ESAME INTERMEDIO DI LINGUA INGLESE

ESAME INTERMEDIO DI LINGUA INGLESE

COGNOME: __________ ______ ____ NOME: __________ ______ ____ _______

N. Matricola __________ ______ ____ _____Tempo concesso: 50 minuti

Final mark /40

Boral Ltd.

One of Australia's

Fastest Growing Companies

The Boral Group is one of 1)... suppliers to the building and

constructing , a major force in energy and resources and a powerful performer in 3) ... .

Boral 4) .. since it began trading in 1948 and is now one of Australia's largest and strongest companies. For the last twelve years the group has been expanding fast in the US, the Pacific Basin, Europe and South East Europe so that today 5) .. 22% of Boral's business activities are outside Australia.

Chairman Sir Peter Finley, 6) ... The AGM: 'The company is in a sound 7) .... position with a strong balance sheet and healthy cash flow and turn-over prospects.

We earn our profits from solid assets which are geographically well spread, and the company enjoys very strong customer relations and satisfaction. We are very sensitive to our customers needs.

For investors 8) ..., the most important growth area has been profitability. Boral has recorded increases in profit for the last successive years.

In 1988/89 sales of 9).. $ 3.625 million resulted in a net profit of $ 301 million. Earnings 10) .... share were 42.2 cents.

Our production costs per unit fell 11) ... in 1986 when we automated the assembly line and they continued to 12)... steadily for the next three years.

They reached a 13).... in 1989 when we bought the new packaging machine but 14) ..in 1990 because of the increase in time spent on quality control. We hope to continue the positive trend when we introduce the latest 15) .. next year.

Answers

1. a) the b) a c) an d) -

2. a) industry b) farm c) company d) firm

3. a) fabricating   b) making c) manufacturing d) producer

4. a) grow b) grew c) has grown d) has growing

5. a) the   b) some c) a d) /

6. a) said b) tell c) told d) was telling

7. a) physical  b) financial c) economics d) economical

8. a) although b) despite c) in spite of d) however

9. a) up

b) on c) over d) at

10. a) a b) for c) by d) per

11. a) sharply    b) rapid c) big d) low

12. a) dropped b) fell c) decrease d) going down

13. a) falling b) lowest c) low point d) dropping point

14. a) raise

b) rise c) rose d) raised

15. a) plant b) develops c) inventors d) implant