為了方便同學們的BEC商務英語(高階)學習，應屆畢業生網商務英語欄目為大家準備了去年BEC商務英語考試高階閱讀部分真題及答案詳解，供大家閱讀參考。
更多有關BEC商務英語的資訊，盡在應屆畢業生網商務英語欄目!
The Negotiating Table
You can negotiate virtually anything. Projects, resources, expectations and deadlines are all outcomes of negotiation. Some people negotiate deals for a living. Dr Herb Cohen is one of these professional talkers, called in by companies to negotiate on their??behalf . He approaches the art of negotiation as a game because, as he is usually negotiating for somebody else, he says this helps him drain the emotional content from his conversation. He is working in a competitive field and needs to avoid being too adversarial. Whether he succeeds or not, it is important to him to make a good impression so that people will recommend him.
The starting point for any deal, he believes, is to identify exactly what you want from each other. More often than not, one party will be trying to persuade the other round to their point of view. Negotiation requires two people at the end saying ‘yes”. This can be a problem because one of them usually begins by saying “no”. However, although this can make talks more difficult, this is often just a starting point in the negotiation game. Top management may well reject the idea initially because it is the safer option but they would not be there if they were not interested.
It is a misconception that skilled negotiators are smooth operators in smart suits. Dr Cohen says that one of his strategies is to dress down so that the other side can relate to you. Pitch your look to suit your customer. You do not need to make them feel better than you but, For example, dressing in a style that is not overtly expensive or successful will make you more approachable. People will generally feel more comfortable with somebody who appears to be like them rather than superior to them. They may not like you but they will feel they can trust you.
Dr Cohen suggests that the best way to sell your proposal is by getting into the world of the other side. Ask questions rather than give answers and take an interest in what the other person is saying, even if you think what they are saying is silly. You do not need to become their best friends but being too clever will alienate them. A lot of deals are made on impressions. Do not rush what you are saying---put a few hesitations in , do not try to blind them with your verbal dexterity. Also, you should repeat back to them what they have said to show you take them seriously.
Inevitably some deals will not succeed. Generally the longer the negotiations go on, the better chance they have because people do not want to think their investment and energies have gone to waste. However , joint venture can mean joint risk and sometimes , if this becomes too great , neither party may be prepared to see the deal through . More common is a corporate culture clash between companies, which can put paid to any deal. Even having agreed a deal, things may not be tied up quickly because when the lawyers get involved, everything gets slowed down as they argue about small details.
De Cohen thinks that children are the masters of negotiation. Their goals are totally selfish. They understand the decision-making process within families perfectly. If Mum refuses their request , they will troop along to Dad and pressure him. If al else fails, they will try the grandparents, using some emotional blackmail. They can also be very single-minded and have an inexhaustible supply of energy for the cause they are pursuing. So there are lesson to be learned from watching and listening to children.
15 Dr Cohen treats negotiation as a game in order to
A put people at ease
B remain detached
C be competitive
D impress rivals
16 Many people say “no” to a suggestion in the beginning to
A convince the other party of their point of view
B show they are not really interested
C indicate they wish to take the easy option
D protect their company’s situation
17 Dr Cohen says that when you are trying to negotiate you should
A adapt your style to the people you are talking to
B make the other side feel superior to you
C dress in a way to make you feel comfortable.
D try to make the other side like you
18 According to Dr Cohen, understanding the other person will help you to
A gain their friendship
B speed up the negotiations
C plan your next move.
Dconvince them of your point of view
19 Deals sometimes fail because
A negotiations have gone on too long
B the companies operate in different ways
C one party risks more than the other.
D the lawyers work too slowly
20 Dr Cohen mentions children’s negotiation techniques to show that you should
A be prepared to try every route
B try not to make people feel guilty
C be careful not to exhaust yourself
D control the decision-making process.
關於negotiating techniques的文章。 傳統的閱讀題型，相對比較容易。
15題，答案很明顯：he says this helps him drain the emotional content from his conversation。幫助他抽離他的談話中的感情成分。要想選對，只需要知道選項B中detached的含義：not reacting to or becoming involved in something in an emotional way
16題，這題貌似只能採取排除法。因為幾個選項和原文的對應都不是太明顯。問為什麼很多人在一開始要對一個建議說“不”。答案是第二段的最後一句：Top management may well reject the idea initially because it is the safer option but they would not be there if they were not interested.。最高管理層在一開始可能會拒絕這個建議，因為這樣是一個更安全的選擇。但是如果他們真的不感興趣的話，他們就不會在那裡(談判)了。A在這段文字中沒有提到，B不對，他們肯定是感興趣的，C也不對沒有提到，原文說的是safer option。選D，之所以會拒絕，因為從維護公司利益的角度，這樣是一個safer option。
17題，答案也很明顯：Dr Cohen says that one of his strategies is to dress down so that the other side can relate to you.這裡的兩個片語可以解釋下：
dress down: to wear clothes that are more informal than the ones you would usually wear relate to :to feel that you understand someone's problem, situation etc
所以這個句子意思是穿的不那麼正式，這樣可以讓另一方接近你。也就是A說的是你的風格適應你的談判物件。C不對，不是make you feel comfortable，而是make others feel comfortable。D也不對，可能會誤選，不是讓別人喜歡你，like太誇張了，只是容易接近。
18題，答案在第四段的第一句話：Dr Cohen suggests that the best way to sell your proposal is by getting into the world of the other side.。走進另一方的世界，就是原文說的understanding the other person，目的是為了sell your proposal，也就是讓對方接受你的建議，選D。
19題，談判失敗的`原因，答案是第五段的這麼一句：More common is a corporate culture clash between companies, which can put paid to any deal。公司文化衝突導致的。文化衝突，就是兩個公司在運作、理念等等上的不一致，選C：兩個公司以不同的方式運作。
20題，為什麼要借鑑小孩子的辦法，原文最後一段提到小孩子的辦法就是，爸爸不行找媽媽，媽媽不行就在感情上敲詐爺爺奶奶。此路不通就換另一條，就是A說的嘗試每一條路線。B沒有提到，C不對，原文說小孩子有inexhaustible supply of energy。D也沒有提到。
