Homeworkreview
I. Homework review
1.
Homework 1
A proposal on improvement of company’s website
Introduction
With E-business expanding rapidly, company websites become more and more important. However, our company’s website does not show us to the best advantage. We need to improve it.
Situations of our current website
Generally speaking, most aspects of our current website are successful as follows:
n Our current website is designed beautifully and eye-catching.
n All products of our company have been listed on the website and can be dealt with through our website.
n The introduction of our company is written perfectly, which can make our customers well realize our corporate history and culture.
However, there are also some weaknesses involved in our website.
n The specifications and functions of our products are not elaborated sufficiently.
n The layout of our website is something messed, which inconveniences our customers finding their intended products.
n There is no room for our customers to discuss our products and give feedback to us.
New services and information
Some new services and information should be provided so as to strengthen our website. For example,
n A search engine will be added to the website.
n All products will be given detailed and attractive descriptions.
n A new unit, a forum, will be created to facilitate our customers to give comments on our products and contact us.
Benefits
With the above improvements, the customers can find needed products conveniently and quickly. Moreover, they can acquire details of all products and place orders duly. In addition, we can realize the customers’ requirements and improve our products timely and efficiently to maintain and develop our market shares.
Conclusions
A perfect website can help us obtain unexpected success, such as reducing our cost and attracting more customers. More importantly, we can get the support from our customers. Therefore, improvements are necessary.
Recommendations
We had better cooperate with experts in website to improve ours. At the same time, each department should participate and collaborate actively. Furthermore, the language used on the website should be concise and exact.
Li Qingrong
Management Department
Homework 2
Proposal on Improvement of the website
Introduction
This proposal aims to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the current website and recommend an improvement plan and elaborate the benefits it will bring.
Existing website
As a renowned multinational, our company has a beautiful website with a great deal of graphs and pictures. The framework of the website is reasonably designed and it includes almost all necessary aspects.
By contrast, the content of the site is not that satisfactory at all. There is only a brief introduction of our company on it without any updated information. Besides, the security of the website also deserves improvement.
Improvements to be made
It has been proved that websites with abundant information and services get more page hits than those which are appearance-oriented. Consequently, the content of the website should be enriched via adding latest news or stories of our company.
The security system of the website also needs optimizing so that it can operate normally when suffering virus attack.
Benefits
After increasing the content of our website, our customers can know more about the company and keep abreast with the latest events. That will definitely enhance their loyalty to our company and will enlarge our customer base at the same time.
A more secure system can ensure the safety of the database of the server and also prevent hostile hacking efficiently.
Conclusion
Our existing website has some defects and need improvement urgently. Appropriate improvements will bring considerable benefits to our company.
Recommendation
It is strongly recommended that the content of the website be increased and the security system be optimized.
Homework 3
sales were $20,000. They fell sharply for twelve months to no sales at all in June 1995, when a new marketing strategy was introduced. Sales rocketed to $90,000 by late 1996.
Indonesian sales, in June 1994, were $50,000, and rose steadily to $70,000 in June 1995. Sales dropped slightly to $60,000 in early 1996, but rose again almost to $70,000 by June 1995. Sales dropped slightly to $60,000 in early 1996, but rose once more to $70,000 in January 1997.
In June 1994, sales in France were $50,000, but they plunged to $10,000 in January 1996, and varied slightly around $10,000 to January 1997.
The new marketing strategy introduced in June 1995 apparently worked well only in Japan.
Vocabularystudy
II. Vocabulary Study
(1) learning words --- 缺少
lack noun [singular, uncountable] when there is not enough of something, or none of it
ￚsynonym shortage
lack of
new parents suffering from lack of sleep
Too many teachers are treated with a lack of respect.
comments based on a total lack of information
Does their apparent lack of progress mean they are not doing their job properly?
tours that are cancelled for lack of bookings
There was no lack of willing helpers.
lack verb
1 [transitive] to not have something that you need, or not have enough of it
Alex’s real problem is that he lacks confidence.
lacking adjective [not before noun]
1 not having enough of something or any of it
lacking in
He was lacking in confidence.
She seems to be entirely lacking in intelligence.
The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.
2 if something that you need or want is lacking, it does not exist
Financial backing for the project is still lacking.
These qualities are sadly lacking today.
Whatmotivesstaff?
III. What motivates staff?
motivate verb [transitive]
1 to be the reason why someone does something促使, 驱使
ￚ同义词 drive
Would you say that he was motivated solely by a desire for power? 你的意思是说他完全只被追逐权利的愿望驱使着吗?
motivate somebody to do something
We may never know what motivated him to kill his wife. 是什么驱使他杀了他的妻子, 我们对此不得而知.
2 to make someone want to achieve something and make them willing to work hard in order to do this 激励
A good teacher has to be able to motivate her students. 一个好教师应该是有能力激励她的学生.
motivate somebody to do something
The profit-sharing plan is designed to motivate the staff to work hard.这个利润分享计划就是要激励员工勤奋地工作。
---motivation n.
1. Speaking.
stem from something phrasal verb
---to develop as a result of something else 来源于
His headaches stemmed from vision problems. 他的头疼是由视力问题造成的。
The exact date of its original building is disputed but it probably stems from the late fifth or early sixth century. 人们对原来这个建筑的具体修建日期还在争论，但是可能是在五世纪晚期，六世纪早期。
2. Reading.
The writer is skeptical. He sees so-called ‘new’ motivational techniques as old ideas repackaged. He also questions whether these techniques are ever put into practice successfully.
sceptical adjective
British English skeptical American English
tending to disagree with what other people tell you 怀疑的
sceptical about/of
I’m extremely sceptical about what I read in the press. 我对从报界读到的消息持完全怀疑的态度。
Environmental groups are sceptical of the government’s claims. 环保团体对于政府的声明持怀疑态度。
highly/deeply sceptical
He is highly sceptical of the reforms. 他对改革持强烈的怀疑态度。
Meeting the company’s motivational challenge
thorny adj. 充满荆棘的，令人苦恼的
---a thorny question/problem/issue etc
a question etc that is complicated and difficult
e.g. the thorny question of immigration policy
bewilder: totally confused迷惑，糊涂
---a bewildered expression on his face
sever v. 切断，断绝
1 [intransitive and transitive] to cut through something completely, separating it into two parts, or to become cut in this way
Martin’s hand was severed in the accident.
2 [transitive]to end a relationship with someone, or a connection with something, especially because of a disagreement
sever ties/relations/connections/links etc (with/between somebody)
The two countries severed diplomatic relations.
She had severed all contact with her ex-husband.
severance noun [uncountable] formal
1 when you end your relationship or connection with another person, organization, country etc, especially because of a disagreement 断绝
severance of
the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries 两个国家断绝外交关系
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 遣散费
Employees will get two weeks of severance pay for every year of service. 员工每工作一年就可以得到两周的遣散费。
contact noun
▶COMMUNICATION◀ [uncountable] communication with a person, organization, country etc 联系
contact with/between
be/get/stay/keep in contact (with somebody)
We stay in contact by email. 我们靠互发电子邮件保持联系。
We’d like to make contact with other schools in the area. 我们希望与本地区的其他学校保持联系。
The children lost contact with their families (=they no longer see them because they do not know where to find them). 孩子们与家里人失去了联系。
face-to-face/social/personal contact (=talking to someone who is with you)
▶PERSON◀ [countable usually plural] a person you know who may be able to help or advise you 熟人， 商业伙伴
He has a lot of contacts in the media. 他在媒体中有很多朋友。
a worldwide network of contacts 广泛的朋友圈
business/personal contacts 商业伙伴/私人的朋友
contact verb [transitive]
to write to or telephone someone 写信或打电话联系某人
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. 如果你有任何疑问，请不要犹豫与我联系。
fire somebody ↔ up phrasal verb
to make someone become very excited, interested, or angry 使某人非常兴奋、感兴趣，或愤怒
It was alarming the way she got so fired up about small things. 她对于小事情如此兴奋不已的方式令人担忧。
park verb
1 [intransitive and transitive] to put a car or other vehicle in a particular place for a period of time 停车
You can’t park here - it’s private property. I couldn’t find anywhere to park.
She parked the car on the drive.
a line of parked cars
2 [transitive] spoken to put something in a particular place for a period of time, especially in a way that annoys someone 口语表达：把某物放在令别人厌烦的地方
park something on/in etc something
He parked a load of papers on my desk.
3 park yourself
informal to sit down in a particular place, especially with the intention of staying a long time 坐很长时间
park yourself on/in etc
Connie parked herself on the sofa.
engage verb formal
1 [intransitive always + preposition] to be doing or to become involved in an activity 参加
engage in/on/upon
2 [transitive] to attract someone’s attention and keep them interested 吸引某人的注意力
engage somebody’s interest/attention
The toy didn’t engage her interest for long.
engage somebody in conversation (=start talking to them)
3 [transitive] formal to employ someone to do a particular job 雇用
engage somebody to do something
Her father engaged a tutor to improve her maths.
engage somebody as something
We’d be able to engage local people as volunteers.
gusto 津津有味，兴致勃勃
---if you do something with gusto, you do it with a lot of eagerness and energy
e.g. They sang hymns with great gusto. 他们用充沛的精力唱着圣歌。
hymn n.赞美诗, 圣歌
shrewd adjective敏锐的，机灵的，精明的，伶俐的，狡猾的
1 good at judging what people or situations are really like
Malcolm is a shrewd and realistic businessman. ….是一位既精明又现实的商人。
She was shrewd enough to guess who was responsible. 她非常敏锐，猜得出谁负责。
2 well judged and likely to be right
a shrewd decision 一个聪明的决定
Bridget has a shrewd idea of what will sell. …对于卖什么总是有敏锐的判断。
ￚshrewdly adverb
’Something tells me you’ve already decided,’ he said shrewdly. “有种感觉告诉我，你已经做出决定了，”他说得很机敏。
ￚshrewdness noun [uncountable]
warrant verb [transitive]
1 to need or deserve 需要，值得
This tiny crowd does not warrant such a large police presence. 这一小群聚集的群众不需要大量警力介入。
warrant attention/consideration etc
Another area that warrants attention is that of funding for universities. 另一个值得注意的领域就是向高校提供资金。
2 to promise that something is true 保证某事正确
warrant that
The Author hereby warrants that the Publisher is the owner of the copyright. 作者就此保证出版商是该书版权的所有者。
3 I’ll warrant (you)
old-fashioned used to tell someone that you are sure about something
warrant (that)
I’ll warrant we won’t see him again.
dismiss verb [transitive]
1 to refuse to consider someone’s idea, opinion etc, because you think it is not serious, true, or important 不再考虑，拒绝考虑，不接受，抛弃
The government has dismissed criticisms that the country’s health policy is a mess. 该国政府不接受人们关于卫生政策混乱不堪的批评意见。
dismiss something as something
He just laughed and dismissed my proposal as unrealistic. 他对我的提议一笑了之，说我的提议不切合实际。
2 to remove someone from their job 解雇
ￚ同义词 fire, sack
dismiss somebody from something
Bryant was unfairly dismissed from his post. …被不公正地剥夺了工作的权利。
dismiss somebody for something
Employees can be dismissed for sending obscene emails. 员工可能会由于发送粗俗的电子邮件而被解雇。
3 formal to tell someone that they are allowed to go, or are no longer needed 下课
The class will be dismissed early today. 今天的课程会早点结束。
4 if a judge dismisses a court case, he or she stops it from continuing 驳回，不受理
The case was dismissed owing to lack of evidence. 这个案件由于缺乏证据而被驳回。
dismissal noun
[uncountable and countable] when someone is removed from their job 解雇
Wilson was claiming compensation for unfair dismissal. 威尔森就不公正的被解雇而提出索赔。
No dismissals have been announced yet. 目前还没有宣布解雇人员名单。
content adjective [not before noun]
1 happy and satisfied 满族的，满意的
Andy was a good husband, and Nicky was clearly very content.
content with
We’ll be content with a respectable result in tomorrow’s match.
2 content (for somebody) to do something
willing to do or accept something, rather than doing more
She sat quietly, content to watch him working. 她安静地坐在那里，心满意足地看着他工作。
He seemed quite content to let Steve do the talking. 他看上去对于让史蒂夫讲话非常高兴。
Dr Belson had been more than content for them to deal with any difficulties. 贝尔森博士对于让他们处理苦难感到相当地满意。
3 not content with something
used to emphasize that someone wants or does more than something
Not content with her new car, Selina now wants a bike for trips into the city centre. …对于自己的新车并不满意，她现在想要一辆自行车进城。
keep your head down
to try to avoid being noticed or getting involved in something 避免引人注目，卷进事情中
Do what you’re told and keep your head down. 按照别人告诉你的去做，避免引起别人的注意。
volunteer verb
1 [intransitive and transitive] to offer to do something without expecting any reward, often something that other people do not want to do 志愿做某事
volunteer to do something
Helen volunteered to have Thanksgiving at her house this year.
volunteer for
Sidcup volunteered for guard duty.
I volunteered my services as a driver.
2 [transitive] to tell someone something without being asked 主动告诉别人
Michael volunteered the information before I had a chance to ask. 在我还没有找到合适机会开口问的时候，米舍尔就主动把情况告诉了我。
3 [intransitive] to offer to join the army, navy, or airforce 志愿参军
When war broke out, my father volunteered immediately.
other than
apart from a particular person or thing 除此以外
ￚsynonym except
The truth was known to no one other than herself. 除了她自己知道，别人一无所知。
He doesn’t eat pork, but other than that he’ll eat just about anything. 他不吃猪肉，但是除了猪肉他什么都吃。
mark somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb
to write something down, especially in order to keep a record 记录下来
Mark down everything you eat on your daily chart. 在每日表格上记录下你吃的每一样东西。
mark somebody/something down as something
The teacher marked him down as absent. 这位老师把他作为缺席者记下来。
restore verb [transitive]
▶FORMER SITUATION◀
to make something return to its former state or condition 修复
restore something to something
The government promises to restore the economy to full strength. 政府承诺要将经济完全复兴起来。
She was hoping that the Mediterranean climate would restore her to full health. 她希望地中海的气候能够将她恢复到完全健康的状态。
The National Guard was called in to restore order (=make people stop fighting and breaking the law) when riots broke out. 当骚乱爆发时，国家护卫队的士兵们就被叫来恢复秩序。
initiatives to restore peace in the Middle East 有关恢复中东地区和平的提议
restore (diplomatic) relations with somebody 修复与某人的关系
Vietnam restored diplomatic relations with South Korea on December 22.
restore somebody’s sight/hearing (=make someone who cannot hear or who is blind, hear or see again) 修复某人的视觉/听觉
▶POSITIVE FEELING◀
to bring back a positive feeling that a person or a group of people felt before 唤醒
measures aimed at restoring public confidence in the education system 旨在唤醒公众对教育体系信心的措施
▶REPAIR◀
to repair an old building, piece of furniture, or painting etc so that it is in its original condition 修复
The church was carefully restored after the war.
a Victorian fireplace restored to its former glory
▶GIVE SOMETHING BACK◀
formal to give back to someone something that was lost or taken from them 归还
ￚsynonym return
restore something to somebody
The treaty restored Okinawa to Japan.
▶BRING BACK A LAW◀
to bring back a law, tax, right etc 重新恢复一项法律，税收，权利
a campaign to restore the death penalty 一场恢复死刑法律的游行
intrinsic adjective
being part of the nature or character of someone or something 内在的，本质的，固有的
the intrinsic interest of the subject 这个学科内在的兴趣
intrinsic nature/quality/value/property of something
There is nothing in the intrinsic nature of the work that makes it more suitable for women. 这份工作，从本身性质而言，没有一点适合妇女从事。
intrinsic to
Flexibility is intrinsic to creative management. 灵活是创新管理层的本质体现。
ￚintrinsically adverb
Science is seen as intrinsically good. 科学本身被认为是好的。
enrich verb [transitive]
1 to improve the quality of something, especially by adding things to it 改善，使丰富
Add fertilizer to enrich the soil. 添加肥料让土壤肥沃。
Education can greatly enrich your life. 教育可以在很大程度上改善你的生活。
2 to make someone richer 使某人更富有
ￚenrichment noun [uncountable]
curriculum enrichment 丰富课程
ￚenriched adjective
rotation noun
[uncountable] the practice of regularly changing the thing that is being used or done, or the person who does a particular job 经常变换
job rotation工作轮换
in rotation
Three plays will be performed in rotation during the drama festival. 在戏剧节期间，三部演出将会轮换表演。
ￚrotational adjective
job-sharing noun [uncountable]
an arrangement by which two people both work part-time doing the same job 兼职工作的两个人共同分担完成一份工作
ￚjobshare noun [countable]
ￚjobshare verb [intransitive]
assault course noun [countable] British English
an area of land with special equipment to climb, jump over, run through etc that is used for developing physical strength, especially by soldiers
market forces noun [plural]
the way that the behaviour of buyers and sellers affects the levels of prices and wages, without any influence from the government 市场力量、市场动力(包括原材料和商品的供应、顾客所需数量等影响商品价格、分销和销售方式等多种因素)
predatory
1a predatory animal kills and eats other animals for food (动物或其习性)已捕食其他动物为主的，食肉的
2 trying to use someone’s weakness to get advantages for yourself - used to show disapproval掠夺成性的;故意破坏的，
predatory pricing
astute 敏锐的，精明的
---able to understand situations or behaviour very well and very quickly, especially so that you can get an advantage for yourself
ￚsynonym clever
e.g. an astute politician
e.g. astute investments
fad 一时的狂热;(穿着行为言谈)一时的风尚
--- something that people like or do for a short time, or that is fashionable for a short time
e.g. Interest in organic food is not a fad, it’s here to stay.
dictate verb
1 [intransitive and transitive] to say words for someone else to write down 听写，口授，口述
dictate a letter/memo etc to somebody
She’s dictating a letter to her secretary right now.
2 [intransitive and transitive] to tell someone exactly what they must do or how they must behave 命令，支配
dictate to
The media cannot be allowed to dictate to the government. 政府不能允许媒体指挥它。
dictate who/what/how etc
Can they dictate how the money will be spent? 他们能发布命令指挥这笔钱的使用方式吗?
Federal funds have to be used as dictated by Washington. 联邦基金必须要由华盛顿下达指令才能使用。
dictate that
Islamic custom dictates that women should be fully covered. 伊斯兰教的习俗规定妇女必须要完全遮盖自己的身体。
3 [transitive] to control or influence something 决定，影响
ￚsynonym determine
dictate what/how etc
Funds dictate what we can do. 资金决定我们能做些什么。
model 使仿效;使模仿
1. model yourself on somebody
(British English) model yourself after somebody American English
to try to be like someone else because you admire them
e.g. Jim had always modelled himself on his great hero, Martin Luther King. 吉姆总是模仿他心目中的伟大英雄马丁路德金。
2. be modelled on something
to be designed in a way that copies another system or way of doing something
Their education system is modelled on the French one. 他们的教育体系是模仿法国而建立起来的。
perpetuation[transitive] 永久，使长存，保存
to make a situation, attitude etc, especially a bad one, continue to exist for a long time
His view is that the welfare system helps to perpetuate failure and poverty. 他认为福利体系让失败和贫穷会一直延续下去。
This new book perpetuates all the old myths about the Kennedy assassination. 这本新书让肯尼迪被刺杀案件的原有神秘继续延续下去。
---perpetuation noun [uncountable]
incompetence
lack of the ability or skill to do a job properly
---opposite competence
managerial/professional etc incompetence 管理/专业上的无能
e.g. The report blamed police incompetence for the tragedy. 这份报告针对这次惨案指责警方的无能。
paradox
1 [countable] a situation that seems strange because it involves two ideas or qualities that are very different 自相矛盾的状况
It’s a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty. 在这样一个如此富裕的国家里会有这样贫穷的现象真是自相矛盾的事情。
2 [countable] a statement that seems impossible because it contains two opposing ideas that are both true似矛盾而可能正确的说法;自相矛盾的荒谬说法
The paradox is that fishermen would catch more fish if they fished less. 只有渔民少捕鱼才能捕到更多的鱼这一说法看似自相矛盾，但却是正确的。
Amotiv ation survey
IV. A motivation survey
grievance noun [uncountable and countable]
a belief that you have been treated unfairly, or an unfair situation or event that affects and upsets you不满;不平
anyone who has a legitimate grievance against the company 任何一个对公司有合理不满情绪的人
a means of overcoming genuine grievances 一种克服真正不满情绪的途径
There must be an opportunity for both sides to air their grievances. 双方都有机会宣泄自己的不满。
1. H
2. F
3. E
4. B
5. C
Vocabulary
1. lack of clear objectives
fit in phrasal verb
if someone fits in, they are accepted by the other people in a group 被接受，融入
e.g. I never really fitted in at school.
up to speed
having the latest information or knowledge about something 获取某一方面的最新信息或知识
Some school officials are only now getting up to speed regarding computers. 一些学校的领导人才开始了解有关电脑的最新知识。
John will bring you up to speed (=tell you the latest information). 约翰会带领你了解最新信息。
spell out phrasal verb
to explain something clearly and in detail讲清楚，详细地说明，研究出，琢磨出
spell out how/what etc
The report spelled out in detail what the implications were for teacher training.
scope noun
1 [uncountable] the range of things that a subject, activity, book etc deals with 范围
scope of
the need to define the scope of the investigation 需要明确调查的范围
beyond/outside/within the scope of something
A full discussion of that issue is beyond the scope of this book. 针对那个问题的探讨超出了本书的范围。
widen/broaden/extend etc the scope of something
Let us extend the scope of the study to examine more factors. 让我们将这项研究的范围延伸，来探讨更多的因素。
2 [uncountable] the opportunity to do or develop something 机会
scope for
The scope for successful gardening increases dramatically with a greenhouse. 随着大棚的出现，成功开展园艺的机会大大地增加了。
there is considerable/great/little etc scope for something
There is considerable scope for further growth in the economy. 经济上进一步增长将大有机会。
priority noun
plural priorities
1 [uncountable and countable] the thing that you think is most important and that needs attention before anything else 最重要的事情，优先考虑的事情
The club’s priority is to win the League. 这家俱乐部的当务之急就是要在联赛中获胜。
first/top/main priority 最重要的事情
The children are our first priority. 孩子是我们的第一要务。
After several burglaries in the area, security is now a high priority (=very important and needing attention soon). 在该地区发生了几起入室盗窃案件后，安全问题成为人们最关注的事情。
With so little money available, repairs must remain a low priority (=not important and not needing attention soon). 由于资金较少，维修只能保持在一个低水平上。
The customer is high on our list of priorities. 顾客是上帝。/顾客是我们重视的问题中重要的一环。
List your tasks in order of priority (=most important first). 将你要完成的任务按重要性进行排序。
2 [uncountable] the right to be given attention first and before other people or things 优先权
priority over
Buses should have priority over other road users. 公交车应比道路上的其他使用者享有优先权。
A young person who has finished the course will be given priority over one who has not. 完成了这门课程的年轻人会比那些没有上完课程的人获得被优先考虑的机会。
prioritize verb [transitive]
1 to put several things, problems etc in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important ones first把...区分优先次序
You need to prioritize your tasks. 你需要先做最重要的工作。
2 to deal with one thing first, because it is the most important 优先处理
The public wants to see the fight against crime prioritized. 公众想要看到整治犯罪的行动最先打响。
concrete adjective
1 made of concrete 混凝土的
a concrete floor 混凝土地板
2 definite and specific 具体的
the lack of any concrete evidence 缺乏具体证据
a dialogue about concrete issues and problems 针对具体问题的对话
ￚconcretely adverb
2. unsatisfactory pay
fall behind
to go more slowly than other people so that they gradually move further ahead of you 拉下来
His mother was chatting and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind. 他的妈妈边走边聊，没有注意到他已经拉下很远了。
She hurt her ankle and had fallen behind the others. 她扭伤了脚踝，与别人拉开了距离。
going adjective
the going rate/price/salary etc
the usual amount you pay or receive as payment for something 一般的薪酬
the going rate/price/salary etc for
Thirty dollars an hour is the going rate for a math tutor. 30元一小时是一般付给数学家教的工资。
undervalue v.
to think that someone or something is less important or valuable than they really are 低估
Society undervalues staying home and looking after children. 社会低估留在家里照料孩子的价值。
Analysts claim that the firm’s assets were undervalued by ￡300 million. 分析人士说这家公司的资产被低估了3亿英镑。
3. lack of recognition
dedicate verb [transitive]
1 to give all your attention and effort to one particular thing 集中精力于
dedicate yourself/your life to something
The actress now dedicates herself to children’s charity work. 这位女演员将她自己的毕生精力都奉献给了儿童慈善事业。
2 to say at the beginning of a book or film, or before a piece of music, that it has been written, made, or performed for someone that you love or respect (在书、电影、音乐的前面，出于尊敬或爱而)献给
dedicate something to somebody
The book was dedicated to her husband. 这本书要献给她的丈夫。
4 to use a place, time, money etc only for a particular purpose 使用(地方、时间、金钱)
dedicate something to/for something
The company dedicated $50,000 for the study. 这家公司为这一研究拨款5万美金。
dedicated adjective
1 someone who is dedicated works very hard at what they do because they care a lot about it 努力的，奉献的
a dedicated and thoughtful teacher 一位敬业和体贴的老师
She is a dedicated socialist. 她是一位非常热衷于社交的女士。
dedicated to
The Woodland Trust is dedicated to preserving our native woodland. 森林基金会专门致力于保护我们的自然森林。
2 [only before noun] made for or used for only one particular purpose 专门的
a dedicated graphics processor 专门的图片处理器
appreciate verb
1 [transitive not in progressive] to understand how serious or important a situation or problem is or what someone’s feelings are 认识到，意识到
ￚ同义词 realize
appreciate the significance/importance/value of something
He did not fully appreciate the significance of signing the contract. 他没有完全理解签署这个合同的重要性。
appreciate that
We appreciate that caring for children is an important job.我们认识到照料孩子是一件非常重要的工作。
appreciate what/how/why
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation had become. 现在还不能完全评估出局势有多么恶劣。
2 [transitive] used to thank someone in a polite way or to say that you are grateful for something they have done 感谢，感激
Thanks ever so much for your help, I really appreciate it. 感谢你的帮助，我真是万分感激。
I appreciate your concern, but honestly, I’m fine. 感谢你对我的担心，老实说，我很好。
I’d appreciate it if you let me get on with my job. 如果你能让我继续从事我的工作，我会万分感激。
3 [transitive] to understand how good or useful someone or something is 欣赏
Her abilities are not fully appreciated by her employer. 她的能力没有完全被她的雇主赏识到。
I’m not an expert, but I appreciate fine works of art. 虽说我不是专家，但我会鉴赏好的艺术品。
4 [intransitive] technical to gradually become more valuable over a period of time 升值 ￚ反义词 depreciate 贬值
Most investments are expected to appreciate at a steady rate. 多数投资预计都会稳定地升值。
beat verb
past tense beat past participle beaten
▶COMPETITION/ELECTION◀
[transitive] to get the most points, votes etc in a game, race, or competition 击败
ￚ同义词 defeat
Brazil were beaten, 2-1. 巴西以2: 1的比分被击败。
Labour easily beat the Conservatives in the last election. 工党在上次大选中轻而易举地击败了保守党。
▶HIT◀
[transitive] to hit someone or something many times with your hand, a stick etc 打
The woman had been beaten to death by her husband. 这名妇女被她的丈夫殴打致死。
Two prisoners were beaten unconscious. 两名监狱里的囚犯被殴打得不省人事。
▶DO BETTER◀
[transitive] to do something better, faster etc than what was best before 做得更好
beat a record/score etc 打破纪录
The record set by Kierson in ’84 has yet to be beaten. 由….在84年创造的纪录还没有人能够打破。
The company’s profits are unlikely to beat last year’s ￡10 million. 这家公司的利润不可能超过去年的1千万英镑。
See how many times you can do it in a minute, and then try to beat that amount. 看看你一分钟能做多少次，然后试着打破这个量。
▶BE BETTER◀
[transitive not in progressive] especially spoken to be much better and more enjoyable than something else
Fresh milk beats powdered milk any time. 无论在什么时候，新鲜的牛奶要比奶粉好。
beat doing something
’Well,’ said Culley, ’it beats going to the office.’
You can’t beat swimming as a good all-body exercise.
Nothing beats homemade cake. 没有什么可以与家里烹制的蛋糕相媲美。
you can’t beat something (for something)
For excitement, you just can’t beat college basketball.
▶HEART◀
[intransitive] when your heart beats, it moves in a regular rhythm as it pumps your blood 心脏跳动
The average person’s heart beats 70 times a minute. 人的心脏平均一分钟跳动70下。
Jennifer’s heart was beating fast. ….的心脏跳得很快。
▶DRUMS◀
[intransitive and transitive] if you beat drums, or if drums beat, they make a regular continuous sound 击鼓
4. uninteresting work
autopilot = automatic pilot n.[航空]自动驾驶仪
automatic pilot noun [uncountable and countable]
1 a machine that flies a plane by itself without the need for a pilot
2 be on automatic pilot
to do something without thinking about it, especially because you have done it many times before 驾轻就熟地做某事
Moving on automatic pilot, she tidied the room. 她很娴熟地打扫着房间。
stale adj. not interesting or exciting any more 没有生气的
e.g. stale jokes
e.g. Other marriages might go stale , but not theirs.
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.
5. lack of communication
be down to somebody
if an action or decision is down to you, it is your responsibility 由…. 负责
It’s down to me to make sure that everyone is happy. 我的职责就是让每个人都开心。
be down to somebody/something
to be the result of one person’s actions or one particular thing 归因于
schedule verb [transitive usually passive]
to plan that something will happen at a particular time 预计
be scheduled for June/Monday etc 预计在六月/周一
The elections are scheduled for mid-June. 大选预计在六月中旬展开。
be scheduled for release/publication/completion etc
Her first album is scheduled for release in September. 她的第一部专辑预计在九月发行。
be scheduled to do something
Meetings are scheduled to take place all over the country. 会议预计在全国召开。
scheduled flight/service (=a plane service that flies at the same time every day or every week) 定期航班
Prices include scheduled flights from Heathrow. 价格都将从希思罗机场起飞的定期航班包括在内。
We will not cancel your holiday less than 8 weeks before the scheduled departure date. 如果距安排好的启程时间不足8周的话，我们将不能取消你的度假。
grapevine noun [countable]
1 hear something on the grapevine
to hear about something because the information has been passed from one person to another in conversation(谣言;内幕消息，秘密)暗中传播的途径;消息的秘密来源
I heard about his resignation on the grapevine. 我是从小道消息中得知他辞职的事情。
2 a climbing plant on which grapes grow 葡萄
ￚsynonym vine
1. Writing.
Findings
A number of employees clearly suffer from a lack of motivation as a result of dissatisfaction in one or more areas of their work. The key findings are outlined below:
Ø Staff feel undervalued by the company, both on a financial and a personal level. It is generally felt that the company’s competitors offer higher levels of remuneration. The perception that managers are unappreciative of staff efforts is particularly noticeable in the Sales Department.
Ø Certain employees fell under-challenged. The company is clearly not exploiting the potential of its human resources.
Ø There appears to be a breakdown of communication in the Production Department. The confusion and resultant ill-feeling towards managers has the potential to disrupt production cycles.
Recommendations
We strongly recommend the following measures:
Ø an evaluation of job profiles throughout the company to assess whether skills could be utilized more efficiently
Ø a review of the current salary structure involving comparison with similar organizations.
It is also essential to investigate and take action regarding communication in the Production and Sales Departments.
New words
remuneration formal 报酬，薪水
the pay you give someone for something they have done for you
e.g. high rates of remuneration
appreciative adjective
1 feeling or showing that you enjoy something or are pleased about it 欣赏的
appreciative audience/crowd
appreciative laughter/applause
2 [not before noun] grateful for something 感谢的，感激的
appreciative of
She was appreciative of Greg’s concern for her health.
ￚappreciatively adverb
exploit verb [transitive]
1 to treat someone unfairly by asking them to do things for you, but giving them very little in return - used to show disapproval 剥削
Homeworkers can easily be exploited by employers. 家政服务员很容易被雇主剥削。
2 to use something fully and effectively 充分地使用
The new TV companies are fully exploiting the potential of satellite transmission.这些新电视台充分利用卫星电视传输的潜力。
4 to develop and use minerals, forests, oil etc for business or industry 开采
the urgent need to exploit the resources of the Irish Sea 急需开采爱尔兰海的资源
resultant adjective [only before noun]
formal happening or existing because of something 由此而引起的
She is still trying to get over the attack and the resultant injuries. 她正努力从那次袭击以及袭击导致的伤害中恢复。
ill feeling noun [uncountable]
angry feelings towards someone 愤怒的情绪
’I’m sorry. No ill feeling?’ ’None,’ she replied.
disrupt: to prevent something from continuing in its usual way by causing problems破裂，分裂，瓦解
Traffic was disrupted by a hoax bomb.
Climate change could disrupt the agricultural economy.
2. Language
Formal language
The following features of formal language are often found in reports and formal letters.
Passives:
Passives are used when the writer wishes to be impersonal and also sometimes to add formality to a text.
Example:
The findings are based on interviews…
Unless these issues are addressed…
Impersonal language
In addition to passives, formal reports often use impersonal phrases such as It is important that …, It would be advisable to…, There is no basis for … . Such impersonal language can be very useful, particularly when making strong recommendations or criticisms; the writer can make a point forcefully without being personal, e.g. It is essential that action is taken immediately.
Example:
The above examples of the passive plus the following:
This report presents the results …
It is clear that …
…there are significant levels of dissatisfaction.
Formal vocabulary
You should develop an awareness of formal/informal vocabulary. You need to know that certain common items used in speech, e.g. really, OK, nice are not typical of formal writing; nor are phrasal verbs, e.g. look up. You need to be aware that words based on Latin are usually more formal than non-Latinate words, e.g. terminate/end. Imprecise words tend to be less formal than more precise equivalents, e.g. way /method.
Example:
Findings, significant levels, regarding, certain issues, addressed, as a matter of urgency, consequent, undoubtedly
Noun phrases
It is often neater and more concise to use a phrase involving a noun/group of nouns rather than a longer phrase containing a verb/several verbs, e.g. The staff feel deeply unhappy that management do not recognise their efforts can be phrased more neatly as A key staff complaint is lack of recognition.
Example:
Survey of staff motivation
Levels of dissatisfaction
Consequent demotivation
negative impact on the performance of the company
Disney trial run may help charities
Carrie Chan
13 tonnes of waste a day
Disneyland and its hotels are expected to generate about 13 tonnes of waste per day from water bottles and disposable eating utensils to used batteries and oil.
Environment minister Sarah Liao Sau-tung told legislators yesterday that Disneyland management firm Hong Kong International Theme Parks has drawing up a comprehensive plan to minimize waste.
The measures would include separation of recyclable rubbish, the installation of hand dryers in public toilets to reduce the use of paper towels, and the transport of food and other items in reusable containers.
Dr Liao said the firm would be required to submit its plan to the director of environmental protection for review at least a month before the theme park’s official opening in September.
utensil noun [countable]
a thing such as a knife, spoon etc that you use when you are cooking
kitchen utensils
Oral practice
V. Oral Practice
u One-minute talk
Customer Relations: the importance of making customers feel valued
ü 思路拓展
Word of mouth (=information you get by someone telling you) is one of the best ways of getting business. If existing customers feel valued, they can do good word of mouth advertising. Then potential customers might be lured and secured.
If existing customers feel valued, they can put forward advice and criticism which will definitely boost the positive development of companies.
If existing customers feel valued, they will be loyal to the company and make purchases of every updated product.
ü 话语连接
Every company needs to strengthen their customer base to make a continuous profit. Therefore, it is vital to make customers feel valued.
First, those existing customers can do good word of mouth advertising.
Second, valued customers can put forward advice and criticism which is conducive to the positive development of the company.
Most importantly, valued customers can be loyal to the company and make purchases of every updated product from the company.
That’s what I believe the importance of making customers feel valued.
ü 实践操作
Every company needs to strengthen their customer base and expand it to make a continuous profit. Therefore, it is vital to make customers feel valued. First, existing customers can do good word of mouth advertising. Word of mouth is one of the best ways of getting business because companies can lure more potential customers. Second, valued customers can put forward advice and criticism which is conducive to the positive development of the company. Most importantly, valued customers can be loyal to the company and make purchases of every updated product of the company. That’s what I believe the importance of making customers feel valued.
Businesspassagereading
VI. Business Passage Reading.
Corporations face brain-drain hurdle
Large firms fear losing quality staff amid soaring demand for experienced labour
Denise Tsang
Retaining talent is one of the most challenging issues facing major corporations on the mainland despite the country’s abundant supply of labour, a conference heard yesterday. (retention)
Top officials at the Bank of East Asia, accounting firm Ernst& Young and Oracle Systems said they had invested heavily to keep staff amid soaring demand for experienced labour across the border.
The officials were addressing the Human Capital Management in Greater China conference, hosted by the South China Morning Post at the Island Shangri-La hotel.
They said competition for professionals was heating up as multinational corporations raced to capitalize on the mainland’s deregulation in sectors such as information technology, telecommunications, banking and professional services under its World Trade Organization commitments.
“We believe China has a tremendous pool of resources, but to build that up is a challenge because we need a group of strong professional managers,” said Arics Poon, managing director of Oracle systems’ operations in southern China and Hong Kong.
Oracle, a software and system solutions firm with about 700 staff mostly in Beijing and Shanghai, adopted strategies to foster staff loyalty, such as offering them training opportunities at Oracle offices overseas.
“Rotation of jobs will give them international exposure and experience,” Mr Poon said.
Staff turnover at Oracle was relatively low, he said, citing the departure of three employees of 33 hired two years ago at a recruitment fair that drew 6000 applications.
Ernst & Young chairman and chief executive Anthony Wu Ting-yuk said that from the financial perspective, retaining a worker was cheaper than recruiting one.
The firm believed that offering an employee-friendly working environment was the key to staff loyalty.
Maintaining the solidarity of employees was particularly crucial to the future development of Ernst & Young, Mr Wu said.
“A boom in enterprises and financial markets means accounting firms are very competitive in hiring auditors. We are short of staff everywhere,” he said.
The firm said last November that it planned to recruit 1,200 accountants in Hong Kong and the mainland this year to cope with a rising number of initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions.
It boosted its workforce to more than 3,000 on the mainland after employing 700 graduates last year, Mr Wu said.
“We realize that keeping staff happy will make clients happy, which will bring in business,” he said.
“We manage to strike a balance on our staff workload and work life. For example, we offer a better working environment by setting up offices in Dalian and Wuhan last year as some staff members have to travel to remote areas.”
David Li Kwok-po, chairman and chief executive of the Bank of East Asian, believe regular dialogue between management and staff would reinforce loyalty to the bank.
“We also give managers authority on some decision making, which will give them more responsibilities and motivation,” he said.
“As many foreign banks are expanding in China, we expect our staff will be poached.”
Vocabulary
heat verb [transitive] to make something become warm or hot
ￚsynonym warm up
Heat the milk until it boils.
heat up phrasal verb
1 to become warm or hot, or to make something become warm or hot
The stove takes a while to heat up.
heat something ↔ up
I heated up the remains of last night’s supper.
2 if a situation heats up, it becomes dangerous or full of problems
pool noun
▶GAME◀
[uncountable]a game in which you use a stick to hit numbered balls into holes around a table, which is often played in bars
shoot/play pool We went to the pub and played pool.
▶GROUP OF PEOPLE◀
[countable] a group of people who are available to work or to do an activity when they are needed
pool of
a pool of talented applicants to choose from
The region has a large and talented labour pool.
▶SHARED MONEY/THINGS◀
[countable usually singular] a number of things or an amount of money that is shared by a group of people
Both partners put money into a common pool.
strike a balance (between something)
to give the correct amount of importance or attention to two separate things
He was finding it difficult to strike a balance between his family and his work.
It isn’t always easy to strike the right balance.
poach verb
▶COOK◀ [transitive]
a) to cook an egg in or over gently boiling water, without its shell
poached eggs on toast
b) to gently cook food, especially fish, in a small amount of boiling water, milk etc
Poach the salmon in white wine and water.
▶ANIMALS◀
[intransitive and transitive] to illegally catch or shoot animals, birds, or fish, especially on private land without permission
Deer have been poached here for years.
▶PEOPLE◀
[transitive] to persuade someone who belongs to another organization, team etc to leave it and join yours, especially in a secret or dishonest way
That company’s always poaching our staff.
poach from
Several of their reporters were poached from other papers.
▶STEAL IDEAS◀
[transitive] to take and use someone else’s ideas unfairly or illegally
poach from
characters poached from Shakespeare
5 poach on somebody’s territory/preserve
British English to do something that is someone else’s responsibility, especially when they do not want you to do it
Homework
VII. Homework
l You recently attended a one-day training course. You were disappointed with many aspects of the event, and have decided to write a letter of complaint to the company that ran it.
l Write your letter to the company, including the following information:
n which course you attended
n what was unsatisfactory
n what you had hoped to gain from the course
n what you expect to happen now.
l Write 200-250 words on the separate answer paper provided.