that the ones we have got are having to do far too much overtime to make up the shortfall. Still, I hope the new adverts will attract a new wave of applications.

Woman: I don’t know - I just can’t get used to it. Everything’s so different here. Not just the

building, although of course that’s a big factor. But it’s also their ways of going about things. It’s a completely different corporate culture they’ve brought with them. I guess it must be a recipe for success, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to buy us out. But it would help if this place was better. I mean, the whole building’s so ugly. Just to look at it when you arrive in the morning makes you feel depressed. And the canteen’s too small for all of us, and there’s only one lift. Most of the managers seem unhappy, and I don’t blame them. I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay, to be honest.

Man: I feel we had little choice but to go. I think it would have been very different if it had

been part of our plan. Right up until the last minute, I thought we were going to be able to renegotiate, but they were just so stubborn about the terms, so it was impossible to sign the renewal. Well, at least we’ve finally got the computers, phones and so on sorted out – that was a real nightmare at the beginning. And the paperwork’s back under control, so the managers are looking a bit more content. It’s a pity it’s so much harder to get to than the last place, and it means more people are inevitably turning up late. I’m really not sure what to do about that side of things.

Woman: I still don’t know if we made the right decision, to be honest. I thought it was logical

at the time, that it was fairly straightforward to shift the equipment, arrange a new lease, and so on, and that we’d then be much better placed for getting deliveries. And that has worked out OK; I mean, they are managing to get things to us on time now, with the shorter distance to come. But in the food business, you depend on your reputation, and I think that one bad review has done us an awful lot of damage. We’re just not getting enough customers through the door. The waiters are spending time doing nothing, because of the empty tables.

Now listen to the recording again. [pause]

Now listen to the recording again. [pause]

That is the end of Part Two. [pause]

Part Three. Questions 23 to 30.

You will hear two managers, a man called Kevin and a woman called Juliet, discussing candidates they have just interviewed for a job.

For each question 23-30, mark one letter, A, B or C, for the correct answer. After you have listened once, replay the recording.

You have forty-five seconds to read through the questions.

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[pause]

Now listen, and mark A, B or C. [pause] Man: Oof! I’m exhausted!

Woman: Me too! It’s so tiring, isn’t it Kevin? Man: Yeah, concentrating for that long.

Woman: Well, we still have to decide who to choose for the job. Man: While it’s still fresh in our minds.

Woman: It’s such a responsibility, isn’t it? I mean, even just remembering who’s who, after

seeing so many.

Man: Twelve in a day is a lot. But I can still picture them, what with their application form

and CVs with the photos to remind us. The real problem for me is I feel I end up comparing them to each other.

Woman: Well, that’s only natural. Man: Yes, but we should be relating them to the criteria we’ve established, I mean keeping

to that system of judging their suitability, and not letting our personal opinions get in the way.

Woman: Mmm, not just saying oh, he was better than him. Man: Yes. Well, by any measurement I thought Michael White was hopeless. Woman: Oh quite. Though he was eager to please. Male: And he did say some intelligent things.

Woman: But you just can’t trust someone who’s not held down the same position for more than

a year.

Man: At the most! No, absolutely, despite his list of qualifications, definitely not. Woman: No. That’s why I think the test... Man: The personality profile?

Woman: Mm, the psychology one, is so helpful. It shows up that kind of thing. Man: The attitudes to management structures?

Woman: Well, I was thinking more of how it highlights attitudes, shows the reactions to the

dynamics of operating in groups.

Man: I have to say I’m more convinced by the case study. Woman: Because it shows the candidates in real- life situations? Man: Hmm, I was thinking of the insights it gives you into what they think is most

important, the values they attach to things.

Woman: Because they’ve got time to work it through logically. Man: Yes, and I think it’s vital...

Woman: ... given what the job involves. What’s crucial for the position is the way he or she,

whoever it is, is going to handle applying developments from Head Office, new approaches...

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Man: ... significant alterations in direction...

Woman: ... of strategy.., that are going to define, shape how the company develops over the

next few years. Because the IT department will take responsibility for the technology side of things.

Man: But it’s a question of following one project through all its stages, isn’t it? Woman: Yes. I do wish David... Man: Which David?

Woman: David James, Development. Man: Now, he’s a good manager.

Woman: Yes, and that’s why we should have had him here. Man: Absolutely. He’s so good at interviewing. Woman: I’ve never seen him conducting one, actually. Man: But he wouldn’t have much direct contact with the new person. Woman: No, but he did come up with the specifications for the post. Man: Yeah, and so his input would have been useful.

Woman: Right. Anyway, he wasn’t, so it’s up to us. Personally, I’d go for Elaine Harris. Man: Me too. Though her track record’s a little short.

Woman: True, and she does lack some of the wider knowledge I’d like to have seen. Man: But she’s clearly a quick learner.

Woman: That’s the thing, isn’t it? Her approach just seems right. Man: Very can-do. Woman: Mmm. Man: So that’s it?

Woman: Yeah, and I’m stressed out! Man: Well, if we’ve got it wrong, imagine what it would cost in the end.

Woman: Well, that’s life. But I just find it so hard, that process of holding all the various

factors in my head simultaneously, balancing.

Man: Yeah.

Woman: Fitting it all together in my mind. Man: Well, I’ll send David an email tomorrow morning. I’m in early, so I can do it first

thing. And then, assuming he’s in agreement...

[pause]

Now listen to the recording again. [pause]

That is the end of Part Three. You now have ten minutes to transfer your answers to your Answer Sheet. [pause]

Note: Teacher, stop the recording here and time ten minutes. Remind students when there is one minute remaining.

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[pause]

That is the end of the test.

TEST 3

第二辑 Track08.mp3 Track09.mp3 Track10.mp3

This is the Business English Certificate Higher 2, Listening Test 3. Part One. Questions 1 to 12.

You will hear a spokesperson telling a group of business people about the Business Support Agency- an organisation which distributes business and research grants.

As you listen, for questions 1 to 12, complete the notes, using up to three words or a number. After you have listened once, replay the recording.

You now have forty-five seconds to read through the notes. [pause]

Now listen, and complete the notes. [pause]

Woman: Thank you everybody, thank you. The Business Support Agency or BSA are very

proud of the part we play in the development of business success. Today I’ll give you a bit of background on the Agency, and then outline the steps involved in applying for support. OK?

What we do, basically, is distribute financial support from our funds, which come

from the central government Department of Education on the one hand, and then that sum is matched - the amount fluctuates on a yearly basis – by contributions from a number of multinational companies. We then follow the procedures I’ll be outlining in a moment. Some examples of this work, if you’re interested, can be seen in our annual report - I’ll leave copies out for you to look at. Since we began, we’ve given out over three hundred grants. We made twenty awards last year alone, and expect that figure to rise to twenty-five next year. But we’re not simply giving this money away - our criteria are strict.

So, how do you apply? Well, there are four steps to making an application. In the first

place, you should get in touch with our Project Coordinating Office. You can call them on 0188 45 45 45 and express your interest. They’ll then send you an application form. It’s quite a lengthy document, I must warn you, and you’ll need to fill in information about the history of your company, outline your requirements, and include the predicted benefits. That gives us the beginning of a picture and enables us to make an initial decision about whether to proceed any further. The third step would be having a meeting with one of our regional consultants. This involves talking through your ideas for development if you get the grant and should help you to focus clearly on your exact needs. And the fourth step is producing a full plan, which needs

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