发布时间 : 星期日 文章FckkwtBEC中级全真试题更新完毕开始阅读d48d993d5727a5e9856a61c1
gaps (text including gapped words choice cloze approx. 200 – 300 words)
5 Reading – understanding sentence Short text (approx. 150 – 200 words) Proof reading 12 structure / error identification Identification of additional unnecessary words in text
A DETAILED GUIDE TO BEC VANTAGE TEST OF READING
Time: 1 hour
BEC VANTAGE Page 42 Preparation
This can be quite a difficult task, especially for candidates who are unfamiliar with such an exercise. In preparing them for this part, it would be a good idea to select a number of graded texts that have clear, familiar ideas and evident cohesive features. Texts can be cut up as they are in the test or simply discussed in their entirety. In this way, students can work up to dealing with more complex material and identifying the many different ways that ideas are connected. It would also be useful when doing gapped texts to look at sentences that do not fit in gaps and discuss the reasons for this. Sometimes it is possible to make a sentence fit a gap by simply changing a few words. Discussion on areas such as this would also be fruitful. Part Three
This task consists of a text accompanied by four-option multiple choice items. The stem of a multiple choice item may take the form of a question or an incomplete sentence. There are six items, which are placed after the text. Sources of original texts may be the general and business press, company literature and books on topics such as management. Texts may be edited, but the source is authentic. Preparation
? Multiple choice questions are a familiar and long-standing type of test; here they are used to test opinion and inference rather than straightforward facts. ? Correct answers are not designed to depend on simple word-matching, and students’ ability to interpret paraphrasing should be developed.
? Students should be encouraged to pursue their own interpretation of relevant parts of the text and then check their idea against the options offered, rather than reading all the options first.
? It could be useful for students to be given perhaps one of the wrong options only, and for them to try to write the correct answer and another wrong option. Part Four
This is a multiple choice cloze test with fifteen gaps, most of which test lexical items, and may focus on correct word choice, lexical collocations and fixed phrases. The texts chosen for this part will come from varied sources but they will all have a straightforward message or meaning, so that candidates are being tested on vocabulary and not on their comprehension of the passage. Preparation
Candidates are usually familiar with this type of task and so it is most important to try to improve their range of vocabulary. The options provided for each item in the test will have similar meanings but only one word will be correct within the context provided. Familiarity with typical collocations would be especially useful. The language of business is often very precise and so it is worth spending time looking at the vocabulary used in different types of text, getting students to keep a vocabulary list and encouraging them to make active use of the lexical items that are new to them. Part Five
In this task, candidates identify words that have been introduced into a text in error.
This exercise can be related to the authentic task of checking a text for errors, and suitable text types therefore include letters, publicity materials, etc. The text contains twelve numbered lines, which are the test items. Further lines at the end may complete the text, but these are not test items. Preparation
? Students should be reminded that this task represents a kind of editing that is common practice, even in their first language.
? Any work on error analysis is likely to be helpful for this task.
? Areverse of the exercise (giving students texts with missing words) might prove beneficial.
BEC VANTAGE Page 43 BEC VANTAGE A B C
D
The mobile phone business is behaving like the internet industry in take-up and the pace of innovation, and it’s important not to be left behind. We must continue to innovate in delivering the product to the customer. In terms of service provision, you can draw comparisons between us and our closest rival, but clearly all the main mobile phone retailers have succeeded in taking the industry forward. Growth has accelerated rapidly and the mobile telephone has changed from simply being a business tool, to being a means of communication for everyone.
Over a few years, prices have dropped sharply and technological advances have meant products have changed – and are changing. Successful retailers must try to keep on top of these developments and invest in the training of employees so they are able to offer impartial advice to customers. E-commerce is taking off but this won’t necessarily replace traditional retail outlets. In order to stand out, you need innovative ideas on customer service. We don’t believe in criticising other retailers, but there’s nothing particularly exciting out there at present.
When I first started in the industry, mobile phones were retailing at a thousand pounds and were as large as box files. Now, prices are constantly being driven down and handsets are considerably more compact. There is intense competition between the network providers, and every time they lower their tariffs, more people come into the market. This will
continue, and while retail dealers’ profits will be affected dramatically, network providers will have to generate more revenue by offering internet provision and data services to the mobile user.
Market awareness of the mobile telephone has exploded and the retailer who specialises in mobile phones is seeing growth like never before. Admittedly, some customers buy their first mobile phone in the supermarket, but for advice, add-ons and particular
services they turn to the specialist. There are a large number of mobile phone retailers and I can’t help but feel the market only has room for four players. Undoubtedly, customer service is the factor that differentiates operators and I think this year we will probably see rationalisation in the sector. 3
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PART ONE
Questions 1 – 7
? Look at the statements below and the comments given on the opposite page by mobile phone retailers.
? Which section (A, B, C or D) does each statement 1 – 7 refer to?
? For each statement 1 – 7, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. ? You will need to use some of these letters more than once. Example:
0 the extent to which mobile phones have changed in size 0
1 the need for retail staff to stay informed about the mobile phones they are selling 2 the belief that the market will not sustain the present number of mobile phone retailers 3 the use of mobile phones no longer being restricted to a specific group of people 4 the relationship between charges and the number of mobile phone users 5 a negative view of competing mobile phone retailers
6 a comparison between change in the mobile phone industry and that in a different sector 7 those services available at mobile phone outlets that are not provided by other retailers
A B C D
READING SAMPLE PAPER
Page 44 BEC VANTAGE A The hotel staff assumed they should be booked into the same room.
B But there is clear evidence that things are slowly improving.
C This would enable women to make an informed choice about a hotel, and they would not be placed in the uncomfortable position of having to complain about poor service.
D It is advisable for them to do this during their stay rather than waiting until they check out.
E Making sure that facilities in guest bedrooms cater equally for the needs of male and female guests is one such idea. F Most of the women, when questioned further, thought that the reason for this was that they were female and travelling alone.
G This is evident from the results of a questionnaire distributed to hotel guests by the Business Travel Association. 5
Turn Over _
A B C D E F G