BEC vantage 2 (student's book with answers)

103 Pages·2016·2.66 MB·English

KEY Sample В
To: P. Jones
Test 1 Reading From: Manager
Date: 21 November 2002
Part 1
Subject: Lateness
1C 2 A 3 В 4 D 5 A 6 Hi, Jones
7 С
Nowadays you arrives late for work very often. I
Part 2 feel you may have particular reasons for it. But if
you keep going your lateness, other staff in the
8 D 9 С 10 E 11 В 12 F office may be late like you. I’m worrying about
it. How about considering of being more
Part 3 punctual?
13 D 14 A 15 С 16 В 17 В Thanks!
18 С
Part 4 Band 3
All the content points are covered, though at times
19 В 20 A 21 D 22 A 23 С the register is not always entirely successful. There
24 С 25 D 26 A 27 В 28 С is evidence of an adequate range of structures and
29 D 30 В 31 С 32 В 33 В vocabulary for this level, but with some non­
impeding errors.
Part 5
Part 2
34 ITSELF 35 IN 36 CORRECT
37 WHILE 38 SEEN 39 FROM Sample С__________________________________
40 CORRECT 41 THOSE 42 FOR
Report on customer complaints
43 WITH 44 THAT 45 CORRECT
INTRODUCTION
This report has the purpose of presenting the
Test 1 Writing reasons for customer complaints in 2002.
FIELDINGS
Part 1
The customer complaints received in 2002 were
Sample A 300 in January. Then they increased to 540 in
February because of the computer system’s
breakdown.
To: P. Jones
In March they fell to 230 because an improved
From: Luisa Gambon
order system was introduced.
Date: 21 November 2002
The reasons for complaints from January to
Subject: Lateness
March were analysed:
Mr Jones, • firstly the company received complaints for
incorrect orders delivered. These errors were
I have noticed that you often arrive late for work,
fewer in March.
especially on Monday mornings. As your
• secondly the time taken to deliver is too high, •
colleagues are starting to complain about that,
but the company has planned to recruit new
you understand that unless this habit changes, I
agents.
will take disciplinary action against you.
• Finally customers complain for the poor
Come and see me tomorrow at 9 a.m. in my
product quality. In order to solve this problem
office.
more quality controls are making.
Thank you
CONCLUSIONS
At the moment all customers aren’t satisfied but
Band 5
many measures have been taken to improve their
All content points are covered, using natural
satisfaction.
sounding language and a consistently appropriate
tone.
*
Test 1
Band 4 9 INFORMATION PACK
There is a satisfactory range of structures, with 10 PARK HOTEL
some errors, but these do not impede 11 FRONT GATE
understanding. The content points are adequately 12 NEW DESIGNS
covered, and the register is appropriate. The
information is generally well organised, using Part 2
headings and other discourse markers.
13 E 14 В 15 G 16 F 17 A
18 С 19 G 20 H 21 E 22 В
Sample D
Part 3
Customer Complaints Reports
(2002 Jan-Mar) 23 В 24 В 25 С 26 A 27 С
28 В 29 A 30 С
Background
- Number of customers complains received
showed very high points in February Tapescript
- It became less half than February’s in March.
Listening Test 1
Analysis
- The breakdown of computer system in This is the Business English Certificate Vantage 2,
February lead to a lot of complaints. Listening Test 1.
- On the other hand the introduction of
improved order system decrease the amount. Part One. Questions 1 to 12.
- Fewer incorrect order delivered in March. It You will hear three telephone conversations or
result in few complaints.
messages.
- More than half of complaints are because of
late deliver. Write one or two words or a number in the
- Unsatisfactory product quality’s complaints numbered spaces on the notes or forms below.
showed 28% of all.
After you have listened once, replay each
Recommendation recording.
- To improve delivery system is important, it
Conversation One. Questions 1 to 4.
leads the decrease of complaints. It should be
improved. Look at the form below.
- To reduce poor quality product. Products
should be cheack before shipping. You will hear a man asking a colleague for
information about a former employee.
You have 15 seconds to read through the form.
Band 2
The organisation of the report is reasonable, as is [pause]
the register and format. However, not all content
Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
points are adequately addressed, a limited range of
language is used, and there are some distracting Woman: Personnel. . .
errors. Man: Hello, it’s Tim here, from Finance.
Woman: Hi, Tim.
Man: I’ve had a letter from the tax office about a
student who worked here last summer - I
Test 1 Listening
wonder if you could look him up in your
Part 1 records.
Woman: Sure, what’s the name?
1 JAYE Man: The surname’s Jaye. First name Stephen.
2 CUSTOMER SERVICES Woman: How does he spell his surname?
3 OFFICE ASSISTANT Man: J-A-Y-E. Got that?
4 457.60 Woman: Oh yes, here we are . . . lives at a
5 EUROPE HOLIDAYS hundred and eighty-three School Road,
6 BUSINESS CARDS Barnfield . . .
7 MARKETING EXECUTIVES Man: Yes, that’s the one.
8 (THE) (COMPANY) LOGO Woman: And you say he was working in Finance?
Key
Man: Uhm, Customer Services, actually. [pause]
Woman: Aah - they had lots of students working
Conversation Three. Questions 9 to 12.
for them last summer.
Man: Well, the tax people want to know his exact Look at the notes below.
job title - I’m not sure why.
You will hear a woman making the arrangements
Woman: Mm, let me see . . . He was an office
for a delegation who are going to visit her
assistant.
company.
Man: Right, got that. They also want to know
about his monthly earnings. You have 15 seconds to read through the notes.
Woman: Let’s have a look . . . five hundred and
[pause]
thirty-eight pounds seventy a month . . . Oh,
sorry, he was a scale one, so that’s four hundred Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
and fifty-seven pounds sixty. Anything else?
Woman: Geoff?
Man: That’s fine, thanks. I’ll send them the
Man: Yes?
information today . ..
Woman: I just want to finalise the preparations
[pause] for the delegation next week.
Man: Certainly. It’s Thursday, isn’t it?
Now listen to the recording again.
Woman: Yes. Now, can you make sure that each
[pause] of them gets a name badge and an information
Conversation Two. Questions 5 to 8. pack. The badges are done, but you’ll need to
prepare the packs with all the relevant
Look at the note below. information.
Man: Ok, that shouldn’t take too long. What
You will hear a man describing a problem with an
about catering?
order.
Woman: Coffee’s organised for eleven and three,
You have 15 seconds to read through the note. but lunch - it’s at one - we need to reserve it for
twelve people . . . The office restaurant is closed
[pause]
next week . . . can you ring the Park Hotel? The
Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
Grand Hotel was a bit disappointing last time.
Woman: Hello, Blackwell Printers. Julie Davidson Man: I’ll get onto that.
speaking. How may I help you? Woman: Now, they’ll be coming straight from the
Man: Hello. This is Mark Jones from Europe station, and their taxi will bring them to the
Holidays. I was hoping to speak to Steven Kirby front gate, so make sure you’re there to greet
about the stationery you’re printing for us. them. That’ll be about ten.
Woman: I’m afraid Steven’s away until Friday. Man: Ten. And then . . .
Man: Oh - you see I’m not very happy with the Woman: Into Reception, I think. Make sure the
business cards and I wanted to see if I could new designs are on display, I want them to see
make a couple of changes to the paper too. those first.
Woman: Would you like me to pass on a message? Man: OK.
Man: Yes, please. The thing is, I’ve just received Woman: Let me know when it’s all finalised.
your proofs - the cards themselves are fine, but Bye.
you seem to have misunderstood the quantities. [pause]
I’m sure I asked for five hundred for each of the
Now listen to the recording again.
marketing executives and seven hundred and
fifty for me but you’ve put everyone down for [pause]
seven hundred and fifty.
Woman: Right, I’ve made a note of that. Is there That is the end of Part One. You now have 20
anything else? seconds to check your answers.
Man: Yes, well this is my mistake really. Could [pause]
you ask Steven to move the company logo
further to the left? It’s too close to the address at Part Two. Questions 13 to 22.
the moment. I think that’s all for now. Thanks.
Section One. Questions 13 to 17.
[pause]
You will hear five short recordings.
Now listen to the recording again.
100
Test 1
For each recording, decide which type of Sixteen
document the speaker is talking about.
Man: Of course, this only gives a very general
Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the picture. But as you can see, cash is a particularly
recording. healthy area. That’s even when we take into
account regular outgoings on loans and leasing
Do not use any letter more than once.
equipment, which are included in the final
After you have listened once, replay the recordings. totals. And even more significantly, unpaid
orders are actually excluded from the final
You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.
calculation. These represent a sum of
[pause] approximately thirty thousand pounds. With
that in mind, we can say that the company’s
Now listen, and decide which type of document overall position is still strong.
each speaker is talking about.
[pause]
[pause]
Seventeen
Thirteen
Woman: I’ve just asked the Arden Conference
Woman: Well no wonder the bank’s returned it Centre about availability for our next training
unpaid. Look, the figures don’t match the seminar, and they said they still haven’t been paid
amount in words. I expect someone was filling it for the one before last, which should have been
in in too much of a hurry. Let’s see, we’d better dealt with six months ago. I’ve had to ask them to
issue another one straight away to pay Mrs send a duplicate! We really must be careful. Arden
Burton, because it’ll be another three weeks if give us very favourable prices, but we haven’t got
we wait for the next cycle of payments. Her a contract with them - Can you deal with it
expenses on that sales trip were pretty high, and straight away so we stay in their good books?
it wouldn’t be fair to keep her waiting much
[pause]
longer.
Now listen to the recordings again.
[pause]
[pause]
Fourteen
Section Two. Questions 18 to 22.
Man: Some of the suppliers are already asking
about the increases. I’ll check, but I seem to You will hear another five recordings.
remember from last week’s meeting that in the
For each recording, decide ivhat the speaker’s
end we agreed on three per cent. So what I’ll do
purpose is.
is go down each column and calculate the new
amounts, and then it can be printed in time to Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the
be inserted into the new brochures. Can you recording.
check the figures for me, though, before it goes
Do not use any letter more than once.
to the printers?
After you have listened once, replay the
[pause]
recordings.
Fifteen You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.
Woman: We’ve just received the paperwork from [pause]
you about cleaning our premises, and I have to
say that it doesn’t reflect what we agreed in our Now listen, and decide what each speaker’s
purpose is.
conversation last week. For one thing, it says
that we have to supply our security code, and [pause]
for another it specifies monthly payment in
advance, and I told you both of those were out Eighteen
of the question. I’m afraid I really can’t sign this. Man: Hello. This is Guy Cooper from Centron
Could you send me a revised one? Electronics here. I believe you rang for some
advice about your alarm system, which isn’t
[pause]
functioning properly. The message I got said you
weren’t sure if you needed someone to come and
101
Key
sort it out, or if we could advise you over the say that we ignored your advice. I know it’s
phone. Well perhaps you’d like to get back to important to achieve the consistency that you
me as soon as it’s convenient and tell me exactly require, but perhaps your recommendation
what the problem is, and I’ll see what I can do. wasn’t exactly what’s needed.
[pause] [pause]
Nineteen Now listen to the recordings again.
Woman: Well, as you say, Redlon has been [pause]
supplying us for years but, quite honestly, two-
thirds of the complaints we receive about our That is the end of Fart Two.
products are actually due to faults in
[pause]
components we’ve had from Redlon. So I talked
to the Production Manager and he agreed that I
Part Three. Questions 23 to 30.
should look at some alternatives. FutureWorld’s
range is fine for us, and one of their customers You will hear the chairman of a business institute
who I spoke to recommended them highly, so making a speech about new business awards that
that’s why we’ve changed to using them. his institute has sponsored.
[pause] For each question 23-30, mark one letter (A, В or
C) for the correct answer.
Twenty
After you have listened once, replay the recording.
Woman: The competition’s getting tougher, and
you know we’re facing serious problems. We You have 45 seconds to read through the
need to see more benefit from the undeniably questions.
hard work we’re putting in, and this means
[pause]
saying no to jobs which aren’t profitable. It
would be much more beneficial to put all our Now listen, and mark A, В or C.
efforts into winning higher-margin contracts. So
[pause]
the way I feel you can help most is by
identifying the types of contacts which will bring Man: Who are the managers of the best
in the income we need in order to ensure our innovation developments in British industry?
future. That was the question which the first Business
Today Innovation Awards set out to answer.
[pause]
This project is all about rewarding good
Twenty-one practice and performance. So, rather than
simply recognising excellence in the design of
Man: John Woods here, phoning about the project
specific products, or analysing their financial
we discussed earlier. Could you give me a ring so
impact on profits, the awards set out to take an
that we can talk about it a bit more? I’ve done a
objective look at exactly how companies
few calculations and I’m beginning to wonder
manage the development process itself.
whether it’s really a practical proposition. I still
Over three hundred and fifty organisations
think the project’s got potential, but there are
entered the competition and were initially
significant additional costs which we hadn’t
reduced to about forty. Then, after further
taken into account. So could you get back to me
careful checking, a short list of just fourteen of
as soon as you can, please?
them was arrived at. These finalists, all
[pause] manufacturers, were then visited by the
competition judges, a panel of four chief
Twenty-two
executives from leading companies. The panel
Woman: Hello, Sally here, from Pagwell Paints, toured the finalists’ facilities, received
returning your call. I’m very sorry you aren’t presentations on the companies and their
happy with the latest consignment you’ve had projects, and interviewed the key development
from us. It’s rather strange, because following team members. The products varied enormously
your complaint about the last delivery, we did in in their scale, function and degree of technology
fact take action to change the specifications in - from bread for a supermarket chain to a
the way you suggested. So it isn’t quite fair to printer inside an automatic cash dispenser.
/
102
✓
Test 2
Initially the organisers were concerned that this Links with suppliers were also seen as an
range could create difficulties in the assessment important factor, but not all supplier
process. But this fear proved baseless, as most experiences were positive. Occasionally serious
elements in the innovation process are shared by problems had to be solved where suppliers were
all manufacturers. working hard to meet specifications, but the
Interestingly, the finalists broke down into companies that the suppliers were using to
two distinct and equal groups: large firms with adapt their machinery were not so efficient.
one thousand employees or more and small This led to disappointing faults or fluctuations
firms with two hundred and fifty employees or in quality.
fewer. With both groups the judges decided to But in conclusion the awards demonstrate
concentrate on two of the clearest indicators of that innovation isn’t just for high-tech internet
a successful innovation process, which are: how companies. You can also be successful in mature
well the new product is combined with the markets with determination and skill.
company’s existing business, and secondly, how
[pause]
well the innovation methods are recorded and
understood. Small firms naturally tend to do Now listen to the recording again.
well in the first category since they have fewer
[pause]
layers of management and thus much shorter
communication lines. But they seem to put less That is the end of Part Three. You now have ten
emphasis on creating formal development minutes to transfer your answers to your Answer
methods which would be repeatable in future Sheet.
innovations.
Note: Teacher, stop the recording here and time
Large firms, on the other hand, have
ten minutes. Remind students when there is one
difficulty integrating the new development
minute remaining.
within their existing business for reasons of
scale. But they tend to succeed in achieving [pause]
well-documented and repeatable development
That is the end of the test.
methods. This is because larger companies,
with their clear emphasis on training, fixed
management structure and administrative
systems, require more formal, daily record­ Test 2 Reading
keeping from their staff.
Part 1
So what were the key questions the judges
had in mind when assessing the finalists? One IB 2 с 3 A 4 D 5 D
of the most important areas concerned how 6 В 7 с
thoroughly a company checks what is
happening in other fields in order to incorporate Part 2
new ideas into the development process. Many
8 С 9 в 10 E 11 A 12 D
of the finalists impressed in the area. Natura,
for example, had demonstrated genuine energy
Part 3
in searching for new ways of producing their
range of speciality breads. They had looked at 13 D 14 С 15 A 16 A 17 С
styles of home cooking in different countries, as 18 В
well as the possibility of exploiting new
production technologies in order to achieve Part 4
equally good results but on a high-volume
19 D 20 D 21 A 22 С 23 A
production line.
24 С 25 В 26 A 27 A 28 D
What then occupied much of the judges’
29 С 30 A 31 С 32 D 33 В
thoughts was the quality of the links which the
development team established with senior
Part 5
management, suppliers, the market and
manufacturing. The best examples of the first 34 THAT 35 CORRECT 36 ONLY
category were found in small firms, where the 37 SO 38 CORRECT 39 THE
individual entrepreneur at the top was clearly 40 HOW 41 CORRECT 42 OUT
driving the innovation forward. 43 CORRECT 44 WILL 45 BE
103
Key
Test 2 Writing Part 2
Part 1 Sample С
Sample A
Introduction.
The purpose of this report is to assess and
To: All Staff
recomend a taxi firm that will become our regular
From: Managing Director
transporter. We will need them especially during
Date: 7 December
next year trade fair and conferences. There are
Subject: Staff reward
two firms to assess.
I would like to thank you for the contribution in Findings:
increasing the company’s profit. The profit As regards to Telecars we have a good references
increased due to very hard work and long on them. It is very experienced traditional firm
working hours. Each of the staff will receive an and is also very reliable. They provide 24-hours
envelope with a reward on Tuesday. The reward is service that is useful during night meetings and
a trip to Hawaii, and I hope that this will be the negotiations. StreetlightCabs is brand new
perfect reward. Enjoy! company and there are no references on them. But
they provide long distance routes which we use
Thank you very often and they are also cheaper. On the other
hand they don’t have web page and so internet
Band 4 booking isn’t available.
All points are adequately covered and developed. Conclusion:
There is an adequate range of language, though I recommend to choose Telecars because of
with some repetition. their reliability, long tradition and well trained
staff.
Sample В
To: All Staff Band 4
From: Paul Blake All the content points are covered and are well
Date: 7 December 2002 organised. The range of language is good, and
Subject: Staff reward though some errors occur, these do not obscure the
message. The register is appropriate.
I am very pleased to tell everybody that our
company was make a great profit in this year.
Sample D
Thank a lot everybody’s contribution for the
company. Due to work hard, the management
decided that every body would get the oppotunity From: The General Manager
to add the salary and paid holiday. To: The line manager
THE PROPOSAL
Band 2
In order to have a taxi firm that it could use on a
All the content points are addressed, although
regular bases for our staff and clients, we should
poor control of basic structures, e.g. ‘was make’, choose the better one. The things following below
‘oppotunity to add the salary’, obscure the are my proposal. In the advertisement of
message at times. TELECARS, it gaves details. It’s a good reference.
The three details are useful for us. we need the 24-
hour service, because our company is runned for
whole day, and we need meet the clients at any
time.
Compared with the other one, I think the one of
STREETLIGHTCABS is not well. It’s a new
company and it has not any references. The
distance is important for us because we are in the
urban. If no distance is too far, it not good for our
business. And it also has no internet booking.
So I think the advertisement of TELECARS fits for
our requires.
104
*
Test 2
Band 2 Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
An attempt is made to address all the language
Man: Good morning, Oakleaf Business Training.
points, but this is not always successful. Generally
How can I help you?
the range of language is fairly limited and basic
Woman: Hello, my name’s Enid Stevens, of
errors occur.
Appleyard Smith. I’ve booked two one-day
courses, but now I need to change one of
Test 2 Listening them.
Man: Let me get your details up on the screen.
Part 1 Right, you’ve booked Report Writing next
month . . .
1 TAKING MINUTES
Woman: Yes, that one’s OK. It’s Taking Minutes
2 13(TH) OCTOBER
that I can’t manage, on the eighth of July. Do
3 CERTIFICATE
you know when it’s running again?
4 CUSTOMER SERVICE
Man: Let me see. Not until the eighteenth of
5 WORLDNET/WORLD NET
September, I’m afraid.
6 OUTSIDE LINES
Woman: That sounds fine. Oh, I think I’ll be
7 TRANSFER CALLS
abroad then.
8 (THE) EQUIPMENT
Man: Then there’s the first and the thirteenth of
9 TRADE FAIR
October.
10 AFTER LUNCH
Woman: I’d like the later date, please.
11 REVISED BUDGETS
Man: Fine, I’ll change your booking.
12 HEAD OFFICE
Woman: Another thing; it says in your brochure,
Part 2 everyone attending a course gets a certificate,
but I haven’t received one from a course I took
13 H 14 E 15 F 16 A 17 D last January.
18 G 19 E 20 С 21 В 22 H Man: I’m sorry about that. Which course was it?
Woman: Something to do with dealing with the
Part 3 public . . . ?
Man: That must have been Customer Service.
23 С 24 A 25 A 26 С 27 A
Woman: Sounds familiar.
28 С 29 В 30 В
Man: OK, I’ll put it in the post today.
Woman: Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Tapescript Man: Goodbye.
[pause]
Listening Test 2
Now listen to the recording again.
This is the Business English Certificate Vantage 2,
[pause]
Listening Test 2.
Conversation Two. Questions S to 8.
Part One. Questions 1 to 12.
Look at the note below.
You will hear three telephone conversations or
messages. You will hear a woman ringing about problems
with a new telephone system.
Write one or two words or a number in the
numbered spaces on the notes or forms below. You have 15 seconds to read through the note.
After you have listened once, replay each [pause]
recording.
Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
Conversation One. Questions 1 to 4.
Man: Hello, Swinburn Telecoms.
Look at the form below. Woman: I’d like to speak to Tony Wilson, please.
Man: I’m afraid Tony isn’t available. Can I take a
You will hear a woman calling about training
message?
courses.
Woman: Yes please. I’m Sheila Dallas, from
You have IS seconds to read through the form. Worldnet.
Man: Right.
[pause]
105
Key
Woman: I’m ringing about the telephone system Woman: Thanks. And could you also ask him to
your firm installed here yesterday. We’re not add another item for discussion at the meeting? I
happy with it. thought we were going to talk about the revised
Man: Oh dear. What seems to be the problem? budgets - but I can’t see this on the agenda.
Woman: First of all, your engineer said that with Man: OK. I’d better ask him to call you . . .
the number of extensions we’ve got, six outside Woman: Yes, please. I’m at Head Office at the
lines would be enough, but we asked for eight, moment. Can he phone me here today - I won’t
and anyway you’ve charged us for the larger be back at my own desk until tomorrow
system. afternoon.
Man: Right, we’ll look into that. Man: Right, I’ll give him the message.
Woman: Then, whenever we try to transfer calls Woman: Thanks.
from one extension to another we lose them. Man: Bye.
We’re following the instructions, but it just Woman: Goodbye.
doesn’t work.
[pause]
Man: I see.
Woman: And finally, could you ask Tony to check Now listen to the recording again.
the invoice, please? He promised us a discount
[pause]
on installation, which is shown, and one on the
equipment, but that isn’t there.
That is the end of Part One. You now have 20
Man: Right. I’m sorry about all that. I’ll get Tony
seconds to check your answers.
to contact you as soon as he’s free.
Woman: Thank you. Goodbye. [pause]
Man: Goodbye.
Part Two. Questions 13 to 22.
[pause]
Section One. Questions 13 to 17.
Now listen to the recording again.
You will hear five short recordings. Five people are
[pause]
talking about different business books they have
Conversation Three. Questions 9 to 12. read.
Look at the note below. For each recording, decide which book the speaker
is talking about.
You will hear a woman calling about the
arrangements for a meeting. Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the
recording.
You have 15 seconds to read through the note.
Do not use any letter more than once.
[pause]
After you have listened once, replay the recordings.
Now listen, and fill in the spaces.
You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.
Man: Good morning. Marketing Department.
Peter Menzies speaking. [pause]
Woman: Hello. Could I speak to John Fitzgerald,
Now listen, and decide which book each speaker is
please?
talking about.
■ Man: I’m afraid he’s not in the office at the moment.
Woman: Well, this is Elizabeth Parnell calling. I [pause]
wanted to talk to John about the meeting next
Thirteen
week. You see, I only get back on Tuesday night
from a trade fair in the States. Woman: Yes, it was interesting . . . some of it was
Man: So, would you like me to give him a rather obvious, of course, like dressing smartly,
message? making sure you arrive on time, that sort of
Woman: Yes, could you ask him if we can thing . . . but there was also quite a lot I’d never
postpone Wednesday’s meeting? Till after lunch. really considered . . . like ways to interpret wha
That would be easier. It was originally going to the advertisement is really asking for, reading
be at ten a.m. between the lines . . . and a section which lists
Man: OK. I’ll ask him to change it. I’ll get back to some of the harder questions they tend to ask
you with a time. t you, with effective answers you can give.
106
Test 2
[pause] [pause]
Fourteen Section Two. Questions 18 to 22.
Man: Invaluable, I’d say . . . certainly helps You will hear another five recordings. Five people
prevent you making some of the more are talking about why they decided to use a
embarrassing mistakes. It gives you a kind of particular company to supply their office
timescale to follow through. For example, they equipment.
stress that you need to get publicity up and
For each recording, decide what reason each
running a good six months before you want to
person gives.
stage the event. And get your main speakers
booked earlier than that. They say you must Write one letter (A-H) next to the number of the
make sure you’ve got a good assistant to recording.
support you, check the details.
Do not use any letter more than once.
[pause]
After you have listened once, replay the recordings.
Fifteen
You have 15 seconds to read the list A-H.
Woman: Actually, although it was a bit long, it
[pause]
was definitely useful. The trouble often is, when
the management take on new staff, they don’t Now listen, and decide what reason each person
necessarily really know what skills or qualities gives.
are needed. I want someone who’s more than
[pause]
just a secretary typing out letters every day . . .
I’m looking for a right hand, someone to do Eighteen
everything . . . and this book spells out what
Man: We were having problems with the company
that means . . . it’s helped me to draw up a job
we normally use so we looked at a number of
description.
other companies and decided to give this one a
[pause] try. They’re just new in the business and we were
impressed as they promised they would deliver
Sixteen
the goods we wanted within two days and they
Man: Well, I wish I’d read it years ago! That did. We had to pay more than we would have
would have saved me from some of my worst liked but the results were worth it. Since then,
inefficiencies. I’d recommend it to anyone. It I’ve told a lot of other people about them.
shows you how to produce a perfect schedule
[pause]
for getting through your workload . . . Once
you’ve got yourself organised, made lists of Nineteen
tasks and priorities, you can make best use of
Woman: Apparently they’re an established
each and every day . . . otherwise you’re just
company in Scotland with an excellent
constantly confusing your PA with endless
reputation, but I didn’t know that at tjie time. I
requests, all terribly urgent. . .
found them through the internet. I was just
[pause] browsing through the list of suppliers one day
and I noticed their name. I looked them up and
Seventeen
found that they had this fantastic discount
Woman: Certainly, a lot of the book was very available that particular month. We ordered
specialised . . . but it did give me an idea of how various things and the quality was so good
the agencies do the job. Of course, they’re the we’ve continued using them.
people with the creative ideas, the expertise, so
[pause]
I’m happy to trust the image development work
to them . . . but I read the book so I could talk Twenty
to them on equal terms about what we’re trying
Man: We like to try out different suppliers to
to do, and how it fits in with our overall
make sure we’re always getting the best deal.
business strategy.
This particular company was running a big
[pause] publicity campaign. I’d seen the ads on TV and
they really put me off. I just couldn’t see the
Now listen to the recordings again.
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