hce_kmu
112年
英文
第 42 題
📖 題組：
Running a big business is complicated — often mind-numbingly so. Seemingly straightforward processes, such as taking an order and receiving the payment, can take thousands of possible paths. For example, if an extra credit-check is needed, delivery has to be confirmed or a follow-up invoice sent. Though often necessary, the rigmarole complicates life for companies and slows things down. The resulting inefficiencies can cost businesses eye-watering amounts — between 20% and 30% of annual revenue, according to one estimate. Software-makers are now finding ways to untangle the procedural spaghetti with the help of “process mining.” Its dull name notwithstanding, it is one of the fastest-growing areas of information technology (IT). Celonis, a German process-miner, recently raised $1bn at a valuation of $13bn, making it Germany’s biggest startup and its hottest tech success story since SAP, a business-software giant, was founded 50 years ago. Consultants have long tried to model and optimize business processes for corporate clients, but their abstract models rarely reflected the complex reality. To get a better view, two things needed to happen. Firms had to be able to extract “log files” from IT systems, showing in minute detail how these systems operate. In addition, algorithms had to be developed to process these data. Based on that, corporates can automatically construct a model which shows you what is really happening. That helps companies determine if, for instance, the extra credit check leads to unnecessary shipping delays or if the confirmation of delivery was registered in a timely fashion.
Running a big business is complicated — often mind-numbingly so. Seemingly straightforward processes, such as taking an order and receiving the payment, can take thousands of possible paths. For example, if an extra credit-check is needed, delivery has to be confirmed or a follow-up invoice sent. Though often necessary, the rigmarole complicates life for companies and slows things down. The resulting inefficiencies can cost businesses eye-watering amounts — between 20% and 30% of annual revenue, according to one estimate. Software-makers are now finding ways to untangle the procedural spaghetti with the help of “process mining.” Its dull name notwithstanding, it is one of the fastest-growing areas of information technology (IT). Celonis, a German process-miner, recently raised $1bn at a valuation of $13bn, making it Germany’s biggest startup and its hottest tech success story since SAP, a business-software giant, was founded 50 years ago. Consultants have long tried to model and optimize business processes for corporate clients, but their abstract models rarely reflected the complex reality. To get a better view, two things needed to happen. Firms had to be able to extract “log files” from IT systems, showing in minute detail how these systems operate. In addition, algorithms had to be developed to process these data. Based on that, corporates can automatically construct a model which shows you what is really happening. That helps companies determine if, for instance, the extra credit check leads to unnecessary shipping delays or if the confirmation of delivery was registered in a timely fashion.
According to the passage, which of the followings is the expression “eye-watering” in the first paragraph closest in meaning to?
- A credulous
- B inspiring
- C touching
- D imaginable
- E considerable
思路引導 VIP
請觀察這個片語後方緊接著的數據——「年營收的 20% 到 30%」。如果你是一家大公司的執行長，聽到公司因為流程混亂而平白損失了將近三成的收入，你會用什麼樣的形容詞來描述這筆損失的「規模」或「嚴重性」呢？
🤖
AI 詳解
AI 專屬家教
很高興看到你精準捕捉到了文意！選取 (E) considerable 顯示你具備優秀的上下文推論能力。這類「字義推知題」的核心在於觀察該詞彙所處的環境。
脈絡中的語意推敲
文中提到無效率的流程可能導致企業損失「eye-watering amounts」，緊接著用破折號補充說明這筆金額高達「年營收的 20% 到 30%」。對於任何企業來說，損失將近三分之一的營收絕對不是小數目，而是「極其龐大、令人震驚」的。雖然 eye-watering 字面意義與淚水有關，但在財經語境下，它生動地形容金額大到讓人「欲哭無淚」或「眼紅」，與 considerable（相當大的、顯著的） 在程度上的表達最為契合。
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