UNIT Seven
Part 1 Listen for Missing Information
Task 1
Directions : You will hear eight sentences . In each sentence there is a four-or five –digit number .Listen carefully and write down the numbers in the blanks .
1、 The Yangtze River is 6,381 kilometers long .
2、 We enrolled 1,248 student this year .
3、 1,431 people got injured in the accident .
4、 Lake Baykal is the deepest lake in the world ; the depth is 6,365 feet .
5、 The ship unloaded 64,972 pounds of fish .
6、 The average depth of the South China Sea is 4,802 feet .
7、 Mr. Taylor donated 12,497 books to the city library .
8、 Mount Qomolangma is 8,848 meters high .
Task 2
Directions : Listen to the following passage carefully and match the numbers (1-6) in Column A with the items (a-f) in Column B
Private Sector Growth Rapidly
In the first quarter of this year ,the private sector of economy in Xining City , capital of Qing-hai Province , grew rapidly , with 52,687 registered individually-owned businesses , 97,716employees , and a registered capital of 646,44 million yuan , 31.9 percent , 20percent and 31.4 percent , respectively , higher than that in 2001. The number of private enterprises reached 3,722,33.5 percent higher than last year .
At the same time , Shanghai witnessed an upsurge in foreign investment . Among a total of 662 projects , 60 per cent are foreign-owned .
Statistics issued by the State Administration for Industry Commerce (SAIC )indicate that newly registered enterprises with overseas investments increased by 18.64 percent in 2001, compared to the same period of the previous year . Among them , 1,829 enterprises bad a total investment of $ 10 million to $30 million ,and 210 enterprises had an investment of over $ 30million , up 35 . 08 percent and 77.97 percent , respectively . of these newly registered enterprises 14.939 percent are foreign-funded , an increase of 30.24 percent over the same period of the previous year .
Task 3
Directions : listen carefully to the following passage and fill in the blanks with what you hear on the tape , You will listen to the passage twice .
Search for Top Ten Digital Workplaces
Recently a senior executive from a Fortune 500 company was interviewing a promising young college graduate he hoped to recruit . The executive described his company's benefits and opportunities . For a while the young man listened politely , but then he got down to brass tacks . “What kind of broadband access would you provide into my home ?” he wanted to know .
The older executive was surprised and a little insulted . But he shouldn't have been . In this digital age ,our work often follows us home , and just about everywhere else . The latest in digital technology , both at home and in the office , is a necessity for advancing our careers . It also happens to be a spectacular perk . People prefer to work for the companies that offer the most technology and the greatest opportunities for taking advantage of it .
We went on an all-out search to find 10 companies in a variety of industries that we think provide them best digital workplaces . We consulted experts from academia . the business world , think tanks , and the most renowned American technology companies . We examined the computing systems provided to employees , the telecommuting arrangement available , technical training opportunities and a host of other factors-including whether workers seemed to be enjoying their jobs . In the end , we focused on companies of all sizes that use technology to do three things : improve efficiency; increase production and improve employees' lives .
Part 2 Listen for Main Ideas
Directions : You will hear six people talking about etiquette in business situations . Before you listen , quickly go over the list of statements , six of which are summaries of their tips on business etiquette . Then listen carefully and match the statements (a-h)with the names of these six persons respectively . There arw two extra statements you don't need to use . You will hear the talk twice .
Some Useful Tips on Etiquette
Presenter :Good evening ,ladies and gentlemen . Welcome to our LIFE SHOW priotram . I have interviewed six people about etiquette in the business arena . They are Tony , Mary , John , Jerry , Tom and Caroline . They have presented some very good tips that I would like to share with you .
Tony says :
1、 The most important person in the hierarchy of any company is the client .
2、 Persons of lesser importance are introduced to persons of greater importance , regrdless of gender . The name of the most important person is said first .
3、 Doors are held for persons more senior in rank , regardless of gender .
4、 Whoever is closest to the elevator doors exits first
5、 At business functions neither men nor women are helped with their chairs unless they need it .
6、 Both men and women should be helped with their coats if they are clients or more senor in rank .
Mary says :
1、 Do your homework beforehand-research the opposition , the topic , and your own team's blind spots or hang-ups-so you don't waste anyone's time
2、 Identify your pr4iorities , your needs , and your top-and bottom-line beforiband so you are much clearer in your communicating skills
3、 Come prepared with all necessary diocuments and agreements
4、 Maintain the formality/informality set by the meeting chairperson
5、 Greet and treat everyone with respect
6、 Remember the likeability f¥actor (like likes like ). If the oppising side likes you , you stand a much better chance of achieving your gals within reason , However , don't make that your primary goal .
7、 Keep your emotions in check .The other side will try to make you lose your cool to gain the controlling edge ,
8、 Don't be greedy ; work toward a win-win result .
John says:
1、 Handshakes are the univerwally accepted buiness greeting . Hugs and kisses are taboo in the business arena .
2、 Aproper handshake is firm , but not bone-crushing; it lasts about 3 seconds ; it is released after the shakde ,even if the introduction comtinues and it includes good eye contact with the other person .
3、 Extend a band when weeting someone for the first time or greeting your bost (bostess),greefting guests , saying good-bye to people at a gathering or when someone else extends a hand .
4、 Avoid giving a cold , wet handshake by keeping your drink in the left hand .
Jerry says :
1、 Stan in line . No butting in or swimming against the tide to speed your journey throuhg .Think of it as a great time to chat with the people in line and establish contacts
2、 Never complain about the line , the food or the wait , Others don't need you to put a damper on their nejoyment of the event
3、 Use serving utensils when you help yourself . Fingers do not count as serving utensils
4、 Never ever take any thing from a serning plate and stick it directly into your mouth . Norshould you start eating from your plate while still in line, Wait until you retum to your table ,
5、 You can return several times (more opportunities to meet more people !)but never fill your table .
6、 Try to eat your courses in some acceptable order . It's unappetizing for others to look at a plate filled with oysters , salad , roast beef and chocolate nousse all at the same time .
7、 Remember that any business dining experience is never about the food; it is always about business
Tom says :
1、 Listen before jumping into a conversation . You may not want to deal with those people .
2、 Make eye contact with one pereson in the group ,smile and listen until they include you
3、 Introduce yourself when there is a pause in the conversation
4、 If you have something relevant to add to a group's conversation , jump in , then introduce yourself afterward
5、 To initiate a conversation , you can talk about the situation , talk about yourself , or talk about the other person .
6、 Avoid taboo topics sluhc as off-color or discriminatory jokes , personal relationships and sexual proclivities , personal tragediws , cost of anything personal , or speudis as authoriuties ,
7、 Don't blend ; circulate . Spend five to seven minutes eith each person or group
8、 Always remember to close a conversation , Shake hands and take your leave
Caroline says :
1、 Know who will be there and what business they represent
2、 Decide what you want to gain from this event and go for it
3、 Decide the number of comtacts you want to make . Go for quality of contacts rather than numbers
4、 Prepare a 14-second commercial about what you do . People will remember you better
5、 Place your name tag on the right shoulder . As you shake bands , the eye automatically goes there
6、 Enter the room eith confidence , observe the climate . and find someone you want to meet
7、 When you arrive , smile . It's the one signal understood by eveyryone
8、 Never think male or female . Think professional
9、 Never park yourself at the bar or at the food table . Get what you want , then circulate
10、 Never offer a cold , wet handshake . Keep your drink in your left hand
11、 Be discriminating in handing out your business cards
Part 3 Listen for Facts
Directions :——Look at the ten statements for this part
——You will hear a passage about the magic of the merger . You will listen to the passage twice
——Decede whether you think each statement is right , wrong , or not mentioned
The magic of the merger
1998 was undoubtedly the year of the merger . More companies than ever before joined together in deals that totaled $2.25 trillion and created the world's largest ever bank and the world's biggest oil company . Faced with pummeting oil prices , oil giants Exxon and Mobl\il sought to achieve ceonomies of scale through a $ 250bn merger
There are several factors behind the increase in mergers and qcpuisitions . Firstly , the accelerated rate of globalization has left companies desperately seeking overseas acquisitions in order to remain competitive , Deutsche Bank bought its way into the US with its takeover of Bankers Trust , whilst Siemens hopes that its acpuisition of Matra , the French defense proup , will allow it go gain access to France's railway business , which is dominated by Alstom . the Anglo-French consortium.
Another factor behind the increase in merger activity is the recor per formance of stock markets , which has enabled companies to finance major acquisitions on the strength of their inflated share prices. Earlier this year Vodafone , the UK mobil telehone operator , acquired its US counterpart AirTouch by making AirTouch shareholders a cash and stock swap offer worth a total of $ 62bh . The deal created Vodafone AirTouch , the world's largest mobile telecoms group with over 29m customers
The European banking sector is also meeing a trend towards consolidation , a process accelerated by deregulation , iover-capacity and the arrival of the single European currency .
New technology is also making it easier for companies to diversify as different industries come to rely on common technologies . Microsoft , for instance , is busily diversifying into cable and mobile telecommunications as well as WebTV. The US software giant has a $5bn epuity stake in AT&T , which recently bought Media One for 457bn . Under the deal , Microsoft will succeed in introducing its recently-launched cable television software into millions of homes in the US and UK.
Not all mergers , however , are the result of global economic trends , political change or techno-logical innovation . BMW's takeover of the Rover Group injected much needed investment into the struggling UK car manufacturer whilst extending BMW's product range . And when the UK pharmaceutical firm Zeneca merged with Swedish drug company Astra ,the new company started lifte with strong combined R&D capabilities ,further strengthened by the world's best selling drug Losec in its portfolio of products
Part 4 Listen for Details
Directions : Listen to a passage about statistics and finish the following two tasks . You will listen to the passage twice
Task 1 Indicate which of the alterative ,A ,B or C , is the most appropriate response
Task 2 Choose from A-E the correct answer for each of the items (1-4). Use the letters only once
There is one extra letter that you do not need to use
What to Do with Statistics ?
Most statistics aren't worth the paper they are written on .It has been said that 65% of all statistics are of no value whatsoever ; that 30% are outright misleading; that only 5% are blth valid and valuable ; and that this statement itself probably falls within the first category . Yet , as anyone who works in the modenm organization knows , we are all neck deep in statistics and they will not to away , What to do ? It is tempting to ignore all statistical data since so muhc of it is useless , However , without valid data and measurements regarding the work process , it becomes very difficuly , if not impossible , to make effective deciseons , Therefore , a good manager mnust do two things : work to eliminate the waste involved in accumulating and analyzing invalid data m, and create systems to generate valid , understandable data that can be used iffectively in the decision making process.
Data must meet three criteria , It must be valid , understandable , and helpful , If the data fails on any one of these three criteria , it is a waste of time to collect it , If the data isn't valid , it's worse than useless-it's misleading . If the data isn't understandable , it's worthless-no matter how valid and potentially helpful it could be . If the data isn't helpful , it is again useless-even though it may be valid and easy to understand . These three criteria must be applied sys tematically to weed out the bulk of statistics so that there is time to focus upon the meaningful information that can be obtained .