人郵第二輯真題 TEST4 READING PART 2
Search for the “ worldly –wise” company executives
The quest for international managers is underway in virtually every industrialized economy , the search has been made urgent by the globalization of world markets and the growth in crossborder mergers and acquisitions. (0) Many firms report being so stretched that they simply do not have enough of the high-quality people they require to lead their their global expansion.
Other companies are having difficulties releasing experienced people from existing operations in order to lead new international ventures. There are indications that a shorftage of internationally skilled people may be an important constraint on firms’ international ambitions. (9) However, identifying the need for international managers is easier than developing them.
So what makes an international manager? Paul Evans, a professor at INSEAD, the European business school, does not believe that any particular nationality produces a more international manager. Neither does he believe that it’s a matter of having the ability to cope with a lifestyle that involves working in Madrid one day, London the next and Berlin the day after. (10) Rather, he believes that the secret of being a good international manger is being comfortable with managing diversity.
Ford of Europe, which has encouraged the development of international managers for more than 20 years, says that its managers are globally-minded before they become global operators. (11) a car that you buy in the UK, for example, is going to be the same car that sells in Germany, Finland and Portugal, so the people who are involved in the car’s development have to be aware of the market requirements in all those different countries.
Generally, it seems that the only effective way to develop international skills and perspectives is through direct international experience. (12) Such experiences open people’s minds to the fact that things are done differently lese where and encourages them to think in a wilder context..
Formulating effective strategies for developing a company’s management resource is a demanding exercise, with conflicting issues to be solved (13) Another dilemma is whether to use local managers or expatriates.
The recruitment and development of effective international managers requires considerable financial resources and can be hard to justify at budget meetings. (14) however , without them, companies will continue to find their expansion plans frustrated by a lack of internationally effective managers.
A From the moment they join the company, employees are faced with having to think internationally
B This can be through involvement in international task forces or through living and working abroad.
C Should , for example, only an elite few receive international experience in preparation for top jobs or should it be offered to a wider group?
D These problems mean that developing managers who think and operate globally is absolutely vital for companies operating in foreign markets.
E Language training , overseas visits and in-house management courses are all expensive to implement.
F Jet-setting between international operations merely creates a business equivalent of the over-packaged tourist
G Companies are now emphasizing the human skills involved in managing other people
H These trends are pushing companies’ existing management resources to the limit
國際化是趨勢，尋找具有國際眼光的經理成了重中之重。
開篇第一段和第二段是介紹尋找國際化的經理們的必要性和難度。人才難得。第九空的前面說的就是具備國際技能的人才短缺對公司發展的限制。第九空后面有個however，說認識到對國際化的經理們的需求遠比培養他們要容易。可見空格地方說的還是對國際化人才的需要（也就是indentifying the need for international managers），選D：這些問題說明培養具有全球思維和操作能力的經理對于公司在國外市場的操作是至關重要的。These problems，是指代前面說的a shortage of internationally skilled people。至關重要（vital），也就是認識到了這種需要。
第三段說國際化的經理需要哪些素質。不一定是具有某個國籍的人，也不需要能適應不同國家的生活方式（lifestyle）。成為一個好的國際化的經理的秘訣是能夠應對多樣性(managing diversity)。第十空的前面列舉了一些錯誤的想法(國籍和生活方式)，然后空格后面有個rather，表示轉折，后面跟著說明真正需要的素質是什么。那么第十空的內容應該還是和前面列舉的錯誤觀點相關的。前面觀點說的就是國際化的經理們要能在不同背景的國家中生活，今天馬德里明天倫敦后天柏林，而事實上這并不需要。滿足這個要求的選項是F，有點隱晦。選項中的jet-setting的意思是：An international social set made up of wealthy people who travel from one fashionable place to another.富豪們乘著噴氣式飛機從一個地方飛到另一個地方。所以這個選項翻譯過來就是：國際操作中的噴氣機旅行只是創造出了一種類似于過度包裝的旅游業的商業。否定的意思。
第四段是以FORD公司來舉例。該公司培養國際化的經理已經超過了20年，這些經理們在進行全球操作之前就已經具有全球的思維了（globally-minded）。第十一空后面也是舉例，這些經理應該滿足什么樣的條件。那么總觀這么一段，說的就是FORD公司對人才的培養，有什么樣的要求。沒有global operation之前就是globally-minded，說明公司從一開始就有意識的對這些人進行全球眼光的培養。第十一空選A：從這些人進公司起，就面臨著怎么進行國際化的思考的問題。
第十二題，上下文稍微明顯一些。空格前面說貌似最有效的培養方法是通過直接的國際化經驗。空格后面有個such experience，說明空格地方講的就是international experience。選B，B選項里的international task和living and working abroad就是international experience。
第十三題，這一段是講的培養過程中的一些問題（with conflicting issues to be solved）。空格后面有個another dilemma，另一個困境，到底是使用本地的經理還是外地的(local or expatriate)。那么空格處說的也是問題。選C：是讓少數精英接受國際經驗，為高層的工作做準備呢，還是為一個更廣泛的人群普遍提供國際經驗？精英教育還是大眾教育，這是個問題。這個問題和后面的local or expatriate算是一個系列的dilemma。
第十四題，這題算是比較明顯的。文章前半部分說了一堆培養上的麻煩，現在終于談到關鍵點上了：錢。商業社會，利益至上。干什么都是要講究成本的。空格前面說require considerable resources，這里在預算會議上很難說清楚（justify）。空格后面一個however，雖然貴，但是是必要的。空格處的內容還是和錢有關。滿足這個條件的選項是E，看到該選項中的expensive，答案就呼之欲出了。
