giving your presentation you should speak clearly and fairly slowly,
face the audience and make eye contact with them, do not read from the script.
Ex.21. Read the phrases in the box. They can be useful for organizing and
sequencing points in a presentation. Match the phrases with the steps.
my second point is so first, I’m going to tell you about
my objective is now let me summarise the main points
now I’ll come to my last point I’ve divided my talk into three parts
the subject of my presentation is first, …second, … third
so to sum up firstly, …secondly, … thirdly, …finally
introduction _______________________________________________________
body _______________________________________________________
conclusion _______________________________________________________
Ex.22. Work in groups of two and prepare a three-minute presentation explaining how a person without a famous name and money can start a successful business. Practise your presentation, then make your presentation to the other groups.
Unit 2 women in business
Key points
For years, working women found they had little chance of getting a top job. The bosses of big business were nearly always men. They were often good at managing money but bad at managing people. Most of them were good at selling traditional products but bad at creating new ones. Many of them thought in the same way, said the same kinds of things and wore the same dark suits.
But in recent years, business has changed. There are now opportunities for people to think differently and to manage companies in new ways. At last, women have been able to test new ideas and try new ways of working. Although many women still have problems in the workplace, more and more are reaching the top in their business lives.
Points to discuss
Why are the bosses of big business usually men?
Is it easy for women to become a successful top businesswoman?
Write a list of 5 questions that you would like to ask a businesswoman?
Have you ever heard about Anita Roddick? Have you ever been to The Body
Shop? What kinds of products do they sell?
Reading
Anita Roddick
The Body Shop is a company which was started by one woman, Anita Roddick, in 1976. In just a few years, her company has grown from one small shop into a large international business. During this time, she has shown people that business is not just about making money; she believes that business can help to make the world a better place.
Ex. 1. Look through the extract from the book “Women in business” about Anita Roddick and her business and find answers to the following questions.
What field of business is she involved in?
Why did she decide to go into business?
What products did Anita sell in her first shop?
What was different about The Body Shop’s product?
Just outside Littlehampton in the south of England, there is a large modern office building that is built in a Chinese style. It is specially designed so it does very little damage to the environment. Its electric power comes from the wind and it produces very little waste. Inside, some people are discussing the company’s financial performance or its latest sales figures. But others are discussing campaigns to save the forests of Brazil or ways of helping political prisoners. Many of them have children who spend the day playing with teachers in a special area on another floor while their parents are working. These offices may be very different from the normal offices of a large international company, but the people here manage a business with over 1,750 shops in around 50 different countries.
This building is the head office of The Body Shop, a company which was started by one woman, Anita Roddick, in 1976. In just a few years, her company has grown from one small shop into a large international business. During this time, she has shown people that business is not just about making money; she believes that business can help to make the world a better place. And Anita Roddick has also changed the cosmetics industry in a big way.
Before The Body Shop, cosmetics were sold for high prices in expensive bottles and packages, but Anita has always tried to sell cosmetics cheaply and simply. Before The Body Shop, cosmetics companies rarely used natural ingredients in their products, but Anita has changed that as well. Before The Body Shop, cosmetics companies always had expensive offices in big, rich cities like Paris or New York, but Anita manages her international business from a small English town.
Littlehampton is beside the sea on the south coast of England and it used to be a popular place for English people to spend their holidays. Anita grew up there in the 1940s and 1950s, and her first experience of business was helping her mother in the busy kitchen of her café. But Anita never thought about a life as a businesswoman. When she left school, she studied to be a teacher and then decided to travel. She visited many countries, including Tahiti, Australia and South Africa.
Soon after she returned to Littlehampton from her travels, she met a man called Gordon Roddick. They fell in love, got married and had two daughters. But life wasn’t easy for them. Gordon didn’t have a regular job. When he met Anita, he was a writer, but he had never made very much money from his work. Now they had to earn money for their young family. Anita had learnt a lot about the service industry from her experience in her mother’s café and, of course, she also knew Littlehampton well, so she and Gordon decided to go into the hotel business. They borrowed some money and bought a small hotel with just eight bedrooms.
The hotel was soon doing well and so next, the Roddicks decided to buy a restaurant. But Anita and Gordon hadn’t realized that a restaurant was such hard work. After three years, they decided that they had had enough.
Late one night, Gordon said to Anita, ‘I don’t want to do this any more. This is killing us’.
He told her that he had an unusual plan. All his life, he had had a dream: he had always wanted to ride a horse from Buenos Aires to New York. Now he wanted to make that dream come true, while he was still young and healthy. But it meant that he would have to leave Anita and the children for two years.
Anita was surprised by the idea, but she was happy to accept the situation. How, though, was she going to earn money for the next two years? She decided to go into business.
While Gordon prepared for his trip, Anita thought about the kind of business she would like to start. She wanted a business that would give her some time to see her children, so she knew that she wanted to work regular hours.
‘Why not open a shop?’ she thought. That would allow her to work from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. But what could she sell? She had to find something that people needed but that they couldn’t buy from any other shop. She also wanted to do something that she believed in. She didn’t want to make money just to get rich; she wanted to be sure that she was selling a good product and offering a good service.
After some time, she started to think about cosmetics. ‘Why is there so little choice for women who want to buy cosmetics?’ Anita asked herself. ‘The cosmetics companies decide what goes into their bottles, they decide how big the bottles should be and, worst of all, they decide to ask a very high price for them’.
And when Anita found out more, she was really shocked by the price of some cosmetics. She realized that some companies were buying their materials for $1 and then selling them for over $100. Customers were often spending a lot of money on a pretty bottle and a famous name.
‘These profits are too high’, she thought. ‘I know I can sell cosmetics more cheaply’.
While she was traveling around the world, Anita had seen how women in many countries made cosmetics from natural products. Could she do the same thing for women in Britain? She wrote to several big cosmetics companies and asked if they could help her, but they all thought that she was crazy. After several weeks, she found a chemist who could make these things for her. Anita knew she was in business. Next she borrowed £4,000 from a bank and rented a shop in Brighton, a big town near Littlehampton. The shop was in a good area, but she discovered that its walls were always wet, so she covered them with dark green paint to hide the marks. Her shops are still painted this colour today. As she was painting, she also thought of a name for her business – The Body Shop.
Anita thought it was a great name for her shop, but some of the other businesses in the area weren’t so enthusiastic. A week before her new shop’s opening day, she received a letter from a lawyer. The letter said that she had to change its name. In the same street as her new shop, there were two companies that organized funerals. Both these companies believed that a shop called ‘The Body Shop’ so near to them would be bad for their business.
At first Anita was frightened by the lawyer’s letter, but then she decided to use it to help her. She called the local newspaper and told them about the two funeral businesses and their attitude towards a poor young woman who was trying to open her first shop. The newspaper printed her story and Anita never heard from the lawyer or from the funeral companies again. She was also pleased because she got a lot of free advertising for her new shop.
Anita was nervous on the morning that the shop opened. She had fifteen products to sell and she had spent several days putting them into bottles. She knew that the shop needed to take £300 a week. It seemed like a lot of money. But Anita didn’t need to worry. On the first morning, her shop was full of people. They had never seen anything like Anita’s products before; there were soaps that smelled of apples, rose water perfumes, body butter, and skin creams made from natural oil. By the end of the day, Anita had taken £130. She was very happy.
But Anita didn’t relax. She tried everything to make customers visit her shop. One day, she even poured perfume along the street that led to her shop door. She hoped that new customers would follow their noses!
The summer of 1976 was hot in the south of England, and lots of people went to Brighton to lie on the beach and swim in the sea. Many of them heard about The Body Shop and went in to buy cream for their burnt skin and tired feet. After just a few months, Anita was doing so well that she wanted to open another shop. She went to the bank and asked if she could borrow another £4,000. But the bank manager thought that Anita was moving too quickly. ‘Wait another year’, he told her, ‘and we’ll discuss it again then’.
But Anita didn’t want to wait and so she spoke to a local businessman called Ian McGlinn about her idea. McGlinn agreed to give Anita £4,000, but he wanted to own half of the business. That seemed fair to Anita and so she wrote to Gordon in South America and told him about her plan. Gordon immediately wrote back, and said ‘Don’t do it!’ But his letter arrived too late. Anita had already got the money from Ian McGlinn and he was now the owner of half of The Body Shop. For him, it was one of the best financial decisions of all time: twenty years later, his half of the company had a value of over £100 million!
While Anita’s business was doing well, on the other side of the world Gordon was facing some serious problems. Less than a year after the start of his journey, his horse died in the mountains of Bolivia and he had to return home. Back in Britain, he took over the financial side of The Body Shop’s operations. He started to look for ways in which the company could continue to grow.
♦
Ex.2. Read the text again and answer the following questions.
Where did Anita grow up?
What did Anita do before she met Gordon Roddick?
Why did Anita and Gordon decide to go into hotel business?
What was Anita’s husband’s dream?
Why did Anita decide to open a shop?
Why did Anita start to think about cosmetics?
When did Anita realize that she was in business?
Why are all Anita’s shops painted in green?
What difficulties did Anita face opening her first shop? How did she overcome them?
Who did Anita turn for help to when she needed money to open a new shop?
On what terms did he agree to give it?
What part of the business did Gordon Roddick control?
How old was Anita when she became a millionaire?
What helped Anita to start and to develop her business? What are her strengths?
Vocabulary
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Ex.3. Translate into Russian the following sentences from the text. Pay special attention to the translation of the underlined parts of the sentences.
1. Working women found they had little chance of getting a top job. 2. Her company has grown from one small shop into a large international business. 3. During this time, she has shown people that business is not just about making money. 4. It is specially designed so it does very little damage to the environment. 5. LittleHampton is beside the sea on the south coast of England and it used to be a popular place for English people to spend their holidays. 6. Her first experience of business was helping her mother in the busy kitchen of her café. 7. When he met Anita, he was a writer, but he had never made very much money from his work. 8. The hotel was soon doing well. 9. Now he wanted to make that dream come true. 10. ‘Why not open a shop?’ she thought. 11. ‘Why is there so little choice for women who want to buy cosmetics?’ Anita asked herself. 12. Anita knew she was in business. 13. The letter said that she had to change its name. 14. She was also pleased because she got a lot of free advertising for her new shop. 15. Anita was doing so well that she wanted to open another shop. 16. She went to the bank and asked if she could borrow another £4,000. 17. But the bank manager thought that Anita was moving too quickly. ‘Wait another year’, he told her.
Ex.4. Complete the sentences with the words and word combinations from the vocabulary list.
He ____________ the family business practically single-handed.
I______________ remembering people’s names.
Bob didn’t want to stand behind the counter any longer, that’s why he moved to Salamanca to ______________________ his own computer_____________.
The company “Swarovski” ____________________________ more than 100 years. In spite of the changes in customer demand the number of orders is constantly growing.
The business of the Bensons _____________________ because they are really in charge of offering their customers ____________________. That’s why their ___________________ is quite good. The annual ____________ of the company reaches $2.3 billion.
Last Saturday we decided on going to the outskirts of Athens to climb up that famous hill.We________________________ of the hill and looked down.
Unfortunately I don’t have _____________________ so I can’t get this flat on credit. I must raise some money to ________________.
Our factory is environmental friendly: it _______________________. For we never _____________________ with the environmental services.
Ex.5. Make up a situation using no less than 7 words and expressions with the active vocabulary.
Ex.6. Translate from Russian into English using active vocabulary.
Он хорошо разбирается в химии. По-моему он может занять эту должность и управлять компанией.
Мы еще не получили данные об объемах продаж. как же мы можем узнать, с какими проблемами можно столкнуться в ближайшие две недели?
Постоянная работа продавцом надоела ему. Он раздобыл денег и занялся своим бизнесом. К сожалению, финансовое состояние компании оставляет желать лучшего. Однако сфера обслуживания на высоте. Думаю, что через пару лет он будет преуспевать в бизнесе.
Лени работает по графику, с 9 утра до 6 вечера. А в свободное время он изучает немецкий. Он хочет переехать в Австрию и заниматься там бизнесом.
Когда умер отец, Катрине пришлось развозить газеты по домам, стоять в очередях за продуктами для соседей. Доход от такой работы был небольшой, но ей хватало на учёбу в колледже.
Конечно, цены в магазине пока нельзя было назвать разумными, но им пришлось смириться с таким положением вещей. Чтобы развивать бизнес, нужно было получать хоть какую-то прибыль от магазина.
Ex.7. Read the following piece of information. Look up in the dictionary the meaning of the underlined words. Translate the text into Russian. Render the text in English.
In 1984, Anita and Gordon decided that The Body Shop needed even more money so it could continue to grow. They decided to sell shares of the company at the London Stock Exchange. Half of these shares were already owned by Ian McGlinn because he owned half the company as a result of his arrangement with Anita in 1976. Anita and Gordon kept some shares in The Body Shop for themselves and they sold the rest to the public. When The Body Shop shares first went on sale, Anita and Gordon were at the London Stock Exchange to watch. At the start of the day, the share price was £0.95. But as the hours passed, the price went higher as more and more people tried to buy a piece of The Body Shop. When the Stock Exchange finished business that afternoon, the price had risen to £1.65. Anita took out a piece of paper and added some figures together. The value of her own Body Shop shares was £1.5 million. After just eight years in business, at the age of forty-two, Anita Roddick was a millionaire!
Grammar
Ex.8. Complete the following texts with the proper tense-form of the verbs in brackets.
1) One of Anita and Gordon’s friends admired their business and asked if she (can) open a Body Shop too. She could get enough money (to start) a shop; she wanted products (to sell) and she wanted to use The Body Shop name. It seemed like an excellent idea to Anita and Gordon. It let them (to increase) the size of their business, but it meant that they (not to have) to borrow any more money. When this new Body Shop (to become) successful, they looked for other people who also wanted to open Body Shops. They found plenty of people who (to think) that this was a great opportunity, and soon Body Shops (to open) in towns and cities across the UK. In 1978 the first Body Shop (to open) outside the UK, in Brussels, and the next year the business spread to Sweden and Greece. By 1981, a new Body Shop (to open) somewhere in the world every two weeks.
2) As the business (to grow), The Body Shop started making more and more different products. People often (to come) to Anita with strange ideas for natural cosmetics that she could use in her business.
One day, an old lady from Vienna arrived at The Body Shop’s offices with a bag of white powder. She explained that it (to be) a special skin treatment which her grandfather (to prepare) for Archduke Ferdinand of Austria many years ago. Anita liked the story and agreed to test the lady’s white powder. To her surprise, it really (to work), and it later became one of the Body Shop’s most successful products. The little old lady (to return) to Austria to lead a comfortable life, because Anita (to promise) to give her 10% of all the money that her product made.
Ex. 9. The following sentences show the different stages in the manufacture and recycling of The Body Shop bottle. Use the verbs below in the write form to complete each stage.
add, arrange, extract, fill, grind, heat, label, produce,
remove, return, transport, use
Oil __________ from beneath the sea. It contains hydrocarbons which __________ to produce plastic.
The plastic __________ and injected into a mould (форма) to produce the bottle shape.
The bottles ___________ with different Body Shop products and ___________ to show what each one contains.
Caps ___________ to seal (закрыть, запечатать) the bottles.
The bottles __________ in packs and then ___________ to the shops by lorry.
Once empty, bottles __________ to the shops, where the caps __________ .
The bottles and caps __________ up into two separate types of plastic.
Items such as combs __________ from the recovered plastic.
Ex. 10. Translate the following sentences using to have or to have to.
1. У кого из вас есть сестра? – У Коли. 2. Что ещё вам приходится делать для них? 3. Мы обычно завтракаем в 8 часов утра. 4. Мы хорошо провели время в Измайловском парке. 5. Она не может позвонить тебе, и тебе придётся сделать это самому. 6. Сколько предметов они изучают в институте? – Много. 7. У мальчика есть красный и желтый карандаши, но нет чёрного. 8. У тебя будет завтра время, чтобы сходить на выставку фотографий? 9. Ей сегодня нужно остаться дома. Её мама больна. 10. Тебе пришлось работать продавцом или подметать полы? 11. Каждый вторник у них два урока французского и английского.
Ex. 11. Complete the sentences with must – have to –need in the correct form.
1. Jack left before the end of the meeting. He ____________go home early.
2. In Britain many children ___________________ wear uniform when they go to school.
3. We _______________ hurry we have half an hour before the train starts.
4. When you come to London again, you _______________________ come and see us.
5. You ______________ have helped him with this work. He could have managed it himself.
6. Last night Don became ill suddenly. We _____________________ call a doctor.
7. You really __________________ work harder if you want to pass the examination.
8. I’m afraid I can’t come tomorrow. I __________________ work late.
9. Paul doesn’t like his new job. Sometimes he __________________ work at weekends.
10. You ______ ask my permission. You can do what you want.
11. You ______ speak to the driver when the bus is moving. It's dangerous.
12. I can find my own way there. You ______ wait for me.
13. I want a new house. It ______ have a swimming pool but it must have a nice garden.
14. Pay me back when you can. You ______ do it immediately.
15. He's a millionaire. He ______ work but he does because he enjoys it.
16. The train is direct. You ______ change trains.
17. I ______ wear a suit at work on Fridays. It's 'dressing down day".
Ex. 12. Translate the word combinations in brackets into English. Pay attention to the use of the infinitives after the following verbs: help, make, let, allow.
1. My father allowed ____________________________ (мне взять его машину).
2. Let_______________________ (ему делать то, что он хочет).
3. She doesn’t allow _______________ (курить в своей гостиной).
4. Georgia said that the letter was personal and she wouldn’t let ________________ (мне прочесть его).
5. Could you help________________________мне передвинуть этот стол в угол)?
6. The film was very sad. It made _______________________ (меня расплакаться).
7. Mary wanted to help ___________________ (Давиду основать свой бизнес), but he didn’t allow _________________ ей помочь ему).
8. I want you to make ________________________ (Крис найти постоянную работу).
Ex. 13. A. Read and translate into Russian the following sentences from the text. Say what meaning the Infinitive in all these sentences expresses.
1. When she left school, she studied to be a teacher. 2. She didn’t want to make money just to get rich. 3. She covered the walls with dark green paint to hide the marks. 4. She tried everything to make customers visit her shop. 5. Lots of people went to Brighton to lie on the beach and swim in the sea. 6. Many of them heard about The Body Shop and went in to buy cream for their burnt skin and tired feet.
B. Complete the sentences using the Infinitive of Purpose.
1. I read the story the second time … 2. He had to work hard … 3. We must hurry … 4. After classes we stayed at the institute … 5. Has he come…? 6. … you should read more out loud. 7. I called on him yesterday… 8. We stopped… 9. … we must begin preparing for the exams.
C. Translate the sentences into English.
1. Всё было сделано для того, чтобы спасти его. 2. Он вызвал машину, чтобы отвезти нас на станцию. 3. Я встал в 6 часов, чтобы не опоздать на утренний поезд. 4. Я написал ему письмо, чтобы напомнить о его обещании. 5. Ребёнок выбежал навстречу матери. 6. Вы приехали для участия в конференции? 7. Давайте дадим ему деньги, чтобы он купил словари для всей группы.
D. Joint each idea in A with an idea from B.3
A B
He often writes things down lose contact with them
We’ll use the computer forget them
We left early save time
I explained my proposal again be late
We mail our clients regularly avoid any confusion
Anita went into business make money, but offer good service
E. In the sentences bellow underline the correct word.
We are not in the business just to make / for making short-term profit.
I wrote the date in my diary not to / in order not to forget the meeting this morning.
He resigned in order to / to spend more time with the family.
Many visitors come here to see / for seeing our production line.
F. Match the beginning of each sentence with an ending a) or b).
2. I went to Barcelona for |
a) the Trade Fair b) attend the trade Fair |
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1. I kept his business card to 2. I kept his business card so as not to
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Discussion
Ex.14. Read the following piece of information and say how you feel about the problems the text talks about.
The early 1980s was a good time to sell natural products. Several international news stories at that time made people think about the harmful effects of modern industry. Scientists found that the world was getting hotter because of the smoke and gas from factories and cars. They also discovered that in the forests of countries like Brazil, rare plants and animals were quickly disappearing. Then, in December 1984, poisonous gas escaped from a factory in Bhopal, India, and killed 2,000 people. Sixteen months later, there was an explosion at a power station at Chernobyl, Ukraine. A cloud of poison killed many people and caused damage to plants and animals right across Europe. These problems made many people wonder if we should all change our lifestyles. They thought that we should stop using so many dangerous products and start to live in a more natural way.
Ex.15. In groups of three or four discuss one or more possible solutions to the problems described above and decide who should solve these problems – governments, businessmen, or individuals. Summarize your discussion and present your point of view to the other group.
Ex.16. Read the following information about Anita Roddick’s activities and say what Anita has done to protect environment. Comment on her acts, express your opinion on how effective they are.
Anita Roddick understood these ideas. She had always tried to make The Body Shop a clean business that didn’t damage the environment. Her cosmetics were made from natural products and she had never allowed people to test her products on animals; instead, they had always been tested on people. She also always asked her customers to use their bottles again, to reduce waste. She believed that business was not just about making a profit, and that companies should act in a responsible way towards society and towards the earth. Because of this, people were happy to shop at The Body Shop if they were worried about the environment.
Ex.17. Work in pairs. You will read some more information about Anita Roddick, but you don’t have the same information as your partner. Ask and answer questions to complete the information you have.
Student A But Anita wanted to do more than just run a responsible business. She thought that business could give her the opportunity to make the world a better place. So in … (When?), she started working with a group called Greenpeace to stop companies putting waste and poisons into the sea. As part of the campaign to keep the seas clean, The Body Shop paid for … (What?) and gave its customers information about the problem. Over the next few years, The Body Shop worked with other groups on campaigns to save … (Who?/What?) and to help people who … (What?). In 1989, Anita ran a campaign to stop … (What?). The campaigns were a chance for The Body Shop’s employees to learn about these problems, and they were all expected to help Anita to make them successful.
Other businesspeople were surprised by Anita’s campaigns. They were even more surprised when she began to fly to some of the poorer places in the world, helping people to start businesses. To some companies, poor countries are just places to buy cheap materials and hire cheap workers. This can often have damaging results for the local society. But Anita believed that her business could help. So she went to the forests of Brazil and worked with the Kayapo people. The Kayapo had lived according to their old traditions for thousands of years. But now, changes in the modern world meant that it was difficult for their way of life to continue. Anita helped them to start a business that produced oil for cosmetics. They could make this from plants that they found in the forest and then sell it to The Body Shop for a good price. The Kayapo were happy because they now had money to pay for better health and education; it was also good for The Body Shop, because Anita had another natural product to sell. After her success with the Kayapo, Anita used the same kind of idea to help poor people in many other parts of the world.
Student B But Anita wanted to do more than just run a responsible business. She thought that business could give her the opportunity to make the world a better place. So in 1985, she started working with a group called Greenpeace to stop companies putting waste and poisons into the sea. As part of the campaign to keep the seas clean, The Body Shop paid for advertising and gave its customers information about the problem. Over the next few years, The Body Shop worked with other groups on campaigns to save rare animals and to help people who had been wrongly put in prison. In 1989, Anita ran a campaign to stop the burning of trees in the forests of Brazil. The campaigns were a chance for The Body Shop’s employees to learn about these problems, and they were all expected to help Anita to make them successful.
Other businesspeople were surprised by Anita’s campaigns. They were even more surprised when she began to fly to some of the poorer places in the world, … (What for?). To some companies, poor countries are just places to buy cheap materials and hire cheap workers. This can often have damaging results for the local society. But Anita believed that her business could help. So she went to … (Where?) and worked with the Kayapo people. The Kayapo had lived according to their old traditions for thousands of years. But now, changes in the modern world meant that it was difficult for their way of life to continue. Anita helped them to start …(What?). They could make this from plants that they found in the forest and then sell it to The Body Shop for a good price. The Kayapo were happy because they now … (Why?); it was also good for The Body Shop, because Anita had another natural product to sell. After her success with the Kayapo, Anita used the same kind of idea to help poor people in many other parts of the world.
Ex.18. Summarize the information about Anita’s political activity.
Ex.19. Give your opinion on the points of view expressed below. Present your arguments for or against these points.
Some people said that Anita’s campaigns weren’t really about saving the world. They were just a way to get cheap advertising and to make the company look good in the eyes of its customers. In 1994, some newspapers and television programms went further. They criticized The Body Shop and said that it hadn’t done enough to protect the environment.
Ex.20. Discuss these questions in groups then present your point of view to the whole class.
1. The Body Shop’s social action programme is highly unusual. What sort of corporate image do you think these activities create? Do you find it attractive?
2. The Body Shop prefers to invest in its social action programme rather than expensive advertising and promotion campaigns for its products. The programmes benefits communities, but are there any commercial advantages?
3. Body Shop employees have taken part in a wide range of activities on their afternoons off, ranging from helping in local hospitals to cleaning up river banks. Would you like to be given time off to work in your local community? (What sort of work would you do?)
Writing
Ex.21. Prepare a short report4 (350 words) about Anita Roddick. The report should have a clearly-defined structure with three main sections:
introduction in which the objectives are made clear,
body with three or four main points,
conclusion with a strong summary.
Answer the following questions and use the answers as a plan for your report.
Why is she famous?
Why did she decide to go into business?
How did she get the money to start the business?
Who helped her start / do business? Were there any important meetings in her life which helped her in her career?
How did she become a millionaire? How has her business expanded?
How does The Body Shop protect environment? Does its activity really help environment?
What kind of person is she? Explain her power?
The following paragraph can be used as a conclusion: Anita once said that there were no heroes in the modern business world, but she has certainly become a hero for many people. She has shown that it is possible for a woman to build a large international company in just a few years. She has proved that it is possible to manage a business and care for the environment at the same time. And she has brought new ideas, new products and new life to the world’s shopping centres.
Making an effective presentation
An effective presentation is usually accompanied by helpful visuals to save words and illustrate what you want to say. Visual aids are an important and effective way of structuring and communicating presentations.
Preparing visuals make sure the information on them is large and clear. Don’t put far too much information on them because it's difficult to read. Don’t include too much text or too many figures. Don’t prepare too many visuals – about one for each minute of talking time is enough.
Presenting visuals make sure the audience can see each visual clearly. Give the audience enough time to see each visual. Help the audience to understand the visuals by pointing to parts you are referring to. Face the audience, don’t turn your back on the audience to look at the visual. Finally, don’t read the text on your visuals word for word.
Ex. 22. Work in groups of three or four. Prepare a five-minute presentation on other famous women in business you know. Say what companies or products they are famous for, describe their power and key to success. Prepare helpful visuals to illustrate what you want to say. Practise your presentation then make your presentation to the other groups.
The phrases in the box can be useful for organizing your presentation.
as you can see … let’s move on to the next …
this … shows that could I draw your attention to …
if you look at … if you take a look at… , you’ll see …
Unit 3 family business
Key points
A family business is a company owned, controlled, and operated by members of one or several families. Many companies that are now publicly held were founded as family businesses. Many family businesses have non-family members as employees, but, particularly in smaller companies, the top positions are often allocated to family members.
Points to discuss
What advantages of being involved in a family business do you see? Is it
rewarding?
How hard is it to work in a family business? What problems does one face
when he joins a family business?
Reading
Ex. 1. Three women tell us about the highs and lows of working in the family business. Read their points of view and name the advantages and downsides they speak about.
NATALIE ALTBACK, 25, works in her father Raymond’s hairdressing business in St.John’s Wood, North London, as a receptionist and marketing executive. She is single and lives in nearby Finchley.
My dad has had the business now for 40 years and so I grew up with it. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no talent in that area so hairdressing itself isn’t for me. My brother Joshua, on the other hand, has lots of expertise so it was natural for him to become a hairdresser and join the business.
I had always wanted to be an actress but, when that didn’t come off, I went traveling. After a year I decided to come back and work with Dad and Joshua as a stopgap and I’ve been here for three years now.
The best thing about working in a family business is seeing your family every day. I also feel as if I’ve made a difference to the business and that I’ve helped to contribute to its growth, which gives me great satisfaction.
The flexibility is wonderful, too. If you want a day off, it can be negotiated more easily if your dad is the boss. Also hairdressing is a warm, friendly environment to work in, with regular clients with whom you build up a relationship and whose lives you get to know. It is very sociable.
There are downsides, too. Of course everyone bitches about their boss but when it is your dad or your brother that they are talking about it is horrible. The staff never really look on you as one of them because you are the boss’s daughter and that makes it difficult to build a normal working relationship with them.
At one point I lived with Dad and that was really stressful because we didn’t get any space from one another and arguments brewed up. Now that I have moved out, I get on with both my brother and my father much better. I don’t think living and working together is a great idea.
It can definitely be a bit stifling working with family and now, having been there for three years, I realize it is time to move on. There is a huge world out there and I want to broaden my experience. If I was a hairdresser it would be different but I have a strong sense of wanting to forge a niche for myself now.
Dad and my brother have both been great about that and given me time off for interviews in marketing and public relations.
And the best bit about a family business is that, if it doesn’t work out for me elsewhere, I can always go back.
♦
NICOLE ANDLAW, 26, is single, lives in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, and works in marketing for her father’s travel agency. She has a brother and a sister but is the only one who works in the family firm.
After university I got a job in insurance broking but very quickly realized it wasn’t for me and decided to take the opportunity to travel. I returned home last August and didn’t really know what to do.
My dad has always been keen on my brother, sister or me going into the firm, which specializes in arranging business travel. He gave each of us summer jobs with him, but he also made it clear that he wouldn’t create jobs for us.
Then, last August he was looking for a marketing executive, which involves promoting the company, and asked me if I was interested.
The most difficult thing about deciding to take the job was that I was worried it would be seen by other people as taking the easy option.
As a result, I feel I have an awful lot to prove. It is not like going into a job where you don’t know anybody. People at the firm have known me since I was three years old and I have got to earn everyone’s respect.
Having been there now for more than a year, I think I have more responsibility than I would at another company. That is the great advantage of working in a family company. I get on very well with my dad, but he decided it was best if I report to another manager on a daily basis, which has worked very well and is healthier for us.
My relationship with Dad hasn’t changed except that we talk more about work. That annoys the rest of the family but I think that is natural. I still live at home and it has never been a problem, although I will probably move out soon.
I don’t think my brother and sister will want to join the company but who knows? It is great the way things have turned out for me because I always wanted a job in London.
I never thought I would work with Dad and it is working out really well. He is pleased I am on board and I feel very strongly that I don’t want to let him down. I want to make my mark and turn his business into something even bigger and better.
♦
MARGARET CARTER, 61, has two sons, Marcus, 40, and Rufus, 34, who both work in her foods business. Her daughter Gina, 38, is a film producer. Margaret was Welsh Business Woman of the Year in 1995 and lives in Llandegla in North Wales.
It was 22 years ago that I moved to North Wales with my children. My marriage had broken down and I needed to earn a living.
I had 11 different jobs, things like childminding, working as a shop assistant and babysitting. It gave me the grand total of about £70 a week, which made it really hard to bring up a young family.
One week I managed to save £9 and decided to make something I could sell. I asked the owner of a local café what he would buy and he said paté. I went home, got out a recipe book, bought some chicken liver and got going.
We still use that recipe today. I gradually sold it to more and more customers but I always hated selling. I just wanted to be a mother but I really had no choice and so the company grew and grew.
Like me, my sons are severely dyslexic. When Rufus left school he was going to job interviews but nothing materialized. It was a real struggle for him. At that time I was short of staff and asked him for a hand. He’s now the managing director.
Marcus worked in farming for a long time but five years ago he wanted a change. He started selling the patés for us on a part-time basis and was brilliant at it. He is now our sales director and travels all over the world.
In fact, they are so fantastic at what they do that they no longer need me and I have recently retired. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world being able to hand over a successful business to my family. I think it is important to empower people and I hope that is what I have done with my sons.
There has never been a problem working with Marcus and Rufus; they have no egos. I think that is what is different about working with them compared with working with other people. They are poles apart in terms of personality and they have each found a niche in the business that suits them, which is key in a successful family business. Marcus, for instance, isn’t suited to office life and so traveling around the world suits his temperament.
I also think it is hugely important for families to talk and when you work together it is even more important – and that is what we do. We all go on holiday together and we also socialize with one another. We get on really well and have never fallen out over the business.
If we had not all had dyslexia, I don’t think any of us would have done as well as we have. I’m really proud of us.
Daily Express. August 2, 2004.
♦
Ex. 2. Read the texts again and answer the following questions.
How did it happen that all of them found themselves involved in the family business?
Why doesn’t Natalie want to work in the family business though she sees a lot of advantages?
What does Natalie mean saying that it is a bit stifling working with family?
Is Natalie satisfied with the work she does?
Does Nicole want to change anything in her life and work?
How does Margaret’s family business start?
What is the reason for Margaret’s family business to be so successful?
Vocabulary
child minder / babysitter day off / time off downsides flexibility highs / lows marketing executive managing director sales director stopgap on the one hand on the other hand to be short of to broaden experience to come off to contribute to to earn a living
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to earn respect to forge a niche to get on well with smb to hand over to smb to involve to join the business to let smb down to move on to negotiate to promote to report to smb to suit to take the job to take an opportunity to turn into to turn out
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Ex. 3. Find in the text English equivalents for the following words and expressions. Give the context.
Продвигать компанию, найти своё призвание/нишу, принять предложенную должность, ежедневно отчитываться перед вышестоящим менеджером, хорошо ладить с коллегами, способствовать росту компании, присоединиться к семейному предприятию, руководитель службой маркетинга, финансовый директор, работать неполный рабочий день, передать бизнес сыну, гибкий график работы, взлеты и падения, зарабатывать на жизнь, использовать все возможности, обратная сторона медали, временная пауза/передышка, расширить знания, обсуждать условия, подводить.
Ex.4. Translate into Russian the following sentences from the text. Pay special attention to the translation of the underlined parts of the sentences.
1. Also hairdressing is a warm, friendly environment to work in, with regular clients with whom you build up a relationship and whose lives you get to know. It is very sociable. 2. Everyone bitches about their boss but when it is your dad or your brother that they are talking about it is horrible. 3. The staff never really look on you as one of them. 4. We didn’t get any space from one another and arguments brewed up. 5. It can definitely be a bit stifling working with family. 6. If it doesn’t work out for me elsewhere, I can always go back. 7. It gave me the grand total of about £70 a week, which made it really hard to bring up a young family. 8. When Rufus left school he was going to job interviews but nothing materialized. 9. I was short of staff and asked him for a hand. 10. I think it is important to empower people and I hope that is what I have done with my sons. 11. My dad has always been keen on my brother, sister or me going into the firm. 12. He gave each of us summer jobs with him, but he also made it clear that he wouldn’t create jobs for us. 13. He decided it was best if I report to another manager on a daily basis. 14. It is great the way things have turned out for me.
Ex.5. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the box below.
A successful business…
is always making money and increasing its………………………… .
is often the market…………………………… .
is moving forward and interested in …………………… .
has a motivated …………………………… .
has a loyal …………………….. base.
has a world-famous ……………………………and an instantly recognized logo.
issues …………………which are worth millions on the stock market.
has its ……………….. in a prestigious location.
has branches and ………………….. all over the world.
treats its employees well and is ……………………………. oriented.
leader customer brand profit headquarters workforce
subsidiaries people innovation shares
Ex.6. Make up a very short dialogue (4-5 remarks) using the active vocabulary from the Unit.
Ex.7. Translate from Russian into English using active vocabulary.
1. Она много лет работала в нашей компании, однако недавно она решила переехать в другой город и открыть собственное дело. 2. Продавец консультант должен ежедневно отчитываться перед одним из менеджеров по продажам. 3. Нина долго искала постоянную работу, была на множестве собеседований, и в конце-концов преуспела. Сейчас она присоединилась к бизнесу своей тёти. 4. Я не собираюсь подводить Келли. Сегодня же доложу о вашей ошибке финансовому директору. 5. Он отлично ладит со всеми нашими сотрудниками. Неудивительно, что у него хорошо получается управлять людьми в компании. 6. Продвигать товар на рынке – не лёгкое дело. Чтобы заниматься этим делом недостаточно закончить университет. Тебе нужно накапливать / расширять собственный опыт. 7. Она быстро смогла завоевать уважение постоянных покупателей. Ей нет равных в сфере обслуживания. Её надо вознаградить внеочередным отпуском. 8. Я решил искать новую работу, поскольку в этой компании у меня нет возможности развиваться, и нет шансов получить повышение. 9. Эта работа мне подходит. Мне нравится, что эта работа предполагает общение с людьми и частые командировки. 10. Николь удастся превратить маленькую компанию отца в большой процветающий бизнес. 11. Когда я уйду на пенсию, я передам свой бизнес старшему внуку.
Grammar
Ex. 8. Complete the following texts with the proper tense-form of the verbs in brackets.
Founded in 1853 by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world's largest brand-name with sales in more than 110 countries. There is no other company with a comparable global presence in the jeans and casual pants markets. Our market-leading (to sell) under the Levi's®, Dockers® and Levi Strauss Signature® brands.
Levi Strauss & Co. privately (to hold) by descendants of the family of Levi Strauss. Shares of company stock not publicly (to trade).
Jacob (to be) the tailor who in the early 1870s first (to fashion) heavy cotton cloth and metal rivets (заклепка) into sturdy (крепкий, выносливый) "waist overalls" for miners seeking durable work pants. Levi in turn (to meet) Jacob's needs for patenting and mass production of the product, enthusiastically embracing the idea and bringing it to life. The rest is history: The two (to create) what would become the most popular clothing in the world — blue jeans.
Our history (to fill) with relevant examples of paying attention to the world around us. We listened. We innovated. We responded.
In the 1930s, consumers (to complain) that the metal rivets on the back pockets of our jeans tended to scratch furniture, saddles and car seats. So we (to redesign) the way the pockets were sewn, placing the rivets underneath the fabric.
It (to take) courage to transform the company in the late 1940s. That was when we (to make) the tough decision to shift from dry goods wholesaling, which (to represent) the majority of our business at the time, and to focus instead on making and selling jeans, jean jackets, shirts and Western wear. It was a foresighted — though risky — decision that (to enable) us to develop and prosper.
With the introduction of the Dockers® brand in 1986, we (to create) an entirely new category of casual clothing in the United States, bridging the gap between suits and jeans. A year later, Dockers® khakis (to become) the fastest growing brand in history. Throughout the 1990s, we (to be) instrumental in changing what office workers wear on the job. In 2003, we (to create) a new brand to offer stylish casual clothing to a growing number of value-conscious consumers worldwide.
We are a team of high achievers. We hold ourselves accountable for attaining the high performance standards and results that are inherent in our goals. We learn from our mistakes. We change. This is how we build our brands and grow our business.
www.levistrauss.com
Ex.9. A. Match the beginning of sentences with their endings.
1. My parents were quite strict and a) with all the paperwork related to
brought me customer accounts
2. In my job I deal b) on to our product range
3. First I’ll talk about the history of c) up in a very traditional way
our company, then I’ll move d) over in January
4. The new director will take e) down so many times in the past
5. Why did you take f) on without me?
6. How will you get g) up golf?
7. He has been let
B. Complete the sentences with the proper preposition from the box.
on up over
1. Paola grew ….. in a little village.
2. Now I’d like to move ….. to the next slide which shows our sales by region.
3. I’ll hand ….. the firm to my son when I retire.
4. We’ll have to take …. more staff we’re to take … more work.
5. Our new manager is getting …. Well with all subordinates.
6. They have set …. a committee on teenage smoking.
7. She told herself not to let negative thoughts take …. .
8. Surgical techniques have moved …. astonishingly fast in the last five years.
9. From humble beginning, they have built the company …. into what is now a multinational concern.
C. Rewrite the sentences by replacing the underlined words with a phrasal verb.
1. We’ll have to continue the meeting tomorrow. We have little time left.
2. The photocopier has stopped working again.
3. Banks usually help people wanting to organize their own business.
4. They called on him to appoint as Prime Minister.
5. Who are you going to ask to continue the presentation after you have given the introduction?
6. Did the meeting you were planning ever take place?
Discussion
Ex.10. Work in pairs. Could you name some management problems which may affect the performance of a family-owned company? How can these problems be solved?
Ex.11. Compare your ideas with the suggestions given below. Comment on them: explain how you understand them, say which you agree with, which you don’t agree with and explain why.
Management problems in a family-owned business are somewhat different from the same problems in a non-family business. When close relatives work together, emotions often interfere with business decisions.
In some family companies, control of daily operations is a problem.
In others, a high turnover rate among non-family members is a problem.
In still other companies, growth is a problem because some of the relatives are unwilling to invest profits back into the business.
Conflicts sometimes arise because relatives look upon the business from different viewpoints. Those relatives who are silent partners, stockholders, and directors see only dollar signs when judging capital expenditures, growth, and other major matters. Relatives who are engaged in daily operations judge major matters from the viewpoint of the production, sales and personnel necessary to make the company successful. Obviously, these two viewpoints may conflict in many instances.
Another problem is connected with family members who have no talent for business. Sometimes they are the weak offspring of the founders of the company - sons and daughters who lack business ambitions.
Ex.12. Look at the following situations. Imagine that you are an owner of a small business. How would you approach these situations? What would you actually do in each situation?
1) One of the most common problems in a family business is hiring of relatives who do not have talent. But what are you to do when your sister or another close relative says, "Bob needs a job badly"?
2) The major concern is not necessarily the relative but how he or she affects other employees. In some cases, a relative can demoralize the organization by his or her dealing with other employees. For example, he or she may loaf on the job, avoid unpleasant tasks, take special privileges, and make snide remarks about you and other relatives.
3) Some family-owned companies face a high turnover among their non-family executives. Managers and workers leave because promotions are closed to them because they see your relatives being pushed into executive offices.
4) Many times, as the owner-manger you feel that you must make an expenditure to improve, yet other family members oppose the expenditure because they view it as an expense rather than an investment. They feel that funds spent for items, such as more efficient equipment, spoil their year-end dividends.
Ex.13. In groups of three discuss the main principles of a family business. Give arguments to prove your views. Make a list of such principles.
Ex.14. Do you agree with these statements? Give reasons to support your point of view.
Family participation in a business can strengthen the business.
Family members are very loyal and dedicated to the family enterprise.
Managing a family business can present some unique problems.
Often family interests conflict with business interests, for example hiring a family member who is less competent than a non-family member or keeping an underperforming family member in a position when their performance is hurting the company.
Ex.15. Imagine that your are a boss of a large company and your daughter wants to join your business. But she is not good at this sphere. Make up a dialogue and try to find a compromise.
Ex. 16. Work in pairs. What advice can you give in the following situations.
1) When my dad died, he passed on his successful carpet store to me and my three siblings. The problem? Two of us aren’t old enough to run the business, and the other two don't want to.
2) My sister wants me to go into business with her — she owns a bridal shop and it sounds like a lot of fun. The thing is, I don't want business to get in the way of our relationship — we're real close. How do we make this work?
3) My brothers is talking about working together. I know that he is a terrific salesman and marketer, that he has a lot of drive and works well on his own, and that I can really use his marketing expertise. The rewards seem obvious — I will get to work with some one I know so well. But the risks can't be overlooked: What if it doesn't work out? What if business interferes with our personal relationship?
Writing
Ex.17. Read this short story and comment on the situation: explain what happened and express your opinion on the father’s behaviour.
An example of the conflict that can arise is demonstrated in a story, about Stew Leonard's Supermarket in Connecticut, about a family business owner whose son's performance was deemed unsatisfactory by his supervisor. The father told the supervisor that he would take care of it. The father asked his son to come to the family home for a talk in the hot tub. When they were settled in the tub the father put on a hat which he said was his 'Boss' hat and told his son that he was fired. He then removed that hat and put on another calling it his 'Father' hat. Then he said: "Son, I'm very sorry to hear that you lost your job. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Making an effective presentation
An effective presentation should have an impressive introduction. Clear and confident start is very important to effective presentation. Though introduction is a relatively short part of a presentation its structure is enough complicated. Here you can find four easy steps to make an effective introduction:
greet the audience and introduce yourself,
introduce the subject of the presentation,
explain the purpose in making this report to the audience,
give the “menu” of the main points you are going to speak about,
If you want your audience to listen to you, you should create comfortable
atmosphere to get the attention of your audience, you need strategies to make you introduction not only clear but catching. Presenters can use different techniques to get their audience’s attention at the start of a presentation, for example, to make the opening sentence of the presentation interesting, to give an interesting or an amazing fact or statistic, to tell a personal story or a joke, to ask the audience a question, to state a problem, to show why your presentation is especially interesting or relevant for this audience.
Ex.18. Work in groups of two or three. Prepare a five-minute presentation on a company owned, controlled, and operated by members of one or several families. Speak about the problems they have or have had, and the success they achieved.
Pay special attention to the beginning of the presentation. Practise your presentation, then make your presentation to the other groups.
The phrases below can be useful for organizing the introduction of your presentation.
1. Introducing yourself
On behalf of myself and …… , I’d like to welcome you. My name's …… .
Hi, I’m …… Good to see you all.
Good morning everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is ...
I am a specialist in ...
2. Introducing the topic
This morning I’d like to outline the campaign concept we've developed for you.
I’m going to tell you about the ideas we’ve come up with for the ad campaign.
3. Giving the “menu”
I’ve divided my presentation into three parts.
I'm going to divide my talk into four parts.
First I'll give you ...; after that ...; finally ...
4. Inviting questions
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to interrupt me.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
If you're not clear about anything, go ahead and ask any questions you want.
Unit 4 business ethics5
Key points
You, the reader, have already made decisions that involve business ethics. Perhaps you have tried to sell your old car or a second-hand fridge: do you point out to the buyer that the clutch is wearing or do you wait until you are asked, or when you are asked you don’t tell the truth? Have you refused to buy a country’s product because you object to its politics?
Points to discuss
What is business ethics?
What rules guide business?
What principles should a businessman have?
When conducting a business is it possible to be decent, honest, frank, moral?
Reading
Ex.1. Read this story about a successful businessman and continue the story. Describe what could happen when Mr. Boggis returned to the house?
Parson’s pleasure
By Roald Dahl
Mr Boggis stopped the car, got out and looked around. It was perfect. He could see for miles.
Over on the right he spotted a medium farmhouse and there were two farms on the left. By trade a dealer in antique furniture, with a shop in the King’s Road, Chelsea, Boggis had achieved a considerable reputation by producing unusual items with astonishing regularity. When asked where he got them, he would wink and murmur something about a little secret.
Boggis’s little secret was a result of something that happened on a Sunday afternoon nearly nine years before, while he was driving in the country. The car had overheated and he had walked to a farm-house to ask for a jug of water.
While he was waiting for it, he glanced through the door and spotted a large oak armchair. The back panel was decorated by an inlay of the most delicate floral design. Good God, he thought. This thing is late seventeenth century!
He poked his head in further. There was another one on the other side of the fireplace! Two chairs like that must be worth at least a thousand pounds in London.
When the woman of the house returned, Boggis asked if she would like to sell her chairs. They weren’t for sale, she said, but just out of curiosity, how much would he give? They bargained for half an hour, and in the end, Boggis got the chairs for less than a twentieth of their value.
Returning to London in his station-wagon, Boggis had an idea. If there was good stuff in one farmhouse, why not in others? On Sundays, why couldn’t he comb the countryside? But country folk are a suspicious lot. Perhaps it would be best if he didn’t let them know he was a dealer. He could be the telephone man, the plumber, the gas inspector. He could even be a clergyman…
The scheme worked. In fact, it became a lucrative business.
And now it was another Sunday. At this moment he was disguised as a clergyman. Boggis parked some distance from the gates of his first house. He never liked his car to be seen until a deal was made. An old clergyman and a large station-wagon never seemed quite right together.
But there was nothing of value in the house.
At the next stop, no one was home. The third, a farmhouse, was back in the fields. It looked dirty. He didn’t hold out much hope for it.
Three men were standing in the yard. When they caught sight of the small, man in his black suit and parson’s collar, they stopped talking and watched him suspiciously. The farm owner’s name was Rummins. The tall youth beside him was his son Bert. The short man with broad shoulders was Claud, a neighbour.
“And what exactly might you be wanting?” Rummins asked.
Boggis explained that his aim was to help not very rich people to get rid of their old furniture.
“We don’t have any”, said Rummins. “You’re wasting your time.”
“Now just a minute, sir”, Boggis said, raising a finger. “The last man who said that to me was an old farmer down in Sussex, and when he finally let me into his house, d’you know what I found? A dirty-looking old chair in the kitchen that turned out to be worth four hundred pounds! I showed him how to sell it, and he bought himself a new tractor with the money.”
“Well”, Rummins said, “there’s no harm in you taking a look.” He led him into a living-room.
And there it was! Boggis saw it at once and gasped. He stood staring for ten seconds at least, not daring to believe what he saw before him. It couldn’t be true!
At that point, Boggis became aware of the three men watching him. They had seen him gasp and stare. Boggis staggered to the nearest chair and collapsed into it, breathing heavily.
“What’s the matter?” Claud asked.
“It’s nothing”, he gasped. “I’ll be all right in a minute.”
“I thought maybe you were looking at something”, Rummins said.
“No, no”, Boggis said. “It’s just my heart. It happens every now and then. I’ll be all right.”
He must have time to think, he told himself. Take it gently, Boggis. Keep calm. These people may be ignorant but they are not stupid.
It was a dealer’s dream. Boggis knew that it was an example of eighteenth century English furniture known as “The Chippendale Commodes”.
Boggis began to move around the room examining the other furniture, one piece at a time. Apart from the commode it was a very poor lot.
“Nice oak table”, he said. “Not old enough to be of any interest. This chest of drawers” – Boggis walked casually past the commode – “worth a few pounds, I dare say. A crude reproduction, I’m afraid.”
“That’s a strong bit of furniture”, Rummins said. “Some nice carving on it too.”
“Machine-carved”, Boggis replied, bending down to examine the exquisite craftsmanship. “You know what?” he said, looking back at the commode. “I’ve wanted a set of legs something like that for a long time. I’ve got a table in my own home, and when I moved house, the movers damaged the legs. I’m very fond of that table. I keep my Bible on it.”
He paused, stroking his chin. “These legs on your chest of drawers could be cut off and fixed on to my table.”
“What you mean to say is you’d like to buy it”, Rummins said.
“Well … it might be a bit too much trouble. It’s not worth it.”
“How much were you thinking of offering?” Rummins asked.
“Not much, I’m afraid. You see, this is not a genuine antique.”
“I’m not so sure”, Rummins said. “It’s been in here over 20 years. I bought it at the Manor House when the old Squire died. Bert, where’s that old bill you once found at the back of one of the drawers?”
“You mean this?” Bert lifted out a piece of folded yellow paper from one of the drawers and carried it over to his father.
Boggis was fighting to suppress his excitement. With the invoice, the value had climbed even higher. Twelve thousand pounds? Fourteen? Maybe fifteen or even twenty?
He tossed the paper on to the table and said quietly, “It’s exactly what I thought, a Victorian reproduction. This is simply the invoice that the seller gave to his client.”
“Listen, Parson”, Rummins said, “how can you be so sure it’s a fake? You haven’t even seen it underneath all that paint.”
“Has anyone got a knife?” asked Boggis.
Claud produced a pocket-knife. Working with apparent casualness, Boggis began chipping the paint off a small area on top of the commode. “Take a look.”
It was beautiful – a warm little patch of mahogany glowing like a topaz, rich and dark with the true colour of its two hundred years.
“What’s wrong with it?” Rummins asked.
“It’s processed! Without the slightest doubt this wood has been processed with lime. That’s what they use for mahogany, to give it that dark aged colour”. “How much would you give?” Rummins asked.
Boggis looked at the commode, frowned, and shrugged his shoulders. “I think ten pounds would be fair.”
“Ten pounds!” Rummins cried. “Don’t be ridiculous, Parson. It’s antique, it’s worth double!”
“If you’ll pardon me, no, sir, it’s not. It’s a second-hand reproduction. But I’ll tell you what, I’ll go as high as fifteen pounds.”
“Make it fifty”, Rummins said.
“My dear man”, Boggis said softly, “I only want the legs. The rest of it is firewood, that’s all.”
“Make it thirty-five”, Rummins said.
“I couldn’t sir, I couldn’t! I’ll make you one final offer. Twenty pounds.”
“I’ll take it”, Rummins snapped.
“Oh, dear”, Boggis said. “I shouldn’t have started this.”
“You can’t back out now, Parson. A deal’s a deal.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Perhaps if I got my car, you gentlemen would be kind enough to help me load it?”
Boggis found it difficult not to break into a run. But clergymen never run; they walk slowly.
Back in the farmhouse, Rummins was saying, “Fancy him giving me twenty pound for a load of junk like this.”
“You did very nicely, Mr Rummins”, Claud told him. “You think he’ll pay you?”
“We don’t put it in the car till he do.”
“And what if it won’t go in the car?” Claud asked. “He’ll just say to hell with it and drive off.”
Rummins paused to consider this alarming prospect.
“I’ve got an idea”, Claud went on. “He told us that it was only the legs he was wanting. So all we’ve got to do is cut ’em off, then it’ll be sure to go in the car. All we’re doing is saving him the trouble of cutting them off when he gets home.”
“A bloody good idea”, Rummins said, looking at the commode. Within a couple of minutes, Claud and Bert had carried the commode outside and Claud went to work with the saw. When all the legs were severed, Bert arranged them carefully in a row.
Claud stepped back to survey the results. “Just let me ask you one question, Mr Rummins”, he said slowly. “Even now, could you put that enormous think into a car?”
“Not unless it was a van.”
“Correct!” Claud cried. “And parsons don’t have vans. All they’ve got usually is little Morris Eights or Austin Sevens.”
“The legs is all he wants”, Rummins said. “If the rest of it won’t go in, then he can leave it. He can’t complain. He’s got the legs.”
“You know damn well he’s going to start knocking the price if he don’t get every single bit of this into the car. So why don’t we give him his firewood now and be done with it”, Claud said patiently.
“Fair enough”, Rummins said. “Bert, fetch the axe.”
It was hard work, and it took several minutes before Claud had the whole think more or less smashed to pieces. “I’ll tell you one thing”, he said straightening up, wiping his brow. “That was a bloody good carpenter put this job together and I don’t care what the parson says.”
“We’re just in time!” Rummins called out. “Here he comes!”
♦
Ex.2. Read the text again and answer the questions.
Who was Mr. Boggis by trade?
What was Mr. Boggis little secret?
Why was Mr. Boggis disguised as a clergyman?
What did he find in Rummin’s hause?
How did Mr. boggis try to knock down prices?
How did Rummis, Bert and Claud “help” Mr. Boggis?
Do you sympathize with anyone in the story? If yes, then who do you
sympathize with and why?
Can we justify Mr. Boggis?
Vocabulary
deal to make a deal a dealer value to be of value invoice bill cheque account |
receipt lucrative business to be worth to be for sale to bargain to knock prices in the end at the end |
Ex.3. Translate into Russian the following sentences from the text. Pay special attention to the translation of the underlined parts of the sentences.
1. By trade a dealer in antique furniture, with a shop in the King’s Road, Chelsea, Boggis had achieved a considerable reputation by producing unusual items with astonishing regularity. 2. They bargained for half an hour, and in the end, Boggis got the chairs for less than a twentieth of their value. 3. But country folk are a suspicious lot. 4. “And what exactly might you be wanting?” Rummins asked. 5. A dirty-looking old chair in the kitchen that turned out to be worth four hundred pounds! 6. Boggis staggered to the nearest chair and collapsed into it, breathing heavily. 7. “It’s exactly what I thought, a Victorian reproduction. This is simply the invoice that the seller gave to his client.” 8. It was beautiful – a warm little patch of mahogany glowing like a topaz, rich and dark with the true colour of its two hundred years. 9. “Make it thirty-five”, Rummins said. “I’ll take it”, Rummins snapped. 10. So why don’t we give him his firewood now and be done with it”, Claud said patiently.
Ex.4. Translate into English the following sentences from the text. Pay special attention to the translation of the underlined parts of the sentences.
1. В Лондоне два подобных стула наверняка стоят по крайней мере тысячу фунтов. 2. Боггис заполучил стулья в 20 раз дешевле, чем они реально стоят. 3. Ничего ценного / стоящего в доме не было. 4. Оказалось, что стулья стоят 400 фунтов. 5. Этого не стоит делать. / Данный труд не стоит того. 6. С чеком его цена может подскочить ещё выше. 7. Это старинная вещь. Её цена в два раза выше. 8. Вы не можете сейчас пойти на попятную. 9. Он торговался уже час, пытаясь сбить цену.
Ex.5. A. Match the words to their definitions.
1. Bill a) an arrangement in which a bank looks after your
money.
2. Invoice b) a written statement showing how much money you
owe someone for goods or services you have received.
3. Receipt c) a piece of printed paper that you can use instead of
money to pay for things.
4. Account d) a document giving details of goods or services
that someone bought and must pay for.
5. Cheque e) a document you get from someone showing that
you have given them money of goods.
B. Fill in the right word: invoice, bill, cheque, account, receipt
The firm says it cannot find the cash to meet its phone ……………. .
We submit our …………… on a monthly basis.
There was only £50 in his bank ……………. .
How do I open ……………… with your bank?
Their grocery ……………… is around £50 per week.
This bonnet costs $ 30. - Can I pay by ……………?
He always paid by credit card and kept the ……………. .
C. Translate the sentences into English.
1. У меня открыт счёт в Макс & Спенсоре. 2. У Вас есть электронный счёт? 3. Я оплачу счёт / покрою долг утром. 4. Я всегда оплачиваю счета вовремя. 5. Счёт, пожалуйста. 6. Вы принимаете чеки? 7. Я бы хотел получить чек на каждый купленный товар.
Ex.6. Choose the correct word. Translate the sentences into Russian.
to arrange to survey
1. I’m trying ……………… a meeting with their sales director. 2. We’re flying out on the 18th – it’s all …………………... 3. Please ………………….. for a cab to pick me up at six. 4. They ………………….. to go swimming the following day. 5. 19% of those …………………… say they haven’t decided who they will vote for. 6. It was …………………….. that he’d meet us at 9.00. 7. The bank can ……………….. travel insurance for you. 8. Who is …………………… the wedding? 9. A helicopter food drop ……………………….. by the Red Cross. 10. Here is the list ………………….chronologically. 11. We’ll need …………………… the chairs around the table. 12. He sat quietly, ………………… the scene around him.
Grammar
Ex. 7. Study the following uses of the word “would”. Match situations 1-12 with the sentences a – f.
1) making request 2) making offers/invitations 3) making suggestions 4) accepting an offer 5) accepting a suggestion 6) rejection a suggestion 7) expressing a preference 8) describing repeated actions in the past 9) describing typical behaviour or characteristic habit talking about the past 10) expressing that smb or smth refused to do smth in the past 11) reported speech 12) subjunctive mood |
a) The chairman informed us that we would have to postpone the meeting. b) Would you hold the door open for me? c) How would she be managing, if she were running a large company? d) If he knew the facts, he would tell us what to do. e) As he grew old, he would often talk about his war experiences. f) In the old days we would make three copies of all documents for the file. g) I would be grateful if you could arrange my trip. h) Would you mind repeating this? i) Would you like me to give you a lift? j) Actually, I think I would rather do it myself. k) I wouldn’t say that’s a good idea. l) Thanks, I would really appreciate that. m) I didn’t manage to do the work . The machine wouldn’t work yesterday. n) I wish you wouldn’t slam the door when you come in. |
Ex.8. Translate these sentences from the text. What is the meaning of the verb “would” in these sentences?
1. They weren’t for sale, she said, but just out of curiosity, how much would he give?
2. Perhaps it would be best if he didn’t let them know he was a dealer.
3. Boggis looked at the commode, frowned, and shrugged his shoulders. “I think ten pounds would be fair.”
4. When the woman of the house returned, Boggis asked if she would like to sell her chairs.
5. When asked where he got them, he would wink and murmur something about a little secret.
Ex.9. Complete the sentences with as or like, or put as / like if both are possible.
1. While I was at university I sometimes worked ……… a waiter.
2. The negotiations are going very slowly, ……… I expected.
3. Anna’s so funny! She’s ……… a comedian.
4. We’ll send the order on terms ……… we agreed at the meeting.
5. This crisis is not ……… the last one. It’s worse.
6. In a situation ……… this, you should do exactly ……… it says in the instruction.
7. A part from the fact that he was at the moment disguised ……… a clergyman, there was nothing very sinister about him.
Discussion
Ex.10. Here is a list of unethical activities. In your opinion, which are the worst? Explain why you think so.
Avoiding paying tax.
Using work facilities for private purposes (for example, personal phone calls).
Accepting praise for someone else’s ideas or work.
Selling a defective product (for example, a second-hand car).
Using your influence to get jobs for relatives.
Ringing in sick when you are not ill.
Taking extended lunch breaks.
Giving good references to people you want to get rid of.
Employing people illegally.
Ex.11. The situations below are examples of ethical dilemmas relating to business. There are not always clear answers to these questions. The ethical decision about what to do is not always clear. Sometimes, a decision about ethics is no “black or white”.
In groups of five discuss the ethical questions below. A different person should lead the discussion of each issue.
You have a shortlist of people for the post of Sales Manager. One of the female candidates is clearly the best qualified person for the job. However, you know that some of your best customers would prefer a man. If you appoint a woman you will probably lose some sales. What should you do?
Your company, a large multinational, has a new advertising campaign which stresses its honesty, fairness and ethical business behaviour. It has factories in several countries where wages are very low. At present it is paying workers the local market rate. Should you increase their wages?
A colleague in a company which tests medical equipment has been making bad mistakes recently at work. This is because she has a serious illness. You are her friend and the only person at work who knows this. She has asked you to keep it a secret. What should you do?
You are directors of a potato snack manufacturing company. Research has shown that any price increase causes an immediate dip in sales (although sales recover within six months). It has been suggested that you could maximise your profits by simply reducing the weight of the product in the packets and maintaining the current price. What should you do?
5) You are working as a researcher for a perfume company. You are developing a new perfume, but you need to be sure that it will not cause adverse reaction to people’s skin. One way of testing this is to experiment on animals. Should you do this? Or should you risk harming human life? Or should you be developing a new product at all in this area, knowing that there are already numbers of brands already on the market?
Ex.12. Answer the following questions.
Would you continue doing business with someone if you disapproved
of their private life? Explain why or why not.
Give examples of behavior which would cause you to stop doing
business with someone.
Ex.13. Do you agree with this statement? Give your reasons.
'If we face a recession we should not lay off employees. The company should sacrifice a profit. It's management's risk and management's responsibility. Employees are not guilty; why should they suffer?'
Akio Morita (1921-1999), co-founder of Sony
Ex. 14. Pair work: set up a deal.
You are a medieval peasant. You and your family live a simple, honest life. You grow food and keep animals on a small piece of land. You are friendly with your neighbour.
The task. Study the table (different tables for Students A and B). The second column in the table shows items that you have now, and the third column shows what you need (in total, not in addition). Note that there are some items where you have more than you need, but other items that you will have to get from your neighbour. You are going to negotiate and exchange items. You may not get a good deal for them. Decide what your priorities are.
Prepare your ideas, then meet your neighbour. There are no rules for how much anything is worth – it is up to you to get the best deal you can through discussion and negotiation. Before you begin negotiating, talk a little about the weather, life in the village, the quality of your product, etc.
Student A.
Items |
You have now |
You need |
You have after the negotiation |
Potatoes |
40 kg |
10 kf |
|
Cabbages |
20 kg |
50 kg |
|
Beans |
None |
20 kg |
|
Chickens |
30 |
15 |
|
Pigs |
None |
2 |
|
Cows |
8 |
6 |
|
Milk |
20 litrres |
20 litres |
|
Eggs |
40 |
25 |
|
Wine |
40 bottles |
70 bottles |
|
Firewood |
20 bundles |
40 bundles |
|
Note: Your cows won a prize, so insist on a very good deal for them.
Student B.
Items |
You have now |
You need |
You have after the negotiation |
Potatoes |
10 kg |
20 kg |
|
Cabbages |
40 kg |
40 kg |
|
Beans |
30 kg |
10 kg |
|
Chickens |
10 |
15 |
|
Pigs |
6 |
2 |
|
Cows |
1 |
4 |
|
Milk |
None |
20 litres |
|
Eggs |
None |
30 |
|
Wine |
80 bottles |
70 bottles |
|
Firewood |
60 bundles |
50 bundles |
|
Note: Your pigs won a prize, so insist on a very good deal for them.
Writing
Ex.16. Read this short text and comment on the following views on business ethics: consider their merits and weaknesses, give your opinion, make a conclusion with a strong summary.
There are four views on business ethics.
The first view is often expressed in the maxim (принцип): “business is business”. Those who hold this view contend that a firm’s aims are purely commercial (the maximization of profits), rather than ethical. The responsibility rests with the customer to inspect the offered goods and services. Business is like war – in a state of war killing and destruction are often deemed (считать) to be morally acceptable.
Other would content that legislation provides a baseline, below which business should not stoop (опускаться). It means that a firm should only fulfill its legal obligations.
The third possible position is that business people should act in accordance with conventional standards of morality, in accordance with the standards accepted by the public. The importance of acting ethically has no other reason than it is wrong not to do so.
Finally, there is a view that people in the business world should maintain the same standards of ethical behaviour in business as they would in their private lives. We can understand it as that if our next door neighbours would not expect us to dispose of our rubbish on to their gardens, so we have a right to expect business companies not to pollute the environment with discharged waste, smoke or noise.
So business ethics seems to raise more questions than it answers. What rules guide business? What are the minimal duties of business professionals? Should an international code of business ethics be adopted? If so, what should such a code contain?
Making an effective presentation
An effective presentation should have a short but strong conclusion. The way you end your speech is very important to effective presentation. Here you can find some ideas how to make an effective conclusion.
Signal that you are coming to the end.
Summarise the main points.
Explain details again.
Add something new.
Ask for questions.
Make a strong final statement.
Thank the audience for listening.
Ex. 17. Work in groups of two or three. Prepare a five-minute presentation on the following questions: Should an international code of business ethics be adopted? If so, what should such a code contain? Name the minimal duties of business professionals? Pay special attention to the conclusion of the presentation. Practise your presentation, then make your presentation to the other groups.
The phrases below can be useful for organizing the conclusion of your presentation.
1) Well, I think that’s all I have to say.
Well that was my final point. So I’ll just give you a brief summary.
So to sum up ……
My conclusion is ……
I’ll just explain again……
Do you have any questions?
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you for listening.
1 as - в качестве (человек реально является кем-то) e.g. As his brother, I have to know it. - Как его брат, я должен это знать. like - подобно (употребляется для сравнения) e.g. Like his brother, you sleep late. - Как его брат, вы поздно спите. She works as а model. - Она работает манекенщицей. She dresses like а model. - Она одевается как манекенщица.
В употреблении слов as и like есть еще одно различие - as ставится перед целой фразой, в которой где присутствует глагол, like - перед существительным или местоимением: Do as I said. - Делай, как я сказал. Do it like me. - Делай, как я.
2 Presentation – a formal talk in which you describe or explain something to a group of people
3 Note: We use to Infinitive to talk about a person’s purpose.
In formal style, we use in order to, so as to.
In negative sentences, we use in order not to, so as not to.
In alternative sentences, we use not to.
4 Report – a summary that gives information about a particular subject, situation, or event.
5 Ethics - a set of principles that people use to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Morals – principles of right or wrong behaviour that are generally accepted by a society.