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Файл:Английский язык. Базовый курс. Учебное пособие
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121
ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ДОПОЛНИТЕЛЬНОГО ЧТЕНИЯ
И ПЕРЕВОДА
MASSIVE INTEREST IN “DREAM JOB”
Words and phrases:
1) to be inundated with — быть засыпанным (чем-либо);
2) an application — заявка, заявление;
3) to set up — создать;
4) a hit — посещение (интернет сайта);
5) a caretaker — смотритель, сторож;
6) to be overwhelmed — быть ошеломленным (чем-либо);
7) to see — приводить к (чему-либо);
8) to sift — тщательно рассматривать;
9) shortlisted — прошедший в финал;
10) a wildcard — участник вне конкурса.
Tourism officials in Australia have been inundated with applications for what
they have described as "the best job in the world". A website set up to accept applications crashed after receiving more than one million hits in three days.
The job, on a tropical island, requires no formal qualifications except being
willing to swim, snorkel, and sail. In return the successful applicant will receive a
salary of $103,000 for six months. He will also get to live rent-free in a threebedroom villa, complete with pool.
The post, advertised as "caretaker" on Hamilton Island in Australia's Whitsunday Islands, has already attracted so much interest the tourism department has had to
upgrade from one server to 10. The chief executive officer of Tourism Queensland
said he was overwhelmed by the response. "Oh boy, what have we done?" he joked
after the high volume of traffic saw the site crash briefly earlier in the week.
The new recruit will work for just 12 hours a month. Duties include feeding
some of the hundreds of species of fish and collecting the island's mail. He will also
need to produce a blog, a photo diary and video updates to attract tourists to the area.
Over 2,000 video applications have already been received, and today a team of
10 people will start sifting through them. Tens of thousands more are expected before
the February 22 deadline.
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Hamilton Island, where the temperature is warm all year round, is the largest
inhabited island in the region. It boasts blue skies, crystal water and pure sands.
In May, 10 shortlisted candidates and one wildcard, voted for by visitors to the
Tourism Queensland website, will be invited to the islands for a four-day final interview process. The successful candidate will start the new job on 1 July.
WORKING FROM HOME “COULD SAVE BILLIONS”
Words and phrases:
1) a forecasting unit — подразделение отвечающее за прогноз;
2) savings — сбережения, накопления, свободный капитал;
3) workforce — рабочая сила, трудовые ресурсы;
4) a benefit — выгода, польза;
5) a commuter — лицо, пользующееся общественным транспортом при
поездке на работу;
6) to benefit from — извлекать выгоду из чего-либо;
7) to telecommute — работать удаленно, на дому;
8) cost cutting — снижение затрат, расходов;
9) to leave unattended — оставлять без внимания;
10) machinery — техника, оборудование.
Strategic Workstyles 2000, an Oxford forecasting unit, says that industry make
huge financial savings by allowing their staff to work from home. Noel Hodson, the
report’s author, says that the effects of allowing 15 per cent of Britain's 22 million
workforce to work in their own homes using telephones, facsimile machines and
computers would be enormous.
London would feel the biggest benefits with 526,000 fewer drivers on the
roads. More than 11,000 commuters would not need to enter central London daily.
Commuters would benefit from seeing their families more, saving up to four hours a
day travelling to work. Companies would have a fresher workforce which did not
need to be transported into a central, more expensive location daily.
A study for a big financial institution planning to allow 20 people to 'telecom-
mute' calculated that the company would save more than ₤430,000 per year. The
study examines the reasons why telecommuting has not achieved the advantages of
time saved and cost cutting. It says the managers are often nervous about leaving staff
unattended and out of sight of the office. For the 'teleworker', working from home
might bring unforeseen hazards, such as a partner who does not want the house invaded by machinery and office paperwork. 'A number of car commuters thoroughly
enjoy the total isolation and privacy available to them in their cars,' the report says.
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LIST PUBLISHED OF RICHEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
Words and phrases:
1) successive — следующий один за другим;
2) a fortune — состояние;
3) a value — стоимость, цена;
4) wealthy — богатый;
5) a tycoon — магнат, олигарх;
6) a net worth — чистый капитал;
7) to quadruple — увеличиться в четыре раза;
8) to be under-represented — быть недостаточно представленным;
9) to rank — занимать место;
10) an entrant — участник;
11) a stock market — рынок ценных бумаг, фондовая биржа.
In the USA, Forbes magazine has published its annual list of the richest people
in the world. Bill Gates of Microsoft is the richest man again for the eleventh successive year with a fortune of forty-four billion dollars.
There are a record 691 dollar billionaires, according to Forbes magazine. Between them they have a fortune of two point two trillion dollars. That figure is slightly more than the annual value of all goods and services produced in China and India,
the two most populous countries. The highest concentration of the ultra-rich is in
New York, followed by Moscow and San Francisco and then London and Los Angeles. But in total the very wealthy live in forty seven different countries, with Iceland,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Poland entering the list for the first time this year.
Laksmi Mittal, an Indian born steel tycoon, enjoyed the biggest increase in personal fortune. His net worth has quadrupled to thirteen billion dollars making him the
world's third richest man. Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the Swedish furniture chain
Ikea, also saw a big increase in wealth taking him to sixth place. Developing countries make more of a showing than in past years — there are for example three Russians and four Indians in the top sixty richest people, though surprisingly perhaps
none from China, excluding Hong Kong. Asian wealth is probably under-represented
as its usually spread among families, whereas Forbes looks at individuals.
Relatively few women feature in the list — among them is JK Rowling, author
of the Harry Potter novels, ranked 620th with a fortune of 519 million dollars. New
entrants to the list include the founders of the internet search group Google Sergie
Brin and Larry Page, each worth more than seven billion dollars after their company's
recent stock market debut. The richest Italian is the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi,
ranked number 25 in the global wealth league.
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FERRARI'S BEST EVER PROFITS
Words and phrases:
1) a profit — доход, прибыль;
2) to face difficulties — сталкиваться с трудностями;
3) annual output — годовой объем производства;
4) a recession — спад;
5) an outlook — перспектива, прогноз;
6) a demand for — спрос на что-либо;
7) to plummet — резко упасть;
8) profits warning — сообщение о снижении объема прибыли по сравне-
нию с предвиденной;
9) a bail-out — финансовая помощь, дотация.
The Italian car maker, Ferrari, says it's made its best ever profits and sales in
2008, in contrast to the difficulties being faced by other carmakers. The company's
chairman has said, there will always be someone crazy enough to buy a Ferrari.
With the cheapest Ferrari starting at $250,000, you might think even the rich
would hesitate before buying one in these difficult economic times. But no: Ferrari
say 2008 has been its best ever year for sales and profits.
The company will give detailed figures in January, but Ferrari's chairman, Luca
Cordero di Montezemolo, was clearly delighted at his annual news conference. He
said, "Crisis, or no crisis... we can still find 6,000 people crazy enough to buy our annual output". He predicted the company would also have a good 2009, even though
many economies would be in recession.
Mr Montezemolo is chairman of Fiat as well, a company experiencing a very
different outlook. This week it closed down 14 of its Italian factories for a month,
giving around 50,000 workers an extended holiday as demand for its cars plummets.
Fiat is typical of other motor manufacturers. Japan's Honda this week reported
another profits warning, and big American companies like General Motors and
Chrysler are waiting for a bail-out from the US government.
US ECONOMY GROWS
Words and phrases:
1) a recovery — выход из кризиса, восстановление;
2) to be underway — осуществляться, происходить в настоящее время;
3) goods and services — товары и услуги;
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4) to tackle — преодолевать, решать что-либо;
5) a foreclosure — взыскание по закладной;
6) a credit crunch — кредитный кризис;
7) a downturn — экономический спад;
8) a decline — падение, снижение.
The United States economy began growing again in the third quarter of the
year, according to new official figures. The economy grew by 0.9%, an annual rate of
3.5% which is the first sign of improvement in more than a year.
Figures suggest the recession in the US is over and a recovery underway.
Spending by consumers increased for most types of goods and services, including
cars. Business investment also rose for the first time in two years. But there are concerns that this improvement is too dependent on government spending, such as subsidies to replace old cars. Certainly the US Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, was not
ready to claim victory in tackling the recession. Tim Geithner: 'This is just a beginning. Unemployment remains unacceptably high. For every person out of work, for
every family facing foreclosure, for every small business facing a credit crunch, the
recession remains alive and acute'.
Among the other leading developed economies, France, Germany and Japan returned to economic growth three months earlier than the US, though the downturn
was deeper in Germany and Japan. Unlike the US, Britain showed a continued decline. The global picture is thus one of a widening recovery. But it has not reached
everywhere and it is not particularly strong.
MOTOROLA TO CUT 4,000 JOBS
Words and phrases:
1) to cut jobs — сокращать рабочие места;
2) cut throat competition — ожесточенная, яростная конкуренция;
3) in the extreme — чрезвычайно;
4) to slash — урезать, снижать;
5) to trim — сокращать;
6) operating costs — текущие расходы, производственные издержки;
7) to gain market share — увеличивать рыночную долю;
8) with a vengeance — с удвоенной силой, энергией.
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Competition between rival manufacturers is cut throat in the extreme. There are
four big mobile phone makers: Nokia, the market leader, Sony Ericsson, Samsung
and Motorola. Currently Motorola is seen as the weakest with relatively high costs
and few stylish new models. The company had already announced 3,500 job cuts.
Now it's slashing another 4,000 posts. It's part of a restructuring programme intended
to trim operating costs by a billion dollars. The company says its number one priority
is restoring profits, not gaining market share at any price.
Analysts say Motorola's main problem is Nokia. Nokia ruled the mobile phone
market for many years, then went into something of a decline, but in the last year or
two it's come back with a vengeance. Motorola so far has been seen as the main victim of Nokia's recent revival.
ROMANIA CRISIS AID
Words and phrases:
1) an overall aid package — комплексная программа помощи;
2) gaping budget deficit — зияющая дыра в бюджете;
3) foreign capital inflows — объем иностранных инвестиций;
4) to shed jobs — терять рабочие места;
5) to back a deal — поддерживать сделку;
6) spending cuts — сокращение расходов;
7) to enact — вступать в силу, вводить в действие.
Romania has become the fifth Eastern European country to seek help from international lenders to deal with the economic downturn, after Ukraine, Serbia, Latvia
and Hungary. After two weeks of intensive talks in Romania, the head of the IMF
mission Jeffrey Franks said there was agreement on an overall aid package worth
twenty seven billion dollars, most of which will come from the IMF and the EU.
The aim of the loan is to finance the country's gaping budget deficit and improve investors' confidence, after a sharp drop in foreign capital inflows.
In just a few months, Romania's economic fate has turned. From a country
which last year registered the EU's highest growth rate, it's now shedding thousands
of jobs, mainly in the car and steel sectors, and facing the collapse of a property
boom.
The bailout may give some temporary relief to the economy, but in an embarrassment to the centre-left governing coalition which came to power late last year promising to raise wages and pensions in what remains one of the EU's poorest countries.
127
Some trade unions are reluctantly backing the deal, but others are threatening
strikes if spending cuts are enacted.
Notes:
1. IMF — International Monetary Fund — Международный Валютный Фонд.
2. EU — European Union — Европейский Союз.
MUSIC DOWNLOADS
Words and phrases:
1) to earn — зарабатывать;
2) a download — скачивание, загрузка файла;
3) an income — доход;
4) a revenue — прибыль, доход;
5) to overtake — перегонять, обходить;
6) to take a share — выйти на рынок;
7) to rip off — воровать;
8) at a fair price — по разумной цене.
Songwriters and music publishers now earn more money from downloads and
broadcasts than they do from CD sales, according to the latest copyright figures. They
show that the music business grew last year by almost three per cent.
Most downloads are still illegal, bringing no earnings to songwriters and artists. But income from legal downloads grew by more than fifty per cent last year, according to the MCPS PRS alliance1 which distributes the rights income. That helps
revenue from online and broadcast music to overtake earnings from physical products, such as CDs.
Broadcasting still dominates, but downloads are growing fast, helped by online
systems, such as Apple's iTunes2. Now commercial radio companies are hoping to
take a share by enabling listeners to download music as they hear it on the air. Simon
Cole, of UBC media group, which has developed the 'clic' system, claims most music
fans are happy to pay, if it is made easy.
''It's absolutely nothing new that some people will try to rip off music and
they'll do that however you do it, whether you produce it on CDs or digital files. But
if you offer the vast majority of people the chance to get music at a fair price in a way
that's easy and efficient, they'll do it that way,'' Cole says.
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If that faith in human nature is confirmed, the income from downloads will
grow even faster.
Notes:
1. MCPS PRS alliance — Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society and
Performing Right Society — общество по защите авторских прав и общество по
защите исполнительских прав.
2. iTunes — медиаплеер, созданный компанией Apple.
GOOGLE MARKET RESULTS
Words and phrases:
1) to float a company — зарегистрировать акции компании;
2) offering — предложение ценных бумаг;
3) to double — удвоить;
4) a fee — оплата;
5) a floatation — размещение облигаций;
6) to assume — предполагать, ожидать;
7) to live up to expectations — оправдать ожидания, надежды.
The internet search engine Google has released its first set of results since the
company floated on the stock market two months ago. Shares in the firm have risen
seventy percent since the offering.
Sales for the three months to September more than doubled from last year to
eight hundred and five million dollars. That was better than most analysts had expected. The growth was due to the fees Google collects from web search advertising.
Investors will be pleased with these figures and delighted with the share price
performance. Only two months ago, there was much criticism of the way the founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, organised the floatation and interacted with Wall
Street. But shareholders who believed in their vision have now been rewarded.
The six-year-old company is valued at around forty billion dollars. Given the
amount of sales and profits Google produces, the company is highly valued. This
shows investors are assuming many years of strong growth. Wall Street could still be
disappointed if Google fails to live up to those high expectations.
129
PERSONAL FINANCE
Words and phrases:
1) a current account — расчетный, текущий счет;
2) to withdraw money — снимать деньги;
3) a bill — счет (для оплаты);
4) a bank statement — выписка со счета;
5) a savings account — сберегательный счет;
6) to deposit — вносить;
7) an overdraft — превышение кредитного лимита;
8) to charge interest — взимать проценты;
9) an overdrawn account — счет с превышенным кредитным лимитом;
10) to be in the red — иметь дефицит баланса;
11) to be in the black — быть платежеспособным;
12) a bank loan — банковская ссуда, кредит;
13) a mortgage — ипотечный кредит;
14) to pay outright — платить;
15) to buy in bulk — делать оптовые закупки;
16) a refund — возврат, возмещение немедленно, сразу;
17) a discount — скидка;
18) a receipt — кассовый чек.
In a bank you usually have a current account, which is one where you pay in
your salary and then withdraw money to pay your everyday bills. The bank sends you
a regular bank statement telling you how much money has gone in and out of your
account. You may also have a savings account where you deposit any extra money
that you have and only take money out when you want to spend it on something special. If you spend more than you have in your account you can have an overdraft. The
bank allows you to spend more and charges you interest. If the account is overdrawn
you are in the red (the opposite is to be in the black or in credit). Sometimes the bank
may lend you the money — this is called a bank loan. If the bank lends you money to
buy a house, that money is called a mortgage.
When you buy something in a shop, you usually pay for it outright but sometimes you buy on credit. Sometimes you may be offered a discount on something you
buy. You are often offered a discount if you buy in bulk. If you want to return something which you have bought to a shop, you may be given a refund, i.e. your money
will be returned, provided you have a receipt.
130
PUBLIC FINANCE
Words and phrases:
1) an income tax — подоходный налог;
2) an inheritance tax — налог на наследство;
3) customs duties — таможенные пошлины;
4) excise duties — акцизный сбор;
5) VAT (value added tax) — налог на добавленную стоимость;
6) a corporation tax — корпоративный налог;
7) a tax rebate — налоговая льгота;
8) an unemployment benefit — пособие по безработице;
9) a disability allowance — пособие по инвалидности;
10) a currency — валюта;
11) shares — акции.
The government collects money from citizens through taxes. Income tax is the
tax collected on wages and salaries. Inheritance tax is collected on what people inherit from others. Customs or excise duties have to be paid on goods imported from other countries. VAT or value added tax is a tax paid on most goods and services when
they are bought. Companies pay corporation tax on their profits. If you pay too much
tax, you should be given some money back, a tax rebate.
The government also sometimes pays out money to people in need, e.g. unemployment benefit, disability allowances and student loans.
Every country has its own special currency. The rates of exchange are published every day and you can discover, for example, how many dollars are currently
to the pound sterling.
A company may sell shares to members of the public. They should be paid a
regular dividend on their investment, depending on the profit and loss made the company.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Words and phrases:
1) a supply — предложение;
2) a demand — спрос;
3) a backbone — основа;
4) seek profits — стремиться получить прибыль;
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