Unit Three

Text A   The pros and cons

part 1.

New word and Expressions

1. pros and cons  利弊，赞成与反对

e.g. (1)   Let's discuss the pros and cons of each approach. 让我们从正反两方面讨论一下每一个方法。

(2) What are the specific surgical options? What are the pros and cons for each? 具体的手术选择有哪些？各自的利与弊各是什么?

  2.   semi-trailer  n. 半挂拖车

  3. take pride in  以……为傲

e.g. (1)    Above all you need to take pride in your work. 最重要的是你必须以你的工作为荣。

(2) Do things that make you proud, then take pride in what you do. 做能让你自豪的事情，然后为你所做的事情自豪。

 4.  install  vt.. 安装

e.g. (1)   They had installed a new phone line in the apartment. 他们在公寓里安装了一根新的电话线。

(2) Security cameras have been installed in the city centre. 市中心安装了一些监控摄像机

5. tedious adj. 沉闷的

e.g. (1)    Such lists are long and tedious to read. 这种清单读起来既冗长又乏味。

(2) The audience coughed down the tedious speaker. 听众用咳嗽声阻挠演讲人的沉闷发言。

6.a variety of 种种，各种各样的

e.g. (1)  But this approach can be troublesome for a variety of reasons. 但是这种办法可能因各种原因而变得麻烦。

(2) In this day and age, this “help” comes in a variety of forms, from creative writing courses to ghost writers. 如今，从创作课程到枪手，这种“帮助”的形式多种多样。

7.motivational adj. 动机的，有关动机的

e.g. (1)  This is an important motivational factor. 这是一个重要的促进因素。

(2) Byron began to seriously contemplate leaving baseball to become a motivational speaker, despite objections from friends and family members. 不顾朋友和家人反对，拜伦开始认真考虑离开棒球，成为一个励志演说者。

8.efficiency n. 效率

e.g. (1)    There are many ways to increase agricultural efficiency in the poorer areas of the world. 有很多方法能够提高世界贫困地区的农业效率。

(2) I was impressed by the efficiency with which she handled the crisis.她应对危机的效率之高给我留下了深刻的印象。

9.piece rate  计件工资

e.g. (1)    Nowadays, piece rate wages are given in many enterprises, which can boost employees' enthusiasm. 现在许多企业采用的是计件工资，它能激发员工的积极性。

(2) As an employer of labour, I found that the piece rate system does not work. 作为工人的雇主，我发现计件工资制度不起作用。

10.payment n. 付款，报酬

e.g. (1)Only those over 70 are eligible for the special payment. 只有70岁以上的人才有资格领取这项专款。

(2) They are finding it difficult to meet the payments on their car. 他们感到很难偿付汽车款。

  11.actual adj. 真实的，实际的

e.g. (1)    How do we go from theory to actual action steps? 我们应该如何把理论转化为实际行动呢？

(2) The actual debt repayment ability of the US has already collapsed, he said. 他说，美国的实际偿债能力已经崩溃了。

12.motivate  vt. 刺激，激发……的积极性

e.g. (1)    How do you motivate people to perform at their best? 你如何激励人们，使他们的表现最好？

(2) Teams of professionals teach and motivate villagers and chart their progress. 专家组训练、激励村民，并用图表记录他们的进步。

13.stressful adj.  紧张的，有压力的

e.g. (1)    Didn’t you know it was a stressful job when you took the position? 当你接受那个职务时你不知道那是压力很大的工作吗？

(2) Being an airline pilot can be a stressful job, but it must be a fun one. 民航飞行员的工作可能比较有压力，但肯定很有趣。

14. satisfaction n.满意，满足

e.g. (1)    Looking at a beautiful painting always gives one satisfaction. 欣赏一幅美丽的图画总会让人感到心满意足。

(2) Everyone wants to get satisfaction out of his or her job. 每个人都希望从自己的工作中得到满足。

15. mass n. 块，团

e.g. (1)    Didn’t you know it was a stressful job when you took the position? 当你接受那个职务时你不知道那是压力很大的工作吗？

(2) Being an airline pilot can be a stressful job, but it must be a fun one. 民航飞行员的工作可能比较有压力，但肯定很有趣。

part 2.

Text A

1. Text

The pros and cons of an assembly line

 Mark used to work on an assembly line in a factory that made 10,000 automobiles every day. Now he works in a factory that manufactures big semi-trailers. It takes between four to eight weeks to build one trailer because they do not use an assembly line, but Mark is a lot happier now than he was before and takes great pride in what he does.

In 1913, Henry Ford installed the first assembly line in his Ford Motor Company in Michigan. He proved that things like automobiles and aircrafts could be produced in a much shorter time using this system. The turnover is higher, so the production is more efficient, which in turn leads to cheaper products. With the introduction of the assembly line, the price of a Model T car dropped from $825 to $525.

However, there are people who don’t like working as part of such an efficient system, and Mark is one of them.

He found the work tedious, for he had to do the same task for eight hours a day, five days a week. That’s the typical life of an assembly line worker. Most of the job on an assembly line is done while standing, which can be tiring, and tired workers make more mistakes. In Mark’s present job, a worker is responsible for the creation of an entire product and needs to use a variety of different skills, but in his previous job, the worker was expected to perform a single task over and over again, which could easily result in motivational problems.

Besides, an assembly line also causes job losses. In Mark’s previous job, his company started to introduce robots and computerised machines. They are faster, cheaper and more “error-free,” which allows more products to be produced at even cheaper prices. Even if robots do not replace the workers, the efficiency of assembly lines means that one worker can do the work of many, thus making a lot of workers redundant. Mark’s position in the company was also at risk.

Some assembly line workers are paid piece rate. It is a system in which payment is based on the actual number of pieces produced rather than hours worked. The opportunity to earn more money motivates the workers to increase the speed at which he works and thus completes more units of work in an hour. With an hourly pay rate, employees know they cannot earn any more no matter how hard they work, so they may be less likely to push themselves. Mark’s boss thought the piece rate pay method was good. Yet Mark found he was so tired that he decided to look for another, less stressful job with more job satisfaction.

2.Background Information

Ford Motor Company: Ford Motor Company (also known as simply Ford) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines; by 1914 these methods were known around the world as Fordism.

 3.Language points

1.       I found it difficult to talk to my parents about that.

I found that it was difficult to talk to my parents about that.

find it … to do sth: 觉得做某事……

I I   (1）I find it hard to identify any other profession which can claim to have such a significant impact on our lives. 我发现很难找到另一种职业对我们的生活有如此重大的影响。

(2) Once you get into the habit of smoking, you'll find it extremely difficult to get out of it. 一旦养成了吸烟的习惯，你会发现很难戒掉。