Present perfect v. past simple
1. Listening
listen to a company chairman making an end-of-year presentation. As you listen, complete his presentation notes.
请见附图14-1
Listening task
I’d like to spend a few minutes of your time looking back over the year. I’m going to divide my review into three areas: firstly, financial, secondly, personnel and finally technology.
On the financial front, the results have been very pleasing. Turnover has increased by 14%, costs have dropped by 3%and profits are up by 16%. So the company as a whole has performed well. Some business areas have done better than others. Export sales have done very well-especially in America, our largest export market. The domestic consumer market has been very competitive and will continue to be so-our results in this market have been rather disappointing-just 1% up compared with last year.
Right, let’s move on to personnel. Our policy of personnel development through training and promotion opportunities has continued to be a great success. We have actually recruited 72 new staff, while 20 have retired-so there’s a net balance of 52. The training department has expanded considerably and moved into new areas such as quality assurance and sales training.
Finally, technology. I thought you would be interested to have an update since this vital for out future growth. Over the last year, our Research Department has thoroughly tested a new prototype engine. Results so far have looked promising. We have also invested heavily in a European technology programme which links industry with the universities.
Right, those are the three main areas- finance, personnel and technology. Are there any questions, personnel and technology. Are there any questions, before I go on?...
2. Presentation
In his presentation, the chairman used the present perfect tense(has/have + past participle).
e.g. The results have been very pleasing.
The company has performed well.
He uses this tense because:
1. He is probably talking at the end of December-the year is not quite finished.
2. He doesn’t specifically refer to time periods. Contrast the present perfect and the past simple in the following sentences:
The company has performed well.(present perfect)
The company performed well at the beginning of the year.(past simple)
3. Many of the events have a present impact.
e.g. We have invested heavily in the European technology programme.
So, we can contrast the present perfect with the past simple, as follows:
请见附图14-2
3. Controlled practice
A. Put the verbs in brackets into an appropriate tense-present perfect or past simple.
1. Turnover __________________________by 14% last year. (increase)
2. The company ______________________ disappointing results recently. (have)
3. Two years ago we ___________________ very competitive. (be)
4. Two years ago we ___________________ an updated product. (launch)
5. We _______________________________ 20 junior managers. (recruit)
6. _____________you ever ______________ Australia? (visit)
7. We _______________________________ there last June. (go)
8. We ______________ not _____________ the results of the tests yet. (receive)
9. _________________ you _____________ the report? (see)
Yes, it was interesting.
10. There senior managers _______________ this year. (retire)
B. Complete the chart below
Irregular verbs
请见附图14-3
课文注释及词汇讲解：
* an end-of-year presentation 年终讲话
* chairman董事长，总裁，（会议）主席
* spend 花费（时间，金钱）
spend ... in doing sth.
spend ... on sth.
e.g. I’d like to spend a few minutes of your time looking back over the year.
我想花大家几分钟时间回顾一下本年度的情况。
A lot of money has been spent on promotion.
在促销方面花了许多财力。
* on ... front 在……阵线上，在……方面
e.g. On the financial front, the results have been very pleasing.
在财务方面，成果令人欣慰。
* as a whole 作为一个整体， 整体上，总的说来
e.g. The company as a whole has performed well.
公司整体上经营得很好。
Market situation as a whole is favourable to us.
市场情况总的说来对我们是有利的。
* domestic 国内的，国产的
e.g. the domestic consumer market 国内消费市场
domestic goods/ products 国货
* competitive 竞争激烈的，有竞争力的
e.g. The domestic consumer market has been very competitive.
国内消费者市场竞争非常激烈。
* turnover 营业额，销售额。
* compare ... with ... 把……和……相比
e.g. Our results in this market have been rather disappointing compared with last year.
和去年相比，我们在该市场的销售情况实在令人失望。
Our products are of higher quality and lower prices, compared with those of our competitors.
我们的产品比竞争对手的质量好，价格却要低。
* balance 差额，余额。
e.g. We have actually recruited 72 new staff, while 20 have retired-so there’s a net balance of 52.
我们实际招聘了72名新职员，但因有20名老员工退休——所以人员净增52人。
make up the balance 补足差额
favorable balance of trade 贸易顺差
unfavourable balance of trade贸易逆差
* vital 重要的
e.g. I thought you would be interested to have an update since this is vital for our future growth.
我想大家有兴趣了解一下最新情况，因为这对我们未来的发展是非常重要的。
* promising 有希望的，前景好的
e.g. Results so far have looked promising.
到目前为止，结果看来是充满希望的。
Computer industry has a promising future.
计算机行业前途光明。
* link ... with ... 把……和……联系起来
e.g. We have also invested heavily in a European technology programme which links industry with the universities.
我们还大量投资于一个将实业与大学联系起来的欧洲技术项目。
The new company linked with several older ones in self-protection.
那家新公司与几家较老的公司联合，以保护自己。
* junior manager低级经理
senior manager高级经理
senior和junior 常被用来表示级别的高低和资历的深浅。
以下为附图14-1、14-2、14-3
Unit 14
听力译文：
我想花大家几分钟时间回顾一下今年的情况。我打算分三个部分来讲。首先是财务，其次是人事，最后是技术。
在财务方面，成果令人欣喜。营业额增长了14%，成本降低了3%，利润增加了16%。因此，总体来说公司经营状况良好。有些地区的业务比另一些地区要好一些。在出口销售方面成绩非常显著——特别是在稳操胜券最大的出口市场美国。国内的消费市场竞争激烈而且将持续下去——我们在这个市场的成果令人相当失望——只比去年增长了1%。
好，我们再来谈一下人事部门。我们通过培训和提供升职机会来开发人才的策略一直都很成功。我们实际招聘了72名新职员，有20名老员工退休——净增52人。培训部实力大增而且进入了质量保证和销售培训等新的领域。
最后，我们来说一下技术部门。我想你们会有兴趣先了解一下最新情况，因为这对我们未来的发展是至关重要的。在过去一年中，我们的调研部全面试用了一种新型发动机。到目前为止，结果表明前景看好。我们还在将实业与大学联系起来的欧洲技术项目中大量投资。
嗯，这就是财务、人事、技术三个主要部分。在我讲下面的内容之前，有什么问题要问吗？……
Exercises-A
用现在完成时或一般过去时完成下列句子。
A： (1) (you be) to Tokyo before?
B： Yes, but it (2) (be) many years ago. I (3) (not be) to Japan since 1993.
A： (4) (things change) much since that time?
B： Yes, a lot (5) (change). Take my business for example, we now have several lead-free filling stations in Tokyo. In 1993, we (6) (not have) any.
A： But you’re not building any right now?
B： No, we (7) (stop) building new ones last year. We (8) (not start) any new projects for nine months.
Exercises-B
用括号里的词或短语翻译下列句子。
1. 我想花大家几分钟时间回顾一下今年的情况。( spend, look over)
2. 在财务方面，成果令人欣慰。( on ... front, pleasing)
3. 总体说来，公司经营状况良好。( as a whole, perform)
4. 国内消费市场竞争激烈。( domestic, competitive)
5. 我想大家会有兴趣了解一下最新情况，因为这对我们未来的发展是十分重要的。( have an update, vital)
Exercises-C
用正确的时态填空。
Alec: There (1) (be) a lot of changes in our department this year.
Bob: Yes. The new manager (2) (change) everything since he (3) (join) the company last month.
Alec: (4) (he reorganize) your department as well?
Bob: Yes. And a lot of people (5) (leave) because they (6) (be) not happy about the change.
Translation
布莱特(Bright)公司的总裁在年终总结了下属子公司的工作情况。
美国子公司销售额增长了14%，成本也增加了5%，所以利润只增加了9%。如果能降低成本，前景将更好。欧洲子公司销售额增长了10%，但因设备更新，成本大为增加，导致利润减少3%。不过，他们明年的情况将大为改观。亚洲子公司由于新兴的中国公司的竞争销售额减少5%，利润下降6%，需要努力提高质量，降低成本。
Key to Exercises-A
(1) Have you been
(2) was
(3) haven’t been
(4) Have things changed
(5) has changed
(6) didn’t have
(7) stopped
(8) haven’t started
Key to Exercises-B
1. I’d like to spend a few minutes of your time looking back over the year.
2. On the financial front the results have been very pleasing.
3. The company as a whole has performed well.
4. The domestic consumer market has been very competitive.
5. I think you would be interested to have an update since this is vital for our future growth.
Key to Exercises-C
(1) have been
(2) has changed
(3) joined
(4) Has he reorganized
(5) left
(6) were
Key to Translation
In his end-of-year presentation, Managing Director of Bright Co, looks back over the performance of their subsidiaries during the past year.
The American subsidiary, with a growth of 14% in sales and 5% in costs, has gained 9% higher profits. If costs could be cut, the future will be more promising. Owing to jump of costs resulted from an equipment update, the European subsidiary has made profits 3% lower, despite the 10 rise in sales. However, next year things will be better for them. Because of competition from some newly established Chinese companies, the Asian subsidiary suffered a 5% drop in sales and a 6% decrease in profit(s). They have to work harder to upgrade their quality and lower their prices