Чтение литературы по специальности на английском языке. Теория и практика информационной обработки текста. Учебное пособие для студентов факультета эк
.pdfA to B reliably and cheaply. Surveys had shown that most motorists were afraid to visit car showrooms and found salespeople
too aggressive. They believed that they were treated even worse after the sale. Further, Daewoo’s research found that in its target segment, 84% of motorists believed that the treatment they got from the salesperson was at least as important as how they felt about the car itself.
Daewoo developed a new approach to selling.
They did not use dealers to sell their cars. By saving the money normally paid to dealers, Daewoo was able to offer higher specifications at a lower price.
Daewoo designed its car showrooms to be like high street stores, with free access to product information and a free cafe; salespeople were on a fixed salary and no negotiating on price was allowed.
The price included extensive guarantees and three years’ free servicing.
Daewoo offered free collection and delivery as well as a courtesy car during servicing.
Daewoo’s competitors had been unwilling or unable to rethink the way that they did business in the face of clear dissatisfaction in the market. This created a market opportunity that Daewoo was able to exploit.
From the Financial Times
Задание 14
14.1.Проанализируйте текст.
14.2.Представьте содержание текста в виде схемы и прокомментируйте заголовок.
Why the Last Shall Be First
By John Kay
Have you heard of Berkey or Ampex? Gablinger or Chux? Perhaps you should have, because each occupies an important place in the history of product innovation. Berkey produced the first hand-held electronic calculators, Ampex the first video recorders.
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Gablinger developed low-alcohol lager and Chux sold the first disposable nappies.
Or perhaps you should not, because none of these companies made a commercial success of their innovations. Today the calculators we use are probably made by Casio, our video recorder comes from Matsushita, our low-alcohol beer is Miller Light, and our nappies are made by Proctor & Gamble. In each of these markets the innovator was swept away.
Xerox looks like an exception to this story catalogue. The company was first into the photocopier market and, even if its dominance was ultimately challenged by Canon, it remains a large and successful company today. But Xerox was also a pioneer in fax machines and personal computers. Each of these eventually proved to be a success – but not for Xerox Corporation.
As we all know, it was Apple that developed the personal computer market. But Apple’s leadership quickly disappeared when IBM came on the scene. Apple then jumped ahead by introducing the graphical user interface. Its windows and mice brought personal computing within the reach of everyone. But it is Microsoft that does this now.
The business world is not kind to pioneers. Even if you know how a market will develop, timing is a matter of luck – or of quite exceptional skill. There are two closely related lessons. One is that being first is not often very important. The other is that innovation is rarely a source of competitive advantage on its own. Individuals and small companies can make a great deal of money out of good new ideas. The success of large established corporations – Matsushita, Philip Morris, IBM or General Electric is generally based on other things: their depth of technical expertise, their marketing skills. And time and again these characteristics enable them to develop the innovative concept far more effectively than the innovators themselves.
This is not to say that there is no role in business for the great innovator. After all, General Electric was built on the extraordinary creativity of Thomas Edison’s mind, the Ford motor company on the abilities of its eponymous founder. The imagination of Walt Disney created a company that is still without parallel or rival. Perhaps Akio
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Morita of Sony occupies a similar place in the annals of modern business.
From the Financial Times
Задание 15
15.1.Прочитайте информационное сообщение.
15.2.Сформулируйте основные мысли каждого раздела.
Apec Seeks New Balance of Power
The Apec summit, now starting in Singapore, brings together leaders from dozens of nations and major world powers. As the BBC’s South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey has been finding out, behind all the economic talk lies a deeper search for meaning.
If you simply look at the numbers, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum ought to be one of the most influential gatherings on the global calendar. It brings together 21 of the world’s largest economies and accounts for 44% of world trade and 40% of the world’s population. This year the annual summit, which includes, among others, the leaders of the United States, Russia, China, Japan and the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), is taking place in Singapore. There is plenty on the agenda – the nascent recovery from the global economic downturn, plans to create a trans-Pacific free trade area by 2020, climate change and regional security.
Regional posture
But in a BBC interview ahead of the summit with the Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, two words seemed to dominate – rebalancing and re-engagement. The rebalancing is partly to do with the economy. As the world emerges from recession questions are being asked about what lessons can be learned. ‘The United States needs to borrow less and save more’, said Mr Lee, ‘and that means somebody else in the world has to save a little bit less and spend a
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little bit more. And if you look at where the imbalances are it means countries like China, where savings are high, have to make some adjustments’. That points to another more subtle rebalancing in the region - the shifting balance of power between the United States and China.
China syndrome
China has been steadily building its business interests and political ties, especially in South-East Asia. ‘China has been very active in the region, cultivating countries and making friends and influencing people’, said Mr Lee. And as China was quietly extending its influence, the United States was preoccupied with Iraq, Afghanistan and the so-called War on Terror. In effect America took its eye off the Asian ball, as the Singaporean prime minister acknowledged. ‘The tilling of the ground, the cultivation of the relationships in South-East Asia particularly has not been given as much attention as we would have preferred’, he said. But now the United States says it’s back and wants to reengage with Asia. President Barack Obama is making his first trip to the region, visiting Japan, China and South Korea on either side of the Apec summit. Some are predicting a new era of Sino-American rivalry, with smaller nations in Asia left to play one off against the other or forced to choose sides. Yet the Singaporean prime minister cautioned against a confrontational approach. ‘We want a peaceful, constructive rivalry’, he said. ‘If there’s a rift down the middle of the Pacific there would be trouble for all of us ... including America and China’. That also seems to be the view from Washington. The senior director for East Asian affairs at the National Security Council, Jeffrey Bader, told reporters recently: ‘I don’t see this relationship as a zero-sum one. We see it as a relationship where we’re obviously going to have differences, where we are going to be competitors in certain respects. But we want to maximise areas where we can work together because the global challenges we face will simply not be met if we don’t’. There is another arena where Washington’s new approach may be in evidence in Singapore. On the sidelines of the Apec summit, President Obama plans to meet leaders from the
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Asean nations, which offers the tantalising prospect of an American President and a member of the Burmese military government (almost certainly the prime minister Thein Sein) in the same room and the same time.
Burma conundrum
The American administration is embarking on a new policy towards Burma which it describes as engagement while keeping sanctions in place. ‘It’s a very significant symbolic step’, said Prime Minister Lee. ‘For America to be prepared to talk and for the Myanmar [Burmese] government to be prepared to think how to move forward ….. so that it is internationally acceptable and domestically legitimate, I think that’s important’. But Burma’s neighbours in Asean have themselves been criticised for being too soft on the generals in Naypyidaw, their remote headquarters. So isn’t it time that countries like Singapore applied more pressure? ‘You can inflict personal indignities on a leader, but is that the way to change and influence a country’s policies?’ Mr Lee responded. ‘They are in it for regime survival and for personal survival. Unless those concerns can somehow be managed in a transition forward they are not going to be persuaded by sweet talk’. Talk and persuasion are the stock in trade of global summits. Apec is certainly no exception. ‘This is not the kind of forum where you sign a peace treaty or go to war’, said Mr Lee in defense of Apec. ‘For 20 years we’ve been talking about freeing trade in a dynamic part of the world. I hope at this meeting we’ll make further progress in that direction’.
From BBC News
Задание 16
16.1.Прочитайте следующие сообщения.
16.2.Сократите объем исходного текста каждого сообщения до 1/3, опустив второстепенную информацию.
16.3.Передайте содержание этих сообщений на русском
языке.
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German Business Confidence Hits 18-Month High
German business confidence has risen to its highest level in 18 months, driven by forecasts of strong exports, according to a key survey.
The Ifo Business Climate Index climbed for the 10th month in row from 94.6 in December to 95.8 in January, its highest level since July 2008. The monthly rise was more than analysts had expected. Business expectations, which form part of the index, rose from 98.9 to 100.6, the highest level since July 2007.
Export “revival”
‘This is a positive surprise’, said Heinrich Bayer at Postbank. ‘There was a strong rise in expectations. It really is an ideal result, to have both index components rising further and expectations being significantly above expectations. It points to significant growth potential for the economy’. Ifo said the manufacturing index had “risen noticeably” as businesses anticipate a “clear revival” in exports. The construction index also rose strongly, while retail remained largely unchanged. The figures ‘laid to rest some of the concerns that the economy is running out of steam’, said Carsten Brzeski at ING Group. ‘The recovery is still very strong. It’s industry-led, which should hopefully also support the labour market’. Ifo surveys 7,000 business executives from the manufacturing, construction, wholesaling and retailing sectors.
From BBC News
Indian Economy “to Grow 7,2%” as Manufacturing Expands
India has said its economy is set to grow by 7.2% in the year to the end of March, raising the chance that state support could soon be withdrawn.
Government stimulus measures helped to maintain strong growth during the global downturn, but attention is now turning towards cooling rising prices. Some now expect the government to raise interest rates earlier than expected. Strong growth in manufacturing
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in India is helping to compensate for falling agricultural output. ‘These numbers mean that the government will have to consider exiting from the fiscal stimulus in the budget’, said Rajiv Kumar at Delhi-based think-tank ICRIER. ‘Even if they don’t do that fully, I expect them to at least announce a roadmap for exit’.
Rising prices
India’s economy is recovering faster than expected – it grew at an annual pace of 7.9% in the three months to the end of September 2009, after growing 6.7% in the year to the end of March 2009. Instead of concerning themselves with securing strong growth, policymakers are now starting to turn their attention to inflation. Last month, Indias central bank increased cash reserve requirements for lenders in a bid to contain rising prices. It also lifted its inflation forecast for the end of the financial year in March to 8.5%. The Reserve Bank has pumped more than $125bn into the Indian economy since September 2008.
From BBC News
Nokia Denies US Allegations of Misleading Investors
Mobile phone maker Nokia has said it will defend itself “vigorously” against a class action filed in New York alleging the firm misled investors.
The action, filed on Friday by the City of Roseville Employees’ Retirement System, claims Nokia failed to disclose facts about its financial position. The investors claim they lost money between 24 January 2008 and 5 September 2008 as a result. Nokia said the allegations were “without merit”.
Price cuts
The action, brought against Nokia and its chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, former finance chief Richard Simonson and head of phone business Kai Oisamo, alleges that the defendants misled investors on three counts. First, Nokia gave unreasonable statements about new product launches given component shortages
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and manufacturing problems. Second, it failed to disclose that it was losing market share because of price cuts by competitors. Third, Nokia kept quiet about slashing its own prices during 2008. When the company finally disclosed this information on 5 September, the claimants say, Nokia American Depositary Shares (ADS) fell 8%. These shares are issued by US banks to allow US investors to buy stakes in overseas companies more easily. The claimants are seeking damages for all investors in Nokia ADS during the period in question. Nokia dismissed the allegations. In a statement the firm said: “Nokia has reviewed the allegations contained in the complaint and believes that they are without merit. Nokia intends to defend itself against the complaint vigorously.”
From BBC News
Задание 17
17.1.Проанализируйте текст.
17.2.Сформулируйте главный смысл текста в одном пред-
ложении.
17.3.Сравните вашу формулировку с приведенным заголовком и сделайте вывод, выражает заголовок главный смысл текста или нет.
Toyota ‘Planning Recall of Prius’
Toyota is to recall the latest model of its flagship Prius cars because of a possible fault with the brakes, reports from Japan say.
The firm did not comment on the reports, but said it would be announcing soon what action it would take over problems with the Prius. Toyota has already recalled about eight-million vehicles with faulty accelerator pedals or floor mats. Company president Akio Toyoda has publicly apologised for the problems. The brake problem is thought to affect about 270,000 Prius models that were sold in the US and Japan starting last May. Toyota blames a software glitch and says it has already fixed vehicles sold this year. Reports say the recall could be extended to Europe, China and other countries. Toyota says about 6,500 Prius car owners in the UK would be affected. According to Japan’s largest newspaper, Yomiuri, Toyota has already notified
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car dealers in Japan that it plans to recall its latest Prius model. It will make a formal announcement after reporting to the government, according to the reports. It is unclear whether a similar total recall is planned for the US, but dealers there have reportedly been told that Toyota plans to repair the brakes on thousands of Prius vehicles. The US Transportation Department said last week it was investigating braking problems in the 2010 Toyota Prius after Toyota admitted brake problems with the model. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 124 reports from drivers about the braking issue, including four of crashes. There have been no reports of any such accidents in the UK. The US investigation will look into allegations of momentary loss of braking power while travelling over uneven road surfaces. Toyota said the glitch was not legally a safety hazard, and that it had received no reports of any accidents related to it. Toyota estimates its losses will reach $2bn (£1.23bn) in costs and lost sales from its worldwide recall of vehicles that might have faulty accelerator pedals, but a recall of Prius models would send this figure even higher. But these losses could escalate if the trust and reputation the company built up over a period of decades is demolished, observers say.
Toyota recalls: story so far
–September 2007, US: 55,000 Camry and Lexus cars in floor mat recall;
–October 2009, US: 3.8m Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled due to floor mat problem;
–November 2009, US: floor mat recall increased to 4.2m vehicles;
–January 2010, US: 2.3m Toyota vehicles recalled due to accelerator pedal problems (of those, 2.1m already involved in floor mat recall);
–January 2010, US: 1.1m Toyotas in floor mat recall;
–February 2010, Europe: 1.8m Toyota’s in pedal recall;
–February 2010, Japan, US: 200 reports of brake faults in new Prius (none recalled).
From BBC News
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Задание 18
18.1.Проанализируйте текст.
18.2.Кратко передайте его содержание на русском языке.
Unemployment Shows a Surprise Decline
The US unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in January, to its lowest level in five months, official figures from the Labor Department have shown.
Last month’s rate was 9.7%, down from 10% in December. Yet at the same time, US employers cut 20,000 jobs in January, which was also unexpected. Most analysts had predicted the economy to add jobs. President Barack Obama has declared that job creation would be his top priority for 2010. Last month’s job losses were the lowest since the US recession started, with the exception of November 2009 when a surprise rise in employment was seen. ‘While unemployment remains a severe problem, today’s employment report contains encouraging signs of gradual labour market healing’, said White House economic adviser Christina Romer.
Contradicting data
The 20,000 job losses in January also compares with 779,000 losses for the same month last year. Analysts had expected the jobless rate to rise to 10,1% last month, and 5,000 net new jobs to be created. Although overall, employers cut more jobs than they created, there were some sectors that performed well. Manufacturing added 11,000 new jobs in January, it is best performance since April 2009. Meanwhile, retailers created 42,100 new jobs, the most since November 2007. The apparent contradiction between the unemployment rate falling, and US employers cutting jobs in January can be explained by the fact the data comes from two different surveys.
The unemployment rate data looks at households, while the job creation figures come from companies.
From BBC News
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