F2F Class Notes (Lily) [R/S]

Trade is the buying and selling of goods and services. The products that are exchanged are things that people grow or make, like food to eat, machines to work with or clothes to wear. Services are things that people do for others, like working in bank, caring for old people or teaching pupils.

Trade happens because people need or want things that they don’t have. We also trade for work that we cannot do ourselves. Trade between countries happens for the same reason. Some countries, for example, have natural resources, like coal, oil or wood which other countries might want to buy. They try to sell the goods, products or services that they have too much of to other countries. They earn money from these sales and then can buy the things that they themselves need and cannot produce on their own.

Both producers and consumers profit from international trade. If countries can produce goods more cheaply than others because they specialize on them why not let them. They make more money on one side and consumers in other countries can buy goods that are cheaper.

Even though many nations have a lot of different goods to export there are countries that depend only on one or two products to get money. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries of the Middle East depend on oil exports, because it is pretty much the only thing that they can sell. Poor countries in Africa depend largely on the export of tropical farm products to get money.

Pronunciation

coal– c ol ex: coat

consumer– con suuu mer

countries– con tries NOT can tries 

specialize– spe Shal lize

Vocabulary

specialize: to pursue some special line of study, work, etc.; have a specialty:

ex: My company specializes in making auto parts.

interfere: to get involved

ex: the government did not interfere with the trade.

limit= to control, regulate, reduce

ex: The government can limit the number of trades.

my company have the global sourcing department. They find some vendors from other countries and also have to arrange the shipment, the logistics. Our company is making auto parts, we also have department at the factory in Shan Dong, and they are the international sell, they have international consumers.

my company has a global sourcing department. They find some vendors from other countries and also have to arrange the shipment, the logistics. Our company makes auto parts, we also have departments at the factory in Shan Dong, and they are the international negotiator, they have international consumers.

topic: minority of women in senior positions in business

I found that in many companies, there are more male bosses, and the female, most of them are in the support department. I think women can have the same ability, but the difference are other people’s attitude/ thoughts. Maybe they think women are not that powerful or that smart, not have too much energy to afford that position. I think that’s prejudice. My last boss is a woman, and everybody thought she was good. Maybe because her education background and career background is good enough. I think a woman to be a leader mainly to help more supporting thing.

I found that in many companies, there are more men in the executive positions. Most women are in the support departments. I think women can have the same ability, but other people perceive them differently. Maybe they think women are not that powerful or that smart, they don’t have too much energy to retain the position. I think that’s prejudice.  My last boss was a woman, and everybody thought she was good. Maybe because her education background and career background is good. As a woman leader, she would need more documents (diploma, certificates) to prove herself.