2009年ESL之商务英语 03 Sending Business Packages
时间：2018-12-18 作者：英语课 分类：2009年ESL之商务英语
03 Sending Business Packages
GLOSSARY
package a small box or large envelope that is filled with papers or other things and sent to a person in another location
* Each year, Shawna sends a birthday package filled with home-baked cookies to her grandson.
ground service a category of mail that is sent by using truck or trains, not planes or boats, and is usually slower than other services
* If you want to save money, ask the company to use groundservice to send your order.
overnight 1 service a category of mail that delivers packages very quickly, making sure that they arrive the day after they are sent
* The job opening closes tomorrow, so hell have to useovernight service to send in his application.
to track – to follow; to know where something is and where it is going
* The company has a computer program that tracks sales for each associate and for each city and state.
to mark to write, stamp, or otherwise make a small change to something so that it looks physically 2 different and can be identified
* They marked their house with orange balloons so thatpeople coming to their Halloween party could find it more easily.
commercial – related 3 to a business, not a home; not residential 4
* The citys commercial district is very busy during the day, but no one is there at night.
contract – a legal agreement between two or more companies or people
* We had to sign a two-year contract when we got new cell phones.
residential – related to a home, not a business; not commercial
* We want to live on a quiet, residential street, not downtown where there are lots of small businesses and is very noisy.
breakable – fragile 5; something that can break easily
* Please be careful moving those boxes! Theyre filled with breakable glass vases.
to pack to put something into a large container, suitcase, box,or envelope and then close it, usually to send it somewhere
* How were you able to pack enough clothes for the whole week in such a small suitcase?
insured 6 having financial protection from an insurance company, so that if something bad happens, the company will give one enoughmoney to fix it or to pay for a replacement
* Is your home insured against flooding?
declared value the amount of money that someone says something is worth, especially when sending it through the mail
* The post office lost a package with a declared value of $2,300, so it had to pay that much money to the sender.
delivery 7 confirmation 8 a service where the sender can use the phone or Internet to find out exactly when and where a package was delivered
* When she sold some used books online, she used delivery confirmation so that the buyer couldnt lie and say that she hadnt sent them.
customs declaration 9 form a small piece of paper that one writes on to describe what is in a package that is being sent to another country
* We have to write down exactly what were sending and how much it is worth on the customs declaration form.
contents – the things that are inside a box, envelope, or another package
* The security 10 guard searched the contents of our bags before he let us enter the embassy 11.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. Which of these could be breakable?
a) Ground service.
b) Contracts.
c) The contents of a package.
2. Which of these people would need to fill out a customs declaration form?
a) Someone who is receiving a package.
b) Someone who is sending a package to another country.
c) Someone who is packing the contents of a package.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
pack
The verb to pack, in this podcast, means to put somethinginto a large container, suitcase, box, or envelope and then close it, usually to send it somewhere: When moving, its a good idea to wrap glasses in newspaper before packing them into a box. If something is jam-packed, it is as full as it can be, or it has as many things or people as possible: The stadium was jampacked for the concert. A packrat is a person who has alot of unnecessary things and cannot or does not want to throw them away: Youre such a packrat! I cant believe you have clothes that you havent worn in more than 20 years. Finally, a pack animal is a large animal like or horse or a donkey 12 that is used to carry heavy things: Two pack animals carried our things whenwe walked into the Grand Canyon 13.
content
In this podcast, the word contents means the things that are inside a box, envelope, or another package: Her father always tries toguess the contents of the package before opening a present. When talking about food, the word content means the percentage of an ingredient 14: Whatis the alcohol 15 content of this beer? In a book or report, a table of contents is a list of all the different sections in a document and the page numbers where each one begins: Why dont you use the table of contents to find what youre looking for? Finally, the word content, when used to describe a person, means happy, satisfied, and calm: Salam never feels content unless his house is clean and well organized.
CULTURE NOTE
The United States Postal 16 Service has a long list of hazardous 17 (dangerous) items that cannot be sent through the mail. Many of the items are not hazardous in daily life, but they become hazardous if they are sentthrough the mail, especially since much mail is sent by plane, where there aredifferent temperatures, air pressure, and vibrations (small, repetitive movements).
Prohibited 18 (not allowed) items include perfumes (nice-smelling liquids sprayed 19 onto ones body) and nail polish (colored liquid painted onto ones fingernails). Anything in an aerosol can (a container where one pushes a button on top and liquid sprays 20 out in very small drops) is also forbidden (not allowed) in the mail. Bleach (a liquid used to clean and to make fabric 21 white), cleaning chemicals, paints, and gasoline 22 cannot be mailed either.
Matches, fireworks (things used in celebrations that explode in the sky and create many colors), and other things that might catch on fire or explode are prohibited, as are batteries. Firearms (guns) cant be sent through the mail either, for obvious (easy to understand) reasons.
Live animals cannot be sent through the mail, because they need special care and attention. Finally, most alcoholic beverages cannotbe sent through the mail.
Most post offices in the United States have one or more posters (pieces of paper with text and/or pictures hung on a wall and usedto share information) with lists and pictures of prohibited items. Sometimes the postal worker (a person who works 23 for the United States Postal Service) will ask the sender whether his or her package contains any of those hazardous items.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – b
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT 24
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 456: Sending Business Packages.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast number 456. I am your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, and I am coming to you from beautiful Los Angeles, California, at the Center for Educational Development.
Go to our website at eslpod.com to download a LearningGuide for this episode 26.
The Learning 25 Guides contain all of the vocabulary, definitions 27, sample sentences, additional 28 definitions, cultural notes, comprehension questions, and a complete transcript of everything I say on this episode so you can follow along as you listen.
This episode is called Sending Business Packages. Its a dialogue between Sam and Maria using some common vocabulary you would hear if you were going to send a package, a large box for example, for your business. Lets get started.
[start of dialogue]
Maria: I need this package to arrive in Tulsa by next Wednesday.
Sam: Sure, Ill send it UPS or FedEx using their ground service. Itll be cheaper than sending it using their overnight service and we can still track it. Is it going to a business?
Maria: Yes, it is.
Sam: Okay, I’ll mark that it’s going to a commercial address.
Maria: Thats fine. Ill also need these contracts to get to Tokyo by Friday. Send it to the home of the president of the company.
Sam: Ill send it DHL and use the residential delivery service. This seems like a large package for just contracts.
Maria: I’m also including a gift for the president’s wife.
Sam: If its breakable, Ill pack it really well and then get it insured. Whats the declared value?
Maria: Its about $700. Oh, and I want this box to go to Olten, Switzerland, but just send it regular mail through the post office. Makesure I get delivery confirmation, though.
Sam: No problem. Ill just need to fill out a customs declaration form. What are the contents?
Maria: They’re books.
Sam: Okay, I’ll take care of it.
Maria: Thanks. What would I do without you?
Sam: The real question is, what would the mail services do without you?
[end of dialogue]
Our dialogue begins with Maria saying to Sam, I need this package to arrive in Tulsa by next Wednesday. Tulsa is a city in the state of Oklahoma, which is right in the middle (central) part of the United States. A package describes any sort of box or perhaps a large envelope that you are sending to someone. Sam says, Sure, Ill send it UPS or FedEx using their groundservice. UPS stands for United Parcel Service, FedEx stands for Federal 29 Express;those are two private mail companies in the United States that you canuse to send packages if you need them to get there quickly. Ground service, or simply we often just say sending it ground, means that it is going to go intoa truck or a train in order to be delivered; it is not going on a boat or on a plane. Ground service is the slowest service, usually. If you send a package from Los Angeles ground, or UPS ground, to New York itll probably take four days toget there, maybe five.
Sam says, Itll be cheaper than sending it using their overnight service and we can still track it. Overnight service means that the package will arrive the next morning or the next afternoon, taking 24 hours or so toget to where you are sending it. If you have a very important letter or document that someone needs by tomorrow, you would have to send it overnight. Sometimes thats called express service. Both private companies such as UPS and FedEX, as well as the public mail service in the United States, the U.S. Postal Service, all of them offer overnight service.
Sam says that they will be able to track the package, that can be done when you send something overnight or if you send it ground. To track means to know where something is, to follow something. Nowadays, you can go online and you can put the number of the package in there and it willtell you where that package is as it travels from your city to the place where you are sending it. Sam asks, Is it going to a business? You could send a package to a business or a house.
Maria says, Yes, it is. Sam says, Okay, Ill mark that its going to a commercial address. To mark something means to write or indicate on a form some piece of information, something that is different about that particular thing. For example, you could mark your house with orange balloons; you would put orange balloons to indicate to show that it is a particular place where people would want to come for a party, for example. I dont know why you would put orange balloons on your house maybe youre crazy!
In any case, Sam is going to mark or indicate on the formthat it is going to a commercial address. Commercial is just another word fora business address. Maria says, Thats fine. Ill also need these contracts to get to Tokyo by Friday.
Contracts are legal agreements between two people. Maria wants to send these contracts to Tokyo, Japan by Friday. Maria says, Send it to the home of the president of the company. Sam says, Ill send it DHL and use the residential delivery service. DHL is another international mail company that delivers packages. Residential is just another word for home, so sending something to a residential address means you are sending it to a home address.
Maria says, Im also including a gift for the presidents wife. Sam says, If its breakable, Ill pack it really well and then get it insured. If the gift is breakable that means that it can break easily; we might also use theword fragile.
Sometimes if you are sending a package that has somethingthat could break easily, you put the word fragile (fragile) on the outside of the package. That wont actually make any difference, but youll feel better by doing it thinking that youre doing something! Sam says hes going to pack it real well. To pack something means to put something in a container an envelope, a box and then send it somewhere. We also use the verb to pack for other meanings in English, take a look at the Learning Guide for some additional explanations.
Here, Sam is packing this gift in the package, and then hes going to get it insured. To insure something means to have some sort of financial protection, often offered by an insurance company, so if something bad happens the company will give you money for what was lost or damaged.Most of the private mail services have insurance that you can buy in case the package gets lost or something happens to it. Sam then asks Maria what the declared value is of the gift. The value is what it is worth, the amount of money. To declare something means to say or to state something, usually on a form or a piece of paper, something official. So, declared value is theamount of money that you are saying this is worth, and you put that down on the package so that you have enough insurance. So if the package gets lost and you declared the value, you said it was worth $400, then you will get $400 back. Thats what declared value
Maria says, Its about $700. Wow, a pretty nice gift! Maria says, Oh, and I want this box to go to Olten, Switzerland, but just sendit regular mail through the post office, meaning through the public mail system. Maria says, Make sure I get delivery confirmation, though. Delivery confirmation is a service where the sender can use his or her phone or the Internet to findout exactly when the package arrived and where it was delivered, if it was delivered to the right place. To confirm something means, in this case, to inform you to make sure that something happened.
Sam says, No problem, of course. Ill just need to fill out a customs declaration form. Customs is the government office that makes sure that you are not bringing something into the country that is illegal or not allowed. A customs declaration form is a form a piece of paper that says this is what is in this package. If you are sending something to another country the mail service may have to inspect what you are sending, you would put a customs declarations 30 form to tell the customs office that this is what I am sending so they know it is nothing illegal or nothing that you have to pay a tax on.
Sam says, What are the contents? meaning what is inside the box or the package that she is sending to Olten, Switzerland, and Maria says, Theyre books. Sam says, Okay, Ill take care of it Ill handle it. Maria says, Thanks.
What would I do without you? which is a question an expression that people say when the person has been so helpful to them, so valuable to them: What would I do without you? Sam says, The real question is, what would the mail services do without you? because, of course, shes giving these companies so much business by sending so many packages.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue again, this time at anormal speed.
[start of dialogue]
Maria: I need this package to arrive in Tulsa by next Wednesday.
Sam: Sure, Ill send it UPS or FedEx using their ground service. Itll be cheaper than sending it using their overnight service and we can still track it. Is it going to a business?
Maria: Yes, it is.
Sam: Okay, I’ll mark that it’s going to a commercial address.
Maria: Thats fine. Ill also need these contracts to get to Tokyo by Friday. Send it to the home of the president of the company.
Sam: Ill send it DHL and use the residential delivery service. This seems like a large package for just contracts.
Maria: I’m also including a gift for the president’s wife.
Sam: If its breakable, Ill pack it really well and then get it insured. Whats the declared value?
Maria: Its about $700. Oh, and I want this box to go to Olten, Switzerland, but just send it regular mail through the post office. Makesure I get delivery confirmation, though.
Sam: No problem. Ill just need to fill out a customs declaration form. What are the contents?
Maria: They’re books.
Sam: Okay, I’ll take care of it.
Maria: Thanks. What would I do without you?
Sam: The real question is, what would the mail services do without you?
[end of dialogue]
What would we do without our scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse? I don’t know!
From Los Angeles, California, Im Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come back and listen to us next time on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 31 2009, by the Center for Educational Development.
- She stayed overnight in the hotel. 她在旅馆过了一夜。
- Our success is not won overnight. 我们的成功不是一夜之间得来的。
- He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
- Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
- I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
- We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
- The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
- The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。
- The old lady was increasingly fragile after her operation.那位老太太手术后身体越来越虚弱。
- This glass disc looks very fragile.这个玻璃盘子看起来很容易碎。
- Was the vehicle insured? 那辆车上保险了吗？
- It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently. 原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
- The strike caused a great delay in the delivery of the mail.这次罢工严重地延误了邮件的投递。
- He was employed at the local grocery store as a delivery boy.他受雇于当地杂货店当送货员。
- We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
- We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。
- We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
- At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。
- A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
- There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。
- Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
- He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。
- This donkey can carry two sacks of grain.这头驴能驮两袋粮食。
- "I'll buy your donkey,"said the two.“我想要买你的驴子”两人异口同声说。
- The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
- The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。
- The basic ingredient of this meal is rice.这一餐的主要原料是大米。
- Trust is a key ingredient.信任是关键要素。
- The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
- The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。
- A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
- Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。
- These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
- Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。
- The tourists are prohibited from getting on the island. 旅游者被禁止登上那个小岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a citizen's home is prohibited. 禁止非法搜查或者非法侵入公民的住宅。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- They sprayed aerosol insect repellent into the faces of police. 他们将喷雾驱虫剂喷在了警察的脸上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The front of the house had been sprayed with white paint. 房子的正面已喷上了白漆。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- A supernova sprays space with many different elements. 超新星会向宇宙放射不同种类的元素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Chemical thinners add another to the arsenal of sprays. 化学疏除剂已列入农药的宝库中。 来自辞典例句
- The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
- I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。
- This car runs 5 miles on a gallon of gasoline.这部汽车一加仑汽油可以行驶五英里。
- There is still some gasoline left in the tank.油箱里还剩下一些汽油。
- We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
- The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。
- A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
- They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
- When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
- Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。
- The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
- This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。
- Write clear definitions in order to avoid ambiguity. 释义要写清楚以免产生歧义。
- Definitions in this dictionary are printed in roman type. 这本词典里的释义是用罗马体印刷的。
- It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
- I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。
- Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
- The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。
- Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。 来自辞典例句
- Nothing could have been more open than her declarations about herself. 没有什么会比她讲到她自己时更坦率的了。 来自辞典例句