Text 19

Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

An American firm which uses the most sophisticated communication equipment has chosen Winston as the pivot between its European customers and manufacturing plants around the world.

Chesterton (UK) Ltd is part of Chesterton International, a specialist engineering group based in Massachusetts.

Its new European Customer Service Centre has been set up in offices in a converted older building on the edge of Winston’s Queensgate covered shopping centre.

The new centre will receive orders from all parts of Europe, translate them, and pass them to the Chesterton factories in Holland, Eire and the USA.

Each of its Winston staff has mastery of at least one European language – and all but one of them were recruited from the locality.

Chesterton specializes in pumps and sealing devices used in the process industries. International Manager Philip Metz said: “Winston was chosen because it was the place which best met our criteria of central location, high technology communications capability and the availability of highly educated quality staff”.

The Winston operation is a return ‘home’ for the company, which was formed 102 years ago by A.W.Chesterton soon after emigrating from the East Midlands town of Loughborough.

1. Chesterton’s Winston offices are….

1. purpose-built

2. near the shopping centre

3. extremely attractive

2. The new centre will receive orders….

1. from European countries.

2. from all over the world.

3. from the United States.

3. The new centre is being set up because….

1. it is expensive for customers to communicate with the USA direct.

2. orders are placed in many different languages.

3. Chesterton has so many factories in Europe.

4. Every member of the new centre’s staff can speak English and….

1. one or more European language.

2. more than one European language

3. one European language.

5. The new centre’s staff….

1. all come from Winston.

2. mostly come from the Winston area.

3. all come from the Winston area.

6. Chesterton’s business is….

1. communications

2. processing.

3. manufacturing.

7. Winston was chosen because of its location and because….

1. the founder of the company came from the East Midlands.

2. Chesterton has no factories in the UK.

3. suitable staff were available.

Text 20

Read the extract from an article. Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

Fashion has always been important to the Spanish but until recently they haven’t had a home-grown fashion industry and have imported most of their clothing. All that is changing now, however. The Spanish government is busily promoting the clothing and fashion sectors of the textile industry. Their ultimate goal is to make their fashion products so well regarded on the international market because of their quality, that this success will spread to other product areas and export markets.

Spain is starting from scratch when you compare it with fashionable competitors like Italy and France. But there is activity everywhere. The government has set up organizations to support the fashion industry, organizing projects such as combined efforts between fashion designers and people in business. The country holds fashion fairs twice a year, The Cibeles in Madrid, and the Gaudi in Barcelona. There is also a children’s fair in Valencia which further demonstrates Spaniards’ creative progress to international fashion buyers.

The government is trying to create an environment where fashion and textile designers have an opportunity to prosper. Talented companies and designers can succeed in Spain but although there is much creativity, there is a lack of managerial experience. Some people still do not believe enough is being done, and point to Italy where they believe there are better chances for designers to succeed. One highly regarded Spanish designer is now manufacturing her entire line of clothing in partnership with an Italian company. The problem, as some see it, is that amount of money being provided by the Spanish government is still not enough. People in the fashion industry know they will not be able to make an impression in foreign countries unless government funding is increased.

Nevertheless much progress is being made. While the exclusive salons are in the larger cities, studios and boutiques are opening throughout Spain and many Spaniards are already involved in exporting their clothes. Through their own efforts, designers are beginning to open shops in France, Italy and Japan. But most fashion houses are quite small, and they are finding it difficult to create the industrial and financial links needed for growth and expansion.

1. What is the Spanish government ultimately trying to achieve?

1. all Spanish products being considered of high quality

2. an increase in imported clothing

3. an increase in clothing sales

4. a change in the manufacturing ability of the textile industry

2. Who is ahead of them in terms of fashion design?

1. the Spanish government

2. support organizations

3. the French and Italians

4. business people everywhere

3. What are the Spanish doing to show their advances in fashion?

1. holding regular fashion exhibitions and shows

2. sending designers to work abroad

3. sending buyers abroad to buy designer clothes

4. teaching business people how to design

4. What is lacking in Spanish fashion industry?

1. creative talent

2. textile designers

3. support from the French and Italian fashion industries

4. government money

5. What are the people involved in fashion afraid of?

1. the strong competition

2. not having enough money for the industry to expand abroad

3. not being able to influence foreigners

4. not having any good, new fashion designers

6. What have some fashion designers started to do?

1. establish boutiques at home and abroad

2. open small boutiques in Madrid and Barcelona only

3. open big shops in Europe and Japan

4. obtain government support for exporting their clothes

7. Why are a lot of fashion businesses finding it hard to make partnerships?

1. they are too small to find good partners

2. their clothes are too expensive

3. there are too few industries wanting to expand

4. there are too many fashion stores abroad already