Exercises

Ex.1Answer the following questions using the text.

1. Why is the knowledge of legal aspects necessary for any business?

2. Which legal mistakes could businesses avoid to be a success?

3. What kind of business does Alan Smith have?

4. Which contact did Alan Smith make at a party in Tunis?

5. What kind of contract was made?

6. Which problem of collection arose when the shipment arrived in Tunis?

7. Why did the consignment sustain considerable damage?

8. What financial losses did Mr. Smith come across?

9. Which mistakes could have been avoided?

Ex.2. Read the following statements and say whether they are true or false.

1. Every enterprise must take into account the challenges it might face.

2. Businesses always find good lawyers and accountants.

3. Sometimes businesses make business mistakes and some of them are disastrous.

4. Alan Smith went to Tunis to look for potential market for his plastic items.

5. A senior member of the Health Department accepted the invitation of Mr., Smith to visit Britain.

6. A three-year contract was signed in Britain.

7. The shipment was arranged properly.

8. There were problems with collection.

9. Mr. Smith lost his new client because of incorrect legal arrangements of his lawyer.

Ex.3. Translate the following sentences from English into Russian.

1. I could not have afforded to go to that resort if I had not received a bonus. 2. If you had been more attentive you would not have failed the written exam. 3. In your place I would not trust that person. 4. You would not have been in trouble if you had made arrangements in advance. 5. He would not have been fired if he had worked hard. 6. Why did you start a private enterprise? 7. Last year was disastrous for our business, I would say it was a failure. 8. Have you taken into account all the risks connected with this strategy?

Ex.4. Translate the following word combinations from Russian into English.

Увольнять работников; договориться о встрече менеджеров среднего звена; принять во внимание факторы риска; доверять деловым партнерам; гибельная стратегия; очевидная неудача; договориться о том, чтобы разгрузить машину; осуществлять планы.

Ex.5. Complete the following sentences using the necessary prepositions.

1. I do not trust … this manager. 2. She failed … her business. 3. Who have you made arrangements …? 4. What have you made arrangements …? 5. I cannot afford … this car. 6. I think you should arrange … this meeting. 7. I tried to take … account all the ideas.

Ex.6. Insert the missing words. Use your active vocabulary.

1. I cannot … to buy this furniture, it is too expensive. 2. How many … of the contract have you already discussed? 3. When the government declared default it caused the national … . 4. Why don’t you take into … her illness? You are too strict with her 5. I think it is better to work for a public … instead of a private … . 6. The new employee … the task because he was inexperienced. I am afraid he will be … . 7. We have made all the … for the conference.

Ex.7. Paraphrase the following words and expressions using your active vocabulary.

1. to dismiss

2. to organize

3. to understand clearly

4. to have confidence

5. terrible

6. to implement

7. a catastrophe

8. evident

9. to come to an agreement

10. a business venture

11. to become bankrupt

12. to take into consideration

13. an individual subject

Ex. 8. Open the brackets using Conditionals

1. If you (can afford) to spend six months in Great Britain what you (do)?

2. We (not to make) an arrangement with him if we (know) that he was so inexperienced in this job.

3. If the truck (not to be overloaded) it (not to overturn).

4. I (to start) a private enterprise if I (to have) more entrepreneurial talent.

5. The whole plan (to be) a failure if the R&D manager (not to invite) this computer genius to help us out.

6. If I (to be) you I (to put) this item on the agenda at our next board meeting.

7. She (to fire) the secretary long ago if the girl (to be) her boss’s niece.

8. If Jack (to realize) the importance of this project he (to work) as efficiently as the rest of his team.

9. If they (to take into account) the forecasts of the ecologists this disaster never (to occur).

10. If his lie (not to be) so apparent I (can) try to trust him.

Ex. 9. Complete the sentences with your own ideas using Subjunctive Mood

1. If I could afford to live anywhere in the world …

2. My interview would have been a disaster if…

3. I would have cancelled this arrangement if…

4. If our boss took into account our opinions…

5. The fire wouldn’t have started if…

6. If you trusted people more…

7. You would have failed your driving test if…

8. She would apparently accept this job offer if…

9. If they had made the arrangements for last Friday I…

10. If people realized how fragile our environment is …

Ex.10. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1. Если бы у вас были надежные поставщики, ваше предприятие не потерпело бы неудачу. 2. Они смогли бы реализовать свои планы, если бы доверяли своим партнерам. 3. Почему вы не приняли во внимание все пункты контракта? 4. Если бы его не уволили, он бы смог позволить себе купить квартиру. 5. Они, очевидно, не смогли договориться с зарубежными партнерами об открытии дочерней компании. 6. На вашем месте, я бы не загружал эту программу. 7. Этот контракт был гибельным для компании, она не успела поставить оборудование вовремя, и потерпела крах в бизнесе. 8. Многие менеджеры среднего звена не могут позволить себе длительный отпуск, так как они перегружены на работе.

Ex.11. Read the dialogue and answer the questions given below.

Spafit Limited was contacted by a Portuguese-based building consortium interested in negotiating a five-year contract. It was to supply shower units and other bathroom accessories for a number of holiday complexes. Although this was potentially a very large order, their sales director, Alex Born, failed to go to Portugal by himself because of the previous business arrangements. As their only sales representative was away on holiday at that time, he decided that his assistant, David Crooks, could make the trip. Now Alex is calling David who is in Portugal.

Alex: Hello, David. How are things going there?

David: Hello, Alex. I wouldn’t say that this is an apparently easy matter. The Portuguese buyer was impressed by the quality of the samples I showed him. However, he was not so happy with the prices quoted. If you had authorized me to re-negotiate the quotation without your previous permission I would have clinched the deal yesterday evening.

Alex: Which discount do they ask for?

David: They insist on a five-percent reduction.

Alex: That sounds reasonable. We shouldn’t forget that this contract is very important for us. It could give Spafit entry into a potentially profitable market. I am sorry for not briefing you properly beforehand. If we had taken into account all the Buyer’s requirements the contract would have already been concluded.

David: Oh, hold on for a moment. There’s a second call coming.

Three minutes later. That was Mr.Simmons, the Buyer, with disastrous news. We have lost the contract. He said that they had clinched the deal with our competitor. Their General Sales Manager arrived yesterday evening to conduct the negotiations and was able to make decisions on the spot. The buyer told me that the product quality and delivery time were alike. The decisive factor was a fast decision. If only you had been able to fit a trip to Portugal into your schedule, Alex!

Answer the questions based on the dialogue:

1. What was the Portuguese buyer impressed by?

2. Why didn’t David clinch the deal yesterday evening?

3. What could have happened if Alex had authorized David to re-negotiate the quotation?

4. Which discount did the Buyer ask for?

5. Did the Seller find it reasonable?

6. Why is this contract very important for Spafit Limited?

7. What happened at the end of the dialogue?

8. Why was the news disastrous?

Make up a dialogue on the following assignment:

A: You are going to buy some land to build a family hotel. You have arranged to see a legal business consultant to clarify some details of the future project. Ask him/ her about the necessary documentation, regulations and restrictions.

B: You are a legal adviser of a consultancy dealing with small and medium-size business. Inform your client about the necessary steps to register the land rights, to get the permission to use the land for commercial purposes, to estimate the costs of construction and the potential profits. Tell him/her about a business person who didn’t follow your advice and failed.