每到十二月，各家公司都會開始承受年終報告的壓力。在 TOEIC 試題中，這類與期限、進度、最終數字、追蹤相關的語言情境非常常見。理解這些表達方式，不只對考試有幫助，也能提升職場溝通效率。今天將帶你掌握像是 “final numbers”、“on track”等高分實用句型，它們在 TOEIC 聽力與閱讀中都非常常出現。
🎧Apple Podcast｜Spotify
💬 Dialogue 情境對話
📍 情境設定
隨著年終報表期限逼近，財務部門的一名員工正在與同事確認工作進度。
💬 English Dialogue
Sophie: Hey Mark, quick question—are the Q4 expense reports on track?
Mark: Almost. Two teams still haven’t submitted their final numbers.
Sophie: Understood. We need the final numbers by Friday so we can finish the year-end summary.
Mark: Operations told me this morning they’re still reviewing several invoices.
Sophie: That figures. The recent currency fluctuations slowed everyone down.
Mark: True. Want me to follow up again this afternoon?
Sophie: Yes, please. Even a preliminary version today would help.
Mark: Sure thing. How about HR’s data?
Sophie: Already received. They’re always the most organized.
Mark: Great. Once we have everything, I’ll combine the files and send you a draft.
Sophie: Perfect. Let’s aim to wrap up the summary before the weekend.
💬 中文
蘇菲說：「嗨 Mark，我想問一下——第四季的支出報告進度正常嗎？」
馬克回答：「差不多，但還有兩個團隊沒有提交最終數字。」
蘇菲說：「了解。我們需要在星期五前拿到最終數字，才能完成年終總結。」
馬克說：「營運部今天早上跟我說，他們還在審核幾張發票。」
蘇菲說：「合理啦，最近匯率波動讓大家進度都變慢。」
馬克回答：「真的。你要我今天下午再追一次嗎？」
蘇菲說：「要，麻煩你。就算是初步版本，今天能拿到也有幫助。」
馬克說：「沒問題。那人資的資料呢？」
蘇菲說：「已經收到了，他們一向最有條理。」
馬克說：「太好了，等所有資料到齊，我會整合檔案再寄草稿給你。」
蘇菲最後說：「很好，我們目標是在週末前把總結完成。」
📚 Vocabulary Boost — TOEIC 高頻字彙表
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | 意思 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|---|
| on track | adj. phrase | 進度正常 | The report is still on track for Friday completion. |
| final numbers | noun | 最終數字 | We can’t submit the summary until the final numbers are confirmed. |
| preliminary | adj. | 初步的 | Please send a preliminary version by the end of the day. |
| fluctuations | noun | 波動 | Currency fluctuations affected this quarter’s expenses. |
| follow up | verb | 追蹤 | I’ll follow up with the vendor this afternoon. |
| submit | verb | 提交 | All teams must submit their reports by Thursday. |
| summary | noun | 總結 | Here’s the monthly summary for review. |
| invoice | noun | 發票、帳單 | The team is still reviewing several invoices. |
| combine | verb | 合併、整合 | Please combine all files into a single document. |
| year-end | adj. | 年終 | We’re preparing the year-end financial package. |
🔍 Grammar Points — TOEIC 常考文法
| 結構 / Pattern | 意思 | 英文例句 | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|
| be on track | 進度正常 | The expense report is on track for Friday. | 這份報告仍有望在星期五前完成。 |
| need + 受詞 + by + 時間 | 表示截止期限 | We need the final numbers by Friday. | 我們需要在星期五前拿到最終數字。 |
| be still + V-ing | 動作仍在進行 | They are still reviewing the invoices. | 他們仍在審核那些發票。 |
| once + 子句 | 一旦…就… | Once we receive the data, we’ll prepare the summary. | 一旦收到資料，我們就會開始撰寫總結。 |
| it would help if… | 委婉請求 | It would help if we could get a draft today. | 如果今天能收到草稿會更好。 |
📖 Transcript 逐字稿
J: We’re here to help you get fluent in that high-stakes language of the workplace, you know, without all the textbook fluff.
J:我們在這裡是要幫你精通職場這種高壓情境下的英文，用最實際的方式，不靠那些課本裡的廢話。
M: And today, we’re jumping right into a really common scenario: year-end reporting.
M:今天，我們要直接跳進一個超常見的情境：年終報告。
J: Oh yeah, that crucial, sometimes stressful time of year.
J:沒錯，那是一個既重要、又有點讓人壓力山大的時期。
M: But the language here is golden, not just for work, but for anyone studying for the TOEIC exam.
M:但這裡面用到的語言超級有價值，不只適用在工作上，也非常適合準備 TOEIC 的人。
J: Exactly. So we’re going to listen in on two colleagues, Sophie and Mark. They’re in the finance department trying to nail down the Q4 reports.
J:沒錯。所以我們要來聽兩位同事 Sophie 和 Mark 的對話。他們在財務部，正在努力把第四季的報告敲定。
M: Okay, let’s hear how they handle it.
M:好，我們來聽聽他們怎麼處理。
隨著年終報表期限逼近，財務部門的一名員工正在與同事確認工作進度。
English Dialogue
Sophie: Hey Mark, quick question—are the Q4 expense reports on track?
Mark: Almost. Two teams still haven’t submitted their final numbers.
Sophie: Understood. We need the final numbers by Friday so we can finish the year-end summary.
Mark: Operations told me this morning they’re still reviewing several invoices.
Sophie: That figures. The recent currency fluctuations slowed everyone down.
Mark: True. Want me to follow up again this afternoon?
Sophie: Yes, please. Even a preliminary version today would help.
Mark: Sure thing. How about HR’s data?
Sophie: Already received. They’re always the most organized.
Mark: Great. Once we have everything, I’ll combine the files and send you a draft.
Sophie: Perfect. Let’s aim to wrap up the summary before the weekend.
蘇菲說：「嗨 Mark，我想問一下——第四季的支出報告進度正常嗎？」
馬克回答：「差不多，但還有兩個團隊沒有提交最終數字。」
蘇菲說：「了解。我們需要在星期五前拿到最終數字，才能完成年終總結。」
馬克說：「營運部今天早上跟我說，他們還在審核幾張發票。」
蘇菲說：「合理啦，最近匯率波動讓大家進度都變慢。」
馬克回答：「真的。你要我今天下午再追一次嗎？」
蘇菲說：「要，麻煩你。就算是初步版本，今天能拿到也有幫助。」
馬克說：「沒問題。那人資的資料呢？」
蘇菲說：「已經收到了，他們一向最有條理。」
馬克說：「太好了，等所有資料到齊，我會整合檔案再寄草稿給你。」
蘇菲最後說：「很好，我們目標是在週末前把總結完成。」
M: Okay, so that was a short conversation, but it is just packed with really useful professional phrases.
M:好，雖然對話很短，但裡面滿滿都是超實用的專業用語。
J: It really is. And we’re not just going to define them, we want to talk about how to use them strategically.
J:真的。而且我們不只會解釋意思，還會講怎麼策略性地使用它們。
M: So let’s start with that first one. “On track.”
M:那我們從第一個開始：「on track」。
J: Right. “On track.” It sounds so simple, just meaning progressing as planned.
J:對，「on track」聽起來很簡單，意思就是照計畫進行中。
M: It does, but it does so much more. When you tell your manager a project is on track, you’re signaling confidence. You’re basically saying, “I’ve got this.”
M:它的確簡單，但功能超強。當你跟主管說某項工作 on track，就是在傳達你的信心，基本上就是在說：「我搞得定。」
J: Yeah, and kind of stops them from needing to micromanage you, right?
J:沒錯，而且會讓主管比較不會盯太緊，對吧？
M: Exactly. It’s efficient.
M:沒錯，非常有效率。
J: And notice the contrast with what they still need.
J:然後注意他們還需要什麼。
M: The “final numbers.”
M:「final numbers」。
J: Ah, yes, the final numbers.
J:對，就是「最終數字」。
M: So not just any numbers, but the completed, checked figures. You can’t really move forward without them.
M:不只是一般的數字，而是已完成、已確認的最終數據。沒有它們，事情沒辦法推進。
J: Right. But you can still do some work, which is why Sophie asks for a “preliminary version.” I love that word, “preliminary.”
J:沒錯。但你還是可以先做一些事，所以 Sophie 才會要求「初版」。我超喜歡這個字。
M: It’s perfect for managing expectations. It tells everyone that this is just the first draft, and it’s probably going to change. It’s so useful.
M:它超適合用來管理期待。它會讓大家知道：「這只是初稿，之後可能會改。」超級好用。
J: And to get those numbers, Mark offers to “follow up.” Now, this is a key verb in any workplace.
J:而為了拿到那些數字，Mark 提出要「follow up」。這是任何職場都超重要的動詞。
M: It’s more than just “ask again,” isn’t it?
M:它可不是單純「再問一次」對吧？
J: Much more. To follow up implies you’re taking accountability to make sure a task actually moves forward. It’s proactive.
J:不止是那樣。follow up 代表你在負責確保事情真的會推進，是一種主動積極的行為。
M: Okay, what was the hold up? They were reviewing invoices.
M:好，那延誤的原因是什麼？他們在審查發票。
J: Right, the billing documents. And the reason for the delay was “currency fluctuations.”
J:對，就是那些帳單文件。而延誤的原因是「貨幣波動」。
M: That sounds like a very high-level professional excuse.
M:聽起來就是一個非常高端的專業級理由。
J: It is. “Fluctuations” just means variations or changes. Using a word like that shows you understand the bigger external factors that affect business. It’s a smart way to explain a delay.
J:沒錯。「fluctuations」就是「波動、變動」的意思。用這個字表示你理解影響業務的外部因素，是個很聰明的延誤說法。
M: So we’ve got the vocabulary. But the grammar, the sentence structure, is just as important for sounding clear and professional.
M:所以我們有單字了，但文法與句型也同樣重要，因為它們決定你的語氣是否清楚、專業。
J: Totally. And this dialogue gives us three fantastic patterns. First, for deadlines.
J:沒錯。這段對話給我們三個很棒的句型。第一個是用來講期限的。
M: “We need the final numbers by Friday.” That’s the need plus object plus by plus time structure. It’s so direct. There’s like zero room for misunderstanding.
M:「We need the final numbers by Friday.」這就是 need + 受詞 + by + 時間。超直接，完全不會讓人誤會。
J: None at all. It’s the language of project management. Then we have the structure for status updates, which connects back to our first vocabulary word.
J:完全沒有模糊空間。這就是專案管理的語言。然後是講進度更新的句型，跟我們第一個單字有關。
M: “Be on track.”
M:「be on track」。
J: Yes. When you say, “The report is on track for Friday,” you’re using that verb “to be” to make a very clear, definitive statement about progress.
J:沒錯。當你說「The report is on track for Friday」時，你用 be 動詞來做出一個非常清楚、確定的進度宣告。
M: Okay. And what’s the last one? Mark used it near the end.
M:好，那最後一個句型是什麼？Mark 在結尾用到的。
J: The structure for showing sequence. “Once we have everything.” Using “once” plus a clause is how you signal dependency.
J:就是表達「順序關係」的句型。「Once we have everything」。once + 子句，就是在表達「有賴於、必須先…」。
M: So you’re saying this thing can’t happen until that other thing happens.
M: 就是在說「這件事要等那件事完成才行」。
J: Precisely. “Once we get the data, we’ll prepare the summary.” It makes the workflow crystal clear for everyone on the team. You know exactly who is waiting for what.
J:沒錯。像「Once we get the data, we’ll prepare the summary.」它讓流程變得非常清楚，所有人都知道誰在等誰。
M: That’s it for today’s MJ English. Remember, five minutes a day is all you need to win at work, win the TOEIC, and win over your colleagues. If you found this useful, don’t forget to follow and share it with your friends. See you next time.
M:這就是今天的《MJ English》。記住，每天五分鐘，就能讓你在工作上、在 TOEIC 上、在同事之間都贏得漂亮。如果覺得有幫助，別忘了追蹤並分享給朋友。下次見！
