Passage 3

　　It is incongruous(不协调)that the number of British institutions offering MBA courses should have grown by 254 per cent during a period when the economy has been sliding into deeper recession. Optimists, or those given to speedy assumptions might think it marvelous to have such a resource of business school graduates ready for the recovery. Unfortunately, there is now much doubt about the value of the degree-not least among MBA graduates themselves, suffering as they are from the effects of recession and facing the prospect of shrinking management structures.

　　What was taken some years ago as a ticket of certain admission to success is now being exposed to the scrutiny(审查)of cost-conscious employers who seek "can-dos" rather than "might- dos", and who feel that academia has not been sufficiently appreciative of the needs of industry or of the employers' possible requirements.

　　Perhaps companies that made large investments would have been wiser to invest in already existing managers, resting anxiously on their own internal ladders. The Institute of Management's 1992 survey, which revealed that eighty-one percent of managers thought they would be more effective if they received more training, suggests that this might be the case. There is, too, the fact that training alone does not make successful managers. They need the inherent qualifications of character, a degree of self-control, and, above all, the ability to communicate and lead.

　　One can easily think of people, some comparatively unlettered, who are now praised captains of industry. We may, therefore not need to be too concerned about the fall in applications for business school places or even the doubt about MBAs. The increase and subsequent questioning may have been an inevitable evolution. If the Management Charter Initiative now exploring the introduction of a senior management qualification is successful, there will be a powerful corrective.

　　We believe now that management is all about change. One hopes there will be some of that in the relationship between management and science within industry, currently causing concern and which is overdue for attention. No one doubts that we need more scientists and innovation to give us an edge in an increasingly competitive world. If scientists feel themselves undervalued and under-used, working in industrial is not a promising signal for the future. It seems we have to resolve these misunderstandings between science and industry. Above all, we have to make sure that management is not itself proud of its status and that it does not issue mission statements about communication without realizing that the essence of it is a dialogue.

　　43. According to the passage, the author believed that __________

　　A. there are too many MBAs

　　B. the degree is over-valued

　　C. standards are inconsistent

　　D. the degree has doubtful value

　　44. It can be learned from the passage that ______________.

　　A. managers need the ability to communicate to a degree

　　B. training needs to be done in groups to be successful

　　C. managers today must have good communication and leadership skills

　　D. industrial managers do not need to write letters

　　45. According to the passage, employers ____________

　　A. feel that they have not been consulted sufficiently about their needs .

　　B. consider that cost-consciousness is the most important qualification

　　C. are more concerned about the value of the degree than graduates themselves

　　D. feel that MBAs will be not necessary because of shrinking management structures

　　46. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _____________

　　A. science increases competition

　　B. scientists are undervalued

　　C. management of science needs reassessment

　　D. management feels proud of its status

　　47. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

　　A. Employers today are looking for proven experience rather than potential ability.

　　B. Companies would have benefited more from investing in their own staff rather than recruiting MBAs.

　　C. Most managers interviewed felt that their colleagues needed more training.

　　D. The Management Charter Initiative is an attempt to standardize MBAs

　　48. What is an inevitable evolution?

　　A. the increase of applications B. the fall in applications

　　C. praising captains of industry D. suspect on the senior management qualifications

　　Passage 4

　　Students taking business courses are sometimes a little surprised to find that lectures on business ethics(伦理学)have been included in their syllabuses of study. They often do not realize that, later in their careers, they may be tempted to bend their principles to get what they want; perhaps also they are not fully aware that bribery in various forms is on the increase in many countries.

　　In dealing with the topic of business ethics, some lecturers ask students how they would act in the following situation: suppose you were head of a major soft-drinks company and you want to break into a certain overseas market where the growth potential for your company is likely to be very great indeed. During negotiations with government officials of this country, the Minister of Trade makes it clear to you that if you offer him a substantial bribe, you will find it much easier to get an import license for your goods, and you are also likely to avoid "bureaucratic delays", as he puts it. Now, the question is: do you pay up or stand by your principles?

　　It is easy to talk about having high moral standards but, in practice, what would one really do in such a situation? Some time ago the British car manufacturer, British Leyland, was accused of operating a "slush fund", and of questionable practices such as paying agents and purchasers with commission, offering additional discounts and making payments to numbered bank accounts in Switzerland. The company rejected these allegations and they were later withdrawn. Nevertheless, at this time, there were people in the motor industry in Britain who were prepared to say in private: "Look, we're in a wheeling-dealing business. Every year we're selling more than a ?1,000 million worth of cars abroad. If we spend a few million greasing the palms of some of the buyers, who's hurt? If we didn't do it, someone else would."

　　It is difficult to resist the impression that bribery and other questionable payments are on the increase. Indeed, they seem to have become a fact of commercial life. To take just one example, the Chrysler Corporation, third largest of the U. S. motor manufacturers, disclosed that it made questionable payments of more than $ 2.5 million. By making this revelation, it joined more than 300 U.S. companies that had admitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that they had made dubious payments.

　　49. Which of the following is the situation in which some lecturers ask students how they would act?

　　A. To break into a certain overseas market

　　B. The official asked you to bribe.

　　C. To negotiate with the Minister of Trade

　　50.The lectures on business ethics surprised students because ________________.

　　A. they are unaware of their later potential violation of the rules.

　　B. the forms of bribery are on the increase in many countries.

　　C. they do not know how to act to entertain the officials in other countries.

　　D. it is hard to avoid bureaucratic delays without such lectures.

　　D. The government official ask you to get an import license quickly.

　　51.Towards standing by ethnic rules in real practice, the writer seems ___________.

　　A. Indifferent. B. pessimistic C. affirmative D. optimistic

　　52.The writer use the example of Chrysler Corporation to argue that __________.

　　A. the revelation of bribery is difficult in America.

　　B. bribery has become common in commercial life.

　　C. Securities and Exchange Commission supervises dubious payments.

　　D. wheeling-dealing business drives people to bribe.

　　53.Which of the following is one of questionable practices of British Leyland?

　　A. Leyland operated "slush fund" to avoid "bureaucratic delays

　　B. Leyland offered additional discounts and then withdrew the money.

　　C. Leyland made the use of banks in Switzerland to evade the tax.

　　D. Leyland paid more money to its agents and buyers.

　　54.The best title of this passage would be ____________.

　　A. Business Ethics education can avoid bribery

　　B. Bribery and Securities and Exchange Commission.

　　C. Bribery is on increase.

　　D. Different forms of bribery

　　Passage 5

　　Everyone, it seems, has a health problem. After pouring billions into the National Health Service, British people moan about dirty hospitals，long waits and wasted money. In Germany the new chancellor, Angela Merkel, is under fire for suggesting changing the financing of its health system. Canada's new Conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, made a big fuss during the election about reducing the country's lengthy medical queues. Across the rich world, affluence, ageing and advancing technology are driving up health spending faster than income.

　　But nowhere has a bigger health problem than America. Soaring medical bills are squeezing wages, swelling the ranks of the uninsured and pushing huge firms and perhaps even the government towards bankruptcy. Ford's announcement this week that it would cut up to 30.000 jobs by 2012 was as much a sign of it's "legacy" health -care costs as of the ills of the car industry. Pushed by polls that show health care is one of his main domestic problems and by forecasts showing that the retiring baby-boomers (生育高峰期出生的人) will crush the government's finances, George Bush is to unveil a reform; plan in next week's state-of-the -union address.

　　America's health system is unlike any other. The Unite States spends 16% of its GDP on health, around twice the rich-country average, equivalent to $6,280 for every American each year. Yet it is the only rich country that does not guarantee universal health coverage. Thanks to an accident of history, most Americans receive health insurance through their employer, with the government picking up the bill for the poor and the elderly.

　　This curious hybrid(混合物)certainly has its strengths. Americans have more choice than anybody else, and their health-care system is much more innovative. Europeans' bills could be much higher if American medicine were not doing much of their Research and Development(R&D)for them. But there are also huge weaknesses. The one most often cited-especially by foreigners-is the army of uninsured. Some 46 million Americans do not have cover. In many cases that is out of choice and, if they fall seriously ill, hospitals have to treat them. But it is still deeply unequal. And there are also shocking inefficiencies: by some measures, 30% of American health spending is wasted.

　　Then there is the question of state support. Many Americans disapprove of the "socialized medicine" of Canada and Europe. In fact, even if much of the administration is done privately, around 60% of America's heath-care bill ends up being met by the government. Proportionately, the American state already spends as much on health as the OECD(Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development)average, and that share is set to grow as the baby-boomers run up their Medicare bills and ever more employers avoid providing health-care coverage. America is, in effect, heading towards a version of socialized medicine by default.

　　55. Ford's announcement of cutting up to 30,000 jobs by 2012 indicates that Ford_________.

　　A. has the biggest health problem of the car industry

　　B. has made profits from its health-care legacy

　　C. has accumulated too heavy a health-care burden

　　D. owes a great deal of debt to its employees

　　56. Health problems mentioned in the passage include all the following EXCEPT_________.

　　A. poor hospital conditions in U.K. B. Angela Merkel under attack

　　C. health financing in Germany D. long waiting lines in Canada

　　57. In the author's opinion, America's health system is _________.

　　A. inefficient B. feasible C. unpopular D. successful

　　58. From the last paragraph we may learn that the "socialized medicine" is____________.

　　A. a practice of Canada and Europe B. a policy adopted by the US government

　　C. intended for the retiring baby-boomers D. administered by private enterprises

　　59. It is implied in the passage that_________.

　　A. America's health system has its strengths and weaknesses

　　B. the US government pays medical bills for the poor and the elderly

　　C. some 46 million Americans do not have medical insurance

　　D. Europeans benefit a lot from America's medical research

　　60. What is the best title for this passage?

　　A. Baby-boomers will run out medical care bills

　　B. The Medical care problems around the world

　　C. Strength of Medical care system

　　D. America Medical care problems compared with other countries