Question

New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly increased by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a kind of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments (指派) are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive (行政) ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to manage back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices (裝置) with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight (洞察力) to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign customers over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset (有價(jià)值的人或物) to the firm

1. 1.
   With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople ________
   1. A.
      are eager to work overseas
   2. B.
      have to get familiar with modern technology
   3. C.
      are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations
   4. D.
      are attaching more importance to their overseas business
2. 2.
   In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means ________
   1. A.
      leaving all care and worry behind
   2. B.
      being unable to think properly for lack of insight
   3. C.
      being totally out of touch with business at home
   4. D.
      missing opportunities for promotion when abroad
3. 3.
   According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?
   1. A.
      Ability to speak the customer’s language
   2. B.
      Connections with businesses overseas
   3. C.
      Technical know-how
   4. D.
      Business experience
4. 4.
   The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can ________
   1. A.
      fast-forward their proposals to headquarters
   2. B.
      better control the whole negotiation process
   3. C.
      easily make friends with businesspeople abroad
   4. D.
      easily find new approaches to meet market needs

Answer 1

DDAB
試題分析：這篇材料講的是外語(yǔ)能力在國(guó)際商業(yè)中的作用，論述的重心落在了國(guó)際商業(yè)的重要性和易行性上，僅僅在最后兩段提到了外語(yǔ)能力的作用。
1.細(xì)節(jié)題：根據(jù)第二段的句子： have a growing respect forthe economic value of doing business abroad，意思是對(duì)海外業(yè)務(wù)的經(jīng)濟(jì)價(jià)值的認(rèn)可正在增加。第三段認(rèn)可了海外業(yè)務(wù)所能帶來(lái)的仕途價(jià)值，這兩點(diǎn)共同說(shuō)明bussinesspeople對(duì)海外業(yè)務(wù)的重視。選C。
2.句意理解題：前一句是Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important toadvancement within executive ranks，句意較好理解，意思是海外職務(wù)對(duì)于管理人員的升職越來(lái)越重要了。從上下文大意來(lái)看，確實(shí)是在講述海外任職和職位升遷的關(guān)系。文中的觀點(diǎn)是海外任職有助于職位提升，那么out of sight可能就是指自己的業(yè)績(jī)不入領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的視野，out of mind就是指有了升職機(jī)會(huì)時(shí)，海外高管從來(lái)不在領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的考慮之列。符合這個(gè)意思的是D
3.細(xì)節(jié)題：第五段開(kāi)頭先講到英語(yǔ)作為國(guó)際通用語(yǔ)的重要作用，但馬上話(huà)鋒一轉(zhuǎn)，指出會(huì)講客戶(hù)的語(yǔ)言越來(lái)越受到重視。此后則直截了當(dāng)?shù)乇硎菊Z(yǔ)言技能會(huì)增加應(yīng)聘者被聘用的機(jī)會(huì)：having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal，這里的edge就是指的優(yōu)勢(shì)。選A
4.推理題：從最后一段的句子：The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s principal language，意思是能夠說(shuō)當(dāng)?shù)卣Z(yǔ)言的海外員工。下文對(duì)這樣的員工有兩點(diǎn)描述，一是有機(jī)會(huì)把某些談判快速推進(jìn)（has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations），二是具有文化洞察力，知道何時(shí)該把談判放慢（can have thecultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly）。這兩點(diǎn)都是和談判有關(guān)，一快一慢，也就是如何把握談判的節(jié)奏。選B
考點(diǎn)：考查社會(huì)經(jīng)濟(jì)文化類(lèi)短文