Speaking

Task 19. Get ready to speak on the topic. Use the vocabulary of the unit.

Communication activities.

Task 20. a) Read the quotation. Work in groups. Group A should work out some arguments to support Mahatma Gandhi’s idea, group B – to oppose it.

“Who is a customer? The customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business, he is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Task 21. Discuss the following

a)Which of the following do you think could happen in the next 50 years? Explain why.

1. People will have more leisure time.

2. Few people will have full time jobs.

3. There will be cities of 100 million people.

4. Cash won’t be used any more.

5. People will live and work in space.

6. Trade unions will disappear.

7. There will be no retirement age.

8. Countries will be run by big businesses rather than governments.

9. Fresh water will be more valuable than oil.

b) What other changes do you think are likely?

c) How optimistic are you about the future of business in your own country? Explain your answer.

d) How do you think your career will develop in the future?

Vocabulary

mission	миссия, задача
prestigious	престижный
to claim	зд. утверждать, заявлять
subsequent	последующий
legal foundation	законодательная основа
legitimate	законный
to encourage	поощрять, поддерживать, способствовать
to safeguard	охранять, обеспечивать
to hand down	зд. создать, начать использовать
to arrange	устраивать, подготавливать
intricate	сложный, запутанный
to screen	зд. контролировать, досматривать
to upgrade the skills	повышать квалификацию
to solidify cooperation	укреплять сотрудничество
controlled delivery	контролируемая поставка
multi-functioning	многофункциональный
bulk	большая часть чего-либо
vigorous	сильный, энергичный
fiscal	фискальный, финансовый
world community	мировое сообщество

Unit 17 world customs organization (wco) Text 1

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

The history of WCO began in 1948 when thirteen European governments set up two committees – a European Economic Committee (later – World Trade Organization) and a Customs Committee. In 1952 the Customs Committee became the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC). After years of membership growth, in 1994 the Council adopted the working name World Customs Organization (WCO).

The WCO has 171 members. The WCO headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WCO was set up to enhance the efficiency of customs administrations. To fulfill this mission, the WCO:

* establishes and promotes international instruments for uniform application of customs procedures governing the movement of commodities, people and conveyances across customs frontiers;

* reinforces Members’ efforts to interdict and disrupt the illicit trade and to combat customs and other transnational offences;

* assists Members in their efforts to improve the management and working methods of Customs administrations and to share the best practices.

Besides, the WCO has worked out and maintains the international Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and Goods Nomenclature which are used to classify goods for tariff purposes.

The WCO is currently the only intergovernmental organization exclusively focused on customs matters. The WCO is recognized for its work in areas covering:

• the development of global standards;

• the simplification and harmonization of customs procedures;

• the facilitation of international trade;

• the enhancement of customs enforcement and compliance activities;

• the anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives, etc.

Nowadays, the WCO is responsible for processing more than 98% of the world trade and is trying to adapt to changing circumstances and meet the challenges of modern business environment.