Listening Challenge Day 3:

Elementary: The Office - I need an assistant

A: ...like I told you before, we just don’t have the resources to hire you an assistant.

B: I understand that, but the fact is we’re understaffed.

A: The timing is just not right. The economy is bad, and it’s too risky to take on new staff.

B: Yeah, I guess you’re right... Here’s an idea, what if we hire an intern? She would take some of the weight off my shoulders.

A: She?

B: Yeah, you know, a recent graduate. She could give me a hand with some of these projects and we could keep our costs down.

A: That sounds reasonable... Let me see what I can do.

A: Tony, I’d like to introduce you to your new assistant.

B: OK, great! Let’s meet her!

C: Hi, I’m Adam.

B: Oh... hi... I’m Tony...

Key Vocabulary
resources - ресурсы (тж.денежные )
understaffed - нехватка в штате
the timing is just not right - не подходящее время

to take on - нанимать
weight off my shoulders - снизить нагрузку
give me a hand -помогать
that sounds reasonable - звучит разумно

Supplementary Vocabulary
recruit - нанимать
overworked - работающие слишком много
short staffed - нехватка в штате
cut costs - сокращение трат
overstaffed - когда в штате больше сотрудников, чем необходимо

Intermediate: New Guy in Town

A: Oh, I don’t know if you heard, but someone moved into that old house down the road. B: Yeah, I know. I met the owner of the house yesterday as he was moving in. His name is Armand. A: Really? What’s he like? You have to fill me in. B: Actually, he’s a bit strange. I don’t know... I’ve got a bad feeling about him. A: Really? Why? B: Well, yesterday I brought over a housewarming gift, but Armand started acting really weird, and then he practically kicked me out! I tried to, sort of, peek into his house, but everything was so dark inside that I couldn’t really get a good look. The whole thing really creeps me out. A: Well, you’ll never guess what I saw this morning. A delivery truck pulled into his driveway, and it dropped off a long, rectangular box. It almost looked like a coffin! B: You see! Why would he... C: Hello ladies... B: Ah, Armand! You scared the heck out of me! This is my friend Doris. C: A pleasure to meet you... If you are not doing anything tonight, I would like to have you both for dinner. I mean... I would like to have you both over for dinner.

Key Vocabulary
I don’t know if you heard - не знаю, слышали ли вы...
fill me in - расскажи мне
a bad feeling - у меня плохие предчувствия (чувство, что что-то плохое может произойти)
weird - странный, необычный
kick out - вытолкнуть
creep me out - пугать
you’ll never guess - ни за что не угадаешь
scare the heck out of me - Ты напугал меня до чертиков

Supplementary Vocabulary
bizarre - странный, эксцентричный
creepy - жуткий
vampire - вампир
have you heard - вы слышали (обычно перед тем, как ввести сплетню)
guess what -представляешь.. (обычно перед тем, как ввести в разговор информацию)

Advanced - Just In Time Strategy

A: I called this meeting today in order to discuss our manufacturing plan. As I’m sure you’re all aware, with the credit crunch, and the global financial crisis, we’re obligated to look for more cost efficient ways of producing our goods. We don’t want to have to be looking at redundancies. So, we’ve outlined a brief plan to implement the just-in-time philosophy.

B: We have two basic points that we want to focus on. First of all, we want to reduce our lead time.

C: Why would want to do that? I think this is not an area that really needs to be worked on.

B: Well, we want to reduce production and delivery lead times for better overall efficiency.

A: Right, production lead times can be reduced by moving work stations closer together, reducing queue length, like for example, reducing the number of jobs waiting to be processed at a given machine, and improving the coordination and cooperation between successive processes. Delivery lead times can be reduced through close cooperation with suppliers, possibly by inducing suppliers to locate closer to the factory or working with a faster shipping company.

C: I see... That makes sense.

B: The second point is that we want to require supplier quality assurance and implement a zero defects quality program. We currently have far too many errors that lead to defective items and therefore, they must be eliminated. A quality control at the source program must be implemented to give workers the personal responsibility for the quality of the work they do, and the authority to stop production when something goes wrong.

C: I’m with you on this one. It’s essential that we reduce these errors; we’ve got to force our suppliers to reduce their mistakes.

A: Exactly. Well, let’s look at how we’re going to put this plan into action. First...(fade out)

Key Vocabulary
obligate - обязывать
cost efficient - недорогой, эффективный с точки зрения затрат, рентабельный
redundancy - сокращение (штата)
implement - осуществлять, выполнять
lead time -время выполнения
efficiency -эффективность, продуктивность
work station - рабочее место
given - определенный, заданный
defective -с дефектом, браком
defect -дефект, брак

Supplementary Vocabulary
inventory - инвентарь
carrying cost -издержки на содержание
warehouse - склад
stock - запас
bottleneck - то, что вызывает задержку, затруднение