The Office

Everyone involved in a business operation has to refer to the office from time to time. The salespersons telephone to find out some details about prices, or discounts, or delivery terms. The customers telephone to find out what has happened to their orders. The applicants turn up for their interviews with the Personnel Manager.

Modern office is well-furnished. In the office there is a conference grouping which consists of a conference table, a big sofa, a two-seater sofa, a corner table with a lamp on it, some armchairs. On the table you can see a microcassette recorder and an ash tray. A conference grouping is a place where businessmen can discuss business matters, have coffee and relax. There is a desk with a swivel chair and a visitor’s chair opposite it in the office. On the desk you can see a telephone with an answerphone, a desk diary, an electronic pocket calculator, an intercom (office intercom), a dictating machine. Modern office is more spacious and better lit, heated, ventilated and air-conditioned than in the past. Some pot plants and pictures on the walls can make it cozy.

Modern office is well-equipped. You can’t see a type-writer, much stationary on the desk. There is a personal computer (PC) on each desk. Electronic files are replacing conventional filing cabinets nowadays. A PC is connected to a keyboard and a printer, which can print out all processed information. There is a photocopier which can make copies in colour. The office also has telex and fax facilities. Telephone systems are now incorporating a lot of facilities from an answering service to a video conferencing.

There is a great variety of tasks undertaken in the office and the office workers should be very efficient and have rich work experience. They should know how to run every piece of modern equipment and master modern technologies.

The importance of the office is obvious. It is the hub of the communication network for the whole organization.

Study and learn the following vocabulary on the topic:

1 to refer [ ] – обращаться, ссылаться

2 discount [ ] – скидка

3 order [ ] – заказ

4 applicant [ ] – кандидат, претендент

5 to turn [ ] up – оказаться, появляться

6 Personnel [ ] Manager – начальник отдела кадров

7 well-furnished [ ] – хорошо обставлен

8 well-equipped – хорошо оборудован

9 equipment [ ] – оборудование

10 conference [ ] grouping [ ] – мебель для заседаний

11 microcassette [ ]recorder – касетный магнетофон

12 swivel chair – крутящийся [ ] стул [ ]

13 a telephone with an answerphone – телефон с автоответчиком

14 desk diary [ ] – настольный календарь

15 an electronic pocket calculator [ ] – карманный калькулятор

16 an intercom – внутреннее переговорное устройство

17 a dictating machine [ ] – диктофон

18 spacious [ ] – просторный

19 heated – отапливаемый

20 cozy [ ] – уютный

21 type-writer – печатная машинка

22 stationary [ ] – канцелярские принадлежности

23 conventional [ ] -обычный

24 filing [ ] cabinet [ ] – архив, шкаф для хранения документов

25 keyboard [ ] – клавиатура

26 processed information – обработанная информация

27 photocopier [ ] – ксерокс

28 facility [ ] – условия, возможности

29 variety [ ] – разнообразие

30 efficient [ ], [ ] – эффективный

31 work experience [ ], [ ] – опыт работы

32 to run every piece of modern equipment – работать на любом оборудовании

33 master [ ] modern technologies – владеть современными технологиями

34 obvious [ ] – очевидно

35 hub [ ] – центр

36 communication network [ ]– коммуникационная сеть.

Answer the following questions on the text:

1 Do many people refer to the office? What are they?

2 Why do they refer to it?

3 How are modern offices furnished?

4 How are modern offices equipped?

5 Can you see any typewriters, much stationary in modern office today?

6 What should the office workers know?

7 The importance of the office is great and obvious, isn’t it?

UNIT 4