Section в

Оборот "there is/are"

Утвердительная форма

There is a cash dispenser in the branch. There is money on the account. There are cash dispensers in the branch.

Отрицательная форма

There is no cash dispenser in the branch. There is no money on the account. There are no cash dispensers in the branch.

There is not a cash dispenser in the branch. There is not any money on the account. There are not any cash dispensers in the branch.

Вопросительная форма

Is there a cash dispenser in the branch? Is there (any) money on the account? Are there (any) cash dispensers in the branch?

Vocabulary list

		an item on the agenda — вопрос на повестке дня
		to seek office — зд. претендовать на должность
		to expound one's views on smth — излагать свои взгляды на что-либо
		to preside at a meeting — председательствовать на собрании
		to be employed full-time — работать на постоянной основе
		to sit (be) on a board — быть членом правления
		to attend a meeting — посещать собрание/присутствовать на собрании
		to declare a meeting open — объявить собрание открытым
		to pay tribute to smb — отдать должное кому-либо
		to address a board in alphabetical precedence — выступать перед членами правления в алфавитном порядке
		priority — первоочередная задача syn. principal objective
		to be subject to smth — подвергаться чему-либо
		free enterprise — свободное предпринимательство
		to retard growth — замедлять рост
		to reduce profit — сокращать прибыль
		to measure profit in terms of earnings per share — измерять прибыль в расчете на акцию
		to tumble — зд. падать (о ценах на акции)
		to remain vigilant —сохранять бдительность
		to be financially unsound — быть ненадежным с финансовой точки зрения
		to tie up funds at low rates of yield — инвестировать средства в проекты с низким уровнем дохода
		to fund low-income housing — финансировать жилищное строительство для малоимущих
		housing mortgage — закладная на приобретение жилья
		to be notorious for low return of profit — печально прославиться низким уровнем прибыли
		to make concessions — идти на уступки
		a business loan — ссуда деловым предприятиям

1. During the first week of November Ben Rosselli's physical condition worsened. He didn't control FMA any more.

A group of the bank's senior directors met privately. There was only one item on the agenda. They agreed upon the full board to name a successor to the presidency. The decisive board meeting took place on December 4.

There were not many candidates to choose from. In fact there were only two candidates seeking office. They were Roscoe Heyward and Alex Vandervoort. They were going to expound their views on FMA. Jerome Patterton, vice-chairman of the board, presided at the meeting.

1. Why did FMA's senior directors meet privately?

2. How many items were there on the agenda?

3. There were not many candidates to choose from, were there?

4. Who presided at the meeting?

2. A board of directors of any major American corporation resembles an exclusive club. There are from three to four top management executives who are employed full-time on the board. There are a score or so of outstanding businessmen there. They are often board chairmen or presidents themselves, from other diverse fields. There is one or several reasons for their board membership. They are their own achievements elsewhere, the prestige of the institution they represent, or a strong connection — usually financial — with the company on whose board they sit. Businessmen consider it high honour to be a company director because of prestige. Besides major companies pay each director between one or two thousand dollars for every meeting attended, normally ten a year. Particularly high in prestige is a directorship of any major bank. First Mercantile American, as befitting a bank among the nation's top twenty, possessed an impressive board of directors.

1. There are a few outstanding businessmen on the board of any major American corporation, aren't there?

2. What reasons are there for board membership?

3. Why do businessmen consider it high honour to be a company director?

4. Did FMA possess an impressive board of directors?

3. Alex Vandervoort surveyed the other directors as they took seats around the long boardroom table and decided there was a high percentage of dead wood on the board. There were also conflicts of interest since some directors, or their companies, were major borrowers of bank money. "There is much work to do to make the FMA board more representative and less like a cosy club" Alex thought. There were not many supporters of Alex Vandervoort on the board. Alex knew that one of his strong supporters was Leonard Kingswood, chairman of Northam Steel.