绍，商务礼仪等，这些题材往往是考生在今后的商业活动中有可能亲身体验的。听力材料，主要来自真实的商务情景对话，如电话投诉产品、工作安排的沟通、会议的组织、协调解决工作中的问题等，并且通常保留了日常口头交际的特点，如环境比较嘈杂、会有停顿，这也是考生在未来的商务活动中可能会经常遇到的。所有的写作任务，均明确给出特定的情景，如假定考生的身份为公司经理助理，按照公司经理的要求写一份备忘录。在口试的三个部分中也都强调考生在特定情景下目标语使用的能力，如要求考生讨论如何为所在公司组织员工招聘，如何招待国外客户等。总之，剑桥商务英语考试考查的侧重点在于一般工作环境下和商务活动中使用英语的能力，有很强的实践性，而我们的学生都缺乏实际工作经验，因此巧设情景对商务英语的教学非常关键。要实现语言的输出就必须创设一种适宜的语言情景，好的情景设置，可以抓住学生的注意力，调动学生的求知欲，为课堂的顺利进行打下基础。

3、听、说、读、写一体化设计，全面提高语言输出能力

BEC考试在听、说、读、写的分值设计上是均等的，各占25%，而在它的教材设计上也是各部分兼顾，乍看起来会显得比较松散。因此在我们的实际教学中要善于把各部分串联起来，进行一体化设计，使各部分紧密相联，全面提高学生的语言输出能力。下面以经济科学出版社《新编剑桥商务英语中级（第三版）》第二课presenting your company为例，说明如何进行多样化的语言输出课堂设计，实现听、说、读、写一体化。具体的课堂活动设计如下：

（1） 课程导入，设置输出任务

在上课之前，设置语言情景，提出问题。假设你是公司职员，向公司未来的投资者介绍公司，你该怎么做？要介绍什么内容？分为哪几个部分？用到哪些术语？如何进行设计？学生被分成不同的小组对问题展开讨论，在讨论的过程中发现自己现有知识的不足，这就激起了学生的求知欲，明确了本单元的任务。

（2） 听、说、读、写一体化设计

首先是听，掌握介绍公司的技巧和标准表达方式。听力进行之前首先明确听力的输出任务，即听力结束之后，完成题目的同时要求以小组为单位，就“我的梦想公司”为主题进行演讲，要求以PPT格式展示给大家。表现好的同学推荐参加学院举行的安徽省职业技能大赛口语比赛选拨赛。这就要求学生在听的过程中必须要边听边记，对听力中涉及到的公司简介的标准表达方式必须要在自己的演讲中一一提及，这就实现了从“听” 到“写”的输出。在输出任务的驱动下，学生在听的过程中就会特别用心，而口语比赛也具有一定的诱惑力，极大地调动了学生参与的积极性。

其次是说，复述听力内容，为完成输出任务做准备。在听完之后，要求学生复述教材中的公司简介，找到公司简介的流程，核心句式或关键的表达，尤其是涉及到公司发展趋势的图表描述，然后根据教材公司简介的框架来建构自己的梦想公司简介，这一步是从“听” 到“说”的输出。如果不了解公司简介的流程，找不到核心句式或关键表达，学生所做的公司简介就不够标准，用词也不地道。

再次是读，核实关键信息。通过听力和复述，学生已经基本掌握了公司简介的框架，知道从哪些方面来介绍公司。再通过阅读听力材料，核实听力中关于公司简介的术语、标准的表达方式，自己掌握的知识是否完整、正确，为下一步的活动做好准备。

最后是写，撰写自己梦想公司的简介。要做好输出任务，完成演讲，必须要有高质量的书面文稿。在输出任务的驱动下，学生已经接受了所有的有效信息输入。而在准备发言稿的过程中也可以锻炼学生的语言表达和语言组织能力，特别是在介绍PPT过程中要注意各页PPT之间语言的相互衔接，以至于具体到如何开始，具体怎么用词，怎样描述发展趋势等。

至此，听、说、读、写一体化设计完成，最终的输出任务是介绍自己的梦想公司。看似简单的演讲，其实从听、说、读、写各个方面对学生提出了要求。通过输入与输出的有机结合，既把整个教学内容有机的结合在了一起，也就培养了学生的综合语言能力。

三、结束语

语言学习的最终目的并非仅仅为了通过某项考试，还在于要会用，能够交流。BEC考试的分析可以为我们的语言教学提供一定的参考，能够从听、说、读、写四个方面全方位提高学生的语言能力，这才是我们英语教学的最终目的。好的考试可以成为促进教学的一种有效途径（Alan Davis 1968： 110）。BEC考试对培养语言运用能力的作用值得我们商务英语教学借鉴和反思。

【参考文献】

[1]金利明，陈智钢. BEC考试现状对商务英语教学的启示[J].赤峰学院学报（汉文哲学社会科学版） ，2013（9）：216-217

[2]王晓亮. 交际性考证测试BEC考试对商务英语教学的启示[J].长春理工大学学报，2012（8）：174-75

[3]吴瑾. BEC 考试对国内国际商务英语测试设计的借鉴作用[J].广东外语外贸大学学报，2011（1）：48-51

[4]吴美洋，张丽莹. 谈商务英语专业教学与BEC考试培训[J].白城师范学院学报，2009（10）：87-89

篇5：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

· Which passage does each sentence refer to?

· For each sentence 1 - 8, mark one letter A1 B, C, D or E on your Answer Sheet.

· You will need to use some of these letters more than once.

Example:

He has developed his own company to promote his work.

0 A B C D E

1 Others in his field think very highly of him.

2 His ideas have spread beyond the business world.

3 He felt that people should be able to enjoy their work.

4 His ideas are more complex than they seem.

5 He did a variety of interesting things before writing his books.

6 His most successful book was written with a colleague.

7 He is particularly skilled at forecasting important developments.

8 Contact with the military was an early influence on his thinking.

A John Adair

Adair is the pioneering British thinker in the theory of leadership. He was the first person in the UK to hold a professorship in Business Leadership and has published a series of influential books on the subject.

篇6：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps .

For each gap 9– 14, mark one letter (A-H) on your Answer Sheet .

Do not use any letter more than once .

There is an example at the beginning .(0)

Your Career Path Can Lead You Anywhere

We used to be advised to plan our careers. We were told to make a plan during the later stages of our education and continue with it through our working lives.(0)_____ some people still see careers in this way. However, to pursue a single option for life has always been unrealistic.

Planning for a single career assumes that we set out with a full understanding of our likes and dislikes and the employment opportunities open to us. (9)____ For most people this degree of certainty about the future does not exist.

Our initial choice of career path and employer is often based on inadequate knowledge and false perceptions. But with age and experience, we develop new interests and aptitudes and our priorities alter. The structure of the employment market and, indeed of employment itself, is subject to change as both new technologies and new work systems are introduced (10) _____ We must face the uncertainties of a portfolio career.

It is clear from the recent past that we cannot foresee the changes which will affect our working lives. The pace of change is accelerating , as a result of which traditional career plans will be of very limited use. (11)_____ They will need updating to reflect changes in our own interests as well as in the external work environment. Flexible workers already account for about half the workforce. (12)______ We are likely to face periods as contract workers, self-employed freelances, consultants, temps or part-timers.

Many employers encourage staff to write a personal development development (PDP) (13)_____ Although some people use it only to review the skills needed for their job, a PDP could be the nucleus of wider career plan –setting out alternative long-term learning needs and a plan of self-development.

A report issued by the Institute of Employment Studies advises people to enhance their employability by moving from traditional technical skills towards the attainment of a range of transferable skills. (14)_____ Instead, special schemes should be established to encourage people to examine their effectiveness and to consider a wider range of needs.

0 A B C D E F G H

A This dual effect means that the relationship between employers and workers has evolved to such and extent that we can no longer expect a long-term relationship with one employer.

B. It carries an implicit assumption that we ourselves, and the jobs we enter, will change little during our working lives.

C. This growth suggests that a career plan should not be expressed only in terms of full-time employment but should make provision for the possibility of becoming one of the.

D this is a summary of one’s personal learning needs and an action plan to meet them.

E Consequently, they must now accommodate a number of objectives and enable us to prepare for each on a contingency basis.

F However, it warns that employers often identify training needs through formal appraisals, which take too narrow a view of development.

G . Such a freelance of consultant would be constantly in demand.

篇7：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

人们讲话或写文章时，常常要把前后讲的或写的内容加以联系。联系的方式有几类，它们为语言的应用提供粘合(cohesion)。取得粘合常用的方式是返指(referring back)已经提及的事项。取得粘合的另一方式就是预指(referring forward)将要说及的事项。

篇章构成的技巧非常适用于BEC阅读第二项。下面结合考题向大家具体介绍：

Exercise One

Wall Street Thinks Planet Is Set On $4bn Bid For Grape

Grape Computer was yesterday the target of speculation about an imminent $4 billion takeover by Planet Microsystems, the new power in the computing world. __H__. Grape and Planet remained silent about a possible alliance, but Grape shares leapt on Wall Street, the New York stock market, in anticipation of a bidding war.

Grape has been at the center of takeover rumors for months, as its financial fortunes have worsened. __9__. As a result of this poor financial performance, the company has also announced that it is making up to 1,300 employees redundant.

Losses during the normally lucrative Christmas period had analysts on Wall Street wondering whether Grape could survive. __10__. With falling demand for its products, and increasing competition, it seems unlikely that the ailing company will be able to survive another year unaided.

Under Andrew Whiting, its chief executive, Grape has been troubled by mistakes and misjudgments. Senior management are regarded as responsible for a series of costly miscalculations about product marketing and corporate strategy. __11__. Computer experts have also been quick to criticize Grape’s technical program: spending on research and development was cut at a time when other companies were bringing out innovative new products. __12__.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Planet’s chief executive, David Murray, has been meeting “around the clock” with aides putting the finishing touches on an offer to acquire Grape, which is based in Cupertino, California. __13__. On Wall Street today, Grape shares were up $1 to $32.25, as dealers anticipated a bid by Planet for its troubled rival.

Planet Microsystems, based in Mountain View, California, has been pursuing Grape since September, but talks were suspended two weeks ago as Planet waited for Grape shares to drop. __14__. As such, they have now taken over the position held by Grape in the 1980s.

A. It is Grape’s failure to keep up with the latest technical advances which has been seen as crucial to their downfall.

B. “If you can’t survive at the time of year when the retail market is at its strongest, something’s really wrong,” said one market analyst.

C. Such an acquisition would come in the form of a share swap valued at about $4 bn-or roughly $33 per Grape share.

D. A producer of workstations-powerful desktop computers used mainly in research and engineering, Planet Microsystems is the rising star in the computer world.

E. The result has been shrinking market share, loss of key executives and falling morale.

F. Last week, the company that was once at the forefront of the personal computer revolution announced a $69 million loss for the quarter which ended on December 29.

G. Grape’s recovery dates from the management’s decision to increase their share in the European market.

H. News of a potential deal emerged as Grape began what could be its last annual shareholder meeting as an independent company.

返指方法一：用this;that和他们的复数形式these和those清楚地返指前文中提到的事物和事实;用such作为限定词或形容词返指刚刚提及的事物。如本练习中的：9，10，13，14。

重要词汇和表达：

Speculation; imminent; takeover; bidding; at the center of; redundant; lucrative; put the finishing touches on; acquire; swap; forefront;

小资料：

Brief History of Planet Company

篇8：剑桥商务英语考试高级阅读材料-

教育部 《现代职业教育体系建设规划 (2014— 2020) 》明确指出新建地方应用型本科院校的发展方向——要着力培养本科层次的职业人才。这一规划的提出也为此类院校商务英语专业教学提出了新的要求。随着国际旅游岛的建设以及国家“一带一路”政策的实施, 海南与国际交流的广度和深度都将达到一个新的层次和水平。因此, 商务英语类人才的培养也应面向海南经济、社会和行业需求, 以就业为导向, 以行业为依托, 实现教学内容与职业标准对接。

一、剑桥商务英语证书考试简介

剑桥商务英语证书考试 (简称BEC证书) 是由剑桥大学考试委员会主办, 国家教育部与人力资源和社会保障部引进的国际职业资格证书。该考试根据商务工作的实际需要, 对考生在商务和一般生活环境下使用英语的能力从听说读写四个方面进行全面考查, 对成绩及格者提供由英国剑桥大学考试委员会颁发的标准统一的成绩证书。考试能够权威客观地反映持证者商务英语知识运用能力, 因此BEC证书也就成了外企招聘和培训员工的重要依据。

BEC考试分为初、中、高三个等级, 高校商务专业 (方向) 的学生考取的目标等级一般为中级或高级。本课题研究以国家职业证书中的BEC证书为依准, 探索其与商务英语专业课程融合的教学模式, 以缩短职业标准与教学内容之间的差距, 以实现人才与行业的对接。

二、地方高校商务英语专业课程设置现状

应用型本科英语人才除符合对英语专业标准的一般要求外, 更需要突出“重实践、强能力”的应用型本科教育的特征, 即具有基本功扎实、知识面和职业适应面宽、知识应用和转化能力强, 可持续发展的能力。因此, 应用型本科院校在课程体系设置中既要考虑国家政策, 也要依据专业标准, 更应参考行业标准来制定人才培养方案。BEC证书是国家职业标准中制定的商务英语类人才资格证书, 也是应用型英语专业人才与行业对接的桥梁。因此, 以职业标准为导向重构商务英语专业教学体系, 缩短行业标准与教学内容之间的差距是现阶段应用型本科课程设置改革的重要任务。

鉴于BEC证书考试的权威性和有效性以及语言测试对语言教学的反拨作用, 商务英语专业教学中应该适当加入针对此类考试的课程。但是目前多数高校的商务英语课程设置中并不包含此项内容。以笔者所在海南某地方应用型本科高校为例, 其商务英语课程主要由两部分组成——英语语言知识与技能模块和商务知识与技能模块。在一二年级开设英语听说读写技能训练课程, 使用文史类英语专业通用教材, 三四年级的商务专业类课程有商务英语、营销英语、金融英语等以语言类为主的商务管理课程。虽然本校该专业的人才培养方案中明确指出学生毕业时必须获得BEC (中、高级) 或专业八级证书中的一项, 但在教学中并没有体现出对于商务英语从业资格考试的重视, 使得学生在备考方面缺乏理论和实践指导。特别是高级证书考试的通过率较低, 在一定程度上影响了毕业生的就业广度和就业能力。因此, 在现行的商务英语课程体系中加入针对BEC考试的课程内容对全面提高学生商务英语知识的应用能力和就业竞争力有重要作用。

三、BEC考试与商务英语专业课程融合的教学模式

BEC考试分为听力、阅读、写作和口语四个模块, 这与日常商务英语教学内容是紧密相连的。本研究尝试把考试的每个考点编入商务英语教学的课程中, 使其自然地贯穿于整个教学过程, 使学生在课堂及课后练习中既注重课本知识又注重通过对考点的实际操练以巩固学习成果。

1.听力课程。以BEC中级考试为例, 听力测试由三部分组成:记录电话留言、搭配和选择题, 主要考察考生总体听力能力和推断能力。本校现用的商务英语听力教材中也有根据录音填写留言和选择题目, 但学生较缺乏的是听一段较长的讲述或报告后根据话题、语境和功能获取主旨和主要思想的能力, 这也是英语专业八级听力测试的重点, 因此, 教师首先要对对现行的听力教材内容要有所取舍, 适当的加入BEC听力考试的测试试题, 以弥补日常听力教学的不足之处。其次, BEC考试听力录音为标准的英式发音, 在课堂听力练习中要有意识地训练学生熟悉英音发音特点, 如重读、连读、弱式等;在听长篇材料时要养成边听边做笔记的习惯, 学习记录关键词、数字、地点等重要信息。

2.口语课程。BEC中高级考试的口语测试由两位口语考官对两位考生同时进行提问和打分。在口语考试的第一部分, 提问官先和每位考生交谈, 询问考生个人信息, 谈论过去的经历、目前情况和将来的打算, 鼓励考生表达个人意见, 让考生逐渐进入状态。第二部分每位考生要就一个商务话题组织一段大约6分钟左右的“小演讲”, 给出观点, 并证明自己的观点有道理。第三部分两位或三位考生就一个题目讨论大约3分钟。口语测试主要考察语法和词汇是否运用恰当, 是否能足够表达自己的意图, 并且个人谈话是否连贯, 切题, 长度是否合适。可以看出, BEC口语考试力图在短时间内考察考生的综合语言能力、处理问题的能力及团队合作的能力。这与外企招聘面试中无领导小组讨论的形式非常契合。

因此, 商务英语综合课程除了讲授商务术语及理论外, 要留出充分的时间给学生就真实的材料讨论、聆听、提问, 训练其在提问和提供事实性信息时所需的各类类型的交流技巧。在每一单元结束的案例分析环节, 鼓励学生基于本单元的商务知识以小组为单位讨论案例, 提出问题、解决问题, 并在小组讨论之后上台做结论性的“小演讲”以训练长时间谈话的能力。在案例分析之后, 要求学生将讨论内容和结果写成备忘录或邮件的形式也有利于训练学生的应用文写作能力。

3.阅读课程。BEC中高级考试的阅读测试共包含5部分, 是占整个考试题量最多和分值比重最大的一部分。除了学生熟悉的多项选择题外, 还涉及句子完型填空题和改错题。

在商务阅读课教学中, 教师可准备与考试相关的主题式短文, 也可做阅读技巧的训练, 这样有利于学生理解文章主旨和结构。在讲解教材文章时, 教师可以把课文像试题中那样分成小块, 引导学生理清循序渐进的逻辑关系, 并且对与上下文关联紧密的句子进行研究, 讨论文章遣词用句等教学方式不仅帮助学生做好考试准备也同时训练学生的逻辑思维和批判性思维能力。在教学中还应训练学生意译句子的能力, 鼓励学生对课文的相关部分用英语做出自己的解释, 因为多项选择题考查的不是简单的词汇搭配, 而是考生推论和理解上下文的能力。完型填空题考查的是词汇量, 因此在教学中最重要的是扩大学生的词汇量, 特别应该注意同义词辨析, 熟悉典型的词语搭配。商务语言往往十分精准, 所以在阅读中要特别注意作者的使用不同词汇的目的和意义。

4.写作课程。目前的商务英语写作课程主要采用的是商务函电教材, 教学目标和内容侧重于外贸交往的中的函电往来。但是在公司内部交流中, 便条、留言、备忘录或电子邮件也是传递信息的重要方式。 BEC中高级考试的写作测试第一部分和第二部分要求用中性或非正式的语言写作商务函件、报告或建议做信息陈述。在写作训练中要注重训练学生考虑目标读者、写作目的、格式、内容要点及句型结构的多样化。

四、结语

BEC考试的目标旨在考查二语学习者以工作场合为背景的商务英语语言运用能力, 这与商务英语专业的培养目标是基本一致的。在目标一致的基础上, BEC考试可以看成是商务英语教学的实践, 从而能够丰富课堂语言教学内容, 使课堂教学的目标更为明确。在课堂教学中融入测试的知识点也可为学生备考做充分准备, 为其语言运用和检验提供实践平台。但此类知识点的融入也对商务英语授课教师提出了更高的要求和挑战, 这就要求教师在注重讲授教材内容的同时也要研究考试内容和题型特点, 了解学生学习的薄弱点, 才能更有效地发挥此类考试的反拨作用。 另外, 高校也应考虑对学生的考核评价方式从纯纸质化考试逐渐过渡到引进职业标准的综合性学习评价, 将BEC考试的考点, 特别是口语、听力测试的评价方式纳入到已有的考试评价体系中, 将其作为评估学生学业水平的一个标准, 使学生对职业资格证书引起足够重视, 促进商务英语实际应用能力的发展。

参考文献

[1]白景永.构建与行业标准相衔接的教学内容与课程体系研究[J].山东外语教学, 2011, (3) .

[2]教育部.国家发展改革委等6部委.现代职业教育体系建设规划 (2014年-2020年) [Z].北京:教发[2014]6号, 2014.