Vocabulary for the TOEIC Test

14. Safety at work

In order to prevent injuries and fatalities at work, employers are required by law to provide a safe work environment. Government agencies set guidelines that regulate the number of fire extinguishers, fire doors, fire escapes, and emergency exits that must be available in a workplace. Workplaces should also comply with rules about the number of first aid kits, the use of hard hats, safety goggles, ear plugs, and other safety equipment and the quality of the ventilation system. If there are flammable or hazardous materials in the building, they should be in suitable containers. Management should inform their employees about the safety risks of slippery floors or dangerous gases.

()()

1injury (n.)(, ); ()15hazardous (adj.)

2fatality (n.)()16material (n.)

3guideline (n.)17safety risk (n.)

4fire extinguisher (n.)18slippery floor (n.)

5fire door (n.)19dangerous gas (n.)

6fire escape (n.)

7emergency exit (n.)

8comply with (phr.)

9first aid kits (n.)

10hard hat (n.)

11safety goggles (n.)

12ear plugs (n.)

13ventilation system (n.)

14flammable (adj.)

15. Meetings

Formal meetings are scheduled for a particular time and place. Members receive an agenda and a list of items for discussion before the meeting. The chair (person) starts the meeting by asking for approval of the minutes and for matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting. As members discuss the agenda items, they may brainstorm ideas and can propose solutions or raise issues. They may need to vote on a motion either by a show of hands or by a (secret) ballot. If all members agree, then the result is unanimous. The motion is passed if the vote is unanimous or has the majority of the votes. The final agenda point is any other business or AOB. When the members have discussed the agenda items, the meeting is over. If they havent covered the items, the chairperson adjourns the meeting until a later date.

()()

1schedule (v.), 16show of hands (n.)

2agenda (n.)17(secret) ballot (v.)()

3items (n.); 18unanimous(adj.);

4chair (person) (n.)()19AOB (any other business),

5the minutes (n.)20adjourn (v.);

6approval (n.);

7matter (n.); ;

8arise (v.)

9brainstorm (v.)

10propose (v.)

11solution (n.)()

12raise (v.)

13issue (n.)

14vote (v.)

15motion (n.)()

16. Import/export

Nowadays an increasing amount of cargo is being brought from overseas (imported) or sent abroad (exported) as countries exchange commodities, in other words, become involved in trade. This freight is packed into large containers and then hauled by road, air, or ship to its destination. If the cargo is fragile, then it must be handled with care and cushioned in reinforced packaging to protect it from damage. Often, cargo that is going to be transported is stored temporarily in a warehouse before being loaded onto a vehicle. If the shipment is being exported, then each commodity and its quantity or weight must be declared to the customs officials of the receiving country.

()()

1cargo (n.)()16transport (v.)

2imported (adj.)17warehouse (n.)

3exported (adj.)18shipment (n.)

4exchange (v.)19weight (n.)

5commodity (n.)20declared (v.)

6trade (n.)

7freight (n.)(, , )

8container(n.)

9haul (v.)

10fragile (adj.)

11be handled with care (v.)

12cushioned (v.)...

13reinforced (adj.)

14packaging (n.)

15protect (v.),

17. Using the phone

In most offices everyone has a landline phone and people often have their own extension (number) so that you can call them directly. Otherwise, you may have to talk to an operator who will transfer your call to the person you want or put you on hold if that persons line is busy. To answer a call, you pick up the receiver or press the answer key if youre using a wireless phone or cell phone. You can find the number of most businesses in the yellow pages, which is available online as well as in a book. To make a call on a landline phone, you listen for the dial tone and then dial the number. The phone at the other end either rings or you get a busy signal. You may have to leave a voice message after the tone. Occasionally, you may get disconnected and have to make the call again. A cell phone can perform many useful functions not available with a landline phone, such as allowing users to send and receive text (or SMS) messages.

()()

1landline phone (n.)14busy signal (n.)

2extension (number) (n.)()15leave (v.) a voice message

3operator (n.)16tone (n.)

4transfer (v.) your call17get disconnected (v.)

5put sb. on hold (phr.)18text (or SMS) messages (n.)

6line (n.)

7pick up (phr.)

8receiver (n.)

9cell phone (n.)

10yellow pages (n.)

11dial tone (n.)()

12dial (v.) the number.

13ring (v.)

18. Office supplies

Well-equipped offices need a wide variety of equipment and stationery. Every office needs stationery supplies such as pens, labels, paper clips, stapler and staples, tape, and scissors. Many businesses have a large supply room that contains shelves full of office supplies. Most offices have a filing cabinet for important documents and some offices even have a safe where they keep money or valuable papers. But thats not enough for the modern office. Each office worker also needs a PC or laptop on their desk. They also need access to a printer, a scanner, a fax machine, and a copy machine.

()()

1equipment (n.)16scanner (n.)

2stationery (n.)17fax machine (n.)

3supply (n.)18copy machine (n.)

4label (n.)

5paper clip (n.)

6stapler (n.)

7staple (n.)

8tape (n.)

9scissors (n.)

10supply room (n.)

11shelves (n.)()

12filing cabinet (n.),

13safe (n.)

14PC (n.)laptop (n.)/

15printer (n.)

19. Presentations

Giving a successful presentation takes practice and preparation. You must decide what kind of visual aids will effectively support your topic. These could be simple materials such as a flip chart or a whiteboard with a marker. But nowadays many presenters use a laptop and projector to show PowerPoint eq \o\ac(,R) slides on a screen. In addition, a stick or laser pointer is useful for indication a particular area of the screen. It is important to know your audience and their expectations.You should also prepare a clear outline with key points that will enable you to speak confidently. You can clarify information in the form of diagrams, such as charts and graphs. It is also a good idea to finish the presentation with a summary of the main ideas. A presenter may also prepare handouts of the key points, although some people give them out after the presentation so that they do not create a distraction.

()()

1visual aids (n.)16summary (n.)

2topic (n.)17handout (n.)

3flip chart (n.)

4whiteboard (n.)

5marker (n.)

6projector (n.)

7slides (n.)

8laser pointer (n.)

9screen (n.)

10audience (n.)

11outline (n.)

12key point (n.)

13diagram (n.)

14chart (n.)

15graph (n.)

20. Investments

Saving and investing your money in a profitable way takes both skill and luck. You should keep some money liquid, which means that you can access it immediately. This money should be used to pay regular expenses and debts. The capital that is left could be invested in a long-term deposit or a bond, where you will get a better interest rate. The next level of investing is either to purchase stocks in companies or to buy property. Both investment strategies carry risks, so it is important to diversify your investments. This means that your money should not be put in just one company or just one kind of company. If you cant study the stock market regularly, you can go to a financial advisor for help. These experts will design a portfolio that fits your specific needs depending on your total assets, and they will make the financial transactions for you. For this service, they take a commission.

()()

1liquid (adj.)16financial transactions (n.)

2access (v.)17commission (n.)

3expenses (n.)

4debts (n.)

5capital (n.)

6deposit (n.)

7bond (n.)

8interest rate (n.)

9stocks (n.)

10investment strategies (n.)

11risks (n.)

12diversify (v.)

13financial advisor (n.)

14portfolio (n.)()

15assets (n.)

21. Innovations

Many companies have a department called the Research and Development department, or R & D for short. The people in this department are creative thinkers who look for ways to improve existing products or come up with innovative ideas that may lead to a totally new invention. The creative process to develop one may take months or even years. During this trial and error period, the researchers may make important breakthroughs while experimenting with materials and designs. Their discoveries can lead to revolutionary new products. The company has to get a patent that gives it exclusive rights to manufacture the product. Alternatively, it may grant a license that allows another company the right to produce the product. Frequently, there are important spin-offs, or unexpected products in an unrelated area, that make good profits for the company and are valuable for the end user.

()()

1Research and Development;department (n.)12revolutionary (adj.);

2creative (adj.)()13patent (n.)

3innovative (adj.)14exclusive rights (n.)

4invention (n.), 15manufacture (v.)()

5process (n.)16license (n.)

6trial and error (n.)17spin-off (n.)

7breakthrough (n.)

8experiment (v.)

9material (n.)

10design (n.)

11discovery (n.)

22. Insurance

People and companies buy insurance policies in case there is an accident or damage to their property. If something happens, they will receive compensation from the insurance company. This means that they are protected against risks to their health, home, car, or even financial loss. With most kinds of insurance, the insured party pays the insurance company annual or monthly premiums to pay for the coverage. When loss or damage occurs, the policy holder files a claim to the insurance company. The insurance company will assess the amount of loss or damage to the policy holder and then will either approve or deny compensation. If they approve the claim, they pay out to the claimant, although there is often a deductible that the policy holder must pay. These days, many property owners and businesses carry liability insurance that covers them against claims that they were negligent.

()()

1insurance policy (n.)16pay out (phr.)

2accident (n.)17claimant (n.)

3damage (n.)18deductible (n.)()

4receive (v.)19liability insurance (n.)

5compensation (n.)20coveragainst (phr.)

6risk (n.)21negligent (adj.)

7insured party (n.)

8premium (n.)

9coverage (n.)

10policy holder (n.)

11files (v.)()

12claim (n.)()

13assess (v.)()

14approve (v.)

15deny (v.)

23. Trade shows

A trade show is an event often takes place once a year and gives companies from a particular industry the opportunity to showcase their products. Access to the venue can be restricted to only those companies involved in that particular trade or can be open to the public. Participants use this opportunity to demonstrate and sometimes launch their products, find out what their competitors are doing, and observe new trends. They can also network during the fair and this is useful for meeting new contacts. Before attending a trade show, companies should liaise with the trade show organizers to organize the stand where they will exhibit their products. Some companies sponsor events for extra publicity. They may also decide to print leaflets to promote their brand as well as produce items with their logo to distribute to fair participants.

()()

1showcase (v.)16fair (n.)

2venue (n.)

3demonstrate (v.)()

4launch (v.)()

5competitor (n.)

6trend (n.)

7network (v.)()

8contact (n.)

9liaise (v.)

10stand (n.)

11exhibit (v.)

12sponsor (v.)

13leaflets (n.)

14logo (n.)

15distribute (v.)

24. Marketing

Many businesses face tough competition, so if a company wants to become the market leader, it needs to analyze consumption habits by doing some effective market research. Some companies do their research in-house while others pay an agency to do it. Their findings help companies choose the best way to promote their product range to potential customers and can also help identify a target market for new products. Promotion is usually done through an advertising campaign, and companies might decide to make special offers, give out free samples, and even hold competitions. The company may also produce an online or paper catalog with details of its products. Through marketing, a company builds customer loyalty within their market segment and creates an image that helps the consumer to distinguish its trademark from those of competitors.

()()

1tough (adj.)16catalog (n.)

2competition (n.)17marketing (n.)

3market leader (n.)18builds (v.) customer loyalty (n.)

4analyze (v.)19market segment (n.)

5consumption habits (n.)20image (n.)

6market research (n.)21trademark (n.)

7in-house (adv.)

8agency (n.)

9promote (v.)

10product range (n.)

11potential customers (n.)

12target market (n.)

13special offer (n.)

14free sample (n.)

15competition (n.)

25. Employee perks and benefits

When recruiting, most companies offer prospective employees a package of benefits that may include paid vacations, retirement plans, bonuses, leaves of absence, and regular promotions as well as a basic salary and health insurance. In order to attract, retain, and motivate good workers, many companies also offer a variety of extra benefits, known as perks. Common examples include discount prices for certain products, a company car, or an expense account for business trips. In addition to these benefits, companies may offer the employees the opportunity to take advantage of flexible working hours, subsidized gym facilities, telecommuting, and training programs. An increasingly popular way some companies motivate their employees is with incentive rewards for creativity or good performance. These are earned for ideas that help lead to the companys success.

()()

1recruit (v.)()14company car (n.)

2paid vacations (n.)15expense account (n.)()

3retirement plans (n.)16flexible working hours (n.)

4bonuses (n.)17subsidize (v.)

5leaves of absence (n.)18gym facilities (n.)

6promotions (n.)19telecommuting (n.)()()

7health insurance (n.)20training program (n.)

8attract (v.)21incentive (adj.)

9retain (v.)22rewards (n.)

10motivate (v.)

11benefits (n.)

12perks (n.)

13discount prices (n.)

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