新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 5-2

III. Listening In
Task 1: How to Avoid Bankruptcy¹
Manager: Adam! Have you any suggestions about how we can avoid bankruptcy?
Adam:   Downsizing would certainly reduce our operating costs. You know, make us lean and mean, the way you have to be in today’s market.
Manager: Where do you suggest we start making these staff cuts?
Adam:    The logical place to start would be in administration. They usually overstaffed.
Manager: That’s not going to go over very well with our employees. Some of them have been with the company for years.
Adam:   It’s painful process, but there’s no choice. They’ll just have to get used to the idea.
Manager: We can give them a fairly decent severance² package when they’re fired.
Adam:    I know. And I think that if we computerize the office, we could reduce office staff by about 20 percent just by eliminating a lot of paperwork.
Manager: OK. If we lay off 20 percent of the administrative³ staff, will that be enough to get the company back on its feet?
Adam:   Unfortunately not. We’ll also need to make some cuts in the service department.
Manager: How can we do that and maintain the level of service that we offer our passengers?
Adam:    Well, we’ll have to retrain the service staff and streamline⁴ our operations, so we won’t need as many people to run things smoothly⁵.
Manager: Well, this is serious, but I really don’t think we have any other choice. If we keep losing money like this, we’ll have to shut everything down.

1. What is the dialog mainly concerned with?
2. What does the man mean by “make us lean and mean”?
3. What is the difficulty in cutting the administrative staff?
4. What will happen as a result of firing the administrators⁶?
5. What does the man think will happen after they cut 20 percent of the administrators?

Keys: 1B 2.D 3.A 4.C 5.C

 

For Reference
1. He suggests retaining the service staff and streaming their operations, so they won’t need as many people to run things smoothly.
2. That is a serious step, but she thinks they haven’t any other choice. If they keep losing money, they will have to shut everything down.
 

1 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

2 severance   

n.离职金；切断

参考例句：

• Those laid off received their regular checks,plus vacation and severance pay.那些被裁的人都收到他们应得的薪金，再加上假期和解职的酬金。Kirchofer was terminated,effective immediately--without severance or warning.科奇弗被解雇了，立刻生效--而且没有辞退费或者警告。

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

5 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

6 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城