Questions:
1. Why is Sony cutting staff?
2. True or False? Sony predicts that its profit will be 50% less than a year ago.
3. Why do you think large companies have lost big profits?
4. What businesses are more likely to go bankrupt, big companies or small companies?
Japan Recession 日本经济衰退
[audio:http://cachefile12.rayfile.com/zh-cn/download/1cf7d9974d97c30efbda23de9a62db04/bbc_duncan_bartlett_japan_recession.mp3]
Sony said that 8000 job cuts are necessary in order to save the company around a billion dollars 十亿美元 (大约 6.85 billion yuan) per year.
It』s already warned that its profits 利润 will be less than half of those a year ago despite 尽管 heavy promotion 促销 of its flat screen TVs 纯平电视 and PlayStation 3 computer games machine.
Many other large companies have also seen their profits decimated 大幅度下降 by a slump in sales 销售暴跌 and a rise in the value of the yen.
Small businesses are faring even worse with bankruptcy 破产/倒闭 levels on the rise.
Answers：
1. Why is Sony cutting staff?
To save a billion dollars a year.
2. True or False? Sony predicts that its profit will be 50% less than a year ago.
True.
3. Why do you think large companies have lost big profits?
Because of a slump in sales and a rise in the value of yen.
4. What businesses are more likely to go bankrupt, big companies or small companies?
Small companies.
From:here
