Английский язык - Тексты с переводами для экзамена / 398-399(текст)

Japan's second trump card¹ is effective, flexible manufacturing which enables Japanese models to be easily "replaced routinel/ every four years, while output in production runs as low as 500,000. In most of the Western car industry higher unit costs dictate product lives of 10 years and volumes of about 2 million.

By combining these two advantages the Japanese seem to make speed of product innovation their competitive tool in the world car market. They aim to shower the market with different models, which they will also use to test out new design features and technology. This approach should enable Japanese manufactures to respond more effectively to consumer fashions and indeed to create those fashions.

The changing character of competition may seriously affect Western carmakers who serve traditional market segments.

Notes:

1. trump card— козырь

2. routinely — в рабочем порядке

b) Say what information the newspaper gives about:

1. the time required for the development of a new car model in Japan and in the West; 2. the life of a new model and the volume of output in Japan and in the West; 3. the new policy of Japanese carmakers.

3. Summarise the clipping.

4. Think and answer.

5. How do the Japanese carmakers manage to compete with other car­ makers in the European and American markets?

6. What can explain higher unit costs in most of the Western car industry as compared with those of Japanese manufacturers?

7. In what way do consumer fashions influence the development of new car models?

Ex. 21. a) Read the text.

Remember: to involve — включать в себя lawyer — адвокат

What is в Manager?

A number of different terms are used for "manager", including "director", "administrator" and "president". The term "manager" is used more fre­quently in profit-making organisations, while the'others are used more widely in government and non-profit organisations such as universities, hospitals and social work agencies.

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What, then, is a manager?

When used collectively¹ the term "management" refers to those people who are responsible for making and carrying out decisions within the system.

An individual manager is a person who directly supervises people in an organization.

Some basic characteristics seem to apply to managers in all types of organizations; they include hard work on a variety of activities, preference for active tasks, direct personal relationships.

Almost everything a manager doe's involves decisions. The reason for making a decision is that a problem exists. In decision-making there is always some uncertainty and risk.

Managing is a hard job. There is a lot to be done and relatively little time to do it. The engineer can finish a design on a particular day, and the lawyer can win or lose a case² at a certain time. But the manager's job is like "Old Man River"³ — it just keeps going.

Notes:

8. collectively — в собирательном значении

9. case — зд. дело

10. "Old Man River" — the name of a song.

b) Say what you have learned from the text about:

•! 1. different words which mean "manager"; 2. the meanings of the words "management" and "manager"; 3. characteristic features common to all managers; 4. the job of a manager.

c) Think and answer.

11. What individual managers make up management in an organization?

12. What concrete activities is a production manager (financial manager, personnel manager, marketing manager) responsible for?

13. What type of information does a manager need to make decisions? J

14. What magazines (reference books, etc.) does a manager have to see on a regular basis?

Remember: shark — акула

to explode — взрываться to sink — тонуть constant — постоянный

Ex. 22. a) Read the text. ■*

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