BEC高级真题集听力原文.docx

BEC高级真题集听力原文.docx

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BEC高级真题集听力原文

BEC高级真题集听力原文

LT

isavailablefrommeifyouwishtomakeyourownway.Alternativelytherewillbeabusgoingthereat1.30pm.ThereislimitedcarparkingattheNewCityHotelsoifyouwishtodrivethereyouwillneedapermit.Youcangetonefromtheconferenceoffice.

Nowtothereasonweareallhere.WeareveryfortunatetohaveaseminartodayledbyDrMartinSangalli,oneofthemostprominentandwell-respectedcommentatorsintheworldbusinesscommunity.He’sbeenaskedtoadvisemanylargecorporations.HeisaspecialistinthestrategicuseofInformationTechnologyinbanking,pharmaceuticalsandretail.HehashisowncompanycalledLogicSolutions,whichconsultswithsomeofthebiggestnamesintheworldofbusiness.HeisalsoanadvisertoIntertelandanon-executivedirectorofGlobalConferences.Thousandsofbusinessandtechnologymanagershavebenefitedfromreadinghisbest-sellingbook,IntelligentChange.Alwaysinspiringandthoughtprovoking,hisideashavehelpedhundredsoforganisationstogainaglimpseofthefuture.HeisEurope’smostfamousITanalyst.DrSangalli-welcome.

Man:

ThankyouJane,forthatflatteringintroduction.IhopeIcanliveuptoit.Sotobegin.Therearetwomaindifficultiesfacingallcorporationstoday.Firstly,howtomakethemselvesmorecustomer-driven.Secondly,andasaresultofthat,isthequestionofhowtogoaboutthemajortaskofdevelopingandimplementingneworganisationalstructures.Thisisaseniormanagementsessionandisdesignedtoprovideyouwithtwothings.Ihopethatbytheendofthesessionyouwillbeequippedtodesignyourownframeworkforaction.Tohelpyoudothisyouwillalsobeabletotakeawaydocumentationofreal-lifecasestudiesthatI’vebeeninvolvedin.So,ifyouwouldliketolookatthescreen...

[pause]

Nowlistentotherecordingagain.

[pause]

ThatistheendofPartOne.Younowhavetwentysecondstocheckyouranswers.

[pause]

PartTwo.Questions13to22.

Youwillhearfivedifferentbusinesspeopletalkingabouttripstheyhaverecentlybeenon.

Foreachextracttherearetwotasks.LookatTaskOne.Foreachquestion13-17,choosethepurposeofeachtrip,fromthelistA-H.NowlookatTaskTwo.Foreachquestion18-22,choosetheproblemdescribed,fromthelistA-H.

Afteryouhavelistenedonce,replaytherecording

Younowhavethirtysecondstoreadthetwolists.

[pause]

Nowlisten,anddothetwotasks.

[pause]

Man:

Ofcourse,Iwaslookingforwardtoit.Imean,itmeantseeingtheresultsofquitealengthyprocesstofindtherightperson,whichImyselfhadinvestedquitealotoftimein.It’sademandingpost,withalotofresponsibility.Ithinkthepotentialwethoughtwe’dspottedisbeingrealised,andthatshe’sgoingtodeliverthesortofnewinitiativeswehopedfor.She’salreadygottheteamadaptingtoherapproach.ButIdidfeelabitstupidinthemeeting,sittingtherewithouttherightfigures.Ijustcan’tbelieveIdidn’tpickupthechart.Icouldstillseeit,sittingonmydesk.

Woman:

Well,thewholethingwasaseriouschallenge,andifI’mhonestIdidn’treallyfeeluptoitinthefirstplace.Itwasn’tagoodtimetobegoingawayfromtheoffice,andIcertainlydidn’tfeelhappy,beingaskedtopresentprettydifferentideasatthisstageofthegame.Icompletelyunderstandthatthelastthingtheywantedwastohavesomeonedroppinginfromabove,asitwere,andsaying,oh,well,we’vedecidedtochangetherules,etcetera.They’dbeenapplyingthesystemasitwasingoodfaith.AndthenIwasjustsotired.Whatwiththeweddingcelebrationgoingoninthehotel,Idefinitelydidn’tgetenoughrest,andthatleftmedisorientated,soIunderperformed.

Man:

Iwasn’thappytobegoingouttherewhentherewassomuchthathadtobedealtwith,justleftthereonmydesk.Mysecretary’sextremelygood,butshecan’tdotheimpossible,obviously.Butitwasclearlycrucialtogetsomekindofideaofwhatitlookedlike,whetherwewereontotherightkindofthing.Gettingtherightlocationandspaceisvital.I’mmoreorlessconvincedthatthisisrightforwhatwewant.Itwillattractcustomers.Thetroubleis,Ihadout-of-datearchitect’splanswithme,soIkeptgettingconfusedaboutthedimensions.Butthehotelstaffwerereallyhelpfulwhenweweretryingtogettheup-to-datestufffaxedthrough.

Woman:

It’sthefirsttimeI’vebeenovertheresincewedecidedtogoaheadwiththeexpansionandImustsayIwasimpressedwiththenumberofreallygoodcandidatestherewere.Itreallyisagoodregion,intermsofbeingabletoattractandrecruittherightpeopleandI’mconfidentwechosetherightpeople.Iwishthesamethingwastruefortheotherbranches.WhatIjustcan’tbelieveisthatImanagedtosetsuchabadexamplebyarrivingawholehourafterweshouldhavestarted.Ifeltlikearealfool,goingonaboutheavytraffic,whenI’dneveracceptthatkindofexcusemyself!

Man:

Theysaiditwasalldifferent,andtheycertainlyweren’twrong!

Icouldhardlybelievesomeofit!

It’sdefinitelyeye-openingtoseewhatpolicycanmeaninreality.Butthewaythey’reapplyingit,Imeantheactualtechniques,reallyisimpressive.Ididn’tsayanything,ofcourse,justtookmynotes,andIwillbedrawingupmyreportassoonasIcan.FI1definitelyberecommendingthatsomeoftheirwaysofgoingaboutthingsgetappliedintheotherbranches.Itwasconfusingatthesametime,Ihavetoadmit.Theywereshowingmeallthesegraphs,differentmodelsofanalysis,andIcouldn’treallyfollowthatwayofpresentingthedata.Andthenthatguy’saccent!

Greathotel,though.

[pause]

Nowlistentotherecordingagain.

[pause]

ThatistheendofPartTwo.

[pause]

PartThree.Questions23to30.

YouwillhearpartofaconversationbetweenamanagementconsultantandtheHumanResourcesmanagerofJenkins,acompanywhichmanufactureschildren’sclothing.

Foreachquestion23-30,markoneletter,A,BorC,forthecorrectanswer.

Afteryouhavelistenedonce,replaytherecording.

Youhaveforty-fivesecondstoreadthroughthequestions.

[pause]

Nowlisten,andmarkA,BorC.

[pause]

Woman:

Goodmorning,nicetomeetyou.Dositdown.

Man:

Thankyou.

Woman:

Now,you’reHumanResourcesmanagerofJenkins,aren’tyou?

Givemesomebackgroundonthecompany-soIgetageneralpicture.

Man:

StephenJenkinsfoundedthecompanynearlythirtyyearsago,andnameditafterhimself,andheranitforalongtime.Lastyearoneofourcompetitorsproposedcombining,withtheideathatseparatelythetwocompaniesweretoosmalltosurvive.Theywereprobablyright,butanywayStephenturneddowntheoffer.Then,becausehewasgettingon,hehandedovertheday-to-dayrunningtohisdaughter,Catherine,whileretainingfullcontrolhimself.

Woman:

Andyoumakechildren’sclothes,don’tyou?

Aren’tthereproblemsinthesector?

Man:

Well,wemostlyselltoretailchains,whichsellthemundertheirownbrandlabels.Thingsaren’taseasyastheywere,whatwithcheapimports,andthemoreexpensivechildren’sboutiquesmakinginroadsatthetopendofthemarket.Butwepositionourselvesinthemiddlerange,sowe’renottoobadlyaffected.We’reunderincreasingpressuretocutourprofitmargins,though,becauseofgrowingcompetitionbetweenHighStreetretailers.

Woman:

Whatwouldyousayisthecompany’sstrength?

Man:

ItcertainlyhelpsthatwesupplythoselargeretailersImentioned,andinfactsomeofthemhavebeencustomersforyears.Isuppose,though,thatwewouldn’thavesurvivedthislongifitwasn’tforthefactthatwewon’tsendanythingoutunlessitmeetsveryexactingstandards.Ourcustomersappreciatethat,plusthefactthatweaimtokeepthetimefromordertodeliveryveryshort,andthey’repreparedtopayapremiumforit.

Woman:

Whataboutweaknesses?

Man:

Well,we’vegotapoorrecordinprovidingtrainingonthemachineswe’recurrentlyusing.AndIhavetosaythatStephenusedtorunthecompanyinaveryold-fashioned,autocraticway,whichalienatedalotoftheworkers.DespiteCatherine’smoreenlightenedapproach,it’sanuphillstruggletotrytochangeattitudesandimproveco-operation.

Woman:

Neveraneasytask!

Man:

No.

Woman:

Youmentionedonthephonethatthere’saproblemwithaparticulargroupofworkers.

Man:

Yes,there’saveryhighturnoveramongthemachinists,that’sthepeoplewhoactuallymaketheclothes.Theysaythey’refacedwithunreasonabledemandsallthetime,likehavingtolearntooperateseveralmachinesinsteadofjustoneortwo.Manyofthemthinktheycouldgetaneasierjobforthemoney,becausethereareplentyofotherjobsonofferlocally.Thereasonablyhealthystateofourorderbooksgivesthemacertainamountofjobsecurity,buttheyjustdon’tseemtocare.

Woman:

How’stheirworkorganised?

Man:

We’vechangedtoa‘sectionalisedflow’approach,whichmeansthemachinistsworkinteams.Ratherthaneachmachinistbeingassignedacompleteitemofclothing,theworkisdividedintobatchesinvolvingvariousoperations,eachofthemundertakenbyonemachinist.Asthatpersonfinishes,theworkispassedontothemachinistresponsibleforthenextstage.

Woman:

Hasthathadanyimpactonwhatyouproduce?

Man:

Yes,it’senabledCatherinetointroduceapolicyofrapiddiversificationoftheproductrange,sothenumberofitemisedclotheshasleapt.That’sthetotalnumberofdifferentstyles,inallthedifferentsizes.Andthat’sreducedbatchsizes:

longrunsonanitemareathingofthepast.Atleasthalfthestylesusedtobecarriedthroughfromoneyeartothenext,butnowonlyaquarterare,soasyoucansee,it’shadquiteanimpactontherateof