6 What time will the man ring back?

BUSINESS ENGLISH MOCK TEST 1 A 11.00

PART ONE B 11.15
Questions 1-8 – BEC_B1_Preliminary T2
You will hear 8 short recordings. For questions 1-8, circle one letter A, B or C for C 11.30
the correct answer. You will hear each recording twice.
Example: 7 Which chart shows the company’s performance last year?
Who is Anna going to write to?
A the staff
B the supplier
C the clients
The answer is A.

1. Which graph shows the company’s levels of borrowing?

8 What will the company’s next market research focus on?

A customer satisfaction
B level of competition
C size of the market

2. What time will the man see Mr Stevens?

3 What does Steve say they should do about the meeting?

A start without him
B wait for him
C reschedule it

4 Why are they looking for a new supplier?

A They want cheaper materials.
B They need higher quality materials.
C They require larger quantities of materials.

5 What will the safety inspector look at first?

A the packing department
B the assembly line
C the paint stores
PART TWO – Bec B2_Vantage Test 1 Cambridge
Questions 11-22
You will hear three conversations. Fill in the numbered spaces, using the Conversation Three
information you hear. You will hear each conversation once only. Questions 19-22: Look at the notes below. You will hear a woman
enquiring about premises to rent.
Conversation One
Questions 11- 14: Look at the notes below. You will hear a senior
manager giving instructions to George, her junior colleague, about
giving a presentation at the company’s AGM.

Conversation Two
Questions 15-18: Look at the notes below. You will hear an
answerphone message left by a woman for her secretary.
PART THREE
Questions 11-22
(Questions 13 – 17)
You will hear five people advising how to identify a member of staff with
management potential. For each recording, decide what advice the
speaker is giving. Write one letter (A – H) next to the number of the
recording. You will hear the five recordings twice.
PART FOUR - A – Bec B1_Preliminary st 2 Cambridge
Questions 23 – 30
You will hear a business journalist, interviewing Tom Warren, the MD of
Mirador, a beauty products company. Mirador has just agreed a joint
venture with CDLE, a French cosmetics company.
For each question 23 – 30, mark one letter (A, B or C) for the correct
answer. You will hear the recording twice.

23 What is CDLE giving to Mirador in the new deal?

A technological experience
B investment in a new plant
C knowledge of the market

24 Tom Warren expects this year’s results at Mirador to show

A a small but significant increase.
B a dramatic improvement.
C almost no change.

25 Profits have declined in Mirador’s export market because of

A fluctuating currency exchange rates.
B the mix of products exported.
(Questions 18 – 22) C the level of export sales.
You will hear five people talking about customer service. For each
recording, decide what advice the speaker gives on improving customer 26 Tom Warren is confident that Mirador will do well because
service. Write one letter (A – H) next to the number of the recording. You will A product launches have been successful.
hear the five recordings twice. B it has received many product enquiries.
C its order books are already full.

27 What has Mirador focused on over the past year?

A product development and design
B the sales base abroad
C high quality service

28 Why was Mirador’s turnover low at the beginning of this year?

A Retail sales are traditionally low at this time of year.
B The shops already had enough stock.
C There were problems with supply.

29 What will be different about the new products?

A They will be sold in supermarkets.
B They will be of higher quality.
C They will have French labels on them.
30 Which aspect of the business needs most attention now?
A staff development and training
B the reorganisation of its divisions
C its overall business strategy
PART FOUR - B – Bec B2_Vantage st 2 Cambridge
Questions 31 – 40
You will hear a presentation about what happens when one CEO retires
and another succeeds him or her as the new CEO. For each question
31 – 40, choose one letter (A, B or C) for the correct answer. You will
hear the recording twice.
36 According to the speaker, what is the benefit of going through a
selection process?
A It allows the company time to rethink its plans.
B It introduces new talent to the company.
C It can result in a useful change of policy.
37 What problem with finding the most able new CEO does the speaker
draw attention to?
A It can be a very expensive process.
B It can take a long time.
C It can create stress in the workplace.

31 The speaker says that succession can be problematic when 38 What does the speaker recommend that new CEOs should focus on?
A there is no one with the necessary political contacts. A careful planning
B the person leaving has been particularly effective. B introducing changes
C there are a number of strong potential successors. C long-term aims

32 The speaker gives the Southern Foods example to show what can
happen if the Board
A is not decisive enough.
B thinks only about profits.
C acts without careful thought.
33 What does the speaker say is the most important business advantage
of the ‘royal’ type of succession?
A It saves time in finding a new leader.
B It has a positive effect on company profits.
C It creates a good working environment.
34 According to the speaker, JK Shoes have been more successful than
Shoe World because
A JK’s business style has been more consistent.
B JK have had particularly innovative CEOs.
C JK’s employees have had more loyalty to the firm.
35 According to the speaker, why do most companies base their choice
of successor on ability rather than family connections?
A They want a modern way of operating.
B They will be questioned by the media.
C They must answer to their shareholders.
READING & LANGUAGE KNOWLEGDE (1 hour) – Bec B2_Vantage Test 1 Cam

Questions 1 − 7
• Look at the statements below and the article about entering into a joint
venture. 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 letters more than once.

Example:
0 Both companies have benefited from cooperation.

1 If companies become increasingly reliant on each other, they should

have a contract.

2 The financial worth of a joint venture is developed gradually.

3 It is important to remember that joint venture contracts are not totally

secure.

4 A company’s reputation does not guarantee a full order book.

5 Without a proper financial arrangement a joint venture may be ended

by one associate.

6 Different types of relationships can affect a company’s ability to stay in

business.

7 Several factors contribute to the expense of drawing up a contract.

PART THREE
Questions 13 − 18
• Read the article below about the process of benchmarking to improve
company performance. For each question 13 – 18, mark one letter (A, B,
C or D) on your answer sheet for the answer you choose.
13 What made Slava Taran decide benchmarking was the best solution
for his company?
A the discussion he had with his management colleagues
B the presentation he heard at a networking event
C the fact that his company was making a loss
D the confidence of the consultants he contacted
14 Taran wanted Darringtons to be compared against companies that
A manufactured similar products to Darringtons’.
B had also been through financial difficulties.
C used similar manufacturing methods to Darringtons’.
D represented a broad range of sectors.
15 Taran says that when exchanging information with partner
companies, it is important to
A restrict what they can do with the information.
B supply feedback to them on their operations.
C explain how the information will be analysed.
D specify what the mutual benefits will be.
16 What did the benchmarking analysis reveal about Darringtons?
A It had dealt effectively with falling client satisfaction.
B Its manufacturing processes had not improved despite recent
innovations.
C Its R&D department compared well with those of other companies.
D It had made poor decisions to invest in other companies.
17 What did Darringtons do after the benchmarking analysis?
A They altered the range of products they offered.
B They invested heavily in up-to-date equipment.
C They consulted customers more as to their needs.
D They outsourced production of all their products.
18 Taran uses the expression ‘fence-sitting’ in line 67 to show that
Darringtons had
A worried that benchmarking would indicate some corporate failings.
B been reluctant to come to a decision about introducing benchmarking.
C wanted to come up with an alternative solution to benchmarking.
D made it clear they felt the benchmarking process would be a waste of
time.
PART FOUR
Questions 19 − 33
• Read the article below about a company which has received an award for its
HR record. Choose the best word or phrase to fill each gap from A, B, C or D
on the opposite page. For each question 19 – 33, mark one letter (A, B, C or
D) on your answer sheet. There is an example at the beginning, (0).

Example:
0 A promoted B told C announced D informed

PART 5: Open Cloze. Read the text below and think of the word which
best fits each space. Use only one word in each space. There is an
example at the beginning (0).

Alaska: It's a State of Mind

One of (0) the greatest things about Alaska is (1) ………… it takes the term
casual to new heights. While the state has highly cultivated enclaves, (2)
………… as Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, and Juneau, the state capital
(population 31,000), for the most part Alaskans are down-to -earth people.
They're friendly bunch, more comfortable in Carhartts and cutoffs (3)
………… cashmere and corduroy. The arts thrive, not only in the larger cities
(4) …………… also in the small towns. In their own strong spirited way.
Alaskans embrace their independence and refuse to (5) ……… stereotyped.
They'll have a sold-out opera, but only half will dress (6) …………… . There
(7) …………… ultra-fancy restaurants, but they'll entertain kids with smiles
on their faces. For visitors, this translates into a vacation completely devoid
(8) …………… stress. Wear your evening gown if you like - it doesn't matter
if it's to the local ballgame or burger joint. Anything goes.