2023年视听面试英语听力原文.docx

Episode 1
PH: You what? What do you mean? You’ve lost the DollarMart contract? Oh Brian, tell me you’re joking! That’s our biggest contract! And you’ve lost it!
OK... OK... yes, I know you’ve had some personal problems recently... yes, sure... yes, I know our competitors have improved their offer... but, really Brian, these are just excuses...
Oh Brian, come on – you failed to meet agreed targets for the entire last quarter. We talked about this at your lastperformance review and I told you then it had to improve and to be quite honest – it hasn’t. Losing the DollarMart contract is the last straw... No, I’m sorry Brian that’s it, that’s your last chance. I’m going to have to let you go.
Let you go. Yes. That’s what it means Brian. You’re fired.
Hi Jess, can you put me through to Marcia in HR please?
Hi Marcia. It’s Philip here. Listen, I’ve had to let Brian go. He lost us the DollarMart account. Yeah, but it had been going on for a while, he just wasn’t pulling his weight anymore. He’d been warned – his last performance review was really bad. He knew it was coming...
So - we’ll be looking for someone new and we’ll need to decide on who that is...
Who are we looking for? Good question...I was hoping you might be able to help me with that! Here’s what I’m thinking and let me know if you agree.
Well, obviously, they’ll need to have a first degree, doesn’t matter what subject, and then a masters or an MBA, I’d say.
Experience? At least five years' relevant experience, in an international company – I want somebody with a proventrack record. Oh they have to be a team player – Brian never was – so strong interpersonal skills. Oh and I want someone with vision... yes, “vision” – I know it’s difficult to define, but what I mean is, someone who knows we’re in a rapidly changing market, and they can use it to our advantage.
Experience with online sales, perhaps – but yes, I’d be interested in that. Oh, language skills – I can’t emphasise that enough – not necessarily a native speaker, but they must be very good at English, and another language as well, Spanish, or Mandarin is best.
Does that sound OK to you? Great! OK, can you get an ad out on the website as soon as possible, and the trade press, as well? OK, great, thanks Marcia. I want a new sales director by the end of the month!
Episode 2
Philip Hart: So, how many applications did we get, Marcia?
Marcia Boardman: Well...overall we’ve got over two hundred...
PH: That many!?
MB: Yes, but...most of which we can discard right away...people who don’t have the right experience, qualifications that kind of thing...
PH: Of course...
MB: ...and then we get the people who submit ten-page-long CVs, or CVs in comicbook font, or green ink, or they attach a photo of themselves disco dancing...you know the kind of thing!
MB: So, I whittled down the serious candidates to a shortlist of twelve people.
PH: And we’ll interview all of them?
MB: I think we should – but obviously I’ll let you have a look first.
PH: Great...so, who have we got then?
MB: Well, I think we’ve got some pretty strong candidates, two in particular...
PH: They have the right kind of profile?
MB: I’d certainly say so – a strong educational background, experience in multinational sales, language skills...
PH: Good, I look forward to meeting them.
MB: So I’d say we do the standard interview format..
PH: Sure..
MB: A few general questions, then onto specifics...
PH: Yes, exactly – I want to hear specific details of when they’ve solved problems...
MB: Yes and then something about “vision”, as you put it...
PH: Yes...what do you think about a brief presentation?
MB: I think that’s a good idea – we could ask them to give a short presentation on where they see the company going – and how they see themselves taking us there.
PH: Great! You know something? I’m really looking forward to this!

Episode 3
MB: Hi, I'm Marcia Boardman, I'm calling from WebWare.
DW: Oh hi, Marcia. Great to hear from you.
MB: You'll already have been told you've been shortlisted for interview...
ST: Oh... yes... great... hello? Can you hear me?
MB: Yes... Is it OK if I call you now? Would you like me to call you back
later?
ST: Erm, no, no, no, that's OK...
MB: Good - well we're very excited about meeting you. OK, I just want to
talk you through the procedure for the day. Someone will meet you when you
arrive, reimburse you for any travel expenses you may have, and then bring
you up to meet myself and Philip Hart, the CEO.
DW: OK, sounds good. So will you be the only members of the interview panel
there then?
MB: Yes, it'll be just me and Philip who will talk to you. The interview
will be in three parts - first of all we'll ask you some general questions
about yourself and your educational and professional background, then we'll
move on to specifics.
ST: Oh, er, specifics? Well er, what kind of questions will you be asking?
MB: Well, it'll be very similar to the personal statement you submitted with
your CV - we'll be expecting you to to give actual examples of problems
you've faced and solved, and of what you feel are the major successes in
your career so far.
DW: OK, well yeah, that sounds great - can't wait!
MB: Then there'll be a chance for you to ask us any questions - about the
job itself, or WebWare in general...
ST: Oh, erm, OK... I'll think of something!
MB: After that, we'd like you to give a short presentation on how you see
WebWare as a company progressing, and how you see yourself taking us there.
DW: OK so will I be expected to give like a formal style presentation?
MB: It can be as formal or informal as you like. There'll be a flipchart and
a data projector there available. If you need anything else, just let us
know.
ST: Oh, erm OK, a presentation! I'll think of something. I haven't done one
of those in a while...
MB: Is that all clear? Great, so, Daniel, I'll see you at 11am, a week
tomorrow.
DW: OK, great, I look forward to meeting you! Thanks, bye.
MB: OK, so, Sarah, we'll be seeing you at 1pm, a week tomorrow. Best of
luck!
ST: Oh, thanks... I'll need it...

Episode 4
Marcia Boardman: Good morning Daniel!
Daniel: Dan, please...
Marcia Boardman: I’m Marcia Boardman – we spoke on the phone – and this is Philip Hart, our CEO.
Philip Hart: Hello!
Daniel: Nice to meet you both.
Philip Hart: So it says here on your CV that you’re interested in rock climbing...
Daniel: Yeah... love it!
Philip Hart: Great – so do I! When did you last go climbing?
Daniel: Oh, err, well, it was a while ago now...
Philip Hart: Anywhere interesting?
Daniel: Yeah. I walked up the hill behind my house. Took me about thirty minutes!
Philip Hart: Oh.
Marcia Boardman: OK, erm, Daniel, can you tell us a little bit about your current position?
Daniel: Certainly – as it says in the CV, I’m part of the European Sales team at Networld. We’re the world’s leading supplier of IT hardware.
Philip Hart: Why do you want to move on?
Daniel: Well, they’re too small for me.
Marcia Boardman: Networld!? Networld are too small for you?
Daniel: Oh yeah. I’m looking for something much bigger.
Philip Hart: Well, we’re not a big company by any means, but we are looking to grow! What first attracted you to WebWare in particular?
Daniel: Well, I see WebWare as kind of like a stepping stone...
Marcia Boardman: Sorry?
Daniel: Yeah, start here gain the necessary experience, then move onto something bigger.
Philip Hart: OK... well, I do admire your ambition!
Daniel: Thanks – I’ve got lots of it!
Marcia Boardman: Let’s move on to managing people. Can you give an example of a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult managee?
Daniel: Sure – well I think that’s one of my strong points actually. A couple of years ago, I was working with a guy, he wasn’t pulling his weight, basically being lazy – so I told him to get out.
Marcia Boardman: Oh, you didn’t give him a performance review, or a warning, or perhaps try to help develop his motivation?
Daniel: No, no, no. None of that rubbish. If someone’s not working hard enough, then they’re out! That’s the way I work. I’m a hard man.
Marcia Boardman: I see.
Philip Hart: How would you handle a rapidly changing market?
Daniel: Basically not change anything at all! Just continue on as normal regardless!
Marcia Boardman: According to your CV you are fluent in Mandarin...
Daniel: Well, I wouldn’t say ‘fluent’ exactly... but, I like Chinese food a lot – so I can read the menu!
Philip Hart: So you can’t actually speak the language?
Daniel: Erm, no.
Marcia Boardman: Can you tell us about a time you had to close a particularly challenging deal.
Daniel: I haven’t had one. They’re all easy for me. I close deals all the time!
Marcia Boardman: OK – well do you have any questions for us?
Daniel: No.
Philip Hart: Oh. OK. Erm. Thanks.
Marcia Boardman: Let’s move on to the presentation...

Episode 5
Marcia Boardman: Hi Sarah! I’m Marcia Boardman – we spoke on the phone...
Sarah: Oh yes, I remember – I was having a bad day!
Marcia Boardman: ...and this is Philip Hart, our CEO.
Philip Hart: Hello!
Sarah: Hello, it’s very nice to meet you both. 
Philip Hart: It says on your CV that you do voluntary work...
Sarah: Well, when I have time, yes! I do work at a centre for children with difficulties, yes...
Philip Hart: That must be very interesting...
Sarah: It’s rewarding and challenging.
Marcia Boardman: Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about your current position?
Sarah: I’m assistant sales director for a chain of language schools.
Philip Hart: So this post would be quite a change then...
Sarah: I don’t think so honestly because the skills are the same, despite the product.
Marcia Boardman: Why are you thinking of moving on?
Sarah: Well I’ve come as far as I can in my current position, I feel and I’m 28 now and would love to take on some more responsibility.
Marcia Boardman: Ok, let’s move on to managing people. Can you give us an example of when you had to deal with a particularly difficult managee?
Sarah: Well, yes, I had two people working for me who didn’t get along at all – they had no shared values, different temperaments – and they used to argue a lot, it looked like it was impossible for them to work together. So, I sat down with them, and we talked about their differences and their problems and after that, things went much more smoothly!
Philip Hart: How would you deal with a rapidly changing and uncertain global market?
Sarah: Ok, that’s actually something I wanted to talk about in my presentation...but I’d say to stay flexible and to diversify markets and sales strategies.
Marcia Boardman: It says on your CV you speak French and Spanish.
Sarah: Yes, I do. I lived in both France and Spain for a while.
Philip Hart: Any plans to learn other languages?
Sarah: I’d love to try!
Marcia Boardman: Ok, can you tell us about a time you closed a particularly challenging deal?
Sarah: Well, the biggest contract I won - and the thing I’m most proud of professionally - was with a large university in India, to provide language training. The contract was full of technicalities and the client was very picky! – But I still pulled it off.
Marcia Boardman: Ok – do you have any questions for us?
Sarah: Yes - about your ethical policy and your carbon footprint...I was wondering whether you are planning to reduce your carbon footprint and whether all your products are ethically sourced?
Philip Hart: That’s a very good question...and that’s something we’re moving towards at the moment...
Marcia Boardman: Ok, well, let’s move on to the presentation...

Episode 6
Daniel: When I was asked to do a presentation on ‘Where WebWare is going, and what I can do to help it get there,’ my first thought was simple: me!
As you’ve already seen, I’ve got a lot of skills, and the right kind of personality needed to do a job like this... Here’s a slide I made! You see that – that’s my sales team – they love me! Certainly going to be sad to see me leave...
Outside the box thinking – that’s what I’ve got...!
Sarah: Ok. To start with, I did a careful SWOT analysis using the data I had available, which is obviously only partial. I looked at aspects such as competitors, online visibility, changing technologies and R&D... On the basis of this, I believe WebWare should carry out some careful market research, strengthen its brand awareness in secondary markets, and improve the flexibility of its offer. If this produces positive results, I think it should be possible to maintain the premium pricing policy...
Daniel: Here’s the sales figures for the last job I did – all down to me! Blue sky thinking! Finally, to finish my presentation, I’d like to play you a song I wrote...
Philip Hart: Ok, Ok... that’s enough. Thanks Daniel...
Daniel: Great! So does that mean I’ve got the job?
Marcia Boardman: Erm, we’ll be in touch over the next five days to let you know...
Daniel: OK great, thank you.
Sarah: This is how I’d predict a sales pattern would go. I have to emphasise these are only speculative results at the moment.
The key words are: caution, adaptability, and consolidation of main product lines – WebWare’s “cash cows,” if you like. It’s important to be flexible, yet reliable. Oh, and another thing is you need to improve the delivery times on your online orders! I hope all that’s clear. Do you have any questions?
Philip Hart: No, thank you Sarah – that’s all very clear – you’ve given us quite a lot to think about there!
Marcia Boardman: Yes, thanks a lot Sarah. We’ll be in touch over the next few days to let you know about the appointment.
Sarah: Thank you both for your time. It’s been a pleasure meeting both of you.
Philip Hart / Marcia Boardman: Bye!

Episode 7
Philip Hart: So...what did you think?
Marcia Boardman: Well... between Sarah Timms and Daniel Watson – I think the choice is pretty obvious!
Philip Hart: Yes – so do I. Watson looked so good on paper...
Marcia Boardman: He seemed very good when I first spoke to him too..
Philip Hart: First impressions often lie!
Marcia Boardman: Indeed...I think a lot of his CV was – how shall we say? “Counterfactual”
Philip Hart: Yes – it just wasn’t true! You should never lie on your CV...
Marcia Boardman: He had very good references, though – very strange.
Philip Hart: I guess some people just like that sort of style, but he wouldn’t fit in with us...I mean, it’s important to be confident – but he was overconfident.
Marcia Boardman: I couldn’t agree more. His body language was all wrong...he came across as arrogant.
Philip Hart: Then he gave very vague answers – no specific details of what exactly he’d done in his job...
Marcia Boardman: Whereas Sarah Timms...
Philip Hart: ...knew exactly what she was talking about.
Marcia Boardman: Yes, she was very convincing, self-assured, but not arrogant.
Philip Hart: She’d clearly done some research on the company, and knew what she