Task 4. Answer the following questions on the text:

What is the key issue of the article?

What was the departure of the two top executives triggered by?

When did the acquisition of Rover take place?

Why was the job of Mr. Pischetsrieder the subject of intense speculation?

Why was the auto industry shocked by the news?

What reasons did the manager give for their resignation?

Who is going to take over? What is his most pressing task?

Why did Rover's fate become a heated political issue?

What did the British government demand?

What performance did the British subsidiary show?

How did it compare with the parent company?

What was the main mistake of the chief executive?

Speak about the performance of Rover company and analyse the problems they face.

Task 5.

Vocabulary Circle the word which does not belong in each horizontal group and write the words in the spaces provided in (6) to form another group.

1. figures supplies calculation ratio fractions digits

2. auditor accountant overheads CFO analyst chairperson

3. rent vehicles premises patents equipment trademarks

4. dividends bills bonds equities securities shares

5. earnings profit loss insurance income revenue

6. _____ ______ ______ ______ ______

Match the following general headings to the groups of five words that you identified above.

a) assets ____ b) professionals ____ c) performance _______

d) costs _____ e) numbers _______ f ) stock market _______

Write ten sentences using the words from the exercise.

Task 6. Give English equivalents for the following:

изгнать (с руководящей должности);

объявить об уходе;

вынудил уйти в отставку;

протест, восстание; мятеж;

предположение, размышление;

предмет пристального внимания;

вызванное огромными убытками;

ход событий потряс всю отрасль;

разногласие, расхождение во взглядах;

не давая разъяснений; без обоснования;

вышвырнуть;

самая насущная задача;

перелом в лучшую сторону;

рассматривать возможность закрытия ведущего предприятия отрасли;

выполнять обязательства;

в конечном итоге привести к закрытию завода;

не опубликовали данные о прибылях;

прибыли упали впервые с 1993 г.;

продажа которых резко снизилась;

показали 20%-ный рост;

Task 7. Match up these words with the definitions below.

assets

depreciation

liabilities

turnover

creditors (GB) or accounts payable (US)

debtors (GB) or accounts receivable (US)

overheads (GB) or overhead (US)

revenue or earnings or income

shareholders (GB) or stockholders (US)

stock (GB) or inventory (US)

1) a company's owners

2) all the money received by a company during a given period

3) all the money that a company will have to pay to someone else in the future, including taxes, debts, and interest and mortgage payments

4) the amount of business done by a company over a year

5) anything owned by a business (cash investments, buildings, machines, and so on) that can be used to produce goods or pay liabilities

6) the reduction in value of a fixed asset during the years it is in use(charged against profits)

7) sums of money owed by customers for goods or services purchased on credit

8) sums of money owed to suppliers for purchases made on credit

9) (the value of) raw materials, work in progress, and finished products stored ready for sale

10) the various expenses of operating a business that cannot be charged to any one product, process or department