University of Economics, HCMC End of Unit Test.U4.

M3
School of Foreign Languages
Division of English for General Purposes
EXAM IN ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (75 minutes)
Read the instruction carefully. RECORD your answers on your answer sheets.
Section 1: Language knowledge (40 marks)
I. Choose the words that best fit the gaps in the following passage.
Ask Refa Sumerman (1) ………… his business is and he says: “We do everything.” Sumerman International is
really several companies in one. It was set (2) ………… in the early seventies by two Singaporean brothers, Ali
and Rahman Sumerman, (3) ………… in the transportation of goods overseas by air or by surface transport. In
1980, it expanded into the home market, handling house removals and (4) ………… storage facilities.

Based in Singapore, it soon (5) ………… offices in coastal cities, starting with Kyoto and Sydney in (6)
………… mid-eighties. The latest is the Indian office in Madras, opened in 1987.

When the brothers retired in 1990, Ali’s son, Refa, took (7) ………… as Chairman. Refa already had his own
plant hire business, (8) ………… he had set up in 1978. It was incorporated into Sumerman International in
1991. In 1992, with the increasing mobility of labour in the region, the company saw another chance to (9)
………… money: they set up a service to help immigrants to deal (10) ………… Singaporean’s rules
regarding work and residence permits, opening bank accounts, etc.
1. A. which B. what C. when D. where
2. A. on B. up C. into D. over
3. A. specialize B. to specialize C. specializing D. specialized
4. A. providing B. giving C. putting D. receiving
5. A. started B. began C. opened D. set
6. A. a B. an C. no article D. the
7. A. over B. up C. into D. at
8. A. that B. where C. when D. which
9. A. do B. make C. give D. offer
10. A. with B. about C. over D. into
II. Choose the best answer.
11. California First Bank is a 77%-owned ……………………. of Bank of Tokyo.
A. headquarter B. warehouse C. subsidiary D. office
12. In …………………., people research and develop new products.
A. Human Resources B. R&D C. Logistics D. Finance
13. He has a very ……………. approach to management.
A. celebratory B. voluntary C. conservative D. free
14. When it …………… to the serious business of work, great emphasis is placed on engaging
employees.
A. goes B. gets C. appeals D. comes
15. The group's legal advisers said they were taking the ………… to tackle online privacy issues.
A. freedom B. philosophy C. initiative D. emphasis
16. She is likely to play a(n) ……………… part in the forthcoming election campaign.
A. informal B. friendly C. prominent D. intellectual
17. They invited university faculty …………… to discuss their latest research.
A. on B. in C. out D. off
18. The company uses an unusual …………….. distribution system.
A. decentralized B. caring C. democratic D. challenging
19. A company car and a mobile phone are some of the ………………. that come with the job.
A. objectives B. perks C. prizes D. goals
20. This approach to management emphasizes the ………… of workers to make decisions.
A. investment B. contact C. interaction D. empowerment
21. It was a(n) …………… company, originally an accordion manufacturer.
 A. informal B. quarterly C. well established D. hierarchical
22. Another part of Google's objective is to make its workplace ……….. fun.
A. feel B. feels C. feeling D. to feel
23. …………. terms ……….. money, he was better off in his last job.
A. On – for B. In – about C. On – of D. In – of
24. The company was inefficient because it was highly …………….. .
A. hierarchical B. dynamic C. impersonal D. bureaucratic
25. New products accounted for 35 to 40% of …………. for industrial firms.
A. customer loyalty B. product range C. sales revenue D. consumer goods
26. The company needs to change from being driven by production or technology to being ………………. .
A. competitive B. independent C. market-driven D. understanding
27. Advertising on relevant websites is an efficient way of raising customer …………. of your business.
A. care B. awareness C. service D. loyalty
28. Great emphasis is …………. on engaging employees.
A. done B. made C. placed D. taken
29. Apple's iPhone is a very successful ……………… , with models at a wide range of price points.
A. company logo B. product line C. sales team D. management style
30. Each of the area managers enjoys considerable ……………. in the running of his or her own area.
A. reward B. autonomy C. emphasis D. development
31. This used to be a marvelous hotel but it has lost its ………….. in recent years.
A. challenge B. policy C. appeal D. promotion
32. Developed countries should …………… global economic growth to help new democracies.
A. invite B. engage C. celebrate D. foster
33. Any staff reductions will be made on a(n) ………….. basis.
A. independent B. voluntary C. serious D. interactive
34. We celebrated the successful ………….. of our task.
A. event B. empowerment C. faculty D. accomplishment
35. The government recently announced details of its ………… plan.
A. 10-year B. 10 years C. 10-years D. 10-of-years
36. A/an …………………… is an office where people answer questions and make sales over the phone.
A. service center B. outlet C. warehouse D. call center
37. The company denied responsibility ……………… the disaster.
A. of B. for C. with D. on
38. In …………………….. , people draw up contracts.
A. Logistics B. Human Resources C. Legal D. Finance
39. Which word does NOT go with ‘sales’?
A. target B. trade C. revenue D. team
40. I will need to respond …………. his email today.
A. on B. in C. about D. to

Section 2: Language use (60 marks)

I. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.
Graduate recruitment
By Stephen Overell
It is part of the mythology of the modern world of work that the days when it was possible to enter a big
company as a graduate fresh from college and stay there for 20 years, provided one was not incompetent, are
long gone and will never return. Today, the world changes too fast, it is sometimes alleged. People are more
likely to hop between jobs. How reassuring, then, to learn that many big companies are still keen to catch
graduates young, shape them over a long period and turn them into executives.

At AstraZeneca, the pharmaceuticals company, graduates can choose between several different specialist
schemes, such as in engineering, finance and product strategy. At any one time, 15 people are on a three-year
course working towards qualifications as chartered management accountants. The explicit intention, says David
Powell, Audit Director for Global Operations who manages the scheme within the company, is to ‘bring people
on to be future finance directors and finance vice-presidents’.
Could the company not recruit qualified management accountants on the open market? Mr. Powell says it could
and sometimes does. But he argues that the virtue of a formal graduate scheme is that trainees experience life in
different business units during the training and acquire contacts which serve them well in the future.

Paul Farrer, Chief Executive of the Graduate Recruitment Company, a division of recruitment company PFJ,
notes that graduate management trainee-schemes are heavily over-subscribed by applicants because they
understand the nature of the future marked out for them if they are successful; every position has about 30
applicants. During their time on a management scheme, graduates will be rotated through various business units,
get access to high-profile people in the organization, gain broad skills and be handed opportunities to work their
way up. ‘Organizations are hoping to get their CEO of the future from these schemes.’ he says. That is not to
say they don’t also recruit outside them, but for people who come in from outside, there is less certainty, less of
a definite future within the company.
With graduate trainees, the aim is to turn them into business unit managers in seven or eight years.
Organizations differ widely in how successful they are in this aim.

At the top of the retention league are employers in the public sector, information technology and oil. At the
bottom are construction and retail companies. Some employers manage to lose half their graduate intake in the
first year.

Choose the best answer.

1. To learn that big companies are still catching graduate young, shape them over a long period and turn
them into executives is _____.
A. Sad to know B. Good to know
C. Uninteresting to know D. Overwhelming to know

2. In paragraphs 2 and 3, the three year course …

A. Takes place in a company that produces drugs and medicines
B. Is part of the specialist scheme in engineering
C. Is managed by someone who only deals with the UK.
D. Produces all the senior managers that the company needs.

3. Which statement best summarizes the article?

A. Companies’ graduate schemes for recruiting people who will become senior managers are becoming rarer
and will eventually disappear.
B. Organizations often combine graduate schemes with recruitment from outside, and the outside recruits feel
just as certain of their place there.
C. Despite what many people think, some organizations still have graduate schemes for recruiting people who
will become senior managers.
D. Organizations are trying their hardest to recruit graduates from outside to take on management positions in
the long term.

What does each of the following underlined words/phrases refer to?

4. Mr. Powell says it could and sometimes does. (Paragraph 3)
5. That is not to say they don’t also recruit outside them … (paragraph 4)

Which words in the passage mean the following?

6. ……………………= ideas that may or may not be true
7. ……………………= unable to do one’s job
8. ……………………= change jobs frequently

Fill in each blank with ONE suitable word from the passage. Put it in its correct form or tense.

9. In-company programs for graduate development are referred to here as graduate management trainee __________
10. If too many people apply to be on a program like this, it is ______________

II. Writing: Writing a Memo

Paul Edwards, the Head of Customer Care Unit from Business Travel Services (BTS), wants to remind his unit
members about the use of work facilities. As Paul Edwards, write a memo to all of your staff based on the
following notes.
Customers’ complaints Practices Assumptions Warnings
- try to get through to us - an increase in - use our phones for - to use our phone for private
on the phone becomes telephone bills personal calls calls are not allowed
rather difficult over the past 18 - decrease the volume of - use personal mobiles or the
months our business and lose our public phone in the canteen
customers loyalty - reduce the end-of-year bonus
From: Paul Edwards – Head of Customer Care (BTS)
To: All Customer Care members
Subject: Use of work facilities
MEMO

Recently, two of our main customers have complained …………………………………….……… . And, in fact,
……………………………………………………………

Therefore, I am forced to assume that ……………………………..…. This problem can badly ………………
……………………………………………………………

Consequently, I have to remind ………………………………….……………………….………… . If you want

to make a call for private purposes, please……………….………………………….……….……

If this matter still happens, we …...……….…………………………………………………..…………………

Paul Edwards
Head of Customer Care (BTS)
III. Listening:
PART 1: Listen and choose the best answer to each question.
1. What type of business does the speaker work for?
(A) A battery manufacturer (B) A courier service
(C) A power company (D) A computer repair shop

2. What is the listener asked to do?

(A) Confirm an ID number (B) Return the speaker’s call
(C) Send a copy of an invoice (D) Reply to the speaker’s email

3. What is the main topic of the talk?

(A) A change in wage payment (B) A new employee in accounting
(C) An upgraded telephone system (D) A weekly sales goal

4. What should listeners do if they have any concerns?

(A) Put them in writing (B) Discuss them with the speaker
(C) Schedule a meeting with Susan (D) Talk to the manager on duty

5. What will managers receive?

(A) Updated work schedules (B) An instruction manual
(C) Some display materials (D) A summary of expenses

PART 2: Listen and complete notes.

Hillary Morgan in Fill Your Basket show:
+ selects a portfolio of promising companies whose (6) .............................. are ..............................  EP
Electronics - online gaming company: went public 9 months ago, since then its shares have been rising at a
(7) .............................. .............................. .
+ recommends investing in EP: it still has great (8) .............................. .............................. , with strong
management and skilled design and programing personnel.
+ after the commercial break: will be playing a (9) .............................. .............................. with Steve Lee, the
founder and CEO, who reveals some of EP Electronics’ (10) .............................. for the ........................... .
The end

KEYS - EOU TEST.U4.M3

Section 1 (40 m)

I.

1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. C
6. D 7. A 8. D 9. B 10. A

II.

11. C 12. B 13. C 14. D 15. C

16. C 17. B 18. A 19. B 20. D
21. C 22. A 23. D 24. D 25. C
26. C 27. B 28. C 29. B 30. B
31. C 32. D 33. B 34. D 35. A
36. D 37. B 38. C 39. B 40. D

Section 2 (60 m)

I. Reading

1. B 6. Mythology
2. A 7. Incompetent
3. C 8. Hop between
4. The company 9. Schemes
5. Organizations 10. Over-subscribed

II. Writing: Suggested answer

From: Paul Edwards – Head of Customer Care (BTS)

To: All Customer Care members
Subject: Use of work facilities
MEMO

Recently, two of our main customers have complained that trying to get through to us on the phone becomes
rather difficult. And, in fact, there has been an increase in telephone bills over the past 18 months.
Therefore, I am forced to assume that our members are using our phones for personal calls. This problem can
badly decrease the volume of our business and lose our customers loyalty.

Consequently, I have to remind you that using our phone for private calls are not allowed. If you want to make a
call for private purposes, please use personal mobiles or the public phone in the canteen.

If this matter still happens, we will have to reduce your end-of-year bonus.

Paul Edwards
Head of Customer Care (BTS)
III. Listening

PART 1:

l.D 2. B 3. A 4. A 5. C

PART 2:
6. shares ... undervalued
7. steady rate
8. growth potential
9. pre-taped interview
10. strategies ... future

SCRIPTS:

PART 1:

Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following telephone message.

Good afternoon, Ms. Briggs. This is Steven calling from Avenue Computer Repair. You dropped off your
laptop this morning for an issue with your internal speakers. While I was working on the device, I noticed that
the battery loses power quickly. I suggest getting a new one put in right away. We can take care of that here in
the stores, but we need your approval first. Please call me back to let me know if you’d like the replacement.
Thank you.

Questions 3 through 5 refer to the following excerpt for a meeting.

The first item on the agenda today is the payroll system. We are moving from a weekly to a monthly pay
schedule for part-time employees. The accounting department expects to have the system ready by the end of
the month. We would, therefore, like to make sure all managers have informed their teams of the change by the
end of the week. If anyone anticipates any problems with the changeover, please send a written summary of the
concerns to Susan in accounting. Later in the week, I’ll distribute informational posters about the new system to
all department heads. Please put these on your bulletin boards.

PART 2:

Good morning, everyone. I’m Hillary Morgan. You’re listening to Fill Your Basket. Each week I select a
portfolio of promising companies whose shares are undervalued. Let’s start the show by taking a look at EP
Electronics. This online gaming company went public 9 months ago, and since then its shares have been rising
at a steady rate. The reason I recommend investing in this company is that it still has great growth potential,
with strong management and skilled design and programing personnel. When we come back after the
commercial break, we’ll be playing a pre-taped interview I did with Steve Lee, the company’s founder and
CEO. Stick around to hear him reveal some of EP Electronics’ strategies for the future.