Transcript New Practical English—Comprehensive Course 2

继续教育学院
School of Continuing Education, Jilin University
大学英语
（二）
授课教师：
张绪忠
Unit 1 Invitations
Focal points(知识点)
1. Get to know general knowledge about
invitations
2. Learn how to make Informal / spoken /
oral invitation
3. Be able to write an invitation card
4. Be able to understand formal letter of
invitation
5. Text study: invitation culture
6. Grammar study: word order in a
subordinate clause
1. General knowledge about
invitations(知识点1：邀请的一般知识)
 kinds of invitation
 items (information) in an invitation
 response to an invitation
kinds of invitation
 ---informal (spoken or written) invitations
Inviting people to join in daily activities
Inviting people to informal occasions
 ---formal written invitations (invitation
letter and invitation card)
Writing an invitation card or a letter for:
personal invitation
official occasions
Items / information in an invitation
An invitation, whether spoken or written,
should include at least the following
information:
--what:event or activity
--when:time
--where: place
--how: ways to meet or get to the place
Response to an invitation
There are three possibilities cercerning
an invitation:
--accepting
--declining
--showing uncertainty
A sample of informal written
invitation
Dear Mr./Mrs. _______(name of the invitee)
We request you to attend the _____(event
name) organized on_____(day and date) at
the ______(venue details). The event will
commence with an inaugural speech,
followed by cocktails and dinner which will
be served in _____(location) at_____(time).
Looking forward to a positive reply from
you.
R.S.V.P.
Sincerely, ______(Host's Name)
2. informal / spoken / oral
invitation（知识点2：口头邀请）
 common expressions used in spoken
invitation
 common expressions used in
accepting a spoken invitation
 common expressions used in
declining a spoken invitation
 common expressions used to express
uncertainty in spoken invitation
common expressions used in
spoken invitation
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---Would you be able to __________?
---I would like to invite you to _____.
---May I invite you to __________?
---How about _______________?
---I wonder if you could _________
---Would you like to ____________?
common expressions used in
accepting a spoken invitation
 ---That would be great / lovely /
marvelous.
 ---OK, I’d love to
 ---OK, with pleasure
 ---Sounds great!
 ---It’s very kind of you to invite me.
common expressions used in
declining a spoken invitation
 ---I’d love to, but________________
 ---Thank you for the invitation,
but_____________
 ---That’s great, but I’m
afraid__________
common expressions used to
express uncertainty
 ---I will if I can.
 ---That’s kind of you to invite me, but
I’m not sure if I can.
 ---Could I let you know sometime
later?
A sample of informal invitation
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Mike: What are you going to do tomorrow? Got any plans?
Claire: I don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?
Mike: How about going to the ball game?
Claire: Hmm. I don’t really feel like going to the ball game.
Any other ideas?
Mike: Would you like to go skiing tomorrow?
Claire: That sounds great. I haven’t gone skiing for a long
time. But wait a minute! Isn’t it supposed to be very warm
tomorrow?
Mike: Gee, I haven’t heard of that.
Claire: I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be very warm. I
heard it on the radio.
Mike: In that case, going skiing wouldn't be a very good
idea. Let’s wait and see what the weather will be like
tomorrow.
Mike: Okay. I’ll call you in the morning.
3. invitation cards (知识点3：请柬)
1. Invitation cards are used when you want to invite somebody to a
party, celebration, lecture and opening ceremony etc.
2. Invitation cards should be given in advance. The more formal the
activity is, and the more important the guest is, the earlier your
invitation card must be given to. Generally speaking, it must be
one or two weeks in advance.
3. Invitation cards have certain pattern, and are printed on hard paper
sheet. Usually, it needs to be typed, while those written by hand
are only for friends and relatives.
4. Invitation cards can be divided in to two categories: the formal and
the informal. The formal ones should be written in a fixed pattern,
and with formal language, and in a brief and concise style. And the
informal ones can be written in the pattern of the invitation letter
or the ordinary letter.
5. The contents of the invitation cards are including time, place, the
activity form, and the host’s name. There is no punctuation to be
needed. The full names of person, company, school, group,
program, and activity appeared in the card are required.
Continued
6. The names of the host and the guest should be written
in the third person without the shorten form. If the
guest happens to be a couple, then put the man’s
name first. Usually: Mr. and Mrs. White.
7. Time, including the year, the month, the day, the hour,
and the day of the week, is preferred to write
8.The activity, such as: bridge, cocktails, tea party or ball,
etc., usually appears in the bottom left-hand corner
instead of the body of the invitation card.
Continued
9. If the host has made the appointment with the guest face to
face, then the host should also send the invitation card to
the guest later on. “To remind” can be written at the right
top or bottom.
10. If the host needs the guest to reply in time in order to
make sure the seats, or requires the dress, then he can
note the requirements down in the bottom left-hand or
right-hand corner. The host can telephone the guest to
make sure the attendance.
11. When the guest receives the invitation card, it is polite to
write back or telephone the host to tell whether you can or
cannot go and state your great thanks to their invitation.
12. The replying letter can be written in two forms. One is like
the invitation card which is written in third person and the
other is written in the pattern of ordinary letter.
A sample of invitation card
Chairman
Of the Student’s Union
request the pleasure of
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith’s company
at the New Year’s Party
at the University Music Hall
on Thursday
December 30th, 7:00 pm. (RSVP)
(Company means having another person or other people
with you, usually when this is pleasant or stops you
feeling lonely. Ex: Ross had always enjoyed the
company of women. 罗斯总是喜欢有女人陪伴。
学生会主席特邀请约翰 史密斯夫妇参加于12月30日星期四晚七点
在大学音乐厅举办的新年晚会。
A sample of accepting invitation
 Mr. and Mrs. John Smith accept with
pleasure the kind invitation from
Chairman of the Students’ Union to
be present at the New Year’s Party on
December 30th.
A sample of declining invitation
 Mr. and Mrs. John Smith regret that Mr.
Smith’s hospitalization on account of a
serious cold prevents them from accepting
the kind invitation of Chairman of the
Students’ Union to be present at the New
Year’s Party on December 30th.
(hospitalization: being in hospital
on account of: because of, due to, owing to
4. formal letter of invitation（知识点
4：正式邀请函）
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1. This kind of letter usually informs the recipient of the
following items:
---aim
---topic
---sponsor
---place and time
---a registration form
---date for papers
---an introduction of local sightseeing tours, etc.
2. common expressions used in formal invitation letter
---we have pleasure in inviting you to_______
---we would be very grateful If you would _______
---we would appreciate it if you could confirm your
participation at your earliest
A simple sample of formal
invitation letter
We have pleasure in inviting you to our annual
conference. This year it will be taking place
at the Metropole Hotel, Brighton, from 24
to 28 July.
We enclose details of the conference,
accommodation arrangements and an
activity program.
Last year you gave a very interesting talk on
the subject of “Purchasing high technology”.
We would be very grateful if you would
consider giving us an update on this.
We would appreciate it if you could confirm
your participation at your earliest
convenience
A complex sample of formal
intation letter
The 3rd Foreign Investment Workshop of
Qinghai
Dear Sirs/Madams concerned,
March 10, 2009
Qinghai Province lies in the northeast of
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of P. R. China and
Qinghai is named after Qinghai Lake, the
largest inland salt lake of China and the
source of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River,
Mekong River(湄公河)
Continued
The People’s Government of Qinghai has decided to hold
the 3rd Foreign Investment Workshop of Qinghai from
May 5 to May 7, 2009 in Xining, the Summer Resort
of Qinghai, in order to further implement our openingup and ensure the great development. This workshop
is aimed at further promoting the foreign investment
and developing our featured economy by way of
setting up the brand platform for promoting the
foreign investment activities through provision of
relevant investment opportunities for both national
and international investors and promotion of social
and economic development in Qinghai.
Continued
 We sincerely welcome you, both national
and international investors and enterprises
to our 3rd Foreign Investment Workshop of
Qinghai to further understand Qinghai with
your great concerns and investment and
let’s work together for our mutual benefit
and win-win result.
 Looking forward to seeing you in
prosperous, civilized, harmonious and
fantastic Qinghai!
Continued
 Workshop Agenda
 May 5, 2008 (Tuesday)
 Morning Session: Opening Ceremony of 10th Trade Fair
of Qinghai
 Afternoon Session: A Visit to Xining Economic
Development Park
 May 6, 2008 (Wednesday)
 Morning Session: Information Meeting concerning our
Investment Environment, Summit Forum
 Afternoon Session: Investment Project Combo
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May 7, 2008 (Thursday)
 One Day’s Study Tour
Continued
 联 系 人：张月娟 王晓潇 王利民
 Contact Persons: Ms Yuejuan Zhang, Ms Xiaoxiao
Wang, Mr. Limin Wang
 联系电话：0971-6321731、6321732
传 真：
0971-6321732
 Tel: +86 971 6321731/6321732
Fax:
+86 971 6321732
 E-mail Addresses：[email protected] 、
[email protected] 、[email protected]
 地 址：青海省西宁市海晏路2号国贸大厦 邮 编：810008
 Address: International Trade Mansion, No.2,
Haiyanlu Road, Xining, Qinghai, P. R. China 810008
5. invitation culture: Are you really
being invited?(知识点5：课文学习)
 Till now we have got some basic knowledge
of invitation. But different nation has
different practice in sending or accepting an
invitaion, so we should have some
knowledge of invitation culture by studying
the text: are you really being invited? As
the text is a little longer to study, so we
divide the passage into three parts, and
we mainly focus on the word study in this
part.
Focal point 5-1
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If someone asks if you are free at a certain time and invites you to an event, you are
not required to commit yourself until you know what the invitation is for. For example,
if you say that you’re free and the invitation turns out to be something you’d hate to
do (a trip to a local sight you’ve seen ten times), then you will be in a position to take
back your acceptance or invent an excuse later. If this happens, tell the person who
invites you that you have to check and that you’ll tell him or her later. If an invitation
must be refused, most people expect a reason. The following sequence would be
appropriate: apology, reason for refusal, thanks for the invitation.
1) commit v. entrust, hand over, make oneself responsible 使承担（保证），使作出保证；
把…交托给
I think I can come tonight but I won’t commit myself till I know for sure.
2）turn out to be: 结果是 The party turned out to be very successful
3) be in a position to do sth: 处于。。。。。境地，有做。。。。。的机会
You're not in a position to talk to him like that; He's the boss there.
4. invent v. discover and create something new 发明，设计，编造
I didn't invent the story . Everything I told you is true.
5. sequence: order
What decides the colour sequence red, orange, yellow, and blue?
6. appropriate a. proper, suitable 合适的，恰当的
I didn’t think his comments were very appropriate at the time.
Continued: focal point 5-2
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When someone asks you to his or her home, it is very clear who is the guest and who
is the host, but invitations to restaurants for lunch, dinner, coffee, a drink, etc.,
sometimes present problems, and the customs vary in different parts of the United
States.
In many instances it is the inviter who pays, as one would expect, but in some
instances each one pays his or her own check: You “go Dutch.” This is often the case
with friends in informal situations, such as “Let’s go and get a beer” or “Want a cup of
coffee?” In some parts of the country, however, some people like to entertain friends
by taking them to a restaurant for dinner instead of having dinner at home. In this case
the host expects to pay and the guest may offer to leave the tip, which may be
declined by the host. (If so, just let the matter drop.) If the invitation is expressed in
fairly casual terms, such as “Let’s go to (name of a restaurant) for dinner,” it may be
more of a suggestion than an invitation, so you should be prepared to pay your part of
the bill.
1. present: occur, put forward
We presented three options to the unions(工会) for discussion...
2. vary: be different, change
As they're handmade, each one varies slightly
3. instance: example, case
For instance, the girl became a CEO after many years’hard work.
4. entertain: If you entertain people, you provide food and drink for them, for example
when you have invited them to your house
5. decline: refuse politely
He offered the boys some coffee. They declined politely
6. more of an A than a B与其说是（B）不如说是（A），与其…倒不如…
He is more a teacher than a father.
Continued: focal point 3
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If you want to invite someone for a meal at a restaurant, be explicit: “I’d like to take
you to…”Americans should be explicit also, but they often assume you know the local
customs in the matter. Ask a friend’s advice if you are not sure.
There are also phrases that sound like invitations but in fact are not. People may say
things like: “We’ll have to get together sometime” or “You’ll have to come over and visit
us sometime.” You can identify such non-invitations by their generality — there is no
specific time mentioned, and the word “sometime” is often used. They are often ritual
expressions of parting. On these occasions you could respond: “Yes, that would be nice,”
or “I’d love to”, or something similar, and then let the subject drop. If they do not call
you, you could always invite them for some occasion.(如果他们不打电话，你可随时邀请他们)
1. explicit: clear, definite
Sheila shouldn't get lost because I gave her very explicit directions how to get there.
2. assume: suppose
If you assume that something is true, you imagine that it is true
3. identify认出；识别；分辨出If you can identify someone or something, you are able to
recognize them or distinguish them from others.
I tried to identify her perfume.我试图分辨出她用哪种香水
4. ritual: traditional
Ritual activities happen as part of a ritual or tradition
5. similar: alike
It is a misconception to assume that the two continents are similar
6. Word order in a subordinate
clause（知识点6：从句中的语序）
Ex 1: Simple wh-question：What is she doing now?
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Wh-question as an objective clause：I don’t know
what she is doing now.
Ex 2: Simple wh-question ：When will they go
toShanghai?
 Wh-question as a subjective clause：When they will
go to Shanghai hasn’t yet been decided.
 It hasn’t yet been decided when they will go
toShanghai.
Ex 3: Simple wh-question ：What does he want to read
today?
 Wh-question as a predicative clause：This is what he
wants to read today.
Ex 4: Simple wh-question：Where are you now?
 Wh-question as an adverbial clause：Could you stay
for a while where you are now?
Translate the following sentences
into English 翻译练习
1) 你能告诉我在哪儿可以买到口香糖吗？
Can you tell me where I can buy some chewing gum?
2) 警察想知道她长得什么样儿。
The police wanted to know what she looked like.
3) 你知道她穿的是什么衣服吗?
Do you know what she was wearing?
4) 在报告中他们问到银行里有几架安全摄像机。
In the report, they asked how many security cameras
there were in the bank.
5) 面试官问他已经工作几年了。
The interviewer asked him how many years he had
worked.