英语分站

The bank with ideas

With several hundred years of history behind it, the APL Bank has few problems in convincing businesses that it is reputable and secure__21__ of a range of banking serving. Now, it is demonstrating to business customers that it is flexible and responsive enough to ___22___ their changing needs in the 21st century.

Based in London, APL offers banking services to businesses throughout the UK via its branch __23___. Most customer service provision is ___24_ out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with ___25__ staff at company headquarters.

An important ___26__for APL has been to make it easy for customers to __27__business with the bank. They can contact their account manager by direct line or email; if the manager is on holiday, a carefully chosen colleague becomes the ‘account contact’ and ___28__with the customer during the manager’s ___29___. In addition, for those who want ___30__ to their bank at any time of day or night there is now a 24-hour phone-based service.

In order to remain competitive and build customer loyalty, the bank guarantees to turn around urgent loan___31__within 24 hours. This focus on the customer has also been a driving __32__in APL’s recruitment and development policy. For example, newly inducted staff ___33__a ‘customer service review’ to find out what it is like to be on the other side of the desk, asking to borrow money.

Together, these ___34__in banking have achieved excellent results. The customer__35___is growing fast, and last year the bank gained 36,000 new business accounts.

正确答案为橙色字体

21. A. producer B. supplier C. provider D. giver

22. A achieve B. reach C meet D. assist

23. A. system B. web C. grid D. network

24. A. taken B. brought C. carried D. put

25. A. aid B. support C. guidance D. backing

26. A. objective B. purpose C. direction D. scheme

27. A do B. run C. make D. have

28. A copes B. arranges C. handles D. deals

29. A vacancy B. departure C. absence D. retirement

30. A access B. entrance C. approach D. opening

31. A. demands B. applications C. proposals D. orders

32. A power B. strength C. force D. pressure

33. A take over B. go through C. set down D. put up

34. A. innovations B. adaptations C. revisions D. modernization

35. A. source B. base C. centre D. foundation

网友提问：

Most customer service provision is carried out by personal account managers based in local branches, together with __________ staff at company headquarters.

1. aid

2. support

3. guidance

4. backing

为什么用support，不用backing？两者有什么区别么？

解答：

这里不能选择backing。back有支持的意思，但是backing表支持时却是名词

（support or help, especially with money。

查了朗文词典和剑桥词典，backing做形容词时只在朗文词典里有一种解释：backing singers

意思应该是背景歌手或者是伴唱歌手。

所以给出的空里不能选backing.

support staff可以说是一种固定的用法，意思是支持人员，或者是后勤人员、运维人员，填入这个句子的空格处正好合适。

这是《金融时报》词典的解释：Employees whose work is helping a company or organization to operate, for example technical or administrative workers

橙色标注的几个空将做重点解答

21、争议的焦点可能在B和C之间，supplier 还是provider。

supplier更侧重于提供某种产品（朗文：a company or person that provides a particular product）

provider强调提供某种服务（朗文：a company or person that provides a service）

联系这个空后面的banking serving，这里应该选择provider。

23、network 相互关系（配合）的系统

branch network 由分支机构构成的网络。

这个词很好理解，看一遍就会了。如果是第一次选，没准会选中system

28、cope with后接事 deal with可接人和事

handle是及物动词，后面直接接人和事，相当于deal with

31、loan application 贷款申请

apply for loan 固定用法

33、go through 仔细的查看，后面正好和customer service review搭配。

driving force和customer base属于固定用法