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Passage Two
The General Electric Company, often criticized for the complexity of its structure and the resulting opacity of its numbers, said yesterday that it would break GE Capital, by far its largest business, into four businesses. The reorganization effectively eliminates the job of Denis J. Nayden, 48, the chairman of GE Capital. Each of the new units will have its own chief, who Will report directly to Jeffrey R. Immelt, G. E.'s chairman. "The reason for doing this is simple. I want more direct contact with the financial services teams," Mr. Immelt said。
The new businesses are GE Commercial Finance, GE Insurance, SE Consumer Finance and GE Equipment Management. Some support functions within GE Capital, including risk management and treasury, will now report to Dennis Dammerman, 57, a G. E. vice chairman who preceded Mr. Nayden as GE Capital's chlef. Mr, Nayden will remain at G. E. as an adviser for now, but is expected to leave shortly to start a financial services firm。
Mr. Dammerman insisted that the reorganization had nothing to do with the increasing clamor from investors, regulators and the news media for greater transparency in accounting and for chief executives to take more responsibility for businesses: Analysts seem to believe him. "This is just what it appears to be, a managerial, reorganization which gives leaders more direct access to the office of the chairman," said Martin A. Sankey, a G. E. analyst。
The executives leading the new units will also sit on G.. E. 's corporate executive council, a committee made up of the company's top 25 executives, which meets periodically and discusses various strategic and management issues。
GE Capital, the company's largest nit, provided $55 billion of G. E. 's $124 billion in revenue last year and $ 5.6 billion of its $19.7 billion in pretax profits. The rest of G. E. had been divided into 11 other businesses, many of them--lighting and appliances are examples-much smaller than the new GE Capital units, yet each run by someone who reports directly to the chairman. Mr. Dammermn said that Mr. Immelt began talking about breaking GE Capital into more manageable pieces as soon as he took over as chief executive last September. "Jeff didn't like the extra layer between him and the GE Capital businesses,"
G. E. has tried to make GE Capital less mysterious to 'the outside world. Although GE Capital was officially one unit, it had begun to report quarterly results in live product-related segments--a number that will be reduced to four with the new organization. And analysts say GE Capital's management has been more accessible than it was in past years, and that Mr. Immelt and other G. E. corporate executives have been willing to discuss GE Capital in more depth。
57. After the reorganization, GE will have altogether ______。
A) six businesses B) sixteen businesses
C) four businesses . D) fifteen businesses
58. Which of the following statements is NOT true of Dennis Dammerman?
A) He is now a GE's vice chairman。
B) He is expected to leave GE to start a new financial services firm。
C) He was once the chairman of GE Capital。
D) He regards the reorganization of GE as an initiative of its own。
59. All the following statements are False of Denis Nayden EXCEPT that ______。
A) the reorganization makes him lose his position as a chairman
B) he will remain for some time at GE as an analyst
C) he is currently GE's chairman
D) he is expected to start a new GE financial firm in the near future
60. The reorganization will enable GE's chief executive to ______。
A) quiet down the unrest in the world
B) work in a more friendly business environment
C) have more direct contact with GE's financial services teams
D) appear less mysterious to the outside world
61. The General Electric Capital ______。
A) is divided into five product-related segments now
B) provided more than 1/3 of GE's revenue last year
C) is going to be broken into more businesses
D) now has smaller units than all other businesses in GE
Part Ⅴ Cloze (15 minutes)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are four choices marked A)， B) ,C) and D) on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the center。
We all know that a magician does not really depend on "magic" to perform his trick. (62) on his ability to act at great speed. (63) , this does not prevent us from enjoying watching a magician (64) rabbits from a hat. (65) the greatest magician of all time was Harry Houdini who died in 1926. Houdini mastered the art of (66) . He could free himself from the tightest knots or the most complicated locks in seconds. (67) no one really knows (68) he did this, there is no doubt (69) he had made a close study of every type of lock ever (70) . He liked to carry a small steel needle-like tool strapped to his leg and he used this in (71) of a key. Houdini once asked the Chicago police to lock him in prison. They (72) him in chains and locked him up, but he freed himself (73) an instant. The police (74) him of having used a tool and locked him up again. This time he wore no clothes and there were chains around his neck, waist, wrists, and legs; but he again escaped in a few minutes. Houdini had probably hidden his "needle" in a waxlike (75) and dropped it on the floor in the passage. (76) he went past, he stepped on it so that it stuck to the bottom of his foot. His most famous escape, however, was (77) astonishing. He was heavily chained (78) and enclosed in an empty wooden chest, the lid of (79) was nailed down. The (80) was dropped into the sea in New York harbor. In one minute Houdini had swum to the surface. When the chest was (81) . it was opened and the chains was found inside。
62. A) but B) then C) and D) however
63. A) Generally B) However C) Possibly D) Likewise
64. A) to produce B) who produces C) produce D) how to produce
65. A) Out of question B) Though C) Probably D) Undoubted
66. A) escaping B) locking C) opening D) dropping
67. A) Surprisingly B) Obviously C) Perhaps D) Although
68. A) when B) where C) how D) what
69. A) if B) whether C) as to D) that
70. A) invented B) invent C) being invented D) inventing
71. A) use B) place C) view D) absence
72. A) involved B) closed C) connected D) bound
73. A) at B) by C) in D) for
74. A) rid B) charged C) accused D) deprived
75. A) candle B) mud C) something D) substance
76. A) As B) Usually C) Maybe D) Then
77. A) overall B) all but C) no longer D) altogether
78. A) up B) down C) around D) in
79. A) it B) which C) that D) him
80. A) chest B) body C) lid D) chain
81. A) brought up B) sunk C) broken apart D) snapped
Part Ⅵ Translation (5 minutes)
82. It is well-known that _________________________ (退休工人有资格享受免费的医疗)。
83. Because his health is getting worse, _________________________ (他不得不克制自己以免饮酒过度)。
84. Mike has never done anything against law, _________________________ (即使像打碎邻居家的窗户这样的小过错也都没有犯过)。
85. The truth in question is that success in life depends chiefly on sustained efforts _________________________ (这种努力来源于对所选职业的一种深厚的兴趣)。
86. But ability and patience do not account for all scientific discoveries which _________________________ (常常与创造性的想象力紧密相关)。
