1. Ask and answer the following questions in pairs.

1. When did Mr. Jebb want the shipment to be made?

2. Why did mr. Jebb want to have the shipment made in March?

3. Could Mr. Tian hav ethe shipment made in March?

4. Why wasn’t it possible to make any improvement on the time of shipment?

5. Why did Mr. Jebb say that early delivery meant very mu h to him?

6. How did Mr. Tian help Mr. Jebb out of his difficulty?

7. Was Mr. Jebb very glad toi hear that Mr. Tian could advance shipment to early April?

8. Did he feel assured of ehat mr. Tian had said?

9. What makes you think that Mr. Jebb didn’t feel assured of mr. Tian ‘s proposal?

10. Give a brief summary of the whole conversation.

II. Combine the following construction. E.g.

   He bought futures, He thought the price would go up.

  He bought futures, thinking the price would go up.

1. There’s an interval of two or three days. It gives you time to make out the contract.

2. It would tie up the capital. It would prevent us from expanding our business.3

3. You pay the salesman a commission. It gives him an incerntice to sell more.

4. Hugh’s bought cheap. He makes a nice profit.

5. The price has fallen. It put us at a disadvantage.

6. There’s a teletype. It keeps the dealers aware of price changes in other markets.

7. You are to cable us. You are to inform us of the contract number, name of commodiity, quantity, loading port and the estimated date the goods will reach the port of loading, and so on.

8. The amount of the L/C is only $ 864. It leaves a shortage of $ 13.

III. Multiple Choice.

1. It is _______ mistake that we make out a wrong invoice for this consignment.

    by         through        with          because

2. We can supply the gooods you require ______.

     in stock       out of stock         from stock         through stock

3. An exporter cannot receive payment until the goods on consignment _______ sometime in the future.

      Arrive at destination          are sold in a whole lot          have been sold          have offered for sale

4. As an importer Mr. Williason _______ goods on consignemnt during the booming years.

     preders       would rather buy      would not prefer         prefers not to buy

5. We cannot accept any fresh orders _______ heavy connitments.

owing to         because        for          with

6. Obviously your recent quotation seems workable as it is in line with the _______ market.

today           latest           prevailing          now

7. Our shipping advice was mailed to you ten days ago and you no doubt ______ it by now.

      received          will receive        have received          have had received

1.       Your L/C must reach here next week, or else we won’t be able to ______ the steamer sailing early in May.

      catch up with         catch          catch up        catch hold of

9. As the goods are ready for shipment, we _______ your L/C to be opened immediately.

hope          anticipate          await          expect

10. The goods _______ shipped already if your L/C had arrived by the end of last December.

     Wwuld be          would have been          had been          msut have been

IV. Translate the following into English orally.

  F: 请问，我们所订的货物10月份能够装运吗？

  C：对不起，不行了。从现在到10月底有全部舱位都已经订满了。

  F：那太糟了。我们的客户急需这批货物，它们是专门供应圣诞节的商品。为了能赶上销售季节，他们必须在11月底前将商品投放市场。否则就错过大好时机了。

  C：我们干业务也有好些年了，深知交货期对客户的重要性。所以，一接到信用证，我们就立即与公司联系订舱。可是根据目前的运输情况看，我们实在是无能为力。

  F：就我所知，从这里到目的港每月有两班航次，为什么订舱如此困难？

  C：原因不是明摆着的吗？正如你刚刚所说，圣诞节即将来临，商人们都抢着进货，所以舱位相当紧张。而你说的两班航次都是直达船，船只稀少，间距又远。订舱自然也就难了。

  F：那么能不能想想其他办法呢？

  C：有啊。假如说，我们不用直达船，或者，更具体地说，假如能允许在香港转船，事情要好办得多了。你知道从香港出来的航班要多得多。

  F：可是，这会不会增加货物被盗或损坏的风险呢？

  C：请放心，我们会注意这个问题的。

  F：好吧。那么就请安排货物在香港转船。你肯定这样货物就能提早到达目的地吗？

  C：没问题。不过请你将信用证修改为“允许在香港转船”，越快越好。

  F：我一定立即办理此事。