Unit Twelve
Business Profile
Reading I: Entrepreneurs
“It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He
can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; …The only thing a man can
do for eight hours is work.”
-- William Faulkner, American novelist
What do Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers, Richard Branson, the founder of
Virgin, and other top executives at Fortune 500 companies have in common? The
answer lies in the fact they have all been hired on a temporary basis to come in and
refresh a firm with their own special brand of magic. These most successful business
innovation experts know how to think outside the box and create success after
success. Trying to make your first million? What are the easiest routes to making
your first million? Intelligence? Hard work? Inheritance? An outstanding education?
Luck? A tough childhood? Do not let people tell you being success is about putting in
18-hour hard working, and getting a sudden stroke as you work your way to the top
of your career. Statistically speaking, your chances of making a fortune will largely
depend on how fortunate you are in the first place. When you’re rich already, it takes
a special kind of person not to get richer. The chances of becoming a successful
entrepreneur is not what you are, it is what you become. If you are not those kinds of
people who start off rich, you get there by starting small and making one sale at a time.
The first question to ask yourself is “What do you want to be? High-flier or Wage
Slave? What about starting out your own business profile?
Comprehension Check
1. What is the main idea of this article?
(A) Start out rich and end up richer.
(B) It takes all sorts of good qualities to become a successful entrepreneur.
(C) You need an outstanding education to become a successful entrepreneur.
(D) A high-flier is a successful entrepreneur.
2. Which of the following is mentioned in this article about surefire ways to get rich?
(A) start off rich
(B) do badly at school
(C) lose a parent
(D) be beautiful
3. Which of the following is probably not one of the easiest routes to making your
first million?
(A) A tough childhood
(B) Daydreaming
(C) Inheritance
(D) An outstanding education
4. What does it mean to think outside the box?
(A) to not spend too much money
(B) to think in a new and different way
(C) to work very quickly with fewer people
(D) to think about how to make money out of the box
5. Rephrase “The road to entrepreneurial success can’t be mapped out in advance.”
(A) The road to entrepreneurial success starts off by getting an idea, identifying
your customer, and making a sale.
(B) The road to entrepreneurial success starts off by daydreaming.
(C) The road to entrepreneurial success starts off by getting rich soon.
(D) The road to entrepreneurial success starts off by spending a lot of cash in
advance.
Vocabulary
1. executive n. 執行長
I doubt if the meeting will take place tomorrow because a storm is coming.
2. high-flyers n. 成功者
Sometimes spelled high-fliers, this type of person has achieved notable success more
quickly than is normal.
3. fortunate n. 幸運
I was very fortunate to catch her just before I boarded my plane.
4. innovation n. 創新
One of Apple’s mostly interesting innovations is the iPad.
5. stroke n. 中風
He considered winning the lottery as a stroke of luck (靠運氣).
6. inheritance n. 遺產
The old lady next door passed away and left me a large inheritance in her will.
7. profile n. 簡介﹔輪廓
Please provide me with your profile.
Idioms and Phrases
1. think outside the box idiom 跳出框架思考
Innovative ideas often occur when one thinks outside the box.
2. wage slave n. 薪水族
Many of us pass through life as wage slaves, depending solely on our income.
3. route to 到...之途
This is certainly not the route to winning his heart.
Fill in each blank with a word from the box below to complete the sentence.
(10 questions)
executive profile wage slave high-flier inheritance stroke route to (V-ing)
fortunate innovation think outside the box
1. He is extremely __________ to have her as his wife.
2. Entrepreneurs are required to possess the ability to ____________________ .
3. The man in the expensive tuxedo is the ___________ of this company.
4. My friend changed her ___________ picture on Facebook.
5. Sliced bread was the best ___________ ever.
6. Some people are content to live life as a __________ .
7. This restaurant is mainly popular with the ___________ of the show business
industry.
8. She is currently ___________________ to becoming a famous singer.
9. An heir usually receives a/an _________________ .
10. I’ve done all the studying, and now a/an __________ of is all I need for this
exam.
Reading II: Business Profile
Business profiles are about a company’s philosophy and the person who starts
out the business. They give an immediate sense of the presence of that person like the
opening shot of a documentary. Start with where the subject located his or her
business. A “Status Statement” follows soon after the business opening to tell
substantial information about what significant positions the subject holds, how much
money he had made, what kind of success he has achieved. The next section should
give a detailed characterization of the subject's profile and individual way of going
about business in his business environment. The Personal History Section provides a
place to sketch the subject's past and make the transition into talking about his
personal life. The best ending for the business profile is probably a quote from the
subject herself that sums up, in a fresh way, the essence of the person we have been
reading about. A quote by someone else about the subject can also work. One article
began in the man's office, described his life and activities, then returned to the office
by zooming in on a manuscript sitting on desk. The ending included his plans for
writing a book.
The following is an example of a business profile.
Homewood Global
Homewood Global is the leading global provider for serviced
apartments, with locations throughout the US, England and Asia Pacific.
Homewood is a unique hospitality business, servicing apartment
buildings combined with the spacious comfort of a luxury home with
the service of a hotel. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in New York,
privately-owned Homewood has more than 5,000 employees across the
globe, and an annual turnover exceeding US$700 million.
Homewood has announced a major expansion of its business in Japan,
the March opening of Homewood Residence Daikanyama will feature
83 superbly-appointed and serviced apartments.

Comprehension Check
1. What is a business profile?
(A) Business profiles are documentaries.
(B) A business profile only gives details of the person who started the business.
(C) Business profiles are a compilation of quotes.
(D) A business profile will usually contain information about a company's
philosophy and the person who started out the business.
2. Which of the questions below are correct?
(A) Business profiles are likely to have a status statement section and a personal
history section.
(B) Business profiles should start with a quote.
(C) Business profiles should end with plans for writing a book.
(D) The main point of a business profile is to show how much money the founder
of the company has made.
3. How should a business profile be summed up?
(A) By giving a detailed graph of the company’s gross profit and earnings.
(B) By giving substantial information about the founder’s personal history.
(C) By giving a summary of the founder’s future plans and goals.
(D) By quoting the founder or giving a quote by someone else about the founder.
4. How should a business profile start out?
(A) By showing a documentary.
(B) By starting with where the founder established the company.
(C) By showing a detailed list of the products or services provided.
(D) By giving specific characterizations of how the founder goes about running the
business.
5. What should a business profile contain?
(A) A personal history section.
(B) A complete customer list with personal details.
(C) The bank account number of the founder.
(D) A list of all the people the founder has ever dated.
Vocabulary
transition n. 過渡期
If you're planning on moving between the U.S. and Canada and need to figure out
your financial future, it is best to go to the Financial Advisors transition for
professional opinions.
1.
quote v. 引述他人的話
My mother has a habit of repeating quotes.
2.
essence n. 精髓﹔本質
In essence, our company has been offering creative design solutions and our objective
is to enable all types and sizes of business, economical access to design services.
3.
section n. 部分﹔ 區塊
When writing the business plan, the Management Plan section describes your
management team and staff and how your business ownership is structured.
4.
sketch v. 速寫
The artist sketched the girl’s portrait in less than twenty minutes.
5.
characterization n. 性格特徵描述
The brochures provide the audience with a complete characterization of the many
roles in the play.
6.
individual n. 個人
Every person in this world is a unique individual.
7.
documentary n. 記錄片
My best friend loves to watch medical documentaries.
8.
philosophy n. 宗旨﹔哲學
The language center’s philosophy is on the home page of their website.
9.
substantial adj. 足夠的
My parents give me a substantial allowance every month.
10.
Idioms and Phrases
1. ...zoom in
Alison likes to zoom in on all the details before making a decision.
2. ...go about
James will go about making arrangements as soon as you give the green light.
3. …is about…..
The moral of the story is about treating others the way you want to be treated.
4. …on a temporary basis......
Will Jasmine be residing here on a temporary basis?
Fill in each blank with a word from the box below to complete the sentence.
Transition quote essence philosophy sketch characterization
documentary section substantial
individual
1. There are many ________________ phases during life, such as puberty and
menopause.
2. How can I have such a _______________ closet full of clothes and still feel as
though I have nothing to wear?
3. He ____________ a lovely picture of his childhood home.
4. The _____________ of this story is the moral.
5. Our project for English class is to hand in a ______________ of the man in the
movie.
6. Our teacher loves to _____________ ancient philosophers.
7. Each ______________ charm on this bracelet stands for something special.
8. My sister is watching a _______________ on wolves.
9. What is your _______________ on life?
10. The meat and poultry ____________ is at the back of the store.
Extended Vocabulary
1. salary 薪水
2. reward 酬勞
3. wealthy 財富
4. sufficient 足夠的
5. wages 工資
6. welfare 福利
7. Labor Retirement Pension 勞工退休金
8. employment insurance 勞保
9. import tax 進口稅
10. harbor due 入港稅
11. sales tax 交易稅
12. payroll 工資單
13. annual bonus 年終獎金
14. tariff 關稅
15. life insurance 壽險
16. stock income tax 證劵交易所得稅
17. stamp duty 印花稅
18. commodity tax 貨物稅
19. business tax 營業稅
20. business profit tax 營利事業所得稅
21. export tax 出口稅
22. harbor-labor tax 港工捐
23. deed tax 契稅
24. tax staff 稅務人員
25. piece work; by piecemeal 論件計
26. pay duty 納稅
27. overtime wage 加工工資
28. employee's welfare fund 職工福利金
29. time charter 論時計
30. taxpayer 納稅人
31. personal deduction 個人減免
32. general deduction 一般減免
33. health insurance 健康保險
34. employment insurance 勞保
35. tax exemption 免稅
36. employee's welfare fund 職工福利金
37. Maternity Benefits 生育給付
38. particular deduction 特殊減免
39. bill of entry 報稅單
40. declaration 申報書
41. annual bonus 年終獎金
42. chare 論日計(零工)
43. pensioner 領退休金者
44. voyage charter 論次計
45. Childbirth Subsidy 生育補助
46. Livin g Allowances 生活津貼
47. raised wage 提高工資
48. reduce wage 減低工資
49. overtime wage 加工工資
50. year-end bonus 年終獎金
Sentence Patterns
1. No matter who/ what/ when/ how/ where…., S + V…
Whoever/ whatever/ whenever/ However/ Wherever…, S + V
(不論誰/ 甚麼/ 何時/ 如何/ 何地 …, …)
EX:
a. No matter when you need my help, you can call me.
b. No matter what you do, you'll succeed if you don't give up
c. Whatever you say, I will start my business from scratch.
2. Because(連接詞) S + V, S + V
Because of + N, S + V
因為
Ex: The ball game was put off because it was raining.
 Because of the rain, the ball game was put off. (延期)
EX:
a. Some years ago McDonald’s had to pay a huge amount of money to one
particular customer who was hurt because of the hot temperature of the food it
served.
b. The Roman tyrant, Nero, set fire to the city of Rome simply because he wanted
to see what it would be like.
c. Bryant might have offended his girlfriend because of his bad joke.
3. It is not until …. that S V(肯定句) (一直到…時候才做…)
Not until…. be/助動詞 S V…
 Ex: It is not until you lose your friends that you understand the value
of friendship.
EX:
a. It is not until the Pavarotti’s health deteriorated that the tenor stopped singing.
b. Until he came along I did not know what love was.
c. It is not until I went with them that I found out the whole thing was a scandal.
4. Whether S1 V1… or not, S2 V2…
是否…
Whether S V … (or not) 單數名詞…
(whether 當主詞)
S1 V1… whether S2 V2… (or not)
(whether 當主詞)
Ex: Whether I go with them or not, they will set out tomorrow.
EX:
a. Whether you enter an ideal university or not depends on how hard you study.
b. Whether or not you decide to become a good business man is entirely up to you.
c. Whether you like it or not, I am going to leave.
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
1. This story _____________ a business tycon who lost his business over night.
2. She will _____________ her business in her usual way, despite what happened last
time.
3. The police will ____________ on the person’s face in order to determine who it is.
4. How do you _____________ preparing for an exam when you can’t stop thinking
about something else?
5. Did you tell her that she will be hired _________________________ ?
6. You can ___________ on your photos using this camera.
7. What ______ all this racket ___________ ?
8. Please don’t make a big decision irrationally. _____________ on all the small print
first.
9. I know Alison will tell me what this big act ______________ instead of brooding
over it.
10. This looks quite interesting! What ______ this book ________ ?
11. Sam and Robbie are working together ____________________________ for the
sake of completing the task at hand.
12. I want you to ____________ on this case and hand me a detailed report.
13. Why would he ___________ expressing his feelings in such a manner?
14. The author will always ______________ on peculiar details in every chapter.
These act as clues in order to help the detective solve his case.
15. Elena’s mother told her that the stray cat would only be staying for a few nights
_______________________________ until it found an owner.
16. How did he ____________ solving this problem?
17. Reading the description on the back of the novel helps you determine what the
story _____________________.
18. Daisy is an avid amateur fortune-teller. She loves to ________________ reading
everyone's palms and predicting their fortunes.
19. Friends with benefits is an example of relationships that exist
________________________________.
20. This organization ________ not ____________ the money; it is about spreading
love to every corner of the world.
Conversation
Santos:
Are you reading Steve Job’s autobiography? What is it about?
Adriana: Well...the essence of this story is about a man who started out with nothing,
embarking on a trip of self-discovery, and became really successful.
Santos:
How does he go about discovering himself?
Adriana:
He traveled to India and zoomed in on aspects of himself that were
brought out living in that particular country.
Santos:
So he thought, “What do I have in common with this world?” and then
he used the ‘think different’ phrase. He said, “Apple is about people who
think outside the box, who want to use computers to help change the
world.”
Adriana:
Exactly. He got rid of all the psychological rubbish and worked his way
to his heart.
Santos:
And did he live in that country on a temporary basis to accomplish his
goal?
Adriana:
Yeah, he lived there for seven months. It’s an inspirational story!
The book has just been released. Would you like to read it?
Santos:
It sounds pretty amazing, it’s a shame that I have to study for
tomorrow’s exam. I can read it on Sunday though!
Comprehension Check
1. What is the movie about?
(A) A trip of self-discovery
(B) Severance pay
(C) Marathon
(D) Steve Jobs’ philosophy
2. How country did he go to?
(A) Italy
(B) Indonesia
(C) America
(D) India
3. How many months did he stay there?
(A) five
(B) six
(C) seven
(D) eight
4. According to Jobs, Apple is about people who _____
(A) Think the same
(B) think outside the box
(C) Have psychological problems
(D) Money
5. What can change the world, according to Jobs?
(A) freedom
(B) Convenient stores
(C) Wall Street
(D) Technology
Listening Comprehension
Peter:
Hi, Andrew, I heard that you have launched your own trade company. I
think you are brave.
Andrew:
Well, Peter, launching a company need not be frightening. I have recently
attended a workshop called “Start Your Own Business.” And it says that
to evaluate your business idea, you have to look at your personal goals,
your own skills and knowledge, and most importantly, whether your idea
solves a problem in the marketplace.
1. What is the title of the workshop that Andrew Chang attended?
(A) Start Your Own Business
(B) How to own a trade company.
(C) Rock and Roll.
(D) Business in Context.
You: Peter, I’d like you to meet Robert Lee. He is my colleague. Robert is the
official representative of the British Council.
Robert, this is Peter Wang. I know Peter from the AT&T Sales Department in
New York.
Peter: Pleased to meet you, Robert. You must tell me more about your job.
2. Where does Peter work?
(A) In New York
(B) ..In London
(C) . In Shanghai
(D) In Paris
A:
Well, you mentioned that your company manufactures electrical vehicles. We
have created a new type of speed control device for these vehicles that saves a
lot of energy.
B:
What is the name of your company?
A:
Branch Electronics. We are a young enterprise, not exactly the market leader,
but we have a team of creative research engineers.
3. What’s the name of the company mentioned in the conversation?
(A) Branch Electronics
(B) ..Bloom Electricity
(C) ..Blackberry Electronics
(D) ..Best Buy
A:
How is your business, David?
B:
Surviving, I must say.
A:
Don’t worry. It is said that a new company has to be ready to experience at
least five years of loss. What exactly are you selling?
B:
My business enterprise sells packaging machines to Europe and Latin America.
4. What is David’s company selling?
(A) plastic bags
(B) packaging machines .
(C) American products
(D) European goods
A:
Guess what? I met Bill Guys the other day. I learned that he is a philanthropist
who frequently underwrites youth projects and provides scholarships for
university students.
B:
Good for him. He is also famous for spending his weekends doing volunteer
work at the church. His plan for the future is to help with the Environmental
organizations.
5. Who is the person the speakers are talking about?
(A) Bill Clinton.
(B) Grey Thomson
(C) Bill Guys
(D) Warren Buffet