Listening

 

Audio Track 4-5-1

 

Talk 1

Our company employs 100 people from the local area. It develops and produces wooden artware which it sells in one of its five city stores. Even without advertisement, the products are very popular and the stores are always busy. Customers often come directly to the stores to make purchases.

*Talk 2

I’m the Product Marketing Manager of our company. We are working on a marketing plan at the moment. Before any contracts are signed, there are a lot of things we have to take into careful consideration. We should know, for instance, the needs and preferences of consumers, the best distribution channel, the governing rules and regulations concerning the distribution of products, and the price at which products can be sold.

**Talk 3

My employer is a world-leading information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. The company supplies networking and telecommunications equipment to 45 of the world’s 50 largest telecom operators. In such a competitive market, the company has to innovate to stay ahead. That’s why it invests heavily in research and development, the department I work in. I’m a senior analyst in the R&D division.

 

Audio Track 4-5-2/Audio Track 4-5-3

 

He may have been your typical teenager in most ways. But he was different in one particular way: he started his own magazine. At the age of 15 he managed the magazine called Student. It was written for and about young people in school. He was very busy, but it was a satisfying job.

His next business venture was completely different. He and some friends started a mail order record company. It was also the same year, 1970, when his music discount store was opened in England. It made a lot of money.

In the early 1990s, he sold his successful music business and used the money for another business idea: an airline company. And so, Virgin Airways Ltd. was born. To compete with other airlines, his company offered good prices to customers. Today Virgin is known for its excellent service.

Richard Branson now runs the Virgin Group, Ltd. He employs 50,000 people and in many different fields, such as book publishing, financial services, modeling, and even bridal services! Not bad for a teenager from the UK who dreamed of editing his own magazine!

 

Audio Track 4-5-4/Audio Track 4-5-5

 

Host: Welcome back to “You Snooze, You Lose!” the best game show on television! This is our final round. Let me remind you of the rules. We will show an object for a couple of seconds. It’s your job to guess what it is. Michael? Linda? Are you ready to play?

Michael & Linda: Yes!!

Host: OK, then, let’s play ”You Snooze, You Lose!” Show us item number one.

Host: Yes, Michael?

Michael: I know what they are. They’re called “cams” and they’re used in mountain climbing.

Host: That’s right for one point! They’re used to hold climbing ropes. All right then, here’s our second object. Yes, Linda?

Linda: Is it some kind of tool?

Host: Can you be more specific?

Linda: I don’t know ... a tool used to fix some kind of machine?

Host: No, I’m sorry. It’s a nose and ear hair trimmer. Next … item number three. Do you have any idea? Time is up. Since no one guessed, I’ll tell you the answer. Those are called Hopi ear candles.

Linda: You stick them in your ears?

Host: That’s right. They are used to clean out your ears. They also help to relax you. Let’s move on to item number four. Here it is.

Michael: That’s obvious. It’s a corkscrew. You use it to open bottles.

Host: Yes, that’s correct! It’s a mini-travel corkscrew. You can pack it in your suitcase. Oh, no! You know what that means! We’re out of time. Michael, with two correct answers, you are today’s winner! Congratulations! And before we leave, let me show the remaining objects. Item number five is an egg slicer. Item number six is a tongue scraper — make sure to use it so that you don’t have bad breath! That’s all the time we have for today. See you next time on “You Snooze, You

Lose!” Goodbye everybody!

 

Audio Track 4-5-6/Audio Track 4-5-7

 

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its best selling flagship products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft ships products to Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. In the mid-1980s, it rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS. Since 1985, Microsoft has released an upgrading line of Windows operating systems featuring a friendly user interface. The latest one, Windows 7, was released in October 2009 and has sold 600 million copies to date. A more powerful one, Windows 8, is to be released in late 2012. It is reported that this product can deliver a fast and fluid experience, along with a new user interface that responds equally well to touch as it does to keyboard and mouse.

As one commentator notes, Microsoft’s original mission was “a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software,” and now it is a goal near fulfillment. Microsoft also makes profits in other markets such as computer hardware products and home entertainment products.

 

Audio Track 4-5-8/Audio Track 4-5-9

 

A different kind of holiday: Shop less, live more!

Advertising is everywhere. It’s on race cars and subway trains, on T-shirts and billboards. Every day, you see hundreds of ads, and each advertiser wants you to buy their product. But do we really need all these products? A group in Canada says “No.” In 1991, they started an event called Buy Nothing Day, to protest against consumerism and waste. Every year, on the last Friday in November, no one should spend any money for 24 hours. The event has spread to over 15 countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

In the United States, Buy Nothing Day takes place on the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday. This is usually the busiest day of the year in department stores and shopping malls. Traditionally, it’s the first day of the Christmas shopping season, when Americans buy gifts for family and close friends.

However, this “season” has grown longer every year. Now some stores put up their Christmas window displays in the middle of October, and Americans are pressured to buy gifts for every one of their relatives, for all of their coworkers, and for everyone they do business with. Many people feel that they are forgetting the real significance of the holidays, because companies just want them to spend more money.

Of course, Buy Nothing Day supporters don’t want to change just one day. They want the change to continue all year. But if we take a break from shopping on one day, we can start thinking about what we really need in life. Michael Smith, British organizer of Buy Nothing Day, says: “Our message is clear: Shop less, live more!”

 

Audio Track 4-5-10/Audio Track 4-5-11

 

Ad or no ad?

Is advertising really necessary? Billions of dollars are spent on it every year, so it must be important. After all, it’s a busy world. You have to advertise, sell products, and make money!

Not every company thinks that way. The NO-AD company (“no-ad” stands for “not advertised”) avoids big advertising campaigns. The company was started in 1960 and is successful today. Their products are still affordable because the company saves money on advertising. They also use their savings to support a drug and alcohol awareness program to educate high school students.

NO-AD sells by word of mouth. “Word-of-mouth advertising” happens when a person tells another person about a good experience with a product or service. That second person then tells another friend, family member, or colleague. And so a chain of information is created.

Typically, advertisers talk about how good their product is. Although they say things like, “Studies show that our product is the best,” or “Everyone loves this product,” it can sound insincere or unconvincing. It’s much more believable to hear about a product from someone who did not make it. Our friends’ opinions are very important to us, so we often listen to their advice about a product.

Word-of-mouth advertising has other advantages, too. It’s cost-effective (after all, it’s free) and a company doesn’t have to create a complex business plan to do it. Here is some advice for small business about word-of-mouth advertising:

• Be prepared to talk about your company at any time. You never know who you will meet. Always carry business cards.

• Only say positive things about your company. Don’t say negative things about your company.

• Help other companies by referring people to them. The more you help others, the more good fortune will come back to you.

 

Speaking & Communication

 

Audio Track 4-5-12

 

Noun: He gave me a beautiful present.

Verb: Tomorrow I will present my ideas to the board of directors.

 

Audio Track 4-5-13

 

1. a. I buy my produce at the market.

b. We produce stereos and CD players.

2. a. No one buys records anymore.

b. I like to record my voice and listen to it.

3. a. I can’t deliver it without an address.

b. You need to address the envelope.

 

Audio Track 4-5-14

 

Host: So, welcome to our show. Why don’t you tell our listeners who you are and what you do.

Woman: My name is Beverly Smith. I’m the CEO for TalkBack Communications.

Host: Can you tell us about your company?

Woman: Certainly. Our company was founded in 1995. We’re based in New York City. We have about 10,000 employees worldwide.

Host: What does your company do?

Woman: We do business in a large number of fields, such as telecommunications and computers. Our main area of business is new cell phone technology.

Host: I hear your company is doing quite well.

Woman: Well, we made over five million dollars profit last year. Experts say our company will grow by up to 10% next year.

 

Audio Track 4-5-15

 

Conversation 1

A: What’s the name of your company?

B: It’s called Moonlights.

A: Can you tell us about your company?

B: Certainly. Our company was founded in 1999. We’re based in Seattle. We have over 5,000 employees.

A: What does your company do?

B: Moonlights produces and sells bottled coffee drinks. We also purchase coffee from farmers and sell it in our stores. Moonlights has over 3,000 stores worldwide.

A: I hear your company is growing.

B: Well, we made approximately 100 million dollars in profit last year. Experts say our company will grow by up to 10 percent next year.

Conversation 2

A: What’s the name of your company?

B: It’s called Wasedosoft.

A: Can you tell us about your company?

B: Certainly. Our company was founded in 2001. We’re based in Tokyo. We have over 12,000 employees.

A: What does your company do?

B: Wasedosoft produces millions of computer games and ships them to many countries. We also purchase computer games from freelancers and sell them in our stores. Wasedosoft has over 4,000 stores worldwide.

A: I hear your company is growing.

B: Well, we made approximately 1.5 billion dollars in profit last year. Experts say our company will grow by up to 15 percent next year.

 

Audio Track 4-5-16

 

History of Yahoo!

This company was originally started as a hobby by two students in 1994. In the beginning it was called “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” Their product was placed on two computers. The computers were named after two sumo wrestlers. The company grew quickly. Many stories were broadcast about it in the 1990s.

Yahoo! Today

This company’s Internet destination is visited by millions of people worldwide. It is used to find information. Free e-mail services are offered, too. Most of its profit is provided by advertising. Its main offices are found in California.

 

Video Course

 

Video Track 4-5-1

 

Catherine: I’m a lawyer and the company I work for, we help people in the city … um … get assistance in a lot of different ways. We help them get housing, food, shelter …

Gian: My company is a management consulting firm. We do education for executives. I make brochures that I send out to many executives throughout the United States. We invite those people to come to our trainings.

Kevin: My friends and I founded a smoothie business back in college. We advertise by word of mouth and we also hand out flyers to students on campus.

Malinda: The company that I work for employs about thirty people. We do a lot of things so that other people will know the kinds of work that we do. We talk to reporters to try to get articles in the newspaper, and we take lots of photographs.

Calum: For my … um … classes I had to study a company. And I chose a company that produces advertisements. The adverts are usually quite complex, but they also have to be easy to remember.

David: My friend’s dad’s business is a janitorial service. And businesses call him and he has people come in and clean the building, after hours. The business is successful because he’s a very hard worker.

 

Video Track 4-5-2

 

Gian: My company is a management consulting firm. We do education for executives. I make brochures that I send out to many executives throughout the United States. We invite those people to come to our trainings.

Kevin: My friends and I founded a smoothie business back in college. We advertise by word of mouth and we also hand out flyers to students on campus.

David: My friend’s dad’s business is a janitorial service. And businesses call him and he has people come in and clean the building, after hours. The business is successful because he’s a very hard worker.

 

Video Track 4-5-3

 

Takeshi: By the way Mike, thanks a lot for helping me out with this. I can’t believe Tara got sick! And on the day of my first real commercial shoot. Can you believe it?

Mike: Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be great … especially since you have a “lovely assistant” like me.

Takeshi: Right … there, that should do it. Got your signs?

Mike: Check!

Takeshi: Ready Mr. Howard? (Mr. Howard nods ) And rolling … OK … “Furniture Showroom” commercial — take one.

Mr. Howard: Hello there! My name is John Howard, president of Furniture Showroom, and I’m here to tell you why we’re one of the most successful furniture stores around. The keys to our success are excellent quality, great design, and affordable prices. And who are these keys for? Why for you — our customers! And that’s why I’m here today to show you some of our premier pieces. Like this sleek and stylish lounge chair. All our loungers are covered in 100% genuine leather, and built with solid steel-frame construction. Take a look at that — talk about well-made. Or take a look at this Super Sleeper Sofa… why it’s one of the most comfortable sofas you’ll ever lay your head on! It’s true! See for yourself! (Mike lies down on sofa ) You know, folks, Furniture Showroom is not one of those flyby- night operations — “here today, gone tomorrow.” Our company was founded in 1982 with only three hard-working employees: my wife, my son, and me. Here at Furniture Showroom, we really pride ourselves in giving you the best product at the right price! So come on down to Furniture Showroom and take a look at our … (interrupted by Mike’s snore)

Tara: Hey, what happened to that TV commercial? The one I couldn’t do because I was sick?

Takeshi: You mean the one where Mike fell asleep on my first paying client? I just sent in the tape last week. Who … who knows what’ll happen.

Mike: Look, I said I was sorry. Plus that couch was really comfortable …

Takeshi: (phone rings) Hello? This is. Oh, hello, Mr. Howard! Yeah … uh-huh … OK … great! Thank you!

Tara: Well?

Takeshi: They loved it. They just booked me for another five commercials! Mr. Howard said that the big guy who fell asleep on the couch was the best part!

Mike: Well, you know what this calls for, don’t you?

Takeshi: Yeah … an apology.

Mike: No, an encore! (jumps on sofa )

 

Video Track 4-5-4

 

Takeshi: By the way Mike, thanks a lot for helping me out with this. I can’t believe Tara got sick! And on the day of my first real commercial shoot. Can you believe it?

Mike: Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be great … especially since you have a “lovely assistant” like me.

Takeshi: Right … there, that should do it. Got your signs?

Mike: Check!

Takeshi: Ready Mr. Howard? (Mr. Howard nods ) And rolling … OK … “Furniture Showroom” commercial — take one.

Mr. Howard: Hello there! My name is John Howard, president of Furniture Showroom, and I’m here to tell you why we’re one of the most successful furniture stores around. The keys to our success are excellent quality, great design, and affordable prices. And who are these keys for? Why for you — our customers! And that’s why I’m here today to show you some of our premier pieces. Like this sleek and stylish lounge chair. All our loungers are covered in 100% genuine leather, and built with solid steel-frame construction. Take a look at that — talk about well-made. Or take a look at this Super Sleeper Sofa… why it’s one of the most comfortable sofas you’ll ever lay your head on! It’s true! See for yourself! (Mike lies down on sofa ) You know, folks, Furniture Showroom is not one of those flyby- night operations — “here today, gone tomorrow.” Our company was founded in 1982 with only three hard-working employees: my wife, my son, and me. Here at Furniture Showroom, we really pride ourselves in giving you the best product at the right price! So come on down to Furniture Showroom and take a look at our … (interrupted by Mike’s snore)

 

Video Track 4-5-5

 

Tara: Hey, what happened to that TV commercial? The one I couldn’t do because I was sick?

Takeshi: You mean the one where Mike fell asleep on my first paying client? I just sent in the tape last week. Who … who knows what’ll happen.

Mike: Look, I said I was sorry. Plus that couch was really comfortable …

Takeshi: (phone rings ) Hello? This is. Oh, hello, Mr. Howard! Yeah … uh-huh … OK … great! Thank you!

Tara: Well?

Takeshi: They loved it. They just booked me for another five commercials! Mr. Howard said that the big guy who fell asleep on the couch was the best part!

Mike: Well, you know what this calls for, don’t you?

Takeshi: Yeah … an apology.

Mike: No, an encore! (jumps on sofa )

 

Audio Track 4-5-17

 

Mike was helping Takeshi shoot a TV commercial for a store called Furniture Showroom. The president of Furniture Showroom, Mr. Howard, was starring in the commercial. First Mr. Howard talked about the company, which was founded in 1982. Then Mike helped show off the furniture while Mr. Howard described it and elaborated on how well each piece was made. However, while Mr. Howard was describing one of the sofas, Mike lay down on it and fell asleep!

Later, Tara asked Takeshi about the TV commercial that she had failed to help him with. While Takeshi was telling Tara about the commercial, the phone rang and it was Mr. Howard! Mr. Howard said that his company loved the commercial, so they had decided to hire Takeshi to make five more commercials!