BEC高级精讲班第17讲讲义
ListeningTest
学习重点
Homework reviewl
Listening Testl
Oral practicel
Business Passage Readingl
Homework l
I. Homework review
PART FIVE
Help for exporters to speak the language
Example 0 than
Question 31
The new Language in Export Advisory Scheme has been started to help companies that are keen to export and have fewer (0)……two hundred and fifty employees. It means that they (31)…… eligible for a grant of up to fifty per cent of the cost of three-and-a-half days’ on-site consultancy.
Since “eligible” is an adjective, you need to use a verb and “are” is thel best choice.
*grant n. 赐予的钱或物
*eligible adj. 合格的 (for)
Question 32
The scheme defines ways of meeting the business’s language needs (32)……relating its product or service to the overseas market.
Thel correct answer to fill in the gap is “by”.
*relate sth. to sth.: if you relate two different things, you show how they are connected
e.g. The report seeks to relate the rise in crime to an increase in unemployment. Questions 33 & 34
There are two stages: the first stage, (33)……lasts half a day, gives employers an understanding of the issues involved in exporting and briefs (34)……on local language and export information centres.
In thel gap numbered 33, it needs a word to modify the former object. So you should use the word “which”.
In the gap numbered 34, here the answer is “focused”.l
Questions 35 & 36
The second, three-day stage provides expert advice on competing effectively (35)……overseas markets. A specialist in exports and language use analyses the firm’s language needs and produces a plan (36)……developing strategies.
We always use the collocation of “in thel market”. So “in” is the correct answer for question 35. “For” is the correct answer for question 36.
Questions 37 & 38
Strategies that might (37)……considered include establishing on-line or phone links with an interpreting company, hiring a native of particular country on a contract basis, advertising for someone (38)……fluency in a particular language, and locating a foreign student on placement or at a local business school.
The answers for the two questionsl are “be” and “with”.
*placement n. 人员的安插，工作安排
Questions 39 & 40
Such people might help the boss to (39)……up a stand at a business exhibition in a foreign city, as (40)……as handle the paperwork and deal with clients. It is hoped that many small businesses all over the world will benefit this idea in the future.
The correct collocation is “set up”.l So the answer is “set”. The answer for question 40 is “well”.
PART SIX
Questions 41 50
Analysis
0 CORRECT
00 IT
01
Line 41
Special Products Co. how to order
0 Our speciality is our convenient catalogue system. Instead of
00 spending time going to a shop, you simply order it direct from us.
41 Ordering is easy and delivery fast. Once received, your order will
The answer for line 41 is correct. You may consider “delivery fast” isl awkward. However, this is an incomplete sentence. The complete one is that “ordering is easy and delivery is fast.”
Line 42
42 normally be dispatched within 72 hours. We will inform to you
You should remember the set phrase for “inform”, i.e. inform someone ofl something. So in this case, the word “to” is an extra word.
Line 43
43 immediately should any items be out of stock. If you are not happy
There is no mistake in this line.l
Line 44
44 with your purchases please return them to us within the 15 days in their
You don’t need to add “the” before the numerical.l
Line 45
45 original packaging and we will refund you for in full. Quality is our main
We usually say to pay back all your money in fulll instead of the preposition “for”.
Line 46
46 criterion. Each item is under unconditionally guaranteed for 6 months.
“Under” is an extra word.l
Line 47
47 You will receive a receipt and with your order which is your guarantee.
Here it is a complete sentence the phrase after the word “and”l is no use.
Line 48
48 In the unlikely event of damage to an item during delivery, should please
“Should ” is an extra word.l
Line 49
49 contact with us immediately on 0197 310 1772 and we will arrange for
Students usually make the same mistake as in line 49. Contact,l if used as a verb, don’t have the collocation of “contact with someone”. The correct collocation of contact is as follows: contact v. --- contact someone; contact n. --- make contact with sb..
Line 50
50 its return or replacement. All prices and promotional offers are valid until
30th September.
II. Listening test
Part One
Questions 1-12
You will hear part of al radio programme on business topics. The presenter is talking about a company called Fast-Save.
As you listen, for questions 1-12, complete the notesl using up to three words or a number.
You will hear the recording twice.l
FAST-SAVE LIMITED
The company history:
1. Fast-Save’s original name was ……………………………………………… .
2. After 1970, it took over some ………………………………………………. .
3. In 1992 it introduced many ………………………………………….products.
4. Fast-Save’s advertising slogan was ………………………………………… .
Present situation:
5. Problems have arisen because competitors have ……………………Fast-Save.
6. This has led to a considerable fall in its …………………………………….… .
7. However, it still has substantial ………………………………….…….….… .
8. It continues to be able to employ the……………………………………….…... .
The company’s future:
9. It is taking steps to develop a …………………………………………….……. .
10. It has decided that customers are not mainly interested in buying ………………...
11. Fast-Save will be altering the ………………………….…..…it keeps in its shop.
12. A key advantage for Fast-Save is that it has reliable ……………………….…. .
PART TWO
Questions 13-22
You will hear five different people talkingl about courses they are going to do.
For each extract there are two tasks.l For Task One, choose the speaker’s reason for doing a course from the list A-H. For Task Two, choose the opinion that each person expresses about doing a course, from the list I-P.
You will hear the recording twice.l
TASK ONE REASON
For questions 13-17, match the extracts with thel people, listed A-H.
For each extract, choose the reason for doing thel course.
Write one letter A-H next to the number of the extract.
TASK TWO OPINION
For questions 18-22, match the extracts with the opinions peoplel expressed, listed I-P.
For each extract, choose the opinionl expressed.
Write one letter I-P next to the number of the extract.l
PART THREE
Questions 23-30
You will hear a radio interview between a journalist and the chairwoman ofl a shoe manufacturing company.
For each questions 23-30 mark one letter, A,l B or C, for the correct answer.
You will hear the recording twice.l
23. Jean Chapel looks at people’s shoes because
A. she needs ideas fro new designs.
B. she wants to know the market.
C. the company asks her to.
24. One of the founders of Chapel’s was Jean’s
A. grandfather.
B. cousin.
C. father.
25. Before a family member can work for Chapel’s they must have
A. bought shares in the company.
B. gained a professional qualification.
C. worked for another company.
26. Jean’s son has succeeded in
A. increasing factory output greatly.
B. selling more of their products overseas.
C. supplying 70% of shoes bought in France.
27. Every week the company
A. exports 8000 pairs of shoes.
B. sells 250 pairs of shoes.
C. makes 8000 pairs of shoes.
28. What has happened to the country’s shoe industry in recent year?
A. It has lost 80% of its export market.
B. It has been damaged very badly.
C. It has increased its profits by 23%.29. Chapel’s deals with foreign competition by
A. maintaining quality.
B. making shoes more cheaply.
C. making more shoes.
30. What is Jean worried about?
A. She will have to pay 8% duty in the future.
B. Other countries have unfair advantage.
C. Her business share has fallen by 5%.
听力讲评
FAST-SAVE LIMITED
The company history:
Now we move on to a new series where we look at companies in trouble and how they intend to turn themselves around.
Everybody’s familiar with the budget supermarket chain, Fast-Save. They began business in 1959. It’s Value Food Limited, but to give themselves a more modern image, adopted the name ‘Fast-Save’ in 1965. The chain went public in 1970, and with this new injection of capital began to buy up rival stores and conversed them into Fast-Save’s outlets. There was a major innovation in 1992 when they launched a range of over 200 special bargain products. Because they produce these themselves, costs were substantially reduced. They launched the range through a huge advertising campaign with the catchphrase ‘Why Pay More’. This was enormously successful, and quickly forced Fast-Save’s competitors to responding kind by introducing their own versions of similar shopping deals.
budget adj. very low in price - often used in advertisements
synonym cheap
budget flights
buy up to quickly buy as much of something as possible, for example land, tickets, or goods
Much of the land was bought up by property developers.
bargain n. something you buy cheaply or for less than its usual price
There are no bargains in the clothes shops at the moment.
That second-hand table was a real bargain.
Good knives don’t come at bargain prices.
catchphrase noun [countable]
a short well-known phrase made popular by an entertainer or politician, so that people think of that person when they hear it 琅琅上口的口号语
1. Value Food Ltd.
2. rival stores
3. special bargain
4. Why pay morePresent situation:
And it is precisely because rivals have imitated it that Fast-Save is in a certain amount of trouble. With others competing successfully in the same market, Fast-Save’s share price has dropped sharply. As a direct result of this, it’s just announced that it is closing a hundred in seven of its 979 stores. Despite the inevitable job losses this was caused, the company still has considerable assets, which will enable it to survive. Its stock market value will remain at a healthy ￡497m. It has a reasonably stable workforce whose wages keep pace with the rest of the industry. It still attracts the best executives due to its competitive salaries, and it offers good prospects for advancement with its training courses which are attended by more than 1000 potential managers a year.
5. imitated
6. share price
7. assets
8. best executives
The company’s future:
So in spite of a bad year, Fast-Save is now looking to the future and has had a major change in corporate culture. It is closing some of its older stores because it wants to create a new image. Basically it is planning to take itself upmarket as it has recognized that the modern supermarket customer seeks high-quality products rather than cheap food. These changes will mean redesigning many of the stores, changing much of its stock and massive investment in marketing and advertising. Fast-Save has a distinctive advantage over some of its competitors in it has solid financial backing. It is partially owned by the Finance House Garden Matthews, which is based in Australia, but deals with Fast-Save through its branch in Singapore.
All in all, it seems that the company is looking at a rosier future. But we have to wait and see. We’ll keep you informed of their progress.
9. new image
10. cheap food
11. stock
12. financial backing
upmarket adjective especially British English
designed for or used by people who have a lot of money高档的;适合高消费阶层的
an upmarket restaurant 高档餐厅
move/go upmarket 走向高档次
a brand that’s moved upmarket (=it is trying to attract richer people) 一个吸引有钱人的品牌
downmarket adjective British English
downmarket goods or services are cheap and not of very good quality 低档的
American Equivalent: downscale
downmarket tabloid newspapers 低劣的小报
The company wanted to break away from its traditional, downmarket image. 该公司想远离自己原来树立的传统低端的企业形象。
high-end adjective [usually before noun] American English
relating to products or services that are more expensive and of better quality than other products of the same type 高端的
high-end computer memory chips
----low-end rosy adjective
comparative rosier superlative rosiest
1 seeming to offer hope of success or happiness 有成功希望的，很幸福的
a company that sees a rosy future for itself
Letters to relatives in Europe painted a rosy picture of life in the United States.
PART TWO
Speaker one (female)
Well, in a sense, I’ve got no choice in the matter, not for anyone who actually told me to get the qualification. It’s just that, from my own point of view, my own sense of confidence, if you like, I feel that if I’m going to be responsible for instructing other people in the company, then I should do something to improve my own level of knowledge. On the other hand, I don’t know what I feel about the course itself. One thing for sure, I’m not looking forward to the journey there and back everyday. It’s going to be very tiring. Mind you, and how should I complain? It’s only for a month after all.
H. is going to train others J. isn’t keen on the travelling involved
spoken mind you
also mind
British English used when saying something that is almost the opposite of what you have just said, or that explains or emphasizes it 与前面的话相反、解释或强调
He looks very young in this photo. Mind you, it was taken years ago.
I love hot weather, but not too hot, mind.
Speaker two (male)
It’s certainly a challenge, isn’t it? Of course, I’m nervous in some ways, who wouldn’t be? But then it can, there’s a lot to look forward to as well. For starters, it’s going to be something like twenty people doing it. So I’m sure that’s going to include some interesting types, you know, people that you can enjoy spending time with, on the course itself, and also afterwards, could be some useful contacts too. Well, OK, I need the course. If I don’t do it, I won’t be able to cope with all the latest equipment. I mean, these days you have to swim fast to stay afloat, don’t you? But still I don’t see why I can be enjoyable at the same time.
C. wants to learn how to use new technology
N. is looking forward to meeting new people
afloat adj. [not before noun] having enough money to operate or stay out of debt
keep (somebody/something) afloat/stay afloat
The Treasury borrowed ￡40 billion, just to stay afloat.
Speaker three (female)
What I mainly feel really is nervous. You know, like I’m being sent back to school or something. I’m feeling very lack in confidence which of course is not the best starting position. It’s just after all these years doing the job and doing it well, I’m proud to say, and picking it up when I’ve gone along. It seems embarrassing to be told to go to get a piece of paper, to have to have a certificate, especially when you feel you know what you’re doing. Yes, of course, I do realize I’ll be learning the things on the course that I haven’t dealt with before, and that concerns me too, because I don’t know how well I’ll retain it all, if I’ll be able to recall it afterwards. Oh, perhaps it’ll be OK in the end. I certainly hope so.
B. is being made to get a qualification
I. is worried about forgetting new information
Speaker four (male) Yes, the course content does look good in the brochure. I know in a sense I shouldn’t complain. After all, it is a chance to enhance my skills and knowledge and that’s welcomed at the rest of the times. But it’s still a bit of gamble, isn’t it? I’ve just had the whole period which does really improve my chance of hanging on to my job here. It will be frightening to tell the truth, with so many people having to go and after twenty years in a company, you don’t want to think of being out of work, do you? But I really wish the brochure told you more. It looks good as I said but there’s no detail nothing on the time or on the teachers, so I feel a bit in the dark really.
G. hopes to avoid losing his/her job
L. complains about a lack of information
hang on to something phrasal verb to keep something
I think I’ll hang on to the documents for a bit longer.
in the dark informal knowing nothing about something important, because you have not been told about it
We’re in the dark just as much as you are.
College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.
Speaker five (female)
In this day and age, you’ve just got to want to get ahead and do whatever it takes to be ahead of the rest. Oh, that’s what drives me anyway. I just can’t wait to get started. Eiffersons are the first that saw the notice on the board. I knew it for me. I do appreciate it though it’s a bit far away. Yes, and I’m a little hazy on some of the detail or what the other people will be like. But those were small things, unimportant pints to my mind, and certainly not cheap, not by anyone’s standards. But you get what you paid for, don’t you? I’m really confident that I’ll be enjoying the benefits of the years to come, so I’m sure it represents good value for money and time.
D. thinks it is necessary to be competitive
O. thinks the cost will be worth it.
hazy adjective
1 air that is hazy is not clear because there is a lot of smoke, dust, or mist in it 浑浊的空气
hazy sunshine
2 an idea, memory etc that is hazy is not clear or exact 不清楚的，不准确的
My memories of the holiday are rather hazy.
hazy about
She was a little hazy about the details. Part Three
I=interview J=Jean Chapel
23. Jean Chapel looks at people’s shoes because
A. she needs ideas fro new designs.
B. she wants to know the market.
C. the company asks her to.
I: Good evening and welcome to another edition of Business Days. Tonight we’re going to talk to someone who says that staring at other people’s shoes is all part of her working day. Welcome Jean Chapel, chairwoman of Chapel’s, the makers of international famous shoes. Good evening.
J: Good evening.
I: Jean, you’re the chairwoman of a multi-million-pound business. Do you really spend your time looking at people’s shoes?
J: Oh, yes, just because a person is running a company, it doesn’t mean that they should. In fact, it’s essential that they remember what the company does, what it’s for. I find it fascinating. On the underground, for example, to look at people’s shoes, it tells you a lot about them and what’s going on in my business.
I: A form of market research.
J: The best kind of market research.
24. One of the founders of Chapel’s was Jean’s
A. grandfather.
B. cousin.
C. father. I: Has this practical approach always been part of Chapel’s management style?
J: Yes, I hope we’ve never forgotten how we started.
I: Which was when?
J: In 1870. The company was founded by three people. I’m the granddaughter of one of them and the great niece of another. And now my son is in business. He’s thirty.
25. Before a family member can work for Chapel’s they must have
A. bought shares in the company.
B. gained a professional qualification.
C. worked for another company.
I: A real family firm!
J: Oh yes indeed.
I: And do you think members of your family are treated more favorably than other people?
J: We’ve no time at that kind of thing. Well, although the family retains as the substantial holding in the company, this is still a public company. In fact, we went public forty years ago. People are judged on merits. You cannot be as successful as we have been by having favorites.
I: Isn’t it inevitable?
J: Before any family member joins the firm, they must prove themselves outside of it. They must have worked elsewhere. (I see.) Look at my own case, for example. I’ve been chairwoman now for five years. I grew up in the business. My mother used to work for our biggest competitor before she got married and my father of course was already chairman of Chapel’s when I was born. He did not consider it as automatic that I would follow him. But when I was offered a place in Cambridge to study Economics, he insisted that I did some sort of vocational training instead.
merit noun
judge/consider etc something on its (own) merits
to judge something only on what you see when you look at it rather than on what you know from other people or things 亲眼判断而不是从别人那里得到情况做出判断
It’s important to judge each case on its merits.
26. Jean’s son has succeeded in
A. increasing factory output greatly.
B. selling more of their products overseas.
C. supplying 70% of shoes bought in France.
I: So you’re trained as a lawyer, I believe.
J: No, as an accountant.
I: A good training for an industrial career?
J: Yes, I worked for an insurance company before joining Chapel’s.
I: And you’ve insisting that you son has done the same, I believe.
J: He was an export manager with a car company for some time.
I: Good experience.
J: He’s increased our export to 70% of our output. Germany, France and the US are three of our biggest, in fact, our main markets.
27. Every week the company
A. exports 8000 pairs of shoes.
B. sells 250 pairs of shoes.
C. makes 8000 pairs of shoes.
I: The French, like English shoes?
J: Of course, at the quality end of the market, a foreign label gives that value.
I: How many shoes do you (export) make?
J: In a week?
I: For example.
J: 8000 pairs. They sell from ￡50 to ￡250 a pair. It’s the latter end of the price range that’s the biggest in export terms.
I: Really?
J: The name of chapel’s still commands a premium.
premium noun
1 [countable] the cost of insurance, especially the amount that you pay each year保险费
insurance premiums
2 [countable] an additional amount of money, above a standard rate or amount 附加费用
Consumers are prepared to pay a premium for organically grown vegetables. 消费者已经做好准备为购买有机蔬菜多花钱。
Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium. 高品质雪茄加价出售。
3 be at a premium if something is at a premium, people need it or want it, but there is little of it available or it is difficult to get数量有限，很难得到
During the Olympic Games, accommodation will be at a premium. 在奥运会期间，很难找到住宿的地方。
space/time is at a premium
Foldaway furniture is the answer where space is at a premium. …家具是为空间狭小的家庭而提供的解决方案。
4 put/place a premium on something
to consider one quality or type of thing as being much more important than others 高度评价，高度重视
Modern economies place a premium on educated workers. 现代经济社会更看重受过良好教育的工人。
premium adjective
1 of very high quality 高品质的
premium ice cream 高品质的冰激凌
the current consumer trend for premium products 当今追求高品质产品的消费趋势
premium quality British potatoes 高质量的英国土豆
2 premium price/rate
premium prices and rates are higher than usual ones 高价的
People are prepared to pay premium prices for quality products. 人们已经作好为优质产品花费更多的准备。
Calls are charged at the premium rate of 60p per minute. 话费的价格很高，每分钟60便士。
28. What has happened to the country’s shoe industry in recent years?
A. It has lost 80% of its export market.
B. It has been damaged very badly.
C. It has increased its profits by 23%.
I: And you’re obviously doing well?
J: Half year’s profits were up 23%, from ￡1.5m on a turnover of 36.8m compared to 1.2m last year.
I: That’s very impressive.
J: But we’re not complacent. It’s not an easy trade with the flood of imports. Cheap imports are devastating what’s once called as a mighty industry.
complacent adjective
pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you stop trying to improve or change things - used to show disapproval 贬义词：自满
There’s a danger of becoming complacent if you win a few games.
a complacent attitude towards the problem
complacent about
We simply cannot afford to be complacent about the future of our car industry.
ￚcomplacently adverb
devastating adj.
devastate verb [transitive]
1 to make someone feel extremely shocked and sad 使人震惊、悲伤
Rob was devastated by the news of her death.
2 to damage something very badly or completely 破坏
The city centre was devastated by the bomb.
mighty adj. very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive 有势力的, 强大的, 有力的
the mighty Mississippi river
a mighty army
I: What’s the extent of …?
J: There’s the import penetration of 80%. Four out of five shoes sold here are imported.
I: That’s incredible!
J: Hundreds of companies are vanished. But we’re still at the top.
29. Chapel’s deals with foreign competition by
A. maintaining quality.
B. making shoes more cheaply.
C. making more shoes.
I: What’s been your strategy? J: Oh, we’ve avoided a clash with cheap importers. We stick to our upmarket niche. And ironically we export to the country which has just destroyed flooded markets with cheap imports. They make money and want to spend it on quality.
I: There’s always a market for excellence.
J: Yes, quality relies on skills. Low labor costs concern can make shoes cheaper. What they cannot do is to make quality shoes better than we can.
30. What is Jean worried about?
A. She will have to pay 8% duty in the future.
B. Other countries have unfair advantage.
C. Her business share has fallen by 5%.
I: What is your main concern about the future?
J: Unfair trading. Some countries put in import duty of 27% on our shoes while we carry in 8% duty. Twenty years ago 120,000 people worked in the shoe industry in this country, now it’s 28000 and falling. In areas, while half the population worked in the business, it’s now only 5%. This is wrong.
I: Yes, and doesn’t sound fair.
J: It isn’t.
I: But do you feel confident that you can fight the challenge?
J: Oh yes, we’ll do well through quality and exporting.
I: I hope so, then wish you every success in the future. Thank you, Mrs Jane Chapel.
J: Thank you.
III. Oral practice.
请根据下面提出的模拟场景与自己的另一学习伙伴讨论3分钟。
Scenario
Increase in orders
The manufacturing company you work for has experienced a sudden increase in customer orders and is considering asking staff to work extra hours. You have been asked to give advice on this.
What the possiblel disadvantages could be of staff working extra hours
What other steps thel company could take to deal with the unexpected increase in orders
思路提示：
Setting up a context---a manufacturing company
Producing shoes, leisurewear, footwear, sportswear, computers, electric appliances, etc
disadvantagesl
cause production accidents due to exhaustion
cause larger rates of faulty goods, thus damaging the company’s good reputation for high quality
cause break-down of machinery, thus adding more costs
stepsl
to use a recruitment agency to help take on extra staff to deal with the sudden increase
to make production workers work three shifts
to give they considerable bonuses
IV. Business Passage Reading.
Passage from India
While the cost savings have boosted profits and increased the value of shares on stock exchanges, the trend is also becoming correspondingly controversial as unemployment levels in developed economies have risen.
The issue has become highly politicalised in nations such as the US, which is experiencing 5.6 per cent unemployment, one of the highest rates since the Second World War. Although the level cannot be entirely blamed on outsourcing, Mr Bush and his main rival for the presidency, the Democratic Party’s John Kerry, have made it a top election issue. An aide to Mr Bush argued last week that offshoring was good for the economy, while Mr Kerry said it was costing a rising number of jobs.
A bill introduced in Congress last month would prevent federal agencies from awarding contracts to companies employing overseas workers, similar legislation is being considered by at least 10 American states.
Whether it is good or bad is just as debatetable for a company. Marcia Robinson, the author of Offshore Outsourcing: Business Models, ROI and Best Practices, said it wasn’t a viable option for all firms. “There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ perspective,” said Dr Robinson, the president of Georgia-based research and consulting company E-Business strategies. “Companies need to look at the benefits and risks that are involved and then make a decision about what’s best for them.”
Repeatable processes, such as e-mailing, was one area that could readily be moved offshore, but call-centre functions that involved a lot of analysis of technical problems should not be handled remotely, she said.
Cost was a major factor in such a decision, she said. But culture and linguistics were also important, according to the chief executive officer of the Mania-based call centre specialist Ambergris Solutions, Tim Lavin. Since it opened 3 years ago, it has grown from a handful of employees to almost 2000, making it the fastest-growing call centre in the Philippines. Three of its five clients are on Fortune magazine’s list of top 500 companies.
As his client base was American, a determining factor in choosing to set up in the Philippines was the Filipinos’ affinity to the US.
“The culture is so Americanised that it makes a transition for phone agents to talk to Americans extremely easy,” he said. “That you can pull people off the street who understand the colloquialisms and pop culture of the US is something that China and Vietnam and India are never going to be able to accomplish, at least not in this generation.”
The Philippine government has been quick to realise the country’s potential to attract outsourcing, espeicallly with more than four million of its 80 million population unemployed. Companies such as Mr Lavin’s are given support through benefits, including international promotion.
The local call centre industry is mushrooming as a result, with 25,000 Filipinos now employed in the sector. While earning wages less than one-tenth of their American counterparts and working night shifts to cater for US time zones, their employment conditions and benefits are generally much better than in other industries in the Philippines.
Labour undersecretary Manuel Insom said last week the sector was reducing unemployment levels and giving workers important skills.
“Information and communications technology is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Philippines, ” he said during a visit to southern Davao City. “The government is happy about this development. It is also a source for which Filipinos can get trained and can go to employment in other industries, in and out of the country.”
aide noun [countable]
someone whose job is to help someone who has an important job, especially a politician
a presidential aide
award verb [transitive]
1 to officially give someone something such as a prize or money to reward them for something they have done
2 to officially decide that someone should receive a payment or a formal agreement
award somebody something
The government awarded a German company the contract.
award something to somebody
￡45,000 was awarded to a typist with an injured hand.
viable adjective
1 a viable idea, plan, or method can work successfully可行的
viable alternative/proposition/option etc
The committee came forward with one viable solution.
economically/commercially/financially viable
Will a hotel here be financially viable?
2 technical able to continue to live or to develop into a living thing
viable seeds
ￚviably adverb
ￚviability noun [uncountable]
the long-term economic viability of the company
handful noun
1 [countable] an amount that you can hold in your hand
handful of
The boy picked up a handful of stones and started throwing them at us.
2 a handful of something
a very small number of people or things
There were only a handful of people there.
affinity noun
plural affinities
1 [singular] a strong feeling that you like and understand someone or something
affinity with/for/between
his remarkable affinity with animals
2 [uncountable and countable] a close relationship between two things because of qualities or features that they share
affinity with/between
the affinity between Christian and Chinese concepts of the spirit
mushroom verb [intransitive] to grow and develop very quickly
New housing developments mushroomed on the edge of town.
undersecretary noun [countable] 副国务卿，次长，次官，副部长
1 a very important official in a US government department who is one position in rank below the secretary
2 a minister in a British government department, who is one position in rank below the minister who is in charge of that department
3 a government official who is in charge of the daily work of a British government department
V. Homework
Your company has decided to conduct an investigation into the possibility of increasing the number of ways in which technology is used throughout the organization. You have been asked to write a proposal concerning the use of technology in your department for the Managing Director.
Write your proposal, including the following:
A brief outlineu of the current uses of technology in your department
A description of whatu technological improvements could be made
An explanation of the benefitsu these changes might bring
Recommendations for the kind of training thatu would be necessary
Write 200-250 words.