Online Class Notes (Nicholas)
Next Class Focus
Review the grammar section.
Homework
Recently, Apple has experienced a big sales drop — but it is still a very valuable brand. If you could predict, do you think Chinese brands will become more popular abroad in the future? What are your thoughts on things like “intellectual property”…this means the special technology behind your favorite products. Many people accuse China of stealing intellectual property…do you think this is true, or maybe is this just political argument? If you want, you can comment on the recent trade war between China and the USA.
Reading
Tim Cook hints at cheaper iPhones as Apple reveals first sales drop in two years
Apple has revealed its first sales drop in more than two years and warned of further falls in the coming months as it confirmed that its iPhone business had gone into decline.
The company revealed that revenues in the final three months of 2018, its traditionally lucrative Christmas period, had fallen by 5pc to $84.3bn (£64.5bn).
The decline was most pronounced in the iPhone business, which makes up the majority of Apple’s profits. Sales of the iPhone fell by 15pc, with much of the drop due to waning demand for its products in China. Profits, at $20bn, were flat on the same period a year ago.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, suggested that consumers outside of America could benefit from cheaper iPhone prices in future as he said the company could reverse a policy of pricing its phones in dollars, rather than local currencies.
The falling pound in the last two years has pushed up the price of the most expensive iPhone in Britain from £789 in 2015 to £1,449 today, an 83pc increase. In comparison, the price in dollars has risen by just 52pc over the same period. “When you look at foreign currencies and then particularly those markets that weakened over the last year those (iPhone price) increases were obviously more,” Mr Cook told Reuters.
Vocabulary
to hint at / 提示 / not to say it clearly and obviously, but people hear you and they can guess what you truly mean
e.g. Tim Cook hinted to the Apple investors that maybe cheaper iPhone would come out in the future.
lucrative / 有利可图 / it’s very profitable, makes a lot of money for you or your company
e.g. Nowadays, playing video games on the internet for your fans is very lucrative.
waning / 减弱 / fading away / waning moon
e.g. The sales drop was due to waning demand in China.
unstable / 稳定
e.g. Right now, the situation in Venezuela is very unstable — maybe the country will become more dangerous.
erupted / to erupt / 爆发
e.g. Volcanoes erupt, but also in society, if people become too angry, they can erupt too.
mounting pressure / growing pressure…they are making things difficult slowly over time and it’s building stronger and stronger
e.g. The people of Venezuela put mounting pressure on their current President because they want him to leave
e.g. Donald Trump is facing mounting pressure from American citizens because they think he did some illegal things with Russia.
protests /抗议 / a big group of people go outside and tell the government that they are unhappy
e.g. In Venezuela, the current presidents attacked the protestors while they were protesting.
e.g. In China, you cannot protest — it’s against the law.
unrest / not peaceful “no one can rest”
e.g. In Venezuela right now, there is lots of violence, and civil unrest (unrest in society).
Grammar
when I was in level 4 / when I was in 4th grade
was elected to the swimming team / chosen for the swimming team
at the third of Feb / on the third of Feb
I don’t know whether he need to go to hospital / ….whether he needs to go to the hospital
many have been cold / they caught the cold
if the country have the capability… / if the country has
they can accept them / they should accept them **THIS IS YOUR OPINION — USE “SHOULD”**
Pronunciation
da / the
revealed / reviled
falls /
falling /
deadly /
racing /
weapons /
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