Listening

Seeking a Change

Sam Malone has been working at Ace Express for the past 6 years.

Ace is a shipping company based in Hong Kong.

It ships dangerous chemicals to all parts of the world.

Last year Sam was promoted to Vice President.

Along with the promotion, he was given a beautiful office. 

He was also given a 20% raise in salary.

Sam is well respected within the company, and he likes his co-workers.

However, he wants to take on new challenges and is looking for a change.

If he stays at Ace, he doesn’t see any chance of another promotion.

He is also beginning to worry about the company’s future.

He thinks there is a high probability that the company will be acquired. 

If that happens, he may lose his job.

Last month he started looking for a new job.

According to his research, about 40% of jobs are found through acquaintances.

So the first thing he did was to contract his closest friends.

He let them know that he was looking for something new.

Many of his friends and acquaintances are in the shipping business, but some have moved into other industries. 

He also checked out several companies on the internet and updated his resume.

If the company is acquired by another company, he may lose his job.

Preparing for an Interview

This morning Sam got a message from a company based in Japan.

It’s a medical supply company that wants to expand its business in China.

They have a small office in Hong Kong and will be conducting interviews next week.

Sam is interested in learning more about the company, so he replied to their message and set up an interview. 

Even if it doesn’t work out, it will be a learning experience for him.

In planning for the interview, Sam has made some notes about what to do at an interview.

First he needs to be well prepared.

He needs to know as much as he can about the company, including its history.

He also needs to know how to present himself, including his appearance and body language.

It has been years since he was last interviewed, so he needs to be prepared to answer some questions about himself.

For example, he needs to able to explain what’s on his resume, including his strengths and skills.

In any interview situation, it’s important to look right and behave appropriately.

He doesn’t want to give a bad first impression.

For example, he should be careful not to talk too much.

That means he should stay focused and keep his comments short.

Throughout the interview he should observe their facial expressions and make eye contract.

It’s going to be important to listen carefully to what they say, and keep things as relaxed as possible.

He needs to remind himself that he is also interviewing them.

He may find that their company isn’t right for him.

Therefore, he should be ready to ask them questions, especially about ther expectations.

In an interview like this, both sides have the same concern. 

They don’t want to make the wrong choice.

Vocabulary

Atttudes

Relaxed: to be calm and at peace, not anxious or tense.

She was trying to relax, but then she got a call from her boss.

He hasn’t relaxed for a long time, so he’s exhausted and difficult to be around.

They tried to relax on their vacation, but they were both busy on their cell phones most of the time.

Arrogant(傲慢): to have an exaggerated sense of one’s importance or abilities; the opposite of modest.

I wasn’t impressed by her arrogant attitude.

Sometimes the rich and powerful can be very arrogant and greedy.

Prejudiced(偏见): to have negative feelings toward something without good reason or experience.

She has a prejudice against people who come from the countryside.

As a company we don’t allow prejudice of any kind, including race or religious differences.

We can’t trust their research because their data is obviously prejudiced in their favor.

Neutral: to be without prejudice and not take sides.

We expect the judge at the trial to be neutral and allow both sides to present their evidence to the jury.

The referees(裁判) in a match need to be neutral so that the game is fair.

The talks between the two countries are being held in a neutral(中性) location.

I don’t want to get involved in the argument and would prefer to remain neutral.

Proper or appropriate: the way it is supposed to be.

That kind of language isn’t appropriate in this situation because it doesn’t show respect.

When he came to the interview he wasn’t dressed properly, so he made a bad impression.

He tried to act cool, but his behavior was inappropriate in that culture and with those people.

Analysis Words

Acquaintance(熟人): somebody known or met before.

I’m contracting several of my acquaintances to see if they know of any  job opportunities.

I don’t know him well. but he is an acquaintance of mine from a long time ago.

He says he’s an acquaintance of mine, but I don’t remember him.

Appearance: how something looks, what something looks like.

He could improve his appearance by buying some new clothes.

He doesn’t care about his appearance, so he doesn’t make a good impression.

We could tell from his appearance that he wasn’t feeling well.

Consequence: an outcome or result.

Many forms of life will become extinct as a consequence of global warming.

One consequence of his drinking has been the poor quality of his work.

I’m not sure he understands the consequences of his arrogant attitude.

Factor: something that affects or influences the end result.

One factor that needs to be considered is his arrogant personality.

Her health is one factor we can’t afford to ignore.

Her beauty wasn’t a factor in his decision to hire her, or was it?

Exception(例外): to be unique or treated differently.

Everyone has to be in the office before 9:00 with the exception of the sales department.

I’m sorry. but I can’t make an exception and allow you to bring your dog to the office.

Dialogue

Gettiing into College

W：Guess what? I’ve got some news.

M：Oh, you mean about Jack?

W：Yes, have you heard?

M：Yes, Eliza messaged me a few minutes ago.

W：Isn’t it wonderful? He’s been accepted to Stanford.

She was excited when she got the news.

M：Really? That’s not what I heard.

W：Oh? What have you heard?

M：I heard he didn’t get in.

W：So it was just a rumor.

M：If that was you heard, it isn’t true. He really wanted to get in, but from I heard, he’s just on the waiting list.

W：Oh, then there’s still a chance that he’ll get in.

M：I guess so. But even if he gets in, how is he going to pay for it? It’s very expensive, and his family isn’t wealthy.

W：Well, he can always get a student loan, or maybe he’ll get a scholarship.

If he gets in, I hope he gets a scholarship.

M：If he gets a loan, it’ll be for a lot of money. He’ll be taking on a lot of debt.

W：Still, a degree from Stanford is worth a lot, and I’ve heard that they have a lot of money for scholarships. 

M: I wonder what he’ll do. If he gets in, I hope he gets a scholarship.

W：What will he do if he doesn’t get into Stanford? What are there any choices?

M：The only other school I’ve heard him mention is Cambridge in England.

W：Oh, well, that’s not a bad choice.

M：What about you? Have you heard anything?

W：Me? I’ll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone, OK?

M：Sure, if it’s a secret, you can trust me.

W：I’ve been accepted in MIT on a full scholarship.

M：MIT? You joking, right?

W：No, I’m serious.

M：Why haven’t you told anyone?

W：I don’t know. I think I’ll wait until everyone else has heard for their choices. I really didn’t except to get in. 

M：Yes, especially for the full scholarship. Some people would be jealous when they hear about it. But we all know you are smart, so there’s something you should be proud of. 

W：Thanks, I’m really excited.

He thought she was serious.

He think some people will be jealous when they hear the news.