BUSINESS LETTER
REFERENENCE EXPRESSIONS:
询盘（Enquiry）、报盘（Reply）、一般询价（General Inquiry）仅涉及商品目录（Catalogue）、价目表（Pricelist）、样品（Samples）、折扣（Discount）、付款（Payment）、交货（Shipment/Delivery）等。
Dear Sirs,
Will you please send us a copy of your catalogue and current pricelist for bicycles? We are interested in machines for both men and women, and also children.
We are the leading bicycle dealers in this area and have branches in five neighboring towns. If therefore the quality of your machines is satisfactory and the prices are right, we expect to place regular orders for fairly large numbers.
Will you please say whether, in these circumstances, you are able to allow us a special discount? This would enable us to maintain the low selling prices that have been an important reason for the growth of our business. In return, we would be prepared to place orders for a guaranteed annual minimum number of machines, the figure to be mutually agreed.
Yours faithfully,
Li Ming
(134 words)
MEMORANDUM (MEMO)
To: Mr. George Bush
From: Mr. Bill Clinton
Date: January 19, 2008
Subject: English exam
Dear Sir or Madam:
I would like to remind you that you are going to take part in an important English exam on the afternoon of January 19, 2008 and that you will most probably be expected to try a new type of writing, practical writing. I hope that you will pay enough attention to this problem and get yourself well prepared for it.
Regards.
(I avail myself of this opportunity to extend to you my best regards.)
Yours truly,
Li Ming
(94 words)
REPORT FOR WORK PROGRESS
To: Director George Bush
From: Manager Bill Clinton
Date: January 19, 2008
Subject: Business trip to Shanghai
Body:
January 10
a.m. Visited the Shanghai clothing factory and discussed the possible contract with the general manager. He was concerned about the price.
p.m. Conducted presentation for the factory engineers. They were very interested in our products and services, which they reported to the general manager.
January 15
Spent the whole day in detailed contract negotiations with managers. They were satisfied with everything except price. They want to negotiate with some of our competitors before they make a decision. I told them we were still open to discussion about price and services.
January 19
We should wait for the factory leaders who have talked to our competitors. I will contact them again on January 30, and if necessary, we will offer them a lowest price before then.
(127 words)
ABSTRACT/SUMMARY
Directions: Write a summary of the following passage in about 160~200 words. Your summary should contain the main ideas of the original passage and be clearly written down on the Answer Sheet.
"Corporate soul" is an expression used increasingly by corporate chiefs. In some boardrooms, terms such as "respect", "community", and "goodness" are heard more and frequently together with popular business words like "efficiently", "quality" and "bottom line".
There are two reasons for the move toward increased corporate spirituality. One is employees' need for meaning. They are saying, "In order for me to come to work in this culture day in and day out, I need more than just working. I need to be connecting my life to something greater, and in that connection making meaning of my life." We are in an age where a lot of people are looking for more meaning out of not just their personal lives, but their work lives. The other reason is that the corporate leadership is looking for new ways to motivate employees and create innovative solutions.
Evidence shows that people-oriented and value-driven companies do better than their competitors, according to Terrence Deal, co-author of Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit. "We're trying to argue that the heart is really what leadership is about, and the soul of the company is going to be its competitive edge," says Deal.
Layoffs, Neal suggests, made people take a harder look at their workday lives. "Maybe we don't look at things as jobs anymore because jobs come and go. Maybe people are starting to say 'What's my work in life? Jobs may come and go. What's my contribution to society?'"
Some companies are attempting to create a culture and fill it with values, and through those values to give employees a sense of meaning to their work, whether the daily task is pouring a cup of coffee, filling a tube of toothpaste, or creating a marketing strategy.
Methods of creating and encouraging corporate soul vary from company to company. Money and benefits, of course, top the list. Generous benefits are provided, including pay for childcare, eleven paid holidays per year, plus vacation and health care. Companies contribute part of pretax profits annually to nonprofit organization for the arts, the environment, and education. Employees are encouraged to contribute some of their paid work time to volunteering.
