BULATS Standard Test, Version EN000
R: Question 1. Which graph is the speaker referring to?PAUSE: 00’05’’F: As you can see from this chart, sales for last year were generally disappointing compared to previous years. In the second quarter sales rose dramatically before falling to 600,000. Fortunately, the last quarter showed some improvement and this has carried on into this year. 
R: Question 2. How many new jobs were created in January?PAUSE: 00’05’’M: Although the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a four-and-a-half year low of 4.7%, fewer new jobs were created in January than expected. Analysts had forecast 240,000 but in fact the final total came to 193,000. The Labor Department said 140,000 were generated in the previous month, up from an earlier figure of 108,000. 
R: Question 3. What does the company import?PAUSE: 00’05’’F: I want us to think in terms of purchasing more of our products abroad. We’ve already started buying desk lamps directly from an overseas company, and it’s saved us a lot of money. So why don’t we import our cell phones direct from the overseas suppliers rather than go through a middle man? Or even laptops? I know there are complications with insurance, but it’s worth a try. 
R: Question 4. What prevented the consignment from being delivered on time?PAUSE: 00’05’’M: This is a message about the delivery of spare parts that you ordered from Master Parts. I’m afraid you won’t receive them today, as your packages have been delivered to a distribution centre in the wrong part of the country. I apologise for this, but I can assure you that you’ll receive them tomorrow morning. Documentation will be sent separately from our sales centre as normal, and will also be with you tomorrow. 
R: Question 5. Where has the company sold most of its new products?PAUSE: 00’05’’M: As you know, we introduced three new ready meals into our range, and I’m here to report on sales. We expected to have most success with family restaurants, as the meals were designed to appeal to children as much as to adults, and indeed that was the case. We’ve had satisfactory sales to factory canteens, but will make changes to the ingredients of meals sold to aircraft companies. 
R: Question 6. Which company do they decide to use for their re-branding exercise?A NeptuneB GoldbergC Hambleton 
M: For the re-branding, I've a feeling Neptune will do the job well. They're a small company but their bid was great.F: I thought Goldberg were cheaper? M: Yes, but their ideas are too vague, and as for Hambleton ... I spent ages trying to arrange meetings with them! They might be the biggest but really ...F: Sometimes small is best. Let's go with your suggestion then. 
R: Question 7. Why didn’t the woman accept the job offer?A She thought the company was disorganised.B She wasnít happy with the package.C She wants to work for a larger organisation. 
M: So why did you turn the job down? I thought they were offering a good deal.F: Yeah. That wasn’t it. The interviewer couldn’t answer some of my questions and then they didn’t call me after the interview when they said they would. It didn’t seem to be very professional for such a large organisation. M: Oh well. It sounds like you’ve made the right decision, then. 

R: Question 8. What does the man say about the course?A It was badly organised.B There were not enough speakers.C It was not well attended. 
F: Hi, Jack. How was the course? Managing Change, wasn’t it?M: Yes, that’s right. There was a good mix of workshops and lectures, and everything went to time for once. It was a shame there weren’t that many participants – I think the fact that some of the speakers didn’t confirm until the last minute probably put some people off. 

R: Question 9. What information does Gallico Ltd need from its supplier?A the delivery date for some goodsB an update on prices for some componentsC insurance details for the transportation of orders 
F: This is Emma from Gallico Ltd. I want to place an order, but I need some information about the heater components. M: Ah yes, hello, if it's about the new prices, the new list was sent out a couple of days ago.F: I've discussed those with Finance, and there's no problem. Your transport manager mentioned revising the insurance conditions for delivering goods, and I need to know more facts.M: Yes, we're speeding up deliveries on some goods, so we've had to make some changes. 

R: Question 10. Why did the construction company decide to sponsor the golf championship?A Sponsorship will generate more publicity than traditional advertising.B It gives customers a positive association with the company.C The returns from other sponsorship have been very good. 
F: Events organisers have just signed a deal with the construction company Brentwood to sponsor a golf tournament at the Seratok Golf and Country Club. Brentwood says that although it is often hard to assess whether sponsorship makes the company more visible than other, more conventional, advertising, it is good for clients to connect such a healthy leisure activity with their brand. 


R: Conversation One. Questions 11 to 14.Look at the form below. You will hear a man telephoning to place an order. You have 20 seconds to look at the form.PAUSE: 00’20”Now listen and complete the form.PAUSE: 00’02”
F: Hi, Intertech Publications, Gina speaking. How can I help you?M: Hi, I’d like to place an order, please.F: OK sir, can I take your name?M: Sure, it’s Mr Hawkwind, that’s H-A-W-K-W-I-N-D.F: Thank you. Now, do you have an account with us, or do you wish to pay by credit card?M: No, I have an account with you. Hold on a moment – here’s the number. It’s 8-0-9-2-0-9. It’s under my company’s name, Brandmart Inc.F: Thank you very much, sir. Now could you please confirm your business address? M: Sure, it's the Park Center, Hopeville, Ohio.F: And now, which publications would you like to order? Can you give me the exact titles?M: Sure, I just want to order 12 copies of Software News.F: No problem at all, sir. That’s $18.99 per copy. We’ll deliver within 4 days.M: Great. And many thanks. 
Look at the form below.• You will hear a man telephoning to place an order.Intertech PublicationsOrder FormDate: June 21 Order Taken by: GinaCustomer Name: (11) Mr ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖIntertech account number: (12) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖCompany name: Brandmart Inc.Address: (13) The ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ, Hopeville, OhioPublication Title: (14) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖQuantity: 12Price per item: $18.99

R: Conversation Two. Questions 15 to 18.Look at the note below. You will hear a man leaving a message for his company’s printing department about changes needed on a print order.You have 20 seconds to look at the note.PAUSE: 00’20”Now listen and complete the note.PAUSE: 00’02”
M: Hello. This is Paul Kwok from Accounts. You delivered an order to our department yesterday – Job reference K435T – but I'm afraid there were several mistakes and we'd like you to do it again. Firstly, you used the new logo on the letterheads as we asked, but you must also put on our new address. This is a bad mistake – it's very important you get this right. Secondly, on the invoice pro forma, we would like to leave room to fill in the unit cost. … And finally, there's a problem with the new expenses forms. They need to include a section on entertaining, you know, of visitors, which we had specifically requested as a priority. So can you do that on the re-print? 
• Look at the note below.• You will hear a man leaving a message for his companyís printing department aboutchanges needed on a print order.Message from: Paul Kwok, Accounts Department (job reference (15) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ.)Requirements:• Letterhead: Put correct (16) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ.• Invoice Pro Forma: Include space for writing in the (17) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ.• Expenses forms: Add category for (18) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. (visitors) 

R: Conversation Three. Questions 19 to 22.Look at the notes below. You will hear a woman telephoning a customer to ask for feedbackon her company’s service. You have 20 seconds to look at the notes.PAUSE: 00’20”Now listen and complete the notes.PAUSE: 00’02”
F: Hello, Mr Wells. Our engineer, Tom Engels, repaired some machinery at your factory recently. I’m phoning to ask about the service you received, if that’s OK? M: Fine.F: Now the dates he was there – he started on the 30th June?M: Not until the 14th of July actually, and it took a week to finish the work.F: Right. And were you generally satisfied with the work?M: Well, it was a little inconvenient when he had to wait two days for a spare part to arrive, as we were losing production time. But then he always came in early to catch up, usually arriving before anyone else!F: Oh, so you were satisfied about that.M: Yes, his punctuality was excellent. No complaints there at all.F: And the quality of work?M: Good, especially the way he fixed the packaging machinery – it’s never worked so well!F: Great! Thanks, Mr Wells. 
Conversation ThreeQuestions 19 ñ 22• Look at the notes below.• You will hear a woman telephoning a customer to ask for feedback on her companyísservice.Customer Feedback on Engineerís visitEngineerís name: Tom EngelsStart date of work: (19) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖCustomerís general comments:• problem of two-day wait for delivery of a(20) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ• his (21) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ was very goodQuality of work: good, especially on machinery for (22) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ

R: Now listen to the example.
M: Being a freelance consultant I’d say the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages but little things can make life difficult at first. For example, having to manage my own diary for the first time in 25 years came as something of a shock. I went through about 15 erasers in the first six months and I doublebooked myself for meetings on at least a couple of occasions.
R: He is talking about a lack of administrative support, so you write ‘I’ as your answer.
R: Question 23. Person 1.F: People think what you’ll miss is the routine of having an office to go to every day but that actually gave me a great sense of freedom. What I found tough at the beginning was choosing which projects to reject and which ones looked the most promising in terms of financial reward and future offers of work. If you’re not careful, you can end up saying yes to everything that comes your way.
R: Question 24. Person 2.M: I think because of the technology available nowadays you don’t feel isolated from other professionals in your field; there are plenty of electronic substitutes for being in an office. But what you don’t have is the opportunity to chat to people from other departments, with expertise in other areas. I really missed that and hadn’t realised how much I had depended on being able to check out other people’s opinions before taking an idea forward. 
R: Question 25. Person 3.F: I think the hardest thing for me was the change I had to make in my mind. I went from having a senior position in a large corporation with all that comes with that; the car, a generous expense account, etc, as well as the respect of colleagues, to being a nobody. People didn’t automatically take my calls any more.
R: Question 26. Person 4.M: I found it very challenging to adjust to the fact that there wasn’t anyone to call when my computer broke down. It’s very frustrating having to sort out these things on your own. It takes so much time. But other than that, I’d recommend the life of a consultant to any of my former colleagues. 
R: Question 27. Person 5.F: You’ve always got to think ahead three months or six months to the next project to make sure you’ve got enough work lined up to pay the bills. At the beginning, it was hard not having a regular pay cheque at the end of every month. Some people find it a terrible worry. But work soon picked up for me, and you actually end up getting paid more for consultancy work. 
Example: ÖÖ I ÖÖ23 Person 1 .................................. 24 Person 2 .................................. 25 Person 3 .................................. 26 Person 4 .................................. 27 Person 5 .................................. 
A not leading a teamB lack of promotion prospectsC loss of statusD lack of training opportunitiesE financial insecurityF lack of IT supportG judging which job offers to turn downH no informal input from colleagues I lack of administrative support 

R: Part Three. Section Two. Questions 28 to 32.You will hear five people talking about methods of promoting products that five different foodcompanies are currently using. As you listen, decide which method each company is currently using. Choose your answer from the list A to I, and write the correct letter in the space provided.You will hear the five pieces once only. You have 20 seconds to read the list A to I.
R: Now listen to the example.
M: MKL Foods has signed a new six-month sponsorship deal with the satellite TV channel ‘Kidzone’ to give its ‘Juiceshot’ drinks label greater exposure to its target market. Starting in November, the deal will involve various television name checks and competition activities, as well as short adverts at the beginning and end of commercial breaks.
R: He is talking about launching a media campaign so you write ‘I’ as your answer.
R: Question 28. Person 1.F: A promotion which supports two ranges of snacks is being run by Caverston Snacks. The company is running a promotion on packets of its Mega crisps and Mini biscuits, and has linked up with the FilmChoice video rental chain for this offer. The packets of snacks contain vouchers for a half-price video rental from FilmChoice. The idea's that consumers buy the snacks and then collect the movie to go with them on the way home.
R: Question 29. Person 2.M: Research shows that price is less important at New Year, when brand image and product availability become more important. This year, Carmichael Foods are widening their established line of mini chocolate cakes by bringing out two extra flavours – ‘Merry Milk Chocolate’ and ‘Jolly Jam’. They aim to make the most of the ‘forget the diet’ attitude which is set to boost cake demand over the holiday period.
R: Question 30. Person 3.F: AMB Milk is looking to capture the teen market with the launch of a 250-millilitresize drink of milk. The company is following up from its TV advertising campaign of last year which began the promotion of its milk to the young market. The black and white, easy-to-grip bottles will hit the shop and supermarket shelves this week. They replace traditional cartons and are aimed at drawing teenagers away from carbonated and juice drinks.
R: Question 31. Person 4.M: Healthy Eaters are targeting their tinned vegetables range for promotion. They are cutting 60 cents off their 400-gram tins to compete with new rivals in the market who are managing to undercut Healthy Eaters by a considerable margin. This latest move replaces Healthy Eaters' earlier plan to break into the breakfast cereals market next year – this idea was abandoned because the investment needed was too large.
R: Question 32. Person 5.Proctor’s is making the most of the growth in the healthy drinks market by promoting three of its key brands with tasting events around the country. The main focus is on the ‘One and Only’ brand which is being offered to 152,000 consumers in 750 top supermarkets. Thousands of brochures and posters have already been distributed for these events.
Example: ÖÖ I ÖÖ 28 Person 1 ............................ 29 Person 2 ............................ 30 Person 3 ............................ 31 Person 4 ............................ 32 Person 5 ............................ 
A running a direct mailing campaignB adding new products to the rangeC reducing the price of the productsD giving away a free product with every purchaseE introducing new packaging for an existing productF giving incentives to stockistsG running a special offer with another companyH giving out samples of products in shopsI launching a media campaign
R: Part Four. Section One. Questions 33 to 38.You will hear a web designer called Paul Doherty giving advice about creating a website to a group of people who own a small business. For questions 33 to 38, circle one letter, A, B or C for the correct answer. You will hear the talk twice. You have 20 seconds to read the questions.
R: Now you will hear the talk.PAUSE: 00’02”F: Good morning and welcome to the Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Group. 
I’d like to welcome Paul Doherty, who’s a website designer.M: Good morning. Setting up a shop window on the internet is becoming essential for small firms. Have a look at websites produced by big companies producing the same type of goods so you can see how they do it. But expand your horizons from your local area as you can get lots of ideas from websites from companies in other countries.    After doing your research, the next step is whether to produce the pages yourself or pay for a website designer to do the work for you. If you do it yourself, you have complete control over how your pages will look and you can update them quickly and whenever you want. There are quite a few packages around to help you and you can get a very professional finish. However, to do it yourself may not be the inexpensive option as you’ll need some quite sophisticated software, not to mention a powerful computer and good quality screen.    Now, to produce the web pages yourself with good software, all you have to do is provide the text and photographs. A digital camera is handy, as is a scanner, as you can scan in your logo. Don’t try to put too much information on a single page, and, although it may be tempting to use lots of different colours and type styles and sizes, doing so will make your pages look messy. Keep to just one or two sizes with the same typeface.    Now, what else should a good website include? Well, while some websites add counters to pages so you can see how many people have looked at them, I think they are of little practical use and can slow the loading of the page in the web browser. Instead, present the human face of your business by, for example, telling people about your management team. You can also use simple graphics where they illustrate a point better than words, but take care – visitors often only spend ten seconds on a site before moving on and they are often put off by flashy graphics.    Make sure your full address and telephone number are prominently displayed on your home page. Check your emails at least twice a day as your customers will often expect a reply on the same day. And remember, and this is a point often forgotten, to update your web pages with current prices and any special offers.    Now, you need to get customers to return to your site. Some people do this by offering a ‘tip of the day’ or by providing online tools like a free calculator. However, I believe that making your website as interactive as possible so people feel involved, works best. You can do this with quizzes for example. This is what is called ‘sticky content’. Now, remember your website is one of the most important marketing tools you have, so (fade ....)R: Now you will hear the talk again. 
33 Paul Doherty advises getting ideas from websites which A have been set up by local competitors. B are offering a range of different goods. C are based abroad.
34 According to Paul Doherty, what is the advantage of using a website designer? A It may be cheaper than doing it yourself. B It is likely to be quicker than doing it yourself. C It will be more professional than doing it yourself.
35 Paul Doherty says that when producing your own web pages you should A make the pages bright and colourful. B use the same typeface throughout. C put your logo on every page.
36 Paul Doherty says that a good website should also include A a counter to see how many hits youíve had. B background information on staff. C a range of charts and graphs.
37 Paul Doherty says that many companies fail to A display full contact details. B update their web pages regularly. C employ someone to check emails.
38 Paul Doherty thinks one good way to get customers to return to a site is A to offer a new tip each day. B to provide a free calculator. C to have quizzes for customers. 


R: Now you will hear the interview.PAUSE: 00’02”    F: Today I'm talking to Simon Butcher, a business analyst with management consultancy firm SPC Associates. First off, Simon, could you explain what your job involves?    M: Well, I've been working for 18 months, since I finished my business degree, and for all that time I've been doing business integration work for one major multi-national company. We're rolling out an online purchasing solution for them, around the world. And currently I'm based in their London office, and that's for 11 months, so there's a high degree of client interaction.    F: Has your firm given you any extra training, especially for the technical side of the job?    M: Well, the firm puts everyone through a five-week introductory course as a graduate recruit. I did three weeks basic computer programming. Then I did an additional two week e-commerce course. Since then I've done two further three-day courses, an 'introduction to business' and one on business finance. Now that I'm in my second year, I get to choose my next training course and I might have the chance to train in Asia.    F: Is the job what you expected, when you joined?    M: It's more technically focused than I thought it would be. I needed the training so I could work with our technical teams and understand the services we provide. But, now, if you join with an interest in business issues, you get support to help you follow that route, which is what I thought I'd be getting. The firm's really acknowledged that the personal preferences of new recruits must be taken into account when they're being assigned projects.    F: And what sort of financial incentives does your firm offer?    M: Well, at the beginning, people get a pay rise en masse once yearly. Generally, you go up a level on the payscale every November. After you have been there two years, your pay becomes performance related. This is calculated based on your six-monthly performance review meetings.     F: I presume you work long hours…    M: My hours of work vary. As deadlines near, I can expect to work longer hours. On average, I'd say I work between 50 and 55 hours a week – 8am to 7pm. It's important to make sure you're achieving your work goals but at the same you need balance in your life. Having a regular evening activity a couple of times a week, like playing tennis, works for me. You have to get some breathing space from the office. I don't mind working hard during the week, but I keep my weekends sacred; I haven't worked one in the last 14 months.    F: Would you say it's a good place to work?    M: In general … there's a strong support system. It's very structured. There are regular reviews with your manager when you set targets, plus each employee is assigned a mentor who helps set yearly goals across a range of criteria. But to do well here, I'd say you have to be quick off the mark because you can be thrown in at the deep end and have to master a new skill or understand a new area of work within a tight timeframe. It definitely helps to be flexible. 

39 As part of his job, Simon Butcher is A helping to design a sales system. B working at his client's offices. C travelling widely to see clients.
40 What does Simon Butcher say about the training provided by his firm? A There is an induction course for all new graduate employees. B New graduate recruits choose which courses they want to do. C All the introductory courses are attended over three days.
41 When Simon Butcher joined the company, what did he expect to be doing? A working with teams providing technical services B working on a wide range of projects C working more on the business side
42 Within Simon Butcher's firm, new employees go up the payscale A after a six-monthly review. B according to their annual performance. C at the same time as their colleagues every year.
43 What does Simon Butcher say about his working hours? A He has to work over the weekend if there are schedules to meet. B He is prepared to work long hours when there are things to do. C He finishes at 7 o'clock every evening so he can play sport.
44 What does Simon Butcher think of his company as a place to work? A There is little time to learn things you previously knew nothing about. B There are too many targets to be achieved each year. C There are very rigid and inflexible structures in place. 

    M: Well, Elizabeth, shall we move onto our next agenda item, IT Department Purchases?     F: Yes, OK. This was an item I requested because I was concerned about the way the IT department makes its purchases. The first thing that anyone here in the purchasing department knows about an IT purchase is when the purchase order comes through. So IT is effectively cutting us out of the buying process until it’s virtually pointless for us to contribute at all.    M: Yes, I’ve noticed that, and it seems to be quite a common situation! In my experience, IT staff here believe that if you aren’t an IT specialist, then you can’t add value to their decision-making process. This attitude’s made worse when suppliers deal directly with IT personnel and deliberately avoid the purchasing department.    F: So is there anything we can do? I’ve made a few enquiries informally, but it seems to me that we need to change their buying system and they’re not going to like that!    M: I know, we have to deal with this very carefully. To change IT’s buying process, we’d need to ask the board of directors to issue a policy that makes it essential to involve the purchasing department early on in the procurement process. But that would most probably infuriate the IT specialists and won’t do very much for goodwill and co-operation between departments.    F: So it’s up to us to persuade our IT colleagues that we can add value. I think we should present them with a co-operation proposal, covering the whole buying process for IT, step by step, to identify key areas where we can support them. We can start with finding and selecting suppliers, showing them how we could look at all aspects of a potential supplier for them: its finances and resources and the technical support it offers. And they could use one of our supplier evaluation questionnaires. We could get IT to customise one to suit their specific requirements.    M: OK, and then there are aspects of contracts to be scrutinised, too. Suppliers to IT departments often try and impose their terms and conditions of contract, but we could help IT make sure these are negotiated carefully. IT areas that usually call for negotiation include software upgrades, dealing with non-performance and other points that introduce suppliers’ accountability. This may be one job that the IT people may be glad to leave to us!     F: True! Another thing we can do, possibly before we tackle anything else, is to analyse  previous IT purchases. We can check all their documentation from their key supply companies for contractual disputes, cost overruns, late deliveries, failed systems and that kind of thing. When we’ve found some instances which we think we could have helped prevent, we can use them as part of our argument to persuade the IT department to use our expertise to their benefit.    M: Yes, that’d be good. So if you’d be responsible for that, I’ll start writing a new strategy for IT purchasing. Let’s schedule a meeting for this time next month, shall we, to report on progress?    F: Yes, that would be fine. 
45 Elizabeth is concerned about how the IT department makes purchases because it has failed to A involve the purchasing department enough. B follow advice given by the purchasing department. C issue purchase orders to the purchasing department.
46 What opinion does Bill express about the conduct of IT personnel? A They donít appreciate input from staff in other departments. B They rarely choose their suppliers successfully. C They often ignore instructions given by purchasing staff.
47 Bill is reluctant to approach the company directors for change because he thinks A the directors would side with the IT department. B too much work would be created for the purchasing department. C internal company relationships would be damaged.
48 Elizabeth suggests persuading IT staff of the value of her department's skills by A offering them training in key areas of the purchasing process. B completing evaluation questionnaires for IT about their suppliers. C writing a plan highlighting where the two departments can work together.
49 Bill says that companies who supply IT departments often A insist on contracts that run too long. B dictate contract terms without negotiation. C fail to fulfill contract terms for after-sales care.
50 Elizabeth suggests finding problems in previous IT purchases in order to A prevent the IT department being involved in future purchasing. B support her case to assist purchasing in the IT department. C weaken the IT department's position in the company. 

ListeningPart One1 B2 B3 C4 A5 B6 A7 A8 C9 C10 BPart TwoConversation One 11 (Mr) Hawkwind12 80920913 (The) Park Center /Centre14 Software NewsConversation Two 15 K435T16 (new) address17 unit cost18 (the) entertainingConversation Three 19 (the) 14(th) (of) Jul(y) ■Jul(y) (the) 14(th) ■ 14/7 ■7/1420 (a) (spare) part21 punctuality22 packagingPart ThreeSection One23 G24 H25 C26 F27 ESection Two28 G29 B30 E31 C32 HPart FourSection One33 C34 A35 B36 B37 B38 CSection Two39 B40 A41 C42 C43 B44 ASection Three45 A46 A47 C48 C49 B50 B 
Version: EN000A
Part One. Questions 1 to 10.
Question 1. When must the woman be at the airport to meet Mr Kimoto?M: Jane, could you possibly meet Mr Kimoto off his flight today, please?F: It depends. What time’s he due to arrive? I’ve got the finance meeting at 2.30, remember?M: Well, he doesn’t land till 4.15 and the meeting’ll be over by half past three, won’t it?F: Quarter to four probably. But yes, I should just about make it…M: Thanks! 
Question 2. How much will it cost the woman to rent a car?A £60B £95C £120 
F: I’ve got to go to a lot of meetings while I’m here. How much would it be to rent a car?M: It’s ninety-five pounds per week for standard cars, or a hundred and twenty pounds for the luxury models.F: I only need it for three days. The standard model’s fine. M: That would be sixty pounds, at the daily rate of twenty pounds, including insurance.F: That’s OK. (fade). Um ...... 
Question 3. Which chart shows the company’s sales?M: Although turnover has been disappointing, things are beginning to look more positive. Sales have risen sharply since starting to recover in the second quarter. However, this rate of increase is unlikely to continue beyond the early part of next year ....... (fade) 
Question 4. Which is Mr Fielding’s office?M: Can you tell me where Mr Fielding’s office is please?F: Yes… go through those double doors and then straight on. It’s the second room on the right after the stairs….. his name’s on the door.M: Thank you. 
Question 5. What does the company no longer manufacture?M: Meekstons Foods has announced plans to close its juice-making factory. Although it said the bread and bakery products division will remain in operation, staff are concerned as this announcement comes only weeks after its tinned-food production-line closed down. This… (fade)
Question 6. How many days’ holiday has Bob got left? A 2 B 5 C 10 
F: Have you taken all your holiday this year yet, Bob?M: Oh no – I’ve still got almost 2 weeks left. Let me check – yes, 10 days. I’ve booked 5 days off next month, and I’ll take some more days off in November.F: Right. Lucky you! I’ve only got a couple of days left. 
Question 7. In which month will they advertise for temporary workers? A February B April C July 
M: I think we’ll need quite a few temporary workers this year.F: Yes, we should advertise early. A lot of companies will be in the same position.M: Well, shall I do it now?F: Um I think February’s a little soon. What about advertising in early April for the people we need in July?M: OK. I’ll make a note to do that. 
Question 8. What has changed about the packaging? A the size B the colour C the material
M: What’s the new packaging like?F: It’s certainly an improvement. We’ve kept the bright blue and the lettering, but it’s more practical now, with plastic instead of cardboard – we haven’t increased the measurements.M: Now let’s see if it helps sales! 
Question 9. Why hasn’t GBM fixed the machines yet? A There were no replacement parts in stock. B The wrong replacement parts were delivered. C Replacement machines are required. 
M: GBM Machines here. About your packing machines which broke down last week. We couldn’t repair them even if we had the parts in stock. I’m afraid you need new machines. The engineer was wrong to say he could do the job. 
Question 10. What should Peter Williams do? A acknowledge the receipt of goods B advise the best method of despatch C confirm the details of an order 
(ansaphone message)Hello, message for Peter Williams from Redco Supplies. We’re using a new courier service, so could you let me know as soon as your latest order arrives, just to be sure? It’s 50 litres of paint, order number 2-5-2-4. 
Part Two. Questions 11 to 22. 
Conversation One. Questions 11 to 14. F: Good morning.M: Good morning. My name’s Derek Reid. I’m looking for a new job.F: Right, I’ll need some details. First, your qualifications.M: I did a three-year course at Portway College and got a Diploma in Design.F: And you’re working now?M: Yes, I’m a technician – at Lama Studios in Portway.F: So do you want to change the type of work that you do?M: No, the work’s OK. I’m just not getting anywhere. I’ve had the same job for four years without promotion.F: So what position are you looking for? Assistant Supervisor?M: No, Supervisor. I think I’ve got enough experience for that now and I really want to move ahead.F: And your salary requirements?M: Well, I’m on fifteen and a half thousand now, but I’d like to be getting a little more than that. I thought that eighteen thousand would be nearer.F: Fine. Thank you, Mr Reid.M: Thank you. 
Portway Employment AgencyName: ÖÖDerek Reid ÖÖQualifications: (11) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ DiplomaCurrent job: (12) 4 years as ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖPosition wanted: (13) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖSalary expected: (14) £ ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ 
Conversation Two. Questions 15 to 18. M: Hi, Jane. Nigel Masters from Penfolds here. I was wondering if you could meet to discuss the series of time management workshops you’re producing for our staff.F: Fine. When’s best for you? I’m fairly free most of this week.M: Well, I’m tied up tomorrow and the following day. What about Friday?F: Mm. I’m visiting a client in the morning. Would 3pm be okay?M: Could you make it a little earlier. Say two?F: What about half past?M: Uhu.F: I’ve got the outline plans for each workshop. I just need to get some more information from you.M: What kind of info?F: You haven’t let me know if you expect technical staff to come to the workshop. I know you want the non-technical staff there.M: That’s true. I haven’t had time to look at that yet. Is it possible for all of them to go?F: Oh yes, of course. But I will need to have their job descriptions.M: No problem. I’ll have that ready for Friday. 
Staff TrainingWorkshops on (15) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ.Meeting scheduled for Friday at (16) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ.Decide if (17) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. staff also need to attend the workshops.Jane needs the (18) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. of all participants by Friday. 
Conversation Three. Questions 19 to 22. M: Sara, can you do a few things for me while I’m out? They all need sorting today.F: Yes – I was going to contact you because the ad company said they wanted that cheque immediately.M: The book’s in my desk. Could you fill it in, sign it and get it in the post?F: OK.M: Then if you go into the October file on the computer you’ll see the turnover figures. Can you put them into the standard format and send them to everybody in the department?F: Right. And shall I chase up Presto Stationery Limited about those leaflets? They’re still not here and the launch is next week.M: Yup – and, last thing, the marketing manager asked to see the new sales contract – the one we give the shops. Can you get a copy to him? Thanks … (fade) ... 
To do:Write out (19) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. and send to agency.Compile (20) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. into a report and email to all staff.Phone printing company regarding missing (21) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. for product launch.Give Marketing Manager a copy of the latest (22) ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ. for retailers.

Part Three. Section One. Questions 23 to 27. 
Now listen to the example.F: As a proportion of expenditure, total spend on spare time activities at home and outside the home, holidays and entertainment has more than doubled since 1978. It has increased from 9% in '78 to 20% now, much faster than the growth in spend on groceries. The largest growth in this area is in holiday expenditure, where outlay shot up from £16 a week to £54 per week. 
They are talking about how expenditure on leisure services has increased dramatically, so you write ‘I’ as your answer. 
Question 23. Person 1.M: Consumers are now spending only £7 more on their shopping for groceries than on food bought in restaurants, hotels and other such places. It is the younger generation who are leading this trend, with under-30s spending 11% on food prepared and consumed outside the home, while the over 75’s spend just 6%. 
Question 24. Person 2.F: Consumers may complain about the size of the weekly grocery bill, but the outlay on food and drink is not as much as in other household areas such as transport and recreation. Only in the group of consumers who have the lowest income does food and drink top the list of household costs. 
Question 25. Person 3.M: When it comes to better eating habits, it’s 59 to 64-year-olds who are setting the positive example to other consumers. They spend more on fresh fruit and vegetables than any other age group. The under 30’s age group spend the least on fresh produce, despite the efforts of doctors and educationalists to get them to eat food which is good for them. 
Question 26. Person 4.F: Households spend nowhere near the same amount on food and drink as they did in the 1970s. The outlay on food and drink is a much smaller part of the household’s weekly income, down from 24% in 1978 to only 17% now – the biggest decline in any area of household expenditure. The amount spent on clothing and footwear also fell from 8% to 6% over the same period. 
Question 27. Person 5.M: People living in cities lead expensive lives, but of all the different groups of housing locations, consumers living in the country spend the most on food and drink. Households with the next biggest grocery bills are those which have one adult living with children. For them, expenditure on leisure and holidays is the smallest part of weekly income. 
Example: ÖÖ I ÖÖ  A Most households spend less on food than on leisure activities.B Older consumers are buying healthier food than young consumers.C Some adults are buying a significant amount of clothing every week.D Older consumers spend a bigger part of their income on food than other age groups.E Of all age groups, young consumers are spending most on eating out.F The top spenders on food are single parents and families living in rural areas.G The proportion of a householdís finances being spent on food has decreased.H Less is spent on fruit and vegetables than on meat. I Expenditure on leisure services has increased dramatically.23 Person 1 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ24 Person 2 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ25 Person 3 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ26 Person 4 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ27 Person 5 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ

Part Three. Section Two. Questions 28 to 32. 
Now listen to the example. M: Are you clear about what you hope to achieve with the new product? The clearer you are about your plans, the better you can analyse the risks involved. Does the new product improve your range? Decide whether it fits customers’ requirements. For example, you should consider its design, ease of use and performance benefits. 
He is talking about checking that the product meets the exact needs of customers, so you write ‘I’ as your answer. 
Question 28. Person 1.F: How technologically feasible is the product? Can you meet its design, resources and production requirements? It makes sense to consult members of your staff about these aspects of your development plans – they may contribute insights that you have overlooked. It’s good to get a range of opinions on exactly how easy it’s going to be to achieve what you want. 
Question 29. Person 2.M: Test lots of ideas at the start of a project – it costs relatively little to assess which are most promising. Write down detailed specifications so that you’ve got everything in black and white. Most importantly, consider the regulatory framework that your new product will operate in, so you don’t develop it, then have to abandon it because of the law. Do some research. 
Question 30. Person 3.F: When you’ve decided on the product you’ll develop, you must create a project team, and it’s vitally important you get this right. In putting together your team you need to include employees with a variety of skills. For example, as well as a creative ideas person you may need a technical expert, and a sales specialist. All team members should understand your business objectives and be committed to them. 
Question 31. Person 4.M: When it comes to marketing the new product, you must get your message across quickly. If you get the chance to speak to a buyer, you need to catch their attention immediately – they’re extremely busy people. It’s definitely down to preparation, so I’d recommend rehearsing your sales pitch in front of anyone who’ll listen – not delivering it for the first time to the top buyer of a potentially major client.  
Question 32. Person 5.M: Don’t take no for an answer. It took three years to get our new products to market. A lot of this time was spent on design and safety testing, but it took 18 months of talking to one well-known retailer before they agreed to stock our new product. Once you’re in there with one retail chain, it gets much easier to approach others. But you have to be persistent in order to succeed. 
Example: ÖÖ I ÖÖ A Ask your best customer what they think of your plans.B Be determined in your efforts to sell the product.C Practise the way you make presentations to customers.D Get the price right at the beginning.E Check the new product fulfils legal requirements.F Ask people if it is practical to manufacture the product.G Work on only one project at a time.H Choose the right combination of people to develop the product.I Check that the product meets the exact needs of your customers.28 Person 1 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ29 Person 2 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ30 Person 3 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ31 Person 4 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ32 Person 5 ÖÖÖÖÖÖ

Part Four. Section One. Questions 33 to 38.
F2: Hello, I'm Sally Robinson, a student.M2: Hello Sally, Dan Stone.F2: I'm very interested in working for your company.M2: When do you finish studying?F2: Oh, not long now, after this month's holiday, I've got two weeks of exams, and then it's over. Just six weeks left as a student!M2: Right, so you'd like to join Manson's this year?F2: Yes.M2: Which department?F2: Well, I've done a lot of degree assignments on marketing – I found it a lot more interesting than financial management – and during my holidays I've done some research for local food retailers. That's the sort of thing I'd like to do.M2: Yes, well, they usually have vacancies. But it can depend on where you want to work.F2: I don't mind where I go.M2: As well as our European divisions, we're just setting up printing operations in Hong Kong. So the opportunities are good. We get thousands of applicants every year.F2: I know. What sort of people do Manson's like?M2: Well we get a lot of candidates with good academic qualifications, but that's not necessarily what a dynamic company like Manson's needs. It's better to have employees who really want to find out everything about the job – then they can develop. F2: Uh-huh, so can you tell me about the training.M2: Yes – you'd be sent on several courses – market development, that's the first course you'll do, within a few weeks of starting, and then sales techniques and personnel management – those'll be later, after you've completed your first year. F2: I see. And there's a progress assessment every six months, am I right?M2: No. For the first 12 months they assess your progress every quarter.F2: You mean every three months?M2: Yup. Look, I've got an application form here – I could help you fill it in if you like.F2: Oh, no, it's OK, I've already done one. Shall I give it to you?M2: Um .. Well, it would probably be quicker if you sent it actually – I'm not going back to Head Office for 4 or 5 days, so ..F2: OK. Would you mind having a quick look at my form, just to see if you think I could improve it?M2: All right. (rustling papers) .. hmmm ... not bad ... you've written about your positions of responsibility and what you're interested in .. [fade] 
33 Sally finishes her studies A in two weeks. B in a month. C in six weeks.
34 Sally would like to work in A marketing. B retailing. C finance.
35 Manson's want employees who are A academically clever. B dynamic personalities. C keen to learn.
36 In an employee's first year, Manson's offer training in A management. B sales techniques. C market development.
37 Trainees are assessed every A 3 months. B 6 months. C 12 months.
38 Sally's application form is going to be A filled in now. B sent to Head Office. C taken by Dan to Head Office. 


Part Four. Section Two. Questions 39 to 44. You will hear Ed Mason, a business consultant, giving a talk about succession planning, which is planning to appoint a successor for the retiring leader of a company. 
M: (US) My name’s Ed Mason, I’m a business consultant, and I specialise in succession planning. Now, why is succession planning a problem for you as business owners? Some 75 percent of private firms in this country are family owned. However, fewer than half of first-generation family businesses have succession plans. Common reasons include resistance by the owner to let go of the responsibility, fear of retirement or inability to find an effective successor. Of course, transferring ownership can be emotional and complicated, which is why it’s often ignored until it becomes an urgent issue, for example, when the owner falls ill.    So it’s necessary to have a succession plan. You don’t need to bring in lawyers in the early stages, but with a formal plan you can know what course of action you intend to take, when and how. Also, setting it down in black and white may show you it has shortcomings, and that more effective strategies need to be employed. Decide how you will hand over control of your business, then work out a timetable of necessary steps. This needs to be meticulously planned and executed, and it can take several years.    It’s important to get succession planning right because this affects the company in many ways. Leaving succession planning until it’s too late can have several consequences. A panic decision could mean the business is transferred to someone who is not able to do the job. The business could be severely disrupted if there are arguments about who should take over the business, while uncertainty and lack of leadership could have a disastrous effect on sales and morale within the company.     Getting support for your ideas is a key requirement. Your succession plan needs to be communicated effectively to other people within your business. This means letting senior staff, customers and suppliers know of your intention to step down – and timing is crucial. The last thing you need is people to lose faith in the company when they hear you’ll no longer be involved. Throughout, it’s important to seek expert advice on every aspect of handing over ownership of your business – not least of which is taxation. There’ll be implications for both your personal finances and those of the business.    One of the most difficult challenges that owners face in advance of retiring is learning to go less often into the office, to work shorter days. In my experience, they find this harder than deciding how they will actually dispose of the company. You might choose to transfer ownership of the company to a family member, or you might dispose of it through a management buy-out. Whichever you do, you have to take less and less part in running of the company. Though bear in mind that you’ll have total involvement if you decide to sell the business, or wind it up altogether.    Here is some advice on choosing a successor. Begin by considering whether there’s an obvious choice of successor within the business. This could be someone who’s worked for you for some time, someone who knows the business well and who has the necessary skills to take control. You need to be absolutely certain your chosen candidate is capable of taking your business forward. Alternatively, though this bears more risk, you might opt for an external appointment. It is much more risky to make an external appointment, even if it’s someone who has good ideas. 
39 According to Ed Mason, why may succession planning be a problem for business owners? A They do not have time to make a succession plan. B They are unwilling to hand over control to another person. C They feel other members of the firm should choose the successor.
40 Ed Mason says it is necessary to have a formal succession plan because A it will expose any weaknesses. B legal issues have to be taken into account. C it will simplify the initial stages of the hand-over.
41 According to Ed Mason, why is it important to get succession planning right? A Staff might leave the company if they do not know what is happening. B There is danger of a take-over bid if appointing a successor is delayed. C The company might be run inefficiently if a leader is appointed tooquickly.
42 What does Ed Mason say about getting support for succession planning? A Obtain guidance on finance from specialist advisers. B Consult senior members of staff about timing. C Ask suppliers for their cooperation during the period of change.
43 Ed Mason says one difficulty a retiring owner may face is having to A spend less time working in the company. B help prepare the company for a management buy-out. C accept the possibility that the business should be closed down.
44 What advice does Ed Mason give on choosing a successor? A Appoint someone educated in modern business practice. B Consider an outsider who can contribute new ideas. C Appoint someone who is familiar with the company. 


Part Four. Section Three. Questions 45 to 50.You will hear an interview with Ian Cole, a business consultant, about customer surveys. 
    F: In the studio today I have marketing consultant Ian Cole, who’s an expert on measuring customer satisfaction. What’s your opinion of the value of this activity, Ian?    M: The term ‘customer satisfaction’ has long been in use, and analysts claim it’s a majordeterminant of success in business. Companies spend time and money on research, trying to measure how pleased their customers are. Theoretically, this is vitally important information. In my experience, however, the outcomes of a survey don’t reveal the true picture.    F: So is it that companies don’t necessarily benefit from their research?    M: I believe so. Companies incorrectly think that ‘satisfaction’ means ‘loyalty’. It’s often the case that customers are satisfied, but if they believe they’d be equally, or better satisfied with any other provider, they’ll switch. To get an accurate measurement of loyalty, a new type of questionnaire with a different scale is required. In this new scale, the middle answer is: ‘Fine. I have no complaints: but I didn’t feel the product or service was anything special.’ This is likely what most of your customers actually think about you.    F: OK, so how easy is it to get an accurate or precise picture of customers?    M: Not that easy. Be careful of how you read results in tough times. Recent studies of the fast-food industry show that when there’s a recession, consumers are willing to reduce their own ‘total satisfaction’ in favour of buying at ‘purely the lowest price’. Though, if you want to differentiate your customers in a more positive way, a rating could be ‘Better than I could expect from another provider.’ Here, long-term loyalty begins to assert itself.    F: And what about the customers themselves? What should they take account of?M: Sometimes they’re lazy. For example, a customer goes to have their car repaired, and as they leave the dealership, the salesman gives them a feedback sheet. He says that company’s goal is to have a perfect score, and asks if there’s anything he can do to make that happen. While the guideline is disguised as an offer of service, in fact all he really cares about is getting a good score. The customer isn’t doing the company any favours because it never learns the truth – that the customer really didn’t think they were anything special.     F: And senior executives, what about them? They should be aware of these meaningless surveys.    M: Some executives don’t bother to check the reality behind the reports on customer surveys. Employees of some companies can actually block certain customers – ones they believe would give them negative feedback – from getting survey calls. In addition, some companies make it difficult to give unsolicited feedback. After a recent terrible car-repair experience, I tried to contact the dealership’s customer service department. It was nearly impossible.    F: And the internet plays a part in these matters.    M: Indeed. Being on top of your feedback is more important than ever because of the transparency created by the internet. If customers can’t tell you where you’re going wrong, they’ll tell someone else. Internet forums allow them to share their feedback, positive or negative, with anyone who might go looking for it. Every product failing is detailed on consumer websites. Also, consumers with technical skills are likely to seek input from such forums before any major purchasing decision. 
45 Ian Cole says the problem in trying to measure customer satisfaction is that A customers are unwilling to spend time participating in research. B the results of the research sometimes fail to reflect the real situation. C the cost of research outweighs the advantages gained by the company.
46 According to Cole, why are customer surveys sometimes found to be unhelpful? A The surveys are not carried out frequently enough. B Customers do not complete the questionnaires correctly. C Companies misinterpret the information.
47 When trying to get an accurate picture of consumers, Cole says that A it is necessary to take current economic conditions into account. B it is important to conduct longer surveys to obtain new information. C it is risky to assume that a positive response will guarantee loyalty.
48 According to Cole, customers should take into account whether the company A asks good questions in their survey. B takes note of their feedback. C deserves a good score.
49 Why does Cole criticise senior executives? A They are too ready to accept what they are told about survey results. B They are not prepared to handle negative feedback themselves. C They do not understand the importance of surveys as sources of information.
50 What does Cole say about the internet and customer research? A Customers turn to the internet if they cannot give feedback to providers. B Companies are failing to check internet forums for opinions of their products. C Surveys conducted online are likely to get a positive response from customers. 

Listening Part One 1 C 2 A 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 B 8 C 9 C 10 A Part Two Conversation One 11 design 12 technician 13 Supervisor/er 14 (£) 18,000 / eighteen thousand / 18K Conversation Two 15 time management 16 2.30 (pm) / 14.30 / half past two 17 technical 18 job descriptions Conversation Three 19 cheque / check 20 turnover figures 21 leaflets 22 sales contract Part Three Section One 23 E 24 A 25 B 26 G 27 F Section Two 28 F 29 E 30 H 31 C 32 B Part Four Section One 33 C 34 A 35 C 36 C 37 A 38 B Section Two 39 B 40 A 41 C 42 A 43 A 44 C Section Three 45 B 46 C 47 A 48 C 49 A 50 A