Task 5 Directions: The following is a
business letter. After reading, it, you should give brief answers to the 5
questions (No. 56 to No. 60) that follow. The answers (in no more than 3 words)
should be written after the corresponding numbers on the Answer Sheet.
October 8, 2010 Dear Sirs, Many thanks for your offer
(报价) dated August 26th for leather shoes and for the illustrated catalogues you
very kindly sent us. We appreciate the high quality of
your goods, but unfortunately we are not in a position to accept the offer on
your terms. Your prices appear to be on rather high side and they will leave us
little or no margin of profit. As you may know, this is an area in which the
principal demand is for goods in the medium price range, and leather shoes of
the same quality from some other suppliers are now available in this market at
much lower prices than yours. Some suppliers even offer a special discount of as
high as 20% on orders exceeding $15 000. Much as we would
like to do more business with you, it is rather difficult for us to accept the
prices you offered. Unless you can reduce your prices by 10%, we will have no
choice but to satisfy our requirements elsewhere. It is highly
appreciated if you will give the matter your due consideration and allow us the
discount as we suggested. We await your early reply.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Austen What was the purpose of this letter
To ask the supplier to offer him ______ of 10%.