练习1. Problems at Southford Plant

Dear MR Ballard,
You asked for a brief report concerning the recent events at the Southford Plant.
We have consulted the files and spoken to relevant members of the higher management and thus are able to provide an explanation for the breakdown reported in the press on 17 May of this year.
____1____ The handling equipment used to deliver the components to the assembly line has been known to be in need of an overhaul for the past six months. The plant has been working to full capacity to finish the American orders according to schedule.
    As you know, we had commissioned a study by Industrial Research Consultants. ____2____ In it they warned that there was not enough space available to store sufficient components ____3____
We had decided to install fully automated robot system. However, at the same time it was clear to our production director that given the present maintenance staff, we would not have sufficient staff available if big problems were to arise____4____But we were still only working a two-shift system so the machines were not getting the necessary cover.
We all agree that the breakdown was extremely unfortunate and yet we must admit that, under the circumstance, it was not entirely unexpected.
    We now believe that we have managed to sort out the major problems which we had been having with the conveyor equipment ____5____ Added to this is the fact that personnel department has been successful in recruiting some highly qualified maintenance staff who makes us confident that a repetition of the 16 May now seems entirely unlikely.

A. They also recommended expanding the present two-shift system to a three-shift one.
B. And also when the new robots are installed in September, we feel certain that such problems will become a thing of the past.
C. Unfortunately, as you know, there has been a major problem with recognizing the maintenance schedule.
D. The wide range of machine we operate is not fully supervised at all times.
E. The cause of the breakdown was very simple.
F. They submitted their report on April 5.
G. There have been a number of delays and breakdowns in production recently which have been reported in the press.
H. The firm has been advertising for maintenance engineers for some weeks.
I. All the facilities in the plant will be coordinated to enable the workers to step up production of the new range of machines.

答案：1. E；2. F；3. A；4. H；5.B
Finding the right people

    When a small company grows, managers must take on many new roles. Besides the day-to-day running of the business, they find themselves responsible for, among other things, relations with outside investors, increased levels of cashflow and, hardest of all, recruitment.
For most managers of small and medium-sized enterprises, the job of searching for, interviewing and selecting staff is difficult and time-consuming. ___(0) G___. Interviewing, for example, is a highly skilled activity in itself.
    “We have found the whole process very hard,” says Dan Baker, founding partner of a PR company. “In seven years we have grown from five to eighteen staff, but we have not found it easy to locate and recruit the right people.” ___(8)___. As Dan Baker explains, “We went to one for out first recruitment drive, but they took a lot of money in advance and didn’t put forward anybody suitable. In the end we had to do it ourselves.”