BEC中级口语练习材料.ppt
BEC中级口语讲座课件
重点练习：Why am I the personyou Must hire.(not BEC exam area)-Who am I-What achievements and experiences-1 minutePart III: DiscussionMarket ResearchYour company is considering introducing a new product and wants to assess the market potential. You have been asked to suggest ways of doing this.Discuss and decide together:-What kind of information would be useful?-How to decide whether to go ahead with the product?Part III 要点①Comprehensive understanding②Effective presentation③Interactive communication看懂题目→有效表达→注意互动Part III 执生结构（幼儿园水平）•A阐述背景情况，并提问（两句话）•B提出观点（一句话），阐述理由（两句话）•A附和并提出自己观点（一句话），阐述理由（两句话）•B提问（一句话）•A提出观点（一句话）,阐述理由（两句话）•B附和并阐述自己观点（一句话），阐述理由（两句话）•A下决定（一句话）•B支持决定（一句话）。
•注意使用互动Partner like 黄蓉Interrupt! （为了提供样本）•打断时可考虑加入人名Partner like小龙女Encourage!•What do you think?•Do you agree?•What’s your opinion?•Gesture!Partner like 李莫愁•坚持就是胜利~Partner like周伯通•Pull him back! •Maintain the structure -DIY•了解拓展方式答案的讨论步骤Part III解构Ordering Raw MaterialsYour company is going to order some raw materials for your production. You have been asked to help with the order. Discuss the situation together, and decide: -What you need to consider when you choose your supplier-How will you communicate with your supplier and work together to reduce your production costs•A:When considering a supplier, I think we must consider the price of products first. （表明观点）•We would rather choose those who offer us a favorable price. （正说阐述观点）•或We would not choose those who offer us a fancy price. （反说阐述观点）•B:Yes, I totally agree because only if we get the supply at a lower price can we make profits. （同意并说明原因）•B:Well, another important thing we should consider is reliability （引出另一个观点）•A:Absolutely.（表示同意）•We should choose those who always deliver their goods on time or those who can ensure the quality of goods.（正说加强观点）•或：We would never choose those who always deliver their goods late or those who can’t ensure the quality of goods. （反说加强观点）•B:Right. Late delivery may bring a heavy loss to us, and quality is the lifeline of a business or we may lose our clients. （同意并说明原因）•What’s more, I think we should also consider the location of the supplier. （引出另一个观点）•Do you agree? （征询意见）•A:I’m afraid no. In my opinion, the location is not the problem. If they can offer us a rock-bottom price, we would still choose them. （表示不同意并给出理由)•掌握考试技巧Answer structure analysis: Bob andMary如何插话(Sorry to interrupt you…)•If I could just make a point here…•Could I make a suggestion?如何防止插话•Just one sec please.1.开始一个论点：•Let’s start with…•Shall we begin with…•***, would you like to take off?•***, do you know that …2.限定讨论话题：•Can we just deal with…?•We are getting off the point.•Let’s get back to the main point.3.结束一个论题•Right, I think tat covers the first item.•Shall we leave the item and move on to the next one?•Now we come to the question of…4.评价对方论点：•That’s interesting.•That’s a good/excellent idea.•I see what you mean.5.强调论点：•I’d like to point out that…•Let me emphasize on …•Can I just draw your attention to…6.考虑其他方面（分论点）•What about…?•Have you considered…•There is another way of looking at this.•… is also worth considering.7.结束•Right, it looks as though we’ve covered the main areas/points.•I think that just covers everything.•Is there anything more to discuss? (I think that’s it.)•Before we close, let me just summarize the main points.•So, to sum up…Part III: Answer structure analysisI.AgreeII.disagree + reason/exampleIII.Agree + reason/exampleIV.Extend the ideaV.Repeat in other wordsVI.Provide new pointsVII.Interrupt / interact / concludeBasic Part III philosophy:1.Talk about the situation2.Give your opinion + ask the opinion ofyour partner3.Extend each other’s ideas!4.Time management5.Control the dialogue –don’t let thedialogue control you! (digress, logical structure)Staff TrainingThe foreign-invested enterprise you are working for has decided to offer English language training for its Chinese employees. You specialise in English and have been asked to help with the organisation.Discuss the situation together and decide:-Who should be given the chance to be trained -How to encourage staff to attend classes regularlyCase Study: How to use a case①Outline the structure②Locate words and expressions that couldbe useful later③Build your business sense!Where from?• / •University sites•BusinessOnlineCase Study: Import and Export •Supplier –importer -buyer–end customer •FOB; OEM；CIF (how to make a profit?)•We specialize in the export of Japanese Light Industrial Products and would like to trade with you in this line.我们做了这行20几年了。
BEC中级PPT课件
Introduction to Business English
• What is Business English? • What is involved in Business English ? • Why should we learn Business
English? • How can we learn Business English
Input And Tasks In Listening
Input
Task
• 3 short telephone • Gap-filling (words conversations (p14) and numbers)
• 2 sets of 5 short monologues (p14)
• A long conversation or monologue (3-4 minutes) (p48)
• Four parts in the reading of BEC exam and related tasks (1 hour)
Reading Part One
• Four topic-related texts (A-D) or one long text and seven statements below the texts.
• Match monologues with topics/places etc.
• Multiple-choice comprehension questions
Reading
• Authentic, semi-authentic and examination-style texts test the ability to read for gist and specific information.
《BEC中级口语》PPT课件
BEC中级口语
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1
BEC口语考试概述
❖Part1 简单会话 3’ ❖Part2 Presentation 6’ ❖Part3 Discussion 5’ ❖ 评分标准 ❖ 1.语法词汇 ❖ 2.组织 ❖ 3.语音 ❖ 4.互动交流
2
h
评分标准
❖ Tip:第一舍弃第二够用短语优先
❖ 语法：1.避免出现低级语法错误
常见功能句型
❖ 开头句 ❖The present talk aims to decide.. ❖The purpose of this talk is to answer
the question of.. ❖In brief,this talk sets out to solve the
problem of.. ❖There are currently three possible
h
❖What kind of people do you most like to work with/studying with?
❖-find something in common ❖ -diversity ❖ -honest ❖-have good interpersonal skills
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❖-attitude to work ❖-current performance ❖-
26
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❖What is important when considering a career change?
❖-further study or training ❖-opportunities for future promotion ❖-
❖-types of activities ❖ -cost ❖-
BEC商务英语中级口语练习
BEC商务英语中级口语练习（实用版）编制人：__________________审核人：__________________审批人：__________________编制单位：__________________编制时间：____年____月____日序言下载提示：该文档是本店铺精心编制而成的，希望大家下载后，能够帮助大家解决实际问题。
文档下载后可定制修改，请根据实际需要进行调整和使用，谢谢!并且，本店铺为大家提供各种类型的实用范文，如学习资料、英语资料、学生作文、教学资源、求职资料、创业资料、工作范文、条据文书、合同协议、其他范文等等，想了解不同范文格式和写法，敬请关注!Download tips: This document is carefully compiled by this editor.I hope that after you download it, it can help you solve practical problems. The document can be customized and modified after downloading, please adjust and use it according to actual needs, thank you!In addition, this shop provides various types of practical sample essays, such as learning materials, English materials, student essays, teaching resources, job search materials, entrepreneurial materials, work examples, documents, contracts, agreements, other essays, etc. Please pay attention to the different formats and writing methods of the model essay!BEC商务英语中级口语练习为了让大家更好的准备商务英语BEC考试，本店铺给大家整理BEC中级口语练习,下面本店铺就和大家分享，来欣赏一下吧。
module剑桥BEC商务英语中级答案词汇PPT课件
第7页/共10页
• Bits and pieces 零碎 • Ownership n．所有权 • Financial adj.金融的，财政的 • Psychological a．心理上的，精神上的 • Specify vt．明确说明，详细说明 • Deadline n．最后期限 • Check up 校对，检验，检查，调查 • Feedback n．反馈，反馈意见 ， • Constructive adj．建设性的 • Criticism n．批评，评论
第6页/共10页
4.2 Business Skills Delegating
• 词语准备， • delegate vt．& vi．托付，分派，移交 • Delegator n．托付者，委派者，移交者 • Tailor vt. 修改，使合适，使适应 • Positive adj．肯定的，积极的 • Expectation n．期待，期望 • Brief vt．（尤指事前）向……介绍基本情况，向……布置简
• 学生B:
• When planning advertising campaign, 第5页/共10页
• It is also a good idea to consider the typical income of the target customers. Their typical income can tell you the type of products or services they may enjoy. Your advertising campaign will be futile if you are aiming at people with the wrong income group.
BEC中级口语资料3(武大培训内部资料)presentation
Notes !
不要冷场，瞎说也比不说好，把时间填满。
内容不够语言凑：
➢ 用比较长的句子，或几个句子来表达一个idea.
➢ 明确提出idea 后，解释一下what, how,why,then。
Which would you prefer, a replacement for a faulty product or your money back?
How do you think customers should be informed about faulty products? Why?
Do you think it’s useful to make recordings of telephone conversations between staff and customers? Why or why not?
Do you think product quality will become more important in the future? Why or why not?
论题 what kind of people
展开 Patient, eloquent,
informative
What kind of training
product knowledge, company policy, etiquette,
Conclusion，简明而要地总结前面观点
基本框架
（寒暄） A： 复述题目，陈述情况，讲明讨论的任务。 B：提出论题1，表明自己的观点，并简单解释原因。 A: 确认并点评B的观点，补充他所遗漏的方面（即自己的
新编剑桥商务英语PPT(中级)
2 Listen again and answer the following.
1) Complete the notes about Michela‘s typical day. 7:00 – get up, get the kids ready 8:30 – 9:00 – take kids to school start work
Don‘t feel guilty (6) ___________________
Do not work until 1am at home to make up for not being in the office every day.
(7) ___________________ Two become one Clients may not like having to deal with two people working closely together. As Savage says: ‗A job-share should be like a marriage--- one voice, one unit.‘
(0) Find the perfect partner. Find someone you like. ‗Be prepared to communicate and share credit and blame,‘ says Carol Savage, the managing director of Flexecutive, a flexible working consultancy.
* at the same time every day/ at different times of the day?
* early in the morning/ late at night? * on your own/ with others? * at home/ at your place of study (school or college)?
BEC 中高级听力口语训练材料
BEC 中高级听力口语训练材料001. Discrimination in the workplace 工作场合中的歧视Listen to Mr Griffin, a Human Resources expert, talking about discrimination in the workplace. While you are listening, decide whether the following statements are true or false according to w hat Mr Griffin says.Radio interviewer Tell me, Mr. Griffin are diversity risks really still an issue? Aren’t companies these days dealing with diversity?Alan Griffin Oh yes they are very much an issue. ... We have come a long way since those days when employers were allowed to discriminate against job candidates just because of their race or their sex. The trouble is ... the boundaries of diversity and discrimination ...... are widening. Companies have a lot more to consider than a person’s skin colour or a person’s gender.Radio interviewer So ... can you give listeners an example of what kind of things you are referring to here?Alan Griffin Okay ... let’s see .... well, one growing area of discrimination is ageism. In 1998, companies in the United States had to pay out more than fifty-five million dollars to employers who had filed age related discrimination complaints against their companies. That’s a lot of money.Radio interviewer Phew ... … so how should companies protect themselves from this kind of thing?Alan Griffin Well, first of all they should think carefully about their recruitment policies and then they should take out insurance to cover themselves.Radio interviewer Isn’t that expensive? ... for the companies, I mean.Alan Griffin No, not as expensive as you might think. These days most small and medium sized organisations take out EPLI ... that’s Employment Practices Liability Insurance. The cost of the insurance has fallen over the years and if a company isn’t covered and loses a discrimination case ... well, let’s just say this is the cheaper option!Radio interviewer You’ve mentioned ageism as a growing concern ... but what other kinds of diversity should managers be aware of?Alan Griffin Well ... you’d probably be surprised to hear about some ... discrimination against single people against married parents, against people who are too tall, too short, too heavy ...Radio interviewer Really...Alan Griffin Oh yes. Security firms are a good example here. They typically state that their employees need to be over or under a certain height or weight, They claim it’s necessary for the job .... but there have been cases where people have claimed discrimination.Radio interviewer And won?Alan Griffin Sometimes yes. ........ Then there are people with a criminal background. Employers used to feel justified in turning away job applicants just because they’d been in trouble with the law.Radio interviewer Isn’t that still the case?Alan Griffin No .... not exactly. The law states that employers can only r eject a job applicant with a criminal record ... if the crime bears a direct relation to the job in question. So .... somebody who has served a sentence for ... let’s say stealing cars ... would be alright in a job as a kitchen porter.Radio interviewer And Mr. Griffin, tell me .... how many people actually go through with their threats to sue a company for discrimination?Alan Griffin Well I haven’t got the latest figures for the UK but in the United States the Equal Opportunities Commission receive around eight y five thousand complaints every year ... and that figure is rising. Race and sex account for most of the complaints that are filed but age discrimination is on the increase too.Radio interviewer So ... any words of advice for risk managers?Alan Griffin Well ... first of all make sure that you have adequate insurance. Thenaddress the issues of diversity from within the organisation. Get the employees involved. Celebrate the differences and try to build up a reputation as a fair employer. And remember .... it is worth investing time and effort in addressing these issues because statistics have shown that ..... you’re much more likely to be sued by an employee than a third party.Answers:002. A lecture in Marketing 市场营销讲演Listen to a university lecturer introduce his course on Marketing. While you are listening, try to decide whether these sentences are true or false.Good morning everybody and welcome to this the first lecture on Marketing. I’ll be giving two lectures a week on this important business topic at this time on Tuesdays and Fridays until term ends. Right, well this morning I’d like to introduce you to some important concepts in marketing. As you know there are lots of different elements that go together to make up Marketing, we’ll look at the keyelements during this course of lectures. I’d like to start with a general introduction today.In general terms marketing is all about making links or contacts between producers and consumers. To make these links it’s very important to find out and then deliver exactly what consumers want. What is a consumer? A consumer is a person or organisation that buys a product, it’s as simple as that. Once again marketing is all about finding out and then delivering what consumers want in a profitable way. ‘In a profitable way’–this is obvious you may think, a company won’t last long if it delivers what customers want and loses money at the same time, well in fact it’s not quite as easy to achieve as you may think. We’ll be looking at the issue of pricing later in this series of lectures.A c ompany should aim to satisfy their customers’ needs, good marketing helps the company to achieve this. I’d like to add an extra element now –a company should aim to satisfy their customers’ needs better than their competitors do. Again, we’ll look at the topic of competition, how to measure it and react to it later in this series of lectures.Today I want to introduce you to the concept of a customer focused organisation.A customer focused organisation is an organisation that takes the concerns of its customers seriously. There may be a marketing department in a customer focused organisation, if we’re talking about a small company there may not be one. One thing that all customer focused organisations have in common is that marketing, satisfying the needs of the organisation’s customers, is the concern of every employee. Everybody who works for this sort of company knows very well who their customers are and each employee works as a team to deliver a higher degree of customer satisfaction than their competitors.‘How do we measure customer satisfaction?’I hear you asking, well...。
商务英语口语实训课件
商务英语口语实训课件词汇与翻译汇总1 I go through the same thing . 我也一样2 get in the way of my lying-around time 占据我无所事事的时间3 can’t make hands meet 手都何不拢了4 I’m over you. 我不在乎你了《almost over you》under5 hey phoebe, way to go! 好样的！6 but things got in the way. 总是有事发生7 lens 镜片，镜头Contact lens 隐形眼镜8 stress this point 强调这一点9 cast sb. or sth. aside 抛弃10 no offense，恕我冒昧，11 pros and cons 优缺点12 spoiled 娇纵ditzy (通常指女人)傻的，愚蠢的be into sth 在意某事Chubby 丰满而性感的13 cut sb some slack（松懈）放他一马14 back sb/sth up 支持，做谁的后盾15 fire escape 太平梯16 be dedicated to sb. (书或音乐)奉献给某人17 stand a chance (of doing sth) 有可能成功18 work it out 解决问题19 be allergic to sth对某物过敏20 tip sb (super—superintendent) 给某人小费，以红包的形式作为感谢21 impersonal 缺乏人情味的，见外的22 be all ears 在听23 someone’s pants on fire 有人在说谎24 make no sense 没有道理，说不通25 hop in 上车（飞机，火车，汽车等）26 cheat sheet 小抄27 whiny 絮絮叨叨的obsessive 强迫的，钻牛角尖的gutless 没胆量的，没种28 knob 把手door knob门把手。
BEC中级口语材料
BEC口语材料Part 1 Interview:Sample ScenariosInterlocuter: Good morning. My name is X, and this is my colleague, Y. And your names are A and B?A: Yeah.B: Yeah.I: Thank you. Now, first of all, we’d like to know something about each of you. Ms A, can you tell me a bit about yourself.My pleasure. As you know, my name is A. I’m from Jiangsu Province. I’m now studying in OO University. And I’m majoring in international trade there.I: Thank you. Ms A. Now Ms B, can you tell me something about your ambitions?B: Yes, I am now a student with OO University majoring in business administration.I hope I can get my MBA and join a world famous multinational company. And after I have had enough experience, I am going to start a company of my own.I: Thank you, Ms B. And Ms A, could you tell me about your ambitions?A: A big question for me indeed. I’ve never thought about it, but I bet I’ll work towards a CEO of a big multinational corporation. That’s my goal in life. And that’s why I am spending so much time on English, business English in particular..I: Mr. A, you say you’re spending a lot of time on business English. Do you think business English is difficult to learn?A: Not exactly, though it may be difficult at the initial stage. The thing is that you need to have some business knowledge before you start to learn business English.I: How about you, Ms B? Is it difficult for you?B: Not really. You know, I like English very much, and my major is business administration. So I have always found business English very interesting.* * * *I: Good morning, my name is X, and this is my colleague, Y. And your names are A and B?A: Yeah.B: Yes.I: Thank you. Now, first of all, we’d like to know something about each of you. Miss A, can you tell me something about your work?A: My pleasure. I’m working with APC Inc., which is a US-based company. I have worked there for three years on the international marketing side. I must say that it is avery interesting job. I love my job.I: Thank you, Miss A. Now Miss B, can you tell me about your activities outside college?B: Well, I do a lot of interesting things in my spare time. I often go shopping on weekends，something most of the young ladies like me do that in their spare time. And I have worked part time for several big companies. I think, by doing that, I can have some hands-on experience in business. That’s very important for my future career.I: Thank you, Miss B. And you Miss A, can you tell me about your hometown?A: Hmm…well, my hometown is Nantong. I t lies at the mouth of Yangtze River, the longest in China. It has a population of 5 million. There’s quite some places of historical interests there. And the economy there is growing fast in my hometown. The friendly environment has attracted a lot of investment from overseas.I: Miss B, you said you’d worked for several companies on a part time basis. Is there any other reason for you to work there apart from obtaining some work experience? B: Yeah. Obviously I can make some extra money from that. You know, my mother is now retrenched. It’s really not easy for my parents to support me. And I don’t want to be too heavy a burden for them.I: How about you, Miss A? Are you a part time by any chance?A: Oh, yes. But I don’t work for companies. I teach several private students. I think teaching is a very interesting job, especially when I see my students are making progress. And just as Miss B said, money is an important consideration for me. So I teach for entertainment as well as for cash.Other possible questions:Life:What’s your name? Where are you from? Do you think the place you are living in is an ideal place for living? Where do you like to live, in the city or in the countryside? Do you live near here? How did you come here?Work: Where do you work? What kind of work do you like? Who do you work for? What do you like best about your work? What do you think of your present job? What do you think of working at home? Do you like your boss? What kind of boss do you like best?Study: Where do you study? What kind of subjects do you like best? Do you like your school? How do you like exams at school?Hobbies: What do you often go shopping for? Do you like sports? What kind of sports do you like best? Do you think football is more popular in China than before? What are you hobbies? What kind of extracurricular activities do you like best? Why are you interested in golf?* * * *Part 2 Mini-presentation: (1 min preparation, 1 min talk)The structure of a good mini-presentation:Introduction: one or two sentences. No need to be very long.There are two ways of starting the question in BEC III “how to…’ and ‘the importance of…’，and BEC II questions always start with ‘what is important when doing something’So, for ‘how to…’, you can always start with ‘Well, when it comes to xxing…, quite a number of things can be done.’or ‘Well, as is known to all, it is very important to…The question is of course – how?’For ‘ the importance of…’, you can start with ‘Well, in my view, you should not underestimate the importance of …’ or ‘Well, as is known to all, it is very important to…The question is of course –why?’For BEC II, you can start with ‘Well, when it comes to xxing…, several vital factors must be taken into account. ‘ or ‘Well, as we all know, many factors must be considered when…, the questions is of course – which ones?’Basically, ‘how to…’ asks about methods, ‘the importance of…’ asks about benefits, and ‘what is important when…’ asks about factors to consider.II. Main body: 1st point + development sentences2nd point + development sentences(3rd , 4th points + development sentences) ……During the preparation, you should think of at least two points, in the form of key words or key phrases. Then you make a sentence using the each key word or phrase.There are four common ways to construct a development sentence：Explanation of the point : In this way, To put it another way, In other words, That is to say, …so to speak, …let’s sayStating Reasons : As a result, As a consequence, Consequently, Therefore, Due to, Thanks to, On account ofGiving Examples: Say, For instance, For example, As a good example, By way of example Negative hypothesis : If…notBeginning: First of all, To begin with, For one thing, At the first stage, Initially, The company will begin by…Transition: And, And of course, Then, Besides, On the other hand, But more than that, Not only that, Apart from that, And another thing, On top of that, What’s more, Beyond those, But most importantly, But above all, Last but n ot least, Once…, Having (done)…III. Recapitulation or Conclusion: one or two sentences.All in all, In short, In a word, In brief, To summarise, To sum up, To recap, In conclusion, On the whole, Altogether, In a nutshell, To cut a long story shortYou c an use the pattern ‘While there are also other considerations in… I believe the factorsmentioned above are the most significant ones. ‘ for ‘how to…’ and ‘what is important…’ questions. For ‘the importance of…’, you can use ‘While there are also other arguments why… I believe the reasons mentioned above are the most significant ones. ‘* * * *Sample Mini-presentations:A. III-1. Career Development: how to fill a key vacancyWhen it comes to filling a key vacancy, a company will usually follow the same standard procedure. (开题)It will begin by producing an accurate job description of what it would like the successful candidate to do. （要点1，关键词job description）From this, it can then produce a pro this ideal candidate, which is a list of skills, experience, attributes and so on. （发展1，解释）Having produced this profile, the company must then decide on the best recruitment method to capture a candidate with this profile. （要点2，关键词recruitment method）This might be an internal advertisement or an external advertisement in a newspaper, on the Internet say, even an agency or perhaps a headhunter. （发展2，例子）Having decided on the best recruitment method, the advertisements are then placed or the headhunter contacted and a list of candidates will be then drawn up to be put through the company’s recruitment processes. （要点3，关键词recruitment processes）This might be interviews, psychometric tests or even hand-writing analysis. （发展3，例子）This will then produce the ideal candidate for the company.The company will then have to negotiate terms with this candidate （要点4，关键词negotiate terms）and, hopefully, this will result in terms which are both affordable for the company and attractive enough to get the candidate they want. （发展4，解释）Even though different companies vary somewhat in their efforts to fill open posts, the steps mentioned above are very much the norm rather than the exception in any industry. （结论）B. III-11. Recruitment: the importance of having a good CVWell, in my opinion, you should never underestimate the importance of having a good CV. (开题)To begin with, in the majority of cases, your CV is the employer’s first impression of you. （要点1，关键词first impression）Your first chance to impress your potential employer, let’s say. （发展1，解释）As you should remember to your advantage, you’ve got only 30 seconds to leave a positive impression on someone, whether he is a customer or a potential employer. （发展1，解释）But more than that, your CV also showcases your essential skills in order to compete in today’s job mar ket. （要点2，关键词skills）In other words, it provides an illustration of your skills to organize, summarize, prioritize and present informationeffectively, say, as well as your linguistic and communicative abilities. （发展2，解释）But above all, a CV, by its very nature, also indicates how your qualification and experience match your employer’s requirements. （要点3，关键词qualification and experience）In this way, your prospective boss will be able to reach a sound decision on your suitability for the position. （发展3，解释）Even though employers these days use a variety of selection techniques, such as analyzing your handwriting or psychometric tests, a good CV is still the single most important part of any application. （结论）C. II-13. What is important when choosing a new supplier? Prices and discounts, ReputationWell, when it comes to choosing a new supplier, several vital factors must be taken into account.To begin with, I think we must consider the price of goods first. We can compare the prices offered by different suppliers and choose the one which is more reasonable. Because only if we get the supply at lower price can we make profits. Of course, it would be even better if the supplier can offer discounts to regular clients.Another point we should also consider is the location of the supplier. We’d better choose one who is not too far away from us. If the supplier is too far away, that will most likely increase the cost of transportation.Besides, it’s also very important to consider whether the supplier is reli able. We would never choose those who always deliver their goods late or those who can’t ensure the quality of goods. Because late delivery may bring heavy loss to us, and quality is the lifeline of any business. Otherwise we may lose our own clients. So in this aspect, we must not make any concessions, and lower prices cannot be a valid mitigating factor.While there are also other considerations in choosing a supplier, such as reputation, means of payment, after-sales service, I believe the factors mentioned above are the most indispensable ones.D. II-36. What is important when choosing business premises to rent? Location, Length of contractWell, as we all know, many factors must be considered when choosing business premises to rent, the questions is of course – which ones?From my point of view, we should first take the location into consideration. Some companies choose to locate in office blocks downtown; some would like to be near the largest concentrations of their target customers. It depends largely upon the type of the company in question. Companies that provide services must be located within easy access. So they usually choose those places where there is convenient transportation.Another important facet to consider is the size of the premises. Nowadays, more and more large companies prefer an open, spacious working floor which allows colleagues to communicate and interact freely. Of course, a small company would not rent the whole floor. That will be awaste of space and an unnecessary cost burden.Last but not least, the length of contract should not be neglected. A fixed-term contract is legally binding and can only serve to make your situation worse in times of recession. Whenever possible, flexible contract arrangement should be preferred.While there are also other considerations in choosing business premises, such as rent and facilities, I believe the factors mentioned above are the most indispensable ones.E. III-7. Career Development: The importance of acquiring a range of skills throughout your careerWell, as is known to all, it is very important for a person to acquire a range of skills in the course of his career. The question is of course – why?When he has a range of skills, first of all, he is obviously more competitive than those who don’t and therefore has better chances of surviving a downturn. To put it another way, companies are likely to retain highly skilled staff members even when mass layoff is inevitable.And that’s not the only benefit. A person with a range o f skills is more likely to work his way to the top of the corporate ladder. In most companies, whether or not you have the appropriate skills is a relevant criterion for promotion.On the other hand, it will also be easier for a skilled employee to find a job outside his own company if he is not satisfied with his present job. In this way, acquiring a variety of skills in one’s career offers more professional mobility.So, when all the benefits are taken into account, no wonder acquisition of skills is taken so seriously nowadays.F. III-8. Career Planning: how to assess the career opportunities provided by different types of companiesWell, when it comes to assessing different career opportunities, several vital factors must be taken into account.First of all, the type of company should be taken into consideration. Different types of firms have their own benefits and challenges. In a multinational company., say, you can learn international business management and culture, and as an icing on the cake, you may have more opportunities to travel abroad. However, English is the working language in multinationals. You have to be very good at English to work there. So state-owned companies may better suit some people.Salary should be another important consideration. As everyone knows, multinational companies usually offer higher salaries. But if you have just graduated from college, you shouldn’t be too concerned about that. As a new hand, it’s more important to gain more experience through working rather than earn quick money.After salary, we should not ignore other financial rewards in the form of fringe benefits. Some companies offer housing allowance, car allowance, children’seducation allowance in addition to salaries. Still others provide staff with free health club and cafeteria. And high tech firms often supplement salaries with stock options.Although there are also other considerations in assessing different career opportunities, such as training, location, and good colleagues, I believe the factors mentioned above are the most indispensable ones.G. III-31. Human Resources: how to select the right staff for promotionWell, as is known to all, it is very important to select the right staff for promotion. The question is of course – how?For one thing, qualification definitely counts a great deal. A good qualification, especially an advanced degree, normally indicates high aptitude and a wide range of knowledge and skills. Even though we often hear clichés like ‘But degrees don’t mean everything’, in the real world, qualification actually means a lot.That said, there ARE certain skills and knowledge, or what we call flair, that come only from long-time hands-on experience. So it is only natural that the next thing to consider should be experience. Only by accumulating enough experience can an employee be totally at ease with his duties. Besides, experience can also tell us about his performance, track record, and leadership potential.Well, last but not least, personality should also be a factor in any staffing decision. Different positions require different personal qualities. The highest virtues for an engineer engaged in R & D, for instance, would be meticulousness and creativity. Yet for a sales manager, being energetic and outgoing is much more important because sales managers have to leave a good first impression upon their clients. But for any position, hard-working people are always welcome.So to recap, qualification, experience and personality are the three promotion criteria that we all need to keep in mind.H. III-62. Product Promotion: how to promote an imported brandWith so many people these days making a conscious decision to buy domestic products, the pressure on those companies wishing to promote imported brands is greater than ever before.Initially, a company needs to show how their product is superior to the local equivalents. Maybe it’s better quality; maybe it’s more stylish; maybe it’s better image. Anyway, a company needs to show customers the benefits of being more adventurous in their buying decisions, in order to encourage them to move away from the home brands they currently use.Well, beyond that, if you market a product as something exotic or unusual, say, you’re bound to attract new clients. As you may also have experienced, most people have a strong craving for things novel and unfamiliar. Of course, when the sense ofcuriosity wears off, such a strategy will usually fall short of expectations.Last but not least, cultural stereotypes are also a powerful selling tool. A cosmetics range associated with French chic, for example, is sure to attract customers. And if people are looking to buy a reliable car, there’s no better label than ‘made in Germany’. These national associations can also be exploited at the point of sale. Playing French music in supermarkets, for example, is proven to improve the sales of French wine.All in all, if you want to successfully promote an imported brand, you need to give your customers a good reason to try something a little bit more exciting than their own home brands.I. III-70. Advertising: the importance of stereotypes in advertisingWell, I’m very much convinced that you should never underestimate the importance of stereotypes in advertising.First of all, a stereotype is something enduring and easily identifiable to a whole national group. When an Asian audience see Eiffel Tower in an ad, they instantly conjure up the romantic image of Paris at night. And with that in mind, any product associated with French chic, say, cosmetics, perfume, and fashion, will become an easy sell. As another example, the German Audi designers in white lab coats are obviously obsessed with perfection. And so we can guarantee that any product we buy from them is going to be designed to perfection the moment we see this ad.What’s more, stereotypes can make us feel good about our own value systems or customs. An ad targeted at a British audience might pit a refined Londoner against a brash New Yorker and that’ll give the impression that the product we’re selling is obviously full of taste and discretion. And in this way, stereotypes reinforce the positive qualities in the minds of the viewers.And lastly, stereotypes make good comedy because everybody wants to laugh at other countries and people who are different. A fictitious aboriginal tribe once served as the backdrop for a celebrated cell phone ad. The contrast between the modern and the primitive kept the audience in stitches. And of course, if they’ve had a laugh, they’r e more likely to remember the advert.So to sum up, stereotypes are useful to advertisers because they’re basically a shorthand. You’ve got thirty seconds to get your main selling point across. And with a stereotype you can do that in two.J. III-84. Marketing: the importance of packaging products appropriately In recent years, numerous factors have made packaging an important marketing tool.Increased competition and clutter on retail store shelves means that packages now must perform many sales tasks -- from attracting attention, to describing the product, to making the sale. Among these, the first one is undoubtedly the most crucial function. Companies are realizing the power of good packaging to create instant consumer recognition of the company or brand. Nowadays, in an average supermarket, which stocks 15,000 to 17,000 items, the typical shopperpasses by some 300 items per minute, and 53 percent of all purchases are made on impulse. In this highly competitive environment, the package may be th e seller’s last chance to influence buyers. It becomes a “five-second commercial”. The renowned Campbell Soup Company, say, estimates that the average shopper sees its familiar red and white can 76 times a year, creating the equivalent of $26 million worth of advertising. However, everyone’s favorite success story on packaging involves the ubiquitous red Coke can. Marketers everywhere have emulated but rarely equaled the marketing power of its simple design. More recently, the picture of a smiling Tiger Woods, the golf guru, appears on the boxes of a certain brand of cereals, apparently to convey an image of fitness, energy, and vitality. The effort has not been wasted – its sales tripled in one year.In brief, while good packaging can serve many practical purposes, it is with its utility in effective product promotion that marketers are primarily concerned.K. III-87. Customer Relations: how to maintain customer interest in a company’s products Well, as is known to all, it is very important for a company to maintain customer interest in their products. The question is of course – how?I think there are several ways to do that. For one thing, we should always make sure that we provide our customers with quality goods and quality after-sales service, as these two aspects are indisputably the lifeline of any business. Continuous new product development and innovation in service are also necessary in reinforcing and expanding customer base.Apart from that, enough emphasis should be laid on the feedback from our customers. If necessary, prompt action should be taken to take care of their needs and demands.Finally, if possible we should provide some incentives to repeat customers. For example, we can grant a certain rebate to them if their purchases reach a certain amount. And offering coupons and free delivery to customers are also effective and feasible methods.All in all, we should try our utmost to keep our customers satisfied and fulfill their expectations. Only by doing so can we maintain clients’ interest in our products.L. III-113. Production Development: the importance of R & D to a company To illustrate the importance of research and development to some firms, the level of annual investment in research and development by the top ten listed corporations in the States can serve as a telling indicator: each of these firms typically spends more than $1 billion on research and development per year. The question is, why?First of all, firms invest funds in research and development primarily in order to design new products. For instance, Procter and Gamble’s R & D resulted in its two-in-one shampoo and conditioner technology. This new technology has been used in its famous Pantene, Head & Shoulders products, which now enjoy a significantmarket share in various countries.On the other hand, companies also use R & D to improve the products they already produce. Again, Procter and Gamble has improved the technology of Tide detergent more than seventy times. And not surprisingly, Tide is now the leading detergent in North America.What’s more, R & D can allow one firm a huge competitive advantage and therefore improve revenue streams dramatically. For example, Pfizer, one of the pharmaceutical titans, has successfully obtained patents for such best selling drugs as Benadryl, Listerine and Viagra. In other words, Pfizer now has the monopoly in these lucrative drugs. This ‘license to print money’ comes directly from Pfizer’s R & D activities.In short, firms that spend money on R & D have found to their delight that the benefits almost always exceed the expenses.M. III-130. Health and Safety: the importance of a safe working environment for maintaining staff moraleFirms that create a safe working environment not only prevent injuries but improve the morale of their employees as well. I feel strongly that this is something indispensable for any company.First of all, a safe working environment offers peace of mind to staff members and therefore can significantly motivate staff to enhance a firm’s prod uctivity. As a result, many leading firms, such as Intel and GE, now identify workplace safety as one of their main goals. Not surprisingly, these are some of the best performing firms anywhere in the world.What’s more, a safe environment can reduce the occurrence of workplace accidents, which are usually a source of staff dissatisfaction and low trust in the management. Taking safety measures can enhance staff loyalty and, in turn, moral. For instance, Levi Strauss and Co. imposes safety guidelines not only in its US facilities but also in Asian factories where some of its clothes are made. Starbucks, meanwhile, has developed a code of conduct in an attempt to improve the quality of life in coffee-producing countries, in an effort to buck against sweatshop-like working conditions. These two companies have been rated highly by their employees.In short, if you want to boost morale among your staff, or to put it in plain words, if you want to see enthusiasm, confidence, or loyalty in your workforce, then safety should have your prior attention.N. III-137. International Business: the importance of a global presence for a company With more mergers and acquisitions than ever before, I think it’s becoming quite clear that a company in the future will need to have a global presence in order to compete in tomorrow’s market place. This presence can give a company many competitive advantages.To begin with, say, it can give access to local market knowledge, which can help avoid some very, very expensive mistakes on account of cultural conflicts. The Matsushita Firm of Japan learned this at a price, when they, without knowing the negative connotations of the word in the US, first launched their products under the brand name of “National’. Only when they switched to ‘Panasonic’ did the flat sale become brisk.On top of that, a global presence can spread the risk of doing business. As the saying goes: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If a company sells to more than one market, it can survive a downturn in any one of those markets, that’s something for sure.And if a company becomes truly global, the size of the company means it can realize economies of scale, say, in advertising or distribution or shipping. It can also move its production from country to country and take advantage of the best conditions at any given time.So I think, all in all, when these things are taken into consideration, it’s quite clear that any company not looking to establish a global presence in the future may not have a future at all.O. III-138. Business Ethics: how to encourage ethical behaviour from employees Figures show that more and more companies are now reporting their ethical performance and it’s clear, I think, that companies now have to address the issue of ensuring ethical behaviour amongst their staff. The question is of course – how?To begin with, awareness is key. And in order to promote awareness for ethics, the company needs to put ethics high on the training and staff development agenda. The HR department, say, can sponsor some workshops or seminars on business ethics, or even invite some external experts for this purpose.Once these procedures are in place, the company then needs to spell out an official code of ethical practice and ensure that all employees have access to it and can understand it easily. The company then needs to implement an effective and anonymous system of reporting any breaches of this code. Some companies even benchmark their ethical practices against those of industry leaders and see how they’re doing.I suppose it’s also vital that companies ensure that their senior managers set a good example, ‘walk and talk’ so to speak. If they don’t behave ethically why should staff?All in all, whatever measures a company adopts, it needs to make staff understand why ethics is important not just to the company but also to themselves as well.* * * *。