MANAGEMENT

management
DICTIONARIES
Longman:
http://www.ldoceonline.com/
Oxford:
http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Macmillan:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/
Cambridge:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Collins/Cobuild:
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-cobuild-learners
Merriam-Websters (focus on American English):
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT

A speaking & writing

Below you may find a set of questions which you can prepare prior to class meetings, at your leisure.
When answering any of these questions, be ready to justify your answer with your own arguments; use
examples and your own experience to support your opinion.
THIS MODULE IS REQUIRED FOR THE SPEAKING AND WRITING TESTS!
1. Do you think you have certain personal skills that you could use as a possible manager in a company?
What are they?
2. How far up would you like to progress within a corporate hierarchy and why?
3. Are men better managers than women or vice versa?
4. How can management styles differ from one country to another?
5. Do you think that the terms `manager` and `boss` are different?
6. If you were a manager, which would be your priorities?
7. If you were a manager, how would you manage conflict in the workplace, regarding your subordinates?
8. Subordinates are usually opportunistic and lazy, so, they must be constantly supervised and ruled with
a rod of iron. Do you agree?
9. Subordinates should be treated as human beings capable of creativity and dedication as regards their
contribution to a companys success. Consequently, they should be given as much freedom as possible.
Do you agree?
10. The boss is always right and must never be contradicted. Do you agree?
11. An informal boss is better than a formal boss. Do you agree?
12. Managing people could be just a matter of obeying clear-cut rules for everyone in a company. Whats
your opinion?
13. Whenever an employee does something wrong, s/he must be punished by superiors. To what extent
would you support this view?
14. What do you think `middle management` is? Would you like to be part of it?
15. Would you like to be a tycoon? Imagine his / her life story, with its ups and downs.
16. What differences are there regarding terms like `boss`, `manager`, `leader`, `mentor`, `coach` (all
applied to business situations)?
17. Professional success is measured according to your hierarchical position in a company. Do you agree?
18. Management skills are simply a question of personality; if you want to lead people, you WILL lead
people. Does this make sense for you?
19. Introverted / shy employees will never become bosses. Is this true?
20. A companys success mostly depends on its board of directors. How much would you agree?
21. Business success equates management skills. How practical could this equation be (or not)?
22. For what reasons could a manager be demoted or even fired and why?
23. A manager is fully responsible for an organisations success. How far would you agree?
24. Its simply human nature to want to be a leader. Is this true?
25. Would you prefer to be your own boss? What does this mean for you?
26. How far would you agree with the following quotation? `There is only one boss. The customer. And he
can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money
somewhere else.` (by Sam Walton: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/sam_walton.html)

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT

B reading & language

The following practice tests simulate the question formats in your final test and may be used in the
construction of the final test versions. Directions and further explanations will be available in class. The
tests not covered in class are part of your self-study use the dictionaries suggested (see page 1).
THIS MODULE IS REQUIRED FOR THE FINAL TEST!
PRACTICE TEST 01
call, chair, follow, hold, lack

A meeting of senior government officials was 01 ____ .

An 02 ____ EMERGE board meeting will have to be 03 ____ .
Because of poor leadership, the country now 04 ____ confronts / deals / faces / copes an
05 ____ ECONOMY crisis.
Bill was promoted 06 ____ executive director.
Exports are largely responsible for their 07 ____ IMPRESS 08 ____ ECONOMY 09 ____
PERFORM .
Good companies need 10 ____ powerful / hard / strong / heavy leadership.
He lost his job 11 ____ a management shake- 12 ____ .
He 13 ____ the board of senior managers within the corporation.
He blames the companys problems 14 ____ a 15 ____ of clear leadership.
PRACTICE TEST 02
give, interest, retain, service

A new appointment has been 01 ____ done / made / performed / conducted 02 ____ a
senior level.
Business leaders welcomed a cut 03 ____ the 04 ____ rate.
He 05 ____ up his seat 06 ____ the board after 40 years 07 ____ .
He has served 08 ____ 09 ____ HONOUR chairman for three years.
The 10 ____ GO chairman will retire next month.
He will have to fight to 11 ____ his leadership.
Helen took 12 ____ 13 ____ manager earlier this year.
He was appointed director of the 14 ____ MANAGE 15 ____ COMMIT .

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT
PRACTICE TEST 03
bear, join, potential, report, show

A whole 01 ____ set / layer / placement / leadership of middle management lost their jobs.
A younger person should take 02 ____ the 03 ____ LEAD of the company.
He has the confidence of a 04 ____ leader.
It was clear from his first day 05 ____ the job that he had leadership 06 ____ .
Last year she 07 ____ the board of the Boston Foundation.
Members of the sales team each 08 ____ to their team leader.
One person is appointed 09 ____ manager and given full 10 ____ RESPOND for achieving the 11
____ OBJECT of the project.
Shareholders should have more control 12 ____ corporate management decisions.
She 13 ____ great leadership 14 ____ getting everyone well trained 15 ____ conflict management.
PRACTICE TEST 04
appoint, attend, follow, meet

All staff receive training 01 ____ time 02 ____ MANAGE .

All the companys senior 03 ____ EXECUTE get large bonuses.
Dealing 04 ____ SUCCEED with difficult problems will 05 ____ FORCE your 06 ____ LEAD .
Mr Eaton and the other company directors will be 07 ____ the meeting.
She was 08 ____ a director of DBCM in June 2009.
The board 09 ____ last week to discuss the 10 ____ PROPOSE .
The chairman was forced to resign 11 ____ the scandal.
The department ignored the 12 ____ RECOMMEND of its own scientific 13 ____ ADVISE
board.
The department has been very 14 ____ SUCCEED 15 ____ her management.

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT
PRACTICE TEST 05
good, enjoy

Those four men should step 01 ____ from the board for the 02 ____ of the company.
Top managers 03 ____ an average increase 04 ____ earnings of 17.8% last year.
What 05 ____ CHARACTER make a good leader?
The 06 ____ COME chairman has promised to 07 ____ make / do / carry / conduct some
major changes.
The policy was approved 08 ____ board level.
Karen has a reputation 09 ____ a good manager.
He became the companys most 10 ____ INFLUENCE director.
Each year business managers draw 11 ____ a budget and suggest a series of 12 ____ FINANCE
targets.
Everyone 13 ____ the board was 14 ____ agreement.
Good communication skills are essential for 15 ____ EFFECT leadership.
PRACTICE TEST 06
-

01 ____ EFFECT management of the companys budget is very important.

He has been blamed 02 ____ the 03 ____ FAIL of the company but he is not directly 04 ____
RESPOND .
He is senior 05 ____ me in the company.
He started his career 06 ____ a junior manager in an advertising firm.
The assistant manager will be 07 ____ charge 08 ____ everything while Im away.
His appointment 09 ____ the board of 10 ____ DIRECT was confirmed by the chairman.
If these reports get lost, I will 11 ____ keep / make / hold / force you responsible.
I asked my 12 ____ section / line / rule / regulation manager for permission to leave work
early.
She has just been promoted 13 ____ senior manager.
She sits 14 ____ the board of governors of the BBC.
He 15 ____ took / submitted / enrolled / practised a management course at Harvard
Business School.

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT
PRACTICE TEST 07
bear, credentials, direct, draw, engage, fire, meet

A managers job is mainly to 01 ____ the activities of others.

After the scandal, the manager was very 02 ____ APLOLOGY .
Ever since they made him assistant manager, hes been getting 03 ____ himself.
His 04 ____ as a company manager are impressive.
John will be 05 ____ DEPUTY for the manager while shes on holiday.
Line managers should take appropriate action if safety standards are not being 06 ____ .
My manager made it clear to me that I was 07 ____ EXPEND .
No employees should 08 ____ in political activities without a managers permission.
She promised that nothing would come 09 ____ her and the managers job.
She showed extraordinary enterprise for such a(n) 10 ____ EXPERIENCE manager.
The new manager called me 11 ____ (= called me to his office) and demanded an explanation.
Their manager is fond of 12 ____ analogies between business and football.
Theres been quite a 13 ____ fizz / buzz / snooze / booze about the place since the new
manager arrived.
Whenever something bad happens, their manager is always in the 14 ____ line.
Your private life has no 15 ____ on your competence as a manager.
PRACTICE TEST 08
break, ground, lie, put, run, step, work

A managers 01 ____ SUPERVISE functions are not to be trifled with!

Before long, she was promoted 02 ____ sales manager.
Good managers should never 03 ___ fail / shirk / skim / span difficult decisions.
He was in 04 ____ line / order / advancement / headway for the job of team manager.
Hes a manager with a thorough business 05 ____ .
Her loyalties obviously 06 ____ with the team, not the manager.
Ive had several 07 ____ -ins with the manager.
Our employees are performing a lot better 08 ____ the new manager (= while he was in charge).
She registered a complaint 09 ____ the manager.
That was a make-or- 10 ____ decision for the new manager.
The manager announced she was 11 ____ aside.
The new manager was brought 12 ____ to get things moving.
They 13 ____ in a new manager as an attempt to improve sales.
They want to raise the issue of 14 ____ hours with the manager.
Youll have to 15 ____ circle / triangle / square / angle it with the manager first.

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT
PRACTICE TEST 09
but, drive, release, remote, will

A clash of 01 ____ between a manager and an employee led to a huge corporate scandal.
All managers are expected to comply 02 ____ the companys code of conduct to avoid
misinterpretation.
Due to the demands of 03 ____ FLEX managers many employees leave their jobs outright.
He is known as manager who 04 ____ TYRANT his staff.
I have a team manager who is worth his 05 ____ in gold.
I have nothing 06 ____ praise for the managers at my company.
Managers have a lot to answer 07 ____ .
Managers have 08 ____ some damning details from yesterdays meeting.
Managers should be pressed to 09 ____ SURE that safety standards are adequately met.
Shes a good day- 10 ____ -day manager but she lacks vision.
Some managers are 11 ____ by a natural desire to overachieve.
Some managers gradually become increasingly 12 ____ from their junior employees.
The line manager was presented with a long list of 13 ____ GRIEF .
Todays competitive pressures are forcing most managers to 14 ____ THINK their strategies.
We must act 15 ____ the instructions of senior managers.
PRACTICE TEST 10
pay, view

A welcome change of management has 01 ____ boom / busted / boosted / buoyed morale
throughout the firm.
All senior managers are expected to take a wider 02 ____ of problems that arise in the workplace.
All senior managers are keen to resolve the conflict 03 ____ wages.
He has a very ad hoc approach 04 ____ managerial duties.
I could say that I like my job, but I dont quite enjoy the management 05 ____ bit / bits / parts /
pieces .
I wouldnt work under 06 ____ WORK managers suffering from stress and anxiety.
It goes without saying that changing a companys management style can be a 07 ____ COST
business.
Management and unions agreed a 08 ____ deal.
She is well known for her 09 ____ AUTOCRACY management style.
Shes working in management now, which is a whole new 10 ____ pin / ball / boxing / fighting
game for her.
Some managers feel it is their duty to spy 11 ____ the workforce.
The management will have to take the entire blame for recent 12 ____ FAIL .
There have been only arms- 13 ____ LONG negotiations between management and employees.
We specialize in management 14 ____ CONSULT .
You can go ahead only after 15 ____ CONSULT with the management.

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015

MANAGEMENT

C listening & language

The task sheets and directions will be available in class only. After this course unit has been covered in
class, you will receive web links to the audio scripts (+ sound). The audio scripts will be used in the
construction of the final test versions, based on the question formats practised in module B.
THIS MODULE IS REQUIRED FOR THE FINAL TEST!
After the listening exercises done in class, you will have access (via the Internet) to the audio scripts for the
recordings used. The scripts are intended for your self-study, as an extension of your listening
comprehension, towards further language building (grammar structures and vocabulary). When you work
with these audio scripts on your own, focus on the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

collocations;
fixed expressions containing dependent prepositions;
phrasal verbs;
idioms;
derivatives (word building).

You have already been introduced to problems 1-5 above by the PREPARATORY COURSE MODULE A FINAL TEST LANGUAGE SKILLS, covered at the start of the first semester of this academic year.
For all of your self-study tasks, including this, make sure that you use the dictionary links suggested on page
1 of this unit.

Adrian Ciupe, 2014-2015