1 Juana Ramos

Mexican, aged 30, married, two children

Education – University degree in Economics

Experience – has worked for the company since leaving university, has a good knowledge of computing.

Languages – fluent Spanish and Italian, good standard of English.

Character – a strong charismatic personality, very competitive. Not afraid to speak her mind. A good sense of humour. Wants to advance in her career as quickly as possible.

2 Chantal Lefevre

Swiss, aged 41, divorced, one child

Education – University degree in Business, diploma in Marketing

Experience – seven years’ market research including one year in Spain and six years in Portugal.

Languages – fluent Portuguese, intermediate Spanish, excellent English

Character – a quiet, modest person, but very eager to progress in her career. Direct and honest. A sociable person. Believes that the new director should involve staff in all decisions. Decisive.

3 Jeff Sanderson

American, aged 54, single

Education – University degree in Sociology, Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School

Experience – has always worked in sales. Sales manager.

Languages – fluent English and Portuguese, Spanish, good reading skills.

Character – a serious person, respected by his staff. Has a strong sense of responsibility. Not very creative. Believes that new ideas should come from staff. A workaholic and difficult to get to know. Energetic.

Meet as one group. Discuss your choice. Decide who should fill the vacant position.

Would you like to apply for the job? Why? Why not?

Unit VI asking the way

Ex. 1 Read the text about St. Petersburg and answer the questions.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded by Peter the Great as a strategic point on the Baltic sea. It had been swampy land in the mouth of the Neva riser, and it was extremely difficult to build anything on it but a port that could give Russia an outlet to Europe. In 1712, Peter the Great made St. Petersburg the capital of the Russian empire. The new capital of Russia grew rapidly in wealth and beauty, with its palaces, cathedrals, churches, governmental buildings and historical monuments. It is different from all other Russian cities. Several generations of great Russian and European architects realized their best projects there. Millions of tourists can enjoy marvelous creations of Trezzini, Rastrelli, Rossi, Quarenhi, Voronikhin, Zakharov, Monferrand and others. The Hermitage and the Russian museum are the treasure houses of the world and national art. The Admiralty, St, Isaac’s cathedral and Kazan cathedral are the masterpieces of word architecture. Mariinskiy Opera and Ballet theatre is well-known in the world. When World War I began in 1914, the German-sounding name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd. Petrograd became the cradle of three revolutions: in 1905, February 1917 and October 1917. In 1924, the city was renamed after V. Lenin and became Leningrad. In 1991, the original name was returned to the city. During the Great Patriotic War, the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in September 1941. For the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. People died of starvation and daily shelling and air raids. Many parts of the city were destroyed. Today, the population of the city is over 7 millions. St. Petersburg is a large railway junction and a big sea and river port. The October railway is the oldest in Russia and the first high-speed railway. St. Petersburg Metro has 5 lines and 63 stations. The city is sometimes called Northern Venice as it stands on 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated bridges and comprises more than 40 islands. It is famous for its beautiful white nights.

Ex. 2 Ask and answer the following questions in pairs.

1)When was St. Petersburg founded? Who founded the city?

2)When did St. Petersburg become the capital city of Russia?

3)What famous architects created the city’s beautiful architectural ensembles?

4)When and why was the city renamed to Petrograd?

5)When did the city become Leningrad?

6)When did Moscow become the capital of Russia again?

7)When was the siege laid to the city? How long did the siege last?

8)When was the siege raised?

9)What is the population of the city today?

10)What places of interest in St Petersburg do you know?

11)What is the main street in St. Petersburg?

12)Why is St. Petersburg often called Northern Venice?

Ex. 3 Read the first part of the sentence in A and find the second part in B.

A 1.St. Petersburg is the city of …	B… the name St. Petersburg was changed to Petrograd.
2.Architects were brought from …	… the siege was raised.
3.When World War I began, ….	… Europe to lay out the city in harmonious squares.
4.During World War II, ….	… is the monument to Peter the Great on Senate square.
5.On 27 January 1944, ….	… Palace square and St. Isaac’s square.
6.One of the symbols of the city …	… great architectural monuments.
7.The most beautiful squares are …	… is one of its greatest attractions.
8.The white nights in the city …	… the city suffered a lot.

Ex. 4 Practise the following short conversations.

a)

- Excuse me. Could you tell me the way to the Hermitage?

- Certainly. Take the Underground and go as far as “Griboyedov Canal” Underground Station. Go out of the Underground and walk straight on along Nevskiy prospect.

- How long do I have to walk?

- No longer than 15 minutes.

- Thanks a lot.

- You are welcome.

b)

- Excuse me, how can I get to the Russian Museum?

- You’d better take the Underground. It’s a long way from here.

- Where is the nearest Underground station?

- It’s over there on the left, just round the corner.

- Thanks.

- My pleasure.

c)

- Can you help me, please? What bus do I take to get to the Finlandskiy railway station?

- Well, let me think… Bus number 12 will take you right there.

- Where is a bus stop?

- Go straight ahead, then turn to the right. You’ll see the bus stop. You can’t miss it.

- That’s fine. Thank you very much.

- That’s all right. You are welcome.

d)

- How do you usually get to University?

- Normally, I go by the Underground.

- How long does it take you?

- About half an hour.

- Do you find it comfortable?

- Frankly speaking, I don’t like the Underground. It is always overcrowded.

- Yes, true.. I usually get to University by car.