口语话题参考答案(Unit6).doc

第6单元口语话题参考答案

1. What are the pros and cons of the following jobs: accountant, lawyer, salesperson, and doctor?
1) The good thing of being an accountant is that the job offers a very good salary and benefits and excellent job security, and the bad thing is that it has a high potential for human error and the tasks involved are usually boring.
2) The benefits of being a lawyer are that lawyers are respected, and are usually paid a good salary. Besides, the work of lawyers is not repetitive, and they can meet different clients and different situations. The downsides of being a lawyer are lawyers usually live a stressful life. They often have to work long hours and meet strict deadlines, and even worse they may sometimes be confronted with threats or actual violence.
3) The pros of being a salesperson include flexibility, potentially unlimited income and opportunities to meet many different people, while the cons include irregular income, unpredictable schedule, demanding expectations, and constant pressure.
4) The good thing of being a doctor is that doctors are very respectable and usually have a decent salary, but the bad thing is that the job requires a long process to acquire a license, and doctors usually work long hours and have a great deal of responsibility.

2. The following list shows the major concerns people have when looking for a job: 1) flexible hours; 2) stability; 3) good work-life balance; 4) chances of promotion; 5) a good salary and benefits; 6) interesting job tasks; 7) a good boss. Which are the most important things for you when you look for a job?
1) What I look for in a job is flexible working hours. I hate those nine-to-five jobs, and I want flexibility in working time so as to better meet my individual and business needs. For example, I hope I can sometimes work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or work four days per week at 10 hours per day instead of five days per week at eight hours per day.
2) When I look for a job, what I expect most is job security. I want to find a stable job so that I won’t worry about becoming unemployed. A job with a low level of security may result in low morale and excessive stress, thus affecting my overall work performance.
3) I regard a good work-life balance as the most important thing. Work-life balance refers to the proper division of time and energy between work and the other important aspects of life such as family, friends, community participation, personal growth, self care, and other personal activities. A good work-life balance will make me feel I am paying attention to all the important factors in my life, and thus gives me a sense of achievement and satisfaction. But if I work for a company or an organization that expects me to start early, finish late and take work home at the weekends, I will feel stressed and unhappy. So I think I will choose a company or an organization that recognizes the benefits of a good work-life balance.
4) I have strong ambition about my career and I want o achieve professional success. So I look for a job that can give me a chance to develop my skills, and have potential room for me to advance in my career. I expect the company or organization I work for to offer necessary training and chances to help me move upward so that I can achieve my professional goals.
5) The salary and benefits are the most important factors that I will take into consideration when I look for a job. They are the biggest motivation for me to work hard and also the best way to prove that my good work is recognized and rewarded. So I expect to get a big salary and good benefits, at least I expect I am paid enough to meet my needs, and paid fairly in comparison to others.
6) When I look for a job, I will consider what job tasks I am supposed to complete. I prefer tasks that are interesting and challenging. Repetitive and boring tasks will only make me lose interest or motivation in my job.
7) When I look for a job, a good boss is a very important factor that will affect my decision. A good boss is honest, compassionate, fair, hard-working, and understanding. A good boss always keeps an open door, lends an ear to employees, and never let good work go unnoticed. A good boss will make employees feel appreciated, recognized and valued. So I will choose to have a good boss.

3. Comparing the way of motivating staff among Google, Yahoo and other companies, which way of motivating staff do you like most? Why? If you were a boss, what would you do to motivate your staff?
I like the methods adopted by Google most, because one of the benefits Google offers is a cheap massage, which is my favorite form of relaxation.
If I were the boss, I would offer free daycare for children, in addition to benefits such as free lunches, free drinks and paid holidays. But most importantly, I would create a healthy company culture to motivate the staff.

4. How do people usually commute to work or school in your city? What problems do most commuters have?
People usually commute to work or school by walking on foot, riding a bike, taking the bus, taking the subway, taking a taxi, or driving a car.
The biggest problem that most commuters have is the rush hour traffic. Commuters who take a taxi or drive a car often find themselves sitting in endless traffic jams, and commuters who take the bus or take the subway often have to squeeze themselves into already overcrowded buses or trains. So commuting has become a big headache and a source of stress for many commuters.

5. What do you think of Britain’s dream commuters? Do you think this lifestyle is possible in China? Why or why not?
I think Britain’s dream commuters have made a wise decision. Britain’s commuters have the worst deal in all of Europe. They spend longer in their cars and trains than anyone else. So more and more people are moving to mainland Europe but still keeping their jobs in the UK. It’s all being made possible thanks to cheap air travel, the growth of flexible working hours and an increase in communication technology.
I don’t think Chinese commuters will live in a foreign country and commute to work in China. Because on the one hand Chinese citizens may not have the freedom to travel between countries, and on the other hand, air travel in China is not that cheap. But it is very likely that Chinese commuters will live in a small city and commute to work in a big city, mainly because the house prices in big cities are skyrocketing, and the fast development of inter-city railway systems has greatly reduced the time needed to travel between cities.

6. Suppose your university was holding a contest named The Best Money-making Idea. Talk about one money-making idea according to the following clue: 1) What is the name of your business? 2) What is the product/ idea? 3) How will the business make money? 4) Who will you sell your product/ service to? 5) What will you need to start/ be successful?

Our business is called The Very Special Cake Company. Our idea is to make delicious birthday cakes for children. We want to make interesting cakes shaped like animals or trains or faces. In fact, you can choose any shape you want and we’ll make it for you. We’ll also make the cake personal, by writing your name or a special message on it. We hope to make money by selling the cakes at local markets, in shops and on the Internet. We don’t need very much to start our business, because we can make the cakes at home. To be successful, we need to advertise in schools and have a beautiful website with lots of colorful photos. And we plan to go to markets and give people a free taste of the cakes, so they can try them, and then they’ll definitely want to buy them.