Answer Key

Finance – Comprehension Check

  1. Which of the options best completes this sentence? “They are then joined by..”  [another creditor] 

    They are then joined by another creditor.
  2. “All staff are dismissed apart from 6 SKELETON staff.” Who stayed in the company? [only the essential staff] 

    skeleton – something reduced to its essential parts
  3. There is a grammar mistake in this sentence: “He always has assumed that the bank's debenture over book debts will cover the facilities.” Which of the options has the mistake?  [He always has assumed] 

    He has always assumed that the bank's debenture over book debts will cover the facilities.
  4. The company started to have cash flow shortage, so the bank decided to [lower the overdraft limit] 

    The bank - which only last year confirmed that it wanted to lend more money to the company - has gone completely in the other direction and is now talking of lowering the overdraft limit and requiring more security.
  5. Which of the options best completes this sentence? “Firstly, a large contract the company had...” [been working on went horribly wrong.] 

    Firstly, a large contract the company had been working on went horribly wrong.
  6. “His financial future is totally BLEAK” means  [there's basically no future] 

    bleak – without hope or encouragement; depressing
  7. Which of the options best completes this sentence? “A Company Director in his 50th year had built a company from scratch to...”  [an annual turnover of £5-6M.] 

    A Company Director in his 50th year had built a company from scratch to an annual turnover of £5-6M.
  8. Which of the options best completes this sentence? “In six months the company has gone from trading comfortably and well...”  [to having a real cash flow shortage of £200,000-£500,000.] 

    In six months the company has gone from trading comfortably and well to having a real cash flow shortage of £200,000-£500,000.
  9. The company was built FROM SCRATCH. What does it mean?  [with no financial resources] 

    from scratch – from nothing; without resources
  10. “Right out of the blue, another large client is disputing his bill.” What does OUT OF THE BLUE mean? [suddenly] 

    out of the blue – suddenly and unexpectedly