Using English at Work
Episode 4 - Working at My Desk
to analyze - to examine something carefully, trying to understand it by looking at each part in detail
* The vice president is analyzing the sales data, trying to understand why the company sold less than expected last month.
data - information and facts, often in numbers
* We got a lot of data from the physics experiment, but now we need to figure out what it all means.
to skim - to read something quickly, looking for the most important ideas; to not read carefully
* Please skim these resumes and look for anyone who speaks German and French.
27
Using English at Work
Episode 4 - Working at My Desk
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
This is lesson four of ESLPod.com's "Using English at Work." I'm your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, from the Center for Educational Development.
In the third lesson of our course, we talked about vocabulary related to a morning meeting at the office. In this fourth lesson, we're going to learn words about working at your desk.
We'll listen first to the story read at a slow speed. [start of script]
When I get back to my desk, I clear off a few stacks of paper on the top of my desk so I have some space to work. I open the computer file I have been working on for the past week. This document is a report that is due next week and the deadline is fast approaching.
I open my filing cabinet and take out two files and a manila envelope that has the information I need in them. I look around for the pad of paper I used to jot down some ideas yesterday, and take out the paper clips, stapler, and Scotch tape I know I'll also need. Now I have everything in front of me so I can get down to business.
The first thing I have to do is get organized. I scan the information I have in front of me and take notes on the things I want to include in the report. Before I analyze the data for the report, I need to skim the background information to make sure I haven't missed anything. I was making good progress but I'm feeling thirsty, so I decide to take a quick break.
[end of script]
This story begins with me saying that when I get back, or return, to my desk, I clear off a few stacks of paper on the top of my desk so I have some space to work. "To clear off" means to organize and remove things that are covering the surface of a table, desk, or shelves. I usually like to clear off the papers on my desk at the end of the day so I have a clean desk when I return to work the next morning. In this case, I'm clearing off a few stacks of paper. At home, if you are messy like me, you may need to clear off your dining room table - that is, move your newspapers, books, and other things so that you'll have room to eat your meal.
28