BEC中級閱讀真題詳解：TroublewithTeamwork
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BEC中級閱讀真題詳解：Trouble with Teamwork
Trouble with Teamwork
Mary Owen examines the role and efficiency of teams
Recruiters say that candidates who can give examples ofwork they have done as members of a successful team are in asstrong a position as those who can point to significant individualachievement. Indeed, too much of the latter may suggest thatthe person concerned is not a 'team player' - one of the moreserious failings in the book of management.
The importance of being a team player is a side effect of the increasing interaction acrossdepartments and functional divides. Instead of pushing reports, paperwork and decisions aroundthe organisation, 'teams provide a dynamic meeting place where ideas can be shared and expertisemore carefully targeted at important business issues,' says Steve Gardner, in his book KeyManagement Concepts. He adds, 'Globalisation has added a further dimension to inational teams now study policy decisions in the light of their impact on the local market.'
But is teamworking being overdone? 'Some managers are on as many as seven or eightdifferent teams', says Dr Cathy Bandy, a psychologist who recently ran a conference on thesubject. 'They take up so much time that managers can't get on with core tasks.' Forming teamsand having meetings has, she says, become an end in itself, almost regardless of purpose. There isalso the danger of an unhealthy desire to keep the team going after the work has been done. 'People feel the need to belong, and team membership can provide a kind of psychologicalsupport.'
The idea behind teamworking is that, when the right group of people is brought together, a'force' develops which is greater than the sum of their individual talents. This is often true in sport,where good players can reach unexpected heights as members of an international ver,few business situations have as clear a set of objectives, or as clear criteria of success orfailure, as winning a match.
'In business, everyone needs to be clear about what the challenge is and whether a team isthe right way of approaching it', says Steve Gardner. 'Unfortunately, people focus instead on whothe members of the team should be and what roles they are to play' Dr Bandy agrees. 'There isalways a danger that teams can turn into committees,' she says. 'In a lot of situations, one or twoindividuals would be much more effective.'
So what makes a successful team? There are some general qualities that have been e Gardnerrecommends that in every team there should be someone who is good atresearching ideas and another who is good at shooting down impractical ones. There should bethose who can resolve the tensions that naturally occur in a team and others who are focused ongetting the job done. Also, providing a clear and achievable target at the outset is the best way ofensuring that the team will move on to greater things.
13 What point does the writer make about teamworking at the beginning of the article?
A It is the most successful form of management.
B It has changed the recruitment procedure in companies.
C Well-run teams still allow individuals to demonstrate their talents.
D Being a team player is now considered an essential management skill.
14 According to the article, teamwork developed within companies as a response to
A modern office design.
B changing work practices.
C a reduction in administrative tasks.
D the expansion of international business.
15 In the third paragraph, Dr Bandy suggests that
A many employees do not enjoy working in teams.
B some managers are not very effective team leaders.
C some teams are created unnecessarily.
D few teams are well organised.
16 According to the writer, teamwork is more effective in the field of sport because the players
A know what they want to achieve.
B are more competitive by nature.
C have more individual talent.
D can be driven by national pride.
17 Steve Gardner and Dr Bandy agree that when a business team is created people do notpay enough attention to
A the structure of the team.
B alternatives to the team.
C selecting the team members.
D directing the team's activities.
18 What is Steve Gardner's advice on operating a successful team?
A Maintain a flexible approach to membership.
B Allow personalities to develop within the team.
C Select people who fit naturally into certain roles.
D Make every effort to avoid conflict between members.
商務英語中級閱讀材料：養貓能預防心臟病?
Owning a cat can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than a third, researchers have found.
Scientists said that having a cat helped to relieve stress and anxiety, which is known to help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart rate.
The 10-year study looked at 4,435 adults aged between 30 and 75, about half of whom owned a cat.
The findings, presented at a stroke conference in America, showed that 3.4 per cent of the cat owners died from a heart attack over 10 years. Among the group who had never owned a cat the rate was 5.8 per cent.
Cat owners still had a much reduced chance of developing strokes or heart attacks when researchers took account of other factors known to trigger heart disease, including high cholesterol levels, smoking and diabetes.
Prof Adnan Qureshi, from the Minnesota University, who carried out the study, said he was surprised by the strength of the effect that owning a cat appeared to have.
"The logical explanation may be that cat ownership relieves stress and anxiety and subsequently reduces the risk of heart disease."
He believes one reason could be that stroking the pet could cut the level of stress-related hormones in the blood. Reducing stress is known to help protect against heart disease by lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart rate.
But Prof Qureshi added that the type of person who owned a cat was usually already fairly stress-free and at low risk of heart disease.
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科研人員稱，養貓有助於緩解壓力、減輕焦慮，而減輕壓力可以降低血壓和心律，因此有助於預防心臟病。
研究人員對4435名年齡在30歲至75歲之間的成年人進行了爲期十年的調查，其中有一半的人養貓。
研究結果顯示，在這十年中，僅有3.4%的養貓人士死於心臟病，而從未養過貓的人死於心臟病的比例爲5.8%。該結果在美國召開的一箇中風研討會上公佈。
研究人員還綜合考慮了高膽固醇、吸菸和糖尿病等可能引發心臟病的其它一些因素，結果發現，養貓人士患中風或心臟病的機率還是要小很多。
開展該研究的明尼蘇達大學教授阿德南?庫勒什說，他很驚訝養貓有這麼大的好處。
“合理的解釋應該是，養貓能夠緩解壓力和焦慮，從而降低患心臟病的風險。”
他認爲其中一個原因是，愛撫小貓能夠降低血液中的應激激素水平。而減輕壓力則能夠降低血壓和心率，從而有助於預防心臟病。
但庫勒什教授說，喜歡養貓的人往往自身就沒什麼壓力，患心臟病的機率也較小。
商務英語中級寫作範文：旅遊推銷信
旅遊推銷信
Dear Folks,
We are having a wonderful time on Lake Gomey in Maine.
There are so many things to do you just don’t know where to begin. You can sail the catboats all around the lake, and if you don't know how, Captian Billson can teach you. If you like speed, you can use of th out board motorboats, and you will feel as if you are flying
And then there is fishing , tennis, and golf. There are lots of games in the big recreation room, and the young people dance every night.
We expected to paya fortune when we first heard of Lake Gomey, but we find that it is one of the least expensive vacations we have ever spent.
Why don’t you write to Mrs. Brown for the full details? You are sure to get the information you need and to have an ideal holiday there.
BEC中級閱讀真題詳解：Trouble with Teamwork
