This is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series that explores the use of many different language techniques in the context of a merger. Today’s episode focuses on vague, diplomatic language and probing questions. Vague and diplomatic language was introduced in podcastsBEP 24, BEP 51 和 BEP 52, so you might wish to review those to refresh your memory.
此外, we’ll be covering probing questions, which we first looked at inBEP 64. To probe is to explore or investigate, so probing questions are used to gather more detailed and targeted information. And I should also point out that there are two speaking practices at the end of this podcast – an action packed episode indeed.
For this series, we again visit our U.S.-based guitar manufacturer, which has a production plant in Costa Rica. 在這一集, we find out that the company is merging with a larger guitar manufacturer. To merge is to join together. When two companies join together, we call this a “merger.”
The new owners want to cut costs, which might mean cutting jobs. 所以, an important question in the mind of our old friend Jack is – who is going to be fired? We join Jack and his boss Jim, who meets Jack by chance in the hallway of the company headquarters.
聽力問題:
1. Who will Jack be meeting with after his chat with Jim? 2. What city might the Costa Rican plant move to? 3. Why do the new owners want to move the factory out of Costa Rica?
人們很忙. When you telephone people, they often aren’t there to take your call, so you need to leave a message. And almost everyone has to answer the telephone and take a message sometimes. Doing so professionally leaves a good impression on your customers, colleagues and boss.
Today we will hear a bad example and a good example of taking and leaving a telephone message.
Justin Thomas is with Trivesco, a major shipyard, or maker of ships. He is calling Sylvie Peterson at Daneline, a shipping company. Sylvie is a sales and purchase (S&磷) 經紀人. A broker is a middleman or negotiator. Sylvie specializes in negotiating the purchase of “newbuildings” or newly built ships. Amy, 接待員, answers the phone.
聽力問題
不好的例子 1) Does Amy answer the phone professionally? 2) Is Justin prepared?
好的例子 1) How does Amy answer the phone? 2) What is Mark calling about? 3) How does Amy make sure that she has got Mark’s correct phone number?
