听力原文:F: Mr. Rice, I know we've asked you here to talk about EBS University, but before we begin, let's talk about the company. EBS Electronics seems to be enjoying a boom at the moment. Can you put some figures on that?
M: Yes ... well ... in 1990, EBS's total sales were $11 billion. But in 1996, our sales grew by more than 5 billion and the sales total for the year was $27 billion. So ... while we used to think that 15% growth was good, for some time we were reckoning on achieving 20 to 50% ... though recent developments have changed that.
F: And what about international expansion? Where are your big growth markets?
M: Over the next five years, we'll be hiring 100,000 new employees... in Asia alone, it'll be 60,000. The real development during this period will be concentrated in East Asia—mostly in China, India and Vietnam. We're hoping that one day the market there will be as big as Europe. Over a longer period, we're also planning to expand into the Middle East and into Southern Africa. All this development is very important for the company. For example, the plans for China will bring investment up to $100 billion. A few years ago, I'd never have dreamed that we'd be selling $3 billion dollars worth of products there, which we did last year. It's hard to believe that only seven years ago we sold nothing there at all.
F: Can we talk about EBS University itself? Can you explain—simply—how it works, and who it's for?
M: I suppose it's really similar to a community-based education system—a bit like a village school—except, of course, this is a global village. Basically, it's designed to provide education and training for every single member of staff, from the Managing Director to the newest recruit.
F: And what kind of education and training is actually on offer?
M: Well, we have core courses that everyone is required to attend. They focus on things like reducing manufacturing time as well as quality issues—both for people and services. We also offer a range of options, everything from personnel, finance to languages. We run courses, for example, in French, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin.
F: Can we turn now to the question of motivation and how you go about keeping people interested in their work?
M: We never underestimate training. It's a challenge, for example, keeping someone aged 20 skilled until they're aged 60. So we do what we can. While some employees get as much as three days' training a month, the minimum is fixed at three days a year. We also have a feedback system in the form. of a questionnaire that employees answer every six months, and in this way we can keep up-to-date with employees' opinions.
F: So you really do believe in investing in your employees?
M: That's right. We allow an amount equivalent to about 4% of an employee's salary for his or her training—to 'maintain them', if you like, because we think they're important. A piece of machinery, however, gets as much as 10%-12% of its purchase price spent oil maintenance now, I believe that people are more important than machines, so we still have a long way to go.
F: It would seem, though, that EBS is more broad-minded than many firms in its approach to educating and training its employees.
M: Well, EBS has been in a state of constant renewal since it was founded in 1938, but it wasn't until the late seventies onwards that the company started trying out new methods of training and education. EBS University was the result of those experiments and has been operating very successfully for the last fifteen years. I suppose overall what distinguishes EBS from other multinationals is that we educate all our employees and not just management.
F: Thank you, Mr. Rice, and I hope that EBS University continues to do well in its educational role.
&8226;You will hear a radio interview with Brian Rice, president of EBS University, the training and educational body set up by the electronics company, Torntec.
&8226;For each qu
A.5 billion dollars.
B.11 billion dollars.
C.27 billion dollars.
听力原文:Donating blood plasma has always been a noble pursuit to help those in need. Since last September, there has been an upsurge in blood donations, as the need has become more emphasized and more empathized. But if you've had a tattoo or piercing within the last year, you will more than likely be turned away from any blood bank.
When you go to a blood bank to give plasma, they ask you a series of questions to determine if you are eligible to donate. Obviously, they don't want to risk accepting contaminated blood, so they will ask about your sexual history, current health status and other related questions, including whether or not you have gotten a tattoo or piercing within the last 12 months.
All blood that is donated is screened for disease such as HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis and other common blood- born ailments.
However, it goes without saying that it is a waste of the blood bank's and the donor's time to harvest blood that is tainted and thus worthless.
So, in order to avoid wasted time, they ask these questions to screen the potential donor. And although even I would be quick to say that tattooing and piercing are much safer than some medical professionals like to indicate, there is still always a chance of getting and carrying a disease unknowingly from a tattoo or piercing, especially Hepatitis. That has been the object of many heated arguments and stringent regulations.
If you should happen to contract a disease from a tattoo or piercing, it should show up in a screening after 12 months, which is the reason for the waiting period. Yes, maybe it's a little over-precautious, but would you want to be the one on the receiving end of dirty blood? If there, is even a chance, it is better to be safe than sorry.
(37)
A.Swim in public pools.
B.Give blood.
C.Over exert yourself.
D.Expose your skin to the sun.
One silly question I simply can't stand is "How do you feel?". Usually the question is asked of a man in action --- a man on the go, walking along the street, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He'll probably say, "Fine, I'm all right," but "you've put a bug in his ear" -- maybe now he's not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, "How do you feel?"
Every question has its time and place. It's perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask "How do you feel?" if you're visiting a close friend in the hospital, But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to make a train, or sitting at his desk working, it's no time to ask him that silly question.When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays was in his eighties, someone asked him "How do you feel?" Shaw put him in his place. "When you reach my age," he said, "either you feel all right or you're dead."
1.According to the writer, greetings, such as "How do you feel?" ____.
A、show one's consideration for others
B、are a good way to make friends
C、are proper to ask a man in action
D、generally make one feel uneasy
2.The question "How do you feel?" seems to be correct and suitable when asked of ____.
A、a man working at his desk
B、a person having lost a close friend
C、a stranger who looks somewhat worried
D、a friend who is ill
3.The writer seems to feel that a busy man should ____.
A、be praised for his efforts
B、never be asked any question
C、not be bothered
D、be discouraged from working so hard
4.George Bernard Shaw's reply in the passage shows his ____.
A、cheerfulness
B、cleverness
C、ability
D、politeness
5.“You've put a bug in his ear ”means that you've ____.
A、made him laugh
B、shown concern for him
C、made fun of him
D、given him some kind of warning