Thereisno(　)betweenthenations.

SectionC

WhatalovelyplaceXeroxistoworkKimMoloney,aclientservicesexecutive,can’tsayenoughnicethingsaboutheremployer.‘It’saveryspecialenvironment,’shesays.‘PeopledescribeXeroxasafamilyandIwasamazedatthenumberofpeoplewhohaveworkedhereforsolong.’It’stemptingtotakeMoloney’scommentswithapinchofsalt,especiallyconsideringthatwhenyou’vebeenworkingsomewhereforonlytwoyears,asshehasatXerox,everyoneseemsoldandestablished.Butthere’struthbehindherenthusiasm.

TakeCarolePalmer,thegroupresourcesdirector.ShejoinedXeroxin1978asatempandhasbeeninherpresentroleforsevenyears.‘Xeroxhasbeengoodtomeovertheyears,’shesays.‘Ithassupportedmethroughqualifications…andlastyearItookpartinthevice-presidentincumbentprogram.’HumanresourcesistakenseriouslyatXerox,Palmersays,andthecompanyhasapolicyofpromotingfromwithin(whichwouldexplainMoloney’samazementathercolleagues’longevity).ThecompanytakesononlyfifteentotwentygraduateseachyearandMoloneywaspartofanintakewhojoinedhavingalreadyacquiredacoupleofyears’workexperience.ShestartedasaprojectmanagerforXeroxGlobalServicesbeforemovingintosales.Nowherresponsibilityisto‘growandmaintaincustomerrelationships’.

MoloneyisbasedattheheadofficeinUxbridge.‘It’sgreatintermsofworkingenvironment,’shesays.‘We’vejustgotanewproviderinthecanteenand…wehavebrainstormingroomsandbreakoutareas.’MuchofMoloney’sroleisvisitingclients,soshedoesn’thaveapermanentdeskatheadoffice.‘I’mahot-desker,whichisgoodbecauseyougettositwithdifferentpeopleinthehot-deskareas.Andyou’regivenaplacetostoreyourthings.’Headofficestaffnumbersbetween1,200and1,500people,Palmersays.ThecompanyhasfourothermainofficesintheUK.Thenatureoftheorganization,whichencompassessalesandmarketing,globalservices(thebiggestdivision),developingmarkets,researchanddevelopmentandmanufacturing,meansthattheopportunitiesatthecompanyvaryfromserviceengineerstosalesrolesandconsultants.

Perksincludeafinal-salarypensionschemeandvariousdiscountschemes.Therewardandrecognitionschemeisalittledifferent,andrathernice:‘Eachmanagerhasabudgeteveryyeartorecognizeandrewardstaff,’Palmersays.‘Itcanbeintheformofamealfortwo,orabottleofwine.Itcanbeupto£1,000.There’stherecognition,andthenthere’sputtingmoneybehindit.’Moloney,however,likesthenon-cashrewards.‘Xeroxtakescareofallitsstaffbutitalsorecognizesthepeoplewhoputintheaddedeffort,’shesays.‘Itoffersonce-in-a-lifetimeincentivetrips,andrecentlyIorganizedasailingtripformyteam.’

Theideaofworkingabroadwiththecompanyappealstoher,andshesaysthathercareergoalistobepartoftheseniormanagementteam.Here’sanotheremployee,itwouldseem,whoisinitforthelonghaul.

()1.Thejournalistofthisarticlethinksthat.

A.staffatXeroxarenottellingthetruthabutthecompany.

B.Xeroxoffersgreatbenefitstostaff.

C.Xeroxisthebestcompanyintheworld.

D.Xeroxhasthebestworkingenvironment.

()2.Thecompanytendstofinditsnewmanager.

A.onlyformgraduatesB.ontrainingcourses

C.fromexistingstaffD.fromjobmarkets

()3.Whatdoesthephrase“totakeon”inthesentence“Thecompanytakesononlyfifteentotwentygraduateseachyearand…”ofthesecondparagraphmean?.

A.TotrainB.Toemploy

C.TointerviewD.Tomaintain(A)

()4.Aswellasrecognizingitsstaffthroughpromotion,Xerox.

A.givescashbonuses

B.givesunpaidleavetotaketripsofalifetime.

C.providesanumberofperks.

D.provideshugeend-of-yearbonuses.

()5.OnecommonfeatureofXeroxstaffisthattheytend.

A.toworkhardB.togetpromoted

C.worklongerhourseachdayD.nottochangeemployer

Readthetextaboutcareer-planningservices.

Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.

Foreachgap9–14,markoneletter(A-H)onyourAnswerSheet.

Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.

Thereisanexampleatthebeginning.(0)

YourCareerPathCanLeadYouAnywhere

Weusedtobeadvisedtoplanourcareers.Weweretoldtomakeaplanduringthelaterstagesofoureducationandcontinuewithitthroughourworkinglives.(0)_____somepeoplestillseecareersinthisway.However,topursueasingleoptionforlifehasalwaysbeenunrealistic.

Planningforasinglecareerassumesthatwesetoutwithafullunderstandingofourlikesanddislikesandtheemploymentopportunitiesopentous.(9)____Formostpeoplethisdegreeofcertaintyaboutthefuturedoesnotexist.

Ourinitialchoiceofcareerpathandemployerisoftenbasedoninadequateknowledgeandfalseperceptions.Butwithageandexperience,wedevelopnewinterestsandaptitudesandourprioritiesalter.Thestructureoftheemploymentmarketand,indeedofemploymentitself,issubjecttochangeasbothnewtechnologiesandnewworksystemsareintroduced(10)_____Wemustfacetheuncertaintiesofaportfoliocareer.

Itisclearfromtherecentpastthatwecannotforeseethechangeswhichwillaffectourworkinglives.Thepaceofchangeisaccelerating,asaresultofwhichtraditionalcareerplanswillbeofverylimiteduse.(11)_____Theywillneedupdatingtoreflectchangesinourowninterestsaswellasintheexternalworkenvironment.Flexibleworkersalreadyaccountforabouthalftheworkforce.(12)______Wearelikelytofaceperiodsascontractworkers,self-employedfreelances,consultants,tempsorpart-timers.

Manyemployersencouragestafftowriteapersonaldevelopmentdevelopment(PDP)(13)_____Althoughsomepeopleuseitonlytoreviewtheskillsneededfortheirjob,aPDPcouldbethenucleusofwidercareerplan–settingoutalternativelong-termlearningneedsandaplanofself-development.

AreportissuedbytheInstituteofEmploymentStudiesadvisespeopletoenhancetheiremployabilitybymovingfromtraditionaltechnicalskillstowardstheattainmentofarangeoftransferableskills.(14)_____Instead,specialschemesshouldbeestablishedtoencouragepeopletoexaminetheireffectivenessandtoconsiderawiderrangeofneeds.

0ABCDEFGH

AThisdualeffectmeansthattherelationshipbetweenemployersandworkershasevolvedtosuchandextentthatwecannolongerexpectalong-termrelationshipwithoneemployer.

B.Itcarriesanimplicitassumptionthatweourselves,andthejobsweenter,willchangelittleduringourworkinglives.

C.Thisgrowthsuggeststhatacareerplanshouldnotbeexpressedonlyintermsoffull-timeemploymentbutshouldmakeprovisionforthepossibilityofbecomingoneofthe.

Dthisisasummaryofone’spersonallearningneedsandanactionplantomeetthem.

EConsequently,theymustnowaccommodateanumberofobjectivesandenableustoprepareforeachonacontingencybasis.

FHowever,itwarnsthatemployersoftenidentifytrainingneedsthroughformalappraisals,whichtaketoonarrowaviewofdevelopment.

G.Suchafreelanceofconsultantwouldbeconstantlyindemand.

HWewereexpectedtoworktowardsthatonecleargoalandtoconsideracareerchangeasabadthing.

ReadingComprehension

SectionA

Directions:Therearetenincompletesentencesinthissection.ForeachsentencetherearefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.ChoosetheONEthatbestcompletesthesentence.Thenwritedowntherightanswerinthebracketsforeachsentence.Thissectiontotals10points,onepointforeachsentence.

()1.Wecansupplyallthebicyclesyourequired____________stockandarearrangingshipmentbyM.V.Mermaid.

A.forB.from　C.to　D.against

()2.Wewouldliketoremindyouthatthe__________L/CmustreachusbeforeMarch10

sothatwecanmakeshipmentingoodtime.

A.coveringB.cover　C.coveredD.beingcovered

()3.Wehavereceivedyourletterof28March,___________ustomodifythepreviousarrangementsfortheshipmentofthecaptionedorder.

A.askedB.toask　C.beingaskedD.asking

()4.InourletterofMay5,wemade__________clearthatshipmentistobeeffectedinJune.

A.youB.them　C.thatD.it

()5.Wealwaysdeal_______________paymentbysightL/C.

A.with　B.in　C.at　D.on

()6.Thisofferis_____________toyourreplyreachingusbeforethe20thofFebruary.

A.subjectingB.subject　C.subjectedDtosubject

()7.____________weareappreciatingthegoodqualityofyourblacktea,weregretthatyourpriceappearstobeonthehighside.

A.WhileB.When　C.HoweverD.Therefore

()8.Weherebyauthorizeyouto___________onusat60daysaftersighttotheextentofUSD20,000.00.

A.open　B.establish　C.draw　D.build

()9.Ifpartiestoacontractdesiretosettledisputes,anarbitrationclauseisusuallymadeinthecontractwellbeforeadispute_____________.

A.risesB.arisesC.lookD.appear

()10.Somecustomersrequestedusto_____________ourpricebecausetheyconsideredit

toohigh.

A.putdownB.getdownC.takedown　D.bringdown

Asianeconomieswillcontinuetoexpandrapidlyinthenexttwoyearsonthebackofforeigninvestments,exportsanddomesticdemand,butwillnotbefreeofworries,accordingtoarecentsecuritiescompanyeconomicreport.Massiveinfrastructurespending,thebenefitsofpastinvestmentsandderegulationandgrowingregionaltradewillpushalongregionalgrowth.

ThereporttippedChina’sgrossdomesticproducttogrowby9.5percentin1996and10.5percentin1997,andHongKong’stogrowby4.3and5.0percent.Singapore’srealGDPwasforecasttogrowby7.6and7.4percent,Malaysia’sby8.6and8.1percent,Thailand’sby8.8and8.4percent,Indonesia’sby7.3and7.1percentandPhilippines’by5.6and5.8percent.

“However,allisnotrosy,”cautionedthereport,whichlistedoverheatingastheregion’sbiggestchallengeintheshorttermandskilled-laborshortagesinthelongrun.

Itcitedstrainsfromrapidgrowththathadbeguntostretchcurrentaccountdeficitsandspurinflationinsomeregionaleconomies,whichcouldpreventtheircentralbanksfromloweringinterestrates.

“Thisimpliesthateconomicvulnerabilitytounexpectedshockswillremainhigh,”thereportsaid,forecastingafurthertighteningofmonetarypolicyincountriessuchasthePhilippinesandMalaysia,andnosignificanteasinginThailand,IndonesiaandChina.

CrosbySecuritiesalsocitedmassivenewinvestmentprogramsgeneratedbydemandsoninfrastructuresuchaspower,telecommunicationsandtransportwhichhadfuelledover-heating.

ItsaidAsiawouldalsofaceabiggerchallengefromnewlyderegulatingeconomiesinEasternEuropewhichofferedlowercostsandbetter-educatedworkerstoforeigninvestors.

Asia’smainforeigninvestorsshould,however,continuetoexpandtheirpresenceintheregion,thesecuritieshousesaid,notingnewtrendsofintra-Asianinvestment.

Singaporeisshiftingitslowervalue-addeddiscdriveandelectronicsindustrytoMalaysia,whichinturnismovingsomeofitsgarment-makingandconsumerelectronicsmanufacturingtoIndonesiaandThailand.Thailand,MalaysiaandSingaporeareincreasinglyinvestinginVietNam,MyanmarandLaos.

“Asiawillbenefitfromthistrendinseveralways,”thereportsaid.

()1Asiaeconomywillcontinuetogrowbecauseof_____________.

A.foreigninvestmentB.demandsinAsiancountries.

C.exportD.alloftheabove

()2Inthenext2years,thehighesteconomicgrowthwillappearin____________.

A.SingaporeB.Thailand

C.HongKongD.China

()3Yearslater,theprobleminAsianeconomymaybe_________________.

A.toolittleinvestmentB.toomuchinvestment

C.notenoughqualifiedlaborsD.monetaryinstability

()4Accordingtothisreport,economicchangesinEastEuropeare___________.

A.harmfulB.challenging

C.helpfulD.useless

()5ThereportisabouttheprospectofAsianeconomy.

A.optimisticB.pessimistic

C.moreoptimisticthanpessimisticD.morepessimisticthanoptimistic