of all that, you went out of your way to bring in new customers. Susan: I enjoy working here, so I try to do my very best.
Helen: Well, wonderful! Our company could use more hardworking employees like you. In fact, the board of directors is unanimous in deciding to offer you a job.
Susan: I’m so glad to hear that. I’ll graduate in less than a month. By then I can devote more time to the company. I’ll work heart and soul to promote its business. Helen: And I also think you are ready to take on some new responsibilities. Susan: What do you mean, Helen?
Helen: I’m promoting you to assistant marketing manager, but you might have to travel around the country at short notice. Is that OK with you?
Susan: Of course. Thank you. I’m honored that you have so much confidence in me.
Helen: Well, Susan, you did great work. Your promotion is effective immediately. Susan: Thank you. I look forward to the new challenge of the job.
Now Your Turn Task 1
SAMPLE DIALOG
Jenny: Hell, Jenny of Mokia Mobile.
Dick: Hello, this is Dick, your mobile phone battery supplier.
Jenny: Hi, Dick. Glad to hear from you again. What’s on your mind?
Dick: We’ve produced a new battery that is inexpensive, but powerful. It can last a long time.
Jenny: We’ve already got a goof selection. What’s so special about your new product?
Dick: Well, could you arrange for me to meet your boss Linda? Then I’ll go into details.
Jenny: OK, when can you come?
Dick: I was hoping to get together with Linda this week, if possible. I want to get going on this right away.
Jenny: Let me check her timetable…Yes, she’s completely free Thursday Dick: Why not meet at about ten in the morning at your office?
Jenny: Sound good. Let me say it again: We’ll look forward to seeing you at ten on Thursday.
Dick: I’m sure it’ll be a rewarding meeting. Thank you. Good-bye. [Later]
Jenny: Hello. Is Dick there, please? Dick: Hello. Dick speaking.
Jenny: Hi, Dick, this is Jenny. Something unexpected has come up. I’m afraid we
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have to postpone the meeting with you on Thursday. Dick: That’s disappointing. When can we meet?
Jenny: Linda has to put the meeting off until sometime on Friday. Will that suit you? Dick: I’m afraid I can’t go on Friday. I’ll be flying to another city on business. Jenny: Then could you come after five on Thursday? Dick: Certainly, Can we make it five thirty then?
Jenny: Five thirty’s perfect. Linda will be waiting for you at five thirty on Thursday. Dick: Ok. Great! Thanks. Bye.
V. Let’s Talk
Script :A trainee journalist
Ayesha:
In the newsroom you have about 16 reporters. The news reporters sit in one part of the room, and you have features on the other side of the room. I'm just going to see Kev, he's my news editor and he's going to do a(n) brief, basically brief me on a story that's happening later on. When I walk into my newsroom I don't know what to expect. You start at eight but you don't know how long that's gonna go on for. Hello. Kevin:
Hi Ayesha. So we're really looking for a featurey sort of piece for tomorrow's paper. Ayesha:
Frenchay Hospital, which is one of our hospitals in Bristol. They're celebrating their 10 years of this head injury unit, and we've been invited up. We're gonna obviously cover and take pictures, and I'm gonna get to speak to people. So he was really giving me guidelines. Kevin:
You know when you're doing your interviews, speak to people in some detail about, you know, how they were injured in the first place, but then the treatment they've gone through. OK? Ayesha:
Yeah. Excellent! Thank you!
Well, I've just started writing up for my next, and just basically from the day. I've got to get something through, I think, by about four. Sometimes I come back and I've got so much going on in my hands. So I'm just trying to, sort of, just work it through. Deadlines are very stressful. But you have to meet them because it's important; it's part of what newspaper journalism is all about. You get used to it by getting the guidance, managing your time, but it's still scary. OK. It's all done. OK. This is the Bristol final. If I have a look at page 14, there we are, and that's my story. Exciting!
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VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: A small misstep can become a big career trap. Script
George Adams, a market researcher at a Midwestern firm, finally printed his marketing report. After months of research, hundreds of surveys, and several boring drafts, his report was complete, and just in time. He was going away for the weekend, and he wanted to relax knowing his report was a success. He carefully proofread his document and then delivered copies to all the executives on his distribution list.
When he returned to his desk, he discovered his boss, the department manager, was livid. At first he did not realize he had accidentally gone over his head. Anyway, she had given him the contribution list in the first place. So he thought he was just following orders. But the boss was furious that she hadn’t seen the final document. The boss asked Adams to get back the copies, but it was too late. When Adams got to the CEO’s office, he was already reading the report.
Adams had felt friction with his boss before. She was overbearing and tended to find fault with his work after he’d broken his back to meet deadlines. In this instance, however, he realized he had made a serious error. His boss was extremely upset, for his mistake made her look as though she wasn’t in control of her department.
From the boss’s point of view, Adams was usurping her authority. The result was simple and natural: Adams left his job soon afterward.
Adams’s story illustrates a fundamental truth about the workplace: small, seemingly innocent missteps can sometimes become a big career trap.
1. To whom did Adams deliver copies of the report?
2. What did Adams discover after he delivered the copies?
3. What happened when the boss asked Adams to get back the copies of the report? 4. According to the passage, why was his boss extremely upset? 5. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
Keys: 1.D 2.B 3.C 4.A 5.C
Task 2: The boss is angry!
Script
Sam: Tell me: Does this place look like a nursing home? Sally: No. Why?
Sam: Do I look like a male nurse? Sally: Not at all.
Sam: Then why do my employees act as though this were a nursing home instead of a
work place?
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Sally: You’re obviously upset. What’s wrong? Tell me. Sam: You’re right. I’m upset about a lot of things. Sally: Can you tell me what the problems are?
Sam: First of all I’m upset because so many of the staff have been showing up late for
work.
Sally: It’s true. A lot of people have been coming in late. They probably think you
don’t mind. You know there’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere here.
Sam: Maybe it’s because I hang out with a lot of them outside the office.
Sally: They must see you more as a buddy than a boss. It’s because you’re so friendly. Sam: You’re right. They don’t view me as an authority figure anymore. I’m afraid they don’t respect me as a boss
Sally: So what are you going to do about it?
Sam: I’m going to change. No more Mr. Nice Guy. I’m going to start cracking the
whip.
Sally: When do you want this change to take place?
Sam: Starting today, I’m going to lay down the law. From now on, everyone in the company must follow regulations to the latter.
Sally: I’ll post a notice as soon as possible. What should it say?
Sam: No more punching in late. No more clocking out early. No more calling in sick
without a goof reason or without a doctor’s note. Sally: Anything else?
Sam: No more personal phone calls or e-mails on company time! Sally: All right, I’ll get right on it!
Keys: FTFTF
Task3: Three Envelopes
Script
After a high –level firing at Supertech, the top executives gathered for lunch to welcome the new Chief Executive Officer, Carl Martin, and say good-bye to the departing CEO, Dick Jackson.
Lunch was pretty well over when Jackson took his replacement aside and said: ―Carl, it’s a jungle out there in the business world. If we graduate of Harvard Business School don’t stick up for one anther, who will? Nobody, that’s who.‖
Jackson explained that a tradition the company’s CEOs had. The departing CEO left three numbered envelopes for the new CEO. He handed Martin three envelopes. ―Open one if there’s a problem you can’t solve.‖
Things went smoothly for Martin at first, but six months later sales took a downturn, and he was catching a lot of heat. At his wit’s end, he remembered the envelopes. He took from his desk the first envelope. The message read, ―Blame your predecessor.‖ Martin held a press conference and tactfully laid the blame at the feet of the previous CEO. The press—and Wall Street—reacted positively, sales picked up, and the
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problem was soon behind him.
A year later, the company was again experiencing a dip in sales, combined with serious product problems. The CEO opened the second envelope. The message read, ―Recognize.‖
This he did, and the company quickly rebounded.
After several consecutive profitable quarters, the company once again fell on difficult times. The CEO went to his office, closed the door and opened the third envelope. The meager read, ―Prepare three envelopes.‖
For Reference
1. They gathered for lunch to welcome the new Chief Executive Officer, Carl Martin, and say good-bye to the departing CEO, Dick Jackson.
2. The departing CEO left three numbered envelopes for the new CEO
3. The message read, ―Blame your predecessor.‖ So, the new CEO held a press conference and tactfully laid the blame at the feet of the previous CEO.
4. The message read, ―Recognize.‖ The new CEO did it, and the company quickly rebounded.
5. The meager said, ―Prepare three envelopes.‖ It implied that it was time for Martin to leave and give three similar envelopes to the next CEO.
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