A holistic approach to employee benefits contributes to employee engagement and satisfaction.

Part A

Directions: Read the following three texts. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

As the costs of health care continue to rise, employers will ask their employees to pay more for their benefits by the year 2 000. This forecast comes from a recent survey of 400 executives conducted by the group Insurance Division of Northwestern National Life Insurance Company ( NWNL).

A similar NWNL survey in 1986 found that two-thirds of the employers were planning to add benefits. Now, two-thirds are planning to offer fewer choices. Factors cited as driving up the cost of health care include hospital and doctor fees, new medical technology, and malpractice suits. Employers also face the expensive prospect of providing health care for the growing number of retirees. Says the employee benefit director of a Boston communication company, "With people living longer, and being sicker when older, we could be paying a big sum of money for 30 to 40 years after they retire."

Compulsory benefits are also likely to increase health-care costs to employers. A majority of the respondents predict that the federal government will demand benefits for all employees. More than one fourth of the employers surveyed think it is very likely that the government will establish a national plan by the year 2000, and a similar number foresee regulation of doctor and hospital fees. However, a large majority doubt such measures are very likely to be effective in controlling health-care costs.

Besides holding employees, responsible for a larger share of their benefit costs, more employers will offer flexible benefit plans with limited employer contributions. Health-education programs will grow in the workplace, as employers try to lessen the need for expensive medical care. Other employers intent on cutting costs will design their benefit plans to allow their employees fewer choices in when and how they get medical care.

Although the survey results reflect uncertainty about the future, they also offer reason for optimism, says U. S. Senator David Durenberger of Minnesota, "People are starting to come to grips with the question of how we can more effectively provide quality health care that is affordable and accessible," he asserts, "We no longer can write blank checks."

A recent survey conducted by NWNL found that ______.

A．new medical technology helps to reduce the cost of health care

B．employees have to pay more for their benefits

C．employees will be offered more choices in the benefit plans

D．two-thirds of the employers are thinking of adding benefits

Part A

Directions: Read the following three texts. Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1.

As the costs of health care continue to rise, employers will ask their employees to pay more for their benefits by the year 2000. This forecast comes from a recent survey of 400 executives conducted by the group Insurance Division of Northwestern National Life Insurance Company(NWNL).

A similar NWNL survey in 1986 found that two thirds of the employers were planning to add benefits. Now, two thirds are planning to offer fewer choices. Factors cited as driving up the cost of health care include hospital and doctor fees, new medical technology, and malpractice suits. Employers also face the expensive prospect of providing health care for the growing number of retirees. Says the employee benefit director of a Boston communication company, "With people living longer, and being sicker when older, we could be paying a big sum of money for 30 to 40 years after they retire. "

Compulsory benefits are also likely to increase health care costs to employers. A majority of the respondents predict that the federal government will demand benefits for all employees. More than one fourth of the employers surveyed think it is very likely that the government will establish a national plan by the year 2000, and a similar number foresee regulation of doctor and hospital fees. However, a large majority doubt such measures are very likely to be effective in controlling health care costs.

Besides holding employees responsible for a larger share of their benefit costs, more employers will offer flexible benefit plans with limited employer contributions. Health education programs will grow in the workplace, as employers try to lessen the need for expensive medical care. Other employers intent on cutting costs will design their benefit plans to allow their employees fewer choices in when and how they get medical care.

Although the survey results reflect uncertainty about the future, they also offer reason for optimism, says U. S. Senator David Durenberger of Minnesota, "People are starting to come to grips with the question of how we can more effectively provide quality health care that is affordable and accessible, "he asserts, "We no longer can write blank checks. "

A recent survey conducted by NWNL found that ______.

A．new medical technology helps to reduce the cost of health care

B．employees have to pay more for their benefits

C．employees will be offered more choices in the benefit plans

D．two thirds of the employers are thinking of adding benefits

听力原文： As you know we've been working with the Maclachlan Group, who has been providing interpersonal-skills seminars to our staff. A lot of these seminars are very important for our staff because they deal with matters that are important everyday, such as conflict resolution, and time efficiency. But even though these seminars provided free of charge, I am hearing a lot of reports that say employees aren't attending these seminars because they just don't see any benefit to them. But of course, as managers we know that it may take time to see the advantages that extra training can provide. I think that these seminars are beneficial and that we should make every effort to encourage our staff to attend these seminars. The way to do that is to make these seminars more appealing. Therefore I propose we start holding these seminars at weekend resorts so that employees will be more interested in going.

Who is the speaker most likely talking to?

A．New employees

B．Loyal customers

C．Business owners

D．Department managers

YourworkgroupcontainscomputersthatrunMicrosoftWindowsVistaandMicrosoftWindowsXPProfessional.EmployeesthatuseWindowsXPProfessionaldonotappearintheInvitepeoplelistofaMicrosoftWindowsMeetingSpacemeeting.YouneedtoensurethatallemployeesareinvitedtoWindowsMeetingSpacemeetings.Whichtwoactionsshouldyouperform？（）

A.InstructallemployeestosignintothePeopleNearMefeature.

B.InstallServicePack2onallcomputersthatrunWindowsXPProfessional.

C.LaunchtheEaseofAccessCenterwindowonallcomputersintheworkgroup.

D.UpgradeallcomputersthatrunWindowsXPProfessionaltoWindowsVista.

E.ConfigureMicrosoftNetMeetingonthecomputersthatrunWindowsXPProfessionaltoconnecttothemeeting.

Your workgroup contains computers that run Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows XP Professional. Employees that use Windows XP Professional do not appear in the Invite people list of a Microsoft Windows Meeting Space meeting. You need to ensure that all employees are invited to Windows Meeting Space meetings.Which two actions should you perform?（）

A.A

B.B

C.C

D.D

E.E

Employee & Retiree Volunteers

Throughout the year, you'll find Alliant Energy employees and retirees volunteering their time and talents in their local schools, churches and community groups.

Alliant Energy volunteers are active in numerous fund-raising campaigns, including:

March of Dimes WalkAmerica

Susan B. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure

American Cancer Society Relay for Life

Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowl-a-Thon

Variety Club of Iowa Telethon

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk-a-Thon

Habitat for Humanity Building Projects

To make their efforts even more meaningful, the Alliant Energy Foundation's Volunteer Program recognizes and supports these dedicated volunteers by providing $100 grants to non-profit organizations in the volunteer's name.

The program set a new record in 2005, with 387 employees and retirees tracking 76,646 volunteer hours—the equivalent of more than $1.3 million in labor costs. The Alliant Energy Foundation directed nearly $100,000 in their names to hundreds of nonprofit organizations.

The Alliant Energy Foundation also offers employees and retirees a Matching Gifts Program, providing dollar-for-dollar matches to donations to qualifying non-profit associations.

Volunteer Program

Through its Volunteer Program, the Alliant Energy Foundation recognizes and rewards personal involvement by current employees and retirees of Alliant Energy and its family of companies.

Program participants who give their own time to support a wide array of causes and events in their communities may provide grants of up to $400 annually to eligible charitable organizations of their choosing.

Grants are awarded once per year for as few as 50 hours of volunteer work per 12-month period.

How much does this volunteer program provide to non-profit organizations to recognize and support the dedicated volunteers?

A．$50.

B．$100.

C．$400.

D．$100,000.

Fiveofyourcompany’semployeeshaveWindows2000Professionalportablecomputers.Theemployeesusetheirportablecomputersinanetwork-enableddockingstationwhentheyareattheirdesks.Whentheemployeesareworkingoutsideoftheoffice,theyusetheportablecomputerswithoutnetworkconnectivity.

YouhavejustinstalledwirelessPCCardnetworkadaptersintheportablecomputerssothattheemployeescanaccessthenetworkwhentheyareinconferenceroomsintheofficebuilding.

Youneedtoconfiguretheportablecomputersforoptimumperformanceinalloftheworkingenvironments.Whatshouldyoudo?（）