人郵第二輯真題TEST 1 READING PART 1
1. This company has been involved in diversifying its business activities.
2. Although this company is doing well, it has a number of internal difficulties to deal with
3. This company has reduced the profits it makes on individual items
4. One statistic is a less accurate guide to this company’s performance than another
5. The conditions which have helped this company are likely to be less favourable in the future
6. This company’s share price has been extremely volatile over the last twelve months
7. This company is likely to be the subject of a takeover bid in the near future
8. This company’s performance exemplifies a widely held belief
A Chemical Company
Masterson’s interim pre-tax profits growth of 20% was somewhat inflated as a result of the income received from the disposal of several of the company’s subsidiaries. The underlying 8% rise in operating profits is a more realistic gauge of the company’s true progress. However, Masterson’s impending merger with Bentley and Knight and its appointment of a new chief executive should mean that the company will be able to sustain growth for the foreseeable fut5ure. The share price has varied little during the course of the year and now stands at ￡6.75
B Hotel Group
During the past year the Bowden Hotel Group has acquired 77 new properties, thus doubling in size . last week the group reported pre-tax profits of ￡88 million in the first six months of the year, ahead of expectations and helped by a strong performance from its London-based hotels and newly expanded US business. However,there is still some way to go. Integration of the new acquisitions is still not complete and, while the share price has risen recently, major problems with integration have yet to be solved.
C High-tech Company
This time last year a share in Usertech was worth just over ￡1. six months ago it was worth ￡40. today it is priced at under ￡8 . if proof were need, here is an illustration of how much of a lottery the technology market can be. But some technology companies are fighting back and Usertech is one of them . What has renewed excitement in the company is the opening of its new American offices in Dallas and its ambitious plans to expand its user base in both North and Latin America.
D Building Company
Renton’s share price has risen gradually over the past year from ￡2.4 to ￡3.8 . The company has been successful in choosing prime location for its buildings and has benefited from the buoyant demand for housing. Whilst this demand is expected to slow down somewhat during the next year, investors are encouraged by the company’s decision to move into building supermarkets. Work has already begun on two sites in London, and the company is expected to sign a contract within the next month for building four large supermarkets in Scotland.
E Pottery Manufacturer
Milton Dishes has been through a shake-up over the past year. The group, which has been cutting margins and improving marketing, may post a small profit this year. The many members of the Milton family, who between them own 58 per cent of the business, have been watching the share price rise steadily and several are looking to sell. Trade rival Ruskin has bought up just over 17 percent of the shares and could well be spurred into further action by the signs of a recovery at the firm.
做BEC的閱讀，可以先看看說明的第一句話，瞭解這篇文章總的講的是什麼：Look at the statements below and at the five reports about companies on the opposite page。有關5個公司的報告，介紹了這些公司的股價以及併購等一些發展策略。很概略，而且搶眼一看，內容都是大同小異，要在這些散而簡要的資訊中迅速準確的尋找答案，就需要對一些關鍵詞格外敏感，好比表示程度（多和少，大和小）的形容詞，還有類似increase和reduce之類的動詞。這種敏銳捕捉答案的能力，只能在不斷做題不斷總結中積累。
第一題，說這個公司涉及到多樣化它的商業活動。Diversify是關鍵詞，原文中不一定要出現一個類似的動詞，但是在意思理解上一定要嚴格從這個方向上找。多樣化，就是不把雞蛋放在一個籃子裡。答案在D段，相當的隱晦：Whilst this demand is expected to slow down somewhat during the next year, investors are encouraged by the company’s decision to move into building supermarkets。這方面的需求（指housing）預計要減少，投資者被公司進軍超市建築市場的決定所鼓舞。也就是說，這個建築公司原本是做housing的，在housing的需求下降時，轉而開拓了supermarkets的市場。綜合起來，就是diversify。
第二題，說雖然這個公司做的很好，但還是面臨很多困難。這個好把握，所對應的公司一定是講了一堆成績後，來一個BUT或者是HOWEVER，說明問題。答案是B段，關鍵句子是：However,there is still some way to go.整個B段的邏輯就是，前面一堆成績，然後以這個however引導的句子為轉折句，承上啟下，後面說明面對的問題，最後一句也很明顯：major problems with integration have yet to be solved.
第三題，說公司減少了他們在單個物件上的利潤。關鍵詞是reduce。答案是E段：The group, which has been cutting margins and improving marketing。這裡的cutting margins就是reduced the profits。不過比較糾結選項中的individual item指代的是什麼，估計是指pottery（陶器），因為這個公司是pottery manufacturer。
第四題，說對於公司的表現，一個統計資料沒有另外一個統計資料準確。答案在A段，一開頭就提到了兩個統計資料，一個是interim pre-tax profits growth，另一個是underlying 8% rise in operating profits.認為前面一個inflated（誇張的），後面一個是a more realistic gauge（是個更精確的測量）。
第五題，說曾經幫助過這個公司的環境在未來可能不那麼有利。答案還在D段，前面說has benefited from the buoyant demand for housing（公司曾經受益於住房市場的火爆需求），但是這個需求在未來預期要放緩（this demand is expected to slow down somewhat during the next year）。選項中的the conditions which have helped the company，就是指的住房需求。
第六題，公司股價在過去12個月波動很大（volatile）。答案在C段，開頭的一段數字，相當的明顯：This time last year a share in Usertech was worth just over ￡1. six months ago it was worth ￡40. today it is priced at under ￡8。由1變到40再變回了8，波動很大。
第七題，公司在近期將成為一起收購案件的`主角。答案在E段，繞了幾個圈。先說Milton family的成員一共擁有58%的股份，有些人準備賣（own 58 per cent of the business, have been watching the share price rise steadily and several are looking to sell.），最後一句說對手Ruskin已經購買了超過17%的股份，並且針對這個公司復甦的跡象可能有進一步行動（Ruskin has bought up just over 17 percent of the shares and could well be spurred into further action by the signs of a recovery at the firm.）。自家的股東要賣，對手可能要買，綜合起來就是這個公司近期可能會捲入收購案件中。
第八題，說這個公司的表現例證了一個被廣泛認同的觀點。答案是C段的這麼一句：if proof were need, here is an illustration of how much of a lottery the technology market can be.如果說需要證據的話，那麼這就是高科技市場多麼像彩票的證明。意思是股票市場經常大起大落，投機現象很嚴重，這個觀點毫無疑問是被廣泛認同的。此題要想做對還真需要一定的想象力，選項太抽象，太概括，無頭無尾，而原文說的又很具體，沒有一定的思維突破和轉變還真不太好選。
總結下這篇閱讀，可以說難度明顯比中級的上了一個檔次。中級的閱讀算的上是同義詞轉換，選項中的詞都可以在原文中找到意思相近的。而高階的這篇閱讀，選項非常概括和抽象，不再只是對原文某一句話的簡單總結。原文的資訊雖然具體，但是很散。選項和原文就不是一個路數的文字。要想保證準確率並提高解題速度，一定要能迅速判斷原文的大致內容，概括能力要強。多練多總結，這才是做BEC真題的關鍵。