注意！银行考试题库：英语通用模拟题（二）

Passage 1

KGV is a traditional high-street music retailer. Based in Amsterdam, it has 12 stores in the Netherlands, three of which are megastores. Some years ago, it expanded into the rest of Europe and now owns 65 stores — eight of these are megastores.

The company is at present going through a difficult period. Over the last three years, profits have steadily fallen, from 450m Euros to 290m Euros. The megastores’ sales have risen by 8%, accounting for 55% of the company’s turnover, but the increased revenue has been achieved only by heavy expenditure on advertising and promotion. Fierce competition, a narrow product range and a lack of innovation are some of the reasons for KGV’s poor performance. The management is concerned, especially, that they are not exploiting the opportunities offered by selling through the Internet.

1. What kind company is KGV?

A. It is an advertising agency.

B. It is a music studio.

C. It is a consulting firm.

D. It is a high-street music retailer.

2. What does the word “turnover” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. The aggregate of worker replacements.

B. An act or result of turning over.

C. A change from a position to another.

D. The total amount of business done in a given time.

3. What can be inferred from the article?

A. KGV’s costs of promotion are high.

B. KGV’s revenue has been steadily falling.

C. The industry of music is very competitive.

D. KGV was founded in the US.

Passage 2

No matter how carefully you pick the members on your team, you may still end up with a negative employee. These workers don’t necessarily fall into the category of “toxic,” but they’re just kind of a drag with their cynical, pessimistic worldview. If you’re dealing with a negative employee, here are 3 steps to take.

FIND OUT WHY

If you decide to proceed in addressing the behavior, think about whether there have been behavior changes recently. Is the negativity a constant or has the behavior escalated? If the latter, was there an event that led up to the change? Individuals in the workplace live multi-dimensional lives, and other non-workplace stressors may impact work productivity and mood. In an April 2016 report in the Journal of Managerial Psychology, a team of Toronto researchers found that employee who are cynical of their workplace may feel more positive if their managers are supportive.

DISCUSS GOALS

When discussing the situation with your negative employee, it is recommended to frame the discussion in the context of the individual’s goals. “Tone policing” where you simply point out pessimistic commentary without addressing the root cause, rarely works and may just cause more resentment. Get to the root of the issue and find out if the employee needs additional training, perhaps in management or communication skills, to overcome a deficit.

ADDRESS ISSUES

A direct solutions-oriented conversation with the employee can uncover problems or circumstances driving the behavior. If there are workplace issue that can be solved, consider doing so if it makes sense. If there are personal issues that have caused an escalation in negative behavior, examine whether accommodations can be made to help the person while they’re going through such challenges. Some employees don’t have great interpersonal skills and putting them in jobs where they are more focused on job-related tasks than on interactions with others can be an effective solution, too.

4. This article is most likely taken from _______.

A. Three Ways to Build an Effective Team

B. Several Tips for Managing a Team

C. How to be a Positive Employee

D. Is it Important to Sustain a Successful Workplace Environment

5. According to paragraph two, what can result in the escalated negative behavior of an employee?

A. Low income.

B. Unsatisfaction at the office environment.

C. Family stress.

D. A heavy workload.

6. It can be inferred from the article that ______.

A. If your manager is supportive, you might feel more positive.

B. Promotions means a great deal to the employees.

C. Negative employees are devastating to the company.

D. Raising salaries will make employees feel positive.

7. According to paragraph three, what does the phrase “tone policing” mean?

A. Being very inquisitive just like a policeman.

B. Focusing on the negative emotion behind a message rather than the real problem.

C. Speaking directly about one’s shortcoming without considering one’s feelings.

D. Hitting the nail on the head in the conversation.

8. According to paragraph four, what is NOT a solution to the negativity?

A. Help solve the workplace disputes for the negative employee.

B. Support the negative employee to go through challenges outside the office.

C. Put the negative employee in a suitable working position.

D. Have the negative employee’s colleagues to avoid arguments with him / her.