Tiếng Anh - Đọc nâng cao = Reading plus - Advanced : Tài liệu bổ trợ môn học

The workbook which is composed of various basic vocabulary and reading exercises with a focus on Business English serves the purpose not only to consolidate the reading skills tailored i

NGÂN HÀNG NHÀ NƯỚC VIỆT NAM

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGÂN HÀNG TP.HCM

SÁCH THAM KHẢO TÀI LIỆU BỔ TRỢ MÔN HỌC TIẾNG ANH – ĐỌC NÂNG CAO

Chủ biên:

ThS PHẠM LÊ SÙNG CHÍNH

Thành viên:

ThS Phan Anh ThS Hoàng Anh Thư ThS Võ Thanh Tuấn

Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh – Năm 2024

THE STATE BANK OF VIETNAM

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF BANKING

FOR REFERENCE READING PLUS - Advanced

Chief author:

PHẠM LÊ SÙNG CHÍNH, M.A

Members:

Phan Anh, M.A

Hoàng Anh Thư, M.A

Võ Thanh Tuấn, M.A

Ho Chi Minh City – 2024

B

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ABBREVIATIONS

(adj.) adjective (adv.) adverb [C] countable noun

CD Cambridge Dictionary CED Collins Online English Dictionary

cf

DC

E

I (idm.) IOD

See DICTIONARY.COM entertain

inform idiom Investopedia

l line LDCE Longman Dictionary of Contemporary

Dictionary Online

MD

MW

Macmillan Dictionary Merriam-Webster Dictionary OLD Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries

p

P para./PARA

pp

RS page persuade paragraph pages Reading Skill [S]

sb

singular somebody sth something

[U] uncountable noun (vi.) intransitive verb (vl.) linking verb (vt.)

WOD

transitive verb World of Dictionary

INTRODUCTION

The workbook is designed to accompany Nigel A Caplan and Scott Roy Douglas’s

Q Skills for Success 5 – Reading and Writing 3 rd ed (Oxford, 2020) with the aim of

filling in the gap that the auhors’ book was not primarily designed for learners of Business English, many of whom decide to major in English at HCMC University of Banking (HUB) The workbook which is composed of various basic vocabulary and reading exercises with a focus on Business English serves the purpose not only to consolidate the reading skills tailored in Nigel A Caplan and Scott Roy Douglas’s course book but also to facilitate these EFL students’ needs to introduce themselves to the world of business Moreover, to express a support to the HUB’s objective (to foster students’ active and positive academic role), the workbook serves to provide the EFL students an opportunity

to improve their reading skills through continual practice and self-study

The workbook is divided into 6 modules with respective topics as follows:

1 Culture and Business

2 Strategy and Consultancy

3 Finance, Tax, and Auditing

Vocabulary annotations – most of which are excerpted from authoritative famous dictionaries with accurate IPA transcription, simple definition/explanation, and meticulous notes of language usage, etc - are complemented after a majority of reading texts to facilitate students’ reading comprehension They are especially of importance when some reading texts at the highest level of difficulty in comparison to the other three previous workbooks of the series are fully authentic with no adaptation for ESL students

To the Teacher:

The content-based reading workbook is designed to assist students in developing all the 8 Reading Skills (RS) that the two authors Nigel A Caplan and Scott Roy Douglas

highlighted in Q Skills for Success 5 – Reading and Writing 3 rd ed (Oxford, 2020),

namely as follows:

However, the teacher should encourage students to improve and exploit other skills (in reading comprehension) which are classified in this workbook as:

These reading skills are respectively abbreviated as RS 1-9, and they are listed after the direction of each reading exercise as a suggestion so that the teacher may offer appropriate guidance to help their students both directly and indirectly use some or all of them to do the reading exercise better, faster, more actively, and more comfortably The teacher should, in addition, support their students to apply other reading skills than the one that are mentioned at the beginning of each reading exercise

The teacher may assist their students in using the reading skills (RS) indirectly to do parts 1, 2 (i.e the capitalization of a word or punctuation may also be a clue to help the student complete the reading task, an item of new vocabulary annotation is another hint,

etc.) Part 3 of Modules 1-3, and Part 4 of Modules 4-6 may help students deal indirectly

with the reading skills (RS), while the rest may do both directly and indirectly However, the advice is tentative; students’ active creative role in their study should be nurtured Each module of the workbook, which covers 8 out of the 9 reading skills mentioned above, may be used separately in the class or assigned to students as homework according

to the teacher’s approach and students’ competence Save all the best for our students

To the Student:

The workbook aims to cover several common question types found in standardised reading tests while it suggests which reading skills (RS) may be applicable in each exercise The student is at first advised to do the exercise without any pause until the end of the task After that, when faced with a difficult question or with some doubt about the answer, they should refer to the reading skills (RS) suggested at the beginning of each reading exercise

to help them find out or confirm the answer These reading skills (RS) can also be reviewed thoroughly after the exercise has been done as a post-reading activity to help the student develop the skills and do reading comprehension actively

The reading passages of Parts 3-5 tend to be longer and to include more technical terms, especially the one in Part 5, to familiarize the student themselves with more

challenging reading texts of higher levels Don’t panic and be demotivated Overcome the difficulties and take the opportunity not only to refine your skill of guessing meaning from its context but also to manage uncertainty, especially in international tests to be faced with

in the future Where there's a will there's a way

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CONTENTS

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SECTION A:

TOPICS

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MODULE 1: CULTURE and BUSINESS

(COUNTRY), for example, suffered because in Spanish no va (4) _

(MEANINGFULLY) ‘won't go’

Other failures are more complex and (5) _ (BASICALLY) on deeper cultural divides Toyota's luxury car, the Lexus, (6) _ (BEEN) an immediate hit in the US, where the luxury-car (7) _ (MARKETING) had been the preserve of a few (8) _ (DOMESTICALLY) companies, and the Lexus offered something appreciably different The Lexus has been much less (9) _ (SUCCEED) in Europe, where there is a stronger tradition of (10) _ (LUXURIOUSLY) car-making and strong loyalty to local brands on the part of their buyers

2 Part 2:

Read the text below In each of most of the sentences, there is one extra word It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text Some sentences, however, are correct If a sentence is correct, write CORRECT If there is

an extra word in the sentence, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS

(RS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9)

EYE CONTACT (1)In many Western cultures, a person who does not maintain good eye contact is

regarded as the slightly suspect (2)Those who avoid eye contact from are unconsciously

considered unfriendly, insecure, untrustworthy, inattentive, and impersonal (3)In contrast,

Japanese lower their eyes when they speaking to a superior, a gesture of respect

(4)In Latin American cultures and some African cultures, prolonged eye contact from

an individual of lower status is considered disrespectful gesture (5)In the United States, it

is considered rude to stare - regardless of who is looking at whom (6)The polite English

person is taught to blink his or her eyes to let the speaker to know he or she has been

understood as well as heard (7)Americans signal interest and comprehension by bobbing

their heads or else grunting

(8)A widening of the eyes can also be interpreted differently (9)A U.S negotiator

may be interpret a Chinese person’s widened eyes as an expression of astonishment instead

of its true meaning of politely suppressed Asian anger

3 Part 3:

3.1 Vocabulary: Read the text below and choose the best definition/explanation (A,

B, C, or D) in English that matches up the word/expression in each of the following sentences

1 I really didn't mean to give any offence to your brother - I was just stating my opinion

2 His casual behaviour was wholly inappropriate for such a formal occasion

A informal but suitable for special occasions

B not formal or not suitable for special occasions

C not serious or considered, or done by chance

D not intended or planned

3 It's difficult to interpret these statistics without knowing how they were obtained

A to change what someone is saying into another language

B to decide what the unintended meaning of something is

C to decide what the intended meaning of something is

D to express your own ideas about the intended meaning of a play or a piece

of music when performing it

4 The prime minister is to meet his European counterpart to discuss the war against

drugs

A one having the same function or characteristics as another

B something that completes

C one remarkably similar to another

D friend

5 You have to wait for the host to let you join the meeting

A a person who introduces guests and performers

B someone who sets up a meeting

C a large number

D a guest for a special event

3.2 Reading: Read the text below Choose the best phrase from the following ones

to fill each of the gaps

(RS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)

A In Rio, on the other hand,

B So, before opening your mouth in this country,

C This is a very impolite

D However, when scheduling meetings in Sao Paulo,

E Good manners and polite behaviour are

F Soon after this formality,

G As a result, the right protocol

BUSINESS PROTOCOL IN BRAZIL

First things first: North Americans should never refer to their country as ‘America’

It is better to say you’re from the United States South Americans, particularly Brazilians,

find North Americans arrogant when they refer to back home as ‘America’ After all, Brazilians live in America too

Brazilians take pride in their Portuguese heritage, so to call locals Spanish-Americans would be insulting On the same note, Brazil’s official language is Portuguese, not Spanish Frequently, the spelling of Portuguese words is exactly the same as Spanish,

but the pronunciation differs greatly (1) _ learn to speak a few words and avoid committing a cultural offence

If your business destination is Rio de Janeiro, land of carnival and the samba,

expect a somewhat casual environment (2) _ you’ll find business settings just the opposite: quite formal Bring comfortable semi-casual clothes for business in Rio, and

conservative dark suits or dresses for Sao Paulo Time is important in Sao Paulo and

lateness is considered rude and unbusinesslike (3) _ your host may not always be

so punctual If you called a meeting at four, a Rio citizen may interpret gathering time

as around four (like maybe four-fifteen or so) Whatever you do, don’t be put off or indicate that you were concerned about the late arrival; your South American

counterpart won’t understand

Shaking hands and exchanging business cards begins any first business meeting in Brazil At that time, introductions are made Formalize your contact’s first name by

preceding it with Senhor, Senhora or Senhorita (Mr, Mrs or Miss) The surname is not

generally used (4) _ the title is usually dropped at the request of your host In that

manner, once you’ve become friendly with Senhora Astrud, you would be expected to simply call her Astrud

If you are indicating approval on a business matter, never give the OK sign of a

ring formed by the thumb and index finger (5) _ gesture in Brazil and likely to cause

great offence Instead, close the fist and shoot the thumb up During the business day

you will most likely be offered cafezinho, a very strong Brazilian coffee Accept it

graciously so as not to offend your host If you don’t like coffee, sip it slowly

4 Part 4:

4.1 Vocabulary: Read the text below and use the word/expression in the text to

complete the word/expression in each of the following sentences by writing the missing letters

1 They outlined their v_s_o_ for regenerating the old harbour district [=someone’s idea

or hope of how something should be done, or how it will be in the future, para 2]

2 The arrival of a group of friends on Saturday i_f_sed new life into the weekend

[=(simple past tense form of) to fill someone or something with an emotion or quality,

para 2]

3 The planning authorities should not _ide ro_gh_h_d over the wishes of local people

[= ignore someone else’s feelings or ideas because you have the power or authority

to do this, para 3]

4 The job had to be d_le_a_ed to an assistant [=(past participle form of) to give part of

your work, power or authority to somebody in a lower position than you, para 4]

5 To create an effective brand, you need to convince people to b_y int_ it [=to support

or believe in an idea or plan, para 7]

4.2 Reading: Read the text below Are sentences 1 - 5 ‘TRUE or ‘FALSE’? If there

is not enough information to answer ‘TRUE or ‘FALSE, choose ‘NOT GIVEN’

5 In a system-orientated culture, employees see sharing ideas as a negative feature

[PARA 1] Generally, the culture of any firm can be described as principally

action-orientated, people-orientated or system-orientated That is to say, the behaviour

that the managers exhibit tends to emphasise one of these three approaches to leadership and management

[PARA 2] In successful firms where leadership is action-orientated, the culture is

generally driven by one or a handful of managers who present a strong vision for the firm and lead by example The emphasis is on getting things done, on driving for change Such leaders constantly infuse energy throughout the firm and reinforce it through training that emphasises individual action, showing initiative, taking considered risks and stressing individual output and results It is a dynamic culture that rests on individuals being motivated to rise to the challenges of the business and being willing to take on responsibilities, often beyond what is considered their normal role

[PARA 3] The downside is that the approach can be somewhat ‘one-sided’,

overlooking the need for systems to handle routine matters, and taking for granted that people are all driven by a sense of challenge It can result in the strong and quick riding roughshod over the more considered and thoughtful When overdone, action-orientation becomes ‘flare’ behaviour, insensitive to differences in situations and people

[PARA 4] Successful people-orientated cultures derive from leadership that trains

people to be ready to take responsibility and then invests them with it Such firms delegate responsibility down as far as possible They are not the ‘do it, check it, recheck

it, double-check it and then check it again to be sure’ types of cultures They empower trained people and trust them to build quality in They ask people to make decisions and expect them to do so If the decisions prove wrong, the experience is used as the basis for learning rather than for criticism or punishment They emphasise commitment and mutual support, reinforced through training that focuses on how and when to delegate responsibility, on understanding and recognising that people are not all the same, learning how to get the best out of everyone

[PARA 5] However, people-orientated cultures are not warm and cuddly They

respect people, support them and develop them - but they expect them to perform If people fail to live up to expectations after proper training investment, appropriate steps are taken The downside of people-orientated cultures occurs when responsibility is not

appropriately delegated Insufficient challenge for bright, trained people leads to poor performance Equally, giving people more than they can handle without properly preparing them, and without providing adequate support if they initially falter, leads to the same result

[PARA 6] Successful system-orientated cultures focus on trying to deal

systematically with recurring problems and situations Basically, they have their feet on the ground; in most organisations, 80% of what is done is routine, and the system-orientated firm knows this So its procedures handle the routine, leaving managers to use their energy on that 20% of the work that needs their expertise

[PARA 7] The essence of a successful system-orientated culture is its ability and

willingness to constantly question its systems Such organisations tend to have strong corporate cultures, and people have to buy into them before being given the right to question and criticise But given that, every process is up for evaluation and improvement The rule book really matters, but it is not cast in stone Away from the rule book, initiative is a key characteristic, but it is initiative in a strong team environment People consult where possible and take individual decisions only when it

is not

5 Part 5:

5.1 Vocabulary: Read the text below and choose the best word/expression from the

text (A, B, C, or D) that matches up the definition/explanation in English

1 (past participle form of) to make a problem or difficult situation worse

ultimate objective is to motivate employees to work cooperatively and productively in the achievement of a specific goal For an international manager, the complexity of these tasks is compounded by the influence of culture As students of intercultural communication, you need to recognize how businesses outside of the United States perceive the concept of management According to Early and Ang, “an understanding of these cultural differences will increase your ability to successfully meet the many demands placed on an international manager.” Two of the major differences that Early

and Ang mention relate to (1) managerial leadership, and (2) how managers deal with the decision-making process within the organization

Leadership Styles

UNITED STATES

individualism over collectivism, and low power distance instead of high power distance Additionally, research on managers in the United States reveals that they reward individual achievement and initiative, action, and results, and seek to reduce status differences Even the manner in which managers motivate their staff reflects cultural values In doing-oriented cultures, such as the United States, managers often inspire

“employees with promises of promotions, raises, bonuses, and other forms of public recognition.”

JAPAN

[PARA 3] A characteristic feature of Japanese management style is the high

value placed on harmoniously integrating all employees into the organization, which is viewed as an extended family A monthly award ceremony that has worked so well in the United States only serves to embarrass the recipients and disgruntle the co-workers

by making one member of the “family” more important than another, leading to falling morale and lower productivity in Japan

[PARA 4] Another important aspect of Japanese managerial style can be

found in the expression “every person is either junior or senior.” Japan, while being a collective culture on most levels, is also a hierarchical culture As Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner point out, a respect for one’s superior “is seen as a measure of your commitment to the organization and its mission.” Therefore, while the manager stresses group achievement, he is concurrently afforded great respect

Decision-Making Styles

[PARA 5] Every manager, regardless of the culture, must make important

decisions In the U.S corporate sector, decisions are usually the product of a top-down process, disseminated downward through an authoritative or semi-authoritative

structure Decisions are generally made by a key group of executives who are expected

to take full responsibility for the company’s decisions This procedure is a result of an American cultural heritage that emphasizes egalitarianism, independence, individualism, frequent change, and a willingness to deal with conflict In U.S companies, the authority

to make strategic decisions resides with a few top-level individuals, which allows for a quick process once the appropriate, and often legally mandated, studies (such as a market analysis or environmental survey) have been finished While corporate decisions are often made very quickly, implementation can take considerably longer Because they may have no prior knowledge of the changes, affected employees need time to understand, accept, and adapt to the new requirements If the workers do not agree with

or understand the changes, their resistance can slow or even halt implementation

[PARA 6] Japan is an excellent example of a culture where the group

decision-making process is preferred over the individualistic approach A strong group orientation and emphasis on social stability are salient considerations in Japan’s consensus-based decision making In contrast to the U.S top-down model, decision making in large Japanese corporations usually begins with mid-level managers and

follows a bottom-up procedure known as ringi seido In this process, one employee or a few employees prepare(s) a written proposal (ringi sho) that takes the form of “a

subordinate respectfully consulting the opinion of a superior.” All of the involved organizational sections will subject the proposal to comprehensive discussions

(nemawashi), often even before receiving the formal document At each level, the merits

and possible impact of the suggestion will be examined, and if everyone is in agreement, the manager will endorse the proposal and send it onward If approved, the document will ultimately circulate to the upper management and executive levels When a consensus emerges, the proposal becomes policy Everyone must be in agreement, or at least outwardly profess agreement Quite naturally, getting everyone to agree can take considerable time and effort Detailed information relating to every aspect of the proposal must be obtained, disseminated, studied, and discussed Should dissent arise, additional time is required for further discussions and consultations, which may take

place in the workplace during the day and continue in restaurants and bars after scheduled working hours Once a consensual decision is achieved, however, implementation is rapid and all-encompassing, a result of the broad employee involvement in the decision process from start to finish Everyone is given the opportunity to voice his or her opinion and discuss the proposal before it is finally approved As a result, employees are already familiar with the proposal, its impact, and actions needed for implementation

Questions:

1 Skim the title, the headings and the first paragraph of the reading text Predict the main ideas of the text

2 Read the title, the headings, and the first paragraph of the reading text Use the following wh-words to write as many questions as possible that you think the reading text should answer

Who?: What?: When?: Where?: _ Why?: How?:

3 Read paragraph 1 Underline the referents in the paragraph and identify which words/concepts/ideas they refer to Highlight the words or a phrases that act as a summary of the previous ideas

4 Firstly, identify the genre the text falls into? Next, skim the title, the headings and the first paragraph of the reading text Finally, work out the main idea of the reading text and the supporting ideas? Complete the following table

6 Read the reading text again Decide if the author is trying to inform (I), persuade (P),

or entertain (E) Complete the following table (where possible)

Reasons to

Write:

to inform the reader about sth Yes No

to desbribe sth to the reader Yes No

to make readers believe a particular idea Yes No

to make readers think a certain way Yes No

other

other

Key

Indicators:

(creating)

images in the reader’s mind that may make

a reader feel a strong emotion

Yes No

other

(providing)

instructions or how to do something Yes No

direction Yes No

MODULE 2: STRATEGY and CONSULTANCY

as (4) _ (SALARY) employees in companies Others work for (5) _ (ORGANISE) large and small: one well-known firm, for example, is McKinsey, which describes itself as 'a (6) _ (MANAGERS) consulting firm advising (7) _ (LEADER) companies on issues of strategy, organisation, technology and operations' The Big Four (8) _ (ACCOUNT) firms (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PwC) also offer consulting services, and an issue for them has been the way that (9) _ (AUDITOR) (where they verify the accuracy and completeness of company accounts) has been sold alongside consultancy, which, some say, has (10) _(INHERENCE) conflicts

2 Part 2:

Read the text below In each of most of the sentences, there is one extra word It is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit in with the meaning of the text Some sentences, however, are correct If a sentence is correct, write CORRECT If there is

an extra word in the sentence, write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS

it decides to enter an industry, should it start from scratch, or should it buy decline growth

by acquiring a company that is already successful or with the potential for success in that

industry? (6)The history of corporate strategy is littered with failed acquisitions, where the

acquiring company has not been able to integrate the acquisition, perhaps because the

cultures of the two companies are too different, or even because the culture and nature of the new industry is one that the acquiring cultural company did not really understand

(7)There was a fashion at one time for conglomerates, where the acquiring company made

many purchases of companies, with the goal of applying its resources to improve their

performance and profitability way (8)But big heterogeneous groups like this are now out

of fashion, an example of a failed generic strategy

(9)Despite their strategic planning departments, even though very powerful

companies make strategic errors (10)IBM's error was not to retain control over on the PC,

and Microsoft's was not to see the importance of the Internet

3 Part 3:

3.1 Vocabulary: Read the text below and choose the best definition/explanation (A,

B, C, or D) in English that matches up the word/expression in each of the following sentences

1 We're seeing chefs abandoning homogeneity in favor of innovation

A the quality of consisting of parts or people that are different to each other

or are of various types

B the quality of consisting of parts or people that are similar to each other or are of the same type

C the quantity of consisting of parts or people that are similar to each other

or are of the same type

D the quanti1ty of consisting of parts or people that are different to each other

or are of various types

2 Internet technology allows us to work from anywhere and collaborate with

geographically dispersed team members

A restricted within a small area

B spread across several big nations

C spread across a large area

D restricted within a nation

3 The car won some of the industry's most prestigious awards

A very much disrespected and undervalued, usually because of being important or of low quality

B very little disrespected and undervalued, usually because of being important or of low quality

C very little respected and admired, usually because of being important or of high quality

D very much respected and admired, usually because of being important or

5 They have complained vociferously about their accommodation

A softly and repeatedly

B loudly and disruptively

C loudly and repeatedly

D softly and repeatedly

3.2 Reading: Read the text below Choose the best sentence from the following ones

to fill each of the gaps

(RS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)

A A key theme here is that such governance efforts are gradually leading to

crossnational homogeneity within the firms

B They also seek to utilize their firm-wide human resources efficiently by, for instance, assigning staff to projects based on skill and ability rather than geographical and cultural homophily

C As experts in their fields, consultants can help with analysing and solving problems, completing projects and specific tasks

D As part of this, they also put much energy into projecting an image of themselves as

‘Big Four’ accountancies (Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PriceWaterhouseCoopers)

GPSFs not only deliver services globally but also put considerable effort into

managing and integrating their geographically dispersed operations (2) _ Cooper,

Greenwood, Hinings & Brown (1998), for instance, highlight how the Big Four (then

Big Six) audit firms “present themselves increasingly as supranational agents of

capitalism that transcend the ‘imagined communities’ of nations, national economies and nationalism” A key driver behind such efforts are multinational clients: these often require ‘seamless’ cross-national services and hence push GPSFs to work on developing

‘transnational’ organizational and delivery capabilities such as shared work methods, procedures and standards In addition, GPSFs seek to learn from the different countries

in which they operate as a means of being more innovative than competitors and thus work to facilitate multi-directional inter-unit knowledge flows within the organization –

in theory at least (3)

These intra-organizational transnational governance efforts are now well documented in the management literature and, increasingly, also in sociological research

on the role of GPSFs in transnational governance (4) For instance, Spence et al

(2015) note how, in the Big Four, “[a]ll of the elements that strengthen the ‘corporate

glue’ and thus that are conducive towards homogeneity are more vociferously practised

today than they were 20 years ago: standardization of knowledge sharing, training and service delivery are important means through which the Big 4 seek to manage their risk profile […] English dominates as the working language in these firms in a way that is viewed as unproblematic; […] and national interests appear to have successfully

converged around making as much money as possible […] (5) There is recognition

in some studies that important cross-national differences remain but, on the whole, the suggestion is that the firms are evolving an organizational space or identity that cannot

be reduced to any single national rationality However, as noted earlier, this account of the GPSF, in being mostly focused on processes of diffusion/isomorphism/adaptation, leads to a view of the GPSF as a flat structure, overlooking the global power asymmetries and unequal exchange relations that professionals (re)produce as they engage in intraorganizational transnational governance

4 Part 4:

4.1 Vocabulary: Read the text below and use the word/expression in the text to

complete the word/expression in each of the following sentences by writing the missing letters

1 He's an i_t_g_al part of the team and we can't do without him [=necessary and

important as a part of a whole, para 1]

2 The combined company aims to reduce annual o_e_h_a_s by as much as £2 billion

[=the regular and necessary costs, such as rent and heating, that are involved in

operating a business, para 3]

3 I don’t have the technical k_ _w-h_w to repair a computer [=practical knowledge

and ability, para 3]

4 The school has a strong t_a_k re_o_d of getting its students into good universities

[=all the achievements or failures that someone or something has had in the past,

para 5]

5 As a recent e_t_a_t to the Japanese market, the company is at a disadvantage compared

to Japanese suppliers [=a company that starts selling a particular product or service,

or selling in a particular place, for the first time, para 5]

4.2 Reading: Read the text below Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to each

of the questions that follow

(RS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9)

[PARA 1] A few years ago, when Carol Nichols arrived as head of human

resources with NVCT, the fast-expanding telecoms and software services company, she knew that from day one working with management consultancy firms would be an integral part of her role ‘I had already decided on the kind of consultancies I wanted to employ,’ she says ‘When I started, I was pretty much a one-woman department So it was important for me to form partnerships to help me support the growth of the department and the company What I wanted was smaller consultancies with whom I could establish personal relationships - firms which would grow with us, and be flexible enough to respond to our changing needs.’

[PARA 2] Paul Eden, Managing Director of NVCT, confirms the desirability of

smaller consultancies ‘Larger firms have a tendency to use one person to sell, and another to deliver, with the result that clients may not really know who or what they are

buying With a smaller firm, you are buying the consultant as much as the product - the person rather than the brand.’

[PARA 3] Penny White, financial services group Interco’s Head of Strategic

Management, highlights other advantages of the smaller consultancy ‘A smaller consultancy recognises that it cannot do everything, and is much more willing to work with other preferred consultants for the good of the client,’ she says ‘And on fees, smaller consultancies can be less rigid and more cost-effective, simply because their overheads are lower That is not to say that they need to undercut to win business, but part of a small consultancy’s strategy must be to thoroughly investigate how to add value

to everything it does Larger consultancies are gaining expertise in business psychology and applying it to running change programmes, but they still tend to bring in their own team to implement projects, which means that when they move on, the know-how goes with them, leaving the client with a knowledge vacuum, not the integrated training that small firms, in particular, really need.’

[PARA 4] But the larger consultancies do have their advocates Bill Dawkins,

editor of Consultancy Today: ‘One area where the industry giants have an edge is where major global companies require a standardised service across a number of different countries Such clients are frequently spending substantial sums of money in consulting engagements and, not surprisingly, they are seeking the reassurance of a recognised and respected brand which they know they can trust to deliver.’

[PARA 5] When it comes to choosing which kind of consultancy to use, there is

no right or wrong in any absolute sense By their very nature, smaller entrants are able

to move more swiftly than the larger firms But the question is whether they have the necessary substance and track record behind them to see larger-scale programmes through Choose a smaller consultancy for pilot implementations where you want ‘look and see’ solutions in a short space of time Then turn to a larger firm for full implementation and transformation programmes Increasingly, the choice between big and small is not mutually exclusive, but complementary The two often find themselves

working together on the same project - creating a combination neither of them can achieve on its own

Questions:

1 Carol Nichols preferred to use smaller consultancies because _

A she had previous experience of them

B they could develop alongside her company

C she would be able to have control overthem

D they would improve her department's reputation

2 Paul Eden says one advantage of smaller consultancies is that _

A clients benefit from continuous individual contact

B they have a clearer understanding ofclients’ brands

C clients feel they get a better return on their investment

D they are able to sell their ideas to clients more effectively

3 Penny White says that larger consultancies do not _

A train their consultants to work with smaller companies

B appreciate the function of psychology in business

C deliver the results that projects are set up to achieve

D transfer their expertise fully to their clients

4 According to Bill Dawkins, larger consultancies _

A are able to pass on economies of scale to clients

B have a deeper understanding of industrial issues

C have a deeper understanding of industrial issues

D differentiate their advice according to country

5 The writer concludes by recommending using smaller consultancies _

A in situations requiring quick results

B for monitoring projects’ progress

C in conjunction with each other

D for the finer details of projects

5 Part 5:

5.1 Vocabulary: Read the text above and choose the best word/expression from the

text (A, B, C, or D) that matches up the definition/explanation in English

1 (past simple form of) to put a document away in a file

D double act (para 7)

5 the quality of not being proud because you are aware of your bad qualities; lack of pride

A enthusiasm (para 9)

B uncertainty (para 10)

C humility (para 11)

D resilience (para 12)

5.2 Reading: Read the text below and answer the following questions

(RS:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

LIVING STRATEGY AND DEATH OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN

[PARA 1] Is strategy dead? Chief strategy officers will deny it Some strategy

consultants may reject the idea, too But, right now, markets are unpredictable The economic outlook is uncertain The world has changed If old-style strategy formulation

is not exactly dead, then it is hardly in the best of health

[PARA 2] For months, many leadership teams have had only one strategic goal in

mind: survival Grander visions have been filed away or forgotten This hedgehog-style approach – roll up into a ball and wait until things are less scary – may keep a company alive temporarily, but does little to prepare it for the future

[PARA 3] Analysis by Boston Consulting Group suggests that corporate

hibernation only works if recessions are short, if the outside world goes back to the way

it was before, and if all your competitors are equally inactive, tucked up for the economic winter In 2009, not one of these conditions applies

[PARA 4] In a recent paper, “Thriving under adversity”, senior BCG partners

Martin Reeves and Michael Deimler argue that, in past recessions, simply cutting costs has not been enough to ensure a healthy recovery “If survival buys time, it does not guarantee sustainable competitive advantage,” they write The winners in previous downturns have pursued, and achieved, increased sales

[PARA 5] So companies need a strategy for growth But I began this column by

arguing that the traditional approach to developing strategy – long, internal debate leading to the announcement of three-or five-year plans – seems to belong to another era

So what does smart, 21st century strategy development look like?

been giving this question some thought In New York last week, I had several interesting conversations on the subject

another paper, “New bases of competitive advantage”, that looks at something they call

“adaptive advantage” This is strategy, too, but not as we know it.“Organisations with adaptive advantage recognise the unpredictability of today’s environment and the limits

of deductive analysis,” they write New problems are constantly emerging Well-run businesses respond effectively to them

to them Google is an obvious master of this, getting closer than anyone else to understanding how online advertising works Second, they see clearly how their business fits into a wider context Amazon has made sure its Kindle e-book reader is supported

by a network of valuable partners Third, they are alive to social change and shifting customer preferences Toyota managed this with its hybrid Prius car Fourth, they experiment effectively, as Procter & Gamble does when trialling products Lastly, they draw on the talents of the best people they can find – whether they employ them or not Software companies such as Red Hat and TopCoder oversee large networks of programmers, using the best people with great flexibility Their permanent staff is relatively small But they have access to many more

[PARA 9] This vision of a far more free-flowing, less hidebound corporation, ready to change strategic direction fast, is shared by Lowell Bryan, a director at McKinsey He may be a 30-year veteran of the firm, but he discusses these ideas with the enthusiasm of a new hire

says “This is about managing much more dynamically It is a complex adaptive world, and leaders have to navigate their way through it rather than assuming away uncertainty,

as people do in an annual budgeting process How can you say today what the economy will be like even six months from now?”

uncertainty “Strategy is really an evolving idea which develops over a long period, on a long and winding road,” he says “And this new world calls for just-in-time decisionmaking.”

[PARA 12] Adapt to survive The danger for successful companies, Mr Bryan says, is that over time they lose the very abilities or qualities that earned them their market-leading position in the first place They no longer have the same flexibility, awareness and resilience they once did Building in some slack – unscheduled meeting time, for instance – might create the space where some resilience can be re-established,

Mr Bryan adds

scale and capabilities – endure, a more dynamic and adaptive approach is now needed Leaders need to be more flexible and less heavy-handed, ready to make necessary adjustments and bigger changes

Questions:

1 Skim the title, and the last paragraph of the reading text Predict the main ideas of the text

2 Read the title, and the first paragraph of the reading text Use the following wh-words

to write as many questions as possible that you think the reading text should answer

Who?: What?: When?: Where?: Why?: How?:

3 Read paragraph 1 Underline the referents in the paragraph and identify which words/concepts/ideas they refer to Highlight the words or a phrases that act as a summary of the previous ideas