Study the following
definitions and examples.
1. anxious adj., worried
a. The developers were anxious about the sales
forecast for the new product.
b. The graphic designers tried to be calm during
their presentation, but you could tell they were anxious it would not be well
received.
2. ascertain v., to discover; to find out for certain
a. A necessary part of product development is to
ascertain whether the product is safe.
b.
A customer survey will help to ascertain whether there is a market for
the product.
3. assume v., to take upon oneself; to believe to be true
a. The young man felt ready to assume the new
responsibilities of his promotion.
b. A company should assume nothing about the
market but instead pay close attention to research results.
4. decade n., a period of ten
years
a. After a decade of trying, the company finally
developed a vastly superior product.
b. Each decade seems to have its own fad
products.
5. examine v., to interrogate; to scrutinize
a. Before marketing a new product, researchers
must carefully examine it from every aspect.
b. Good researchers have to examine every
possible option, including some that seem bizarre.
6. experiment v., to try out a new procedure or idea; n., a
test or trial
a. Product developers must conduct hundreds of
experiments in their research.
b. After designing a new product, researchers
continue experimenting to determine whether it has other uses.
7. logical adj., formally valid; using orderly reasoning
a. It is only logical for a research and
development team to concentrate on one or two new products at a time.
b. In addition to logical thinkers, a good
research and development team should include a few dreamers.
8. research n., the act of collecting information about a
particular subject.
a. Part of the research the team does is to
determine whether similar products are already on the market.
b. For toy manufacturers, research can be pure
fun.
9. responsibility n., a task
a. The product development department has a huge
responsibility to be sure that the product is safe, even if used improperly.
b. Another responsibility of product development
is to ensure that there will be a demand for the product.
10. solve v., to find a solution,
explanation, or answer
a. Researchers find that every time they solve
one problem, two more result.
b. One of the biggest problems to solve is why
people would want to own the new product.
11. supervisor n., an
administrator in charge
a. The department supervisor has to balance his
department's responsibilities in order to keep the president satisfied with its
progress.
b. A good supervisor gets his team to work with
him, not just for him.
12. systematically adv., methodically;
following a system
a. Once the creative development is completed,
the department works systematically toward making the idea a reality.
b. While creative thinking is necessary, analyzing a
problem systematically is indispensable.