UnitAcceptingandDecliningEtiquette接受與婉謝禮儀

1、Unit Nineteen Accepting and Declining Etiquette接受與婉謝禮儀接受與婉謝禮儀Focal Points1. How to respond to an invitation properly 2. How to decline an invitation properly 3. How to accept or decline a job offer ContentsLead in1Reading A2Reading B3Reading C45ExercisesHow would you answer the following questions p

2、olitely?Warming-upWould you like some cake?Would you like to go see a movie?How about some more pie?How about going skiing this weekend?Yes, please./Sure. ThanksNo, thank you./No, but thanks for offering.Okay. Sounds good./Sure. Id love to.Im sorry, but I cant./No, but thanks for inviting me.All rig

3、ht. Thanks/Looks good. Thanks.No, thanks./Im really full. Thanks anyway.Great. What time?/All right. When and where?Sorry. I dont think I can./How about some other time?RSVP RSVP stands for the French phrase “rpondez sil vous plat” and in colloquial English means “please reply.” It is used when some

4、one issues you a social invitation and wants to know - and soon - whether you intend to come or not. Heres how to give the inviter the proper courtesy when asked to RSVP. Steps 1. Check your calendar. See if you are free on the appointed date and time. If you previously accepted another invitation f

5、or that time, you will have to decline the new one. 2. Make up your mind by the date specified on the invitation; if a “reply by” date was not listed, reply within 24 hours of receiving the invitation. What ifReading ARSVP something better comes up later? That doesnt matter. Maybe it will, maybe it

6、wont, but it is rude not to reply quickly to any invitation and show up as promised. 3. Dont leave your potential hosts in suspense. If you want to hold your schedule open, the proper response to an invitation is, “Thank you for the invitation, but Im afraid I will not be able to attend” - saying, “

7、No thanks,” instead of, “Please wait until I see what else comes along.” True, you might not get a better offer after all, and if you turn down the invitation, you could end up having nothing else to do that night, but you are abusing the graciousness of your hosts if you keep them on the string as

8、your back-up plan. Reading ARSVP 4. Reply in writing or in kind. To be most proper, one would reply in writing, by hand. But one may reply in the same format that one was invited; for example, an email invitation can be answered by email. 5. Communicate last-minute changes. What if the time comes an

9、d you cant attend after all? Maybe youre not feeling well, or your cat broke its leg, or there was some real emergency. Then, as soon as you know, you must get in touch with the host (by telephone is fine) to let them know you cant come, and apologize. Acceptance of a social invitation did not const

10、itute a legal obligation; your RSVP just communicated your best intentions. Reading ARSVP Tips No reply card: Because exasperated hosts were making a lot of follow-up phone calls to inconsiderate invitees, the “reply card” was invented and is often considered standard and even necessary. However, if

11、 a reply card is not included with a formal invitation, you still need to reply in writing and provide the stamp. Schedule uncertainty: If you have other plans brewing but not finalized, you can phone the hosts and say, “I may be in Mexico at that time, but Ill know by the 20th. Would that be enough

12、 time to let you know?” They may have to say no (if they need a head count for the caterer by the 15th, for example) but they will probably say yes. Write a note on your calendar to RSVP by the date you said you would. Reading ARSVP Bringing other guests: If you want to bring extra people, re-read t

13、he invitation. It may allow for your guests, in which case you can respond for your party. “Hi, Jane, yes, I would like to come, and my sister is also available; thanks for thinking of us.” If not, you can call the hosts and ask for clarification. If the invitation says “and Guest” or “And Family”,

14、yes you are invited to bring a date or the kids. If it is just to you, this means just you. Invitations from businesses and non-profits: If you are a major donor to a charity and they ask for an RSVP to a fancy sit-down banquet, do reply if you expect to attend, and dont show up unannounced if you d

15、idnt reply. If an invitation doesnt say RSVP: If you receive a social invitation that does not indicate to RSVP, you should still reply. It is polite to accept or decline all invitations.Reading AHow to Decline an Invitation to Dinner or Other Social Events Have you ever been invited to a dinner you

16、 did not want to attend? Or perhaps a friend invites you to a social function that you would rather avoid? If you have experienced any of these social situations, you may know how difficult it is to decline the offer. Accepting an invitation is a good way to get out of your comfort zone and develop

17、relationships, but sometimes turning down the offer is the only realistic solution for those with a busy schedule or personal reasons. 1. Understand why you were invited. Is your friend inviting you? Do you work in a small company, and your boss is inviting you to dinner? Are you expected to attend

18、this invitation? What would the consequences be if you didnt attend? Reading BHow to Decline an Invitation to Dinner or Other Social Events 2. Weigh the importance of this invitation. There are many social obligations we face throughout life, some more important than others. A social event that typi

19、cally occurs once in a lifetime, such as a “coming of age” party or someones wedding, should have more importance over a night at the movies. How does this invitation rate compared with your existing obligations and priorities? 3. Thank the person. Someone is taking their time to invite you to some

20、event they feel is worthwhile. Thank the person for their consideration. 4. Create a delay if needed. If youre confronted in person with a verbal invitation, respond with a request to check your schedule. This may be communicated within a question, as in “do you mind if I check my schedule and get b

21、ack to you?”, or a statement, “I really need to check my schedule before I commit to anything”. Reading BHow to Decline an Invitation to Dinner or Other Social Events 5. Be honest. To an extent, truthfully give the person a yes or no response. Sometimes a direct answer is desired, especially if the

22、invitation is a social event with an RSVP. Many invitations will have a form on the card to select either yes or no. In this situation, it is not necessary to give an elaborated response. If youre unable or unwilling to attend, simply mark no and thank the sender for his or her invitation. 6. Follow

23、 up with a positive conclusion. If applicable, let the person know you are interested in accepting the social event at a different time or under different circumstances. Showing interest softens the rejection of an offer. Reading BHow to Decline an Invitation to Dinner or Other Social Events 7. Acce

24、pt the first invitation or dont accept any if you received more than one for a particular night that would overlap or conflict.8. Make an excuse. If things are going really badly, just say, “Im really sorry but,” and say something realistic and important and if they say ok, then just dont answer any

25、 calls at the time and stay away.Tips Invitations are given for a variety of reasons, but many are positive. Whether given to a friend, family member, co-worker, or acquaintance, it is most likely given because the person cares about you. Remember this when declining an invitation. Reading BHow to D

26、ecline an Invitation to Dinner or Other Social Events If you are really not interested in a social event because it is not your cup of tea, tell them. Regardless of any events popularity, no one should expect people to have the same joys in life. If you receive multiple invitations for the same nigh

27、t, you should always accept the first one you received. If you decline the other invitations you can let them know you have a prior commitment. Never decline an invitation to one party to attend another one that you were invited to later. You will appear as if you waited for the better offer. Readin

28、g BAccepting and Declining a Job OfferHow to Accept an Offer Irrespective of how an offer is communicated to you (by phone, email, or standard mail), you should contact the employer by phone as soon as possible to acknowledge receipt of the offer. Even if you are not ready to accept the offer initia

29、lly, you shouldnt wait more than 24 hours to let the employer know that you have received the offer and are seriously contemplating it. When you call to acknowledge, give the employer an estimate of when you will be able to make a final decision. While you shouldnt box yourself into an unrealistic d

30、eadline, dont leave the employer up in the air for fear you will seem unenthusiastic or indecisive. Reading CAccepting and Declining a Job Offer If, on receipt of the offer, you know that you want to take the job, a telephonic response is also the best avenue of communication. Place your call to the

31、 attorney in charge of hiring or the person who communicated the offer to you. If you cannot reach him/her and get voicemail or an assistant, ask that he/she call you back. A typical message might be the following:“This is Jane Doe, a student at Law School. I am very excited to have received an offe

32、r from your office and hope you will be able to call me back shortly to discuss it further. I can be reached at (607) 123-4567.”Reading CAccepting and Declining a Job Offer By making sure you speak directly with a decision maker, you can avoid miscommunications which can lead to problems. If you are

33、 unable to speak directly with someone after trying to reach them by phone, it is appropriate to do one of two things: leave your acceptance in a voice message or accept by email. Neither of these are 100% foolproof, as messages and emails can be lost. So you may want to ask the recipient to confirm

34、 receipt of the message with a quick call or email in return.How to Decline an Offer It is important to decline offers as promptly as possible, so that your fellow students may benefit from the “rolling offers.” This should be done tactfully, both for your own sake and for the reputation of your sch

35、ool. Your letter shouldReading CAccepting and Declining a Job Offerexpress your appreciation of the offer and your high regard for the employer, indicating that it was difficult to make the final decision. Do not burn any bridges. You may want to reapply to this employer sometime in the future. Samp

36、le Letter It is with great regret that I write you this letter to inform you that I will not be able to accept your offer of employment for the upcoming summer. I have been fortunate in receiving a number of offers and only after considerable thought and soul searching have I been able to make a dec

37、ision on which offer to accept. I assure you that I have the highest opinion of (your organization), and I look forward to practicing in Hartford this summer and hope to see you then.Reading CRSVP RSVP is an abbreviation for rpondez sil vous plat, which means please reply. It is written on the botto

38、m of a card inviting you to a party or special occasion. 敬請賜復(fù) 例：Take note of the RSVP date at the bottom of any invitation as it is good manners to reply early. 記下每一份邀請函底部的回復(fù)日期，因為早點兒回復(fù)是有禮貌的做法。Words & Expressionscolloquial ADJ Colloquial words and phrases are informal and are used mainly in conve

39、rsation. 口語的 例：Listen again and match the words with the colloquial expressions.再聽一次，對應(yīng)詞語和口頭表達(dá)。Words & ExpressionsdeclineV-T/V-I If you decline something or decline to do something, you politely refuse to accept it or do it. 謝絕例：He offered the boys some coffee. They declined politely. 他要給男孩們來些咖啡

40、。他們禮貌地拒絕了。Words & Expressionspotential ADJ You use potential to say that someone or something is capable of developing into the particular kind of person or thing mentioned. 潛在的例：The company has identified 60 potential customers. 該公司已確定了60位潛在的客戶。Words & ExpressionssuspenseN-UNCOUNT Suspense

41、is a state of excitement or anxiety about something that is going to happen very soon, for example about some news that you are waiting to hear. 懸念 例：I dont think much about TV serial because they always keep you in suspense. 我覺得電視連續(xù)劇并不怎么樣，因為它們總是吊你的胃口。Words & Expressionsgraciousness n. 親切，和藹；好心

42、例：Despite his achievements, he retains an endearing sense of graciousness and humility. 盡管有那么多成就，庫珀還是保持著和藹謙遜的親切感。Words & Expressionsback-upn. 備份 adj. 作支援的 vt. 為做備份例：Not many people have given up on financial services entirely, but many more people are developing back-up plans. 完全放棄金融服務(wù)業(yè)的人不是很多，但更

43、多的人都在準(zhǔn)備備用計劃。Words & Expressionsformat N-COUNT The format of a piece of computer software, a movie or a musical recording is the type of equipment on which it is designed to be used or played. For example, possible formats for a movie are DVD and video cassette. (計算機(jī)軟件、電影、音樂錄制品等的) 格式例：His latest

44、album is available on all formats. 他的最新專輯有各種格式可以買到。Words & ExpressionsemergencyN-COUNT An emergency is an unexpected and difficult or dangerous situation, especially an accident, that happens suddenly and that requires quick action to deal with it. 突發(fā)事件; 緊急情況例：He deals with emergencies promptly.

45、 他迅速地應(yīng)對突發(fā)事件。Words & ExpressionsobligationN-VAR If you have an obligation to a person, it is your duty to take care of them or protect their interests. 義務(wù); 責(zé)任例：The United States will do that which is necessary to meet its obligations to its own citizens. 美國會盡其對國民應(yīng)盡的義務(wù)。Words & Expressionsexasp

46、erated V-T If someone or something exasperates you, they annoy you and make you feel frustrated or upset. 觸怒; 激怒例：The sheer futility of it all exasperates her. 它的完全無效使她很惱火。Words & Expressionsinconsiderate ADJ If you accuse someone of being inconsiderate, you mean that they do not take enough car

47、e over how their words or actions will affect other people. 不體諒人的例：Its a bit inconsiderate of her not to let you know when she expects to arrive. 她不讓你知道她什么時候會到，這樣做有些不體諒人。Words & ExpressionsuncertaintyN-VAR Uncertainty is a state of doubt about the future or about what is the right thing to do. 不

48、確定狀態(tài) 例：And uncertainty affects behavior, which feeds the crisis. 不確定性影響著孕育危機(jī)的行為。Words & Expressionscaterer N-COUNT Caterers are people or companies that provide food and drink for a place such as an office or for special occasions such as weddings and parties. (為辦公、婚禮、派對等的) 餐飲供應(yīng)者; 酒席承辦者例：The cat

49、erers were already laying out the tables for lunch. 酒宴承辦者已經(jīng)在擺午餐的飯桌了。Words & ExpressionsclarificationN-VAR 澄清例：The union has written to Detroit asking for clarification of the situation. 工會已經(jīng)寫信給底特律，要求對此情況給予澄清。Words & Expressionsnon-profitadj. 非營利的 例：Thousands of businesses and non-profit orga

50、nizations take part. 數(shù)千的公司及非盈利機(jī)構(gòu)都來參加。Words & ExpressionsbanquetN-COUNT A banquet is a grand formal dinner. 正式宴會例：He had attended the banquet with a group of friends. 他原來是和一群朋友一起來參加晚宴的。Words & Expressionsrealistic ADJ If you are realistic about a situation, you recognize and accept its true n

51、ature and try to deal with it in a practical way. 現(xiàn)實的; 務(wù)實的例：Police have to be realistic about violent crime. 警察對暴力犯罪不得不采取務(wù)實的態(tài)度。Words & ExpressionsconsequencesN-COUNT The consequences of something are the results or effects of it. 結(jié)果; 后果例：Her lawyer said she understood the consequences of her act

52、ions and was prepared to go to jail. 她的律師說她明白自己行為的后果并準(zhǔn)備去坐牢。Words & Expressionsweigh V-T If someone or something weighs a particular amount, this amount is how heavy they are. 重量為 例：It weighs nearly 27 kilos (about 65 pounds). 它重量接近27公斤（約65磅）。Words & Expressionscoming of agen. 成年；成熟 例：But des

53、pite these limitations, people working with the technology believe voice recognition is close to coming of age . 但是盡管有這些局限，從事這項技術(shù)的人員認(rèn)為，語音識別已接近實用的階段。Words & ExpressionspriorityN-COUNT If something is a priority, it is the most important thing you have to do or deal with, or must be done or dealt

54、with before everything else you have to do. 優(yōu)先處理的事例：The governments priority is to build more power plants. 政府的當(dāng)務(wù)之急是建造更多的發(fā)電廠。Words & ExpressionsworthwhileADJ If something is worthwhile, it is enjoyable or useful, and worth the time, money, or effort that is spent on it. 值得的例：The presidents trip

55、to Washington this week seems to have been worthwhile. 該總統(tǒng)本周的華盛頓之行似乎是值得的。Words & Expressionsconfront V-T If you are confronted with a problem, task, or difficulty, you have to deal with it. 面臨 (問題、任務(wù)、困難等)例：She was confronted with severe money problems. 她面臨嚴(yán)重的資金問題。Words & Expressionselaborate

56、d ADJ You use elaborate to describe something that is very complex because it has a lot of different parts. 復(fù)雜的例：.an elaborate research project. 一項復(fù)雜的研究項目。Words & ExpressionscircumstancesN-COUNT The circumstances of a particular situation are the conditions which affect what happens. 情形例：The str

57、ategy was too dangerous in the explosive circumstances of the times. 在當(dāng)時爆炸性的形勢下，這一戰(zhàn)略太危險了。Words & Expressionsoverlap V-RECIP If one thing overlaps another, or if you overlap them, a part of the first thing occupies the same area as a part of the other thing. You can also say that two things overl

58、ap. 重疊例：When the bag is folded, the bottom overlaps one side. 把包折疊起來時，其底部與一邊就重合了。Words & ExpressionsacquaintanceN-COUNT An acquaintance is someone who you have met and know slightly, but not well. 相識之人例：He exchanged a few words with the proprietor, an old acquaintance of his. 他跟一位業(yè)主，他的一位老相識交談了幾句

59、。Words & ExpressionsRegardless PHRASE If something happens regardless of something else, it is not affected or influenced at all by that other thing. 不管; 無論例：It takes in anybody regardless of religion, color, or creed. 這個組織接納任何人，不管其宗教、膚色或信仰。Words & Expressionsmultiple ADJ You use multiple to

60、 describe things that consist of many parts, involve many people, or have many uses. 多部分的; 涉及多人的; 多功能的例：He died of multiple injuries. 他死于多處受傷。Words & ExpressionscommitmentN-COUNT If you make a commitment to do something, you promise that you will do it. 承諾例：We made a commitment to keep working together. 我們作了承諾要繼續(xù)在一起工作。Words & ExpressionsIrrespective PHRASE If you say that something happens or should happen irrespective of a particul