lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624
University of Economics, HCMC Paper Code: FINAL – FN- M1 – K46 School of Foreign Languages
Exam in English for Finance (75 minutes)
Read the instruction carefully. RECORD your answers on your answer sheet.
Section 1: Language knowledge (40 marks)
I. Choose the best answer. 1.
Our …………. shows that in ten years the firm will spend twice as much on research and
development as it currently does. A. expectancy B. evaluation C. estimate D. expectation 2.
Despite the serious economic slump, Morgan and Irene Inc., an oil company, continued making a good …………. A. profit B. loss C. revenue D. turnover 3.
The company needed to make job cuts so they asked staff to volunteer for………..A.
innovations B. vacancies C. limitations D. redundancies 4. The chief executive decided to
…………. the contract with Mr. Wilson because his performance was consistently substandard.
A. delete B. renew C. extend D. terminate
5. Ms. Michaels would have been on time for the meeting if she …………. the subway instead of the bus. A. rode
B. had ridden C. would ride D. would have ridden 6. Due
to your poor credit rating, we will not ship the merchandise to you …………. we have received your payment in full. A. until B. since C. although D. so that
7. It is requested that participants turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices when they
…………. the conference room. A. will enter B. entered C. enter D. are entering
8. Since June 2009, the customer relations department ………. over 50 complaints from clients.
A. has received B. received C. receives D. was receiving 9. Harris Legal Co.
…………. more mergers and acquisitions experts than any other law firm in Boston. A. employs B. employed C. will employ D. had employed
10. Bristano Machine, Ltd. first ………… the computer market in 1987, with the introduction of its Model A-2 desktop.
A. has entered B. entered C. was entering D. had entered 11. Mr. Smith’s monthly
bank statement indicates that he made several …………. from his checking account. A. discounts
B. compensations C. withdrawals D. deposits 12.
At last week’s management meeting, there was general agreement that the leave application
process needs to be …………. A. attached B. simplified C. released D. consulted 13.
Some members of the labor union are …………. that the workweek be shortened from 40 to 35 hours. A. exposing B. supposing C. imposing D. proposing 14.
The database employees need to be more thorough in order to …………. the minor errors from their work. A. maximize
B. escape C. eliminate D. prohibit 15.
By the time the widening of the highway is finished, the volume of traffic …………. by another 15,000 vehicles per day. A.
has increased B. will increase C. is increasing D. will have increased 1 lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624 16.
It seems that the company will be forced to declare bankruptcy …………. it can resolve the strike within the next few days. A. unless B. if C. otherwise D. moreover 17.
The merger would have gone through earlier if the executives from the two companies …………. to the process sooner. A.
were committing B. will commit C. had committed D. would have committed 18.
We have yet to receive the new product brochures from the printers, so it may be two or three
days ………… you receive a copy. A. before B. when C. while D. if 19.
My experience shows a new employee generally makes 2 to 5 times ………… mistakes as a one- year employee. A.
as much B. as many C. much more D. more than 20. All of the employees
in the downtown branch office have been much happier …………the new network system was installed. A. if B. once C. since D. when
21. British commercial banks lend to blue-chip borrowers at the ………… The American equipvalent isprime rate. A. base rate B. basic rate C. discount rate D. market rate
22. Long-term interest rates are generally higher than shorter ones, except when the central bank
temporarily reduces the money supply, i.e makes money ………… A. loose B. tight C. common D. uncommon
23. Estimated expenditure and income is written in a ………… A. budget B. reserve C. statement D. agreement
24. The amount of money a lender receives for a loan, expressed as a percentage, is known as its return or ………… A. credit B. income C. yield D. fund
25. A(n) ………… card is an anaesthetic which simply delays the pain. A. ATM B. credit C. business D. invitation
26. The income received by someone who lends the money is called ………… A. interest B. interests C. interested D. interesting
27. An acquaintance is someone we know ………… enough to borrow from, but not ………… enough to lend to. A. good B. well C. better D. the best
28. Capital ………… are those that are used in the making of other goods. A. goods B. gains C. transfers D. turnovers
29. ………… capital is the money required to finance a company’s everyday operations. A. human B. venture C. uncalled D. working
30. Reducing the amount of tax you pay to a legal minimum is called tax ………… A. evasion B. avoidance C. heavens D. shelters II.
Select and fill in each blank in the passage below with ONE suitable word in the box. decay charge deducted replacing exist increase involve converting lose spread method declining
Fixed assets such as buildings, plant and machinery (but not land) gradually (31) ………. value, because
they wear out or (32) ………., or because more modern and efficient versions are developed.
Consequently, they have to be replaced so often. The cost of buying or (33) ………. fixed assets that
will be used over many years is not (34) ………. from a single year’s profits but is accounted for over 2 lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624
the several years of their use and wearing out. This accords with the matching principle that costs are
identified with related revenues. The process of (35) ………. an asset into an expense is known as depreciation.
Various methods of depreciation (36) ………. , but they all (37) ………. estimating the useful life of the
asset, and dividing its estimated cost by the number of years. The most useful method of depreciation is
the straight line (38) ………., which simply spreads the total expected cost over the number of years of
anticipated useful life, and charges an equal sum of year. The reducing or (39) ………. balance method
writes off smaller amounts of an asset’s value each year in cases where maintenance costs for the use of
an asset are expected to (40) ………. over time.
Section 2: Language use (60 marks) I.
Reading Comprehension (20 marks)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Companies are required by law to give their shareholders certain financial information. Most companies
include three financial statements in their annual reports.
The profit and loss account shows revenue and expenditure. It gives figures for total sales or turnover (the
amount of business done by the company during the year), and for costs and overheads. The first figure
should be greater than the second one: there should generally be a profit – an excess of income over
expenditure. Part of the profit is paid to the government in taxation, part is usually distributed to
shareholders as a dividend, and part is retained by the company to finance further growth, to repay debts,
to allow for future losses, and so on.
The balance sheet shows the financial situation of the company on a particular day, generally the last day
of its financial year. It lists the company’s assets, its liabilities, and shareholders’ funds. A business’s assets
consist of its cash investments and property (buildings, machines, and so on), and debtors – amounts of
money owed by customers for goods or services purchased on credit. Liabilities consist of all the money
that a company will have to pay to someone else, such as taxes, debts, interest and mortgage payments,
as well as money owed to suppliers for purchases on credit, which are grouped together on the balance
sheet as creditors. Negative items on financial statements such as creditors, taxation, and dividends paid
are usually printed in brackets thus: (5200).
The basic accounting equation, in accordance with the principle of double-entry bookkeeping, is that
Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ (or Shareholders’) Equity. This can, of course, be also written as Assets –
Liabilities = Equity. An alternative term for Shareholders’ Equity is Net Assets. This includes share capital
(money received from the issue of share), sometimes share premium (money realized by selling shares at
above their nominal value), and the company’s reserves, including the year’s retained profits. A company’s
market capitalization – the total value of its shares at any given moment, equal to the number of shares
times their market price – is generally higher than shareholders’ equity or net assets, because items such
as goodwill are not recorded under net assets.
Are the following sentences true or false?
1. Balance sheets show a company’s financial situation on 31 December.
2. Limited companies cannot make a loss because assets always equal shareholders’ equity.
3. The two sides of a funds flow statement show trading profits and losses.
What does each of the following underlined words/phrases refer to?
4. “It gives figures for total sales or turnover…. “ (para. 2) ………………………………………
5. “This can, of course, be also written as …. “ (para. 4) …………………………………………
Which words/phrases in the passage mean the following?
6. to keep or continue to have something ……………………………………………..
7. a sum of money paid regularly by a company to its shareholders out of its profits.......................... 3 lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624
8. considering the whole of someone or something……………………………………………
Fill in the blank with ONE suitable word from the passage. Put it in its correct form or tense if necessary.
9. The statement of changes in ………… position is another name of the funds flow statement.
10. The balance sheets and profit and loss accounts of the parent company and its subsidiaries are
normally combined in consolidated ………… . II. WRITING
You are Kim Girton, the Purchasing Manager of a chain of hardware shops. You have just received 200
keyboards from EX90 Electronics (order 344/ SD); however, you cannot accept them because after
testing a large number of keyboards, your quality control department found out that the enter keys of
over half of the keyboards were stuck.
Write an email to Ms. Julie Marston, the Sales Manager of EX90 Electronics to complain, explaining the
situation and what you want them to do about the problem: returning the entire delivery for their
inspection, discussing payment later and asking them to send a new delivery of those keyboards as soon
as possible as you need them to fulfill your customers’ orders.
Your writing should follow the frame provided in the answer sheet. Note that your good control of
appropriate style, grammar, structure and clean presentation are also evaluated. III. Listening (20 marks)
PART ONE: Listen to the recording twice and choose the appropriate answer to each question. Announcement
1. Where most likely is the announcement being made? A. At Mr. Lamb’s studio
C. At an international publishing expo B. At a newspaper company D. At an art gallery
2. According to the speaker, who is Theodore Lamb? A. A publisher B. An artist C. A critic D. A curator
3. What are the listeners reminded to do?
A. Attend an official reception
C. Enroll in a sculpture class
B. Write an article on modern sculptors
D. View a temporary exhibition Talk
4. What does Choice Co. most likely specialize in? A. Designing interiors C. Installing equipment B. Moving furniture D. Removing pests
5. What are listeners asked to do? A. Meet at another location
C. Give instructions to workers
B. Label their personal belongings
D. Cover some furniture with plastic
PART TWO: Listen to a talk twice and complete the notes. News out of Hong Kong
+ the (6) .................... .................... rose to its highest level in 3 three years
+ Most major banks: reporting (7) .................... .................... during last quarter
+ Investors: rushing to pick up banking shares viewed by (8) .................... as ....................
+ According to Andy Li, the industry: optimistic about the (9) .................... .................... for next year
+ Government: planning to fund regional building projects to improve
(10) .................... .................... THE END KEY 4 lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624 Section 1 (40 marks): 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B 6. A 7. C 8. A 9. A 10. B 11. C 12. B 13. D 14. C 15. D 16. A 17. C 18. A 19. B 20. C 21. A 22. B 23. A 24. C 25. B 26. A 27. B 28. A 29. D 30. B 31. lose 32. decay 33. replacing 34. deducted 35. converting 36. exist 37. involve 38. method 39. declining 40. increase Section 2 (60 marks):
I. Reading Comprehension (20 marks): 1. F 2. F 3. F
4. the profit and loss account
5. The basic accounting equation/Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ (or Shareholders’) Equity 6. to retain
7. a dividend 8. generally 9. financial 10. accounts
II.Writing (20 marks): Suggested answer
To: juliemarston@gmail.com (1 mark)
From: kimgirton@yahoo.com (1 mark)
Subject: Faulty keyboards, order 344 / SD (1 mark) Dear Ms. Marston (1 mark)
I am writing to inform you that your delivery 344 / SD (1) of 6 June for 200 keyboards (2) arrived at our
warehouse yesterday (3); however, we cannot accept them (4) because after testing a large number of
keyboards (5), our quality control department found out that the enter keys of over half of the keyboards were stuck (6).
Because of this, we are returning the entire delivery for your inspection (7). We will need to discuss
payment (8), but in the meantime, I would ask you to send a new delivery of those keyboards as soon as
possible (9) as we need them to fulfill our customers’ orders (10). Yours sincerely (1 mark)
Kim Girton (1 mark) Purchasing Manager (1 mark) Notes:
1. From (1) to (10): 1 mark/each
2. Appropriate style (formal): 1 mark
3. Grammar and structure: 1 mark 4. Clean presentation: 1 mark 5 lOMoAR cPSD| 46831624 III. LISTENING (20 m) Part 1 Part 2 1. D 6. stock market 2. B 7. record profits 3. D 8. experts ... undervalued 4. D 9. financial outlook 5. A 10. local infrastructure From: …………….. To: …………………. Subject: ……………….. Dear ………….
I am writing to inform you ………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……..
Because of this, we are ……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Yours ……………….
……………………………
…………………………… 6