Dear MR Ballard,
You asked for a brief report concerning the recent events at the Southford Plant.
We have consulted the files and spoken to relevant members of the higher management and thus are able to provide an explanation for the breakdown reported in the press on 17 May of this year.
____1____ The handling equipment used to deliver the components to the assembly line has been known to be in need of an overhaul for the past six months. The plant has been working to full capacity to finish the American orders according to schedule.
As you know, we had commissioned a study by Industrial Research Consultants. ____2____ In it they warned that there was not enough space available to store sufficient components ____3____
We had decided to install fully automated robot system. However, at the same time it was clear to our production director that given the present maintenance staff, we would not have sufficient staff available if big problems were to arise____4____But we were still only working a two-shift system so the machines were not getting the necessary cover.
We all agree that the breakdown was extremely unfortunate and yet we must admit that, under the circumstance, it was not entirely unexpected.
We now believe that we have managed to sort out the major problems which we had been having with the conveyor equipment ____5____ Added to this is the fact that personnel department has been successful in recruiting some highly qualified maintenance staff who makes us confident that a repetition of the 16 May now seems entirely unlikely.
A. They also recommended expanding the present two-shift system to a three-shift one.
B. And also when the new robots are installed in September, we feel certain that such problems will become a thing of the past.
C. Unfortunately, as you know, there has been a major problem with recognizing the maintenance schedule.
D. The wide range of machine we operate is not fully supervised at all times.
E. The cause of the breakdown was very simple.
F. They submitted their report on April 5.
G. There have been a number of delays and breakdowns in production recently which have been reported in the press.
H. The firm has been advertising for maintenance engineers for some weeks.
I. All the facilities in the plant will be coordinated to enable the workers to step up production of the new range of machines.
參考答案：1. E;2. F;3. A;4. H;5.B
詞匯補(bǔ)充：
(6)controversial a.引起爭論的，有爭議的
In deference to our host I decided not to challenge his controversial remarks.
我出于對主人的尊敬，不對他那易引起爭論的話表示異議。
(7)poach vt.(侵入他人地界)偷獵(或捕魚), 水煮, 侵占, 挖走
A rival firm poached our best computer programmers.
我公司的競爭對手把我們好的計(jì)算機(jī)程序編制員挖走了。
(8)devote to 獻(xiàn)給
He devoted himself entirely to music.
他將一生奉獻(xiàn)給了音樂。
(9)permium prn.加付款;贈(zèng)品 a.高級的;售價(jià)高的
We will reimburse you (for) the additional premium.
對溢價(jià)我們會給予賠償。
(10)alienate vt.使疏遠(yuǎn)，離間;轉(zhuǎn)讓(財(cái)產(chǎn)等)
The Prime Minister’s policy alienated many of her followers.
首相的政策使很多擁護(hù)她的人疏遠(yuǎn)了她。
(11)vendor n.自動(dòng)售貨機(jī), 小販, 賣方, 供貨商 =vender
A few militant members of the crowd attacked the vendor.
人群中幾個(gè)好斗的人攻擊了那個(gè)小販。