day1-day2

Amazon ‘s Empire

Background

1. The Standard & Poor's 500, often abbreviated as the S&P 500, or just "the S&P", is an American stock market index based on the market capitalizations of 500 large companies having common stock listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ. The S&P 500 index components and their weightings are determined by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It differs from other U.S. stock market indices, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the Nasdaq Composite index, because of its diverse constituency and weighting methodology. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it one of the best representations of the U.S. stock market, and a bellwether for the U.S. economy. The National Bureau of Economic Research has classified common stocks as a leading indicator of business cycles.

2. Amazon Web Services (AWS) describes both a technology and a company. The company AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon.com and provides on-demandcloud computingplatforms to individuals, companies and governments, on a paid subscription basis with a free-tier option available for 12 months. The technology allows subscribers to have at their disposal a full-fledged virtualcluster of computers, available all the time, through the internet.

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day3-day4

For the first reading

P1-P3 The author is trying to analyze Amazon’s success and its future from the perspective of shareholders of the company.

P4 Some negative sides of Amazon may be enumerated in this paragraph.

P5-P9 The author provides more details of the strategy and model of Amazon.

P10-P11 When a company grows way too big, government would step in. Microsoft, for example, was sued and told to divide the company into two parts. Amazon may face the same threat due to its conspicuous growth.

P12 The author is trying to tell us some lessons could be learned from the business model of Amazon.

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day5-day6

For the second reading

Amazon ‘s Empire

The world’s most remarkable firm may eventually be threatened by its own success

P1: Word & Phrase

1. extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔː.dɪn.ər.i/ US /-ˈstrɔːr.dən.er-/ adjective

    very unusual, special, unexpected or strange.

2.computing   /kəmˈpjuːtɪŋ/ n [U] the use of computers as a job, in a business etc.

3.Account for 对...负有责任；对...作出解释；说明...的原因

4.cable (WIRE) /ˈkeɪ.bļ/

   1) noun [C or U] a wire, covered by plastic, that carries electricity, telephone signals, etc:

a length of cable

   2) noun [U] the system of sending television programmes or telephone signals along wires under the ground.

5. battery (ELECTRICAL DEVICE) /ˈbæt.ər.i/ US /ˈbæţ.ɚ.i/ noun [C]   a device that produces electricity to provide power for radios, cars, etc.

Sentence:

1. This year Amazon will probably spend twice as much on television as HBO, a cable channel.

2. Its own-brand physical products include batteries, almonds, suits and speakers linked to a virtual voice-activated assistant that can control, among other things, your lamps and sprinkler.

P2: Word & Phrase

1.be due to 由于，起因于

Sentence:

1. Yet Amazon’s shareholders are working on the premise that it is just getting started.

2.Never before has a company been worth so much for so long while making so little money: 92% of its value is due to profits expected after 2020.

P3: Word & Phrase

1.anticipate /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/ verb [T]      to imagine or expect that something will happen, sometimes taking action in preparation for it happening.

2.scepticism  BrE skepticism AmE /ˈskeptɪsɪzəm/ n [U]   an attitude of doubting that particular claims or statements are true or that something will happen

3.fertile (LAND) /ˈfɜː.taɪl/ US /ˈfɝː.ţəl/ adjective     describes land that can produce a large number of good quality crops

Sentence:

1. Ground for skepticism does not come much more fertile than this: Amazon will have to grow faster than almost any big company in modern history to justify its valuation.

2. That is because investors anticipate both an extraordinary rise in revenue, from sales of $136bn last year to half a trillion over the next decade, and a jump in profits.

P4: Word & Phrase

1.tick off 列举；用记号标出

2.pitfall /ˈpɪt.fɔːl/ US /-fɑːl/ noun [C usually plural]   a likely mistake or problem in a situation.

3.nudge /nʌdʒ/ verb

   1 [T] to push something or someone gently, especially to push someone with your elbow (= the middle part of your arm where it bends) to attract their attention.

   2 [I + adverb or preposition; T] to move slowly and almost reach a higher point or level.

4.unprecedented /ʌnˈpres.ɪ.den.tɪd/ US /-ţɪd/ adjective

   never having happened or existed in the past.

5.Beef up vt. 加强（增援，充实）；补充（人数，兵力）

Sentence:

1. But the striking thing about the company is how much of a chance it has

of achieving such unprecedented goals.

P5: Word & Phrase

1.dimension /ˌdaɪˈmen.tʃən/ noun

   1 [C often plural] a measurement of something in a particular direction, especially its height, length or width.

   2 [C] a part or feature or way of considering something.

2.whinge  /wɪndʒ/ v present participle whingeing or whinging [I]

   BrE to keep complaining in an annoying way

   whinge about　Stop whingeing about the situation and accept it.

Sentence:

1. The first of these is time. In an era when executives routinely whinge about pressure to produce short-term results, Amazon is resolutely focused on the distant horizon.

2. This is largely due to the firm’s unusual approach to two dimensions of corporate life.

P6: Word & Phrase

1.lure /ljʊəʳ/ US /lʊr/ noun

   1 [C usually singular] the quality or power that something or someone has that makes them attractive.

   2 [C] an artificial insect or other small animal which is put on the end of a fishing line to attract fish

2. entice /ɪnˈtaɪs/ verb [T]  to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant.

Sentence:

1. That gives Amazon more cash for new services—such as two-hour shipping and streaming video and music—which entice more shoppers.

P7: Word & Phrase

1.resemble /rɪˈzem.bļ/ verb [T]  to look like or be like someone or something.

2.prophecy /ˈprɒf.ə.si/ US /ˈprɑː.fə-/ noun

   1 [C] a statement that says what is going to happen in the future, especially one which is based on what you believe about a particular matter rather than existing facts:

These doom and gloom prophecies are doing little to help the economy.

    2 [U] FORMAL the ability to say what is going to happen in the future.

3.debacle /deɪˈbɑː.kļ/ noun [C]  a complete failure, especially because of bad planning and organization.

P8: Word & Phrase

1.sheer (STEEP) /ʃɪəʳ/ US /ʃɪr/ adjective extremely steep; almost vertical

2.breadth /bredθ/ /bretθ/ noun

   1 [C or U] the distance from one side to another.

   2 [S] when something includes many different items, features, subjects or qualities:

3.wingspan /ˈwɪŋ.spæn/ noun [C]  the distance between the ends of the wings of a bird, insect or aircraft.

Sentence:

1. If Amazon’s approach to time-frames is unusual, so too is the sheer breadth of its activities.

2. A wingspan this large is more reminiscent of a conglomerate than a retailer, which makes Amazon’s share price seem even more bloated: stock markets typically apply a “conglomerate discount” to reflect their inefficiencies.

P9: Word & Phrase

1.presumably /prɪˈzjuː.mə.bli/ US /-ˈzuː-/ adverb  

    used to say what you think is the likely situation

2. infrastructure /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃəʳ/ US /-tʃɚ/ noun [C usually singular]

     the basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively.

Sentence:

1. It is testing technology in stores to let consumers skip the cash register altogether, and experimenting with drone deliveries to the home.

P10: Word & Phrase

1. retailer /ˈriː.teɪ.ləʳ/ US /-lɚ/ noun [C]

    a person, shop or business that sells goods to the public

2. pristine /ˈprɪs.tiːn/ US /prɪˈstiːn/ adjective FORMAL APPROVING

    new or almost new, and in very good condition

P11: Word & Phrase

1.equivalent    W3 /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/

    1)  adj  having the same value, purpose, job etc as a person or thing of a different kind

   equivalent to a qualification which is equivalent to a degree.

    2) n [C]  something that has the same value, purpose, job etc as something else.

   equivalent of He had drunk the equivalent of 15 whiskies.

2.adjacent /əˈdʒeɪ.sənt/ adjective FORMAL     very near, next to, or touching.

3.comparative /kəmˈpær.ə.tɪv/ US /-ˈper.ə.ţɪv/  noun [C] SPECIALIZED  the form of an adjective or adverb that expresses a difference in amount, in number, in degree or quality.

Sentence:

1. In Europe, Google stands accused of using its clout as a search engine to extend its power to adjacent businesses.

P12: Word & Phrase

1.predatory /ˈpred.ə.tər.i/ US /-tɔːr-/ adjective

    MAINLY DISAPPROVING A predatory person or organization tries to obtain something that belongs to someone else.

2.tempting /ˈtemp.tɪŋ/ adjective If something is tempting, you want to do or have it.

Sentence:

1. Investors value Amazon’s growth over profits; that makes predatory pricing more tempting.

2. If Amazon does become a utility for commerce, the calls will grow for it to be regulated as one.

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day7

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