Vocabulary

a solid line a diagram

a broken line a drawing (illustration)

a dotted line a pictogram

a horizontal axis (pl axes) a transparency

a vertical axis (pl axes) an upward movement

a visual an increase/to increase

a graph(ic) a rise/to raise/to rise

a flow chart to put/push/step up

a pie chart to go/be up

a Gantt chart growth/to grow

a vertical bar chart extension/to extend

a horizontal bar chart expansion/to expand

a table a boom/to boom

a plan a boost/to boost

to ease/edge up to firm a reduction/to reduce

to firm a collapse/to collapse

a surge/to surge a slump/to slump

a jump/to jump a plunge/to plunge

a rally/to rally to plummet

an escalation/to escalate a slash/to slash

to rocket a slip/to slip(back)

to soar to ease/edge down

to climb stability

to creep up to keep/hold smth stable/constant

a downward movement to maintain smth (at the same level)

a decrease/to decrease to remain stable/constant/steady

a fall/to fall to stay stable/constant/steady

a drop/to drop to stand at

to put/push down to level off

to go/be down to remain level

a decline/to decline to peak/to reach a peak of

a cut/to cut(back) to plateau/to reach a plateau

a curb(on)/to curb fluctuation/to fluctuate

to scale down/back to bottom out

a trim/to trim a trough

UNIT 5

MAKING PRESENTATIONS

THEORY

A presentation is a prepared talk given by a speaker (transmitter) to one or more listeners (receivers)

1. Introduction.

There are many different techniques you can use to begin a presentation. One common technique is to state the objectives and the main points which you will include in the presentation. But if you want to catch your audience’s attention more quickly, there are other techniques, e.g. you can relate the subject to the real-life experience of your audience or use some surprising facts.

I. A good presentation should include a brief statement explaining the purpose of the presentation. Here are some useful expressions for stating this purpose:

In my presentation I’ll be proposing two new techniques which we need to incorporate in our CBT packages to improve our operator training.

In my presentation today I’m going to explain the technical problems involved in lighting tunnels.

This morning I’d like to review progress on the AFTA project.

The subject/topic of this presentation is CBT for operator training.

If you want to create more impact you can change the normal word order and begin your statement of purpose with the word ‘what’:

What I’d like to do this morning is to present the results of our study.

What I’m going to explain this afternoon are the technical problems involved in lighting tunnels.

What I’ll be proposing in my presentation are two new techniques which we need to incorporate in our CBT packages to improve our operator training.

II. To make a successful presentation the introduction should include information about the main points to be developed during the presentation and the order in which the presenter will develop these. This is called signposting. Signposting your presentation will help you to define the limits of the presentation and to focus the audience on the aspects of the topic you want to talk about, especially if the main points are written on the board. Here are some useful expressions for signposting a presentation:

I’ll be developing three main points.

First, I’ll give you а Second, ... Lastly, …

My presentation will be in two main parts. In the first part I’ll ... And then I’ll …

Firstly, I’d like to ... Secondly, we can … And I’ll finish with …

In longer presentations it is very important to make the structure of your presentation clear to the audience. One way to do this is to signpost the different parts of the presentation showing where one main part ends and a new one starts. This helps to orientate the audience by making the structure of the presentation clearer to follow. Here are some useful phrases and sentences:

I’ll begin by … (+verb in the … ing form)

Let’s start with ... (+noun)

If I could now turn to ...

My next point is ...

Now, turning to …

Now, what about … ?

Let me now move on to ...

In longer presentations it is necessary to use summaries. The presenter should give them at the end of major parts of his presentation or after a key point. They serve as check points to summarise or draw a conclusion before moving on to a new point. Here are some useful expressions:

So that’s the general picture for … and now let’s look at …

That completes my overview of … so now I’d like to move on to …

2. Involving the audience.

When giving a presentation it is, of course, very important to engage the attention of the audience right at the beginning of the presentation.

1. One way to do this is to make your introduction as interesting and lively as possible. While doing research for your presentation you may discover unusual or interesting facts and statistics about the topic. Include some of them in your introduction.

2. Present them in a way that makes it easy for the audience to relate to them.

e.g.: One person in four may be easier to relate to than 25 per cent of the population.

3. Use words like you, your, us, our to make your audience feel involved in your presentation.

4. Illustrate the points of your presentation with examples or stories from life. This will help to bring your presentation to life.

5. Ask the audience to do something, e.g. ask for a show of hands.

6. Ask the audience questions to involve them in the presentation. This is particularly appropriate for informal presentations when you have a small audience.

7. With larger audiences use rhetorical questions – questions which encourage the audience to think, but which you answer yourself.

3. Types of presentations. Body.

There are two main types of presentations:

I. The informative presentation.

The main purpose of many business presentations is to give the audience information or facts, e.g. about the performance of a particular product. Describing performance:

The brand performed well/ahead of the market/poorly.

The sector has shown good growth/considerable improvement/the most solid performance.

Sales are up/are down/have increased/have dropped by 14 per cent over the last year.

Analysing performance (giving one or more reasons):

The main explanation for this is …

A particular reason is ...

A key problem is ...

There are two reasons/explanations for this. First, ... Second, ...

This is /can be explained by two factors. Firstly, ... Secondly, ...

This is due to ... and also to ...

One reason for this is ... Another reason is ...

II.The persuasive presentation.

The main purpose of many business presentations is to persuade the audience, e.g. you want the audience to accept your plan, or a change in procedure. In this type of presentation it is very important to build convincing arguments. To do this and to help the audience to follow your arguments and anticipate the direction you are moving in the presenter should use connecting words:

1. Logical connectors and sequence markers:

a. Cause: therefore, so, accordingly, consequently, as a consequence/result, hence (formal), thus (formal), because of this, that’s why (informal);

b. Contrast: yet, however, nevertheless, although, in spite of smth, on the one hand, on the other hand, still, but, even so, all the same (informal);

c. Condition: then, in that case;

d. Comparison: similarly, in the same way;

e. Concession: anyway, at any rate;

f. Contradiction: in fact, actually, as a matter of fact, indeed;

g. Alternation: instead, alternatively.

2. Textual connectors and sequence markers:

a. Addition: also, in addition to smth, moreover, furthermore, besides, too, overall, what’s more (informal), in brief/short, not only ... but also;

b. Summary: to sum up, then, overall, in brief/short;

c. Conclusion: in conclusion, finally, lastly, to conclude;

d. Equivalence: in other words, that means, namely, that is to say, or rather;

e. Inclusion: for example, e.g.(written), for instance, say, such as, as follows;

f. Highlight: in particular, in detail, especially, notably, chiefly, mainly;

g. Generalisation: usually, normally, as a rule, in general, for the most part, in most cases, on the whole;

h. Stating the obvious: obviously, naturally, of course, clearly.

Outlining options.

If there are alternatives to your proposal, explain them. This will show that you have looked at different ways of dealing with the situation. Here are some useful expressions for explaining options:

We’ve considered/looked at three options.

One way to solve this problem is ... Another is to ...

There are two alternatives ... The first (option) is to ...

But what about the second option?

So, now let’s look at the third option, which is to ...

Outline both weaknesses and benefits for each of the options you consider. Here are some useful expressions introducing weaknesses and benefits:

What are the benefits?

Now, what about the advantages?

Now, I’d like to look at the benefits.

There are, however, disadvantages ...

But there are some problems, too.

On the other hand ...

If there is a series of benefits or weaknesses, make it clear which are major and which are just secondary.

Highlighting information.

There are a number of different ways you can emphasise and highlight key points in your presentation to give it more impact and to sound more persuasive. Here are some of them:

1. Stressing an auxiliary verb.

You can highlight key ideas by stressing auxiliary verbs like is, was, were, will, has. With negatives put the stress on words like no or not.

It’s costing a lot of money.We aren’t recommending any major changes.The company doesn’t see any need for change. BECOMES It is costing a lot of money.We are not recommending any major changes.The company sees no need for change.

2. Adding the auxiliary do, does or did in an affirmative sentence. You can emphasise an idea by adding the word do, does or did just in front of the verb.

We see a need for change.The personnel knew about it before.I think it’s very important. BECOMES We do see a need for change.The personnel did know about it before.I do think it’s very important.

3. Changing the normal word order of a sentence.

We’re suggesting cuts in production.They propose a major reorganisation.More investment is needed. BECOMES What we’re suggesting are cuts in production.What they propose is a major reorganisation.What is needed is more investment.

4. Repeating key words and ideas. Repeating important ideas or vocabulary is also a useful way of reinforcing a point.

We need reduce production and packaging costs. BECOMES We need reduce production and we also need to reduce packaging costs.

Recommendations and calls for action.

A persuasive presentation will often include recommendations and/or calls for action from the audience.

My/our/the suggestion/proposal/recommendation would be/is to set up a project group.

We/I (would like to) recommend/suggest/propose setting up a project group.

We/I (would like to) recommend/suggest/propose you set up a project group.

4. Conclusion.

Without a good conclusion a presentation is not complete.

I. Summarizing.

Before closing the presentation the speaker summarizes the main points.

So now I’d like to summarize the main points.

Let’s summarize what we’ve looked at ...

In brief, we have looked at ...

At this stage I’d like to go over/run through ...

So, as we’ve seen in this presentation today, ...

II. Concluding.

After summarizing the main points of the presentation the speaker comes to a conclusion.

That’s all I have to say for now.

(I think) that covers most of the points.

That concludes my talk.

Thank you for your attention.

III. Inviting and handling questions.

The last step is to welcome questions and to answer them if any.

And now, if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to (try to) answer them.

I’d be happy/pleased to answer any questions.

Does anyone have any questions?

Any questions?

I would welcome any comments/suggestions.

Before answering a question, make sure you really understand it. Some useful tactics that can be used are:

- rephrasing the original question

So, do we plan to plough back profits … ?

So, what you’re asking is …

If I understand the question correctly, you would like to know ...

- asking further questions to clarify the question

Are you looking at the January or February figures?

When you say ... do you mean … ?

- asking for repetition

I’m sorry, I didn’t hear. Could you repeat your question, please?

Sorry, could you repeat that?

Not all questions are easy to handle. Every presenter should know how to evade difficult and hostile questions. Some useful tactics that can be used are:

- to show you understand the questioner’s position and then to introduce an alternative way of looking at the situation

Yes, I quite see your point ... However, I know you’ll appreciate ...

Yes, it’s something we’ve thought about a lot. But ...

That’s an accurate observation ...

On the other hand, if we consider ...

I know it’s difficult to accept the decision, but the evidence is there ...

- not to accept responsibility for answering

I’m afraid I’m not the right person to answer that.

… is a much better person to answer that.

- to delay your answer

Could we leave that till later?

That is scheduled for discussion at the next meeting.

I’m not sure this is the right place/time to discuss this particular question.

Answer the following questions.

1.What is a presentation?

2. For what purposes are presentations made in business?

3. What makes a presentation effective?

4. What is the worst presentation you have ever experienced?

5. Even experienced presenters can make mistakes during a presentation. Can you give any examples from the first-hand knowledge?

PRACTICE

Task 1. State the purpose of the following presentations. Follow the example.

e.g.: Analyse the market for luxury holidays in the US.

1) In this presentation I’ll be analysing the market for luxury holidays in the US.

2) What I’ll be analysing in this presentation is the market for luxury holidays in the US.

1. Examine the case for a new blend of coffee for the French market.

2. Present the results of your study into the consolidation of your computer activities in Europe.

3. Review the performance of Aqua-Sparkle.

4. Analyse the prospects of the merger with Caps Ltd.

5. Present the results of the research of the sales potential for your new models on the domestic market.

Task 2. Study the plan below showing the structure of the presentation for Aqua-Sparkle. Signpost the route through the presentation.

Part 1 Market overview

Part 2Point 1Point 2 Brand performance of Aqua-Sparkle Sales performance in three types of outletsa. National grocersb. Independent grocersc. Neighbourhood stores Profitability of brand

Part 3 Outlook for the future

Task 3. Connect the points given below following the instructions and the example.

e.g.: Show a factual relationship between cause and effect.

Point 1. There has been a 20 per cent increase in the business.

Point 2. The work load has increased considerably.

Over the last six months there’s been a 20 per cent increase in our business. And, as a result, the work load has increased considerably.

1. Show a factual relationship between cause and effect.

Point 1. There has been a substantial increase in the business.

Point 2. The staff are working a considerable amount of overtime.

2. Build up the arguments to show an implied but unstated consequence – customer service has deteriorated.

Point 1. The sales team have to spend so much of their day on extra administration.

Point 2. They have less time for customer service.

3. Argue the case for change – the recruitment of extra staff.

Point 1. If we recruit extra staff, our costs will increase.

Point 2. If we do nothing, we will certainly lose staff.

Point 3. We cannot afford to lose good staff whom we have spent years training.

Task 4. Use a rhetorical question to link the ideas below. Follow the example.

e.g.: Idea. Recently there has been a surge in European sales to Japan.

Reason. This increase reflects Japanese affluence and a recently acquired taste for luxury cars and designer label products.

Recently there’s been a surge in European sales to Japan. Why is this?/What’s the explanation/reason?/How can we explain this dramatic/rapid increase? Firstly, it reflects Japanese affluence. And secondly, a recently acquired taste for luxury cars and designer label products.

1. Idea. With the downturn in the US car market, our sales have dropped considerably.

Solution. One solution would be to reduce production.

2. Idea. The project is now running two months behind the schedule.

Reason. a. The bad weather conditions in the early part of the year.

b. The problems with our main sub-contractor.

3. Idea. a. Last week we had another accident in our bottling plant in France.

b. Nobody was hurt.

c. Production was held up for two days.

d. It cost the company a lot of money.

Action to prevent further accidents.

a. Check all the equipment.

b. Improve the safety procedures.

Task 5. Read the extracts from the presentation about the data centres. Then making use of different techniques restructure them highlighting and emphasising the key points.

1. A major drawback is the vast amount of duplication which is going on in the data centres, duplication of systems time, equipment and skills.

2. Although the present organisation of your computing facilities offers some benefits, it isn’t working to maximum efficiency.

3. We don’t see any need for change in the manufacturing data centres, and we propose that you leave them as they are. However, we see a need for change in the administrative data centres.

4. So, now let’s look at the third option – to organise a new data centre for European operations. We aren’t suggesting that you build your own centre. Our proposal is that you sub-contract all your administrative computing requirements to a computer services company.

Task 6. The extract below is from the presentation in which a manager explains the changes in the company organisation. Complete the spaces with a word from the box.

naturallyfor example in generalin addition andbut furthermoretherefore especiallyso

In recent years the company has expanded 1) ... the workload for the management has increased. 2) ... , we have decided to reorganise our management structure. We plan to divide the present Administration Department into two creating a new Finance Department and a Human Resources Department. 3) ... , the Sales & Marketing Department will be divided into two. 4) ..., a new Management Services Department will be created. We believe communication channels within the company will be simplified, 5) ... decision-making will be more streamlined. 6) ... , decisions which solely affect personnel will now be taken at the level of Human Resources. 7) ..., the principle is that decisions should be taken at the lowest practicable level, 8) … those everyday decisions which will not affect the whole organisation. 9) ..., the changes will take some time to be fully understood, 10) ... overall everyone should notice immediate benefits.

Task 7. Below you will see extracts from presentations. You must complete each blank with a word or a phrase from the box. Use each item only once.

purpose prioritiesfinally,next, first of all may I beginas you know,in other words, up to dateto sum upas a wholeas far as at such short noticeon the contrary,on the other hand,draw your attention

1. c.

1) ... by welcoming you all, especially as this meeting has had to be called 2) ... .

2.

3) ..., our latest project has been the target of intense speculation in the media over the last few days, and the 4) ... of this presentation is to bring you 5) ... on what has been happening.

3.

6) ..., I’d like to refresh your memories as to the background of the project. 7) ..., I’ll give you a broad outline of what we’ve achieved so far. 8) ..., I’ll try to give an indication of what our 9) ... will be over the next few months.

4.

If I can 10) ... to the month of July, you will notice that there was an unexpected fall in overseas sales.

5.

11) ... domestic sales are concerned, you can see that growth has been sustained.

6.

If you look at the figures for Europe 12) ..., and Germany in particular, we can see some quite encouraging trends.

7.

We don’t fear competition. 13) ..., we welcome it.

8.

We could open a branch there. 14) ..., we may be better advised to look for a good agent to represent us.

9.

This time we must consider our options carefully. 15) ..., we shouldn’t rush into making any decisions.

10.

So, 16) ... then, don’t believe everything the media tell you. We’ve had a few problems but the future looks bright.

Task 8. Complete the following extract from a presentation by putting in the most appropriate connector from the lists given in the theoretical part of the unit.

That’s all I have to say about the environment. So, 1) ... we come to training. When we started up ten years ago, we offered on average half a day’s training per employee per year. 2) ... , by industry standards, that was quite generous at the time. In the last three years the time has gone up to seven days per employee. 3) ... this shows our commitment to providing training opportunities. 4) ... , our training falls into three broad categories, 5) ... understanding the business, improving skills and adding to general education – 6) ... , adding languages. 7) ... , developing our trading position is a key concern. 8) ... we need to train people so they have a good level of knowledge. 9) ... , those people need to be able to apply that knowledge to the market place, 10) ... in our sector. 11) ... , to get truly committed staff, you need to help them develop as individuals; 12) ... you need to give them a chance to grow.

Task 9. Choose the correct words or phrases in italics to complete the introduction to a presentation.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome in/to/for our seminar on corporate property management. I would like to begin by drawing/telling/outlining some of the main explanations/matters/issues in corporate property management so that/for/in order you will be able to judge whether your company is devoting sufficient time to this question.

I will then look/turn/change to some of the legal and financial queries/aspects/pieces of property management, and will tell/look/explain how your companies may be affected by current and future legislation. I will illustrate/give examples/discuss of the kinds of the problems our clients have faced and explain what has been done to solve them. I will finish by/with/in giving a brief resume of the consultancy service that we offer and I will explain what you need/shall/should do if you would like to look in/to/into the matter further. As we are rather hurried/pressed/short for time, I would be grateful if you could rest/stay/save any questions you may wish to rise/raise/arise until the end, when I will do my best to answer them.

Task 10. Here are the introductions to two different presentations. Separate the two presentations and put them in the correct order.

Presentation 1: b, ..., ..., ..., ...

Presentation 2: i, ..., ..., ..., ...

a. At the end I will suggest practical ways in which you as managers can motivate both yourselves and the people who work for you.

b. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our session on the dynamics of motivation.

c. Then I will give a short demonstration of our prototype and explain what we have already achieved.

d. Please feel free to raise questions at any time on technical or financial aspects of the project and I’ll do my best to answer them.

e. To begin with, I will outline the main goals of the project.

f. I would like to ask you to keep any questions you may have until the end, when I hope we will also have time to discuss your personal experiences and particular work situations.

g. Finally, I will move on to the major commercial applications and potential returns on investment.

h. I will then turn to what we really mean by motivation and look at the internal and external factors that play a part in creating it.

i. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to talk to you this afternoon about why we feel our interactive video project is worth investing in.

j. I will start by looking at why motivation is so important and why the ability to motivate is a vital management skill.

Task 11. Put the following phrases from presentations in the correct order. The first phrase is shown.

I.

1: Then I’ll move on to franchising contracts with particular preference to royalty payments and start-up capital.

2: As you can see from the conference programme, I’m going to be talking about franchising agreements.

3: If you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt, and I’ll be happy to answer them as we go along.

4: I’d like to begin by looking at franchising as a legal concept. 5: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. (1)

II. A presentation at the conference called “The Way We Will Be Living in 2020”.

1: Well, that’s it. Thank you for listening.

2: To sum up, I think the key thing is that the Internet is going to transform our lives in ways that we can’t fully predict yet.

3: To get an idea about the effects of the Internet on personal communication, have a look at this graph showing the incredible increase in the number of e-mails being sent nowadays.

4: The title of my presentation is фInternet Applications: Present and Futureц.

5: So, communication between people.

6: Right, I’ll move on now to business-to-business uses of the Internet and how they may develop over the next 20 years.

7: OK, now let’s look at how the Internet might change the society and the way we live and work.

8: My name is Maria Robles and it’s an honour to have been invited to this conference as a keynote speaker. (1)

9: I’m going to speak about three main areas: communication between people, business-to-business commerce and the social effects of the Internet, with a look at how we might be using it in the year 2020.

10: I’ll talk for about 45 minutes and then we’ll have 15 minutes for questions.

11: If you have any questions, I’ll be delighted to answer them now.

12: If you could keep your questions until then, we’ll have a chance to go into them more deeply.

III.

1: Firstly, everyone in the company is covered by life assurance as soon as they join.

2: Obviously this includes both financial and non-financial compensation.

3: First of all, let me say it has given me great personal satisfaction to read in the press that Rossomon is considered one of the hundred best companies to work for in the UK.

4: But those who do join us are assured of individual attention, as well as a good pay package.

5: Alternatively, employees can, of course, make their own arrangements and we are happy to advise on the best scheme, for example, a private personal pension plan.

6: This means that we prefer to pay our people a bit more money.

7: So, I’d like to focus on what we have been trying to do here at Rossomon over the last decade and outline our goals for the next one.

8: Thirdly, holidays, which I should say are well-earned, are fixed at 25 days, rising to 30 days after five years.

9: To do this, I shall consider five main headings, namely remuneration, promotion, training, environment and communications.

10: As a result, we can’t afford to take on as many employees as our competitors.

11: Let’s start with remuneration.

12: So, to sum up, under remuneration I’ve touched on pay, profit-sharing, pensions, life assurance and holidays.

13: Moving on to non-financial compensation, I’d like to look at life insurance, pensions and holidays.

14: Secondly, our voluntary pension fund is open to all staff after they’ve been with us for three months.

15: Moving on, now I’d like to take a look at our organisation and at our company culture. (1)

16: In addition, our single-status profit-sharing scheme means that everyone gets the same amount, irrespective of position.

17: Turning first to pay, our goal is to be in the top ten per cent in terms of the salary paid.

Task 12. The notes below are the conclusion for a presentation by the Department Manager. He has looked at two options for solving the problem: the staff in the foreign loans department in the UK subsidiary of the American Bank are having to work considerable amounts of overtime. Following the instructions restore the conclusion.

Summary

Problem in the department a. the staff are overworked and are making mistakesb. deterioration in customer service

1st solution to hire temporary staff

Case against the 1st solution Will compound the problem by creating need for:a. extra training b. constant supervision of temporary staff

2nd solution to hire permanent staff

Recommendation 2nd solution:a. the overtime problem solvedb. the opportunity to create an effective team of specialists

Distribute cost breakdown for two options

Instructions:

1. Introduce the summary.

2. Review the problem.

3. Review the first solution and the case against it.

4. Conclude with your recommendation.

5. Refer the audience to the handout.

6. Thank the audience and invite questions.

Task 13. Give evading replies to the questions given below following the instructions and the example.

e.g.: Question. Could you show us the breakdown of your advertising budget?

Instruction. You don’t have the figures and promise to get them by the end of the week.

Actually, I don’t have those figures with me, but I can get them to you by the end of the week.

1. Question. You said we won’t be in a position to sign the contract till September. Doesn’t that mean we’ll lose out in the market?

Instruction. Agree that it’s a long time to wait. Then give an alternative point of view – will give us longer to really study the market.

2. Question. You said that the office is overstaffed. Does this mean we’ll have to stop all recruitment for the next year?

Instruction. You’re not in a position to answer and the person should ask the Personnel Department.

3. Question. If control of marketing passes to Brussels, will that mean major restructuring of country sales teams?

Instruction. You don’t want to say anything at this stage. Say that it will be discussed at the next meeting in Chicago.

4. Question. You mentioned some problems with our packaging suppliers. Could you tell us something more about that?

Instruction. You prefer to leave the point for now – you will deal with it later in the presentation.

5. Question. I’d like to ask a question about why pay agreements for this year are still in the region of four per cent. Could you comment on that?

Instruction. Acknowledge four per cent is not a big increase, introduce another point of view – bonus payments are still at a high level.

Task 14. Mr. A has just given a presentation at the conference. Now he talks about how it went, using the notes. Mr. B gives advice about what Mr. A should have done to avoid the problems.

Situation: Didn’t know where the room was. Arrived on time. Waited for latecomers. Started late.

Mr. A: I didn’t know where the room was where I was giving the presentation. I arrived just on time but started late as I waited for latecomers.

Mr. B: You should have checked where the room was earlier and got there well in advance. And you shouldn’t have waited for latecomers. You should have started on time.

1. The overhead projector didn’t work properly. Spent a lot of time adjusting it.

2. The joke at the beginning. Nobody laughed.

3. Very nervous. Wrote the main points on the cards. Dropped them on the floor.

4. Started coughing. Couldn’t speak loud enough. The people at the back couldn’t hear.

5. Spent too long on the first two points. No time for the third point.

6. Told the audience to keep questions to the end. No time for questions.

7. Went 20 minutes over the time planned. The next speaker came in to set up video.

TRANSLATION

Task 1. Translate into Russian.

1. Good afternoon everyone. As you know I’m here to tell you about British Telecom’s video conferencing facilities. I’d like to start by explaining how video conferences work.

Then I’ll turn to our facilities in the UK – first our existing locations, then the planned new ones.

2. – I’m very pleased to welcome Eva Lance from Market Intelligence. As you know, she has been doing a lot of research into where we should be advertising. So Eva, would you like to fill us in? -Of course. Thank you, Paul. How much time have we got? -Only a little, I’m afraid. -Well in that case, I’ll begin straight away with a few of our survey results.

Let’s look at some figures, I’ll put them up on the screen now. Can everyone see this all right?

3. Hello. I’m going to talk to you today about the key developments in the his-tory of the company I work for and then tell you about the company’s current position. Before doing so, I would like you to look at some very interesting statistics which I hope you’ll find very encouraging. I’d also like to tell you about some trends in the market. Then I’ll move on to my main topic. Is that all right? Is everybody happy with that?

4. We are proud to present this important new addition to our range. It comes with active speakers and its great new colours are stylish and fashionable.As well as the speakers, we offer you all the features you normally expect – this hi-tech product has a 22-track programmable memory, random play and more. We think you’ll find 79.99$ is an amazing price, and we’re sure you’ll be keen to order your personal player right away.

5. Do you have friends and family you would like to see more often? When you phone coleagues would you like to see

their faces? This videophone means that you can! As you can see it’s small and elegant and ideal for the office or for the home or for business trips. It’s very easy to set up. All you need is a touch-tone phone. You don’t need a computer and you don’t need any special software. It’s also very easy to use; it’s as easy as making a normal telephone call.

Task 2. Translate into English.

1. Добрый день. Я бы хотел поблагодарить всех, кто нашел время придти и послушать меня.

Некоторые из вас, я полагаю, будут делать записи. Пожалуйста. Однако, в конце дня все вы получите тезисы моего выступления, где вы найдете некоторые детали той информации, которую я собираюсь дать вам, а также различные графические изображения, которые вы сможете потом использовать в своих презентациях клиентам.

Я собираюсь говорить сегодня о новом изделии, но не только о нем самом, а о том, как можно получить прибыль, продавая его. И это, я считаю, самый главный вопрос: как получить прибыль. Вы со мной согласны?

Сейчас позвольте мне рассмотреть некоторые тенденции на рынке этого вида товаров. Я уверен, что вы знаете о многих, но будет полезным, если я напомню. Если вы посмотрите на экран, то увидите, что я показал самые последние статистические данные рыночных исследований. Но что эти данные значат для нас?