大学英语四(综合教程)第五单元.docVIP

大学体验英语四（综合教程） Unit 5　　Business Ethics Listen and Talk　 Lead in Japanese companies have started to refine their ethics programs and internal control structures. Some 55% of them have established a corporate code of conduct, ethics guidelines, compliance (S1) and other such documents, 37% have a department or division dedicated to ethics and compliance issues, and 43% (S2) hold ethics-related training programs targeting employees. A growing number of Japanese businesses have taken steps to reinforce oversight functions, for example by engaging independent outside directors. In 1997, Sony Corporation took the (S3) of cutting its executive board from 38 to 10 directors while introducing the new post of executive officers. Other companies including Omron and Kobe Steel followed suit, and by 2000 about 240 businesses had reportedly made similar (S4) reforms. Even so, the image of companies portrayed by the market and the general public (S5) far from ethical. For example, in a survey of students views of the Japanese business community, conducted in autumn 2000, 68% of the respondents agreed that Honest companies are not (S6) while dishonest companies are making profits; 63% believed that There is hardly any information as to which companies are (S7) , ; 84% believed that (S8) ; and 62% agreed that many companies believe its worth engaging in unlawful practices. If this is the new generations perception of reality, it means that (S9) . Certainly, companies whose business performance has deteriorated as a result of scandals (S10) . But such efforts are not long-lasting if a company fears they will reduce its competitiveness. Key:S1 manuals S2 periodically S3 initiative S4 structural S5 remains S6 rewarded S7 honest S8 Penalties against scandals are too lenient S9 Japanese companies have little incentive to tackle ethical and compliance issues internally S10 have made greater efforts to deal with ethical and compliance issues Passage A: The