the money saved is not worth the effort. Time is money!
For major purchases, we usually go together as a family, so that I can have a word as to
which brand to buy. Once we bought a TV set. During the process of decision making, my mother wanted to buy a TV set made by a local factory so that we could have better service if anything went wrong with it. But I insisted on buying a different brand that was of better quality. But the manufacturer was in another city. I tried to convince my parents that with a high quality product, it would save us a lot of trouble and time in maintenance. And if the quality was poor, we wouldn't feel happy to enjoy the good after-sale service. Finally, my parents agreed with me and bought the one I suggested. Vocabulary
1. l)b 2) a 3) a 4) a 5)b 6)b 7)b 8) a
2. 1) survey 2) consideration 3) perceive 4) tend 5) campaign 6) relatively 7) primary 8) criteria 3.
1) A. bands B. brand
bands: small groups of musicians who play music brand: a particular trademark of goods 2) A. economy B. economics
economy: the wealth a country gets from business and industry
economics: the study of the way in which money, industry, and trade are organized in a society 3) A. adolescents B. Adults
adolescents: persons who are no longer children but who have not yet become adults adults: persons grown to full size and strength 4) A. campaign B. movement
campaign: a planned set of activities that people carry out over a period of time in order to achieve
something such as social or political change
movement: an organized effort by supporters of a common goal 5) A. contemporary B. modem
contemporary: happened at the same time as something else you are talking about modern: using the most recent ideas and methods 6) A. ripe B. mature
ripe: (of fruit or crops) fully developed; ready to be collected or eaten
mature: behave in a sensible and reasonable way, as you would expect an adult to behave
? Translation
1. All the arrangements should be completed prior to your departure. 2. Such behavior may result in the executive being fired/asked to leave.
3. Our products compete with those of other factories in terms of quality, reliability and above all, variety.
4. The team's performance was greatly affected by the heavy rain. 5. I appreciate your reasons for objecting to the proposal. 6. To some extent, she should be responsible for the accident.
7. I'm uneasy at/deeply troubled by the thought that life is just too comfortable. 8. Women tend to live longer than men.
PART THREE Further development
3. An Effective Complaint Letter Dear Mr. Hamson,
Jan. 10,2005,1 purchaseds a Speedo Vacuum Cleaner Model XYZ from The Floor Store, 212 Main Street, Columbus, N. J. 1) (A copy of the receipt is enclosed.) 2) Unfortunately, I have had problems with both the product and the service I have received.
Specifically, I have the following complaints: 3)
First, the vacuum doesn't work efficiently to pick up dust or dirt on either bare floors or carpets. Even after I have gone over the same area several times, the dirt remains. The power shuts off by itself when the vacuum has been running for several minutes, then comes back on after 30 to 60 seconds.
Second, when I went back to at the Floor Store, I was told that because the vacuum was on sale, I could not exchange or return it, which I was not told when I made the purchase. I was also treated
rudely by the salesman, Robert Rule, and then by the manager, Alfred Adams.
I am requesting that you provide me with a new vacuum cleaner, on condition that if this one
proves to be unacceptable, I will receive a refund. 4) I also ask that you investigate the business practices of the First Store, as they are poor representatives of your company.
I can be reached during the day at (806) 827-9318 or after six in the evening at (806) 444-2897.
5) May I hear from you before March?
Yours truly, John Smith
4 Making a Complaint 1) Sample broken switches; poor quality sound; faulty winding/rewinding; broken case;
faulty recording system 2) Sample
C=Customer S=Shop Assistant S: What can I do for you?
C: I want to return the tape recorder. S: I'm sorry. What's -wrong with it?
C: I bought it here a week ago. I have hardly used it, but it doesn't work any more. Here is
the receipt. S: What's the problem?
C: There are two things wrong with it. One is that it won't rewind. The other is that the sound
is not clear. It's very noisy.
S: Let me see. No, you are right. It doesn't work very well. But I'm afraid I will have to ask the manager. Could you please leave your name and telephone number so that I can contact you later?
C: Yes, this is my business card. But would you please give me a copy of the receipt I gave you
and write down my two complaints? I would like to have a new tape recorder. I don't want
that one back.
S: I'll get you a copy immediately and I'll write your complaints on it. I'll tell the manager you
want a new tape recorder. C: Thank you.
Supplementary Activity:
Directions: There are five consumer rights. See which group can get all of them correct. Key:
1. The right to choose
Consumers have the right to make an intelligent choice among several products and services. 2. The right to information
Consumers have the right to accurate and complete information about all products in order to make a free choice. 3. The right to safety
Consumers have the right to expect that anyone trying to sell them services or products has taken
the consumers' health and safety into consideration. 4. The right to be heard
Consumers have the right to register dissatisfaction and have a complaint heard when their interests are badly served. 5. The right to consumer education
Consumers have the right to specific information regarding consumer affairs in order to maximize their power in the marketplace.
5 What to Buy Samples — I would first buy a set of Jin Yong' s novels without doubt. Though I have already had a good knowledge of his famous novels and even some details of the characters in his books, I really appreciate his books and would like to have a set of my own. It is well worth buying for me, and it is just like an old friend who can remind me of my happy childhood occasionally. Besides, I'd like to buy some DVDs and some books which I have been dreaming of. I like movies, old and modem as well as those classic novels. — To me, a mobile phone nowadays has truly become a necessity especially for students away… Part Four WRITING AND TRANSLATION 2 Translation Practice 1) Real bargains are beneficial to customers. Consumers are willing to buy products of (a) high quality at a low price. However, some bargains in some shops are poor in quality. Consumers will be cheated if they buy them. Therefore, one has to be careful in buying bargains. It may take him a lot of time to hunt for real bargains. In addition, what the purchasers should pay attention to is that they shouldn't buy things they don't need though they are bargains. Otherwise, they are just wasting money. 2) Shopping is closely related to media. A lot of the consumers buy products under the influence of advertisements. These ads provide people with all kinds of information about different items. No wonder manufacturers spend a lot of money to advertise their products through various media. Nowadays, Internet, as a new medium, is playing a more and more important role in shopping. It is faster, easier and more convenient. Shopping on the Net is likely here to stay. H Writing i) on bargains Sample 1 Bargains are products that are reduced in price. Some bargains are real bargains, because they are cheaper in price but the quality is quite good. Some bargains are of very poor quality because the shopkeeper merely marks prices higher than normal and then marks them down. This is, in fact, a trick to cheat customers. I think this kind of bargain is bad and should be prohibited. But I like real bargains. It is important to be able to buy goods you want with less money. But it takes a lot of time, you have to hunt for bargains. Once I bought a pair of leather shoes at half price.I felt very happy. But sometimes I feel cheated when the shop assistant says that