I. Замените прямую речь косвенной.
1. “I’m studying Engineering.” Jim told me he ...
2. “I went to a brilliant lecture this morning.” Jim said he …
3. “Do you know where the post office is?” She asked...
4. “Have you been here before?” She asked ...
5. “What time did you arrive?” She asked ...
II. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на неличные формы глагола.
1. The economist calculated the company’s income, using the new computer programme.
2. We are checking on the accuracy of the data.
3. Measures are being taken to improve storing goods.
4. A number of measures are taken in order to increase profits of the enterprise.
5. It is important to see the difference between revenue and profit.
III. Поставьте подходящие по смыслу союзы и союзные слова. Переведите предложения.
The problem with government regulation of markets is to control … government restrictions work in real life.
Basic problems of economics are of great importance to every economist, … specific problems of farm economics are mostly of interest to economists … study agriculture.
Professional marketing services are of great value to producers … sellers.
… the price of one good rises, the consumer has to buy another good, … price has not risen.
Making a decision, the economist should rely on all the information … he can find.
SAMPLE TOPICS
The perfect interview
The interview is a very important moment in your future career. So, you have already chosen the company you’d like to work and send an effective CV (a badly written one will lose you the job before you get to the interview stage) and now it’s the high time to be ready to the interview.
First of all you should discover as much as you can about the interview. This means finding out exactly who will be conducting the interview, what position they hold, and whether it’s an informal or a formal interview, possibly in front of a whole panel of interviewееs.
The second, you must dress correctly to suit the interview. Even if the job is in a modern company where the code is casual, you ought to dress formally for the interview – a suit is always safe. Never keep your overcoat or mac on during the interview – this will make you an outsider from the start.
Moreover, think positively and confidently about yourself. From the moment you decide to apply for the job think about all qualities you have to offer the company as well as the reasons you would suit the job. There are some features the interviewer pay attention, whether you are : positive minded, hard working, with a good sense of humor, intelligent, sociable, competitive, self-motivated, dedicated, talkative, experienced, active, determined to succeed, enthusiastic, brave. You should know the traits you possess and try to manifest yourself from the best side. Besides, the moment you walk into the interview room, don’t forget that the most of us are influenced by their body language, which characterize the person best of all. Be assertive, smile, look the interviewer in the eye, give a firm handshake. Don’t lean too far over the desk or slump in the chair with your arms crossed.
As for the way of behaving yourself at the interview, you must keep the balance of power throughout of the interview. From the psychologist’s point of view this is what interviews are all about. You shouldn’t be too timid or allow the interviewer to dominate you because an interview is a two-way process, and you are to decide whether you want the job. It’s important for you to ask questions about your potential job as it is for the interviewer to question you. Try not to seem over-confident and cheeky. No one likes a “difficult” candidate however good your qualifications are.
Three-quarters of people feel anxious about job interviewers and their nervousness often lets them down. Keep calm before and during the interview. The key is to learn interview skills which are important as job skills, and control you nerves. Remember the interviewer may be nervous as well
At last, even if the interviewer offers the job to you at the spot ask for some time to consider their offer. It would be better for you and your image.
Vocabulary:
To find out – выяснить, узнать
To conduct the interview – проводить интервью
Casual – свободный, неофициальный
To apply for the job – подать заявление на работу
Features (traits) – черты характера
Hard working – трудолюбивый
Sociable – общительный
Determined to succeed – настроенный на успех
To manifest oneself from the best side – продемонстрировать себя с лучшей стороны
To be influenced by – находиться под влиянием
Assertive – уверенный в себе
To lean over – наклоняться к (кому-либо)
To slump in – развалиться в (например: кресле)
To be too timid – быть слишком робким
At the spot – сразу, моментально
Consider – продумывать, обдумывать
Recruitment
In the life of any person there is a moment when he must take a very important decision - find a job which will bring satisfaction and money simultaneously.
Many people think they know the right way to go about picking an occupation, but they often wind up a career that is unsatisfying.
There are a lot of examples of this situation. To begin with young people used to suppose that choosing a career is very simple. Without any hesitation they make their career from their hobbies. It’s possible if you are improving your skills permanently, not from time to time. In addition to it nowadays young people change their hobbies very often that makes difficult to realize what hobby can be chosen as career.
Besides graduate trainees believe that earning a lot of money will make them happy. So they prefer a well-paid job in spite of the fact that sometimes it can be risky and unsatisfying. Sure salary is very important, but it isn’t the only point you should look at when choosing a career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn’t necessarily lead to job satisfaction, enjoying what you do at work as much more important. However, you must consider earnings, among other things when you are evaluating an occupation.
Moreover one more point should be admitted. The young people often listen to their parents’ or friends’ advice but it doesn’t mean that the particular field which has been told by these people suits you, because everyone is different and if something is good for one it can be bad for another.
In a word this topic is discussable endless, but before choosing your future job, you have to answer one question: what an ideal job means to you. For it you ought to consider the following items:
An ideal job for me is a job….
that suits my personality,
that gives challenge and opportunity,
that gives independence,
well-paid,
risky,
exciting
that encourages thinking and development,
calm and steady,
which is connected with communication,
prestigious,
part-time (full time),
with (without) long trips.
When you’ve decide which field you are interested in, make up a resume (CV) and send to the different companies, wait for the answer and be ready to the interview.
Vocabulary
Recruitment – набор кадров, найм на работу
Satisfaction – удовлетворение
Simultaneously – одновременно
Occupation – занятие, род занятий, дело
To improve one’s skills permanently – улучшать свои способности постоянно
To wind up – ликвидировать, заканчивать
Graduate trainee – выпускник
In spite of – вместо
Salary – зарплата
To evaluate – оценивать
Field – сфера, область
To suit one’s personality – соответствовать личности
Challenge – выбор
To encourage – поощрять
Part-time (full time) – неполный (полный) рабочий день
Leadership
Organizations may need different types of leadership or management styles at different periods in their development: the type of leader needed to head a successful firm might be quite unusual from the ruthless person is needed to turn around a failing company. Even so, in most companies, change is necessary for continued success, and the people who can lead that change are key.
To be a leader is supposed to have some special ability or a talent. Your staff should follow you and your ideas. For it you must have a clear business vision, a long-term goals for the future of your company, but don’t set unrealistic targets. You should be able to communicate ideas and be ready to make quick decisions, even if they are very difficult. The leader must be fair, reserved and never lose your temper. To create a positive working environment and avoid causing stress among workers is very important to resolve any problems quickly.
A good leader always has a good relationship with the employees and knows how to do their employees’ jobs, so without any doubt he leads them and sometimes by personal example, but never try to dominate them. Otherwise he appreciates his subordinates’ work and develops talent among his staff, motivating them.
There are different views on the best way of inspiring employees: leadership example, motivating respect / affection/ fear; financial reward or non-financial reward as status in the company. The most appropriate way of inspiring staff may differ according to the situation and the personal and cultural background of those involved. However, there is a certain amount of agreement on how to delegate effectively; the most common mistakes are reluctance to other people, or handing over work without giving sufficient information.
To be a good leader is very difficult and not everybody can be the leader. But you are able to develop all necessary skills for it. First you should read a lot to find out much about leadership from the books and learn useful skills to help you. Then you must visit a special training leadership courses to improve on all your week areas and at last you ought to follow the example of other leaders.
Vocabulary
Leadership – лидерство
Management styles – стиль управления
To head – возглавлять, руководить
Long-term goals – долгосрочные цели
Target - цель
To clear business vision – четкое представление бизнеса
Working environment – рабочая атмосфера
Relationship – взаимоотношения, отношения
Employee - работник
Subordinates’ work – работа подчиненных
Staff – штат
To inspire – вдохновлять
Reward – награда
To delegate – делегировать, передавать полномочия, уполномочивать
Reluctance – неохота, нежелание
To train – тренировать, подготавливать
To improve – улучшать
Weak areas – слабые места
Success in business
A start-up is a new business. Many people decide to start up their own business because they have what they think is a good business idea and they want to become entrepreneurs. But it’s important to prepare a good business plan before you start. You need to know if there is a demand for the products or services you want to offer.
If you want to start your business, you are to know some definite information. First of all you should believe in success and do all your best to succeed, because everything depends upon you and your abilities. There are some factors that contribute to making a company a success or a failure. From the initial concept to getting a business off the ground and making it success takes vision, energy and organization. It often starts with the spotting a gap in the market that existing companies are not fulfilling. Research then needs to be carried out to discover if there is a demand for the product or service being offered.
One of the biggest hurdles for a start-up (new business) can be arranging the finding for their venture. The first step is to approach banks with a good business plan, to see if they will agree a business loan. Don’t forget that planning is an essential ingredient for a successful business. Another option is to start a company with a partner or partners, so that the initial financial outlay is shared between two or more people. If a company is high risk, it might have difficulty attracting funding from the traditional sources, so you may need to approach a venture capitalist company. In return for their investment, they would require a proportion of the new company’s profits.
If the person has enough funds to set up a company without requiring investors, he become the sole proprietor, that means he will get all the profits if the company is a success, but is also financially responsible for the debts the company can have. After getting it off the ground, a clear business strategy is an important factor in taking a company forward and making it a success. This includes being able to communicate the USP (unique selling point) of your company’s product or service and being aware of competitors. A company also has to be able to manage change. As markets change and develop, a company must be able to react fast and change its business approach, otherwise customer will move elsewhere. Besides you must have at least a basic understanding of trading laws, which protect consumers, employees, the general public and businesses as well.
Shortly speaking if you want to set your own business and be a successful businessman, you ought to follow five important steps:
Develop a new product idea,
Conduct market research
Prepare a good business plan
Get finance
Build a customer base
If you can make a business plan, finance the operation, find customers, and beat the completion, you have a good chance of making a profit. Then you can call your business a success.
Vocabulary:
Entrepreneur – предприниматель
To do all one’s best to succeed – сделать все возможное, чтобы преуспеть
To contribute to – приносить пользу
Hurdle – препятствие
Venture – рискованное предприятие
Research – исследование
To need to be carried out – необходимо выполнить
Loan – заем
To start a company – основать компанию, открыть дело
Outlay – затраты, расходы, издержки
In return for – взамен
Profit – прибыль
Sole proprietor – частный предприниматель
To be responsible for – нести ответственность
The USP (unique selling point) – характеристика продукта, которая может использоваться в рекламе для различения данного продукта от других
To clear business strategy – четкая бизнес стратегия
Competitor – конкурент
Approach – подход
Consumer - потребитель
Customer base – база клиентов
The structure of the company
Companies have different activities and work in different ways. Some companies manufacture or produce goods, others provide services; retailers sell goods to the general public.
There are different types of the companies:
Sole trader : when someone has their own business with no additional shareholders,
Partnership: where more than two people or businesses work together,
Limited company: a private company with the limited liability, so they would not lose any property they owned if the company went bankrupt,
Public limited company (Plc): a limited company where the shares are bought and sold freely,
Multinational: a company which operates in different countries, usually with a complex structure,
Merger: two or more companies join together to create a single larger company,
Joint venture: two or more companies make a joint investment in a project without merging.
Companies employ people to work for them in many kinds of jobs. Each person has responsibility for a specific area of work and a role within a team they work with.
At the top of the company hierarchy is the Board of the Directors, headed by the Chairperson or President. The Board is responsible for the policy decisions and strategy. It will usually appoint a Managing Directors or Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who has overall responsibility for running business. Senior managers or company officers head the various department or functions within the company, which may include the following: Marketing, Public Relations, Information Technology (IT), Personnel or Human Resources, Finance, Production, Research and development (R&D). Senior managers report directly to CEO. Each department has its own duty such as Marketing forecast future sales, R&D is included in developing new products and modifying existing products to meet customer demands or Human Resources is in charge of the recruiting the personnel.
The structure of a company
Vocabulary:
Activity – деятельность
To manufacture – производить
To provide – обеспечить
Retailer – розничный торговец
Sole trader – индивидуальный предприниматель
Partnership – партнерство
Shareholder – акционер
Limited company – товарищество с ограниченной ответственностью
Limited liability – ограниченная ответственность
Public limited company – открытое акционерное общество
Share – акция
Merger – слияние, поглощение
Joint venture – совместная деятельность (предприятие)
Responsibility – ответственность
Hierarchy – иерархия
The Board of the Directors – Совет директоров
The Chairperson – председатель
The Chief Executive Officer – генеральный директор
Overall – общий, полный
To run business – вести, заниматься бизнесом
Public Relations – отдел связей с общественностью
Personnel or Human Resources – отдел по работе с персоналом
Research and development – отдел исследований и разработок
To have one’s own duty – иметь собственные обязанности
To forecast – прогнозировать, предсказывать
To meet customer demands – удовлетворить спрос потребителя
To be in charge of – быть на попечении
To recruit – нанимать на работу
Great Britain
Great Britain has the official name – The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or UK - for short). IT is situated on the British Isles. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are the parts of Great Britain. Administratively the UK is divided into 55 counties. The total territory is over 244 thousand square kilometers. The population of the UK is over 57 mln.
The country is washed by the North and Irish Seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. North and West of the country are highlands, South and East – lowlands . The highest mountain of the UK is Ben Nevis in Scotland.
There are many rivers in the country. The longest and the most important of them are the Severn, the Thames and the Clyde. The climate is mild due to the mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
Great Britain is a highly developed industrial power. It possesses some mineral resources: coal, iron ores, oil, gas and some metals.
The country is known as one of the world largest producers and exporters of the electronics and machinery, chemicals and textile, various aircraft and navigation equipment. Among the main industrial branches are also coal-mining, automobile, ship-building, and metallurgical.
The capital of the country is London. It’s the largest political, cultural and industrial centre of the country and one of the largest ports of the world.
Among the largest cities of the UK are Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff.
Great Britain is a country with old cultural traditions and customs. The language of the state is English. The national symbol of the UK is “Union Jack” – the British state flag having 3 white and red crosses on the dark blue field. The weave of crosses symbolizes power and might.
The United Kingdom is constitutional monarchy. Officially the head of the state is the Queen. But her power is not absolute, it is limited by the Parliament. The British Parliament is the oldest parliament in the worlds. It consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The British Government is headed by the Prime Minister – the leader of the party having the majority in the house of Commons. The Prime Minister appoints the ministers to compose the government.
There are several political parties in the UK. The largest and most influential of them are the Conservative (the Tory), the Liberal (the Whigs) and the Labour party.
Vocabulary
To comprise – включать
Total – общий
Densely populated – густонаселенный
Highlands – возвышенность
Lowlands - низменность
Mild – мягкий
Power – держава
To possess – обладать
Aircraft – авиационный
Equipment – оборудование
Custom – оборудование
Cross – крест
Field – поле
Weave – переплетение
Might – могущество
Monarchy – монархия
Head – глава
The Queen – королева
To limit – ограничивать
The House of Commons – палата общин
Government – правительство
Majority – большинство
Influential – влиятельный
The economy of Great Britain
The United Kingdom has a developed mixed private and public-enterprise economy and ranks among the top industrial countries in growth rates, productivity, and competitiveness. The gross national product (GNP) per capita is among that of most other European countries.
The state sector was reduced during the 1980s and 1990s owing to policies of privatization , denationalization , of publicly owned corporations. There was also an improvement in the standart of living. Unemployment and inflation rates were gradually reduced but remained high.
Nowadays, government policies include the close monitoring and frequent adjustment of interest rates; a gradual reduction in the level of direct personal taxation; a reduction in the levels of power and influence of national trade unions in national labour negotiations; the encouragement of wider home ownership and of individuals’ share holdings in companies. Considerable emphasis is placed on increased exposure of the economy to market forces. The government controls the production of coal, steel, and ships; it also runs certain utilities, the railways, and most civil aviation.
Manufacturing industries account for one-fifth of GNP. Agriculture accounts for less than 2 percent of GNP and employs some percent of the work force. Chief crops include barley, wheat, sugar beets and potatoes.
The mineral industry accounts for approximately 6 percent of the GNP but employs less than 1 percent of the work force.
Chief imports of Great Britain are: metallic ores, except ore, food. Chief exports are: chine, automobiles and other vehicles, wooden goods, steel, electrical and mechanical machinery, tractors, scientific instruments, chemicals, petroleum.
Just under half of the total population is in the labour force. The highest proportion of employees (more than two-thirds) is in the service sectors, financial services and distribution. Manufacturing, although it has declined, employs more than one-fifth of all workers. Smaller numbers are in construction, energy, agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Vocabulary:
Barley – ячмень
Sugar beets – сахарная свекла
Competitiveness – конкурентоспособность
Considerably – значительно
Crop – культура, урожай, зерно
Decline – спад
Equipment – оборудование
Exposure – подвергать воздействию чего-либо
Gross national product – валовый национальный продукт
Manufacturing industry – обрабатывающая промышленность
Ore - руда
Owing to – благодаря
Productivity – производительность
Market economies
Economics is a science that analyses what, how, and for whom society produces. The central economic problem is to reconcile the conflict between people’s unlimited demands with society’s ability to produce goods and services.
In industrial countries markets are to allocate resources. The market is the process by which production and consumption are coordinated through prices.
In a command economy, a central planning office makes decisions on what, how, and for whom to produce. Economy cannot rely entirely on command, but there was extensive planning in many Soviet bloc countries.
A free market economy has n government intervention. Resources are allocated entirely through markets. The system is based on private enterprise with private ownership of the means of production and private supplies of capital, which can be defined as surplus income available for investment in new business activities. Workers are paid wages by the employers according to how skilled they are and how many firms wish to employ them. They spend their on the products and services they need. Consumers are willing to spend more on products and services, which are favored. Firms producing these goods will make more profits and this will persuade more firms to produce these particular goods rather than less favored ones.
Firms tend to be highly competitive in such an environment. New advanced products and low prices are good ways to increase salesman profits. Not surprisingly there are also problems. Some goods would be underpurchased if the government did not provide free or subsidized supplies. Examples of this type of good and service are heath and education, defence and policing. A cornerstone of the market system is that production alters swiftly to meet changing demands.
Modern economies are mixed and rely mainly on the market but with a large dose of government intervention. The optimal level of government intervention remains a problem which is of interest to economists.
The degree of government restrictions differs greatly between countries that have a command economy and countries that have free market economies. In the former, resources are allocated by central government planning. In the latter, there is not any government regulation of the consumption, production, and exchange of goods. Between the two main types lies the mixed economy where market and government are both of importance.
Vocabulary:
To own (to run, to operate, to manage) businesses – владеть, управлять бизнесом
To intervene – вмешиваться
Private enterprise – частное предпринимательство
Private ownership of the means of production – частная собственность на средства производства
Public property – общественная собственность
Private supplies of capital – частный капитал
Surplus income available for investment in new business – дополнительный доход, который можно вложить в новый бизнес
To employ – нанимать, предоставлять работу
Employer – работодатель
Employee – служащий
Market system – рыночная система (отношения)
To alter – изменяться
Swiftly – резко, быстро
Economics – экономическая наука
Economic – экономический (экономически выгодный, рентабельный)
Economical – экономный, бережливый
Command economy – централизованно управляемая экономика (нерыночная экономика)
Free market economy – cвободная рыночная экономика
Mixed economy – смешанная экономика
Society – общество
Demand for – спрос на
Good – товар
To allocate – размещать, распределять
Resources – ресурсы
Consumption – потребление
To make decision – принимать решения
To rely – полагаться
Entirely – полностью
Government intervention – государственное вмешательство
Restriction – ограничение
To be of importance – быть важным, иметь значение