Unit 1 What Is Accounting

GETTING STARTED

1. Complete the following questionnaire and compare your answers with those of your fellow students, discuss them.

Are You Up on Accounting¹?

		Strongly Disagree			Strongly Agree
1	Accountants tend to be employed in very boring jobs.	1	2	3	4	5
2	Accountants do not make enough money.	1	2	3	4	5
3	Because accountants deal primarily with numbers, they do not need good people skills.	1	2	3	4	5
4	There is little opportunity to move out of accounting because other departments do not want “bean counters2.”	1	2	3	4	5
5	There is little demand for accountants nowadays.	1	2	3	4	5

Notes

1) be up on something = быть в курсе, разбираться

2) a bean counter = slang used to refer to a bookkeeper (досл. «тот, кто считает бобы»)

2. Now read the comment on the issues covered in the questionnaire.

If you tended to agree with the statements above you need to learn some basic facts about the accounting profession. In the USA, whether it is auditing a multinational company such as IBM or FBI as an agent, there are great opportunities bound for accountants to move off the accounting area and into other departments. Most departments view the financial training accountants receive as an excellent background for all areas of business.

When thinking about the accounting industry, most folks conjure up¹ images of solitary bean counters, their backs hunched² and brows furrowed³ in concentration as they pore over⁴ accounting ledgers. “Ever changing” and “quickly evolving” are not the kinds of phrases that immediately come to mind. But in the past decades, this industry has undergone several massive upheavals⁵.

Although working with numbers may be the most familiar aspect of an accountant’s job, working with people is just as important. Accountants collect information from some people and communicate it to others. They work on team projects, act as leaders within a department, and also serve on teams that span the entire company. Since accountants advise managers and board members, they have to possess the same interpersonal skills that a competent manager possesses. These skills include the ability to lead and influence others, to motivate others, to resolve conflict, and to organize and delegate tasks.

Notes

1) conjure up v - воображать 2) hunch v – горбиться, сутулиться 3) furrow brows – морщить лоб

4) pore over v– сосредоточенно изучать 5) upheaval n – переворот

USEFUL VOCABULARY

Make sure you know the following words and word combinations.

account n account v accounting n accountancy n (mostly BrE) accountant n take into account bookkeeping n bookkeeper n keep records define v definition n judge v judgment n entity n legal entity government agency not-for-profit organization user n management n creditor n investor n assess v costs n pl

1) счет; 2) отчет; 3) заказчик, клиент 1) считать, рассматривать; 2) отчитываться, давать отчет; 3) отвечать, нести ответственность; 4) (for) объяснять; 5) (for) составлять, приходиться на бухгалтерский учет бухгалтерское дело (учет) (чаще используется в значении "профессиональная деятельность") бухгалтер принимать во внимание, в расчет бухгалтерия, счетоводство, бухгалтерский учет бухгалтер, счетовод вести учет определять определение судить; оценивать; считать, полагать взгляд, мнение организация юридическое лицо правительственная организация, правительственный орган некоммерческая организация пользователь управление; администрация, дирекция кредитор вкладчик, инвестор оценивать затраты, расходы, издержки

READING

1. Read the text and draw up a plan of it.