Chairman's Report

I am pleased to report that, although we had been expecting poor results for this half year because of slow growth in the world economy, the company has performed very satisfactorily.Operating profits for this first half are in fact very much (19) with those for the corresponding (20) last year. Profits reached ￡l 15 million before tax, compared with ￡l 16.3 million last year. Much of our success in the last six months can be (21) to the fact that all our major construction projects remained on schedule. Particularly pleasing was the early (22)of a major building contract in Canada.

The company has made good progress with the initiatives announced at the Annual General Meeting. The majority of shareholders (23) the Board's decision to sell the company's loss-making engineering (24). It was the Board's belief that the company would (25) most benefit by (26) its resources on the expansion of its construction activities. Negotiations with a potential buyer began in February and are now at a critical (27).However, we feel that we are not as yet in a (28) to comment on what the outcome is likely to be.

In June, we made a successful (29) for the Renishaw Construction Company of Hong Kong SAR, in order to give us greater (30) to markets in South East Asia. We still have sufficient resources to pursue our growth (31) and are at present (32) several other business opportunities which, like Renishaw Construction, would (33) new markets to us.

19.A in order B on track C in line D on target

20.A session B term C season D period

21.A attributed B referred C assigned D designated

22.A termination B ending C completion D finalising

23.A confirmed B maintained C agreed D supported

24.A portion B component C sector D division

25.A have B gain C find D earn

26.A focusing B directing C pointing D strengthening

27.A height B step C edge D stage

28.A condition B point C position D capacity

29.A request B price C demand D bid

30.A access B approach C admission D entrance

31.A strategy B process C promotion D system

32.A inquiring B deliberating C exploring D searching

33.A send B open C provide D give

文章是一篇报告，介绍了公司某段时间的发展状况，总体的势头是良好的，积极向上。

19和20题需要在一起考虑，从整体上把握句子的意思。in line with与....一致;on track ：doing or saying things that are likely to be successful or correct步入正轨;on target(射击)准。20空选词关键要将空格前面的those for the corresponding和前面的for this first half对应，这里空格填入的词要能和this first half相匹配，表示时间段，时期，所以是period。因为是半年，所以不选season。整个句子的意思是这半年的营业利润(operating profit)实际上是与去年同期相一致的。

21题，attribute to，表原因，联系整个句子不难做出选择。designate是委任、指派

22题，意思是完成了一个主要的建筑合同，从一个pleasing可以看出感情基调，A和B肯定不选，不是终止也不是结束，finalise最后定下来，定案。

23题，大部分股东都支持、赞同董事会的决定，选support，如果是agree的话后面需要with。

24题，董事会的决定是卖掉公司亏损的工程部。A、B首先排除，做完形填空最忌讳的是把汉语思维和汉语含义带入英文语境中，有的时候宁可选自己从来没有见过的用法，也不要从汉语意思出发强塞一个英文单词进去。sector是(尤指一国经济的)部门、行业，division是(一个机构的)部门。

25和26题，句子的意思是公司将通过把资源集中在建筑活动的扩张上来获得大部分的收益。25题的A和C容易排除，关键是看gain还是earn。earn是通过努力挣到一笔钱(to receive a particular amount of money for the work that you do)，gain是获得或者实现什么(to obtain or achieve something you want or need)，因为是公司的战略，所以用gain更合适一些。

27题，at a critical stage，在一个关键的阶段。

28题，in a position to do sth.能够做某事。固定搭配

29题，成功招标，bid

30题，give us greater access to markets给我们更大的市场准入

31题，growth strategy，增长策略，追求我们的增长策略。

32题，探索更多的商业机会。inquire询问;deliberate仔细考虑，深思熟虑;

33题，为我们开放新的市场。provide后需要加with