1.Прочитайте текст, расположите ниже приведённые утверждения в соответствии с развитием темы текста.

1. Big capital influences the economy of the country by means of lobbying.

2. The USA has become the most affluent society in the world.

3. The Americans have a wide choice of available goods and services.

4. Large businesses contribute to the promotion of culture and education.

Although there is much regulation of business and industry in the United States, many Americans still have a negative attitude toward what they call "Big Business." They fear its money and its influence. Some businesses employ representatives (lobbyists) in the nation's capital to try to influence members of Congress to pass laws that make business operations less difficult. This activity is called "lobbying," and is also practiced by labor unions, farmers and many other groups. In fact it is also true that business groups can help create effective legislation.

On the private scene, many large businesses contribute to the promotion of culture and education. Some sponsor ballet, opera or cultural television programs. Others provide scholarship programs to help young people attend college, or help to pay for certain types of sports events, concerts or other community services.

Although the American economy is not perfect, it does do what Adam Smith expected of marketplace competition. The American people in general have great purchasing power and a wide choice of available services and consumer goods - ranging from cars and boats down to low-priced candy and toys for children. As a result of the creativity, initiative and hard work which free enterprise and competition has encouraged, the US has become one of the most affluent nations in the world. Business freedom, combined with controls enacted for the protection of both workers and consumers, has made life in the United States more secure and comfortable for more people than has ever before been the case.

2. Пользуясь словарем уточните значение и произношение слов;

Influence, promotion, consumer goods, certain, to contribute, to range, competition, secure, to encourage, purchasing power.

Найдите в тексте предложения с данными словами, переведите их.

3. Найдите эквиваленты слов и словосочетаний в тексте, вы­пишите их.

Хотя; в действительности; законодательство; в целом; покупательская способность; потребительские товары; доступ­ные услуги.

4. Прочитайте текст, ответьте на вопросы:

1. What is the attitude of the Americans towards "Big Business"?

2. What is "lobbying"?

3. What is the contribution of large businesses to the life of the country?

4. Do Adam Smith's views work with the American economy?

5. What are the main factors that made the USA one of the affluent nations in the

world?

5.Разделите текст на логические части, выделите в каждой из них ключевые предложения (содержащие основную информацию). Напи­шите краткое содержание текста.

6. Прочитайте текст. Расскажите о социальной стороне коммерческой деятельности. Озаглавьте текст.

Corporations aren’t responsible only to stockholders. They are also responsible to stakeholders. A stakeholder is anyone affected by what a corporation does. Besides stakeholders, these include employees, consumers, and the community. Business shouldn’t put profits above its responsibility to these groups.

There’s much more to social responsibility than the pursuit of profit. Such responsibility should mean training workers and guaranteeing that wages increase when labour productivity increases. It should also mean paying workers more money and restricting layoffs even when doing so reduces profits. These goals are more important.

But by focusing on profits for stockholders, businesses ignore the interests of many stakeholders. The real issue of many isn’t money, its morals and ethics. Corporations have a responsibility to do what is ethical. Managers of a corporation can’t maximize earning for stockholders and still behave ethically. For example, businesses often treat workers as production costs. So when sales slow down, businesses cut their workers’ wages or lay them off. If they treated workers as valuable assets worthy of investment and training, this wouldn’t occur. But it happens because managers have their eyes glued to profit.

Corporations should look beyond their own self-interest and take into account how their decisions affect all stakeholders. They should promote the broader goal of social responsibility, act ethically as good corporate citizens, and worry less about earning a profit. Social responsibility is a vague foal that sounds good but ends up hurting society. The unlimited outcome is that fewer companies start up or grow. All that means fewer jobs and lower pay for workers and fewer products and higher prices for consumers.

What is more, pursuit of profit doesn’t deny ethical behaviour. Ethical behaviour is for everyone, not just people in business. It means being honest, recognizing and respecting others’ rights, obeying the law, honouring contracts, and taking responsibility for one’s behaviour. Yes, businesses may fail to measure up, but that’s failing of people in all walks of life. People can’t be ethical and still maximize profits. In fact, the ethical pursuit of profit is the best way to benefit society. Corporations don’t sell products and earn money by ignoring the interests of workers, consumers, suppliers, or their communities. They are more likely to maximize the return for stockholders by correctly identifying these interests and responding to them in the marketplace. So no one has to tell companies to do these things. They do them on their own when pursuing profits.

TEXT 12 . THEMES IN AMERICAN BUSINESS LIFE.