节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-05-17
难易度:High
关键字:longevity, prioritize, tangible, lengthy
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And I'm Carolyn.
And thank you for joining us for the second day of our lesson Wants and Needs.
We've been enjoying a conversation between Ben and his Uncle Bob.
Of course, Ben wants something for his new company, but his Uncle Bob thinks
that maybe he doesn't need this thing.
Carolyn, can you help us review a little bit more about this?
Well, Ben was very excited because he was going to put in a game room, and it is
going to be exceptional.
It's going to be an amazing game room, and just be a really great amenity that
his employees could enjoy.
Unfortunately, his Uncle Bob doesn't think that it's really necessary for him to
have this.
He doesn't think it's a need.
No. He thinks maybe it's just a want.
He thinks Ben is just confusing wants and needs.
Of course, Ben says: Well, Google has this thing.
They have these wonderful perks.
Why can't we have this as well?
Uncle Bob thinks that he is just... doesn't need to formulate his ideas or his
company after other companies.
Well, we have more to learn from Ben and his Uncle Bob about wants and needs.
So let's do that now.
Wants and Needs.
How is having great benefits part of a business strategy?
Some companies use benefits to recruit high-quality workers.
Benefits can also help employees work longer hours and improve worker longevity
by keeping staff healthy and happy.
So how do I know if something I want is something the company really needs?
You just need to set your priorities.
The game room is pretty high on my list of priorities.
I'm talking about prioritizing spending for your business.
Every dollar you spend on something you want is a dollar you can't spend on
something you might need.
Hmm, those do sound like wise words from Uncle Bob.
Well, let's start at the beginning of our lesson today.
Ben has a line.
Carolyn, I like it when you are Ben.
All right.
Well, then I will continue to read his part.
How is having great benefits part of a business strategy?
Hmm, good question.
Yesterday Uncle Bob and Ben were talking about a business strategy.
And some things that you want to think about when you are buying new things or
investing is how will it benefit your business.
Do you have a strategy for something?
That means a plan.
It's important to think about these things.
So Uncle Bob responds.
Some companies use benefits to recruit high-quality workers.
Benefits can also help employees work longer hours and improve worker longevity
by keeping staff healthy and happy.
Well, first I want to talk about Uncle Bob's line there.
He talks about high-quality workers.
What is that, Carolyn?
Well, a high-quality worker is a worker that's just very good.
Someone who really knows what they're doing and does it very well,
someone that you really want to have working for your company because you don't
want low-quality workers who are lazy or do a poor job.
That's right. So you could talk about high-quality in many areas of life.
Maybe you have something that is high-quality.
It... it runs really well, you can use it.
Or maybe something is kind of low-quality, you don't want to use it anymore.
You want to get a new one that is higher quality.
But we also see another word here.
We see the word "longevity." So we're talking about the longevity of keeping
staff healthy and happy.
So what is longevity?
Well, that's how long something can last, longevity.
That's right.
And a lot of times when I think about longevity, I think about people and how
long they can live.
I might say that longevity runs in my family because many of my family members
have lived to be well into their 90s.
Or even my great-grandmother was 104 years old.
Well, it seems like longevity does run in your family.
Other things might have longevity as well.
Maybe someone has a job, and it only lasts for so long.
Maybe that job has longevity that's maybe it's not too long.
But here we're talking about worker longevity.
So this is how long you can keep someone working on your staff and how well they
do.
Are they happy?
Are they healthy?
Well, Ben has the next line, so I will continue reading.
So how do I know if something I want is something the company really needs?
Hmm, good question, Ben.
How do I know if something I want is something that the company really needs?
Well, we're going to learn something about this with Steve and Ken in the
Information Cloud.
I think they have a good tip for us today.
Can't distinguish between wants and needs?
Well, I think some of the blame can be placed on advertisements.
You're right.
Ads are everywhere, and they're constantly telling us to buy stuff we don't
need.
In this day and age, we find advertisements on TV, on our computers and cell
phones and on billboards.
They're on and in public transportation, in flyers, magazines and newspapers,
even in public restrooms.
As a matter of fact, you can now find advertisements stamped on eggs that you
buy in the supermarket.
Researchers estimate that we are bombarded between 3,000 to 5,000 ads every day.
That's true! They counted.
I know! So now, more than ever, it's important that we know how to distinguish
between the things we need and the things we want.
One way to get started is by practicing the 10-second rule.
Let's say, for example, you're in the supermarket, and you see something you
want.
Wait 10 seconds.
Then if you still want it, go for it.
Right.
For larger purchases like a new motorcycle or car, use the 10-day rule.
You'd be surprised.
After waiting a few days, you'll find many of the things you thought you needed
were just wants.
(Chinese).
That is some very good advice.
I think I might have to start doing that when I go shopping.
Well, Uncle Bob, you have the next line.
Of course.
You just need to set your priorities.
So of course we were talking about knowing if what you want is something that
company really needs.
Just set your priorities.
Well, Ben responds: The game room is pretty high on my list of priorities.
I love that sentence.
It's high on Ben's list.
So do you have a list of something that you want to do, or a list of wants or
needs?
Where are the items on your list?
Maybe something is really important to you.
It is high on your list.
Maybe it's something you want, but it's not that important to you.
It can be low on your list.
OK.
I guess I will continue because I'm Uncle Bob.
I am talking about prioritizing spending for your business.
Great, Uncle Bob.
You just said this great word.
We were talking about priorities.
And then Uncle Bob says he's talking about prioritizing.
Oh. So this one is not a noun like "priority." it is a verb, to prioritize.
Let's look at that word.
If you prioritize something, then you put it in order of importance.
So what is your first priority?
You should prioritize your needs and your wants.
And I think that you can use this word to talk about everyday life.
How do you prioritize things on your schedule?
Well, if you really need to get something done, you can prioritize by doing that
thing first.
Maybe you love to check your e-mail to see what someone has sent you.
But maybe it's not that important.
You really need to get something else done first, prioritize.
Do with the first things first.
That's right.
So do what's most important before you do the other things.
Prioritize your time.
Well, um, sorry, Uncle Bob, for interrupting you.
Please continue with your line.
That's fine.
Every dollar you spend on something you want is a dollar you can't spend on
something you might need.
All right.
Maybe this seems like something that anybody can think about, but I like hearing
Uncle Bob say it because it's true.
If you think about that with your money, spending something on... spending your
money on something you want will take away from something that you might need.
That's right.
It is very true.
And right now we can learn something more with Michelle in the Language Lab.