Business English (II) Test 4

Part I. Listening (20%)

Section A
Directions: In this section, you will hear three telephone conversations. Write one or two words
or a number in the numbered space on the notes or forms. Listen to each conversation
twice.
Conversation One (Questions 14)
Look at the form below.
You will hear a man phoning for a job application .

CJ PRODUCTIONS
CJ PERSONNEL
CJ Job Application Requests
Job :

(1) ____________________________(Marketing Department)

Reference Number : (2) ________________________________________________

Advertised in : (3) __________________________________________________
Name :
Address:

Daniel Johnson
Internal, c/o (4) ___________________________________________

Conversation Two (Questions 58)

Look at the note below.
You will hear a man telephoning a bank about a problem with an account.

HPR BANK
CUSTOMER SERVICES DIVISION
CUSTOMER:

George Bliss, (5) ________________of Arundel Holdings

ACCOUNT NUMBER: (6) ________________________________

PROBLEM:

No record in his office of a (7) ________________ of

15,000 on June 10th.
Also, cant be one of their (8) ___________________

- they all begin with 50.Want us to investigate.

Conversation Three (Questions 912)
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Look at the note below.

You will hear a woman calling about a conference booking.

Message
To: Rachel Bould
Janet Shibuya (conference Reservation Service) called about
(9) ______________________________Seminar, 24th April.
Has made booking at the (10) _________________________Hotel.
Do we want the (11) _____________________________-its cheaper.
Send list of (12) ____________________________needed by Friday.

Section B
Directions: In this section, you will hear a radio interview with the Managing Director of a
restaurant chain. For each question 1320 mark one letter (A, B or C) for the
correct answer.
13. Olivia says that as a teenager she
A. was taught at home.
B. was very competitive.
C. spent little time in one place.
14. What does Olivia say about her studies at university?
A. She ignored her parents advice.
B. She chose the subject she was best at in school.
C. She got better results than she expected.
15. Olivia claims that her success as a business woman is a result of
A. her university studies.
B. her natural abilities.
C. continuous learning through reading.
16 Olivia and her brother sold their soft drinks company because
A. it was uninteresting.
B. they were offered jobs overseas.
C. they wanted to have a long vacation.
17. At the restaurant in Australia, Olivia worked as
A. a chef
B. a waitress
C. an assistant manager
18. What dose Olivia say about her working relationship with her brother?
A. They both work long hours.
B. She can depend on him.
C. He never gets upset.
19. According to Olivia, people who own restaurants

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A. have difficulty sleeping.

B. are stressed by deadlines.
C. rarely need time on their own.
20. Olivia says that people entering her filed of business have to
A. go through a good recruitment agency.
B. be interested in all aspects of the food industry.
C. let others in the business teach them.

Part II. Vocabulary (20%)

Section A
Directions: Match the words or phrases to their definitions.

Words or Phrases
21. morale
22. reference
23. profit margins
24. value for money
25. phone rage
26. low end
27. a merger
28. licensing rights
29. invoice
30. rip off

Definitions
a. a comparison of the input costs against the value of the outputs
b. cheap and of average quality
c. a letter written by sb who knows you well, giving information
about your character and abilities, especially to a new employer
d. the level of confidence and positive feelings among a group of
people who work together
e. combining two or more companies
f. a written record of goods or services provided and the amount
charged for them, sent to a customer as a request for payment
g. angry behaviour on the telephone by people who are not stisfied
with the service they are receiving, etc
h. to cheat sb, by making them pay too much, by selling them sth of
poor quality
i. agreements which allow a company to make and sell a registered
product locally
j. the difference between manufacturing cost and selling price

Section B
Directions: Choose the best to complete the sentences.
31. Our company is going to ________ a new business this year.
A. make
B. launch
C. forward
D. manufacture
32. In 2001, the business ________ of the multinational company reached 126 billion US dollars.
A. amount
B. quantity
C. scale
D. volume
33. The seller should make sure that shipment is to be ________ within 30 clays after receipt of
L/C.
A. sent
B. made
C. started
D. effected
34. The ________ communicated in business interactions through facial expressions and the
movements of arms, legs and hands are very important.
A. verbal signals
B. nonverbal signals C. contacts
D. languages
35. The exporters expect their distributing agents to ________ the products actively.
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A. improve
B. demonstrate
C. promote
D. display
36. ________ at Medico Co., Ltd. is 1.8% this year.
A. Sale growth
B. Sales growth
C. Selling growth
D. Selling growing
37. I regret to tell you that we cannot grant you ________ for our garden furniture in Sydney.
A. only agent
B. sole agent
C. sole agency
D. only agency
38. The car is sold with a twelve-month ________.
A. guarantee
B. promise
C. certification
D. protection
39. The annual turnover last year was US$28 million and the company made a large ________.
A. interest
B. profit
C. benefit
D. finance
40. Because of the poor performance this year, the company has a lot of ________ debts now.
A. outstanding
B. collecting
C. settling
D. clearing

Part III. Reading (40%)

Section A
Directions: Look at the tables and charts below. For each table or chart, there are four statements
describing it. Choose the best statements from the four choices marked A, B, C and D to match it.
41.

A. It takes most of the time to provide information in program delivery.

B. Instruction takes up half of the time in program delivery because it is hard for people to
follow the instructions.
C. People spend equal time on management and marketing in program delivery.
D. Time spent on collection development is for collecting information.
42.

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A. There are no trucks registered before the year 1990.

B. There is a steady increase in registration of large trucks from the year 1990 to the year
2002.
C. More trucks registered means larger consumption of trucks.
D. The year 1997 to the year 1998 sees the sharpest increase in registration of large trucks.
43.

A. More money is spent on salaries in the years 1994-1995 than in the years 1999-2000.
B. The total school expenses are increasing from the year 1995 to the year 2005.
C. The expense percentage on utilities is higher in the years 1999-2000 than in the years
1994-1995.
D. The expanding of total expenses means larger enrolment of students.
44.

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A. Cotton contributes the same amount to value of crops sold as wheat.

B. Corn for grain contributes most to the value of crops sold in 1997 in the U. S.
C. There are nine kinds of crops contributing to the total value of crops sold in 1997 in the U.
S.
D. The pie chart indicates a good harvest in the U.S. in the year 1997.
45.

A. It takes the shortest time to ride on Bus 2 to get from Blackpool to Manchester.
B. There is no stop for Bus 3 at Lytham.
C. Bus 1 from Blackpool to Manchester takes one hour and forty-five minutes.
D. There are seven stops for each bus.
Section B
Directions: Read the following two passages. Choose the best answer for each statement or
question from the four choices marked A, B, C and D.
Passage One
When shipping to a foreign market, cargo insurance is strongly recommended. It is essential
if the terms of sale require the exporter to arrange for insurance, for example a C.I.F contract
(cost, insurance, freight). In any event, the cost of cargo insurance is nominal in most cases,
amounting to less than 1% of the value of the shipment and the freight bill.
With the proper insurance policy, exporters can recover losses if their shipments are
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accidentally lost, stolen, damaged or delayed, although the extent of recovery will depend on the
type of insurance purchased. Without insurance, an exporter could have no recourse.
Unfortunately, insurance does not cover the possible loss of a customer, who may shift to another
source of supply because the goods ordered do not arrive in a usable condition or are late in
arriving.
When buying insurance; the exporters should consider several things, such as the amount of
coverage (all risks or limited), time of year, route and destination port (the North Atlantic during
the winter months can be dangerous ; some ports can have higher than usual rates of pilferage) ,
the loss and damage record of competing carriers, and cargo stowage and packing.
Insurance should be looked at as part of the total rate and service package that the carrier (or
forwarder) offers, so dont look at insurance in isolation. Even though a carrier may not have any
record of mistake, there is always an element of risk and exporters should protect themselves
against this risk. Moreover, insurance coverage is part of a carriers marketing strategy. It is more
than likely that cost, coverage and the number of loss and damage claims will vary from carrier to
carrier, so the exporter should ask several and compare. The exporter should also make it clear
whether the carrier is a rail, motor, marine or intermodal carrier, what it charges for insurance,
what the insurance covers, the deductible ( if any) and how claims are handled. This suggests that
the first step in insurance selection is to ask the carrier about its loss and damage record. Ask other
exporters if they have any record on a particular carrier.
Before exporting, make sure that the terms of sale specify who is responsible for arranging
insurance. For example, an exporter selling C. I. F. will be responsible for arranging and paying
for freight insurance.
Insurance can be arranged directly with a carrier, an insurer, an insurance broker or agent or
through a freight forwarder or customs broker. Whether you purchase from a carrier or a third
party, make sure that the insurance purchased covers the entire journey, that is from the time it
leaves your plant or warehouse until it is in the importers warehouse. In some instances, a carrier
will provide coverage only while it is handling the shipment.
It should be noted that this discussion is meant for shipments of general freight and for lost or
damaged cargo. Insurance for products such as dangerous goods and hazardous wastes are
covered by .separate insurance methods.
46. In most cases, the cost of cargo insurance is __________.
A. very high
B. very low
C. non-existent
D. fluctuating
47. What does cargo insurance cover?
A. Exporters dangerous goods and hazardous wastes.
B. Exporters accidentally lost and delayed shipments.
C. Importers accidentally lost and delayed shipments.
D. Importers dangerous goods and hazardous wastes.
48. According to the passage, __________ is one of the factors the exporter should consider when
buying insurance.
A. the cost of insurance
B. time for delivery
C. the loss and damage record of competing carriers
D. coverage of the insurance company
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49. Which of the following statements is true?

A. Insurance is isolated from the carriers service package.
B. A carrier without any record of mistakes can guarantee the exporter from risks.
C. When selecting insurance, the exporter can put trust in a particular carrier if they have kept a
long-term business relationship.
D. Insurance coverage is part of a carriers marketing strategy.
50. When arranging insurance, what should the exporter do?
A. Make clear with whom the insurance can be arranged.
B. Make sure that the insurance purchased covers the journey from the shipping port to the
destination.
C. Specify the terms of sale.
D. Confirm the type of insurance purchased.
Passage Two
There are essentially five different payment techniques that importers and exporters can use
in their international trade transactions. These payment techniques include: open account,
collection, advised letter of credit, confirmed letter of credit and cash in advance. The referenced
payment techniques provide different levels of security to importers and exporters. In general, the
greatest to lowest level of payment security for an importer runs as follows : open account,
collection, advised letter of credit, confirmed letter of credit and cash in advance. For exporters,
on the other hand, the greatest level of payment security is found in cash in advance followed by
confirmed letter of credit and advised letter of credit, whereas the lowest level of payment security
is found in open account followed by collection.
The choice of one payment technique over another should be based upon a case-by-case
evaluation of diverse factors including: the financial strength of the buyer, the financial strength of
the buyers bank. The economic stability of the buyers country of residence, the political stability
of the buyers country of residence, the sellers reputation for performance, market conditions and
the amount of the trade transaction. The objective of conducting such an evaluation is to identify
the risks inherent in an individual trade transaction and to select a payment method that is
appropriate, given the presence of such risks. The level of payment security afforded by a
particular payment technique that is selected for a specific trade transaction should be matching
with the level of risk inherent in such transaction. Choosing a payment technique that provides
payment security that is not matching with the level of risk in an international trade transaction
generally adds unnecessary cost to the trade transaction. Ranking individual international payment
techniques in terms of lowest cost to highest cost yields the following result: open account/cash in
advance, collection, advised letter of credit, confirmed letter of credit.
The fact that a particular payment technique is selected for use in a specific trade transaction
on one occasion does not eliminate the need for future payment technique evaluations. Rather,
importers and exporters should routinely reevaluate the payment techniques they have used in
specific trade transactions, giving consideration to current facts and circumstances. Doing so
insures that the payment method of choice is the payment method that is most appropriate for the
transaction that is under consideration.
Banks develop standard rate schedules which establish standard fees for each of the five
different international payment techniques discussed above. While the rate schedules developed
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by banks in one geographic area are often similar, they are generally not identical. Importers and
exporters should take note of this discrepancy and use it to their advantage. Additionally,
importers and exporters should realize that they can often achieve a reduction in a bank by
negotiating with their bank and by taking advantage of any price incentives offered by their bank.
Banks typically offer their customers price incentives when a specific way of transacting banking
business results in reduced operational costs for the banks.
51. What is the lowest level of payment security for exporters according to the passage?
A. Collection.
B. Advised letter of credit.
C. Open account.
D. Cash in advance.
52. Many factors should be evaluated for the choice of one payment technique over another
EXCEPT __________.
A. the sellers reputation for performance
B. the financial strength of the buyer and its bank
C. the economic and political stability of the buyers country of residence
D. the business relationship between the buyer and the seller
53. What will happen if the payment security of a selected payment technique does not match with
the level of risk in a trade transaction?
A. The transaction will totally fail.
B. There will be additional unnecessary cost to the transaction.
C. The importers and exporters will use a payment technique of higher security.
D. The importers and exporters will turn to another bank in the same area.
54. A selected payment technique for a specific trade transaction __________.
A. can be reused for future transactions
B. should be reevaluated for future transactions
C. is appropriate for one occasion only
D. should be changed to conform to the situations of future transactions
55. How-can importers and exporters achieve favorable fees from banks?
A. By reducing the banks operational costs.
B. By selecting a payment technique of lower risks.
C. By reducing the volume of a specific business transaction.
D. By taking advantage of little differences in rate schedules developed by different banks.
Section C
Directions: Complete the article with the best alternatives.
When a company hires from within, it has the 56 of being familiar with the employee.
Having 57 the persons strengths and weaknesses while on the job (and having observed him or
her in action over the years), employers are in a better position to know if the employee will be a
good fit or not. When hiring from outside the company, however, there is always the risk that
someone who appears ideal during the interviewing process will 58 a poor fit once on the job.
If the employee is looking for a 59 that is a step up from his or her current one but still in
the same department or general area, the switch will be a relatively painless one. If an employee is
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looking to make a more significant change--changing the course of their career path by 60 a
completely different department and different type of job, for examplethen while there may be a
learning curve to deal with during the transition, you illustrate your companys 61 employee
development by allowing your staff member to learn while on the job.
A company that demonstrates a policy of hiring from within also fosters greater employee 62
, which can have concrete benefits throughout the company. Employees at all levels are more
likely to challenge themselves when they know that there is 63 for future job advancement within
the firm. This means a lower employee 64 rate and a higher job-satisfaction rate, 65 are always
good for business.
56. A. disadvantage B. advantage
C. advance
D. achievement
57. A. evaluated
B. witnessed
C. seen
D. known
58. A. result
B. become
C. discover
D. prove
59. A. job
B. work
C. position
D. career
60. A. switching to
B. switching
C. swing into
D. swatting out
61. A. potential to
B. commitment to C. confidence for D. aim to
62. A. attachment B. respect
C. loyalty
D. satisfaction
63. A. potential
B. potent
C. ability
D. possible
64. A. employment B. turnover
C. unemployment D. promotion
65. A. which both
B. both that
C. both of which
D. both of that

Part IV. Writing (20%)

A customer wrote a letter of complaint because he was overcharged when he checked out of your
hotel. You have to ease his anger and disappointment in hopes of keeping him at your hotel again
during his next visit
Write a letter to Mr. Sholes:
apologizing for the mistake made by your side
telling him how this happened
offering compensations to the client

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