Self-Assessment Test: BEC Higher - Hkvaarau.ch
SprachenHandelsschule KV AarauSelf-Assessment Test:BEC HigherLevels:B1 up to BEC-Higher Course (–C1)Thank you for your interest in our self-assessment test.This test should give you an idea how good your current business Englishskills are, and help you to decide whether you are ready to join one of ourBEC Higher preparation courses.We wish you good luck and hope you will have fun doing this test.RegulationsTimeAidsCorrectionLevel90 minutesNo dictionaries or other aids allowedCorrect your test yourself with the key available onpages 17 – 19. Every correct answer is awarded 1 point.B1 up to the entry level for our BEC Higher Course.ScoreboardAssessment TestPointsPaper 1 – Reading40Paper 2 – Use of English60TotalMy Score100AssessmentPoints ScoredLevelRecommendation75 - 100- C1Ready for theBEC-Higher-Diploma Course50 - 74B2Ready for BEC Vantage Course1 - 49B1Ready for BEC Preliminary Course
Paper 1: ReadingPart 1ooooLook at the statements below and at the five extracts from a text aboutcorporate ownership of planes on the following page.Which extract (A, B, C, D or E) does each statement refer to?For each sentence 1 - 8, mark one letter A, B, C, D or E.You will need to use some of the letters more than once.Example0.It has recently become cheaper to own a plane.ABCDE1.The expense of plane ownership is seen as unacceptable by large numbersof people.2.Increased business travel is leading to greater interest in plane ownership.3.Company-owned planes are less luxurious than might be expected.4.Rules concerning flights may slow down privately owned travel.5.The justification for plane ownership is related to senior management paylevels.6.Plane ownership may be taken as a sign of a business being poorly run.7.Competition is increasing among businesses which sell planes.8.Plane ownership enables more rapid access to many places.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher2EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
ARegular European business travellers view travelling on commercialairlines as inefficient and inconvenient. Mostly it is not the airlines’fault but the infrastructure they have to work with. Private aircraftare being bought primarily not to save money on tickets but to savetime. Scheduled flights in Europe cover only 10 per cent of thedestinations available. Delays, more likely than not in Europeantravel these days, waste precious time. The number of hours topexecutives with huge salaries waste has a direct impact on costeffectiveness.BThe gradual completion of Europe’s single market means that moreand more executives are criss-crossing Europe looking for business.With European domestic air fares extremely high, a corporate jetlooks more attractive for executives flying three or four times amonth. Even some of Europe’s smaller companies are investigatingit. However, the larger European airports operate priority regulationswhich govern slot allocation for take-off and create delays; airlineshave first priority, chartered flights come second, air taxis third andbusiness jets are fourth on the list. Smaller airports pose problemsof access and a risk of inadequate ground handling.CMost businesses will not discuss their corporate aircraft or evenreveal whether the already high-earning chief executive has anaircraft, for fear of shareholder reaction. There is still some stigmaattached to ownership of a business jet. With new planes costinganything from 6 million upwards plus extra comforts in the interior,many companies feel they can’t justify the expense to shareholdersand employees. For some European managers a private jet is seenas an unacceptable perk indicating serious problems in a company’smanagement.DThe market for private aircraft divides into two sectors: the noexpense-spared rich man’s plaything – the popular image – and theserious business tool owned by corporations. Manufacturers deliverthe former as what is called a ‘green’ aircraft – a plane that isunfinished except for a green corrosive-resistant paint which coversthe bare metal. Owners personalise the plane with telephones,dining areas and even cinemas. The latter sector is very differentand planes are normally bought with straightforward seating.EFractional ownership of aircraft has opened up the market, as thelow acquisition costs and predictable monthly fees are morepalatable to shareholders and to first-time buyers. Some of thebiggest names in the business jet industry have launched their ownfractional ownership schemes. Several smaller companies are alsogetting in on the act and are trying to beat the larger companiesdown the runway by offering cheaper prices. Yet critics claim thatfractional ownership is untested and faces the customer with a widerange of liabilities.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher3EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Part 2oooooRead the article below about starting your own business.Choose the best sentence from the following page to fill each of the gaps.For each gap, 9 – 13, mark one letter A - G.Do not use any letter more than once.There is an example at the beginning, (0).How to Start Your Own Business?The first two things to do if you are starting your own business are to find anaccountant and talk to your bank manager. Your accountant will help you todraw up a business plan to show what borrowings you need from your bank.(0) G .While you are engaged in these consultations, it is a good idea to find outwhether you are entitled to any government subsidies or similar financialhelp. (9) . Check too whether training grants are available for yourselfor people you employ.Once you have completed these preliminary tasks, there are a number ofspecific things you then need to do. Doing them in the right way and at theright time can save you a lot of money, so make sure you know what to do.Perhaps the most important is to tell the Inland Revenue that you have leftyour job and have started you own business. (10) . The InlandRevenue will also need to amend their records to show that you are now selfemployed. Next, you should think about registering for Value Added Tax(VAT). Generally, if your sales exceed a certain amount you have to chargeVAT on them. (11) .Consider the consequences of employing people in your business. As soon asyou start to take on employees, you will need to establish proper procedures.These include drawing up proper contracts of employment. You will also needto get in touch with your local tax office to register your employees.Lastly, as part of becoming an employer of others, you must become familiarwith a number of legal issues. Once you have more than a minimum numberof people on your payroll, you will need to comply with Health and Safetyrequirements. (12) . One issue that you should certainly think aboutonce your business expands and your staff grow in numbers is equalopportunity. In particular, you should consider drawing up a company policyon equal opportunity. (13) .If you need more information on legal or other matters relating toemployment, contact your local Chamber of Commerce, which will either beable to help you, or will put you in touch with organizations who can.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher4EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Example0.ABCDEFGAIt is a good idea, when considering this issue, to ask your local FireAuthority to check your work premises in order to ensure that they complywith current fire regulations.BEven if your sales are under that figure, it may be worthwhile registeringvoluntarily because you could recover what you have been charged on yourbusiness purchases.CIf you are new to this, talk to your local Chamber of Commerce aboutplacing suitable advertisements in the local press.DFor example, you might be in a less prosperous region where grants aremade to encourage the start-up of small businesses.EYou may be due a repayment of income tax deducted while you were inemployment, so do this as soon as possible.FIf this includes a commitment to employ disabled people, you will need toensure that your premises are equipped to accommodate them, for examplewith ramps for wheelchairs, special provision of restrooms, and so on.GIf this is done, your bank manager will need to review the plan and discussany overdraft facility you might need.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher5EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Part 3ooRead the newspaper article about the behaviour of some bosses and thequestions on the following page.For each question 14 – 19, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) for the answeryou choose.Some Bosses’ Dirty Little TricksThere are some bosses who do not just have bigger salaries or cars than the rest ofus - they also behave differently. In many sometimes subtle and often painful ways,they show you it is them rather than you who is in the driving seat. This power allowsbosses to behave badly at employees’ expense. The accumulation of humiliations forsubordinates adds up to the status they feel. One ploy, for example, is not to answerto employee calls for days. It takes relatively little time to make a quick call but oftenthe excuse after two or three weeks is that the boss did not have time. This, and abattery of degrading actions, merely emphasise where the power lies. What thatexcuse is saying is that the boss did not have time for you. The boss may even addinsult to injury and say: “Did you phone? I’m sorry, I never got the message.” Thecontempt of one that has power is never more starkly shown than when the boss tellssuch a lie.Bosses may set up a meeting and then either cancel it at the last minute or be verylate. Not only are they often late for a meeting, they also leave early and often havelittle or no idea what the detail of the meeting is about. They sit cryptically in thecorner for a minute and then leave. All of that is there to show you who it is who hasthe power and that your time and convenience are less important than this childishshow. Often this is the result of insecurity or just a failure to learn good manners.Being tough and unresponsive to people and their feelings, the boss assumeseveryone else is as well. They may even imagine that people respond better to terrorand threats than to encouragement and praise. That produces a penchant for abuse,attack and denigration. And that in turn will produce good work only from a narrowrange of resilient and thick-skinned people.But it is once you get into meetings that real power language starts. When you getface to face, body language really becomes unmistakably obvious and the assertionsof power become easy and evident. Typically, during a lengthy and well-researchedpresentation you are giving, the boss might put up a hand, turn to someone else andsay: “Yes, I think we get the drift and I hear what you say. Now, John, I think youhave one or two ideas which might help push this boat out.”However, some support for bosses behaving badly comes in 48 Laws of Power byRobert Greene. Law 43 in this book states that those who act with authority are morelikely to be accepted as leaders. Keeping a distance rather than attempting to bechummy is vital if leaders wish to have the ability to inspire loyalty, fear or love.Those who pretend to be one of the crowd elicit contempt. While many see a boss’sunpredictability as an abuse, Law 47 states: “Those who succeed at the game arethose who control the patterns and vary them at will, keeping people off balancewhile they set the tempo. The powerful vary their rhythms and patterns and learn toimprovise.”Consultant Jonathan Wilson says: “Many of those we work for do not realise thedifference between the exercise of power and bullying. Bosses behaving badly maywork in the short term and even be tolerated, but in the end those bosses cutthemselves off from the organisations and do not get any meaningful feedback. Also,those beneath them will be too frightened to do anything creative and only do to theletter what they are told. People are people and sometimes they behave badly andlose their tempers, but sustained bullying as a way of running an organisation iscounter-productive.”Self-Assessment: BEC Higher6EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
14. The writer uses the examples of bosses not returning calls to illustrateABCDthethethethefact that people change when they become bosses.bad behaviour that most bosses are unaware of.low regard that bosses have for employees.unpredictable way in which bosses behave.15. The writer says in the second paragraph that when bosses attend meetings,ABCDthey make it clear that they hate having to do so.they aim to create a certain impression.their contribution often spoils the meeting.their behaviour varies from meeting to meeting.16. According to the author, when bosses are tough and unresponsiveABCDthe attitudes of people working for them often change.some employees feel they have to improve their performance.some people working for them do not find this upsetting.employees tend not to understand their intentions correctly.17. The writer uses the example of a presentation to illustrateABCDthe fact that bosses tend to disagree just for the sake of it.how little bosses really know about the work their employees do.the fact that bosses often come to the wrong conclusions.how keen bosses are to be in control of certain situations.18. In 48 Laws of Power, the author states thatABCDmany bosses would like to be more pleasant to employees.many bosses do not realise their behaviour is unpredictable.bosses who are friendly do not gain respect.bosses are seldom given the credit they deserve.19. Which of the following does Jonathan Wilson say about bosses’ badbehaviour?ABCDItItItItis understandable to a certain extent.is caused by their desire to keep away from employees.takes a great many different forms.can cause employees to do their work badly.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher7EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Part 4ooooRead the text below about executive business courses.Choose the correct word to fill each gap on the following page.For each question 20 – 30, circle one letter (A, B, C, or D) for the answeryou choose.There is an example at the beginning (0).Business CoursesToday, there is an enormous (0) B of business courses to choosefrom. New trends in technology are also changing the executive educationlandscape. They will (20) the options further in the coming years bypresenting alternative delivery methods and learning experiences. So how domanagers decide on the best course for their staff.Most human resources professionals agree that being clear about what youwant to achieve is the best way to (21) down the choices. Recentsurveys consistently (22) that companies want courses that arerelevant to their business (23) . The message from companies is“give us knowledge but make it knowledge that we can use”. Indeed, thegreatest criticism of business schools in the past was that they were out of(24) with business reality. In recent years, schools have worked hardto change their (25) by developing working relationships withindustrial and commercial partners to bridge the (26) betweenclassroom theory and workplace (27) .Survey findings suggest that organisations now (28) executiveprogrammes using five criteria: a faculty’s academic reputation, and itsbusiness experience, the international (29) of participants, andprogramme length and price. Practical (30) mean that geographicalfactors can play an important part in the choice of course, too, but in futureyears this may become less of an issue. The ability of technology to overcomedistances is already making the ‘electronic classroom’ a reality and, in time,may well reduce the dependence on local course providers.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher8EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
esDneeds24.AtouchBhandCorderDcontrol25.Aappearance Brepresentation countDfigure29.Aassociation elf-Assessment: BEC HigherB9DEB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Part 5oooRead the text below about improving employability through personalbranding.For each question 31 – 40, write one word in CAPITAL LETTERS into thegaps.There is an example at the beginning (0).Personal BrandingOur society (0) is geared increasingly towards the individual, and thatmeans you have to find ways to stand (31) from the crowd in orderto compete. Developing your personal brand is one way to do so.Branding has moved a long way (32) it meant simply buildingrecognisable product names. Brands now represent whole worlds of meaning.And that’s just (33) you need to do if you want to be visibleamong the masses.“We live in a competitive climate, not least in the world of work,” says HelenNash, identity consultant for brand consultancy Smith and Milton. “Employersare (34) just looking for skills, but for different qualities too.More and more, young people have degrees, and you’ll find many othercandidates with the (35) skills and qualifications as you.”Personal branding is a form of self-presentation, but it must be done naturally,making it more (36)just superficial. “You need to (37)a good look at yourself and ask fundamental questions,” saysNash, “such (38) , who am I? What are my strengths andweaknesses? From the answers, decide where you want to be positioned in theworld, and precisely (39) you want the others to see you.”Over time, you can learn to create your own brand identity to make(40)more memorable. It’s a particularly useful exercise at time ofchange in your career.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher10EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
Paper 2: Use of EnglishPart 1 - GrammarooComplete the following sentences by putting the verbs in brackets into theinfinitive or the gerund. (1-4).For each correct sentence, 1 point is allotted.There is an example at the beginning (0).0.I’m sorry I forgot to call (call) you, but I was really busy.1.Do you mind (be) picked up at the airport by a taxi?2.We’ve stopped (meet) so often. It was a waste of time.3.I regret (quit) my MBA course. It would have boosted myocareer.4.The Minister refused (be) questioned about the bribe.5.Our CEO enjoyed (travel) to London.6.You promised (deliver) by April, and it’s now May.oComplete the following report (7-12) by putting the verbs into the presentperfect active (has done) or the present perfect passive (has beendone).For each correct form, 1 point is allotted.There is an example at the beginning (0).ooInvestment Choice: BrazilBrazil (0) has been transformed (transform) from an economy based onsugar and coffee into a leading industrial power, and this has happened over arelatively short time. Over recent years inflation (7) (bring) undercontrol, and foreign direct investment (8) (encourage).The Government (9) (privatise) many state-owned companies,and they (10) (also / invest) a lot of money in advancedinfrastructure. In an attempt to decentralise the economy, Campinas was chosento be Brazil IT capital, and car production (11) (move) awayfrom traditional centres to states such as Rio Grande do Sul in the South. No onepretends that all the old problems (12) (solve), but Brazil isfinal taking its place on the world’s stage.Self-Assessment: BEC Higher11EB-Handelsschule KV Aarau
oooComplete the following sentences with who, whose or that. (13-18).For each correct sentence, 1 point is allotted.There is an example at the beginning (0).0.The customer whose company I visited is phoning this afternoon.13. Your colleague, I met this morning, had a different opinion.14. They promoted the manager sales team was the most succes
BEC Higher Levels: B1 up to BEC-Higher Course (–C1) Thank you for your interest in our self-assessment test. This test should give you an idea how good your current business English skills are, and help you to decide whether you are ready to join one of our BEC Higher preparation courses.
The BEC Preliminary Wordlist gives teachers a guide to the vocabulary needed when preparing students for the BEC Preliminary examination. Background to the list The BEC Preliminary Vocabulary list was originally developed by Cambridge ESOL in consultation with external consultants to guide item write
BEC Preliminary involves three papers, for BEC Vantage and BEC Higher you need to sit four. The BEC Preliminary papers are: Reading and Writing (1 hour and 20 minutes – Reading includes seven tasks, like a multiple choice test and a gap-filling exercise; in the Writing test you’ll be asked to produce two short pieces relating to business); Listening (around 40 minutes – based on input .
A DETAILED GUIDE TO BEC VANTAGE TEST OF READING Time: 1 hour BEC VANTAGE. Page 42 . ONE Questions 1 - 7 . READING SAMPLE PAPER. Page 44 BEC VANTAGE A The hotel staff assumed they should be booked into the same room. B But there is clear evidence that things are slowly improving. C
Lecture 25. Bose-Einstein Condensation (Ch. 7 ) 70 years after the Einstein prediction, the BEC in weakly interacting Bose systems has been experimentally demonstrated - by laser coolingof a system of weakly-interacting alkali atoms in a magnetic trap. Nobel 2001 BEC and related phenomena BEC of photons (lasers) BEC in a strongly-interacting system
7.0 – 8.0 C1 CAE/ BEC Higher 5.5 – 6.5 B2 FCE/ BEC Vantage 4.0 – 5.0 B1 PET/ BEC Preliminary IELTS TEST FORMAT IELTS is composed of four modules (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) and is available in two versions: Academic and Genera
Mock Assessment Test Paper 1 1-79 Mock Assessment Test Paper 2 80-167 Mock Assessment Test Paper 3 168-247 Mock Assessment Test Paper 4 248-303 Mock Assessment Test Paper 5 304-383 Mock Assessment Test Paper 6 384-448 Mock Assessment Test Paper 7 449-526
of BEC is defined in terms of divisions, groups, subgroups and basic headings of SITC , Rev. 3. The categories of BEC are a rearrangement and aggregation of the basic headings of SITC, Rev. 3; reflecting the end -uses of the commodities covered by each basic heading. Each SITC, Rev. 3 basic heading is allocated entirely to one BEC category .
to Elementary Reading in Curriculum 2.0, and the Balanced Literacy Guides for Grades K–1 and 25. – These were analyzed for their implementation of the ELA/Literacy Instructional Shifts: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language; reading, writing , and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational; and uilding knowledge through contentb -rich .
