📚 Year 7 Cambridge Business: Summer Preparation and Bridging Course | Year 7 剑桥商务暑期预习与衔接课程
Starting Year 7 Business Studies can be both exciting and a little overwhelming. Many students have never studied business as a subject before, so they wonder what it is all about. This summer preparation and bridging course is designed to introduce the key concepts you will meet in the Cambridge Lower Secondary Business curriculum. By exploring these ideas early, you will feel more confident and ready to engage in class discussions when the new school year begins.
开始学习七年级商务课程既令人兴奋，也可能让人有些不知所措。许多同学以前从未把商务当作一门学科来学习，因此会好奇这究竟是怎样一门课。这份暑期预习与衔接课程旨在介绍你将在剑桥初中商务课程中遇到的关键概念。提前探索这些理念，你将更有信心，也能在新学年开始时更好地参与课堂讨论。
1. What Is Business? | 什么是商务？
Business is the activity of making, buying, or selling goods and services in exchange for money. It is all around us – from the local bakery to global technology companies. Understanding business helps us see how products reach us and why people set up organisations to satisfy our daily needs and wants.
商务是指为了获得金钱而进行商品或服务的生产、购买或销售活动。商务无处不在——从街角的面包房到全球科技公司。理解商务有助于我们看清产品是如何到达我们手中的，以及人们为何建立各种组织来满足我们日常的需求和欲望。
A business can be a small sole trader like a hairdresser or a huge multinational like a smartphone manufacturer. No matter the size, every business aims to create value by combining resources to produce goods or services that customers are willing to pay for.
一家企业可以小到像理发师这样的个体经营者，也可以是智能手机制造商那样的大型跨国公司。无论规模大小，每一家企业都旨在通过整合资源来生产顾客愿意为之付费的商品或服务，从而创造价值。
In Year 7, you will begin to explore why businesses exist, who is involved in them, and how they make decisions. Thinking about these questions during the summer holiday will give you a head start.
在七年级，你将开始探索企业为何存在、谁参与其中以及企业如何做决策。在暑假期间思考这些问题，会让你领先一步。
2. Needs and Wants | 需求与欲望
Needs are things we must have to survive, such as water, food, shelter, and clothing. Wants are the additional things we desire to make life more enjoyable, such as video games, holidays, or designer clothes. Business exists largely to satisfy both needs and wants, but our wants are unlimited while resources are limited.
需求是我们生存所必需的东西，如水、食物、住所和衣物。欲望则是那些我们渴望拥有、让生活更愉快的东西，比如电子游戏、度假或名牌服装。商务在很大程度上就是为了同时满足需求和欲望而存在的，但我们的欲望是无限的，而资源却是有限的。
Businesses constantly research what customers need and want so they can offer the right products. For example, a supermarket sells basic food items to meet needs, but it also stocks luxury chocolates and ready-made gourmet dinners to fulfil wants. Understanding the difference between needs and wants helps businesses decide what to produce.
企业不断研究顾客的需求和欲望，以便提供合适的产品。例如，超市出售基本食品以满足需求，但也备有高档巧克力和现成美食晚餐来满足欲望。理解需求与欲望的区别有助于企业决定生产什么。
3. Scarcity and Choice | 稀缺性与选择
Scarcity means that there are not enough resources to satisfy all human wants. Because resources such as time, money, and raw materials are limited, we have to make choices. This is the basic economic problem: unlimited wants versus limited resources.
稀缺性是指没有足够的资源来满足人类的所有欲望。由于时间、金钱和原材料等资源是有限的，我们必须做出选择。这就是基本的经济问题：无限的欲望与有限的资源之间的对立。
For a business, scarcity forces decisions about what to produce, how to produce it, and for whom. A furniture maker might have only a limited supply of oak wood, so it must choose whether to make chairs or tables. This concept of scarcity is central to business studies because it drives innovation and prioritisation.
对企业而言，稀缺性迫使它决定生产什么、如何生产以及为谁生产。一个家具制造商可能只有有限的橡木供应，因此必须选择是做椅子还是桌子。稀缺性这一概念是商务学习的核心，因为它推动了创新和优先顺序的安排。
4. Opportunity Cost | 机会成本
When a choice is made due to scarcity, the next best alternative that is given up is called the opportunity cost. It is not simply the money spent; it is the value of what you could have done instead. Every decision made by a business or an individual has an opportunity cost.
由于稀缺性而做出选择时，所放弃的下一个最佳替代选择就称为机会成本。它不仅仅是花费的金钱，而是你本可以做成其他事情的价值。企业或个人做出的每一个决策都有机会成本。
For instance, if a student decides to spend two hours playing video games instead of revising business vocabulary, the opportunity cost is the benefit of that revision time. A business that invests in a new coffee machine rather than in staff training faces the opportunity cost of potentially less skilled employees. Understanding opportunity cost encourages better decision-making.
例如，如果一名学生决定花两个小时玩电子游戏而不是复习商务词汇，那么机会成本就是那段时间复习能带来的益处。一家投资于新咖啡机而非员工培训的企业，面临的机会成本是员工可能技能不足。理解机会成本有助于做出更好的决策。
In Cambridge Business, you will frequently analyse the trade-offs involved in business decisions. Opportunity cost is a useful tool for weighing up the pros and cons of each option.
在剑桥商务课程中，你经常会分析企业决策中涉及的权衡取舍。机会成本是权衡每个选项利弊的有用工具。
5. Goods and Services | 商品与服务
The output of business activities can be divided into goods and services. Goods are tangible items that we can touch and own, such as bicycles, books, and bananas. Services, on the other hand, are intangible acts or performances, such as haircuts, bus rides, or internet streaming.
商务活动的产出可以分为商品和服务。商品是我们可以触摸和拥有的有形物品，如自行车、书本和香蕉。而服务则是无形的行为或体验，如理发、乘公交车或互联网流媒体。
Many businesses provide a combination of both. For example, a restaurant sells food (goods) but also offers the service of cooking and serving. Understanding this division helps you categorise businesses and recognise how value is added differently in each case.
许多企业同时提供商品和服务。例如，餐馆出售食物（商品），但也提供烹饪和上菜的服务。理解这种区分有助于你对企业进行分类，并认识到在每种情况下价值是如何以不同方式增加的。
6. Factors of Production | 生产要素
To produce goods and services, businesses need inputs called factors of production. These are commonly grouped into four categories: land, labour, capital, and enterprise. Each factor plays a crucial role, and businesses must combine them efficiently.
要生产商品和服务，企业需要投入被称为生产要素的资源。这些投入通常分为四类：土地、劳动力、资本和企业家才能。每一种要素都发挥着至关重要的作用，企业必须将它们高效地结合起来。
- Land includes all natural resources such as forests, minerals, water, and the land itself. 土地包括所有自然资源，如森林、矿产、水以及土地本身。
- Labour is the human effort, both physical and mental, used in production. 劳动力是生产中投入的体力和脑力劳动。
- Capital refers to man-made tools, machinery, and buildings used to produce other goods. 资本指用于生产其他商品的人造工具、机器和建筑。
- Enterprise is the willingness and ability to take risks, organise the other factors, and innovate. 企业家才能是指承担风险、组织其他要素并进行创新的意愿和能力。
Year 7 students often explore how these factors are used in a simple business idea, such as setting up a school tuck shop. The land might be the school premises, labour comes from student volunteers, capital includes the counter and snacks, and enterprise is the drive to make the shop successful.
七年级学生通常会探讨这些要素如何用于简单的商业构想中，比如设立学校小卖部。土地可能是学校场地，劳动力来自学生志愿者，资本包括柜台和零食，而企业家才能则是让店铺成功经营的动力。
7. Types of Businesses | 企业类型
Businesses can be organised in different ways depending on their size, ownership, and liability. Some of the most common structures you will learn about include sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
企业可以根据规模、所有权和责任的不同，采用不同的组织形式。你将学习到的一些最常见结构包括个体经营、合伙企业和有限公司。每种类型都有其自身的优缺点。
| Type 类型 | Ownership 所有权 | Key Feature 关键特征 |
|---|---|---|
| Sole Trader 个体经营者 | One person 一人 | Easy to set up; unlimited liability 容易设立；无限责任 |
| Partnership 合伙企业 | 2 or more partners 两位或多位合伙人 | Shared skills and capital; unlimited liability 共享技能和资本；无限责任 |
| Private Limited Company (Ltd) 私人有限公司 | Shareholders 股东 | Separate legal identity; limited liability 独立法人；有限责任 |
Unlimited liability means the owner’s personal assets are at risk if the business fails, while limited liability protects personal wealth. Choosing the right legal structure is one of the first major decisions an entrepreneur must make.
无限责任意味着如果企业倒闭，所有者的个人资产将面临风险，而有限责任则保护个人财富。选择合适的法律结构是企业家必须做出的首要重大决策之一。
8. Entrepreneurs and Innovation | 企业家与创新
An entrepreneur is someone who spots an opportunity, takes calculated risks, and transforms an idea into a viable business. Entrepreneurs are often seen as the driving force of the economy because they create jobs and introduce new products. Innovation – turning creative ideas into practical solutions – is a hallmark of successful entrepreneurs.
企业家是那种发现机会、承担一定风险并将创意转变为可行事业的人。企业家常被视为经济的驱动力，因为他们创造就业并引入新产品。创新——将创意转化为实际解决方案——是成功企业家的标志。
For instance, a young entrepreneur might notice that classmates struggle to carry heavy sports kits and design a bag that converts into a trolley. This mix of seeing a problem, developing an innovative product, and bringing it to market is exactly what Year 7 Business Studies encourages you to think about.
例如，一位年轻企业家可能注意到同学们难以携带沉重的运动装备，于是设计了一款可变为推车的背包。这种发现问题、开发创新产品并将其推向市场的过程，正是七年级商务课程鼓励你去思考的内容。
9. Stakeholders | 利益相关者
A stakeholder is any individual or group that has an interest in the activities and decisions of a business. Stakeholders can be internal, such as employees and owners, or external, such as customers, suppliers, the local community, and the government.
利益相关者是指任何与企业活动和决策有利害关系的个人或群体。利益相关者可以是内部的，如员工和所有者，也可以是外部的，如顾客、供应商、当地社区和政府。
Each stakeholder group has different expectations. Owners want a profit, employees want fair wages and job security, customers want quality goods at low prices, and the community wants a clean environment. A good business tries to balance these often conflicting interests.
每一个利益相关者群体都有不同的期望。所有者希望盈利，员工希望有公平的工资和工作保障，顾客希望以低价获得优质商品，社区则希望环境清洁。优秀的企业试图平衡这些常常相互冲突的利益。
Studying stakeholders helps Year 7 pupils grasp that business is not only about money – it is also about relationships, ethics, and responsibility. You will encounter this concept in many real-world case studies.
研究利益相关者有助于七年级学生理解，商务不仅仅是关于金钱——还涉及关系、伦理和责任。你将在许多真实世界案例研究中遇到这一概念。
10. Business Objectives | 商业目标
Business objectives are the goals a business sets itself to achieve over a certain period. While making a profit is a very common objective, businesses might also aim to increase market share, provide a service to the community, or become more environmentally sustainable. Social enterprises, for example, may prioritise social or environmental aims over profit.
商业目标是企业为在一定时期内实现而设定的具体目标。虽然盈利是一个非常普遍的目标，但企业也可能以增加市场份额、为社区提供服务或提高环境可持续性为目标。例如，社会企业可能会优先考虑社会或环境目标，而非利润。
Setting clear objectives gives a business direction and helps measure success. During the summer, you can practise by looking at a local business and guessing its objectives. Ask yourself: does the corner shop want to survive, to grow, or to be the most ethical shop in the neighbourhood?
设定明确的目标能为企业指明方向，并帮助衡量成功。暑假期间，你可以通过观察一家本地企业并猜测它的目标来进行练习。问问自己：那家街角小店是想生存、成长，还是想成为社区里最讲道德的店铺？
11. Summer Study Tips | 暑期学习建议
Preparing for Year 7 Business does not mean you need to memorise a textbook. Instead, build your business awareness by noticing the world around you. Read simple business news stories written for young people, visit a local market and speak to stallholders, or watch a documentary about how a popular snack is made.
为七年级商务做准备并不意味着你需要背诵课本。相反，通过观察身边的世界来培养你的商业意识。阅读专为青少年编写的简单商业新闻故事，走访本地市场并与摊主交谈，或者观看一部介绍某种流行零食如何制造的纪录片。
Keep a simple ‘business diary’ over the summer. Each day, write down one business you interacted with and think about what goods or services it provided, who its customers were, and how it might have been affected by scarcity. These small reflections will make the theoretical concepts feel more real when you encounter them in class.
暑假期间写一本简单的“商务日记”。每天记录下你打过交道的一家商户，思考它提供了什么商品或服务，它的顾客是谁，以及它可能怎样受到稀缺性的影响。这些小小的反思会让你在课堂上遇到理论概念时感到更加真实。
Additionally, practice basic numeracy skills – business involves working with money, percentages, and simple charts. Quick mental arithmetic will give you confidence when calculating costs and revenues later.
此外，练习基本的算术技能——商务涉及金钱、百分比和简单图表的运算。快速心算能力会让你日后计算成本和收入时充满信心。
12. Bridging to Year 7 | 衔接准备
As you move into Year 7, the business classroom will focus on discussion, group work, and applying concepts to mini case studies. The bridging course has given you a vocabulary and a framework to participate from day one. When your teacher asks ‘What is the difference between a good and a service?’ or ‘Can you think of an entrepreneur?’, you will already have examples ready.
当你升入七年级时，商务课堂将侧重于讨论、小组活动以及将概念应用于小案例。这份衔接课程已经给了你词汇量和框架，让你从第一天起就能参与进来。当老师问“商品与服务的区别是什么？”或“你能想到一位企业家吗？”时，你已经有了现成的例子。
Remember, business is a living subject. Your opinions and observations matter. A successful student is one who questions why some businesses fail while others succeed, and who is curious about the economic choices people make every day. Use this summer to start wondering, and you will find the transition into Year 7 Cambridge Business both smooth and enjoyable.
请记住，商务是一门活的学科。你的观点和观察很重要。一名成功的学生会提问为什么有些企业失败而有些企业成功，并且对人们每天做出的经济选择充满好奇。利用这个暑假开始探索，你会发现向七年级剑桥商务课程的过渡既顺利又愉快。
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