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When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of America(第26题) in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving "to pursue my goal of running a company." Broadcasting his ambition was "very much my decision," McGee says. Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29.
McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. And McGee isn't alone. In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post. As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who don't get the nod also may wish to move on. A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations.
As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders.
The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional. For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached(第28题). Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey:"I can't think of a single search I've done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first."
Those who jumped without a job haven't always landed in top positions quickly. Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade age, saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. Robert Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later.
Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers. The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one. "The traditional rule was it's safer to stay where you are, but that's been fundamentally inverted," says one headhunter. "The people who've been hurt the worst are those who've stayed too long."
本文关键词:executives jumped without a job
本文主旨:executives are willing to make the jump without a net
26. When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being
麦基宣布离职时，对其方式的最佳描述为
A]arrogant 傲慢的
B]frank 坦率的
C]self-centered 以自我为中心的
D]impulsive 冲动的
原文:his explanation was surprisingly straight up，他的解释出人意料地直率，frank与straight up同义，所以B正确。
27. According to Paragraph 2, senior executives' quitting may be spurred by
根据第二段，促使高管们辞职的可能是
A]their expectation of better financial status
他们对更佳财务状况的渴望
B]their need to reflect on their private life
他们想认真思考人生的需求
C]their strained relations with the boards
他们与董事会的紧张关系，原文:executives who don't get the nod，未获得董事会首肯，这不能过度推断为与董事会关系紧张，而且这只是部分高管的状况，不代表总体。
D]their pursuit of new career goals
他们对全新职业目标的追求，原文:the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post.雅芳二号高管为追求CEO职位而辞职、executives who don't get the nod also may wish to move on，继任无望的高管也希望换工作，总结起来就是高管为了追求新的职业目标而辞职。
28. The word "poached" (Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means
"poached"一词的含义为
A]approved of 被认可
B]attended to 被关注
C]hunted for 被搜寻
D]guarded against 被提防
原文:I can't think of a single search I've done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first，我所做的招聘中，想不起有哪一次董事会没有要求我首先考虑在任的CEO,可见按照惯例，高管应该是坐等猎头，是被“搜寻的”，C正确，另外前文出现:executives and headhunters，一方为高管，一方为猎头，两种的关系是被搜寻与搜寻的关系，hunt for最符合语境。
29. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that
从最后一段可推知
A]top performers used to cling to their posts
高级职员们过去一向坚守其职，原文:The traditional rule was it's safer to stay where you are, but that's been fundamentally inverted，传统规则是固守现任岗位更保险，但是，这种规则已经被彻底颠覆了。可见过去高管时坚守岗位的，A正确。
B]loyalty of top performers is getting out-dated
高级职员们的忠诚正变得不合时宜，主观臆断，文章没有提及“loyalty”
C]top performers care more about reputations
高级职员们更关注名声
D]it's safer to stick to the traditional rules
坚守传统规则更安全，原文是stay where you are，坚守岗位，而不是坚守传统规则。
30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
以下哪一项是文章最好的标题
A]CEOs: Where to Go?
首席执行官:路在何方?
B]CEOs: All the Way Up?
首席执行官:一路高升?
C]Top Managers Jump without a Net
高级经理们在没有新工作的情况下辞职
D]The Only Way Out for Top Performers
高级职员们唯一的出路
本文主角是“top managers，高级经理”，而不是“CEO”,CEO是经理们所追求的目标，所以排除A,B，而文章开头借美国银行总裁辞职引出本文主旨，即高管裸辞，所以C项最适合做标题。
词汇总结
depart /dɪ'pɑrt/ vt. 离开； vi. 离开，死亡，脱轨 n.departure
真题：When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of America in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up(直率地).
译：利亚姆麦基8月份辞去其作为美国银行总裁的职务时，他的解释出人意料地直率。
straight up 直率地，真实地
同义词：straightforward forthright
vague /veiɡ/ adj. 模糊的，不明确的，说话含糊不清的，茫然的
真题：Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving "to pursue my goal of running a company."
译：他没有用常见的一些含糊其辞的借口来掩饰自己的离开，而是公开声明他离职是“为了追求开公司的目标”。
aspiration /'æspə'reʃən/ n. 热望，渴望
真题：It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations.
译：这也向外界明确传递了他的志向所在。
拓展：inspiration 灵感，吸入，鼓舞人心
executive /ɪɡ'zɛkjətɪv/ adj. 行政的； n. 执行者，主管
真题：In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit(离开，辞职，停止) with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post.
译：最近几周，雅芳公司和美国运通公司的二把手以他们在期冀CEO职位为由辞职了。
scrutinize /ˈskru:tnˌaɪz/ n. 详细检查，细读； v. 仔细检查； vt. 细察
真题：As boards scrutinize succession(继任) plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who don't get the nod(点头) also may wish to move on.
译：当董事会迫于股东压力仔细审查继任计划时，那些未得到首肯的高管也可能想换份工作。
turbulent /'tɝbjələnt/ adj. 狂暴的，吵闹的，动荡的
真题： A turbulent business environment also has senior(高级的，年长的，大四学生) managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud(使…模糊，以云遮敝，笼罩，使…混淆，毁坏) their reputations(声誉).
译：动荡不安的商业环境也使得高级经理人谨防让含糊其辞的声明损毁自己的声誉。
拓展：freshman 大一学生 sophomore 大二学生 junior 大三学生 senior 大四学生
senior 高级的--junior 初级的; superior 上层的--inferior 次等的
deputy /'dɛpjuti/ adj. 代理的，副的； n. 代表，副手
真题：As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net.
译：随着经济复苏初现企稳迹象，副总们也许更愿意在没有找到新工作的情况下就辞职。
abound /ə'baʊnd/ v. 富裕，充满
真题： As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders.
译：随着经济好转，对于胸怀抱负的领导者来说会有很多机会。
adhere to 坚持，依附
真题：For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached.
译：多年来，高管和猎头们一直都遵循这一规则：最具吸引力的CEO候选人是那些必须被挖出来的人。
poach /pəʊtʃ/ vt. 偷猎，水煮，剽窃，挖角
例句：I believe that governments should prohibit activities like poaching.
译：我认为政府应该禁止偷猎等行为。
disgrace /dɪs'ɡres/ n. 耻辱，不名誉； v. 耻辱，使...失体面
真题：Many recruiters(招聘人员) say the old disgrace is fading for top performers.
译：许多招聘人员表示，过去对高级职员而言的不光彩正在褪去。
fundamentally /ˌfʌndə'mɛntəli/ adv. 从根本上，基本地
真题：The traditional rule was it's safer to stay where you are, but that's been fundamentally inverted(反转，颠倒).
译：传统规则是固守现任岗位更保险，但是这种规则已被彻底颠覆了。
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