Text 2: Secretaries

There are two types of secretaries: company secretaries and private secretaries of executives.

Every company, both in Great Britain and the United Slates, is required, under the law, to have a company secretary.

In the case of private companies the directors are free to appoint any suitable person for this position.

But in the case of public companies the company secretary must be a properly qualified person, a member of a recog­nised institute or association. He or she may be one of the directors of the company. But if the company has only one director, the director cannot also be the secretary.

The company secretary is the chief administrative officer of the company. He or she is normally responsible for the company to comply with company law.

The correspondence of the company secretary is particularly concerned with shareholders' meetings, board meetings and various forms that must be sent outside. The company secretary may also deal with enquiries for information concerning other firms, although the accounts department often handles these matters. Administrative questions come into the sphere of the company secretary, under instructions of the board of directors.

As to private secretaries of executives they are practically personal assistants of executives. A secretary answers telephone calls, receives messages and makes many telephone calls on the instruction of her boss.

A secretary also helps in organization of meetings and conferences, entertainments of visiting customers, suppliers and other associates of the firm. She also deals with all the correspondence of her boss.

Secretaries write letters on making appointments or travel arrangements, letters of introduction, congratulation or condolence, invitations and replies to invitations.

Secretaries use various office equipment, like microcomputers, fax machines, photocopying machines and others.

Vocabulary

executive n - руководитель

adj - исполнительный, административный

executive committee - исполнительный комитет

to suit - устраивать

suitable - подходящий

to qualify - квалифицировать

qualified - квалифицированный

properly qualified - достаточно квалифицированный

member - член

member of an institute (organization, parlia­ment, government) - член института (организации, парламента, правительства)

to recognise - признавать, узнавать

recognised - признанный

recognition - признание, узнавание

officer - служащий, должностное лицо

to comply with smth - соответствовать чему-либо

to be concerned with smth - быть связанным с чем-либо

enquiry - запрос

to handle - иметь дело

to handle the matter - заниматься данным вопросом

sphere - сфера

to come into the sphere of smb - попадать в сферу деятельности кого-либо

message - сообщение

to receive (take) a message - принять сообщение

associate - партнер, компаньон

to arrange - устраивать, классифицировать

arrangement - соглашение, договоренность, мероприятие

travel arrangement - договоренность о путешествии; вся организационная сторона путешествия/поездки

to congratulate - поздравлять

congratulation - поздравление

a letter of congratula­tion - поздравительное письмо

condolence - соболезнование

to invite - приглашать

invitation - приглашение

to reply - отвечать

reply - ответ

in reply to smth - в ответ на что-либо

equipment - оборудование

Grammar Revision 2: The words many, much, lot, little, few

1 Перед исчисляемыми существительными могут стоять слова many, a lot of в значении много, few - мало, a few - несколько:

many secretaries (= a lot of secretaries) много секретарей

few secretaries мало секретарей

a few secretaries несколько секретарей

Many people work here. Здесь работает много людей.

Yesterday we received a few letters. Вчера мы получили несколь­ко писем.

2 Перед неисчисляемыми существительными могут стоять слова much в значении много, little - мало, a little - немного:

much correspondence много корреспонденции

little correspondence мало корреспонденции

a little correspondence немного корреспонденции

How much time have you got? Сколько (как много) у вас времени?

They import very little meat. Они импортируют очень мало мяса.

Exercises

9 Choose the right word and translate into Russian:

(many/ much) private companies

(a few/a little) administrative officers

(few/little) responsibility

(a lot of/a few) equipment

(a few/a little) enquiries

(a few/a little) activities

(many/much) entertainment

10 Translate these word combinations into English and make sentences:

несколько акционеров мало служащих много информации

очень мало поставщиков многие руководители мало времени

много сообщений много подразделений несколько журналов

несколько клиентов мало людей очень мало студентов

11 Complete the sentences:

(1) We received many enquiries ...

(2) Much correspondence is sent ...

(3) Many telephone calls will be made ...

(4) Very few appointments will be made ...

(5) A lot of equipment is bought...

(6) I have got a few ...

12 Translate the following sentences into English using the construction there is/there are:

(1) Есть несколько типов секретарей.

(2) Существует несколько видов поставщиков.

(3) В этой стране работает несколько заводов General Electric.

(4) На столе лежит несколько поздравительных писем.

(5) В США 50 штатов.

(6) Я не помню, сколько графств в Англии.

(7) В учебнике «Основы экономики и бизнеса» 22 урока.

13 Complete the following sentences from the text:

(1) There are two types of secretaries ...

(2) Every company, both in Great Britain and the United States ...

(3) In the case of private companies ...

(4) But in the case of public companies ...

(5) But if the company has only one director...

(6) The company secretary is the chief...

(7) The correspondence of the company secretary is particularly con­cerned with ...

(8) The company secretary may also deal with enquiries ...

14 Complete the sentences with the following words:

letters, law, matters, forms, instructions, personal assistants, office, equipment

(1)The company secretary is normally responsible for the company, to comply with company ...

(2)He is particularly concerned with various ... that must be sent outside.

(3)Although the accounts department often handles these ...

(4)Administrative questions come into the sphere of the company secretary, under... of the board of directors.

(5)As to private secretaries of executives they are practically ... of executives.

(6)A secretary answers telephone calls, receives messages and makes telephone calls on the ... of her boss.

(7)Secretaries write ... on making appointments or travel arrange­ments, ... of introduction, congratulation or condolence, invitations and replies to invitations.

(8)Secretaries use various like microcomputers, fax machines, photocopying machines and others.

15 Write down the questions for these answers:

(1)________? There are two types of them: company secretaries and private sec­retaries.

(2)________? The company secretary is the chief administrator of the company.

(3)________?His or her correspondence is mostly concerned with board meetings, shareholders' meetings and so on.

(4)________? He or she administers under in­structions of the board of directors.

16 Sum up what the text says about:

company secretaries

private secretaries

17 Have a look at a page from an office diary below:

Secretary's Diary

July 19
16 Monday week 29
0930	Executives Metting PH	Boardroom
1000	Receive new recruits for Induction Course	Training Cen­tre Room В16
1130	Talk to Induction Course members рн
1230	Rotary Club Lunch PH	Royal Hotel
1400	Cash cheque for petty cash	Bank
1430	Appointment: Mr J Saunders, Area Manager, TEC (File 2145) PH	Office
1630	Viewing of staff appraisal video PH	Training Cen­tre Room A10
1900	Aquash with Barry	Staff Club
1930/ 2000	Golf Club Barbecue PH RH	Park Avenue Golf House
NOTES:
	Karen Brown attending up course
	Travel arrengements for PH attend­ing Personnel Management Semi­nar in Jersey on 4 August
	Follow-up: Files 3179
	1894 5309

(a) Write down the translation of the following words (con­sult a dictionary if necessary):

supervisor

Re:

purchase

training manager

clerical staff

draft minutes

to follow up

file

barbecue

engagements

key stuff

follow-up

personnel management

anniversary

(b) Answer the following questions:

(1) Whom do you think this diary belongs to?

(2) What appointments are stated here?

(3) What do the notes mean?

Use your imagination, draw a similar page and fill it in if you worked as a secretarial services supervisor.