BEP 17 (Redux) – Presenting an Argument (Part 2)

This is the second of a two-part Business English Pod series on presenting an argument.

This podcast is one of the most popular as voted by you, the listeners. And to celebrate our 4th anniversary, we’re giving it another go by updating the examples and explanations. We hope you enjoy it!

When you’re presenting an argument, it’s important to back up what you’re saying. You need to have relevant facts and examples at your fingertips and think ahead to what your opponents might say. It’s also helpful to know how to talk in broad terms and give your argument some contrast. Finally, it’s good to know how to conclude your argument in a clear, concise¹ way.
In this lesson, we’ll explore these points in detail. We’ll talk about ways to give powerful examples. We’ll also look at language for making contrasting points and generalizations². And, we’ll show you how to finish up your argument, either formally or informally.

Last time, we met Jack³ and Dan, who work for an American guitar manufacturer. Jack thinks moving production to Costa Rica would be a good financial move for the company. But Dan isn’t so sure.

Listening Questions

1. Why are shipping⁴ costs increasing? Give one example.
2. Why does Dan think that moving production to Costa Rica would be more expensive?
3. What is happening to the company’s market share?

1 concise   

adj.简洁的，简明的

参考例句：

• The explanation in this dictionary is concise and to the point.这部词典里的释义简明扼要。
• I gave a concise answer about this.我对于此事给了一个简要的答复。

2 generalizations   

一般化( generalization的名词复数 )； 普通化； 归纳； 概论

参考例句：

• But Pearlson cautions that the findings are simply generalizations. 但是波尔森提醒人们，这些发现是简单的综合资料。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 大脑与疾病
• They were of great service in correcting my jejune generalizations. 他们纠正了我不成熟的泛泛之论，帮了我大忙。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。