I dioms in focus:

Task 1. Study the following examples and try to understand the underlined idioms in context. Find their Russian equivalents.

1. Before the project takes off, we need to make a business plan and get adequate funding.

2. AT&T Corporation plans to buy a big stake in McCaw Cellular Communications Inc.

3. ‘The bank manager is on the phone. He says it’s about our overdraft’. - ‘Oh, really? He should be used to us being in the red by now; so what’s he getting so excited about, I wonder?’

4. As the project devoured more than expected ₤4 million, we began to wonder if we were throwing good money after bad.

5. New models and new ideas have turned the company around and saved the factory from closure.

6. Allied-Signal was planning to use the proceeds from the sale of Union Teas to reduce debt.

7. Venture capital is somewhat more difficult for a small business to obtain than other sources of financing, such as bank loans and supplier credit.

8. According to a recent survey, parental concerns about what kids are doing after school create significant levels of stress and hurt productivity.

9. Textbook prices are soaring into the hundreds of dollars, but in some courses this fall, students won't pay a dime. Using ads in textbooks will help to keep costs down for students.

10. Two thousands of lives will be at stake if emergency aid does not arrive in the city soon.

Task 2. Match the following idioms with their corresponding definitions.

funding stake be in the black/ be in the red throw good money after bad turn the company around proceeds venture capital to hurt productivity to keep costs down at stake

operating at a profit, making money/ operating at a loss, losing money to slow down/ decrease productivity to control expenses/ to prevent from increasing at risk financing or financial backing for a project or business venture; money make business profitable again after losses money obtained by selling something; profits investment/ a sum of money invested in a business/ shares owned in a company by an individual or organization lose more money in an attempt to compensate for a loss capital for investments, which may easily be lost in risky project, but can also provide high returns

Task 3. Substitute for the underlined phrase an idiom with the same meaning.

1. Six months prior to seeking capital for investments, the entrepreneur should prepare a detailed business plan and begin working on a formal request for funds.

2. Bad keyboard shortcuts decrease productivity, leading to $650MM lost in worldwide productivity every week.

3. The refusal to grant extra financing to schools in the poorest areas caused a political storm.

4. The company’s final results put it seriously at a loss and a sharp fall in its share price has taken place.

5. She answered by handing me over her share of the profits at Derby and Nottingham – and there were my expenses paid, at the rate of nearly two pounds a day.

6. We have to try and prevent our advertising costs from increasing if we want to stick to the budget.

7. Investors in the project began to pull out as they realized they were simply losing more money in an attempt to compensate.

8. Cable & Wireless Plc has cut its shares in Digital Telecommunica-tions Philippines Inc to 25% from 40%.

9. We have a great deal at risk in this transaction.

10. In order to make the company profitable again, Shamrock mentioned their action plan's key points.

Task 4. Complete the sentences with one of the idioms in focus, paying special attention to the form of the verbs.

1. This race was her last chance to win a place on the national team so everything was ………….

2. Cooking at home can help to ………… and bridge a gap in family budget.

3. Schedule compressions and management time fillers may cause indiscipline at work and ………….

4. It is difficult to obtain adequate ………… for new projects during the recession.

5. They will need to raise ₤1 million in ………… if they are to get the business off the ground.

6. Pearson, which has a major ………… in BSkyB, gained 4p to 451p.

7. We can afford a new car; we are ………… at the moment.

8. Hiring him to improve that software is …………; it's based on an older operating system and will soon be obsolete.

9. San Diego will use the ………… from the bond issue to acquire and install new police facilities.

10. If the company is less efficient than its competitors, technology can help to ………….

Task 5. Translate the following sentences into English using idioms instead of the phrases underlined.

1. По предварительным оценкам, стоимость проекта может превысить ₤ 1 млн. Так как эта сумма превышает наш бюджет, нам придется сократить расходы.

2. Согласно последним данным, корпорация RVC Video приобрела более 50% акций в Majestic Films International.

3. Если мы потеряем этот контракт, сотни рабочих мест будут под угрозой.

4. Исследования показывают, что неблагоприятная рабочая обстановка негативно сказывается на продуктивности труда.

5. В данный момент правительство не может предоставить необходимое финансирование для проведения исследования.

6. Если ты попробуешь отремонтировать эту машину, ты просто выбросишь деньги на ветер.

7. Доход от фестиваля будет перечислен на счет местного благотворительного фонда.

8. В целом, эксперты предупреждают, чтобы получить необходимый венчурный капитал требуется время и настойчивость.

9. По прогнозам аналитиков, компания будет продолжать нести убытки в течение года.

10. Руководство компании пригласило на должность менеджера опытного специалиста в надежде, что он сможет вывести компанию из затруднительного положения.

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UNIT 8

HARD JOB