By Duncan Bartlett Tokyo, Japan

Sony is cutting staff and closing some production lines

Background: 日本电子制造商索尼公司将在全球裁减大约5%员工， 并关闭10%的生产线。日本的经济状况比设想要糟，最新数字显示上一季度日本经济以每年1.8%的速度大幅衰退。

Questions: 请在听下面录音的时候试着回答这些问题。这是一个用来帮助你提高听力技能的练习。

1. Why is Sony cutting staff?

2. True or False? Sony predicts that its profit will be 50% less than a year ago.

3. Why do you think large companies have lost big profits?

4. What businesses are more likely to go bankrupt, big companies or small companies?

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Sony said that 8000 job cuts are necessary in order to save the company around a billion dollars 十亿美元 (大约 6.85 billion yuan) per year.

It’s already warned that its profits 利润 will be less than half of those a year ago despite 尽管 heavy promotion 促销 of its flat screen TVs 纯平电视 and PlayStation 3 computer games machine.

Many other large companies have also seen their profits decimated 大幅度下降 by a slump in sales 销售暴跌 and a rise in the value of the yen.

Small businesses are faring even worse with bankruptcy 破产/倒闭 levels on the rise.

a billion dollars 十亿美元

despite 尽管

promotions 促销

flat screen TVs 纯平电视

decimated 大幅度下降

a slump in sales 销售暴跌

bankruptcy 破产/倒闭

Answers

1. Why is Sony cutting staff?
To save a billion dollars a year.

2. True or False? Sony predicts that its profit will be 50% less than a year ago.
True.

3. Why do you think large companies have lost big profits?
Because of a slump in sales and a rise in the value of yen.

4. What businesses are more likely to go bankrupt, big companies or small companies?
Small companies.

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