中级分类模拟题Meetings119

11 Meetings

11.2 Choose the best summary

You'll hear some extracts from a staff meeting at Rainbow Products plc. Choose the best summary of each extract below. The first is done for you as an example.

MINUTES

1 a) The consensus of the meeting was that 4,500 was a realistic target. One member disagreed.

b) It was agreed that 4,500 was a realistic target. Mr Green stated that he was not convinced.

c) Mr Green said the target of 4,500 was not acceptable. Ms White disagreed. √

2 a) Miss Grey disagreed with Mr Brown that the new product range should be marketed in the same colours as before.

b) Mr Brown disagreed with Miss Grey that the new product range should include two new colours.

c) It was agreed that the new product range would be marketed in the same colours as before.

3 a) Mrs Scarlet agreed to investigate the cost of employing an outside agency to prepare publicity literature.

b) Mr Black insisted that an outside agency should be employed to prepare publicity literature.

c) It was agreed that publicity literature prepared in-house was not of a high standard.

4 a) Ms Pink offered to draw up guidelines on the training of staff. b) It was agreed that staff in some sections needed training in the use of the computer.

c) It was pointed out that Mr Gold's staff were afraid of using the computer.

5 a) Mrs Bright agreed to prepare a handout on her staff's responsibilites and send Mr Dark a copy.

b) Mr Dark complained about the attitude of office services staff and demanded a full official description of their responsibilities. c) The matter of the attitude or office services staff was raised, Mrs Bright agreed to have a word with two members of her staff. 11.3 About this meeting ...

You'll hear two recorded messages about this meeting: Meeting on Friday 13 April

10.30 to 4.30, including lunch

Venue: Conference Room at Rainbow Products, Head Office

Listen to the recording and make notes on the main points that are made. The first one is begun for you as an example:

11.4 At...andby...

Fill the gaps in these sentences with prepositional phrases from the list below. The first is done for you as an example.

1 We shouldn't change the venue of the meeting at such short notice 2 The letter we were waiting for has arrived ______ 3 It wasn't done intentionally, it happened ______

4 Unfortunately, we were obliged to resell the goods ______ 5 There are ______ ten good reasons why we shouldn't do that. 6 As a special favour, we can supply the goods ______ plus 10%. 7 Because we are clearing our stocks we can let you have the old model ______of ￡14.99.

8 Please reply at once ______

9 There's no hurry, you can let us know ______ later in the month. 10 Please return the goods and they will be repaired ______ 11 We can certainly supply you with these goods ______

12 Fortunately, we were able to resell our old equipment ______ ! 13 The components are being sent to Sydney ______ and they'll be collected from the airport by our agent. 14 My office is ______ while you're here. 15 Please send the documents to us ______

at a bargain price at a good price at a loss at a profit at cost price at last

at least at our expense at short notice √ at your disposal by accident by air

by e-mail by fax by letter by return of postlmail 11.5 Decision-making

Add the missing words to the puzzle

11.6 Suffixes - 2

A Forming personal nouns

An advertiser is someone who advertises.

A supervisor is someone who supervises people or a process.

Unfortunately, there are no easy-to-learn rules for the use of -or or -er. Here are some examples:

-er employer adviser manager announcer treasurer

-or visitor administrator arbitrator competitor creditor

1 Now write the name of the person involved with these activities. Use a dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words. debt ______ invent ______ purchase ______

distribute ______ investigate ______ retail______ examine ______ manufacture ______ ship______ inspect ______ negotiate ______ supply______ insurer ______ operate ______ wholesale______

2 The counterpart of an employer (= someone who employs) is an

employee (= someone who is employed). Write down the counterparts of these people: payer______ licensor______ consignor______

Note that two other suffixes are also used with similar meanings: -ant applicant consultant accountant immigrant attendant informant claimant participant

-ist machinist typist economist B Forming verbs

1 If we summarize something we make a summary of it. If we pressurize someone, we apply pressure to them.

(In British English, these can also be spelt summarise and pressurise.)

Write down verbs that have the following meanings: to put something in a category to______ to introduce computers

to make a state industry private to make a private industry national to make something legal to make a general statement to give a subsidy

to have special knowledge

to make something more rational to make something more modern

2 If you soften something, you make it soft or softer. If you weaken something, you make it weaker. Write down the verbs from these adjectives: tight loose hard bright flat sharp sweet

Note that we can also use the suffix -fly with a similar meaning: classify qualify electrify purify simplify 11.7 Games people play at meetings

Read this article and then answer the questions below.

Games people play at meetings

DO YOU ever feel as though you spend all your time in meet- ings? Henry Mintzberg, in his book The Nature of Managerial Work, found that in large organisations managers spent 22 per cent of their time at their desk, 6 per cent on the telephone, 3 per cent on other activities, but a whopping 69 per cent in meetings.

There is a widely-held but mis- taken belief that meetings are for \of people attending a meeting tends to be inversely pro- portional to their collective abil- ity to reach conclusions and make decisions. And these are the least important elements.

Instead hours are devoted to side issues, playing elaborate games with one another. It seems, therefore, that meetings serve some purpose other than just making decisions.

All meetings have one thing in common: role-playing. The most formal role is that of chairman. He (and it is usually a he) sets the agenda, and a good chairman will keep the meeting running on time and to the point. Sadly, the other, informal, role-players are often able to gain the upper hand. Chief is the \to hear his or her own voice.