“Although executives see globalisation as a driving force behind unprecedented opportunities internationally, there is real apprehension about a plethora of risks that may stand in their way,” according to Richard Fenning, Director of Control Risks New York, who released the report at a press conference today in Washington DC. “Anything from international sanctions, terrorism and currency devaluation, to extortion and kidnapping.”

According to the survey, a significant majority (68%) of those US executives polled believe that globalisation generates more risk for investors. Additionally, the survey indicated that businesses expect to be increasingly forced to address the challenge of reputational risks. Business development executives are firmly placing consumer activism, corruption, and human rights on their agendas.

The survey revealed shareholder action as the most critical reputational risk; kidnap as the most significant security risk; and international sanctions as the foremost political risk. Most respondents of the survey considered risks to be increasing in Russia and the former Soviet Union, with sophisticated fraud, corruption and organised crime as the driving factors. Interestingly, 76% of those polled considered the risks to be static or decreasing in the Middle East; 59% of respondents had the same feeling about North Africa; and 67% held a similar view about Latin America (excluding Brazil) where — with some clear exceptions — political and economic issues have replaced security as the prime source of risk over the past decade.

“Although traditional risks, such as political and extremist terrorism, are decreasing in incidence — yet not impact — problems such as organised and petty crime are likely to present a specific and harder range of risks than previously,” said Martin Stone, Head of Research for Control Risks.

From PR Newswire

TEST 1 ( -ING / TO+INFINITIVE)

1.Is there anything in that new magazine worth .... ?

a)to read

b)reading

3. I really must stop .... .

a)to smoke

b)smoking

4.Would you mind .... the front door? a) to close

b) closing

5.You should remember .... him. He'll be at home.

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a)to phone

b)phoning

6.All parts of London seem .... to different towns and epochs. a) to belong

b) belonging

7.Do you enjoy....?

a)to teach

b)teaching

8. Why have you stopped? Go on .... .

a)to read

b)reading

9. The teacher asked us some questions and went on ..... us about the climate of England.

a)to tell

b)telling

10. When we had finished ...., the waiter brought the bill.

a)to eat

b)eating

12. My car needs a service badly, and Tom offered... me with it.

a)to help

b)helping

13.Avoid .... and you'll feel better soon. a) to overeat

b) overeating

14.I can't help .... about that awful accident.

a)to think

b)thinking

15.The Brains want... Boston this week. a) to leave for

b) leaving for

16.I'll always remember .... you for the first time.

a)to meet

b)meeting

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TEST 2 ( -ING / TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE)

1.She always avoids …..decisions. a) making

b) to make c) make

d) from making

2.Do you object ……on Sundays? a) to work

b) be working c) to working d) working

3.Mary needs …….her grades if she wants to get into graduate school. a) to rise

b) to .rose c) to raise d) to risen

4.I think he'll admit to …… involved in the business.

a)had

b)had been

c)have been

d)has been

5.She decisively refused ….. back to the hospital. a) go

b) going c) to going d) to go

6.Don't hesitate …… if you need my help.

a)to contacting

b)contacting

c)to contact

d)be contacting

7.The price was much more than we expected …… . a) paying

b) to pay c) pay

d) for paying

8.He says he hopes………… them the other day.

a) would see

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b)seeing

c)to see

d)see

9.Do you deny………… there at 6.15? a) be

b) to be c) being d) was

10.Finally, the boss consented ……. the transaction. a) to okay

b) okay

c) okaying

d) for okaying

11.He thinks……… his own business.

a)of starting

b)to start

c)starting

d)start

12.She could not sleep without ….. to him once more. a) seeing and talking

b) to see and talk c) see and talk

d) have seen and talked

13.She suggested ……… together.

a)to travel

b)traveling

c)to traveling

d)travel I

14.Why not let me finish ……… her and you go shopping? a) feeding

b) feed c) to feed d) fed

15.The Committee recommends……… public spending. a) cutting

b) for cutting c) cut

d) to cut

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TEST 3 ( -ING / TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE)

1.Paul's cousin was twenty-five, but she was exceptionally naive, and, at first failed …… what was up.

a) realize b) realizing c) to realize

d) to realizing

2.He enjoyed ……… of her as his future wife.

b)to think

c)think

d)in thinking

3.They were looking forward ……… in the occasion a) to participate

b) participate c) participating

d) to participating

4.I didn't feel like…… them there.

a)seeing

b)to see

c)about seeing

d)see

5.I'm afraid you risk ……… your job. a) to lose

b) losing c) of losing d) lose

6.It may be worth ……… an ad in the local paper. a) putting

b) of putting c) to put

d) put

7.We……… together.

a)used to working

b)are used to work

c)used to work

d)got used to work

8. We managed …… the discrepancy of the data. a) in eliminating

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b)eliminating

c)eliminate

d)to eliminate

9.Prices tend ……… this time of the year. a) raise

b) to raise c) to rise d) raising

10.I did not want to see him, so I pretended ……… asleep. a) being

b) of being c) to be

d) be

11.Soon you'll appreciate ………… a swimming pool nearby. a) having

b) to have c) have

d) of having

12.He is most likely………. at work.

a)being

b)be

c)to be

d)to being

13.He succeeded ……… her stay for another three days. a) to make

b) of making c) in making d) make

14.The walls need……… .

a)painting

b)to paint

c)be painted

d)in painting

15. Would you mind……… a week or two?

a)waiting

b)to wait

c)wait

d)to waiting

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TEST 4 (-ING / TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE)

1.I couldn't help……. her everything. a) telling

b) to tell c) tell

d) but to tell

2.We are all looking forward…….. you this month. a) to meeting

b) meet c) to meet

d) meeting

3.He claimed ……. a president.

a)to be

b)be

c)to being

d)being

4. IS it worth ……… it all over again?

a)starting

b)of starting

c)in starting

d)to start

5.Workers who broke the strike risk ……… when they left the factory. a) being attacked

b) to be attacked c) to attack

d) be attacked

6.I wouldn't tolerate……… like that.

a)being treated

b)to be treated

c)to being treated

d)to treat

7.Negotiators have not succeeded ……… a cease-fire. a) to establish

b) in establishing c) on establishing d) establish

8.She tends ………… in other people's business.

a) interfere

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b)to interfering

c)interfering

d)to interfere

9.She was used ……. on television. a) to be

b) be

c) being d) to being

10.It will help you avoid ………… sick while traveling. a) getting

b) from getting c) to get

d) got

11.I waited until she had finished ……. before telling them the truth. a) speak

b) to speaking c) to speak

d) speaking

12.They suggested …… the terms of the agreement

a)reconsidering

b)reconsider

c)reconsider

d)about reconsidering

13…………… my coat carefully on the bed, I crept towards the door.

a)lying

b)laying

c)lieing

d)lain

14.I quit …… her when it got obvious she'd never accept. a) to ask

b) ask

c) asking d) to asking

15.I chose……. his words.

a)ignoring

b)of to ignore

c)to ignore

d)to ignorance

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