This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod series on teleconferences. 这一集的英语播客系列是有关商务英语中的电话会议的下半段。
Teleconferences allow people from different locations to have a meeting over the telephone. While convenient, teleconferences do have some issues to keep in mind, such as keeping track of who's talking. Sometimes two people talk at the same time or talk too quickly. Because participants can't see each other, it's helpful to use "signposts" or short statements that prepare others for what's about to be said. Other issues such as laying out an agenda and managing the time also come into play. 电话会议可以通过电话实现在不同西方的人也能在一起开会。尽管很方便,电话会议确实有些需要注意的问题,比如对说话人的话语进行记录.有时会有两个人同时说话或者说得太快,由于与会者都相互看不见对方,就会使得记录更加困难。使用事先准备的发言稿就会有帮助多了。其他的比如安排一个议程和时间也会需要考虑。
In the last episode, we heard a conversation between Craig and Elsa, two employees at StarCom, an electronics manufacturer. Craig has his first teleconference coming up and Elsa gave him an informal tutorial, teaching him about the equipment and some of the protocols for a teleconference. 在上一部分,我们听到了在星传媒提的职员克雷格和艾尔莎的对话。克雷格即将迎来他的第一次电话会议,艾尔莎给了他正式的指导,教他设备的操作和一些电话会议的协议。
Today, Craig is participating in the teleconference. The host of the teleconference is Tony, a manager in Chicago. Also participating are Diana, a colleague in London, and JP, who works in Marketing at the Dallas location. They're discussing the upcoming holiday season, new product lines, and advertising. 今天,克雷格参加了电话会议。电话会议的主持人是托尼,在芝加哥的经理。与会的还有戴安娜,在伦敦的同事,还有在达拉斯营销部门的JP。他们在讨论即将到来的假期季节里,新产品的生产和广告。
Listening Questions:
1. How does JP help Craig with the agenda?
2. According to Diana, why were the printer test results disappointing?
3. Why doesn't Diana think the problem will be resolved quickly?