BEC商务英语中级考试真题讲解 英语对话

【摘要】小编给大家带来BEC商务英语中级考试真题(35)，希望对大家有所帮助。

LucyRobertsonstartedworkingatatakeawayfoodbusinesstosupplementherincomeduringherstudentdaysatEdinburghUniversity,Severalyearslatershehadboughtthebusinessandnow,17yearson,sheownsGrapevineCaterers,probablyScotland'sleadingindependentcaterers,withaturnoverofalmost￡6m.

Shehadneverplannedtoownabusiness,andhadcertainlyneverconsideredacareerincatering.(0).......However,herunplannedcareerbeganin1985,whenshereturnedtoEdinburghanddiscoveredthatthetakeawayshehadworkedinwasupforsale.Onimpulse,sheboughtit,butadmitsthatatthetimesheknewnothingaboutcatering.(8).........Itwasadifficulttime,butessentialintermsofgainingtheexperiencesheneeded.Thelate1980sboomwasgoodforbusiness,withlargenumbersofofficeworkerswantingtakeawayfoodfortheirlunches.(9)........'Atonepointtherewere26foodoutletswithina5-kilometreradius,'Robertsonrecalls.Astheeconomychangedandtheoncepackedofficeblocksstartedtobecomevacant,itbecameclearthatRobertsonwouldneedtodiversify.(10)........Itchangedthedirectionofthecompanyforgood.

AsRobertsonbegantowincateringcontracts,shedecidedthatthecompanywouldhavetomovetolargerpremises.In1994,themovewasmadewhensheboughtanothercateringbusinessthatalreadyhadanumberofprofitablecontractsforboardroomlunches.

Meanwhile,Robertson'smaincompe,theoldestcateringcompanyinEdinburgh,wascausinghersomeanxiety.'Customerloyaltyisnottobeunderestimated,'shewarns.ButRobertsonisnotsomeonewhoiseasilyputoff.(11)........Partlyasaresultofthis,turnoverdoubled,andhavingoutgrownanothersite,Robertsonboughtacity-centrelocationforthegroup'sheadquarters.

Bynow,Grapevine'smaincompewasanewcateringcompanycalledTowngates.AlthoughRobertsontriedtoraiseenoughmoneytobuyTowngates,shedidnotsucceed.ThenluckintervenedandTowngateswentbankrupt.(12)........Manyacceptedandthecompany'sturnoverwentfrom￡700,000to￡l.5millionalmostovernight.

However,thecompany'sgrowthwasnotassmoothasitsoundsinretrospect.Robertsonadmits,'Wewereclosetotheedgeduringthegrowthperiod.Likemanyunder-capitalisedcompaniestryingtogrow,itmighteasilyhavecollapsed.'Butthat,shefeels,isthechallengeofdevelopingyourownbusiness.

AButthereareplentyofsimilarcontractstobewonintheeastofScotlandbeforeRobertsonturnsherattentionelsewhere.

BHerwayroundthisparticularproblemwastorecruitthecateringmanageroftherivalcompany.

CButthisdemandwasshort-lived,andbeforelong,increasingcompetitionmadeithardertomakeaprofit.

D'Itwasadramaticlearningcurveandverysmallamountsofmoneywereearnedatfirst,’saysRobertson.

EShedecidedthatthesolution,sincemanycompaniesrequiredworkinglunchesformeetingswithclients,wastoprepareanddelivermealstobusinesspremises.

FOnhearingthis,RobertsonimmediatelycontactedalloftheirclientsandofferedtheservicesofGrapevineCaterers.

GInstead,shestudiedaccountancyafterleavinguniversity,andasteadyifunspectacularprofessionalpathseemedset.

《BuffetZone》，自助餐区域，在这篇文章里的意思应该是自助餐领域，讲的是一个在自助餐领域取得了惊人成绩的杰出女性创业的故事。这套题目不难，尤其比起第四辑的题目。文章本身有很清晰的故事发展脉络，选项和原文的对应也比较明显。文章的几个段落是按照时间先后、故事发生的先后进行的，很明确。一段是总括，第二段是讲的创业起步阶段的一些困难以及应对困难的对策，第三段是公司好转后的办公室重置(relocation)，第四、五段是公司的竞争情况，一段总结。

第八题，前面说一时冲动她买下了这个外卖餐馆(takeaway)，事实上那个时候她对餐饮业一无所知。空格后面说的是这段时间很困难，但是对获得所需要的经验却是很有必要的。所以第八题的空格部分应该填入跟学习、积累经验有关的内容。D选型吻合，Itwasadramaticlearningcurve，这里的learning是关键词，很明显的答案信号。还有verysmallamountsofmoneywereearnedatfirst，atfirst也是关键词。

第九题，空格前面说largenumbersofofficeworkerswantingtakeawayfoodfortheirlunches，大量的办公室员工需要外卖食品做午饭，这里的wanting是个很关键的词。空格后面话锋一转，说曾经一度5公里内有26家食品商店，但是经济转变了，一条街都空了(blocksstartedtobecomevacant)。从上下文来分析，第九空的内容应该和办公室员工的外卖需求有关，同时带有转折意思。C选项完全符合这一条件：但是这种需求是短暂的，不久，逐渐增长的竞争使得赢得利润变得更加困难。

第十题，上文说经济形势转变了，所以Robertson决定从事多样化的经营。后面说这种做法永远的改变了公司的经营方式。所以第十空应该填入相应的对策，怎么样来应对经济形势的转变。符合这一条件的是B和E，都是关于解决问题的，但是B选项所说的招募竞争对手的餐厅经理在上下文内容中没有提到。应该选D，为商业大厦送饭，正好对应下一段所说的。

第十一题，这一题才应该选B，前面说竞争对手给自己造成了很大的困扰。但是Robertson却不是那么容易屈服的人。后面说部分原因是这个，营业额翻倍了。所以中间应该也是填入对策。和竞争对手有关的，应该选B，B的particular是个关键词，rivalcompany也很明显。

第十二题，前面说Robertson想收购一个竞争对手，但是没成功，结果人家公司自己倒闭了。后面来了一个manyaccepted，可以看出这中间应该填入的是人家公司后Robertson的一些举措。F满足这一条件：一听到这些，Robertson马上联系他们的客户并且提供了自己公司的服务。疑似生词和句子：

1、buffet:amealatwhichpeopleservethemselvesfromatableandthenstandorsitsomewhereelsetoeat自助餐

2、takeaway

a、arestaurantthatcooksandsellsfoodthatyoutakeawayandeatsomewhereelse外卖餐馆

b、amealthatyoubuyatthistypeofrestaurant外卖的饭菜;外卖食物

3、inretrospect:thinkingaboutapasteventorsituation,oftenwithadifferentopinionofitfromtheoneyouhadatthetime回顾

4、under-capitalised:(aboutabusiness)nothavingenoughmoney(capital)tobeabletooperatenormally,paydebtsandgrow资金不足。

5、Instead,shestudiedaccountancyafterleavinguniversity,andasteadyifunspectacularprofessionalpathseemedset.

这个句子里if的用法比较少见，参见朗文的解释：usedwhenaddingonecriticismofapersonorthingthatyougenerallylike

e.g:Lunchwasagrandifrathernoisyaffair.

所以G选项的意思就是：然而，离开大学后她学的是会计，一个平淡无奇的职业道路似乎已经铺就。