VIP Class Notes (Lily) [R]

Vocabulary

1.nosy=好管闲事的 爱追问的
ex: my relatives are super nosy, so I don’t want to go back for CNY.
ex: my colleagues are nosy, they like to stalk me on my moments.

2. stalk (verb)= 跟踪
stalker (noun)= the person who stalks
ex: “hahah why are you stalking me ?”
ex: “you are such a stalker”

3. zoom in
zoom out
ex: I would zoom in on her pictures to find my ex boyfriend.

4. potential= 潜力
ex: we have the potential to be a spy or a hacker.
ex: You have the potential to be a singer, you have a beautiful voice.

5. decent= nice, good enough
ex: you have a decent apartment, I like the decoration.
ex: I have a decent bonus for my hard work.

6. aim= 目标在于 strive for, pursue
ex: I aim to be a successful businesswoman.
ex: I aim to be a rich woman who can collect rents.

7. essential= 基础的 基本的
ex: We must have three essential things in life: water, food and shelter

8. norm= normal behavior 惯例
ex: it’s a norm in China for men to pay for the meal.
ex: it’s a norm to give red packs to little children for CNY.
ex: in Canada, it’s a norm to hold the door for the next person.

9. recession= economy going down 萧条
ex: China is undergoing an economy recession, many companies are laying off employees.

10. boost= 促进 增加
ex: some people will drink Red Bull to boost their energy.
ex: To boost the economy in Canada, the government legalized weed.

Being an employee at a company has many challenges – you want job satisfaction, a work-life balance and opportunities for promotion. But most of us want a decent financial reward. We aim to get a good salary to pay for the essential things in life plus a few luxuries. But when that’s not enough, we have to do the hardest thing in the world – ask our boss for a pay rise!

In some companies, a regular annual pay rise is the norm – all staff get a fixed increase in their monthly pay packet. In other firms, workers might get a bonus to reward them for their efforts or for meeting a target. But for some people, a pay increase is something you have to ask for – and if you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Wage increases have been a sensitive issue in recent years. Due to the global economic recession, businesses had to tighten their belts. Most public sector pay in the UK, for example, was frozen for two years in 2010, and after that rises were capped at 1% – below the rate of inflation. But last month the government awarded them a pay rise above the 2% inflation rate so that teachers, for example, will get a 2.75% salary boost. That’s the equivalent to £1,000 extra a year for those on an average salary.