L6-U3-P4-1 Listening : Rent or Buy 1?租房還是買房 1

John and Linda have been arguing about whether to buy a house for a long time.

約翰和琳達(dá)為是否買房的問題已經(jīng)爭(zhēng)論了很久。

They have been renting a small flat for several years, and the rent keeps going up.?

他們幾年來一直租住在一套小公寓里，而房租一直在漲。

Last year, John wasn’t sure about his job situation, so they agreed to delay the decision.?

去年，約翰對(duì)自己的工作狀況不確定，所以他們同意推遲決定。

They also invested some money in the stock market, and their investments are doing well.?

他們還投資了一些錢在股市上，而且投資表現(xiàn)不錯(cuò)。

Linda really wants to have a place of her own.?

琳達(dá)真的很想擁有一個(gè)屬于自己的地方。

She is growing impatient and doesn’t want to wait any longer.?

她變得越來越不耐煩，不想再等了。

She wants to sell some of their investments and put the money into a nice house.?

她想賣掉部分投資，把錢用來買一棟好房子。

What have they been arguing about?? --- whether to buy a house .

How does Linda feel about not having a house of her own? --- She's growing impatient .

John is against buying now because he thinks prices are too high.

約翰反對(duì)現(xiàn)在買房，因?yàn)樗J(rèn)為房?jī)r(jià)太高了。

He is also worried about the high cost of living in the area.?

他還擔(dān)心該地區(qū)高昂的生活成本。

This is beginning to make the area less attractive to companies.?

這正開始讓該地區(qū)對(duì)公司的吸引力下降。

Unless a company is innovative and successful, it can’t afford to do business in the area.?

除非一家公司具有創(chuàng)新性并且成功，否則它無法負(fù)擔(dān)在該地區(qū)開展業(yè)務(wù)的成本。

Salary levels have risen so quickly that companies can no longer afford to attract good workers.?

工資水平上漲得如此之快，以至于公司再也負(fù)擔(dān)不起吸引優(yōu)秀員工的成本了。

Good workers won’t come unless they are paid enough to buy a house.?

除非員工獲得足夠買房的報(bào)酬，否則優(yōu)秀的工人不會(huì)來。

So many companies are relocating or moving overseas where costs are lower.?

因此，許多公司正在搬遷或轉(zhuǎn)移到成本較低的海外。

What is one consequence of having a high cost of living in an area ? ---?It makes it more difficult for companies to stay.

Salary levels have?risen?so quickly that companies?can?no longer?afford?to?attract?good workers.Good workers?won’t?come?unless?they are paid enough to buy a house.

They delayed the decision because John was uncertain about his job .

She's growing impatient and is tired of waiting .

Unless a company is innovative and successful, it can't afford to do business in the area .

John is worried that once companies start to leave, housing prices will come down.

約翰擔(dān)心，一旦公司開始搬走，房?jī)r(jià)就會(huì)下跌。

Only fools are buying now, paying prices that are probably 10 to 20% higher than they should be.?

只有傻瓜才會(huì)現(xiàn)在買房，支付著可能比合理價(jià)格高出10%到20%的房?jī)r(jià)。

He wants to buy when prices have fallen to a more reasonable level.?

他想等到房?jī)r(jià)回落到更合理的水平時(shí)再買房。

Until then, it doesn’t make sense to buy.?

在那之前，買房是沒有意義的。

What does John think will happen to housing prices?? --- He thinks they will come down.

Why does he think housing prices will come down? ---?He thinks that companies will move out of the area, causing prices to weaken.

He remembers what happened in other countries just a few years ago, when prices climbed and then fell 15%.

他記得幾年前在其他國(guó)家發(fā)生的情況——房?jī)r(jià)先是攀升，然后又下跌了15%。

Many people lost their homes because they owed more on their homes than the homes were worth.?

許多人失去了自己的房子，因?yàn)樗麄兊姆抠J欠款超過了房子的實(shí)際價(jià)值。

When they lost their jobs, they couldn’t pay the mortgage.?

當(dāng)他們失業(yè)時(shí)，就無力償還房貸。

They couldn’t sell either, because the selling price was less than what they owed to the bank.?

他們也無法賣掉房子，因?yàn)槭蹆r(jià)低于他們欠銀行的錢。

So they had to move out and the banks took possession.?

于是他們不得不搬出去，銀行收回了房產(chǎn)。

Now prices are rising again so the same thing could happen again.?

而現(xiàn)在房?jī)r(jià)再次上漲，因此同樣的情形可能重演。

A cycle of boom and bust which people tend to forget.?

這就是人們往往會(huì)忘記的繁榮與蕭條的周期循環(huán)。

What happens if you try to sell your home when the market value of your home is less than what you paid for it? --- You'll take a loss .

A cycle of boom and bust when ---?an economy grows too fast, then takes a rapid fall, and the cycle begins again.

Linda has a different view.

琳達(dá)有不同的看法。

She thinks he worries too much.?

她認(rèn)為他擔(dān)心得太多了。

She thinks if they buy now, prices will continue to rise.?

她覺得如果他們現(xiàn)在買房，房?jī)r(jià)還會(huì)繼續(xù)上漲。

If they don’t buy now, they will miss the opportunity and regret it later.?

如果現(xiàn)在不買，他們會(huì)錯(cuò)失良機(jī)，以后會(huì)后悔。

She isn’t worried by the possibility that the prices may drop in the future.?

她并不擔(dān)心未來房?jī)r(jià)可能下跌的可能性。

What does Linda think about housing prices?? --- They will continue to rise.?

She isn't sure, but she thinks prices will continue to rise.

She thinks if they buy now, prices will continue to rise .

She isn’t worried by the possibility that the prices may drop in the future.

L6-U3-P4-2 Listening : Rent or Buy 2?租房還是買房 2

Another reason John is against buying a house is that he doesn’t have confidence in his new company.

約翰反對(duì)買房的另一個(gè)原因是他對(duì)自己的新公司沒有信心。

It is no longer growing as fast as it used to.?

公司的增長(zhǎng)速度已不如從前。

Though the management talks about a bright future, he has doubts.?

盡管管理層大談美好未來，但他心存疑慮。

They say great things to keep everyone motivated, but he doesn’t trust them.?

他們說些漂亮話來激勵(lì)大家，但約翰并不信任他們。

When he does a SWOT analysis of the company, he is even more concerned.?

當(dāng)他對(duì)公司進(jìn)行SWOT分析時(shí)，他更加擔(dān)憂了。

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.?

SWOT是優(yōu)勢(shì)、劣勢(shì)、機(jī)會(huì)和威脅的英文首字母縮寫。

The company's strength is based on technology that is very competitive.?

公司的優(yōu)勢(shì)在于極具競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的技術(shù)。

But technology changes fast and what’s good now will soon be out of date.?

但技術(shù)變化很快，現(xiàn)在的好技術(shù)很快就會(huì)過時(shí)。

Continuous innovation is necessary.?

持續(xù)創(chuàng)新是必不可少的。

What does he think of the company's management ? --- He doesn't trust them.

In the SWOT acronym, the O stands for?opportunities.

The company’s weakness is that it hasn’t developed an alternative to what it has now.

公司的弱點(diǎn)在于，它還沒有為現(xiàn)有技術(shù)開發(fā)出替代方案。

Nobody is working on the next generation.?

沒有人正在研發(fā)下一代產(chǎn)品。

There are already signs that their technology is nearing the end of its life cycle.?

已有跡象表明，他們的技術(shù)正接近生命周期的終點(diǎn)。

There're still opportunities if the company is willing to hire new people or acquire a company with new technology.?

如果公司愿意招聘新人才或收購(gòu)一家擁有新技術(shù)的企業(yè)，機(jī)會(huì)依然存在。

The main threat is that other companies are spending more on research and development.?

主要的威脅是，其他公司在研發(fā)上的投入更多。

The company still has opportunities if it?--- takes steps to acquire new technology.

So based on his analysis, the company is okay for the next year or two.

因此，根據(jù)他的分析，公司未來一兩年內(nèi)還可以維持。

But beyond that, its future is questionable.?

但在此之后，其前景就難以預(yù)料了。

As a result, John doesn’t want to buy a house now and take on a huge debt.?

因此，約翰現(xiàn)在不想買房，也不愿背負(fù)巨額債務(wù)。

Until he has more confidence in his situation, he doesn’t want to take the risk.?

在對(duì)自己處境有更多信心之前，他不想冒這個(gè)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

Based on his analysis, what is the company's long term future? --- it's questionable .

His wife thinks he’s too conservative.

他的妻子認(rèn)為他太過保守了。

She has waited long enough and she doesn’t want to wait any longer.?

她已經(jīng)等得夠久了，不想再等下去。

So John’s dilemma is how to balance his wife’s happiness against the risk of losing a lot of money.?

所以約翰的困境在于，如何在妻子的幸福與損失大筆金錢的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)之間取得平衡。

One thing for sure is that she isn’t happy as things stand now.?

有一點(diǎn)可以肯定：以目前的情況來看，她并不快樂。

She’s been waiting for a long time and he loves her.?

她已經(jīng)等了很久，而他愛她。

So the decision seems clear.?

所以，決定似乎很明確。

John knows exactly what to do.?

約翰很清楚該怎么做。

Maybe some flowers and a celebration??

也許買些花，再慶祝一下？

What is John's dilemma ? --- He has to ask his wife to wait a bit longer even though she won't like it .

They say great things to keep everyone motivated, but he doesn’t trust them.

One thing for sure is that she isn't happy as things stand now .

If he were to bug a house now, it would mean taking on a huge debt.

L6-U3-P4-3?Dialogue : A Job Interview?工作面試

W: Yes, I've enjoyed listening to you and learning more about your background.

W：是的，我很享受聽你講述，也進(jìn)一步了解了你的背景。

W: Your experience is impressive, and it’s obvious that you do good work.?

W：你的經(jīng)歷令人印象深刻，顯然你工作做得很出色。

B: Thanks.?

B：謝謝。

B: What you're trying to do here interests me.?

B：你們?cè)谶@里想做的事情很吸引我。

B: I think there's a lot of potential.?

B：我認(rèn)為潛力很大。

B: As I said, I'm ready to leave my present job if the opportunity is attractive enough.?

B：正如我所說，如果機(jī)會(huì)足夠有吸引力，我隨時(shí)可以辭去現(xiàn)在的工作。

W: Great.?

W：太好了。

W: As I’m sure you are aware, it won’t be easy.?

W：我相信你也清楚，這并不容易。

W: That’s a lot of uncertainty.?

W：這其中有很多不確定性。

W: We need a strong, committed team.?

W：我們需要一個(gè)強(qiáng)大且敬業(yè)的團(tuán)隊(duì)。

B: Sure, I understand.?

B：當(dāng)然，我明白。

What does he like about this company? --- It's interesting and has potential.?

W: As for what we can offer you.

W：至于我們能為你提供什么。

W: First, I want to stress again that we are a startup.?

W：首先，我想再次強(qiáng)調(diào)，我們是一家初創(chuàng)公司。

W: The people we have working here now are on reduced salaries.?

W：現(xiàn)在在這里工作的人拿的都是減薪后的工資。

B: I understand.?

B：我明白。

B: I’m willing to take less than what I’m being paid now; but I have two children, so I’ve got to consider that too.?

B：我愿意拿比現(xiàn)在少的工資，但我有兩個(gè)孩子，所以我也得考慮到這一點(diǎn)。

B: I'll need to at least cover our basic living expenses.?

B：我至少需要能覆蓋我們基本的生活開銷。

The purpose of this exchange is to ---?establish reasonable expectations about salary and benefits.

What is the smallest salary he is willing to accept ? ---?He needs to earn at least enough to pay for his family's basic living expenses.

As I’m sure you are aware, it won’t be easy.

He's ready to leave his job if the opportunity is attractive enough.

Your experience is impressive, and it’s obvious that you do good work.

W: OK. We have two ways we can do this.

W：好的。我們有兩種方案。

W: Both of them have you starting at a reduced salary.?

W：兩種方案下，你入職時(shí)的薪資都會(huì)有所降低。

W: One will give you a bonus after each round of financing.?

W：其中一種方案是在每一輪融資之后給你發(fā)放獎(jiǎng)金。

B: With the other, you can start with a higher salary, but the bonus will be smaller, or none at all.?

B：另一種方案是，你入職時(shí)起薪會(huì)更高，但獎(jiǎng)金會(huì)更少，或者根本沒有獎(jiǎng)金。

B: What is the time frame for the financing??

B：融資的時(shí)間周期是怎樣的？

W: That depends on a lot of things.?

W：這取決于很多因素。

W: We're hoping to get the next round of financing within 6 to 9 months.?

W：我們希望能在6到9個(gè)月內(nèi)完成下一輪融資。

W: We don’t want to go to our investors too early because we want to be in a strong position.?

W：我們不想太早去找投資人，因?yàn)橄Ｍ约耗芴幱诟欣奈恢谩?/p>

W: And for that, we are only to perform.?

W：為此，我們必須表現(xiàn)出色。

W: For now, we have enough cash to cover us for about a year.?

W：目前，我們有足夠的現(xiàn)金支撐大約一年的運(yùn)營(yíng)。

What do they need to strengthen their position? --- their employees need to perform well .

B: Okay, that makes sense.

B：好的，這說得通。

B: Well, I’ll talk to my wife and see what she says.?

B：嗯，我會(huì)跟我妻子談?wù)?，看看她怎么說。

W: Right.?

W：好的。

W: You need to cover your expenses, but not enough to have savings.?

W：你需要覆蓋生活開銷，但可能不足以存下錢。

W: The less you ask for now, the greater your bonus is as you move forward.?

W：你現(xiàn)在要求的越少，將來拿到的獎(jiǎng)金就越多。

W: That’s the idea.?

W：就是這個(gè)思路。

B: Got it.?

B：明白了。

B: I'll get back to you tomorrow.?

B：我明天給你答復(fù)。

What's the relationship between salary and bonus ? --- a smaller salary means a larger bonus .

Well, I'll talk to my wife and see what she says .

That depends on a lot of things .

We're hoping to get the next round of financing within six to nine months .

W: Well, what do you think?

W：嗯，你覺得怎么樣？

A: He’s impressive.?

A：他讓人印象深刻。

A: I think he’s someone who can strengthen our team.?

A：我認(rèn)為他能增強(qiáng)我們的團(tuán)隊(duì)實(shí)力。

W: I think so too.?

W：我也這么覺得。

W: If he can accept a low enough salary, we should hire him.?

W：如果他能接受足夠低的薪水，我們就應(yīng)該雇用他。

W: That will show that he believes enough in our plan to take on the risk.?

W：那將表明他對(duì)我們的計(jì)劃有足夠的信心，愿意承擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

A: What if he asks for more than we can afford?

A：如果他要求的薪水超出我們的承受范圍怎么辦？

W: In that case we can see if he'll consider working on a short-term project first.?

W：那樣的話，我們可以看看他是否愿意先參與一個(gè)短期項(xiàng)目。

W: That way he could keep his present job, and we could try to bring him in later.?

W：這樣他可以保留現(xiàn)在的工作，我們以后再設(shè)法把他招進(jìn)來。

W: It would lower his risk.?

W：這會(huì)降低他的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

A: I doubt if he would consider that, but it’s worth a try.?

A：我懷疑他是否會(huì)考慮這個(gè)，但值得一試。

W: Yeah, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.?

W：是啊，希望不會(huì)走到那一步。

W: Whatever, we should try to avoid losing him completely.?

W：無論如何，我們應(yīng)該盡量避免徹底失去他。

What advantage would he have by agreeing to work on a short term project ? --- It would lower his risk .

What if he asks for more than we can afford ?

I think he’s someone who can strengthen our team.

Whatever, we should try to avoid losing him completely.

A: Well, I’m optimistic.

A：嗯，我很樂觀。

A: I think he will decide to join us.?

A：我覺得他會(huì)決定加入我們。

A: He’s the kind of guy who likes a challenge.?

A：他是那種喜歡挑戰(zhàn)的人。

W: From what I could tell, we certainly won’t have to push him to get things done.?

W：據(jù)我判斷，我們肯定不需要推著他去完成工作。

A: Exactly.?

A：正是如此。

A: He'll feel the pressure just like the rest of us. Hah.?

A：他會(huì)和我們其他人一樣感受到壓力。哈哈。

From what I?could tell, we certainly won’t have to?push?him to get things?done.

He's the kind of guy who likes a challenge.

They're optimistic because they think he'll join their company.

The opposite of the optimistic?is the pessimistic.

L6-U3-P4-4 Reading : How Tech Improves Life?科技如何改善生活

Paralyzed people can now control artificial limbs by thought alone. This is possible because of the development of technologies which involve connecting the brain to a computer or other electronic devices.One well-known use of such technology enables deaf people to hear. The device has?several parts.One part is surgically implanted into the inner ear. There it stimulates nerves to cause the sensation of sound. The other part sits behind the ear and works like a miniature microphone.

Another new device allows those who have lost an arm or a leg to control their artificial limb just by thinking.The first human volunteer to try this out was Matt Nagel.Matt was paralyzed from the neck down due to a vicious knife attack.

The process of implanting the device into Matt was quite involved. First, a circular piece of his skull was removed. Then a tiny plate with hair-thin electrodes was inserted into his brain. it was placed in the motor cortex, the brain region that controls movement. This plate detects the electrical signals in the brain that usually control hand movement. From the plate, thin cables were connected to a small computer which decodes the signals from the plate and converts them into commands. Hopefully, these commands would control the artificial hand attached to Matt’s arm.

Shortly after the operation, Matt was surrounded by the surgeons as he stared at his artificial hand with hope. To the delight of the crowd, the hand started moving, and the fingers closed, becoming a fist. At that moment Matt made history, he became the first person to control an artificial limb by using a device surgically inserted into his brain.

Since the operation, Nagel has continued to test the technology and further investigate its capabilities. Using thought alone, he can now perform a variety of tasks.He can control a TV and even open emails.Such uses of technology are inspiring and bring joy to our hearts. It is powerful evidence that technological advancements will improve our lives.

What is the purpose of this article？ ---?to educate the general public .

How do new technologies allow paralyzed people to control their artificial limbs? --- Just by thinking

Within the context of the passage, decode means about the same as --- to interpret the meaning .

To convert into means about the same as to --- change into .

One part is surgically implanted into the inner ear.?

The first human volunteer to try this out was Matt Nagel.?

Such uses of technology are inspiring and bring joy to our hearts.

L6-U3-P4-5Reading : Investors Beware!? 投資者注意！

When people talk about investing, they are always looking for the best advice.Many are willing to pay a lot for it. The problem with this, however, is that many financial advisor give the wrong advice. Ultimately, decisions must be made by the investors. Here are some guidelines that may help investors save a lot of money.

First, a key to successful investing is time itself. What makes many investors rich is that they have invested over a long time. This allows their investments to grow, even if they weren’t active investors. Unfortunately, most people don’t start saving enough until it’s too late.That lack of time limits the power of compounding.So the best advice is to start saving as soon as possible.

What about?economic?projections and earnings growth?estimates? The truth is, nobody knows. What they really?reflect?are people’s feelings about the future. It’s?interesting?to note that someone who?buys?a low-cost index fund?on average?does better than someone who invests in?an expensive?fund?managed?by famous experts.With investing, simple and basic can earn a bigger return than complex and expensive. Sometimes the pros don’t know what they are talking about. They just talk as if they do.

What about risk and volatility?One thing for sure is that the stock market will fluctuate.Since 1900 one of the largest index funds has returned about 6% per year. Compare that to the average difference between any year’s highest close and lowest close which is 23%. When an expert tries to explain why the market is down, they are really trying to explain why the sun goes up and down.

And finally, beware!The financial industry is dominated by people whose only interest in your wealth is how much they can charge you.?Unfortunately, the?louder?a financial expert is, the more?exposure?he will get even?though?he’s often wrong. This is one of the most important things to know about finance. Don’t be misled by experts.

The author's general attitude about the financial industry is ---? fairly negative .

According to the author, what kind of people dominate the financial industry --- people whose only interest is charging fees .

In investing, compounding means to increase in value ---?due to gains in both the investment and its accumulated?interest.

To dominate something means to --- have a powerful influence or control over it .

What makes many investors rich is that they have invested over a long time.

Unfortunately, most people don’t start saving enough until it’s too late.

Since 1900 one of the largest index funds has returned about 6% per year.