BEC中级第二辑阅读.docx

BEC中级第二辑阅读.docx

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BEC中级第二辑阅读

剑桥BEC真题集第2辑（中级）阅读

Test1

1thecontactbetweencoachandemployeenotsolvingalldifficultiesatwork

2thediscussionofhowcertainsituationscouldbebetterhandlediftheyoccuragain

3acoachencouraginganemployeetoapplywhathasbeentaughttoroutineworksituations

4coachingprovidingnewinteresttoindividualswhoareunhappyintheircurrentpositions

5coachingprovidingasupportiveenvironmenttodiscussperformance

6employeesbeingaskedtoanalysethemselvesandpractisegreaterself-awareness

7coachingenablingacompanytorespondrapidlytoalackofexpertiseinacertainarea

Coaching

A

Coachinginvolvestwoormorepeoplesittingdowntogethertotalkthroughissuesthathavecomeuprecentlyatwork,andanalysinghowtheyweremanagedandhowtheymightbedealtwithmoreeffectivelyonsubsequentoccasions.Coachingthustransfersskillsandinformationfromonepersontoanotherinanon-the-jobsituationsothattheworkexperienceofthecoachisusedtoadviseandguidetheindividualbeingcoached.Italsoallowssuccessesandfailurestobeevaluatedinanon-threateningatmosphere.

B

Coachingmeansinfluencingthelearner'spersonaldevelopment,forexamplehisorherconfidenceandambition.Itcantakeplaceanytimeduringanindividual'scareer.Coachingisintendedtoassistindividualstofunctionmoreeffectively,anditisapowerfullearningmodel.Itbeginswhereskills-basedtrainingends,andhelpsindividualstouseformallylearntknowledgeinday-to-dayworkandmanagementsituations.Individualsbeingcoachedareinademandingsituationwiththeircoach,whichrequiresthemtoconsidertheirownbehaviourandquestiontheirreasonsfordoingthings.

C

Thecoachprofessionallyassiststhecareerdevelopmentofanotherindividual,outsidethenormalmanager/subordinaterelationship.Intheory,thecoachingrelationshipshouldprovideanswerstoeveryproblem,butinpracticeitfallsshortofthis.However,itcanprovideaspacefordiscussionandfeedbackontopicssuchaspeoplemanagementandskills,behaviourpatterns,confidence-buildingandtimemanagement.Throughcoaching,anorganisationcanmeetskillsshortages,discusstargetsandindicatehowemployeesshoulddealwithchallengingsituations,allatshortnotice.

D

Effectivecoachesareusuallythosewhogetsatisfactionfromthesuccessofothersandwhogivetimetothecoachingrole.Givingpeoplecoachingresponsibilitiescansupporttheirdevelopment,eitherbyencouragingmanagementpotentialthroughsmall-scaleone-to-oneassignments,orbyprovidingaddedjobsatisfactiontomanagerswhofeeltheyarestuckintheirpresentjobs.Acoachisalsoaconfidentialadviser,accustomedtodevelopingpositiveandeffectiveapproachestocomplexmanagement,organisationalandchangeproblems.

BUFFETZONE

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.As

theeconomychangedandtheoncepackedofficeblocksstartedtobecomevacant,itbecameclearthatRobertsonwouldneedtodiversify.（10）........Itchangedthedirectionofthecompanyforgood.

AsRobertsonbegantowincateringcontracts,shedecidedthatthecompanywouldhavetomovetolargerpremises.In1994,themovewasmadewhensheboughtanothercateringbusinessthatalreadyhadanumberofprofitablecontractsforboardroomlunches.

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

Bynow,Grapevine'smaincompetitorwasanewcateringcompanycalledTowngates.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.

HOWTOMARKETYOURSELF

Wemanageourowncareersnow.Soknowinghowtobrandandpositionyourselfinthemarketas'Meplc'atdifferentstagesofyourworkinglifeisbecominganincreasinglyvitalskill.AtleastthatiswhatimageexpertMarySpillanebelieves.'Employmentasweknowitisdecreasing.Jobsdon'texist,workexists.Inthenextdecademostofuswillbesuppliers,notstaff.Wewillhaveclientsnotbosses.Ifyouareunder30,youprobablyknowthatthereisonlyonefirmtojoinforlife:

Meplc.Itpromotesyouandyourpotentialtoothers.'

'We'reworkinginmulti-national,multicultural,multi-corporateteamsandit'simportanttounderstandtheimplicationsofthis.Weneedtocreateapersonalbrandthatisunique,butcomplementsthebrandofthecorporationweareworkingfor.Youhavetofindawaytodoitsothatyouarenotjustatypicalemployee,'advisesSpillane.'Youhavetodecidewhatcentralvaluesyouwanttoproject,andalsowhatmayneedtoalterfromsituationtosituation.'

ManypeopleonlyrememberMarySpillanefortheyearsshespentrunningacosmeticscompany,butsheactuallyhasmastersdegreesininformationscienceandpolitics.Sheusedtohidethathard-hittingside,butisnoweagertoshowitandforgetaboutcosmetics.'NowthatI'mworkingintheboardroomsofmajorplcsandglobalcompanies,I'mplayingupmydegreesandmanagementbackgroundsothattheimagesideisseenonlyasanadditiontothevalueside,'saysSpillane.

Somecontractstakelongerthanothers.'TheCitylawfirmsI'mcurrentlyworkingforarereallydifficultbecausetheydon'thaveanyideaofwhattheirbrandshouldbe,andarestillverytraditionalevenwhentalkingaboutbecomingmodern.I'mshowingthemhowtodoeverythingfromchangingtheirreceptionareas-whichtendtobeveryoff-puttingwiththeirhigh-frontedreceptiondesks-tohowtomakesmalltalkthatislessformalandrigid.Companiesrebrandthemselvesallthetime,spendingmillionsonnewofficeinteriorsandsoon.Butwithoutanunderlyingchangeofattitudes,itcanproveanemptyexercise.'

Shearguesthatforindividualstoo,theremustbemorethanasurfacechange,asrebrandinggoesdeeperthanamerechangeofwardrobe.Beyondadviceonappearance,shetellsclients,'Remindyourselfofwhatyouareselling:

thepersonalvaluesthatcompriseyourbrand.Learntopresentyourselfinawaythatwillprojectwhatyouwanttodeliver.Lifelonglearningisessential,togetherwiththesortofdiscoveryandadventurethatpromotepersonalgrowth.Alwayshaveanup-to-the-minuteCVreadytoprintout,refreshingiteveryfewmonthswithyourmostrecentachievements,justtoremindothersofyourbrandvalue.'

Shebelievesitisessentialthatyouunderstandbothyourpublicselfandyourprivateself,aswellasyourblindspotsandyourpotential,inordertocreateaneffectivebrand.Thepublicselfistheimageyouprojecttotheworld,theprivateselfiswhatyouknowaboutyourselfbutothersdon't,aridblindspotsarethosethingsthatothersseeaboutyoubutyoucan'tseeforyourself.Bydecidingwhatimageyouwantotherpeopletosee,emphasisingmoreofyourprivateselfandsortingoutafewblindspots,youwillincreasenotonlyyourpotentialtoinfluenceothers,butalsoyourself-esteemandself-confidence.'

13Inthefirstparagraph,MarySpillanesayspeopleshouldlearnhowtomarketthemselvesbecause

Aitencouragescompaniestogivethemajobforlife.

Binthefutureitwillbeacompanyrequirement.

Cinmanycareersitisbecomingdifficulttosucceed.

Ditwillhelpthemadapttodevelopmentsinthejobmarket.

14Spillane