ГМУ учебник по английскому

Обычно ноу-хау связывают с секретами производства. Это могут быть чертежи, технология, программа, результаты экспериментов, производственный опыт. Во многом ноу-хау близко к изобретениям: и в том и в другом главное – новизна. Определяют ноу-хау также как «знание

инавыки».

Вмире коммерции ноу-хау означает информацию о выгодных формах реализации товара, ситуации на рынке и на фирмах, сведения об организации рекламы, секретных контрактах и соглашениях, списках клиентов и поставщиков и т.п. К ноу-хау можно отнести товарные знаки, другими словами, все, что делает товар конкурентоспособным

Однако, как правило, владелец ноу-хау хранит свои секреты от конкурентов, пользуясь этой секретной информацией в своем бизнесе, что

создает ему определенные преимущества в борьбе с соперниками на рынке Недаром, видимо, рецепт изготовления знаменитой кока-колы застрахован на 40 млн. долларов. По законам многих стран похищение ноу-хау рассматривается как «недобросовестная конкуренция» и уголовно наказуема, так как ноу-хау – это интеллектуальная и прочая собственность.

Lesson 10. Quality

“Quality is the elimination of variation”

W. E. Deming (1900-1993), American quality expert

& Useful vocabulary

1.elimination - исключение, упразднение: Their elimination from the competition in the first round was a great surprise.

2.variation – изменение, разновидность, отклонение: Because these clothes are handmade there may be some variations in colour.

3.identify – устанавливать тождество, распознавать: She was asked to identify the criminal.

4.modify – (видо)изменять, определять, смягчать: The design has been modified to improve fuel consumption.

5.durability – прочность, стойкость, продолжительность срока службы: These trousers are of durable material.

6.feedback – отзыв: The company welcomes feedback from people who use its goods.

7.fault – недостаток, дефект: There are several faults in that page of

figures.

8.investigate – расследовать, исследовать: “Investigate” means to try to find out more information about.

9.withdraw (withdrew, withdrawn) – уходить, отходить, удалять,

брать назад: She withdrew £ 50 from her bank account.

92

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

10.due to – вследствие, благодаря: He arrived late due to the storm.

11.monitor – наставник, советчик, корректирующее или управляющее устройство: The instrument monitors the patient’s heartbeats.

12.questionnaire – вопросник: “Questionnaire” is a written set of questions which a large number of people are asked to answer in order to provide information, e.g. for a government or company.

13.to flaw – трескаться, портить(ся): Unfortunately, there was one flawed picture.

14.goodwill payment – плата за дефекты: “Goodwill payment” is a payment made by a supplier to a customer because of a problem the customer has had, for example with quality or late delivery of goods.

15.to complain – жаловаться, выражать недовольство: He complained that the room was too late.

16.to mean (meant, meant) – значить, означать: The red light means

“Stop”.

17.nowadays – в данное время, сейчас: We used to listen to the radio a lot, but nowadays we mostly watch television.

18.to doubt – сомневаться: There’s some doubt whether John will come

on time.

19.to acquire – приобретать, получать, овладевать: I managed to acquire two tickets for the concert.

20.consistency – последовательность, постоянство, стойкость,

консистенция: Your behaviour lacks consistency – you say one thing and do another!

21.profit margins – прибыль от покупки и продажи: Our profit margin (= the difference between the buying and selling price of our goods) is very low.

22.stock – запас, фонд: How long will coal stock last?

23.balance sheet – балансовый отчет: “Balance sheet” is a statement of how much money has come in and how much has gone out.

24.duly – должным образом, правильно, вовремя: The taxi that we had ordered duly arrived, and we drove off.

25.to bust – обанкротиться, потерпеть неудачу: I’m not surprised he went bust, considering the sort of risks he was taking.

26.to turn down – загибать, подвертывать, подавлять, отвергать:

Thank you, but I’ll have to turn down your offer.

27.circle – круг: The teacher circled the students’ spelling mistakes in

red ink.

28.masterpiece – шедевр: The “Mona Lisa” was Leonardo’s masterpiece.

29.trash – отбросы, хлам, макулатура: His new film is absolute trash.

30.tin can – консервная банка: “Tin can” is a small closed metal container in which food or drink is sold.

93

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

31.to qualify – готовить(ся), ограничивать, видоизменять, смягчать,

получать квалификацию: She qualified as a doctor this year.

32.fair – честный, справедливый: He was late for the meeting but, to be fair, he didn’t know about it until this morning.

33.according to – в соответствии с…: We will be paid according to the amount of work we do.

34.mistake – ошибка: He’d mistaken the address, and gone to the wrong

house.

35.to owe – быть должным кому-л., быть в долгу перед кем-л., быть обязанным кому-л.: We owe a lot to our parents.

Starting up: 1. Which of the words and phrases below best represents the idea of quality?

2.Give examples of high quality products or services. Explain your

choices.

3.There is a saying “You get what you pay for”. What does it mean? Do you agree with this idea?

Discussion: 1.Use the words in the box to complete the flow chart.

A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT

The product was launched two years ago.

Shortly after that, companies were received about its _______ and______.

Because of market feedback, it was _______ so that any faults could be investigated. At the same time, it was withdrawn from sale.

After extensive tests, a fault was______ by engineers.

As a result, they were able to correct the fault and the product was_____. It was then _______ under controlled conditions.

Finally, the redesigned product was ______ in the market.

Unfortunately, it ______ due to lack of consumer confidence caused by bad publicity.

94

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

2. Match the words and phrases in the box to the correct headings. Use the Vocabulary notes if necessary.

PROBLEMS

QUALITY CONTROL

CUSTOMER SERVICE

3. Think of a product or service that you have complained about. Tell your partner what the problem was and whether it was solved.

Reading I: 1. Read the first paragraph of the article. Then complete the sentence below.

In the past, quality meant__________; nowadays, business people believe that quality means______________.

2. Read the article.

New-style quality

Old-style excellence got a bad name, says Tony Jackson. The aim should be to provide a product over and over again and make it the best you can. The term “quality” is one of the most misused in the business world. What exactly does it mean? Our grandparents would have been in no doubt. Quality meant excellence: a thing was the best of its kind, and that was that. A Stradivarius

violin had quality, a tinker's fiddle did not. In business, however, the word has acquired a very different meaning. As defined by the American statistician Edward Deming some 50 years ago, quality means consistency, a lack of

95

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

defects. Around 1970, it is said, a group of investment analysts visited a worldfamous UK engineering company. They asked the questions of their trade: about profit margins, stock control and balance sheets. The company's executives seemed honestly puzzled. They did not see the point of all this, they said. Their products were the finest in the world. Why all these detailed questions about numbers?

Rolls Royce, the company in question, duly went bust in 1973. The trouble with old-style quality, it seemed, was that it encouraged supply - driven management. The engineers would make the product to the highest possible standard and price it as a result. If the public was so uncultured that they turned it down, so much the worse for the public. And so old-style quality got a bad name in business circles. It was all very well for artists to produce masterpieces. The job of companies was to please the market.

Additional damage to old-style quality was done by the rise of Japan. When Japanese cars, toys and television sets first reached the market in the US and UK, local manufacturers considered them cheap trash. In the beginning, they were. But under the teaching of Edward Deming, the Japanese were learning about the second definition of quality. Western customers then began to realise that while Japanese cars might be tin cans, they did not keep breaking down, as did British and American cars.

In time of course, Japanese cars stopped being tin cans, and became stylish and comfortable vehicles instead. That is, they achieved old-style quality as well. As western manufacturers discovered to their cost that was in some respects the easy bit. New-style quality was harder.

Quality has a third meaning: that of value for money. To qualify for that meaning, a product must be of certain standard; and it should express a sense, not of outright cheapness, but of being sold at a fair price.

The US fast foods group McDonald's, for example, talks of its “high quality food”. But at 99c or 99p, its hamburgers are as close to absolute cheapness as any person in the developed world could wish. They are also highly reliable. Eat a McDonald's anywhere around the world and the results will be approximately similar. But as 100 anyone who has eaten a really good American hamburger knows, a McDonald's is also a long way from quality in its original sense.

3. Discuss these questions.

1.Why were the Rolls Royce executives “puzzled” when the analysts asked their questions?

2.According to the writer, what mistake caused Rolls Royce to go

bankrupt?

3.What advantage did Japanese cars have compared with British and American cars?

4.Complete the definition below.

Nowadays, high quality products have three essential features:

96

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

1…………………………………………………………………

2…………………………………………………………………

3………………………………………………………………… 5. Match these phrases from paragraph two to the definitions.

6.Find words or phrases in the article which mean:

1.reliability (paragraph 1)

2.went bankrupt (paragraph 3)

3.management focus on production (paragraph 3)

4.refused to buy the product (paragraph 3)

5.badly-made goods sold at low prices (paragraph 4)

7.Which sentence means the same as these quotations from the article?

1.And so old-style quality got a bad name in business circles.

(paragraph 3)

a) Business people did not try to produce well-made products. b) Business people no longer accepted this idea of quality.

c) Business people tried to find another name for quality.

2.It was all very well for artists to produce masterpieces. (paragraph

3)

a) It was right that artists should try to produce masterpieces. b) Artists don't have to produce masterpieces.

c) All artists produce masterpieces at some time.

8. Can you think of products that are made according to: a) old-style quality? b) new-style quality? Make two lists. Then compare lists with a partner.

Reading II: 1. Read the story.

Quality

I knew Mr. Gessler from the days I was a child because he made my father’s shoes. He had a little shop in a small street. There was no sigh on the door of his shop that could attract people’s attantion and Mr. Gessler had a few customers like my father who ordered their shoes only from Mr. Gessler. They knew that they could not get more comfortable shoes from any other shoemaker.

I often wondered if it was difficult lo make shoes and Mr. Gessier's answer was the same: “It's an art”. The shoemaker was a very pleasant and really talented man. He made wonderful shoes, he made them very quickly and the price was quite reasonable. I enjoyed each visit to his shop But I

97

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

didn't have to call at this shop very often as his shoes were always of high quality, fitted me nicely and wore them for a long time.

Once I called on him in a pair of shoes which I had bought in some large shop when I was on a business trip in a foreign country. He took my order and all the time he was looking at my shoes. At last he said: “Those are not mine”.

He touched my left shoe when it was not quite comfortable and said: “Those big companies are not reliable at all. They take our buyers from us by their advertising, not by work. It seems people do not want good shoes. Soon I’ll have no more work, I’m afraid”. Unexpectedly I saw things I had never seen before. I understood how difficult his life was. He couldn't be a competitor to big well-known companies who produced shoes and got much profit. I tried to explain to him why I had bought those shoes. But he didn't hear me. He looked very unhappy and I was so sorry for him that I ordered many pairs, more than I wanted.

As a result of my purchase I did not have to go to him for about two years. Time Hew. When I came to his shop one day I was surprised to find another name which was painted on the door. The sign on the door was very colorful and attractive. It said that here was a shoemaker who was making shoes for the Royal Family. I decided to come in to find out what had happened to Mr.

Gessier.

A young man in a well-made suit met me. He greeted me warmly.

“Do you want shoes, sir? We can find anything you like”. “No”, I answered. “Thank you. You see. I'd like lo know if Mr. Gessler works here”.

“Oh, poor old man”, the shoemaker said, “he died a few months ago”. And he told me that Mr. Gessler had to sell the shop as it had become too expensive for him to keep it. He had no one in London who could help him. “Oh, but what could you expect of a man with his ideas? He never advertised his shoes though nobody in London could make shoes of better quality. I really feel sorry for him”.

I could not stay at the shop any longer and left it.

(After J. Galsworthy)

2. Say what you have learned from the text about:

1)Mr. Gessler;

2)the young shoemaker. 3. Think and answer.

1)Why was Mr Gessler’s life very difficult?

2)Why was there no sign on Mr Gessler’s shop?

3)Why did the writer enjoy visiting Mr Gessler’s shop?

4)Why did the writer think that the young man was doing good business?

5)Why couldn’t the writer stay in the shop any longer?

4. Give your viewpoint.

1) Wide advertising doesn’t always men “high quality”.

98

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com

2) Good advertising is a key to successful trade.

Reading III: 1. Read the story.

The Loss of the “Titanic”

The greatest ship, Titanic, sailed for New York from Southampton on April 10th 1912. It was carrying 1316 passengers and a crew1 of 891. Even by modern standards, the 66,000 ton Titanic was a colossal ship. At that time, however, it was not only the largest ship that had ever been built, but was regarded as unsinkable2, for it had sixteen water-tight compartments3. Even if two of these were flooded4, it would still be able to float5. The tragic sinking of this great liner will always be remembered, for it went down on its first voyage with heavy loss of lives.

Four days after setting out6, while the Titanic was sailing across the icy waters of the North Atlantic, a huge iceberg was suddenly spotted7 by a lookout8. After the alarm9 had been given, the great ship turned sharply to avoid a direct collision10. The Titanic turned just in time, narrowly missing11 the gigantic wall of ice which rose over 100 feet out of the water beside it. Suddenly, there was a slight trembling sound12 from below, and the captain went down to see what had happened. The noise had been so faint that no one thought that the ship had been damaged. Below, the captain realized to his horror13 that the Titanic was sinking rapidly, for five of its sixteen water-tight compartments had already been flooded. The order to abandon14 ship was given and hundreds of people plunged15 into the icy water. As there were not enough life-boats for everybody, 1500 lives were lost.

Notes:

1.a crew – команда.

2.unsinkable – непотопляемый.

3.water-tight compartments – водонепроницаемые отсеки.

4.to flood – затапливать.

5.to float – плыть.

6.Four days after setting out – спустя четыре дня после отплытия.

7.to spot – обнаруживать.

8.a look-out – сторожевой, дозорный.

9.alarm – тревога.

10.direct collision – прямое столкновение.

11.narrowly missing – зд. едва избежав.

12.slight trembling sound – легкий дрожащий звук.

13.horror – ужас.

14.to abandon – покидать.

15.to plunge – прыгать, погружаться в воду.

2. Give your own ideas about the information you have read, retell the text.

99

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com