剑桥商务英语中级模拟100.docx

剑桥商务英语中级模拟100.docx

《剑桥商务英语中级模拟100.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《剑桥商务英语中级模拟100.docx（48页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

剑桥商务英语中级模拟100

Test8

READING

PARTONE

Questions1-7

·Lookatthestatementsbelowandpassagesonbanksystemsinfourcountriesontheoppositepage.

·Whichsection（A,B,CorD）doeseachstatement（1-7）referto?

·Youwillneedtousesomeoftheselettersmorethanonce.

1.Bankindustryisdevelopingundertheregulationofbankinglaws.

2.Traditionalbankingsystemwhichhascontributedtothestabilityoffinancialinstitutionsinhistorybecomesclumsyandcostlyinthiscountry.

3.Badloansareoneofthefactorswhichaffectpeople'sconfidenceinbanks.

4.Banksinthiscountryaretakingpainstoincreasemarketshareandsavecosts.

5.Supervisingtoolsforbanksinthiscountryhavechangedalotinthepastyears.

6.Thegovernmentinthiscountryhastriedhardtoregainpeople'sconfidenceinitsbankingindustry.

7.Somebanksinthiscountryprovidedifferentkindsoffinancialserviceproductssuchassaving,lendingandinsurance,etc.

A.Enteringthe21stcenturyUKbanksappeartobeattheirstrongestfordecades.ConsolidationandrestructuringhaveoccurredatarapidpaceManymergersandacquisitionsareundertakenwiththeaimofincreasingorprotectingmarketshare,improvingshareholdervaluegettingcostsavings,improvingeconomiesofscaleorgeneratingnewcross-sellingopportunities.Britainnowhassixuniversalbanksofferingawiderangeoffinancialserviceproductsincludingcorporateandpersonallending,saving,insuranceandotherpersonalfinanceproducts.

B.TheOCC（OfficeoftheComptrolleroftheCurrency）supervisesnationalbanksandenforcesfederalbankinglaws.Itrules:

onnewcharteraridmergerapplicationsfornationalbanks,andconductsbasicresearchonbankingandtheeconomy.Thetoolshavechanged,butfortheOCC,thebasicmissionremainsthesameasinthedaysofLincoln:

toensureasafe,soundandcompetitivenationalbankingsystemthatsupportsthecitizens,communities,andeconomyoftheUnitedStates.

C.Today,thefinancialinstitutionsofJapanarewellonthewaytoregainingrobusthealth.Therecoveryisgoingwellenoughthatthegovernmenthasremovedpartiallyoneofthemeasuresthathashelpedmaintainpublicconfidenceinthefinancialsystem—anunlimitedguaranteeonbankdeposits.Since1996,thegovernmenthasofferedanunlimitedguaranteeonbankdeposits--asupportforfinancialinstitutionswhichpermitteddepositorstoignorefundamentalquestionsabouttheviabilityandstabilityoftheirbanks.Evenmoreencouraginghasbeentheprogressthebankshavemadeinreducingtheirnon-performingloans.Theratioofbadloansinthelargestbankshasbeencutinhalf.

D.ThestabilityoftheGermanbankingsystemishistoricallybasedontheuniversalbankingapproach.Doingbusinessthroughdiversifiedbankinginstitutionsand/orbankgroupshashistoricallyallowedforriskmitigationovervariousbusinesslines.However,thedrivingforcesbehindthestructuralchangesareincreasinglyprovinguniversalbankingastoocumbersomeandcost-intensive.Thebankingindustryiscurrentlyintheprocessofmakingadjustmentstotheorganizationatstructureandstrategicpositioningofbankconglomerates,bankgroupsandstrategicallianceswithmoresignificantmeasurestofollow.Thebanksaremakingstrongeffortstofocusoncorebankactivities,touseexistingcapitalresourcesmoreefficiently,toclosedownretailbranches,andtobundleoroutsourceback-officefunctions.

PARTTWO

Questions8-12

·Readthistexttakenfromanarticleaboutproductionandcircularflow.

·Choosethebestanswerfromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.

·Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.

·Thereisanexampleatthebeginning（0）.

ProductionandtheCircularFlow

Economicsdealswiththeproduction，distribution,anduseofgoods,includingmaterialgoodsorcommoditiesandnonmaterialgoodsorservices.Agoodisafreegoodifthereissomuchofitthatpeoplecanhavealltheywantatazeroprice.Springwaterisanexample.（0）GCoffeeonthesupermarketshelfisanexample.Economicsdealsonlywithscarcegoods,sincefreegoodspresentnoproblemsofsupplyordistribution.

TheAmericaneconomyisusuallycalledaprivateenterpriseeconomy,oramarketeconomy.Governmentproducessomegoodpoliceandfireprotection,publiceducation,streetsandhighways.（8）Weusethisterminabroadsense.Afarmisabusiness.Soistheofficeofadoctor,lawyer,orotherprofessionalpersons.Insteadofbusinesswecouldsayproducingunit,buttheformertermissimplerandmorefamiliar.

Inordertocarryonproduction,abusinessneedsinputs,alsocalledfactorsofproduction.（9）Labourmeansanykindofphysicalormentaleffortexertedonproduction.Itincludestheworkofthecorporationexecutive,lawyer,orcollegeteacheraswellasthatofthefarmer,salesclerk,orplumber.

（10）Ineverydayspeechitisoftenusedtomeanasumofmoneyrepresentingtheassetsofacorporationoranindividual.Wesaythatacompanyhasacapitalof$200baconorthatapersonisworth$200,000.Suchsumsofmoneyareimportant;butwhenthatiswhatwemean,weshouldbecarefultosayfinancialcapital.

Ineconomics,thetermcapitalusedalonemeansphysicalcapital,orinstrumentsorproduction.（11）Soisthebuilding,whichhousesthemachines.Soisanybuildingusedforproduction—adepartmentstore,anofficebuilding,ahotelRawmaterialsandsemi-finishedgoodsinthehandsofproducersarealsocapitals.

Thefactorsofproductionareownedbyindividuals.（12）Doesn'ttheCoca-ColaCompanyowntheplantsandmachineryitoperates?

Yes,butwhoownsCoca-Cola?

Thecompany,andthusallofitsassets,belongstothemanythousandsofpeoplewhoowncommonstockinthecompany.

A.Themostimportantinputsarelabourandcapital,whichhaveaspecialmeaningineconomics.

B.Inthecaseofenterprisesandcompanies,thismaynotseemtobetrue.

C.Ofcourseitistrue,butmostgoodsareproducedbybusinesses.

D.Machineryinanautomobileassemblyplantiscalledcapital.

E.Capitalandlabourarefactorsofproduction,amongwhichlabourplaysanimportantrole.

F.Asfarasthetermcapitalisconcerned,itisespeciallyconfusing.

G.Agoodisscarceifthereisnotenoughofitforeveryonetohavealltheywantatazeroprice.

PARTTHREE

Questions13-18

·Readthearticlebelowaboutinsuranceandthequestionsontheoppositepage.

WhyWeNeedInsurance?

Insuranceisacoverusedforprotectingoneselffromtheriskofafinancialloss.Itisimportanttounderstandthatriskisapartofanyperson'slifeandthatitincreasesasapersonincreasesinage,responsibilityandwealth.Throughoutthelivingexistence,everyoneisfacedbynumerousrisks--failinghealth,financiallosses,accidentsandevenfatalities.Insuranceaddressesalltheseuncertaintiesonfinancialterms.Insuranceisriskcoverageagainstfinanciallossesandshouldnotbetakenasaninvestmentinstrument.

Everyoneneedsinsuranceiftheyareworriedabouteconomicloss,oriftheylosesomething.Thepurposeofinsuranceistogivethempeaceofmind.Havingtherightkindofinsurancecoverageisanessentialpartofbuildingasolidfinancialfuture.Insuranceprotectspeoplefromriskandguaranteesthat,oncetheyaccumulateassets,theywillbeabletokeepthem.Thebasicdefinitionofinsuranceisriskmanagement.Therearemainlytwopartiesinvolvedinthis--theinsurerandtheinsured.Theinsureristheinsurancecompanywhowillprovidethecovertotheinsuredagainstanyfinanciallosses.Theinsuredmaybeanindividualpersonoragroupofpeoplelikeanemployer,membersofasociety,etc.

Apolicyisthecontractbetweentheinsurerandtheinsured,whichstatestheriskscovered,theexclusions,ifany,andthebenefitsreimbursedonthehappeningofaneventlikedeath,illnessetc.Thepolicyispaidthroughwhatiscalledapremium,whichisasetamountthatmustbepaidbytheinsuredonamonthly,semi-annualorannualbasis.Onthehappeningofaneventlikedeath,disability,fire,etc.,forwhichtheinsurediscovered,thebenefitamountstatedinthepolicycontractcanbeclaimedbytheinsured.

Thewayinsurancegoesisthatthepremiumplusthousandsorsometimesevenmillionsofotherpeople'spremiumsgotogetherinabigpool.Theinsurancecompaniesusethatpool.Theyinvestit,andthentheypayitwhenthere'saclaim.

There'spropertyandcasualty,andlifeandhealthinsurance.Lifeandhealthinsuranceincludeslife,disability,healthinsurance,long-termcareinsurance.Propertycasualtyinsuranceisatypeofinsurancethatinsuresone'shome,auto,andairplane,thingslikethat.Changeisperhapsthatonlystaticconstantwithinthedynamicsoflifeandrisksalwaysmoveintandemwithinachangingenvironment.Lifeinsuranceismoreofahedgingmechanismratherthanarealinvestmentavenue.Itisessentiallyamechanismthateliminatesrisksprimarilybytransferringtheriskfromtheinsuredtotheinsurer.

Itisnotthatlifeandexistenceareconstantlyfraughtwithdangeranduncertainty.Butitisessentialthatpeopleplanforthefuture.Thechancesforafatalityoraninjurytooccurtotheaverageindividualmaynotbeparticularlyhighbutthennoonecanreallyaffordtocompletelydisregardhisorherfuture.Insuranceisthemostreliabletoolanindividualcanusetoplanforhisfuture.

13.Whatcaninsurancedoforpeople?

A.Insurancecanprotectpeoplefromagreatvarietyofrisks.

B.Insurancecanaddressnumerousrisksonfinancialterms.

C.Insurancecanbetakenasaninvestmentinstrument.

D.Insurancecanhelppeopledealwithfailinghealth.

14.Accordingtothethirdparagraph,howoftencanthei