Text 10

A STUDENT WITH A $30,000 PLAN

At five he was collecting old newspapers to make money. And when he was 15 he signed his schoolmates up to start a babysitting circle.

Now 20, third-year Cambridge University student Peter Blackburn is managing director of a company with a $30,000 turnover. And he reckons it will show a profit of more then $15,000 by next summer.

He set up Peter Blackburn Ltd last year to bring out a brand new, colour term planner that now students all over the UK are using.

"I felt that most of the planners going around were pretty unimaginative", he says. "I believed I could do a better job and decided to have a go".

Blackburn admits that he is putting far more effort into the business than his computer studies course at university. While fellow students are out with their friends, he keeps in touch with his business headquarters in Lancashire by mobile phone. Before he set up the company, he spent one holiday preparing a plan that would convince his bank to lend him money.

"Most students work hard for a good degree because they believe that will help them get a job to support themselves", he says. "I work hard at my company because that is what will support me next year, after I leave college".

Friends reckon that Blackburn will make $1 million within 5 years.

He is not quite so confident, however. "There’s a lot to be done yet", he says.

Active vocabulary

to collect newspapers збирати газети

to sign up наймати на роботу

a turnover обіг

to reckon думати, мати думку

to set up заснувати

unimaginative з поганою уявою

to put efforts докладати зусиль

to admit признавати

to keep in touch тримати зв’язок

headquarters головний офіс

to convince переконувати

Exercise 1. Look at the headline of the article. Write down three questions that you would like to ask about Peter Blackburn. Now read the article. Were your questions answered?

Exercise 2. Put these facts about Peter into the correct order.

1. He spent his holiday preparing a plan.

2. He collected newspapers.

3. He set up his own company.

4. He asked the bank for money.

5. He set up a babysitting circle.

Exercise 3. Find the words in column A in the article. Then match each word or phrase in A with its meaning in B.

A B

1. turnover a thinks

2. reckons b sure

3. have a go c value of goods and services a business has sold

4. keeps in touch d communicates

5. confident e try

Exercise 4. Do you think Peter is right to put more effort into his business then into his computer course? Should he spend less time working and more time with his friends? Why/Why not?

51