提高版1A

TAPE 1
A Day in the Life of a Typical American White Collar Worker
Side A: Situation 1 - Situation 14

Situation 1 Getting up in the morning

The alarm clock rings.
Catherine: Honey,it's seven o'clock. Time to get up.
James: OK, just a few more minutes.
C: No, you told me to make sure you were up by seven.
J: I know, but I can sleep till seven-thirty if I don't take a shower.
C: James, you know that is impossible. You have a meeting with your boss and later with an important client.
J: Christ, I almost forgot. That's what happens when I don't get enough sleep.
C: Enough sleep? You went to bed at ten, that's nine hours.
J: Do you have to be right all the time? But you are right, I'm getting up.
C: Jump in the shower, that will make you feel better, and I'll make a pot of strong coffee, but what do you want for breakfast?
J: Something simple, how about the bagel and cream cheese.
C: No problem. It'll be ready before you are.
J: You don't be so sure.
C: Why wouldn't I be? You haven't beaten me yet.
J: True, but there is a first time for everything.
Christ [ kraist ] n.[基督教]救世主(特指耶稣基督)
bagel  [ 5bei^l ] n.百吉饼(先蒸后烤的发面圈)

Situation 2  Breakfast

James: Ah, the coffee smells GREat, is that bagel ready? I'm starving.
Catherine: It's ready just like it always is and just like I told you it would be.
J: What would I do without you? You're the best.Takes a sip of coffee.And this coffee is pretty good, too.
C: We both know you just like me for my cooking.
J: That's not so. In fact, I'm the one who made dinner of the last two nights.
C: Oh,yeah, I guess that means it's my turn tonight.
J: Only if you want to, I don't mind cooking once a day, especially when the weather is nice and I can barbecue.
C: OK, but let's get back to breakfast, can I get you anything else?
J: A little more coffee will be GREat, with a little more sugar in it this time, please.
C: Sure, do you want another bagel or some fruit?
J: No, thanks, I'm just not that hungry in the morning, you know that.
C: I know, but I was reading in a magazine that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
J: I've heard that too, but I just can't force myself to eat when I'm not hungry.
C: Why don't I pack you a snack for later in the morning, you could eat them around ten when you get hungry.
J: That's a GREat idea. I always regret not eating breakfast right at ten o'clock.
C: What shall I make?
J: How about a beer?
C: James, be serious.
J: OK, how about an apple and some cheese.
C: That's better. Just give me a minute to get it packed.
J: Take your time, I'm still early.

Situation 3  Driving to work

Catherine: Here it is James. Now get going, I don't want you to be late.
James: Thanks, dear. I'll be home a little late tonight, remember the client.
C: OK, but call if you are going to be home after ten.
J: I will.Bye.
C: Bye.
James gets in the car and leaves for work. He turns on the news.
News:  ...and there was an accident on highway 99, a truck turned over blocking westbound traffic for about two miles. Drivers on highway 99 west might want to take local road to work this morning. The current time is seven forty-three on this sunny morning, and the temperature is seventy-six deGREes, the weather forecast for late today is mostly sunny, with some clouds forming in the afternoon and a slight chance of showers in the early evening, we'll keep you updated with more traffic and weather throughout the day, but now let's enjoy forty-five minutes of commercial-free rock and roll.

Situatoin 4 The Gas Station

James: Damn, I'm almost out of gas.
James pulls into a gas station.
Attendant: What can I do for you?
J: Fill it up with unleaded, please. And can you check the oil, too?
A: Sure, pal.
He opens the hood and checks the oil.
A: You're about a quart low, shall I put a quart in for you.
J: Please.
A: You know, you could really use a new set of tires. The ones you have are badly worn. I could do that for you right now, it wouldn't take more than thirty minutes.
J: And the price?
A: Well... that depends on how good a set of tires you want.
J: No, I'm late for work anyway. I'll just take the gas and the oil today. How much will that be?
A: Let's see. Forteen for the gas and two-fifty for the oil makes sisteen dollars and fifty cents.
J: Do you take credit cards?
A: Only Visa and Master card, not American Express.
J: Fine, here is my Visa.
unleaded [ Qn5ledid ] adj.无铅的，不含铅的（汽油）
pal [ pAl ]  n.<口>好朋友, 伙伴, 同志 vi.结为朋友
hood [ hud ]  n.头巾, 兜帽, 车蓬, 引擎罩 v.用头巾包裹, 给...加罩, 覆盖
quart [ kB:t ]  n.夸脱(容量单位)
worn [ wC:n ]  adj.用旧的, 疲倦的 vbl.wear的过去分词

Situation 5 Arriving at Work

Steve: Good morning, James. You're early. What's up?
James: Morning, Steve. Early is right. I've got two important meetings today, one with the boss and one with a client. You're pretty early yourself, something important?
S: Yeah, I'm meeting a client, too. Someone from a big computer company, I think their headquarters are in TaiWan, but this guy runs the New York office.
J: Wang Computers. That's my client too. But I think the owner is a Chinese-American, I'm not sure if they have an office in TaiWan. I guess we're working on this account together.
S: Good. To tell the truth, I was a little scared. The account is very big. It's just too much work for one man. Say, what time do you meet with the boss, Mr. Barnes?
J: Ten-thirty. Why?
S: I was right. We're on this account together. I'm scheduled to meet with Mr. Barnes at ten-thirty too.
J: Well then, partner, let's get busy preparing something for the meeting.
S: Good idea. Where should we begin?
J: I don't know about you, but I always begin big projects by going to the bathroom, and then with a hot cup of coffee. Can you wait for me?
S: Just hurry, I'll get the coffee ready.
J: That sounds like an excellent plan.
run [ rQn ] vt.管理

Situation 6 Planning for the Meeting

James: I'm back.
Steve: Here is your coffee. You feeling better?
J: I feel like a Champ. Where should we begin?
S: As always, it's best to begin at the beginning. What have you prepared for your meeting with Wang?
J: Basically, I just have an outline of a presentation of our company's new software. I think our product is high quality and that people from Wang will realize that once they hear a description of it.
S: Well, James. That is a little too simple. We know the product is good, but we have to convince them of that too. Luckily, I put together a vedio presentation on my notebook computer using our software. If they like the presentation and I am confident they will, then that automatically means they like our company's product.
J: Steve, that's why you are at the top of sales. You think of everything in advance. I'm really just a computer software engineer, I can make the stuff but I can't sell it.
S: Of course you can't. That's why Mr. Barnes put us together. I'll take care of selling the software, and you can answer any tough technical question that the people from Wang might ask. I'm as bad at science as you are at sales.
J: Steve, You are too modest. You're GREat at sales, but I know you know something about computers too. I still remember when we first started working here, you taught me a thing or two about apple Macintosh computers.
S: Sure I know about Macs, but that's because I used one all through college. Plus, any dummy can use Mac.
J: I couldn't.
S: Not at first. But after about three days, you're already better than me.
J: OK, Ok, so I'm a computer nerd.
champ [tFAmp]  n. Informal A champion. 冠军
convince [kEn5vins] vt.使确信, 使信服
confident[5kCnfidEnt] adj.自信的, 确信的
modest [ 5mCdist ] adj.谦虚的, 谦让的, 适度的
a thing or two 一点
   know [be up to] a thing or two ((口语))精明; 通达世故,有经验
   learn a thing or two 知道 [学到] 一点
   show [tell] a person a thing or two 多少教人一点事物
nerd n. 书呆子

Situation 7 The Secretary

Steve: I'll call my secretary and have her make copies of your outline.
James: Are you sure that's okay? I mean she doesn't really work for me. What if she gets angry.
S: No problem. She works for me. And you and I are working on this project together. Watch and learn. Steve picks up the phone. Lisa, could you come in here please?
Lisa: I can, but I won't. It's only eight fifty-five and I don't start work until nine o'clock.
J: Well, Steve, I guess she knows who is the boss.
S: Very funny. We'll just have to wait for five minutes. That's all.
J: Whatever you say.
At two minutes after nine o'clock.
S: Lisa, do you think you could come in here now?
L: Of course, Mr. Dawson; I'll be right in. Lisa comes into the office. What do you need sir?
S: Could you make Mr. Goddard here about twenty copies of his outline.
L: Why? Doesn't he have a secretary?
S: A little angry. Of course he does. But we're working on a project together and I would really appreciate it if you would just cooperate with me right now.
L: All right, all right, you don't have to get mad. Do you say ten or twenty copies?
J: Actually ten will be fine. It's small group today.
S: But I said twenty, so make it twenty.
L: Yes, sir, Mr. Dawson.

Situation 8 Meeting the Boss

Mr. Barnes calls Steve on the intraoffice phone
Barnes: Dawson?
Steve: Yes, this is he.
B: Contact Goddard and come up to my office immediately. I want to go over today's meeting in advance.
S: Mr. Goddard is with me now. We'll come up right away. Steve to James. Well, that was the old man. It's show time. And he sounds a little nervous, which means we have to be even more careful.
James: I'll be extremely careful. I just don't want him to yell at me again. I'm an engineer, not a secretary.
S: Be careful. Lisa might hear you. Anyway, let's go.
Steve and James go up to Mr. Barnes' office, and the secretary sends them in. They knock on the door.
B: Come in.
J: Good morning, sir.
S: Good morning, Mr. Barnes. How are you?
B: I'll be a lot better after this meeting is over. I hope you two have done your homework because this is a huge deal. If we can convince Wang about our company then large computer firms will follow. I don't have to tell either of you that could mean millions of dollars. I'm counting on you.
S: Don't worry, Mr. Barnes. Sir, you can depend on us. Isn't that right, James?
J: Yes, I think, I mean of course you can.
B: I had better be able to. And if you two do a good job, I won't forget it when it comes time for promotions either. I put you on this assignment because you are my two best men. I know you won't disappoint me. Well, let's hear about your ideas for the presentation. Goddard, would you like to start?
J: I think it might be best to let Mr. Dawson begin, he is the expert at sales.
yell [ jel ]   vi.大叫, 忍不住笑, 呼喊 vt.叫着说 n.叫声, 喊声
assignment [ E5sainmEnt ] n.分配, 委派, 任务, (课外)作业

Situation 9 Going to Lunch

Steve: Wow, that went pretty well. Mr. Barnes was easy today.
James: Easy on you maybe. I don't think he likes me.
S: Don't be ridiculous. He likes you, but he is a businessman like me, and so I know how to talk to him.
J: I'm not so sure.
S: Well, I'm sure that I'm hungry. Why don't we continue talking over lunch?
J: That sounds GREat, I'm starving.
They walk outside the building to a restaurant.
S: Do you like Italian food? This place is terrific.
J: Like it? I love it. Let's go in.
They sit down and look at the menu for a while, then the waitress comes.
S: What are your specials today?
Waitress: Today we have roasted lamb and vegetable lasagna, I highly recommend the lasagna.
J: The lasagna sounds good, I'll have that.
W: And you, sir?
S: No, no vegetables for me. I want some meat. I'll try the lamb, please.
W: Also an excellent choice. Would you care for anything to drink?
S: Yes, I'll have a double martini.
J: Steve, what about the meeting?
S: Oh, yes. Better make that a mineral water.
J: I'll have some lemon, please. And could you bring us some bread to start.
W: Of course, I'll be right back with that.
J: I like this place, they have very really good service.
S: Just follow me and you won't go wrong.
J: Not with restaurants, at least.
ridiculous [ ri5dikjulEs ] adj.荒谬的, 可笑的
lasagna [ lE5zB:njE ]  (=lasagne)烤宽面条(上浇肉末番茄汁)
mineral [ 5minErEl ]  n.矿物, 矿石

Situation 10 The Meeting

Steve: Good afternoon, gentlemen. Today my colleague Mr. Goddard and I will be introducing you to a revolutionary new software program. It combines all the functions of various other programs -- word-processing, translating, financial management, graphic design and more -- into one. I will be leading the first part of the presentation while Mr. Goddard will be answering technical questions at the end.
Wang:  I have a question from the beginning.
S: Yes, please go ahead.
W: I'm wondering about the price of your program. In other words, will it be cheaper to buy your product or should we just buy all of the others separately?
S: I'm glad you asked that question, Mr. Wang. I was going to save this part until the end of the meeting. But since you asked, I'll tell you. Our program is on average 40% less expensive than it will be to buy the programs it replaces separately.
W: And what about the after-service and upgrade?
S: All our products are guaranteed for one year. As for upgrades, they will also be free for one year and can be downloaded from the internet.
W: I'm also curious about compatibility with our computers. Do you have a separate product for Apple or...
S: Perhaps my colleague should answer that, and it is more on the techinal side.
James: Mr. Wang, I developed this product to work on both PCs and Macs, I assume your company is mainly interested in the PC version. But I assure you Mac users will have no problems with our product either.
W: That's what I was afraid of. I want Mac users to have problems. otherwise they'll keep buying from Apple and not from my company.
S: I apologize, sir. But I cannot help you with that.
colleague[ 5kCli:^ ]   n.同事, 同僚
revolutionary[ 5revE5lu:FEnEri ] adj.革命的
average[ 5AvEridV ]   n.平均,平均数, 海损 adj.一般的, 通常的, 平均
guarantee[ 7^ArEn5ti: ]  n.保证, 保证书, 担保, 抵押品 vt.保证, 担保
compatibility[ kEm7pAti5biliti ] n.[计]兼容性

Situation 11 With a Co-worker

Larry: Steve, James, how did the presentation go?
Steve: Don't ask.
James: Oh, it wasn't that bad. Steve did very well, I think they are sold.
S: They were until you told them that we are making the same product for their competitors. You never tell them that.
J: I am sorry, but I can not lie just to make a sale. Maybe that's why I'm terrible at sales.
S: Yeah, that's right. From now on you just stick to designing and programming and leave the selling to me.
L: Don't be too hard on him, Steve. Mr. Wang might appreciate his honesty. Even if you have lied to him, he is a smart guy, especially when it comes to computers. And he probably would have known anyway. Now he knows you guys and our company are honest. We'll just see what happen.
J: True, and besides, Apply is really a tiny company when compared to all these PC giants, I don't think Mr. Wang feels threatened by them.
S: I am sure we'll know soon enough.
competitor[ kEm5petitE ] n.竞争者
stick to   坚持(真理等), 坚持干(某事)
giant[ 5dVaiEnt ]  n.巨人, 大力士, 巨大的动物或植物, 伟人, 天才 adj.庞大的, 巨大的

Situation 12 Backing the Boss's Office

Barnes: Seeming quite upset. I hope you two to know what you've done.
James: I'm sorry, Mr. Barnes. It was all my fault. Steve was doing just fine until I opened my big mouth. I took full responsibility.
Steve: Yes, sir. I told him to keep quiet about that Mac stuff and just let me do the talking.
B: Is that so?
J: Yes, sir.
B: Now seeming quite happy. Well, that's interesting since Mr. Wang has just signed a contract to order fifty thousand units. Good job, Goddard. He said he was impressed both by your technical knowledge and your honesty. As for you, Dawson, we'll talk tomorrow. Right now, I'm too happy to think about anything negative.
S: But, Mr. Barnes, sir.
B: That will be all.
J: Come on, Steve. You can only make it worse by talking now. Good bye, Mr. Barnes. And thank you.
B: No, thank you, Goddard. You did a fine job today. This company needs more men like you. We may be talking about a promotion soon. Now get out of here.
J/S: Yes, sir. Good bye.
responsibility[ ris7pCnsE5biliti ] n.责任, 职责
As for     至于, 就...方面说来
negative[ 5ne^Etiv ]   n.否定, 负数, 底片 adj.否定的, 负的, 阴性的 vt.否定, 拒绝(接受)

Situation 13 In the Parking Lot

Steve: James, wait. I really want to say I'm sorry for my behavior before.
James: Don't mention it.
S: No, really, I did a rotten thing back there and I just wanted to apologize.
J: Forget about it. You are under a lot of pressure over the last few weeks, I know how important this project was to you.
S: Yeah, but it was important to you too. And I shouldn't have turned on you like that.
J: Well, you may have a chance to make it up to me.
S: How?
J: If I become vice president, then I'll need my own good men to work for me.
S: Would you do that for me?
J: Of course I would. I've seen you work, and you're very talented. Even today you're much better prepared than I was. I just got lucky.
S: It wasn't all luck. You have so much more technical knowledge than I do and you are not afraid to tell the truth.
J: Exactly, and that's why like today we make a good team. I'd hate to lose you and I know the company would too.
S: I'm not so sure about that after hearing Mr. Barnes today.
J: That's nonsense. He just tried to scare you. And besides, if he's so happy with my performance, perhaps he'll have to listen when I tell him you're one of the best men at his company.
S: I hope you're right.
J: You know I am right. Would you like some to drink?
S: Not only would I like it, I need it.
rotten[ 5rCtn ]  adj.腐烂的, 恶臭的, 堕落的, (岩石等)风化的, 虚弱的, 无用的
turn on   反对, 攻击; 对...怀敌意
make up   v.弥补, 虚构, 缝制, 整理, 包装, 和解, 编辑, 化妆, 补足,拼凑
talented[ 5tAlEntid ] adj.有才能的
prepared[ pri5pZEd ] adj.准备好的, 精制的

Situation 14 In a Bar

Bartender: What can I get for you gentlemen tonight?
James: I'd like a gin and tonic please.
Steve: Make mine a double scotch, straight up.
B: Did you have a rough day?
S: I don't want to talk about it? But let's just say you should keep the bottle close at hand.
B: I understand.
J: Hey, where is my gin and tonic?
B: Okay, okey, just give me a second here.
Bartender goes to make the drinks.
S: And I just wanted to apologize again for...
J: Cutting Steve off. Stop. We are at a bar now, not at the office. And I don't want to talk about work. I said it was okay and I meant it. If it's really bothering you, we can talk about it on Monday.
S: You are right. I'll shut up now.
B: Returning with a drink in each hand. Here is a gin and tonic for you, and a double scotch, straight up, for my friend who had the hard day, I hope this helps.
S: You know it will. James, a toast to your coming promotion.
J: No, you are getting ahead of yourself. First let's drink to our successful deal today, cheers.
They touch glasses.
J:/S: Cheers, to a good day's work.
bartender[5bB:tendE(r)] n.酒吧间销售酒精饮料的人, 酒吧间男招待
gin[ dVin ]   n.陷阱, 起重装, 轧棉机, 杜松子酒 v.轧
tonic[ 5tCnik ]   adj.激励的, 滋补的 n.滋补剂, 滋补品
Scotch    n.[总称]苏格兰人, 苏格兰语, 苏格兰威士忌酒
toast[ tEust ]   n.烤面包(片), 吐司面包, 干杯 vt.敬酒, 烤(面包等)
get ahead of   v.胜过, 超过