10.1 Introduction
The Business Chinese Test (BCT) is administered by The Office of Chinese Language Council International in Beijing, Hanban for short, to assess the ability of non-native learners to use Chinese in business contexts. In other words, it is a proficiency test for business Chinese.
As a test for a specific type of Chinese usage that caters to bilingual learners of Chinese, the BCT needs to take into account test takers' professional background knowledge as well as their proficiency in the target language. This chapter explores the processes underlying receptive skills, specifically the decoding mechanisms involved in the listening process of bilingual learners, methods of testing receptive skills and the bilingual capability and professional background of business Chinese learners. The chapter argues that testing of receptive skills for business Chinese should be based on a gradual progression from bilingual testing at the elementary level to monolingual testing at the advanced level, a trajectory that is in step with the learning process of bilingual learners. Test samples are included for greater clarity.
10.2 Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Receptive Skills
Both listening and reading comprehension are receptive skills involving interaction between the recipient and language input. In the case of listening, the input is obviously in the form of sound; in the case of reading, it is visual. Listening may be part of an event in which listening is interspersed with speech; or in the case of instructions, announcements, storytelling, broadcasts and so on, the speech event is primarily receptive. Reading, on the other hand, is not usually interactive, though it may involve a variety of genres: reading for pleasure, reading for information or instruction, reading for ritual (chanting, praying) and so on.
When processing information, the decoding processes for both listening and reading must simultaneously undergo both top-down and bottom-up processing. Top-down processing is conceptually driven: the reader brings certain expectations to the reading. Such expectations are based on the genre (news, instructions, discussion etc.) and on the reader's general knowledge of the world and specialised knowledge of the particular topic. Expectations and knowledge together guide listening and reading comprehension. This is why reading about the news from your own country in a foreign language is so much easier than reading foreign news in a foreign language – in the former case, you know what to expect.
Bottom-up processing is synthetic, involving the building up of meaning from meaningful parts – sounds, words and higher language units. Fluent readers can be seen using bottom-up processing when they misconstrue a word and re-pronounce it to identify it correctly, or repeat it to find the proper nuance of meaning. Learners make more use of bottom-up processing because they have much more difficulty accessing the higher level schemata that are so familiar to native speakers.
In general, the receptive process involves successive rounds of top-down and bottom-up processing of the inputs until the listener or reader has a satisfactory interpretation of the text – until he or she can perceive an underlying coherence.
Both oral and written languages are language codes providing clues to the listener or reader to construct comprehensive interpretations according to preconceived schemata. To effectively decode oral or written language materials, the listener or reader engages both his bottom-up formal schemata and top-down content schemata. Formal schemata consist of language-specific knowledge, such as sounds (phonemes), morphemes (characters), words, phrases, clauses, paragraphs and so on. Content schemata store latent non-language background knowledge based on experience and learned knowledge.
10.3 The Decoding Process Underlying the Receptive Skills of Bilingual Learners
According to research on text comprehension of bilingual learners by Raney et al. (Reference Raney, Obeidallah, Miura, Heredia and Altarriba2002) and Goh and Neo (Reference Goh, Neo, Teng and Teoh2002), when a first language learner decodes input from his native language, he is so familiar with the formal schemata that decoding occurs almost instantly. In fact, he seems to bypass the formal schemata (levels of language structure) and delve directly into the content schemata (perceiving the meaning almost instantly). Listening and reading comprehension are achieved quickly and stored (in some schematic form) in the long-term memory.
In contrast, a second language learner decoding language inputs in his second language expends enormous amounts of mental energy trying to grasp language units – the formal schemata – but in so doing usually fails to take advantage of the content schemata – relevant background knowledge – that he already possesses. As a result, he or she fails to find any coherency in the text and comprehension fails.
In other words, mastery of the formal schemata is a prerequisite for activating useful content schemata. Language teachers know that for both active (speech and text) and receptive skills (listening and reading), language forms need to be practised until they are almost automatic; only then can learners pay attention to context, general knowledge and all of the other top-down information that is so crucial for understanding.
Although the text decoding processes for both first and second language learners are similar – both need to progress from the formal schemata to the content schemata – there is evidence from psycholinguistic studies of bilingual memory that, for second language learners, words are not stored in the same way as they are for native speakers. Bilingual memory can be viewed at two levels: the concept representation level and word representation level. For bilinguals, the concept representation for both languages is unitary; the word representation levels, on the other hand, are separate.
Potter et al. (Reference Potter, So, Von Eckhardt and Feldman1984) propose two models of bilingual memory to illustrate the relationship between the word representation and concept representation of the two languages used by bilingual learners. Kroll and Stewart (Reference Kroll and Stewart1994) further refine Potter et al.'s theory with their asymmetrical model of bilingual memory and propose that the word association and concept mediation models are co-existing rather than sequential.Footnote 1
Soh and Neo's (Reference 202Soh and Neo1993) research on bilingual reading comprehension indicates that students' reading comprehension can be improved by the provision of an introduction in the native language. These improvements are independent of the test format or the students' proficiency level. Presumably the (easily comprehensible) introduction activates students' latent background knowledge, enabling them to make sense of the foreign-language text more easily.
10.4 The Influence of Testing Methods on Testing Performance
The testing of language proficiency needs to be based on observable data. Testing methods vary greatly in the degree to which they draw out such data. Bachman and Clark (Reference Bachman and Clark1987) point out that testing methods exert an immense influence on test takers' test performance. Variations in testing methods (such as testing formats and types of response required) produce quite different results, depending on factors such as language background and familiarity with the particular type of test.
Bachman (Reference Bachman1990:116–52), in ‘A framework of test method facets’, examined the influence of test factors such as the following on the performance of test takers. Factors (2)–(4) involve the question of whether the test is in the target language or the native language.
(1) Test environment: test site, equipment used, duration of testing, etc.
(2) Test rubrics: type of test, procedures, instructions, allocation of time, etc.
(3) Input: format, language employed, etc.
(4) Expected response: response channel, format, language, etc.
(5) Relationship between input and response.
Testing instructions ensure that test takers understand the form of the test and what they need to do. Thus, they need to be primed about the form of questions or cues, the type of response (and, if written, the site of the response), the language of the response, the length of the test and so on. The less familiar the test type, the more important the instructions – and the more important that they be understood. So the question of whether to give instructions in the native or target language is crucial.
Input material is usually an excerpt from the target language, oral or written, conversation or narrative, as summarised in Table 10.1.
Table 10.1 The presentation, format and language of input materials used in the testing of receptive skills
| Receptive skills | Presentation | Format | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening comprehension | Oral | Language | Target language |
| Reading comprehension | Written | Language | Target language |
In contrast to the strict requirements imposed on the input material, test questions allow more options and consequently exert a greater influence on test performance. Responses can be selected, as in multiple-choice or true-false questions; or they can be constructed, as in completion tasks or short responses. Selected-response questions remain in receptive mode – they do not require productive use of language to answer.
Constructed-response items, on the other hand, require test takers to produce an answer (orally or in writing). Differences between listening or reading comprehension (receptive skills) and speaking or writing (productive skills), are summarised in Table 10.2.
Table 10.2 Comparison of the testing of receptive and productive skills
| Skill group | Skill | Testing of the skill |
|---|---|---|
| Receptive skill | Listening/reading | Indirect testing: deduce comprehension ability of test taker through his or her oral or written answers |
| Productive skill | Speaking/writing | Direct testing: direct assessment of the test taker's speaking or writing ability |
Since comprehension is not visible to an observer, it must be gauged indirectly, deduced from responses to questions or by way of a paraphrase or translation. If constructed responses are required – answering questions or providing a gist or summary – then decisions about the language of response and, if not the native language, the need for accuracy need to be considered. If the correctness of the answer is a consideration, then constructed responses test both receptive and productive skills simultaneously – which may not be the intention. Shohamy (Reference Shohamy1984) concluded from his research that, in reading comprehension, the presentation of questions (and answers, presumably) in the test taker's native language resulted in significant improvement in test performance.
10.5 The Traits of Business Chinese Learners
Business Chinese learners display two main traits: firstly, they are bilingual learners (with Chinese as second language) with unequal competence in the two languages; secondly, their professional background knowledge is constructed through their first language.
The BCT is targeted at non-native learners. In Singapore, they are people who speak both English and Chinese, but who are more competent in English. As they study business Chinese, their Chinese proficiency moves closer to that of English. Most (Singapore) business Chinese learners speak better Chinese than they write, and have stronger receptive skills (listening and reading) than productive skills (speaking and writing). This is as expected. Writing (that is, composition) is the weakest of all their language skills.
The BCT aims to assess the Chinese language proficiency of test takers in the course of business-related activities. For this reason, the test contains a large amount of business-related professional terminology. In general, the first language of learners is also their main language of instruction in school. Hence, when undergoing professional training, they generally operate in their first language – English. In other words, the concepts that relate to their professional life are represented in English. When they try to use Chinese in professional contexts, they interpret concepts in English terms.
Limitations on their advanced language abilities mean that beginner to intermediate learners of business Chinese find themselves unable to pick up enough cues from words, phrases and so on (the formal schemata) to utilise a level of context and appropriate specialised knowledge sufficient to comprehend the texts (oral or written) in question. The strategic use of English as a supplementary tool would help to activate this latent professional knowledge and compensate for their inability to process language material efficiently enough to comprehend the text satisfactorily.
10.6 From Bilingual to Monolingual: A Progressive Testing Framework for Receptive Skills
This section proposes a testing framework for receptive skills for use in the BCT which employs two languages at the elementary stage but only one language at more advanced levels, as the proficiency of the test takers improves. The proposed framework is applicable to beginner and intermediate non-native learners of business Chinese. We feel that this framework accords with the theoretical framework for bilingual memory, and the consideration of factors which influence testing outcome, discussed earlier.
By varying the amount of English or Chinese used in the test instructions, the input materials and the questions (or other cues) and responses, we can construct three models of listening and reading comprehension test for the Singapore BCT. See Table 10.3.
Table 10.3 A progressive testing framework for receptive skills
| S/No | Instructions | Language of test materials | Test questions | Response language | Number of languages used | Testing models |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Chinese | English | English | Bilingual | C-L2 (Beginner) |
| 2 | Chinese | Chinese | Chinese | English | Bilingual | C-L2 (Intermediate) |
| 3 | Chinese | Chinese | Chinese | Chinese | Monolingual | C-L1/C-L2 (Advanced) |
The third model involves only the target language. Instructions, input material, test questions and responses are all in Chinese (characters). In effect, the third model is a test for Chinese as a first language (C-L1).
The first (C-L2 (Beginner)) and second (C-L2 (Intermediate)) models are both designed to test listening and reading comprehension in learners learning Chinese as a second language. Test materials are presented in Chinese but responses are accepted in English, making it a bilingual test. The only difference between the first two models is that, in the first, test questions are given in English, in the second, they are given in Chinese.
To a learner of Chinese as a second language, the third model (C-L1/C-L2 (Advanced)) – which uses Chinese (characters) throughout – is the most difficult. The first model, which uses English in both the questions and the responses, is the easiest. The second model, with questions in Chinese and responses in English, lies in between.
Currently, all mainstream international Chinese tests adopt the third model to assess the listening and reading comprehension skills of learners of Chinese as a second language. This chapter questions whether that model is appropriate for foundation levels of language study. In any case, it is important to be sure that tests actually test what they claim. Listening tests with written instructions in the target language are obviously testing reading and listening simultaneously. Listening or reading tests that require answers in the target language are testing listening or reading and writing at the same time.
Our proposal is to begin by focusing the test on the input text itself, with questions and responses in English, then to wean students away from English as their performance improves, first giving questions in the target language, then ultimately requiring responses to be in the target language as well. This step-by-step method of progressive testing matches the gradual process of learning a second language and effectively measures the real language proficiency of test takers.
10.7 An Analysis of the BCT Design Concepts and Framework
10.7.1 Introduction to the BCT
The BCT was designed by Peking University under the supervision of the Hanban. The inaugural test was conducted in Singapore in October 2006. The following year, the BCT was officially launched in Korea, Japan, the United States of America and mainland China.
10.7.2 The Theoretical Framework of the BCT
The theoretical framework of the BCT is based on Bachman's language testing model, as set forth in her book, Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing (Reference Bachman1990). Its main features are: (1) it gives prominence to the communicative goals, (2) it uses authentic language materials, and (3) it is based on interactive activities (Liu Reference Liu2005, Li Reference Li2008a).
BCT test questions are set pursuant to two sections of the ‘Business Chinese Outline’, i.e., ‘Business Chinese Communicative Function Items’ and ‘Common Word List in Business Chinese’. The BCT uses questions based on authentic Chinese language material derived from business contexts. The tests performed by the test takers are task-based, involving specific partners, objectives and contexts.
The design of test tasks is based on an analysis of business activities conducted in the early stages of test development. The test comprises two main categories, namely lifestyle and business. Lifestyle refers to business-related daily routines and social activities; business encompasses business-related work routines, trading etc.
10.7.3 Test Instructions
All instructions given in the BCT are written in Chinese. They explain the task and the type of response required. In some cases, the instructions include sample questions and answers to clarify procedures.
10.7.4 Overall Format of the BCT
The Singapore version of the test meets the specific requirements of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. It is divided into three papers: BCT 1 (listening and speaking), BCT 2 (reading) and BCT 3 (writing). Table 10.4 gives additional details.
Table 10.4 Organisation of the Singapore version of the BCT
| Paper | Listening/speaking | Reading | Writing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skill | Listening | Oral | Reading | Writing |
| No. of questions | 50 | 2 | 50 | 2 |
| Duration | 40 mins | 10 mins | 60 mins | 40 mins |
Test takers in Singapore may opt to take any of the BCT papers, based on their Chinese proficiency and language requirements. Although the structure of the Singapore version differs from the two-paper version (BCT listening/reading and BCT speaking/writing) used in other regions, the two versions correspond in the format, the type and number of questions, the response time allowed and the way they are graded (Li Reference Li2008b).
10.7.5 Format of the BCT (Listening) Paper
The paper for listening comprehension includes audio recordings and written test materials. Recordings are played only once. Written questions require written answers or pictorial choices (see Table 10.5).
Table 10.5 Format of the BCT (listening) paper
| Section | Question type | No. of questions | Description of tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple choice (choose 1 from 3) | 12 | Select an appropriate response to a recorded question. |
| 2 | Multiple choice (choose 1 from 4) | 20 | After listening to recorded material plus a test question, select (and note down) a response from pictorial or other written options. |
| 3 | Multiple choice (choose 1 from 4) | 10 | After listening to lengthier recorded material and several questions, select (and note down) responses from the written options. |
| 4 | Completion | 8 | Use the recorded information (background and text) to fill in blanks in a written text. |
The first section requires test takers to listen to questions and select appropriate responses, as if in a dialogue. Sections 2–4 require them to answer written questions based on recorded material that they hear. The questions are read first and are answered according to the text that follows. All the recordings are based on typical business activities.
Although the second and third sections contain some questions that require the selection of a pictorial response, the majority of questions require selection from written options. In these cases, the test requires – or tests – reading competence as well as listening competence, which is less than ideal.
The fourth section is a cloze test based on the comprehension of recorded material and comprehension of a written summary of the recording. These tasks require reading and writing as well as listening skills. So it is possible for someone to have excellent listening skills but do poorly on the test because of poor literary skills. This sort of skewing is, in fact, not unusual among foreign students of Chinese.
10.7.6 Format of the BCT (Reading) Paper
The BCT (reading) paper is based on authentic (written/print) materials, such as vouchers, advertisements, invoices, text messages, analytical charts or lengthier business documents. The format of the BCT (reading) paper is set out in Table 10.6.
Table 10.6 Format of the BCT (reading) paper
| Section | Question type | No. of questions | Description of tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple choice (choose 1 out of 4) | 22 | Read and select an appropriate answer. |
| 2 | Multiple choice (choose 1 out of 4) | 12 | Read and select an answer that completes the sentence. |
| 3 | Matching (with 4 options) | 10 | Read the question or cue and select the best match. |
| 4 | Short response | 6 | Read and answer according to the text. |
The first three sections of the paper are multiple-choice questions. In the first section, one reads the selection and answers the question. The second section is a multiple-choice cloze test which tests a person's ability to select appropriate answers and correct collocations. The third section requires selection of one of four options that fits the text, and the fourth section requires open-ended answers to questions, using vocabulary or phrases of not more than ten words that appear in the text. The questions themselves provide clues to the answers. For example, questions 47 and 48 from the sample BCT paper 1 are shown below (Li Reference Li2008b:48).
47. Xiangmu jihua zongtouzi shi duoshao renminbi?
What is the project's planned total investment value in RMB?
48. Xiangmu touzi de lirunlü shi duoshao?
What is the rate of return from the project investment?
In these questions, the key words are zongtouzi ‘total investment’ and lirunlü ‘rate of return’, both of which can be used in the answers. The details are provided in the text, i.e. ‘total investment value of RMB292million’ in the first case, and the ‘rate of return from investment is 32.58%’ in the second.
10.7.7 Format of the BCT (Speaking) Paper
The BCT (speaking) paper makes use of both written material and audio recordings. Background information and test questions are written; an introduction to the test, test questions and language material are recorded. The language material is based on appropriate business contexts to give an authentic feel to the language. The format of the BCT (speaking) paper is shown in Table 10.7.
Table 10.7 Format of the BCT (speaking) paper
| Question number | Question type | Description of task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assigned topic for speaking | Participants have 1.5 minutes to consider the question and subject matter provided before speaking for 1 minute on the subject. |
| 2 | Assigned topic for speaking | Participants have 2.5 minutes to consider the question and subject matter provided before speaking for 2 minutes on the subject. |
The test requires carrying out specific tasks related to business activities or social interaction in a business context. The test does not require conversational interaction. Subjects listen to a recorded introduction and a number of questions before recording their own speech. The tasks tend to be fulfilled by monologues (such as leaving a phone message or giving an oral presentation) which can be prepared prior to the test.
10.7.8 Format of the BCT (Writing) Paper
The format of the BCT (writing) paper is shown in Table 10.8.
Table 10.8 Format of the BCT (writing) paper
| Question number | Question type | Description of task |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Essay | Write a short essay of 80 to 120 characters based on the given topic and language material provided. |
| 2 | Essay | Write a reply (of more than 250 characters) to the given letter based on the given topic. |
The two questions in the BCT (writing) paper require test takers to write a short essay and letter, based on written materials which indicate target and objective. The short essay is a transactional narrative. Test takers with weak reading skills will, obviously, have difficulty completing these assignments.
10.8 Test Samples for the Proposed Bilingual BCT for Receptive Skills
The current BCT adopts the most conventional test model, the monolingual model. Although the Singapore version of the BCT, with three papers (listening/speaking, reading and writing) rather than two, allows some accommodation to language level and to particular needs, the test nevertheless requires skills not directly related to those being tested. For example, the listening and speaking papers require reading and writing, and the reading paper also tests writing (compositional) ability. In this chapter we propose that the BCT customise three levels of tests, from beginner to intermediate to advanced levels, to take into account different stages of language learning. Beginner and intermediate tests should provide instructions and test questions and allow responses in the learners' first language.
On the basis of the proposed C-L2 (Beginner) model of progressive testing for receptive skills shown in Table 10.3, this chapter attempts to delineate a bilingual BCT. The examples below are based on three groups of sample questions from the Singapore version of the BCT (listening/speaking). Chinese material (in Pinyin Romanisation) is translated for the convenience of the reader.
10.8.1 Bilingual Listening Test Sample
Listening, section 2, Question 29 (multiple choice) (Li Reference Li2008b:3, 6, 19).
(1) Instructions (in English) for Questions 13 to 32.
In this section, you will hear 20 short dialogues or monologues. Each will be played once only. While listening, choose the most appropriate answer from the four options (A, B, C & D) for each question printed on the exam paper.
Here is a sample question, with answers. The question will also be spoken on the recording.
Q15.What percent reduction in the price is the woman asking for?
A. 5%
B. 10%
C. 15%
D. 20%
You answer on the basis of the recorded dialogue (transcribed here in Pinyin):
Nan: Women tongyi ba chuchangjia xiatiao 10%.
Male: (We agree to reduce the price by 10%.)
Nü: 10% tai shao le, women xiwang neng xiatiao 15%.
Female: (10% isn't enough, we'd like a 15% reduction.)
Nan: Zenme? Duo xiatiao 5%? Wo dei gen jingli shangliang yixia.
Male: (What? A further reduction of 5%? I'll need to speak to my manager first.)
You choose the most appropriate option, which is C, and shade C on your answer sheet: [A] [B] [▪] [D].
(2) Question 29:
Nan: Guanyu zhe ci fangdichan touzi, ni de yijian zenmeyang?
Male: (What do you think of this property investment plan?)
Nü: Wo renwei zhe ci touzi fenxian tai da, hai xuyao shenzhong kaolü.
Female: (I feel that the risk for this investment is too high. We should think carefully about it.)
Nan: Ke zhe xiang touzi yijing zai gongsi dongshihui shang tongguo le!
Male: (But this investment has already been approved by the Board of Directors!)
Nü: Wo baoliu wo de yijian.
Female: (I reserve my comments.)
29. What is the lady saying?
A. She is willing to stay with the company.
B. She must be willing to take risks.
C. She wants to consider further.
D. She is not in favour of the investment plan.
Listening, section 4, Questions 46 and 47 (completion question) (Li Reference Li2008b:9, 25).
(3) Instructions (in English) for Questions 43 to 50.
In this section, you will hear a few dialogues or monologues. Each will be played once only. Listen to them and then write the answers to the questions, in English, in the numbered spaces:
Wang Gang, male, currently (46) years of age. His profession involves (47).
The recorded material:
Nan: Wo jiao Wang Gang, jinnian 24 sui, Nanfang Gongye Daxue biye, zhuanye shi jisuanji.
Male: (My name is Wang Gang, currently 24 years old. I graduated from Southern Industrial University, specialising in computer science.)
You write ‘24’ in space (46) and ‘computer science’ in space (47). All answers are to be written on the answer script.
(4) Questions 46 and 47:
Di-46 dao di-47 ti, yi wei nüshi kandao yi zhang huochepiao zhuanrang de qishi, ta da dianhua gei duifang shangliang chepiao zhuanrang de shi. Xiamian shi tamen de duihua luyin.
(For Questions 46 and 47, a lady sees a notice about the re-sale of some train tickets. She calls the seller to discuss the deal. Here is a recording of their conversation.)
Nü: Wei, nin hao, shi Jin xiansheng ma?
Female: (Hello, how do you do? Is this Mr Jin?)
Nan: Wo shi, qingwen nin shi?
Male: (Yes, it is. May I know your name …?)
Nü: Wo zai wangshang kandao nin zhangtie de huochepiao zhuanrang de qishi, suoyi xiang liaojie geng xiangxi de qingkuang.
Female: (I saw your online posting about a train ticket for re-sale. I'd like to have more details.)
Nan: Dui, wo shi yao zhuanrang yizhang cong Beijing dao Nanjing de zhida ruanwo chepiao, Z59 ci ruanwo, 28hao likai Beijing.
Male: (Yes, I'm selling a Beijing to Nanjing soft berth ticket on train # Z59, departing Beijing on the 28th.)
Nü: Name piaojia shi duoshao ne?
Female: (How much will it cost?)
Nan: Zhe zhang piao wo shi tongguo dingpiaodian mai de, suoyi chule piaojia 400 kuai yiwai, hai you 10 kuaijian dingpiao shouxufei.
Male: (I bought the ticket online, so there's a RMB10 administrative fee on top of the ticket price of RMB400.)
Nü: O, 400 jiashang 10 kuai shouxufei. Nin zhidao zhe ci ji dian chufa, ji dian dao zhan ma?
Female: (I see, RMB400 plus RMB10 administrative fee. Do you know the departure and arrival times?)
Nan: 28 hao wanshang 9 dian kaiche, di-er tian shangwu 8 dian zuoyou dadao.
Male: (The train departs at 9pm on the 28th, and arrives at around 8am the following morning.)
Nü: Haode, wo yao mai zhe zhang piao, shenme shihou zai nar jianmian ne?
Female: (OK, I'll take the ticket. When and where should we meet up?)
Nan: Jintian yijing 27 hao le, jintian wanshang 8 dian zai Yuandalu de Xinming Gongsi menkou ba.
Male: (Today is already the 27th; let's meet tonight at the entrance of the Xin Ming company on Yuan Da Road.)
Nü: Wo bu tai qingchu Xinming Gongsi, shi na liang ge zi?
Female: (I am not familiar with the Xinming company. How do you write the characters?)
Nan: Xinjiu de xin, xingming de ming, jiu zai Yuandalu nankou.
Male: (Xin as in ‘new’ and Ming as in ‘name’. It's just at the southern end of Yuada road.)
Nü: Wo zhidao le, Xinming Gongsi menkou, 8 dian jian.
Female: (Got it. See you at the entrance of Xinming Company at 8pm tonight.)
Soft berth ticket from Beijing to Nanjing: Train No.: Z59; time of Departure: 9pm on the 28th; ticket price: (46) RMB (inclusive of administration fee); the time to collect the ticket: 8pm tonight; place to collect ticket: (47).
10.8.2 Bilingual Reading Test Sample
Reading, section 1, Questions 19 to 22 (multiple choice) (Li Reference Li2008b:36, 43).
(5) Instructions in English for Questions 19 to 22.
There are one or several questions after each text. Please choose the most appropriate answer. Answers are to be shaded on the answer script.
(6) Questions 19 to 22:
Caifu (Zhongwenban) jinri di-er ci gongbu niandu ‘Zhongguo neidi zui jia shangwu chengshi’ diaocha jieguo, Shanghai, Beijing he Shenzhen yiran weilie sanjia, er Dongguan jidiao Chengdu, shouci jishen qian shiwei.
Benci diaocha biaozhun zhuyao baokuo shangwu huanjing, shangwu chengben, laodongli gongying he shenghuo zhiliang. Yu qunian xiangbi, jinnian shangbang de qian shi ming chengshi zhong xin miankong bu duo, jin Dongguan yi jia, Changjiang sanjiaozhou ji you Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou he Ningbo ruxuan. Jinnian qian san ming chengshi meiyou bianhua, dan Suzhou, Hangzhou he Ningbo zhe san zuo chengshi paiming jun you butong chengdu de xiajiang.
Zhe shi Caifu (Zhongwenban) di-er ci juban zhendui Zhongguo neidi shangwu chengshi de diaocha. Ci ci diaocha houxuan de 40 ge Zhongguo neidi chengshi zhuyao laizi Caifu (Zhongwenban) niandu waishang touzi huangjing de pingji, bing cankao Zhongguo Chengshi Nianjian, Zhongguo Tongji Nianjian he Zhongguo Chengshi Jianshe Tongji Nianjian suo yinyong de xianguan chengshi guonei shengchan zongzhi shuju. Jin 25000 ming Caifu (Zhongwenban) de jingliren duzhe canjiale diaocha.
Caifu (Zhongwenban) zi 1996 nian jinru Zhongguo, 2005 nian faxingliang chaoguo 140000 fen, shi Zhongguo gaoji jingliren de shouxuan duwuzhiyi. Gaishu jing Shidai Gongsi dujia shouquan, you Zhongxun Gongsi chuban, Caifu ji Caifu (Zhongwenban) wei quanqiu zui da de yule he meiti jituan Shidai Huana xiashu de Shidai Gongsi zai quanqiu de zhuce shangbiao.
(Fortune China recently published the findings of its second annual survey on the ‘Best Business City in Mainland China’. Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen still retained the top three spots, while Dongguan displaced Chengdu to be ranked among the top ten for the first time.
The criteria for this survey include the business environment, business costs, labour supply and quality of life. Compared to last year, this year's list of top ten cities does not include any newcomer, save for Dongguan. Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou from the Yangtze River Delta were also selected. The top three cities for this year remained the same, but Suzhou, Hangzhou and Ningbo suffered a decline in ranking of varying degrees.
This is the second time a survey was conducted by Fortune China in relation to business cities in mainland China. For this survey, the 40 candidate cities in mainland China were mainly selected pursuant to Fortune China's annual foreign investment survey, the mainland China urban investment environment ratings issued by the World Bank and a relevant agency of the United Nations, and in consideration of the urban gross domestic product data quoted by ‘China Urban Yearbook’, ‘China Statistical Yearbook’ and ‘China Urban Construction Statistics Yearbook’. Almost 25,000 of Fortune China's managerial readers participated in this survey.
Since entering China in 1996, the circulation of Fortune China has exceeded 140,000 copies in 2005, constituting one of the preferred publications read by senior managers in China. Pursuant to an exclusive license granted by Time Inc., this book is published by Zhongxun Company. Fortune and Fortune China constitute global registered trademarks of Time Inc., a subsidiary of Time Warner – the world's largest entertainment and media company.)
Q19. According to this survey, the best business city in mainland China is __________.
A. Shanghai
B. Beijing
C. Shenzhen
D. Dongguan
Q20. Which of the following is not listed as one of the best business cities in the survey?
A. Suzhou
B. Hangzhou
C. Ningbo
D. Chengdu
Q21. The criteria for shortlisting business cities do not include __________.
A. a foreign investment survey
B. gross domestic product data
C. urban scale size
D. an investment environment rating
Q22. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to Fortune China?
A. It has a cumulative circulation of 140,000 copies.
B. It is the world's largest Chinese business media.
C. It conducts such a survey every two years.
D. It is very popular with senior managers in China.
10.9 A New Paradigm for the Business Chinese Test
The reform and opening up of China over the past thirty years has led to rapid economic progress which has made China the second largest economy in the world today. As economic interaction between China and the world continues to gain momentum, the number of people taking the Business Chinese Test is expected to increase substantially. These second language learners act as business intermediaries between Chinese businessmen who do not speak any foreign languages and businessmen in the West who are not proficient in Chinese. They play a bridging role, promoting development and interaction between Chinese businesses and the rest of the world.
The Business Chinese Test has been created in response to the needs of more advanced Chinese language learners and constitutes an important indicator of the internationalisation and globalisation of the Chinese language. Looking forward, the Business Chinese Test should aim to cater for an increasingly large and diversified pool of learners. It is important that the test take into account the language backgrounds of L1 versus L2 learners, the varying proficiency, and the changing language requirements of second language learners.
