句子和文章的搭配(6)

1．4 例题精析
QUESTION
Questions 1-7
 Look at the sentences below and the company news below.
 Which news report does each sentence 1-7 refer to?
 For each sentence, mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.
 You will need to use some of these letters more than once.
Example: Answer
0 This company is going to reduce staff number. C

1. A strong currency has had a negative effect on the company.
2. The workforce has made it difficult for this company to become more efficient.
3. The use of specialists led to very high cost.
4. Increased competition has contributed to this company’s difficulties.
5. This company has reached an agreement on a new project.
6. Part of this company was up for sale.
7. This company has expanded its manufacturing base.
A
Walger, the bus maker, has entered into a joint venture with IMCO Bus Corporation to participate in coachbuilding operation in Mexican. The two companies have just announced the ＄70 million acquisition of Mexican Coachworks, the largest bus and coach builder in Mexico, with 2,400 employees and three factories. Walger retains a 60% interest in the coachbuilding venture. Analysts have expressed surprise, given the current exchange rate.
B
Jetliner Airports has said that it spent ￡2.1million on its failed attempt to dispose of its duty-free retail division. The chief executive said the company’s six-month search for a buyer ran up heavy consultancy expenses which left half-year pre-tax profits at ￡4.5 million. It also emerged that the Director of Finance received a ￡500,000 settlement when he left the company.
C
GRD, the manufacturing giant, plans to cut 1,500 jobs at its Portland factory over the next five years after union refusal t increase productivity. A company representative said that although they have invested more than ￡42 million in the new plant and improved technology, the trade union are still unwilling to increase output. As a result, GRD have been forced to downsize the Portland plant.
D
May Brooke, the Scottish department store, reported a fall in trading profits in the first half of the yeas from ￡545,000 to ￡462,000, on sale which were down tow per cent. They blamed the disappointing first half on the strength of the pound, which hit the company’s tourist business, as well as on increase in traffic and parking problems in the city center, and the growth of out-of-town shopping centers.

ANSWER
1. D 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. A 6. B 7.A
COMMENT
这是关于四个不同性质的公司的新闻消息。第一篇是关于Walger与IMCO公共汽车公司合资参与汽车车身的设计与制造并获得巨额利润的消息。第二篇讲述的是：Jetliner Airports转让免税零售公司失败以及因为巨额的顾问费和专家薪资费陷入困境。第三篇讲述的是：GRD公司在波特兰新工厂巨额投资并提高技术，但工会不愿意增加输出量，公司只好大量裁员。第四篇讲述的是；苏格兰最大的百货商店May Brooke因为英镑的强通货和越来越多的交通和停车问题，销售利润大幅度下滑。

1. 句子1的意思是：强通货对公司产生负面的、消极的影响。这正是D篇短文讲述的内容。“They blamed the disappointing first half on the strength of the pound, which hit the company’s tourist business”表明英镑的强通货打击了旅游经济，从而影响了百货公司的收入。所以句子1应该和D篇短文搭配。在这里具有较大迷惑性的答案是A ，因为在A篇短文中出现了与货币相关的术语“exchange rate”（汇率），然而在A篇短文中没有体现出句子1中的关键词“negative”，A就可以被排除。

2. 句子2 的意思是：劳动力（职工总数）使公司的效率很难提高。在C篇短文中，虽然没有直接出现表达相近意思这样的句子，但从整体上讲的就是公司决定裁员，从而提高公司运转的效率。很显然，这是一道把握大意型的题目。在做这一类题目的时候，不能一味在短文中找出同义转述的细节，而是要从整体上去把握短文的意思，只要整体意思一致，就可以判定是正确的搭配。另外，这类题目的检验方法是排除法，即：只要其他3篇短文都不能与这个句子搭配，则说明这组搭配是正确的。
3. 句子3十分简单，可以容易地抓住关键词。它们是“specialists”和“very high cost”。在短文B中出现了“heavy consultancy expenses”（巨额的顾问开支），根据常识，我们知道顾问大都是由专家担任的。另外“It also emerged that the Director of Finance received a ￡500,000 settlement when he left the company”的意思是：同样表明，当财政主管离开公司的时候，拿到50万英镑的薪资。其中“￡500,000 settlement”就是“very high cost”的同义转述，同样，财政主管一般是由这方面的专家担任。这道题不仅考查了同义转述，也考查了举例说明。“heavy consultancy expenses”和“￡500,000 settlement”是“very high cost”的同义转述，并且“consultant (consultancy)”和“Director of Finance”是“specialists”的举例说明。