Homeworkreview
学习重点
1. Homework review
2. Vocabulary study
3. What is e-business?
4. The advantages of e-business
5. Oral practice
6. Business passage reading
7. Homework
I. Homework review
1.
Changes in Mobile Phones Ownership in Europe, the USA and Asia in the period 2000, 2003 and 2008 (Forecast)
In 2000, mobile phones represented 5% of all telephones in Europe, 10% of all telephones in the USA, and 2% of all Asian telephones.
In 2003, the percentage of all telephones that were mobiles in Europe and the USA increased by 10% to 15% and 20% respectively. Asia’s percentage of mobiles rose by 8% to 10%.
A 2008 forecast suggest that Europe’s percentage of mobiles will rise another 5% to 20%. The USA will have mobiles as 35% of all telephone, a rise of 15%, and Asia’s increase will be dramatic, from 10% in 1998 to 30% in 2003, a leap of 20%.
It seems that mobile phone use will increase dramatically, especially in Asia.
2.
Homework 1
Report on adopting new practices
Introduction
The aim of this report is to explain two new practices learnt from the JK Toys and recommend them into implementation in our company.
Findings
The key findings are outlined below.
n Hotdesking
The limited work space of our company has always been one of the biggest problems, and what we could predict is that employees will expect a better working environment. JK Toys is the pioneer of the hotdesking practice. After implementation, they found it flexible and effective to arrange more shift work, and better use of office equipment. The similar situation brings us a positive expectation.
n Childcare service
Most of our employees are not able to take care of their children because of their busy schedule. Considering the total number of employees who are struggling with this tough situation, we plan to set up a kindergarten. All children of our employees aged below 6 are welcome. The kindergarten in the JK Toys are free of charge and can be a tool of motivation. Employees would enjoy their job with much more dedication, and that is also our purpose.
Conclusions
It is clear that new practices should be adopted into our company to improve the current situation. We could foster a better working environment in the future.
Recommendations
It would be advisable to test these two practices for 2-3 months in order to ensure a positive effect in our company.
Homework 2
Report on Introduction of Two New Practices
Introduction
This report aims to introduce two advanced practices Total Quality Management (TQM) and Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory system, and the benefits of adopting them.
New practices from UP Corporation
UP Corporation has implemented TQM and JIT inventory system for approximately ten years. By now, owing to the success of implementing these two approaches, it has become the market leader of the car manufacturing industry.
Introductions and Benefits
TQM is an organization-wide effort to infuse quality into every activity in a company through continuous improvements. It focuses on teamwork, increasing customer satisfaction and lowering costs. Obviously, it will greatly reduce the cost of dealing with the defective products and disgruntled customers. JIT inventory system is a control system that schedules materials to arrive precisely when they are needed in the production line. This system has tremendous advantages. In particular, it reduces the level of an organization’s inventory to zero, which will free productive capital for other company uses.
Conclusions
To sum up, the introduction of TQM and JIT inventory system into our company will boost our production efficiency, improve quality of our products, lower the costs and enhance customer satisfaction.
Suggestions
It is strongly recommended that training of these two approaches should be given to our staff. As both of these systems require strong coordination from people in different departments, team spirit and communication skills should be emphasized in the training course.
infuse verb
1 [transitive] formal to fill something or someone with a particular feeling or quality 把….注入; (向…) 灌输
be infused with something
Her books are infused with humour and wisdom.
infuse something into something
These new designers are infusing fresh interest into the New York fashion scene.
2 [intransitive and transitive] if you infuse tea or herbs, or if they infuse, you leave them in very hot water while their taste passes into the water 泡茶，浸渍
Vocabulary Study
(1) 一词多义单词---facility
facility noun
plural facilities
1 facilities [plural] rooms, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose 设施，设备
All rooms have private facilities (=private bathroom and toilet). 所有的屋子都有公私人使用的设施。
The hotel has its own pool and leisure facilities. 这家饭店有自己的游泳池和休闲设施。
toilet facilities 厕所设施
childcare facilities 照料儿童的设施
2 [countable usually singular] a special part of a piece of equipment or a system which makes it possible to do something (设备或系统执行运转功能的)某个特殊部分
Is there a call-back facility on this phone? 这部电话有没有回拨功能?
a bank account with an overdraft facility 一个可以透支的银行账户
3 [countable] a place or building used for a particular activity or industry, or for providing a particular type of service (进行特殊活动或工业生产的)地方，楼房
a top-secret research facility 一个高度机密的研究地点
the finest indoor sports facility in the US 一个在美国最好的室内健身楼
(2) 单词记忆方法---相似性
shortfall noun [countable]
the difference between the amount you have and the amount you need or expect 缺少，不足，不足之数，亏空
shortfall in
Parents have been asked to pay ￡30 each to cover the shortfall in the budget. 学校要求每位家长再支付30英镑来弥补预算中的差额。
shortfall of
an estimated shortfall of about ￡1 million 预计大约100万英镑的差额
windfall noun [countable]
1 an amount of money that you get unexpectedly 意外的收获，横财
his ￡2 million windfall in the lottery 他从彩票中获得200万英镑的意外收获
windfall gain/profit etc (=high profits that you did not expect to make) 意外收获/利润
2 a piece of fruit that has fallen off a tree 被风吹落的果子(或刮倒的树木)
pitfall noun [countable usually plural]
a problem or difficulty that is likely to happen in a particular job, course of action, or activity陷阱，圈套
pitfall of
He gave me advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of the legal process. 他就如何避免法律程序中的陷阱给我提了些建议。
the pitfalls associated with the purchase of a used car 与购买二手车相关的陷阱
_______________________________________________________________
shop floor noun [singular]
1 the area in a factory where the ordinary workers do their work 工人工作车间
on the shop floor
The chairwoman started her working life on the shop floor. 这位女董事长是从基层开始她职业生涯的。
2 the ordinary workers in a factory, not the managers 基层工人
factory floor noun
the factory floor
a) the area in a factory where goods are made
b) the ordinary workers in a factory, rather than the managers
on the factory floor
There’s been a lot of talk on the factory floor (=among the ordinary workers) about more layoffs in the spring.
_____________________________________________________________________
cut your teeth (on something)
to get your first experience of doing something and learn the basic skills 获得初次经验
Both reporters cut their journalistic teeth on the same provincial newspaper. 这两位记者当年都是在同一家省报开始获得新闻采访经验的。
get my teeth into informal to start to do something with a lot of energy and determination专注于，(开始)认真处理
I can’t wait to get my teeth into the new course. What is e-business?
1. Speaking.
How often do you use the Internet and for what reasons?
---for work
---for outside work
2. Reading------e-business
This unit focuses on e-business and e-commerce. The term e-commerce is connected with retailing and describes company to consumer communication using the Internet, e.g. when a customer orders and pays for books over the Internet.
The term e-business is broader, referring to the transformation of fundamental business processes through the use of Internet technologies. It refers to the way internal business processes and communication with supplies etc. are carried out via computer networks that use Web-compatible software.
(1) What is e-business?
(2) Customers
Customer referred to in the discussion of e-business is not the individual consumer who buys over the Internet but the company which buys the goods supplied by another company.
(3) Supply Chain management
(4) E-commerce
2. Reading.
Vocabulary
transform verb [transitive]
to completely change the appearance, form, or character of something or someone, especially in a way that improves it 彻底改变
Increased population has transformed the landscape. 不断增长的人口将这里的景色完全改变。
transform somebody/something (from something) into something
The movie transformed her almost overnight from an unknown schoolgirl into a megastar. 这部电影将她一夜之间从一名不知名的中学女生变成一位超级巨星。
transformation noun [uncountable and countable]
a complete change in someone or something 变革
In recent years, the movie industry has undergone a dramatic transformation. 在近些年，电影业经历了巨大的变革。
transformation from something to/into something
the gradual transformation from woodland to farmland 从森林到农田的逐渐演变
transformation of
What leads to the transformation of one economic system to another? 是什么导致一种经济体制转变为另一种?
self-service adjective
a self-service restaurant, shop etc is one in which you get things for yourself and then pay for them 自助的
ￚself-service noun [uncountable]
ingredient noun [countable]
1 one of the foods that you use to make a particular food or dish 成分
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. 把所有成分都混合放进大碗里。
The food is home-cooked using fresh ingredients. 这种食物使用新鲜的原材料，在家
2 a quality you need to achieve something 获取某事所需的素养
John has all the ingredients of a great player. 约翰具备一个伟大球员应有的所有素养。
Investment in new product development is an essential ingredient of corporate success. 在新产品发展方面的投资是公司成功的最基本要素。
personalize verb[transitive]
also personalise British English
1 to put your name or initials on something, or to decorate it in your own way, to show that it belongs to you 使个性化，在(物品上)标出姓名
Why not do something to personalize your office? 为什么不动手把自己的办公室装扮得更有个性化呢?
2 to design or change something so that it is suitable for a particular person使针对个人
All the products can be personalized to the client’s exact requirements. 所有产品都可以针对客户的具体要求而量身定制。
ￚpersonalized adjective
a personalized number plate 一个具有个性特征的车辆号牌
offering noun [countable]
1 a book, play, piece of music etc that someone has written recently 最近的创作作品
the latest offering from Nancy Griffith
2 something that is given to God
3 something that is given as a present to please someone 给某人的礼物
anticipate verb [transitive]
1 to expect that something will happen and be ready for it预料
Sales are better than anticipated. 销售比预计得要好。
anticipate changes/developments 预料到变化/发展
The schedule isn’t final, but we don’t anticipate many changes. 计划虽然没有完成，但是预计不会有太多的变化。
anticipate problems/difficulties
We don’t anticipate any problems.
A good speaker is able to anticipate an audience’s needs and concerns. 一个好的演说者能够预计听众的需要和忧虑。
anticipate (that)
This year, we anticipate that our expenses will be 15% greater.
It is anticipated that the research will have many different practical applications.
anticipate doing something
I didn’t anticipate having to do the cooking myself!
2 to think about something that is going to happen, especially something pleasant预期，期望
Daniel was eagerly anticipating her arrival. 丹尼尔急切地期望着她的到来。
3 to do something before someone else 抢….之先, 占….之先
Copernicus anticipated in part the discoveries of the 17th and 18th centuries.
web browser noun [countable]
a computer program that finds information on the Internet and shows it on your computer screen 网络浏览器
automate verb [transitive]
to start using computers and machines to do a job, rather than people 使自动化
Cash machines automate two basic functions of a bank - deposits and withdrawals. 现金取款机让银行的两个基本职能实现了自动化---存款和取款。
controlled adjective
1 deliberately done in a particular way, or made to have particular qualities 受控制的，受限制的
a test held under controlled conditions 一个在严格限制之下进行的实验
a controlled explosion 受到限制的爆炸
2 limited by a law or rule 受法律限制的
Access to the site is closely controlled. 进入这个地方要受严格控制。
a police search for controlled drugs (=a drug that is illegal to have without permission from a doctor) 一位警察搜寻违法的毒品
3 calm and not showing emotion, even if you feel angry, afraid etc 平静的
a controlled, authoritative voice 一个平静权威的声音
optimize verb [transitive]
also optimise British English
to improve the way that something is done or used so that it is as effective as possible 优化
They need to optimize the use of available resources. 他们需要对现有资源的使用进行优化。
vendor noun [countable]
1 someone who sells things, especially on the street 沿街叫卖的小贩
news vendor/ice-cream vendor etc 卖报纸的小贩/冰激凌的小贩
He bought a copy from a newspaper vendor. 他在卖报纸的小贩那里买了一份报纸。
the shouts of street vendors 小贩们的叫卖声
2 formal or law someone who is selling something 正式用语或法律用语：卖家
leading software vendors 主要的软件销售商
inventory noun
plural inventories
1[countable] a list of all the things in a place 物品记录单
inventory of
We made an inventory of everything in the apartment. 我们把公寓里所有的物品都作了登记。
2[uncountable and countable] American English all the goods in a shop 存货
ￚ同义词 stock
accordingly adverb
1 in a way that is suitable for a particular situation or that is based on what someone has done or said 相应地
Katherine still considered him a child and treated him accordingly. …仍旧把它看成是个孩子，并以此对待他。
2 [sentence adverb] as a result of something 因此
ￚsynonym therefore
Some of the laws were contradictory. Accordingly, measures were taken to clarify them. 有些法律相互抵触，因此，政府采取措施让法律条款更清晰。
e-commerce noun [uncountable]
electronic commerce the activity of buying and selling goods and services and doing other business activities using a computer and the Internet 电子商务
e-commerce applications such as online ticketing and reservations 电子商务的应用，比如网上购票和预订
e-business: The transformation of key business processes through the use of Internet technologies.
Benefits: Can streamline business processes to improve operating efficiencies. All the processes contributing to the overall customer experience can be improved (customer relationship management etc.). Can analyse past customer behavior to anticipate customers’ needs. Can allow suppliers and customers controlled access to the data they need, so that business processes can be managed beyond the individual organization (e.g. sharing sales forecasts, managing inventories, optimizing deliveries).
e-commerce: The ability to offer goods and services to the consumer over the Web.
Benefits: Can present goods more effectively, take orders and invoice on-line, automate customer account enquiries and handle transactions electronically. This means improved margins for the business and a faster, more responsive service for customers.
3.
Possible difficulties for companies:
Cost of installing systems and training staff, need to provide 24-hour service /back-up, keeping up-to-date with technical advances, potential systems failures (viruses /Millennium bug)
Possible difficulties for customers:
Need to have up-to-date, reliable Internet access (for e-commerce customers), lack of confidence in system security.
Theadvantagesofe-business
The advantages of e-business
1. H
2. G
3. C
4. D
5. F
6. J
7. I
8. O
9. M
10. N
Vocabulary
Speaker 1
network noun [countable]
1 a system of lines, tubes, wires, roads etc that cross each other and are connected to each other 网络
Hungary’s telephone network匈牙利的电话网
a high-speed European rail network 一个高速运行的欧洲铁路网
2 a group of radio or television stations, which broadcast many of the same programmes, but in different parts of the same country 广播网
the four biggest TV networks 四大电视网
3 a set of computers that are connected to each other so that they can share information 电脑网络
4 a group of people, organizations etc that are connected or that work together 一群经常有联系的人或组织
network of
It’s important to build up a network of professional contacts. 建立起一群职业人士联系网很重要。
network verb
1 [intransitive and transitive] to connect several computers together so that they can share information 电脑联网
2 [intransitive] to meet and talk with people who have similar jobs to yours, especially because they may be useful for your work 联系，联络
networking noun [uncountable]
the practice of meeting other people involved in the same kind of work, to share information, support each other etc 联系，联络
I’m hoping to do some networking at the conference. 我希望在此次大会上可以多联系一些人。
reckon verb [transitive not in progressive]
1 spoken especially British English to think or suppose something认为
reckon (that)
Do you reckon he’ll agree to see us?
The police reckon that whoever killed Dad was with him earlier that day.
’There’s nothing we can do about it.’ ’You reckon (=used to express doubt or disagreement)?’
2 to guess a number or amount, without calculating it exactly估计，判断
reckon (that)
We reckon that sitting in traffic jams costs us around $9 billion a year in lost output.
reckon something to be something
The average selling price for flats in the area was reckoned to be around ￡11,000.
3 [usually passive] to think that someone or something is a particular kind of person or thing把……看作
be reckoned to be something
The Lowsons were reckoned to be very good farmers.
Moving house is reckoned to be nearly as stressful as divorce.
be reckoned as something
An earthquake of magnitude 7 is reckoned as a major quake.
4 formal to calculate an amount计算
The expression ’full moon’ means the fourteenth day of the moon reckoned from its first appearance.
distance learning noun [uncountable]
a method of study that involves working at home and sending your work to your teacher 远程学习
Speaker 2
time-consuming adjective taking a long time to do 费时的
a complex and time-consuming process一个复杂费时的过程
extranet noun [countable]
a computer system in a company that allows better communication between the company and its customers by combining Internet and intranet systems, so that some customers can view some of the company’s private information that is not normally available on the Internet 外网
telemarketing noun [uncountable]
a way of selling products to people in which you telephone people to see if they want to buy something 电话推销产品
script noun
1 [countable] the written form of a speech, play, film etc 剧本
They write all their own scripts.
a film script
3 [countable] British English a piece of work that a student writes in an examination (笔试的)答卷
4 [singular, uncountable] formal writing done by hand手迹，笔迹，手写体
a diary entry written in neat black script
line ▶IN A COMPANY/ORGANIZATION◀
[countable] a series of levels of authority within an organization 机构管理层一系列的职权
Decisions are taken by senior officers and fed down through the line of command to the ordinary soldiers. 高层军官作决定，经过逐级下达直至普通士兵。
There should be more direct discussion between managers and workers lower down the line. 经理和底层工人之间由该有更多直接的讨论。
line manager noun [countable] British English
1 a manager in a company who is responsible for the main activities of production, sales etc 直线经理
2 somebody’s line manager
someone who is one level higher in rank than you in a company and is in charge of your work 某人的上级经理
line ▶PRODUCT◀
[countable] a type of goods for sale in a shop 某种产品
The company has just launched a new line of small, low-priced computers. 该公司刚刚投放了一款新的小型、低价位的电脑。
Speaker 3
up-to-the-minute adjective
1 including all the latest information 最新的
The general lacked up-to-the-minute information at the crucial moment. 这位将军在关键时刻缺少最新信息。
2 very modern or fashionable 现代的，时尚的
beach resorts packed with up-to-the-minute facilities and entertainment 有现代化设施和娱乐活动的海滨度假胜地
u enhance our clients’ perception
u strengthen our customer base
Speaker 4
prestigious adjective admired as one of the best and most important 有威望的，有声望的
a prestigious literary award 一项有有声望的文学奖
a highly prestigious university 一所有威望很高的大学
passion noun
1 [uncountable and countable] a very strong belief or feeling about something 激情，热情
with passion
He spoke with considerable passion about the importance of art and literature. 他用相当的热情谈论着艺术和文学的重要性。
The issue arouses strong passions. 这个问题引起了强烈的热情。
2 [countable] a very strong liking for something 爱好，热爱
passion for
his passion for football 他对足球的热爱
Gardening was her great passion. 园艺是他的最爱。
cyber- prefix
relating to computers, especially to messages and information on the Internet 网络的
cyber-shoppers 网上购物者
pedal noun [countable]
1 also bicycle pedal
one of the two parts of a bicycle that you push round with your feet to make the bicycle go forward脚蹬子
2 a part in a car or on a machine that you press with your foot to control it 汽车脚踏板
She put her foot down on the accelerator pedal.
international presence
fraction noun [countable]
1 a very small amount of something 一小部分
fraction of
I got these shoes at a fraction of the original price. 我只花费了原价的一小部分钱就买了这双鞋。
She paused for a fraction of a second. 她略微停顿了一下。
2 a part of a whole number in mathematics, such as ½ or ¾分数
Speaker 5
lean adjective
1 thin in a healthy and attractive way
He was lean, tall, and muscular.
2 lean meat does not have much fat on it
ￚopposite fatty
3 a lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted 精简的机构
4 a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc
His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years.
ￚleanness noun [uncountable]
bureaucracy noun
plural bureaucracies
1 [uncountable] a complicated official system which is annoying or confusing because it has a lot of rules, processes etc官僚
2 [uncountable and countable] the officials who are employed rather than elected to do the work of a government, business etc 政府官僚人员
procure verb [transitive] formal
1 to obtain something, especially something that is difficult to get获取，采购
procure something for somebody
He was accused of procuring weapons for terrorists. 他被指控为恐怖分子采购武器。
ￚprocurable adjective
ￚprocurement noun [uncountable]
the procurement of raw materials from abroad
ￚprocurer noun [countable]
fill in phrasal verb
▶DOCUMENT◀
fill something ↔ in
to write all the necessary information on an official document, form etc 填写
Don’t forget to fill in your boarding cards. 不要忘记把你的登机牌填写好。
▶TELL SOMEBODY NEWS◀
fill somebody ↔ in
to tell someone about recent events, especially because they have been away from a place 告知某人最近发生的事情
fill somebody ↔ in on
I think you’d better fill me in on what’s been happening. 我想你最好告诉我最近发生的事情。
▶DO SOMEBODY’S JOB◀
to do someone’s job because they are not there 接替别人的工作
fill in for
I’m filling in for Joe for a few days. 我只接替几天琼的工作。
paperwork noun [uncountable]
1 work such as writing letters or reports, which must be done but is not very interesting 文书工作
Police work involves so much paperwork these days. 近些年来，警察的工作内容当中包含了大量的文书工作。
2 the documents that you need for a business deal, a journey etc 文件
I’m leaving the solicitors to sort out the paperwork. 我从律师事务所那里出来去整理文件。
requisite adjective [only before noun] formal
needed for a particular purpose 必需的，要求的
ￚsynonym necessary, required
He lacks the requisite qualifications. 他缺少必需的资历。
margin noun [countable]
1 the empty space at the side of a page 边
Use double spacing and wide margins to leave room for comments. 请大家在行与行之间留一行，并且在两边留出足够的边，让老师可以写评语。
2 the difference between what it costs a business to buy or produce something and what they sell it for 利润
Margins are low and many companies are struggling. 由于利润很低，所以许多公司都在苦苦挣扎着。
Within 10 years they had a gross profit margin of 50%. 不到10年的时间，他们的利润总额就高达50%。
margin of error
the degree to which a calculation might or can be wrong误差幅度
The survey has a margin of error of 2.1%. 这次调查误差幅度为2.1%。
margin for error
how many mistakes you can make and still be able to achieve something 可以出错的空间
At this late stage in the competition there is absolutely no margin for error.在比赛的最后阶段，没有再犯错误的空间了。
sort something/somebody ↔ out phrasal verb
1 to arrange or organize something that is mixed up or untidy, so that it is ready to be used 安排、组织
We need to sort out our camping gear before we go away. 我们需要在离开前把我们野营用的装备准备好。
2 to separate one type of thing from another 捡出
I’ve sorted out the papers that can be thrown away. 我已经把需要扔掉的纸都捡出来了。
sort something/somebody ↔ out from
First sort the white things out from the other clothes. 首先要把白色的衣服先挑出来。
3 especially British English to successfully deal with a problem or difficult situation处理，解决
She went to a psychiatrist to try to sort out her problems. 她去找精神病学家去解决她的问题。
I’ll be glad to get this misunderstanding sorted out. 我很高兴看到这次误解得以顺利解决。
4 especially British English to succeed in making arrangements for something 成功地做出安排
Have you sorted out where you’re going to live yet? 你安排好将要居住的地方了吗?
She is trying to sort out childcare. 她试图安排好照料孩子的事情。
2. Language.
Future perfect and future continuous
The uses of the future perfect and future continuous which appear in the tapescript are as follows.
Future perfect
l To refer to actions completed by a certain time in the future:
By the end of the year we’ll have reduced our paper invoices from five million to zero.
In phrases which contain a reference to actions completed by a specific time in the future, the future perfect cannot be substituted by other future forms.
Future continuous
l To refer to actions which are arranged or expected to happen:
We’ll be introducing more and more new product lines.
The future continuous can also be used to refer to an action which is in progress at a certain time in the future.
e.g. We’ll already be discussing the launch by the time you get there.
The future continuous can also be used as a polite form, when making enquiries about a person’s future plans.
e.g. Will you be staying for the reception?
It is not possible to replace the future continuous with other verb forms when it is used to refer to an action in progress at a certain time in the future. However, when the future continuous is used to refer to something which is expected /a matter of course in the future, or when it is used as a polite form, alternatives are possible though always resulting in a change in emphasis.
e.g.
We’ll be introducing more new product lines.---This is what we’re doing anyway.
We’re going to introduce more new product lines. --- This is our intention.
We’re introducing more new product lines. --- This is our specific plan.
Will you be staying for the reception? ---May I ask if you intend to stay?
Are you staying for the reception? ---I’d like to know if you are staying.
3. Writing.
intermediary noun[countable]
plural intermediaries
a person or organization that tries to help two other people or groups to agree with each other调节人，中间人
Jackson acted as an intermediary between the two parties. 杰克逊在这两个党派之间扮演着调解人的身份。
ￚintermediary adjective [only before noun] 中间的
an intermediary role in the talks 谈判中调解人的作用
hold something at arm’s length
to hold something away from your body在一臂之远，在伸手可及之处
keep/hold somebody at arm’s length
to avoid developing a relationship with someone 避免与某人发展关系
Petra keeps all men at arm’s length to avoid getting hurt. …拒绝所有男人，以免受到伤害。
stand alone
a) to be strong and independent 强大，独立
the courage to stand alone 有勇气独立自主
b) to be at a distance from other objects or buildings 与别的物体和建筑物保持距离
The house stood alone at the end of the road. 坐落在路尽头的这座房子远离其他建筑物。
standalone adjective [only before noun]
1 a standalone computer works on its own without being part of a network 独立工作的电脑
2 a standalone company is one that is not part of a larger company 独立公司
ￚstandalone noun [countable]
entity noun[countable]
plural entities
formal something that exists as a single and complete unit实体，独立存在
The mind exists as a separate entity. 思维独立存在。
Good design brings a house and garden together as a single entity. 良好的设计让这座房子和花园成为一个整体。
empower verb [transitive]
1 to give someone more control over their own life or situation授权
The Voting Rights Act was needed to empower minority groups. 人们需要《投票权利法案》来赋予少数民族人们权利。
2 formal to give a person or organization the legal right to do something 授予法律权利
be empowered to do something
The President is empowered to appoint judges to the Supreme Court. 总统被授予权利来任命最高法院的法官。
ￚempowerment noun [uncountable]
cross- prefix
1 going from one side to the other
a cross-Channel ferry (=sailing from Britain to France) 跨越海峡的轮渡
2 going between two things and joining them
cross-cultural influences 跨文化影响
Suggested Answer:
The last years of the twentieth century saw the Internet being used by more and more companies as a business tool. In 1997 e-commerce was very limited earning a revenue of less than $25 billion. However, since then, there has been a steady growth worldwide. This trend looks set to continue into the next century with revenue from e-commerce rising to reach almost $200 billion by 2003.
Like e-commerce, e-business has shown steady growth with revenue tripling in the period 1997 to 2000, rising from about $50 billion to $150 billion. However, there is predicted to be a far more dramatic increase in e-business revenue over the next three years. It is thought that by 2003 revenue from e-business will have reached over $800 billion worldwide.
Oral Practice
u What’s the influence of online shopping to Chinese customers?
ü 思路拓展
Positive influence
convenience: save time, energy and money, ease of judging products at one place
Negative influence
Online transaction might not be the safest way. Customers cannot see the product and therefore cannot assure themselves of the quality of the product. Also, online transaction takes the form of cash card and entering their pin numbers. Thus, some online credit card fraud takes place.
ü 实践操作
Basically, I think online shopping brings more benefits to Chinese customers. We enjoy more convenience from online shopping. We can save our time and energy from choosing similar products at different places. Online shopping provides the ease of judging products at one place. Also, online products usually are cheaper than those sold on the market due to its shorter distribution channel. On the other hand, customers may take the risk of not ensuring the quality and credit card fraud.
Online shopping reading passage
A beginner’s guide to e-commerce
E-commerce means electronic commerce, or simply, buying and selling stuff on the Internet. It has only been with us since the mid-90s, but it is already a multi-billion dollar market, and it is growing fast. But many people still have doubts about it. Does it work? Is it difficult? What can you buy? Is it safe?
The answer to the first question is definitely YES. In North America, nearly 20 million people shopped online in December 2000, spending a total of $6.1 billion. This is almost the same amount as online shoppers in the Asia-Pacific region spent in the whole year ($7 billion), but in Asia the market is growing much faster, by about 150% a year. More and more people are realizing that with online shopping, they can:
u shop at their convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
u search large catalogs, and get much more information about a product
u compare products and sellers
u customize their order (make special orders) easily
u add to their order over several days.
Is e-commerce difficult? NO: if you can use a computer, you can shop online. You need to have Internet access, and generally, you need a credit card. Then all you have to do is find what you are looking for, and buy it!
What can you buy? ANYTHING that you can buy in a store. The most popular items are computer products, books, music, home electronics, clothes, gifts and flowers, travel tickets, and toys, but you can also buy groceries, pets, a house, and millions of other things. Then all you have to do is wait sometimes only a few hours until the company delivers what you bought.
Is e-commerce safe? YES and NO. Online sellers are very careful to protect their customers, and they use encryption technology to keep your credit card information safe. They also promise to keep all your information secret and not to sell it to other companies. However, hackers have stolen credit card numbers in the past and broken into “secure” websites. But this is rare, and perhaps the biggest danger of online shopping is that you will spend too much money!
E-commerce is still young, and there are still some problems to work out, but it is definitely here to stay.
encrypt verb [transitive]
to protect information by putting it into a special code that only some people can read, especially information that is on a computer 译成密码
ￚencryption noun [uncountable]
secure encryption of data
ￚencrypted adjective
files stored in encrypted form
Business Passage Reading
Fiorina forced to quit by HP board
Departure comes after failure to build computer giant into a profit machine and strategy disagreements
gManagement
The New York Times in San Francisco
Carly Fiorina, one of the most powerful women in corporate America, has been forced to resign as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Development (HP), the giant computer and printer maker.
She has been penalized for her inability to build the company into a reliable profit machine that could challenge IBM Corp.
The board forced Ms Fiorina to resign after she and the directors disagreed over corporate strategy as the contentious US$19 billion purchase of Compaq Computer Corp. in 2002 failed to deliver the results she had promised
The company’s new leadership said there would be no significant retreat from Ms Fiorina’s goal of offering a full range of digital products and computer services to businesses and consumers.
However, some analysts suggested that the move could be a first step towards breaking up a company, founded in 1938, that helped give rise to Silicon Valley as the nation’ s most important centre of technological innovation.
The resignation brings to a close a rocky 5½-year tenure for Ms Fiorina as HP’s chief executive. Her charisma and aggressively top-down leadership style made her a highly visible personality in the industry and on a broader public stage.
But her glamorous profile also made her the target of criticism from Wall Street and company insiders who accused her of neglecting the hands-on management tasks needed to carry out her vision.
“While I regret the board and I have differences about how to execute HP’s strategy, I respect their decision,” Ms Fiorina said in a statement. “HP is a great company and I wish all the people of HP much success in the future.”
Under the terms of her contract, Ms Fiorina would receive a severance package worth at least US$21.1 million, an HP spokesman said.
During her tenure, which spanned the bursting of the internet bubble and a slow recovery in technology spending. HP’s stock price fell about 50 per cent, far worse than that of IBM or Dell.
But within an industry characterized by intense competition and rapidly changing technologies, Ms Fiorina was not alone in struggling to turn HP into a business success.
Other Silicon Valley icons, such as Sun Microsystems, have been unable to overcome a sharp slowdown in corporate spending on information technology while only a few computer companies, such as Apple Computer, have managed to appeal to consumers with a range of new digital devices.
HP’s board reached its decision after a series of meetings over the past few weeks, culminating in the decision to ask Ms Fiorina for her resignation.
Wall Street signalled its approval of Ms Fiorina’s resignation on Wednesday, suggesting that investors were expecting new management to improve the company’s performance, perhaps by either focusing more on its highly profitable printer business or spinning it off to shareholders.
Robert Wayman, HP’s chief financial officer and a 36-year veteran of the company, was named chief executive on an interim basis and was appointed to the board. Patricia Dunn, a director since 1998, was named to replace Ms Fiorina as chairman.
“The board has sent a strong message that they were not happy with the status quo,” said A.M. Sacconaghi, an analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. “They clearly are looking for better leadership, as defined by better execution, to try to restore the fabled HP to its once sacred position [in Silicon Valley].”
HP SOURCE
Highlights in the history of Hewlett-Packard
1938: Stanford University graduates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard collaborate on the company’s first product, an audio oscillator, in a Palo Alto garage.
1939: Hewlett and Packard formalize their partnership on January 1 deciding the company’s name with a coin toss.
1947: HP is incorporated. Packard is named president and Hewlett is vice-president.
1957: HP goes public on November 6 for US$16 per share.
1962: For the first time, HP makes Fortune magazine’s top 500 US firms, ranking 460.
1966: HP develops its first computer, the HP 2116A.
1972: HP introduces the HP-35, the first scientific handheld calculator.
1977: Hewlett retires as president but remains chief executive. Packard remains chairman. HP engineer John Young is named president.
1978: Hewlett retires as chief executive; the company names Young to succeed him.
1980: HP introduces its first PC, the HP-85 and a steady stream of PCs follow.
1984: The HP Laser Jet Printer line debuts and becomes the company’s most successful single product ever.
1992: John Young retires, Lew Platt, an engineer, is elected president and chief executive and succeeds Packard as chairman a year later.
1996: Packard died on March 26.
1999: HP spins off Agilent Technologies; Platt retires; HP names Carly Fiorina as president and chief executive.
2000: Fiorina is named chairman.
2001: Hewlett dies on January 12. On September 4, HP and Compaq announce a merger agreement to create an US$87b company, facing fierce opposition from Bill’s son, HP director Walter Hewlett.
2002: HP completes the merger with Compaq on May 3 following an eight-month proxy fight spilled over into the courts. HP begins laying off thousands of workers to cut costs.
2005: HP board of directors considered a management reorganization. Fiorina steps down on February 9. HP names chief financial officer Robert Wayman as interim chief executive.
Vocabulary
contentious adjective
1 causing a lot of argument and disagreement between people 引起争论的
contentious issue/area/subject etc
Animal welfare did not become a contentious issue until the late 1970s.
2 someone who is contentious often argues with people
ￚcontentiously adverb
retreat noun
▶OF AN ARMY◀
[uncountable and countable]a movement away from the enemy after a defeat in battle
ￚopposite advance
Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow
The rebel forces are in full retreat (=retreating very fast) .The bugler sounded the retreat (=gave a loud signal for retreat) .
▶MOVEMENT BACK◀
[singular,uncountable] a movement away from someone or something
retreat from
Ten thousand years ago the ice began its retreat from Scotland.
▶CHANGE OF INTENTION◀
[singular,uncountable] when you change your mind about something because your idea was unpopular or too difficult
a retreat from hard-line policies
▶FINANCE◀ [singular,uncountable] technical a situation in which the value of shares etc falls to a lower level
break up phrasal verb
1 if something breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into a lot of small pieces
It seems that the plane just broke up in the air.
break something ↔ up
Use a fork to break up the soil.
2 break something ↔ up
to separate something into several smaller parts
There are plans to break the company up into several smaller independent companies.
You need a few trees and bushes to break up the lawn.
5 if a marriage, group of people, or relationship breaks up, the people in it separate and do not live or work together any more
He lost his job and his marriage broke up.
The couple broke up last year.
Many bands break up because of personality clashes between the musicians.
tenure noun [uncountable]
1 the right to stay permanently in a teaching job
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to acquire academic tenure.
2 formal the period of time when someone has an important job
The company has doubled in value during his tenure.
3 law the legal right to live in a house or use a piece of land for a period of time
(leasehold; freehold)
rocky adjective
1 covered with rocks or made of rock
2 informal a relationship or situation that is rocky is difficult and may not continue or be successful
Rangers got off to a rocky start this season.
The company faces a rocky road ahead.
charisma noun [uncountable] a natural ability to attract and interest other people and make them admire you领袖气质，个人魅力
He lacks charisma.
top-down adjective [only before noun] British English
1 a top-down way of organizing a business is one in which the most important people make decisions and tell the people below them what they should do自上而下的，统制的
The company has a top-down management system.
a top-down approach to decision-making
2 a top-down way of understanding or explaining something starts with a general idea and adds details later
glamorous adjective
attractive, exciting, and related to wealth and success
She led an exciting and glamorous life.
a glamorous actress
On television, she looks so glamorous.
insider noun [countable]
someone who has a special knowledge of a particular organization because they are part of it
ￚopposite outsider
an insider’s view of the way that a Japanese company works
hands-on adjective [usually before noun]
doing something yourself rather than just talking about it or telling other people to do it
a chance to get some hands-on experience of the job
He has a very hands-on approach to management.
severance noun [uncountable] formal
1 when you end your relationship or connection with another person, organization, country etc, especially because of a disagreement
severance of
the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries
2 severance pay/package
money or other things that you get when you have to leave a company because your employer no longer has a job for you
Employees will get two weeks of severance pay for every year of service.
icon noun [countable]
1 a small sign or picture on a computer screen that is used to start a particular operation
To open a new file, click on the icon at the top of the screen.
2 someone famous who is admired by many people and is thought to represent an important idea 偶像，崇拜的对象
a 60s cultural icon
slowdown noun
1 [countable usually singular] a reduction in activity or speed
slowdown in
a slowdown in the US economy
2 [countable] American English a period when people deliberately work slowly in order to protest about something
culminate
culminate in/with something phrasal verb
if a process culminates in or with a particular event, it ends with that event 告终
A series of events for teachers and students will culminate in a Shakespeare festival next year.
signal verb
1 [intransitive and transitive] to make a sound or action in order to give information or tell someone to do something
2 [transitive] to make something clear by what you say or do - used in news reports通知，示意
Both sides have signaled their willingness to start negotiations.
British sources last night signalled their readiness to talk.
signal (that)
The Prime Minister’s speech today signals that there will be a shake-up in the cabinet.
3 [transitive]to be a sign that something is going to happen
signal the start/beginning/end of something
the lengthening days that signal the end of winter
4 [intransitive] to show the direction you intend to turn in a vehicle, using the lights
American Equivalent: indicate Signal before you pull out.
spin off phrasal verb
to make part of a company into a separate and partly independent company, or to become a separate company
spin something ↔ off
At the time of the merger, Loral spun off its space divisions into a separate firm.
spin off from
Lucent spun off from AT&T in 1995.
资产分派(指公司以特定的资产分派给股东，尤指其他公司的股票)，资产分派产生的新公司
veteran noun [countable]
1 someone who has been a soldier, sailor etc in a war
veteran of
a veteran of the Second World War a Vietnam veteran
2 someone who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity
veteran politician/campaigner/leader etc
the veteran leader of the socialist party
veteran journalist/actor/goalkeeper etc
interim adjective [only before noun]
1 intended to be used or accepted for a short time only, until something or someone final can be made or found 间歇，过渡期间
an interim report
He received an interim payment of ￡10,000.
He was appointed president until an interim government was established.过渡政府
2 interim period
the period of time between two events
During the interim period, air quality has deteriorated.
status quo noun 现状
the status quo
the state of a situation as it is
maintain/preserve/defend the status quo (=not make any changes)
Will the West use its influence to maintain the status quo and not disrupt the flow of oil?
fabled adjective literary famous and often mentioned in traditional stories
ￚsynonym legendary
sacred adjective
1relating to a god or religion
a sacred vow the miraculous powers of sacred relics Certain animals were considered sacred.
sacred to
The land is sacred to these tribesmen.
2 very important or greatly respected
Human life is sacred.
sacred to
Few things were sacred to Henry, but local history was one of them.
He had no respect for everything I held sacred.
HP History
collaborate [intransitive]
1 to work together with a person or group in order to achieve something, especially in science or art
collaborate on
The two nations are collaborating on several satellite projects.
collaborate with
During the late seventies, he collaborated with the legendary Muddy Waters.
collaborate to do something
Researchers are collaborating to develop the vaccine.
collaborate in (doing) something
Elephants collaborate in looking after their young.
2 to help a country that your country is fighting a war with, especially one that has taken control of your country
collaborate with
Vigilantes began combing the city for anyone known to have collaborated with the enemy.
oscillator 振动器
incorporated adjective Inc
used after the name of a company in the US to show that it has become a corporation
ￚsee also limited
stream noun [countable]
▶SMALL RIVER◀
a natural flow of water that moves across the land and is narrower than a river
▶CONTINUOUS SERIES◀
a long and almost continuous series of events, people, objects, etc
stream of
a stream of traffic
a stream of abuse
steady/constant/endless etc stream
A steady stream of visitors came to the house.
▶AIR/WATER◀
a flow of water, air, smoke etc, or the direction in which it is flowing
A stream of cold air rushed through the open door.
ￚsee also Gulf Stream, jet stream
4 come on stream
especially British English to start working or producing something
The new factory will come on stream at the end of the year.
debut verb
1 [intransitive] to appear in public or become available for the first time
The show will debut next Monday at 8.00pm.
2 [transitive] to introduce a product to the public for the first time
ￚsee also release ￚsynonym launch
Ralph Lauren debuted his autumn collection in Paris last week.
proxy noun 代理权，代表权，代理人，代表人，委托书，代理投票
1 by proxy
if you do something by proxy, you arrange for someone else to do it for you
You can vote by proxy.
2 [uncountable and countable] someone who you choose to represent you, especially to vote for you
proxy for
a husband acting as proxy for his wife
3 [countable + for] formal something used to represent something else that you want to measure
proxy 2 adjective [only before noun] involving the use of a proxy
a proxy vote
spill over phrasal verb
if a problem or bad situation spills over, it spreads and begins to affect other places, people etc
spill over into
The conflict might spill over into neighbouring towns.
succeed verb
1[intransitive] to do what you tried or wanted to do
4 [intransitive and transitive]to be the next person to take a position or job after someone else
succeed somebody as something
Reeves will succeed Segal as Speaker of the House.
succeed somebody to the throne (=to be the next king or queen after someone else) Who will succeed him to the throne?
5 [transitive] to come after or replace something else, especially another product
This car is intended to succeed the popular Fiesta.
step down phrasal verb
to leave your job or official position, because you want to or because you think you should
Morris should step aside until the investigation is completed.
step down as
Eve Johnson has stepped down as chairperson.
step down from
He was forced to step down from his post.
Homework
1.
u Your Managing Director has decided that the company’s website should be improved and has asked you to consider ways of going about this.
u Write a proposal for the Managing Director:
summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the current website
suggesting new services and information to be improved through the website
explaining the benefits the improvements would bring.
u Write 200-250 words.
go about phrasal verb
1 go about something
to start to do something 开始做某事
I want to learn German but I don’t know the best way to go about it. 我想学德语，但是我不知道以什么方式开始学习。
go about doing something
The leaflet tells you how to go about making a will. 这个宣传页告诉你如何开始书写遗嘱。
2 go about something
to do something in the way that you usually do 以你经常做的方式做事情
The villagers were going about their business as usual. 村民像往常一样经营着自己的生意。
2.
Ÿ The graph below shows the sales of your product in your three major international markets in the period between June 1994 and January 1997. A new marketing strategy was introduced in June 1995.
Ÿ Using the information from the graph, write a short report on changes that occurred during the period June 1994 to January 1997.
Ÿ Write about 120 words on your Answer Sheet.
