UNIIT 3 Airport Pick-up

Warming Up

The following questions may help you understand what you are going to learn in this unit. Work in pairs or groups and try to answer the following questions：

1. What preparations should you make before leaving for the airport to meet your client？

2. What should you do after you arrive at the airport to meet the client？

3. What topics can you choose to make the small talks on the way to the hotel？

4. How can you start your conversation and keep your conversation going on when you meet the client？

Part 1 Meeting at the airport

Linda Zhang from Wuhan ProStar Electronics Co., Ltd comes to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to meet Mr.FranckRibery from AuchanGroup in France.Sheis holding a sign board, waiting for Mr.Ribery.

Linda: Excuse me! Are you Mr. Ribery from France？

Mr. Ribery: Yes, I am Franck Ribery, from Auchan Group in France.

Linda: Ah, Mr. Ribery, nice to meet you. I'm Linda Zhang from Wuhan ProStar Electronics Co., Ltd.

Mr.Ribery: Nice to meet you, too.Ms Zhang.Thank you for meeting me at the airport.

Linda: My pleasure.How's your flight, Mr.Ribery？

Mr. Ribery: Fine. The flight was smooth and the service was satisfactory.

Linda: I'm glad to hear that. Welcome to Wuhan. I hope you'll have a pleasant stay here.

Mr. Ribery: I'm sure I will.

Linda: Our car is out in the parking lot. Shall we go to the hotel? We have already booked a room for you. I think you need a good rest after the long journey.

Mr. Ribery: Thank you very much.

Linda: Is this all your baggage？

Mr. Ribery: Yes, it's all here.

Linda: Let me take this bag for you.

Mr. Ribery: Oh, thank you.

Linda: let's go. This way, please.

Target Vocabulary

sign board 標志牌

flight 飛行，航班，班機

smooth 順利的

stay 逗留，停留；逗留時間

parking lot 停車場

journey 旅行；行程

baggage 行李

Notes

1. Excuse me! Are you Mr. Ribery from France？對不起。請問您是來自法國的列貝利先生吧？

通過手中的指示牌以及之前的電話或郵件交流，接機的人判斷來者可能是要迎接的客人但還不太確定，所以這么說，而不是直接上前問好。還可以這么說：

You are Mr. Ribery from France, aren't you？

You must be Mr. Ribery from France. Am I right？

2. Thank you for meeting me at the airport．謝謝你來機場接我。

to meet sb./collect sb./pick up sb．這幾個短語都是“接某人”的意思。

這一句話用于表達被迎接者對來迎接他（她）的人的感謝，類似的表達方式還有：

Thank you for picking me up at the airport.

Thank you for spending time picking me up here.

You are so kind to pick me up here. I really appreciate it.

Thank you for coming and meeting me here.

Thank you for being so kind to pick me up here.

3. How's your flight? /How was your flight？旅途順利嗎？

這一句用來詢問旅途情況以表達對來客的關心。還可以說：

How was your trip?（旅途還順利嗎）

可以這么回答：

Fine, the service on board was excellent, especially the food.

On the whole, it's not bad.

類似的表達方式還有：

Did you have a good flight？

Did you have a good trip？

Did you have a pleasant journey？

Did you have a nice trip/voyage？

可以這么回答：

Yes, Very pleasant and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

Yes, it was a good flight.I was a little tired, but I'll be fine tomorrow.

No.I'm afraid not.I've got j et lag（時差）/I feel a little airsick（暈機）

4.I hope you'll have a pleasant stay here．希望你在這兒過得愉快。

類似的說法還有：

I hope you'll have a wonderful time here.

I hope you'll enjoy your stay here.

5. Let me take this bag for you．讓我幫你拿這個包。

接機時可以向客人提供一些幫助，比如主動提出幫忙提行李，還可以說：

Let me help you with your luggage (that suitcase）.

Shall I help you with the luggage？

如果客人愿意接受你的幫助，會說：Oh, thank you.

如果客人不愿意接受你的幫助，會說：No, don't bother. I can manage it．這時，接機的人則不必堅持，因為很多西方人喜歡獨立，特別是年長者希望自己表現得年輕健康，精力充沛。

6. Our car is out in the parking lot. Shall we go to the hotel？我們的車在停車場。咱們上車去酒店好嗎？

接到客人后，不宜在機場久留或長談，要立即引導客人出去或上車，類似的表達方式還有

We'd better start for the hotel.

This way, please.Our car is waiting over there.

Please come this way.

Comprehension Questions

1.Is it the first time for Linda to meet Mr.Ribery？

2.Where will Linda take Mr Ribery？

Part 2 Driving to the hotel

After getting into the car, Lindaand Mr.Ribery are chatting.

Linda: Mr. Ribery, now we are driving straight to your hotel, Ramada Plaza, Wuhan Optics Valley Hotel. It's one of the best five-star hotels in the city. I hope you will enjoy your stay there.

Mr. Ribery: Thank you. I'm sure I will.

Linda: My pleasure. Well, Mr. Ribery, have you ever been to Wuhan before？

Mr. Ribery: No, I haven' t. This is my first time to Wuhan. But I heard it is called the River City.

Linda: Yes. The Yangtze, the world's third longest river and its largest branch Han River meet in Wuhan and cut the city into three parts: Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang, namely, three towns of Wuhan.

Mr.Ribery: Two rivers and three towns, how interesting! So your company is in…？

Linda: Our company and your hotel are in Wuchang, and now we're in Hankou. It may cost us more than one hour from here to your hotel.

Mr. Ribery: Quite large really.

Linda: Wuhan is an industrial and commercial center in central China. And it has a convenient transportation network leading to other parts of the country, so it's called the thoroughfare to nine provinces.

Mr. Ribery: Yes, very convenient, indeed. It is said that it's just one hour and forty minutes' flight from Beijing to Wuhan.

Linda: That's true. And it is a pleasant place to visit as well as to do business. There are many famous scenic spots and historic sites in Wuhan, such as the Yellow Crane Tower, the East Lake, etc. We've arranged one day on the time schedule to show you around.

Mr. Ribery: Thank you very much. It's so considerate of you. I hope I can learn more about this city.

Linda: I'm glad to hear that. And we'll help you to learn more about the city in the following days. By the way, Mr. Ribery, would you like to take a look at the itinerary we've arranged for you, and if there's anything inconvenient for you, please let me know.

Mr. Ribery: OK. Thank you very much for the arrangement.

（They continue talking.Aftera while, the car pulls up at the gate of the hotel.）

Linda: Mr. Ribery, here we are at the hotel. This is the Ramada Plaza, Wuhan Optics Valley Hotel. Let's get off and go to the reception desk.

Mr. Ribery: Oh, It's very beautiful.

Target Vocabulary

Ramada Plaza, Wuhan Optics Valley Hotel 華美達武漢光谷大酒店

the thoroughfare to nine provinces 九省通衢

scenic spot 旅游景點

historic site 古跡；歷史遺跡

Yellow Crane Tower 黃鶴樓

the East Lake 東湖

itinerary 旅行日程；旅行計劃；預定行程

inconvenient 不方便的

reception desk接待處；前臺（等于front desk）

Notes

1. Have you ever been to Wuhan before？您以前曾經來過武漢嗎？

也可以這么說：Is this your first time to Wuhan? Is it the first time that you have been to Wuhan？或Is this your first visit to Wuhan？

在送客人去酒店的路上，或帶客人去辦公室的途中，都要找些話題談論一下，以消除由于沉默帶來的尷尬。談論的話題可以是雙方的旅行經歷、天氣、愛好、各地的介紹等，這在英語里叫small talk。

2. The Yangtze, the world's third longest river and its largest branch Han River meet in Wuhan and cut the city into three parts: Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang, namely, three towns of Wuhan.

世界第三長河長江和它的最大支流漢水在武漢交匯，把武漢分成三部分：漢口、漢陽和武昌，即武漢三鎮。

3. And it has a convenient transportation network leading to other parts of the country, so it's called the thoroughfare to nine provinces.

這兒有著便利的交通網絡可以通向全國各地，所以被稱作“九省通衢”。

所謂“九省通衢”，有人說實指通過水陸交通，武漢可與四川、陜西、河南、湖南、貴州、江西、安徽、江蘇以及湖北九省相通。也有人說是泛指武漢通向外界的交通非常便利，并非實指九個省。但是不論泛指、實指，都是指武漢處于交通樞紐地位。

Comprehension Questions

1. Why doesn't Linda take Mr. Ribery directly to their company？

2. What questions shouldn't be asked when meeting a foreigner for the first time？

Oral Practice

Individual Work

1. Substitution Exercises

Drill 1 Thank you for…

Complete the above sentence by using the following：

—meeting me at the airport

—collecting my son at his school

—picking me up at the railway station

Drill 2 Did you have…？

Complete the above sentence by using the following：

—a good flight

—a pleasant journey

—a nice trip

Drill 3 Let me….

Complete the above sentence by using the following：

—help you with the luggage

—take this suitcase for you

—help you carry this bag

Drill 4 If there' s…, please let me know.

Complete the above sentence by using the following：

—anything inconvenient for you

—any problems

—any suggestions

Drill 5 I hope you'll have….

Complete the above sentence by using the following：

—a pleasant stay here

—a wonderful time here

—a nice holiday here

2. Practice Sentences

1）I'm here to meet you on behalf of the ABC company.

2）It's so kind of you to come here to meet me.

3）Let me help you with your luggage.

4）I hope you aren't too tired after such a long journey.

5）I hope you had a pleasant journey.

6）Have you had a pleasant journey？

7）You may take a rest today and we'll talk about our business tomorrow.

8）I think we'll have a chance to talk.

9）Miss Lin will give you a guided tour around the city.

10）I hope you can enjoy your stay here.

3. Oral Translation Exercises

1）抱歉，打擾一下，請問您是英國百布利集團（Bibury Systm）的格林先生嗎？

2）您好，張女士，非常感謝您來這兒接我們。

3）一路上很順利，很愉快，所以我一點也不覺得累。

4）你有多少件行李？

5）如果你準備好了，我們最好現在出發去賓館。

6）我們經理李先生本來打算親自來接你的。

7）他因公務纏身，才由我替代。

8）格林先生，我們的經理李先生會在晚些時候來酒店問候你的。

9）請把您的行李放進后備箱并確保沒有拉下什么東西。

10）咱們下車去前臺辦理登記手續吧。

Pair Work

Work in pairs.Construct dialogues based on the following situations.

Task 1

Student A: You are Lily Chen, the secretary of the president of Wuhan Bora Trading Company Ltd, Mr.Xu Peng.Your company and Dickenson Electrics Company from Great Britain are going to reach a deal.Today, you are going to Wuhan Tianhe Airport to meet Mr.Dave Arden, the sales manager of Dickenson Company and his assistant, Mr.Jerry Hill.You have never seen each other before.Now you see Mr.Dave Arden and talk to them.

Student B: You are Mr.Dave Arden, the sales manager of Dickenson Company.You've just arrived at Wuhan Tianhe Airport.Now you've just got off and see that a lady holding a sign board with your name and country name on it.You are going over to talk to her.

Task 2

Student A: You are from Wuhan Yangtze Food Company Ltd..You've just received Mr.Smith and now you are sending him to the hotel.On the way to the hotel, you ask Mr.Smith about the journey, talk about the weather first and then the development of Wuhan in recent years.You can talk about a lot of things to keep the conversation going.

Student B: You are Mr.Smith.You come to Wuhan to have business talk with Wuhan Yangtze Food Company Ltd.The representative from that company meets you at the airport and then drives you to the hotel.On the way to the hotel, you are talking a lot with him.

Group Work

Students will work in groups of 5-6 and have a discussion on the following questions：

1.When you meet a westerner for the first time, what's the proper way to greet others？

2.When you meet a westerner for the first time, what's the right title you may use？

3. When you meet a westerner for the first time, what may you talk about with him or her？

Cultural References

● How to Make Small Talk

When you meet others on the way, on the car, even on the lift, making small talks may be a very good way to fill the silence or break up the embarrassing situation. But small talk may be a big challenge to some people Then the following tips may be of some help to you.

1. Practice. Converse with everyone you come across: cashiers, waiters, people you're in line with, neighbors, co-workers and kids. Chat with folks unlike yourself, from seniors to teens to tourists.

2. Read everything: cookbooks, newspapers, magazines, reviews, product inserts, maps, signs and catalogs. Everything is a source of information that can be discussed.

3. Force yourself to get into small talk situations, like doctors' waiting rooms, cocktail parties and office meetings. Accept invitations, or host your own gathering.

4. Immerse yourself in culture, both high and low. Television, music, sports, fashion, art and poetry are great sources of chat. If you can't stand Shakespeare, that too is a good topic for talk.

5. Keep a journal. Write down funny stories you hear, beautiful things you see, quotes, observations, shopping lists and calls you made. That story of the longdistance operator misunderstanding you could become an opening line. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Make a random list of topics and see what you have to say on the subj ects. Baseball, Russia, butter, hip-hop, shoes…the more varied your list, the better.

6. Expand your horizons. Go home a new way. Try sushi. Play pinball. Go online. Paint a watercolor. Bake a pie. Try something new every day.

7. Be a better listener. Did your boss just say she suffers from migraines? Did your doctor just have twins? These are opportunities for making small talk.

8. Work on confidence, overcoming shyness and any feelings of stage fright. Remember, the more you know, the more you can talk about.