VIP Class Notes (Lily)[R]

short vowels

Pronunciation

brain= b ray n
train rain tail rail frail hail gain

ai pain drain frail mail email

oa: poach coach moan toast

pail pale

sale sail sell

Vocabulary

1.decent= nice 过得去的
ex: you have a decent apartment, it’s very cozy.

2. cozy= 舒服的 comfortable
ex: this is a cozy sofa.
ex: I have a cozy bedroom.

3. aim (verb)= pursue 追求
ex: I aim for a happy and healthy lifestyle.

4. essential= basic 基本的 必要的
ex: I shop for essential things in life on Tabao.

5. norm= 惯例
ex: In China, it’s a norm for the man to pay for the meal.

6. recession= economy going down 萧条
ex: China is going through an economic recession.

7. listed company= 上市公司
ex: MT is a listed company.

8. boost= 促进
ex: To boost the economy development, Canada legalized marijuana.

9. equivalent to = equal to 相当于
ex: if you work out 20 mins a day, that’s equivalent to working out 2 hours per week.

10. thermage= 热玛吉
ex: the 5th generation of thermage is around 20,000 yuan.

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.

But not everyone is happy at being givena fixed pay rise– they feel they’re worth more and that they deserve more money. It’s not something we should fear “asking for”, says Pip Jamieson, founder of the professional networking site, The Dots. She’s told the BBC “No one ever got fired for asking for a pay rise. In fact, rather the opposite – asking for more money shows ambition and shows you want to stay with the company.”