The Accountant at Your Service
Ruth Anderson is a tax expert for a firm of accountants, specializing in advising property developers and investors involved in property transactions. She’s now a partner, but first joined them as a graduate trainee, having taken a degree in French and Spanish at university. “I couldn’t decide what to do. I was seriously tempted to become an interpreter but did have this worry that when a machine could interpret I’d be out of a job. Then I thought, what do not know about? I knew nothing about business, and accountancy was a means to finding out and being paid at the same time. I didn’t intend to stay, but to my surprise, I enjoyed myself a lot.” So, interestingly, Ruth is not a typical accountant number cruncher. “I’m numerate but I’ve only got a maths qualification I took at school.”
She continues: “The main thing for me in accounting has always been the client contact. Accountancy has this dull image but it’s not working with numbers all the time, it’s a people-driven business. This is important when it comes to choosing potentially good accountants. I interview some very nervous applicants but I try hard to listen. I want them to calm down, so we can learn more about them. Someone who doesn’t like people won’t make a good account - they need to be good communicators.”
On management generally, she says: “I know how I ought to behave but sometimes I don’t make the time to “walk the talk”. I’ve been ticked off for not praising my staff enough. I say, “but you must have realized that I thought that was well done”, but they say, “No, we want you to say it.” The time pressures have got tougher, like the speed of requests for information. One can just forget to say thank you. I do think it’s important to show you really appreciate someone’s work when they’ve busted a gut. I sometimes produce chocolates on a Friday for my team.”
So how does she view the business world? “It’s changing in many ways. Things are moving fast, the world is more litigious. The temptation is to play it safe and get nobody into trouble. But we all need to be bolder than that. We need to encourage our people to innovate. Don’t blame the person who was innovative if things don’t work out. At least he tried.”
Does she worry about the prospect of redundancy in an increasingly volatile job market? She says: “job-hunting in middle age is obviously worrying, especially if you have a family. But at least at forty to fifty you have a lot of experience to bring to marketing, management or finance. If it happened to me, I’d sit down and say, “What skills have I got? Where can they be used, and what do I enjoy?”
Last year, Ruth spent four weeks on an advanced management program. There were people from every conceivable background and many were in very senior positions. She says, “It was very interesting. I learnt from their problems, how they manage, how they motivate, how they keep their staff trained.” She has done her own bit of serious management. Fifteen years ago she was asked to set up a new branch for her firm, and during the next eight years, with a lot of marketing, recruitment and staff counseling on her part as a senior manager, numbers grew to about 150. Eventually, she returned to the London office and one gets the impression that the stint organizing others was not absolute heaven. She admits: “I was definitely glad to get back to client service again.”
15. Ruth Anderson says she became an accountant because
a. she wasn’t good enough to be an interpreter.
b. she’d always been interested in maths.
c. there were no other suitable jobs available at the time.
d. it was a way of learning about business.
16. What does Ruth say about accountancy in the second paragraph?
a. client’s expectations of it are unrealistic.
b. there is a shortage of people taking it up.
c. people have the wrong impression of it.
d. many applicants for it are under-qualified.
17. In the third paragraph, Ruth says that when she’s at work she
a. is sometimes too critical of the people she works with.
b. doesn't’ always acknowledge the efforts her staff have made.
c. is unwilling to ask for advice and suggestions from her team.
d. isn’t’ always able to meet the deadlines imposed upon her.
18. How does Ruth feel about the current business world?
a. she thinks people are unwilling to take responsibility for their decisions.
b. she get annoyed by the constant changes taking place.
c. she’s pleased that it suits people like her.
d. she believes people should be prepared to take more risks.
19. On the subject of redundancy, Ruth says she
a. would adopt a practical approach towards it.
b. prefers not to have to think about it.
c. is confident it wouldn’t happen to her.
d. knows that finding another job would be easy.
20. What do we learn about Ruth in the last paragraph?
a. she was intimidated by the people on the course she attended.
b. she disagreed with some of the methods she learnt on the course.
c. she prefers dealing with customers to managing.
d. she was disappointed with the results of her own role as a senior manager.
Exercise Two
1 This book follows the progress of various products from the concept to the selling stage.
2 This book includes very few technical terms.
3 In this book we are given some detailed inside information on companies.
4 The writer of this book believes company bosses aim at more than the financial improvement of their company.
5 The writer of this book feels that success involves the ability to adapt quickly to a new situation.
6 It is stated in this book that future business success will involve understanding recent thinking in the business area.
7 This book shows how to include tine input of consumer in a company.
8 This book is aimed at the workforce as well as management.
A PERCENTAGE SOLUTIONS Paler Fraser
Anticipating changes in the marketplace and the competition depends on the ability to quickly reorganize business structures. Percentage Solutions shows that these significant change indicators lie in the 20% of business opportunities that will drive growth and profit into the future. Peter Fraser suggests that companies stay ahead of change by using a rapid redesign approach to quickly renew and rethink their business. In the book he details how this redesign could work and gives some example of how it could be put into practice in a company.
￡18.99
B BUSINESS THOUGHTS Norman Heimes, Sandy Davies
Attaining higher levels of customer satisfaction, increasing speed and efficiency in the product development process, and increasing profits are the goals many managers are struggling to achieve. The basic business philosophy behind this book is Customer Integrated Decision Making, or CIDM, which is a process that shows managers how to reach these goals by integrating the customer into the decision-making process and incorporating the customer’s wants and needs into the design of new products and services.
￡35.00
C COMMODITIES TO GO Philip M Rodgers
This fascinating and instructive book takes readers behind the scenes of twenty-four of the biggest new product success stories of the past few years and reveals the normally confidential workings of some of the institutions where these products were developed. Each story focuses on a different strategy and offers managers and professionals invaluable insights into how the brightest and best new product ideas were originally thought up, then developed and finally brought to market.
￡22.50
D A HANDBOOK OF MODERN BUSINESS MATTERS Joyce Jamieson
The incorporation of information technology in the workplace has revolutionized the way people do business. But the revolution has not finished - new technologies are being developed every day. The divide between man and technology is becoming increasingly narrow, and in some societies social and cultural changes are gradually occurring in order to reengineer business operations for the 21st century. A Handbook of Modem Business Matters will encourage you to think about the new concepts and ideas which often pass by only half understood, but will eventually make the difference between success and failure.
￡14.99
E BUSINESS CHOICES Anne Jones
This original book about attitudes towards work is both for individuals in routine jobs seeking to improve the quality of their working lives and for managers who find themselves expected to do more with less in this era of uncertainty. Business Choices reveals a new way of thinking about work that will motivate both employees and companies to reach for higher levels of achievement. In a clear and very readable style that avoids much irritating business jargon. Anne Jones seeks to improve working attitudes at all levels of the workforce.
￡18.99
小技巧：备选句中使用解释性的语言而相应的文章中出现技术性语言或“术语”。 反之亦然。 请指出重要词汇和表达中存在的“术语”。
重要词汇和表达：
Indicator; CIDM; confidential; workings; reengineer; routine; era of uncertainty; readable; jargon;
Questions 1- 8
Look at the statements below and at the five reports about companies on the opposite page from an article giving advice to self-employed consultants about negotiating fees for their services.
Which book(A， B， C，D or E) dose each statement 18 refer to ?
For each statement 18， make one letter(A， B， C，D or E) on your Answer Sheet .
You will need to use some of these letters more than once .
Example ：
Lack of self-confidence will put you at a disadvantage in a negotiation .
0 A B C D E
This company has been involved in diversifying its business activities.
Although this company is doing well， it has a number of internal difficulties to deal with
This company has reduced the profits it makes on individual items
One statistic is a less accurate guide to this company*s performance than another
The conditions which have helped this company are likely to be less favourable in the future
This company*s share price has been extremely volatile over the last twelve months
This company is likely to be the subject of a takeover bid in the near future
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.
PART TWO
Questions9 -14
Read the text about career-planning services.
Choose the best sentence from the opposite page to fill each of the gaps .
For each gap 914， mark one letter(A-H) on your Answer Sheet .
Do not use any letter more than once .
There is an example at the beginning .(0)
Your Career Path Can Lead You Anywhere
We used to be advised to plan our careers. We were told to make a plan during the later stages of our education and continue with it through our working lives.(0)_____ some people still see careers in this way. However， to pursue a single option for life has always been unrealistic.
Planning for a single career assumes that we set out with a full understanding of our likes and dislikes and the employment opportunities open to us.(9)____ For most people this degree of certainty about the future does not exist.
Our initial choice of career path and employer is often based on inadequate knowledge and false perceptions. But with age and experience， we develop new interests and aptitudes and our priorities alter. The structure of the employment market and， indeed of employment itself， is subject to change as both new technologies and new work systems are introduced(10) _____ We must face the uncertainties of a portfolio career.
It is clear from the recent past that we cannot foresee the changes which will affect our working lives. The pace of change is accelerating ， as a result of which traditional career plans will be of very limited use.(11)_____ They will need updating to reflect changes in our own interests as well as in the external work environment. Flexible workers already account for about half the workforce.(12)______ We are likely to face periods as contract workers， self-employed freelances， consultants， temps or part-timers.
Many employers encourage staff to write a personal development development(PDP)(13) Although some people use it only to review the skills needed for their job， a PDP could be the nucleus of wider career plan 每setting out alternative long-term learning needs and a plan of self-development.
A report issued by the Institute of Employment Studies advises people to enhance their employability by moving from traditional technical skills towards the attainment of a range of transferable skills.(14) Instead， special schemes should be established to encourage people to examine their effectiveness and to consider a wider range of needs.
0 A B C D E F G H
A. This dual effect means that the relationship between employers and workers has evolved to such and extent that we can no longer expect a long-term relationship with one employer.
B. It carries an implicit assumption that we ourselves， and the jobs we enter， will change little during our working lives.
C. This growth suggests that a career plan should not be expressed only in terms of full-time employment but should make provision for the possibility of becoming one of the.
D. this is a summary of one*s personal learning needs and an action plan to meet them.
E. Consequently， they must now accommodate a number of objectives and enable us to prepare for each on a contingency basis.
F. However， it warns that employers often identify training needs through formal appraisals， which take too narrow a view of development.
G. Such a freelance of consultant would be constantly in demand.
H. We were expected to work towards that one clear goal and to consider a career change as a bad thing
1. This job involves protecting the confidentiality of computer systems.
2. Financial assistance will be given if getting this job means you need to move house.
3. The post involves increasing the importance of IT within the company.
4. You may be given greater seniority soon after being appointed to this post.
5. Experience of government computer contracts may help the applicant for this post.
6. In this post you will be responsible for appointing and training some staff.
7. The successful applicant's main task will be getting companies to sign up to new contracts for IT services.
8. You will be in charge of the money allocated for I.T.
A IT PROFESSIONAL-LONDON
We are a key player in one of the most rapidly growing industry sectors world-wide, the provision of outsourced computer network services, and can boast a growth record over the past ten years of 50% per annum. An opportunity exists for an exceptional and experienced individual to join the company to develop our existing customer base. You will be able to demonstrate a successful track record in senior management within the IT sector. We are looking for experience of selling large capital projects or service contracts and the ability to develop excellent customer relationships at all levels. Strong administration and organizational skills, with a keen eye for detail, are essential.
B IT PROJECT MANAGER
Applications are invited from candidates aged 30-47 with at least 5 years’ successful experience of developing company computer systems involving 100 plus terminals, ideally across several sites. The successful candidate will be responsible for the implementation of new computer on-line systems to major companies. The ability to develop, and in some cases to recruit, an effective team, and play a key role in the group’s growth is important. It is expected that there will be the possibility of joining the Board in the near future.
C CONTRACTS MANAGER
The successful applicant will have experience of a wide range of state and private sector industries, focused on, but not limited to, markets in manufacturing, engineering, retail and distribution. He or she will possess considerable experience of developing client relationships, project delivery and the implementation of large-scale IT systems across the UK and Europe. Quite exceptional presentation and communication skills required. Generous relocation package available.
D IT PROFESSIONAL
We are a global consulting organization with an outstanding reputation for the provision of audit, tax, and management consultancy services. In order to maintain our leadership position, we need to strengthen our team by appointing two specialists in IT and telecoms security. We are looking for someone with considerable understanding and practical experience of the security and control requirements for telecoms and networked systems. You will be a recognized expert readily acceptable to major organizations who employ the latest technology. In return, we offer you an opportunity to develop your skills by working at a variety of international locations.
E IT FACILITIES MANAGER
We are a market-leading retail financial services group which has achieved dominance in a number of products, and we have exciting plans for future growth, with a direct effect on our IT requirements. We now need to appoint someone who is capable of carrying out a thorough review of all our IT services and representing the needs of IT to the board. The task of the appointee will be to significantly raise the profile of IT and add real value to the business. Responsibilities will include managing and motivating the IT department, the project management of new technology, and managing the IT budget and relationships with suppliers. Financial services experience, whilst desirable, is not essential.
小技巧：备选句中使用解释性的语言而相应的文章中出现技术性语言或“术语”。 反之亦然。 请指出重要词汇和表达中存在的“术语”。
小知识：招聘广告的通用格式。
使用所需职位或用人单位作为标题;
正文部分依次列出：所需职位;条件(详细);待遇(通常不祥);
其他情况
重要词汇和表达：
Confidentiality; seniority; provision; outsourced; track record; keen; plus; Board; engineering; distribution; relocation package; audit; recognized; dominance; appointee; profile.
编辑推荐：
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