问答题 {{B}}Business Letter—Invitation & Responses{{/B}} {{U}}Letter of Invitation{{/U}} A business invitation is a request for receiver's attendance at a gathering, conference, exhibition or a trade fair, etc. A letter of invitation should be composed by the following parts: —State the purpose of the invitation, i.e. to welcome the recipient to a conference, etc.; —Provide necessary information about the event: type(a celebration party, a conference, an exhibition, a trade fair, etc. ), date, time, place and any special dress requirements if necessary; —Express hope that the guests( i.e. the recipients )can be present. {{B}}Tips{{/B}} —Provide all the details that the recipient needs in order that he/she can make a proper decision. When time is referred to, it is advisable to mention both the date and the day of week, e.g. July 7th(Wednesday). —Write the invitation in a cordial and sincere manner so that the reader may feel he/she is important and his/her attendance is expected. —Don't forget to ask for a response, indicating a specific date if necessary. —Send the invitations anywhere from two to four weeks in advance, depending on the formality of the occasion. The more formal an event is, the earlier you should notify your guests. {{B}}Sample 1—An invitation{{/B}} September 2, 2008 Dear Mr. Williams, We greatly appreciate your cooperation and assistance in the business of recent weeks. We are cordially inviting you to an evening function on Saturday, September 20,2008, at the Four Seasons Hall, China Hotel, No. 6 Nanjing Road, at 19:00. Looking forward to the pleasure of seeing you there. Yours faithfully, Peng Jiansheng CEO, ABC China Ltd. {{U}}Responses{{/U}} —Reply immediately after receiving the invitation(as soon as possible); —Express your attitude clearly: ACCEPT or REFUSE; —Express gratitude at first whether accept or not; —If you have to refuse the invitation for some reason, an apology is strongly recommended; —Remember to explain why you can't go. {{B}}Sample 2—Accepting invitations{{/B}} September 5,2008 Dear Mr. Peng, Thanks for your invitation to the evening function on Saturday, September 20,2008, at the Four Seasons Hall, China Hotel, No. 6 Nanjing Road, at 19: 00. It is very kind of you to extend your hospitality a little beyond routine work, and I look forward to meeting you and your colleagues. Yours faithfully, David Williams {{B}}Sample 3—Declining invitations{{/B}} September 5,2008 Dear Mr. Peng, Thanks for the opportunity, but I am sorry that I cannot dine and wine with you at the evening function on Saturday, September 20 at 19:00. I believe I have got a serious cold, and with that I am afraid it would not be a good idea to be at a pleasant table with other people. Please accept my regrets, and have a nice evening. Yours sincerely, David Williams {{U}}Exercise: {{/U}} Put the following sentences into the right order and make it a complete letter. a) The dinner will be held at the Asia Peace Plaza, beginning at 18:30 and continuing to 21:00 on Saturday, October 24 and dress will be informal business wear. b) We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 24. c) We are planning a small dinner party in honor of Carlos, President. d) We hope that you will be able to join us in this opportunity to meet the senior directors of our company.