Ⅱ Discussion Topic

   Entertaining Foreign Clients

Your company is entertaining a group of foreign clients for three days, including one non-working day.

You have been asked to plan a programme for the visit.

Discuss the situation together, and decide:

l         What kinds of activities would be suitable for the visit

l         What information it would be useful to know about the clients before finalizing the programme

Interlocutor: [Select one or more of the following questions as appropriate, to redress any imbalance or to broaden the discussion.]

l         What kinds of arrangements need to be made before foreign visitors arrive? (Why?)

l         Are there any disadvantages for a company in having a visit from foreign clients? (Why / Why not?)

l         Where would you take foreign visitors in your home town? (Why?)

l         Would you enjoy looking after business visitors for a few days? (Why / Why not?)

l         What problem might there be when socializing with foreign business people? (Why?)

l         What are the long-term benefits of establishing personal contacts with foreign clients?

Thank you.  That is the end of the speaking test.

[Retrieve materials.]

Ⅲ Discussion Functional Sentences

（一）   开始某个话题

Let’s start with …

Shall we begin with …

So, the first item on the agenda is …

Linda, would you like to kick off?

（二）   结束某个话题

Right, I think that covers the first item.

Shall we leave that item?

If you don’t have anything else to add, …

（三）   转移话题

Let’s move on to the next item …

The next question on the agenda is …

Now let’s come to the question of …

（四）   打断对方

Excuse me, may I interrupt?

Just a moment, but …

Can I say something here?

Mark, sorry, …

Sorry to interrupt, but …