Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
STUDENTS
I. GENERAL REMARKS
Teacher
Name: Adriana Fekete
Office: Faculty of Economics and Business
Administration, 58 T. Mihali st., Cluj-Napoca,
room 016 (ground floor)
Telephone: 0264-418655
E-mail: adriana.fekete@lingua.ubbcluj.ro
description
A1
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the
satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and
answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and
things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly
and is prepared to help.
A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography,
employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct
exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of
his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise
whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected
text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and
events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions
and plans.
B2
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including
technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and
spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for
either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint
on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can
express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can
produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of
organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from
different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent
C2
presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating
finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
(Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages)
It is absolutely necessary that students whose level is lower than intermediate should work
individually to reach that level. To this purpose, students can use practical grammars which
contain essential theoretical information and practical tasks (see Suggested bibliography) or
take English language courses offered by specialised institutions.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Objectives
The purpose of English for1st Year Business Students is to develop the written and oral
communication skills of business students. The course focuses on two vital areas of the
learning process: improving reading and writing skills as well as developing learning skills.
The subject matter, drawn from various business fields, is not excessively specialised.
Structure
Eight units are devoted to training students in the skills of reading, developing vocabulary,
and writing. These units are designed to help students:
Become familiar with the various vocabulary items related to business English
Become familiar with the various expressions related to specific language functions
Improving reading skills by focusing on both content and the use of theses
expressions in task-based writing exercises
Build up writing skills by practising the contextual use of the vocabulary items and
focusing on grammar in controlled practice exercises.
Learn and review basic business vocabulary
The structure of the units is systematic, concise and explicit, responsive to the variety of
communicative circumstances in business. The content is formative, aiming at developing
students awareness of the need for communicating correctly in a foreign language. Mainly
designed to be used as self-study material, the book intends to encourage students to take
individual study more seriously, to offer standardised exercises, to provide concrete
examples, to focus on language use (knowledge of language, language skills, awareness of
the nature of learning, awareness of the reading process, attitudes to reading: unknown
words, strategies, meaning, opportunities for discussion/ exchanges of opinion).
The texts provide opportunities for review and expansion of the skills throughout the year.
Furthermore, the units organisation allows the student to take advantage of individual study.
The abundance of material in the texts makes them easily adaptable to varying learner
interests, student specialties, and language levels.
The units of the book deal with texts that offer the possibility of learning specific vocabulary,
grammar structures and functional language in appropriate contexts. The tasks students will
have to carry out will help them develop their language skills in an integrated way, i.e.
extracting the main ideas from a text// taking notes etc.
The structure of most units is the following:
a. Lead-in
b. Reading
c. Vocabulary development
d. Language focus
e. Functions
The lead-in section is devised to introduce students to the topic of the unit. It consists of
questions or exercises that forecast the subject matter to be dealt with in the reading section.
The reading section contains texts that offer both information connected with the business
environment and the opportunity to improve and enrich students vocabulary with new words
and expressions.
The vocabulary development section offers explanation of some of the lexical items from
the text and expands the learning context to the lexical areas of the words/ expressions
studied. It presents both general and specialised vocabulary and the activities initiated here
require sustained individual work with the dictionary.
The language focus section starts from examples found in the text. It has two sub-sections:
one that deals with the theoretical input of a certain grammar problem (rules, examples etc.)
and the second Practice that contains different types of exercises. However, students
should decide whether they need more practice and if so, they should use additional selfstudy materials (practical grammars).
The functions section contains a number of expressions that represent certain language
functions. This may help students become familiar with the context in which these
expressions are used. The section also contains suggested writing activities in order to focus
attention on individual activities that offer the possibility of making use of the knowledge
acquired within each unit, as a whole.
In some units there is a section entitled English in Use. This section aims at familiarising
students with the structure of the Language in Use section of the language ability
examination that they will have to take on graduation.
Assessment
First semester
- participation in classroom activities (oral) 50%
- end of semester written test 50%
Second semester
- participation in classroom activities (oral) 50%
- mid-semester written test 25%
- end of semester written test 25%
share verb
shoptalk noun [U]
shorthand for sth
small talk noun [U]
speech noun
stationery noun [U]
talk noun [C, U]
telegram noun [C]
telex noun [C or U]
template noun [C]
tete-a-tete noun [C]
text verb [T]
the Internet noun
virtual adjective
well-mannered adjective
window noun [C]
word processing noun [U]
UNIT 2 PRESENTATIONS
Students should be able to use the vocabulary under PRESENTATIONS to communicate
about:
Types of presentations made in business
Preparing and planning a presentation
Audience analysis
Presentation materials
Delivery techniques
Body language and voice
Signalling words and phrases
Question-and-answer session
Golden rules for presentations
Corporate culture
account verb
acid rain noun [U]
age discrimination
biodegradable adjective
bioethics noun [U]
biological control noun [U]
carbon tax noun [C]
conservation noun [U]
corporate social responsibility noun [C]
decontaminate verb [T]
deforest verb [T]
depopulate verb [T]
dumping noun [U]
emission noun
environment noun [C or U]
ethic noun [C]
global warming noun [U]
globalisation noun [U]
green adjective
integrity noun [U]
just adjective
life-support system noun [C]
litter verb [T]
moral adjective
UNIT 5 MANAGEMENT
Students should be able to use the vocabulary under MANAGEMENT to communicate
about:
Definition of management
Managerial tasks
Basic managerial skills
Managerial responsibilities
Leading versus managing
Management styles
Women in senior managerial positions
UNIT 6 RECRUITMENT
Students should be able to use the vocabulary under RECRUITMENT to communicate
about:
Suggested Bibliography
***
Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (London: Collins ELT, Harper Collins
Publishers, 2003)
Budai, L., Gramatica englez teorie i exerciii (Bucureti: Teora, 2001)
A.J. Thomson, A.V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar (London: Oxford University Press,
1996)
Vince, M., Advanced Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1994)
Vince, M., Intermediate Language Practice (London: MacMillan Heinemann ELT, 1998)
Websites
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/dictionaries/cald.htm,
http://www.pearson.ch/LanguageTeaching/Dictionaries/DictionariesBritish/1449/9780582306066/New-Edition-Longman-Business-English.aspx,
http://www.macmillandictionaries.com/home.htm, http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/isbn/019-431243-7?cc=global.
Free-access online dictionaries:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/, http://www.ldoceonline.com/,
http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/?cc=global.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Suggested Bibliography......................................................................................12
Further Language Study......................................................................................12
UNIT ONE INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION..............15
UNIT TWO PRESENTATIONS..........................................................................28
UNIT THREE THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIRM...........................................39
UNIT FOUR BUSINESS ETHICS......................................................................50
UNIT FIVE MANAGEMENT...............................................................................59
UNIT SIX RECRUITMENT..................................................................................75
UNIT SEVEN BUSINESS TRAVEL..................................................................89
UNIT EIGHT CULTURE AND CIVILISATION.................................................95
Text 1.
"Have you ever said to yourself, "I wish I had spoken up"? Or, "If only I had
introduced myself"? Or, "Did I say the wrong thing"?
Conversational Confidence is the answer. Just by listening, you'll master the
proven interpersonal skills you need to deal with every individual, every group,
every occasion.
The result? New doors will open to you. You won't hesitate to accept an invitation,
to approach someone important, to seize an opportunity. You'll never again feel like
an outsider. Success will naturally flow your way--and with less effort than you ever
imagined possible."
~verbalAdvantage (advertisement in The New Republic, March 12, 2001)
1. Why are people sometimes reluctant to speak up their minds?
2. What is the role of listening in a conversation?
3. How can people develop their communication skills?
Text 2.
"'Communication' is a registry of modern longings. The term evokes a utopia where
nothing is misunderstood, hearts are open, and expression is uninhibited. Desire
being most intense when the object is absent, longings for communication also
index a deep sense of dereliction in social relationships. ... 'Communication' is a rich
tangle of intellectual and cultural strands that encodes our time's confrontations with
itself. To understand communication is to understand much more. An apparent
answer to the painful divisions between self and other, private and public, and inner
thought and outer word, the notion illustrates our strange lives at this point in history.
It is a sink into which most of our hopes and fears seem to be poured."
John Durham Peters, Speaking into the Air
A History of the Idea of Communication (1999, p. 2)
1. According to the author, how can the nature of communication be defined?
2. What does the author mean by inner thought and outer word?
3. How can misunderstanding appear?
Text 3.
"A word (or in general any sign) is interindividual. Everything that is said, expressed,
is located outside the soul of the speaker and does not belong only to him. The word
cannot be assigned to a single speaker. The author (speaker) has his own
inalienable right to the word, but the listener has his rights, and those whose voices
are heard in the word before the author comes upon it also have their rights (after
all, there are no words that belong to no one)."
M. Bakhtin Speech Genres and Other Late Essays (Trans. Vern McGee). Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1986, p. 121
1. What do words refer to?
2. The same word may mean different things to different persons. Try to explain
how this happens.
3. How do new words appear in a language?
A. to have finished
B. (not) give careful attention to sb/sth
C. show your respect for sb by visiting
them, going to their funeral, attending a
memorial service, etc.
D. at the beginning of sth
E. feel grateful to sb for their help, kindness,
etc.
F. die in order to protect or save sb/sth
G. say or do sth to show your respect and
admiration for sb
H. to a great extent
I. make sth definite or complete
J. used to indicate the result or
consequence of a situation or action
K. performed with greater courage or effort
than is usual or expected
L. cause something to happen or exist
M. completely destroy a place or area
N. because of sbs actions
O. start disagreeing or arguing with sb
about sth
P. be given the opportunity of doing sth that
makes you feel proud
Q. polite formula when disagreeing with sb
R. have power or influence over a group of
people or a region
1.3.2. Fill in the gaps in the following texts by using the phrases 1-18 given in
the vocabulary task 1.3.1.
A.
(1) ___ the Prime Minister, it is the people of this country who have, (2) ___,
suffered (3) ___ his government, and I am sure they will want to (4) ___ his last
remark.
B.
Thousands of people gathered to (5) ___ the many local servicemen who (6) ___
their country.
C.
Terrorists still (7) ___ in many of the rural areas and (8) ___ the problem. They have
already (9) ___ much valuable farmland, and we could be facing yet another
drought. Any hopes that this awful situation might (10) ___ look premature.
D.
James Mauplins groundbreaking research not only (11) ___ his highly esteemed
books and (12) ___ a glistering academic career, it also put us (13) ___ a major
breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinsons Disease. I now (14) ___ introducing
Professor Mauplin.
E.
I would like to (15) ___ the young police officer who, (16) ___ his own safety, went to
the help of our daughter and saved her from certain death. It was an act of
considerable bravery, way (17) ___, and we will forever (18) ___.
1.3.3. Look at the phrases given in 1.3.1. Then match 1-8 with a-h.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
have
pay
take
give
hold
set
lay down
lay
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
rise to something
the seal on something
waste to something
the honour to do something
tribute to somebody
issue with somebody
sway
your life for something
1.4 Functions
Information exchange
Asking for information useful expressions
Could you tell me...?
Do you know...?
Do you happen to know...?
I'd like to know...
1.5. Writing
Comment on the following quotation:
Words, words, words! They shut one off from the universe. Three quarters of
the time one's never in contact with things, only with the beastly words that
stand for them.
Aldous Huxley
2. Communication and the media
NOTE
the media noun [uncountable]
The noun should always be accompanied by the definite article and should be
followed by a verb in the plural.
2.1. Lead in
Answer the following questions:
What role do the media play in the society?
Are you interested in the news? Do you read newspapers or watch news bulletins
on TV?
2.2. Vocabulary development
Group the following words into the three categories given in the table below.
Use a dictionary.
journalism
investigative
circulation
gonzo
correspondent
columnist
editor
tabloid
pay-per-view
channel
compact
colour
supplement
satellite
article
edition
feature
column
chequebook
review
scoop
broadcast
transmit
frequency
editorial
station
show
reporter
episode.
news bulletin
investigative
airtime
cable
commercial
broadsheet
network
2.3. Reading
Read the following text. To what extent do you agree with it? Give your pros
and cons. While reading, fill in the gaps with ONE word.
The growing role of the media in our society
Paragraph 1
In the world of today, the media have become almost as necessary 1 ___ food and
clothing. It is true that the media are playing an outstanding role in strengthening the
society; they are a mirror of 2 ___ society. Their duty is to inform, educate and
entertain the people. They help us to know what is going on 3 ___ the world. They 4
___ their lives in danger during attacks or natural disasters, just to inform us of the
situation. It is partly due to them that awareness is spreading in the society. It is the
media 5 ___ shape our lives. Our lives would be incomplete 6 ___ the media.
Paragraph 2
The media 7 ___ the watchdog of the political democracy. If they 8 ___ their role
honestly, they will be a great force in building the nation but, nowadays, the media
have become a commercialised sector eying only for news that is hot and sells. 9
___ of giving important information and educative programmes, all that one gets on
television is sensational depiction of all news stories, their only goal being gaining
television rating points (TRPs).
Paragraph 3
Every issue is hyped for a day or two, so much so 10 ___ you switch to any channel,
they all will be flashing the same story but then when the heat is over there is no
following of the case. The news then jostles 11 ___ space with other stories that are
carrying the heat then. Even 12 ___ we cannot think of a world without television
sets, media has become so much a part of us that to recognise its impact, we need
to step 13 ___ and consciously think about how they shape our lives and what they
are saying.
Paragraph 4
The media affects peoples perspective not 14 ___ through television, but 15 ___
through radio and newspapers. In this way, even many messages 16 ___ which we
cannot agree inevitably come to us from diverse constellations of media. They can
even be turned 17 ___ our benefit by whetting our understanding and articulation of
what we believe; today news channels and even some newspapers are mouthpiece
of some political parties. Their work then limits only to spread the ideology of the
party 18 ___ than give correct news. People have to judge 19 ___ their own by
looking and listening to different channels for the same news and then form a
conclusion.
Paragraph 5
The media are an integral part of our society. However, a matter of concern is their
excessive intervention in everything. Sometimes, just for making money,
insignificant news is given so 20 ___ priority that the real news is not even brought
21 ___ notice. Yes, it does also entertain but again its a debatable issue because by
entertainment we mean healthy entertainment and not those nonsense TV serials.
So 21 ___ last, like science they are a tool, which we have to use by our judgment
to provide maximum satisfaction side by side without harming ourselves. The other
disadvantage is that sometimes they also publish or broadcast some vulgar news,
and sometimes unessential activities are served 22 ___ very important news and
broadcast again and again. This does not broaden the reach of the media.
Paragraph 6
In spite of being sensational and biased, the significance of the media cannot be
ignored, especially in an age, in which globalisation and liberalisation have become
the order of the day. In this globalised world, the task and duties of the media are
increasing day by day. There is still a lot to be done by the media for the betterment
of the society.
(adapted from http://www.merinews.com/article/the-growing-role-of-media-in-oursociety/136579.shtml)
2.3. Vocabulary development
2.3.1. Match the following words or phrases from the text with their
appropriate definition.
1. awareness (par. 1)
2. watchdog (par. 2)
3. hyped (par. 3)
4. whet(ting) (par. 4)
5. mouthpiece (par. 4)
6. entertain (par. 5)
7. biased (par. 6)
8. betterment (par. 6)
Make up sentences of your own to illustrate the meaning of the words above.
Show them to your neighbour and ask them whether they understand the
meaning illustrated. If they dont, make the necessary corrections.
2.3.2. Write one word in each gap.
1. Obviously it goes ___ saying that I dont want you to tell anyone else about this.
2. Reading ___ lines, it seems that the governments considering tightening media
regulations.
3. Im afraid that book is ___ of print, but Ill see if we can find a second-hand copy
for you somewhere.
4. I followed your instructions ___ the letter but I still couldnt get the printer to work
properly.
5. Getting Elaine to edit your article is just asking ___ trouble; you know how
pedantic and opinionated she is!
6. ___ answer to your question, no, I have never had any business dealings with
Mr Partridge.
7. Even if youve got a great idea for a novel, its incredibly hard putting pen ___
paper for the first time.
8. Put your ideas down ___ paper and well discuss them at the next meeting.
9. Youve had some good news, havent you? Its written all ___ your face.
2.3.3. Use the words given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space.
A.
The (1) ___ (SAY) never judge a book by its cover could not be more true for
Ridiculous Rules by Marjorie Allen. The cover is completely blank, whereas the book
is crammed full of wonderful examples and anecdotes. Allen is an (2) ___ (SPEAK)
critic of much of what is taught to native and non-native speakers of English, and
has issued a (3) ___ (DECLARE) of war against textbooks and style books which
tell lies. Take the ridiculous and (4) ___ (MEAN) rule of never ending a sentence
with a preposition. The lovely if famous story goes, that Winston Churchill, well
known for his numerous (5)___ (WRITE) as well as for being British Prime Minister
during the Second World War , received a manuscript back from an ignorant (6) ___
(EDIT) who had told him rather rudely that he had to (7) ___ (PHRASE) a sentence
which ended with a preposition. Churchill responded by making the simple yet
forceful (8) ___ (STATE) in the margin: This is an impertinence up with which I will
not put. the (9) ___ (IMPLY) being that not to end a sentence with a preposition
often sounds ridiculous in English. Sadly, Allen informs us that the story is probably
mere (10) ___ (HEAR), and that Churchill may have actually only written rubbish!
in the margin.
B.
I love watching (1) ___ (DISCUSS) programmes, and I love politics, so youd think
Id enjoy watching (2) ___ (POLITICS) being interviewed on TV. But I dont. All too
often, (3) ___ (JOURNAL) ask them the most (4) ___ (RIDICULE) questions, and,
when they do get an interesting question, sit there watching in (5) ___ (BELIEVE) as
some of the most (6) ___ (POWER) people in the country give totally (7) ___
(CONVINCE) responses. Its as if they dont care whether their reply is (8)
(BELIEVE) or not. Often, theyre very poor (9) ___ (COMMUNICATE), and theyre
frequently even more (10) ___ (INFORM) about key issues than I am. I dont expect
them to be particularly (11) ___ (HUMOUR) they are serious people, after all but
at least they could say something interesting occasionally. It makes me want to
stand for election myself.
2.3.4. Study the vocabulary given below and then fill in the gaps in the
following text by using the appropriate phrases.
The prime minister has (1) ____ during the election campaign for being slow to
respond to events, but he was (2) ___ this morning. In a speech in Dover, he
claimed that the Oppositions tax policies didnt (3) ___, and that they were (4) ___
numbers ___. Meanwhile, the Opposition were trying to (5) ___ the latest bad
unemployment figures, which clearly illustrated, in their view, that the only thing
which could (6) ___ was a change of government. They also (7) ___ the latest
opinion poll-figures, which now put them (8) ___ with the government. (9) ___ it will
just (10) ___ who the voters choose to believe.
2.4. Language Focus: The Noun Number Agreement
Number Agreement
the number of is followed generally by singular, while a number of by plural
The number of investors was huge.
A number of shareholders were expected to sell their shares.
nouns/pronouns can be coordinated with the following simple or correlative
conjunctions: and, or, either or, neither nor, both and, not only but
also.
a) and, both and require the plural form of the verb
The president and the secretary general are not present.
Both the president and the secretary general are on a business trip.
b) or, either or follow the rule of proximity ( the closest subject dictates
the number of the verb)
His supporters or he has to take this issue very seriously.
plazas, and squares. But I was wrong. Because we still need fashion. We still need
to wear the city because the city is..." Lord trails off, letting Humphrey Bogart, in the
character of San Francisco detective Sam Spade, finish his sentence: "The stuff that
dreams are made of."
(http://www.ucsc.edu/currents/99-00/06-19/lord.html)
A. an initial face-to-face meeting with clients is necessary
B. the computer is affecting the ways we interact with each other and
our environment
C. groceries, prescriptions, even pets
D. vendors and customers interact directly and chance encounters with
friends can take place
E. explore the implications of our emerging computer-generated culture
F. were conspiring to end the need for public gathering
G. is becoming obsolete
H. who calls himself DotComGuy
I. on how we use our physical space
J. with a shot of a billboard advertising
Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages that you can identify.
3.3. Vocabulary development
3.3.1. Match the following words or phrases from the text with their
appropriate definition.
1. rollerblader (n)
2. footage (n)
3. to flesh sth out (v)
4. obsolete (adj)
5. stark (adj)
6. impending (adj)
7. juxtaposition (n)
8. to fade (v)
9. telecommuting (n)
10. sabbatical (n)
11. to confine (v)
12. advent (n)
3.3.2. If the word in bold is correct, put a tick. If it is incorrect, replace it with
one of the words in bold from the other sentences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
To a group of people
Any reaction to that?
Has anybody any strong feeling about /
views on that?
Whats the general view on/ feeling about
that?
Has anybody any comments to make?
4. Writing:
One of the most negative aspects of the impact of the Internet in our daily life is the
fact that it alters social behaviour, habits and abilities of people. Write an
argumentative essay in response to the following statement: The Internet makes
people lonelier.
1. Business presentations
Lead-in
Answer the following questions:
Have you ever given a presentation?
How can one prepare before a presentation?
Why do you think some people are afraid of public speaking? How can they
overcome this fear?
Do you agree with the quotation given above? Explain.
1.1.
Reading comprehension
back to you. Walk about a half step faster. Smile. Let your gestures and voice
emphasis come naturally. 6____
Limit your talk to a few key points. Narrow down your topic to either one key point
for a short talk, or three key points for a longer talk (a talk longer than 30minutes.) Ask yourself, "If my audience only remembered one thing from my talk,
what would be most important thing for them to remember?" 7____ For instance,
think of the Statue of Liberty. What do you see? You probably see a picture in
your mind of the statue. Now think of a pink elephant. Again, you probably see a
picture in your mind, but the important question iswhere did the statue go?
Your mind can only truly focus on one thing at a time. 8____ The more points
your presentation has, the less focus the audience will have on each individual
point. Once you have your key points, then create your PowerPoint slides. That
will keep you from having hundreds of PowerPoint slides.
Tell stories. Don't tell little white lies, but do tell anecdotes and personal
experiences. Stories build rapport with your audience, and they give you more
credibility. Your audience will remember your stories a lot longer than they will
remember your talking points. 9____ Kids in town made fun of him, but Les
found out that this man's house had caught on fire, and his two baby girls died in
the blaze. The man attempted to go in and save them many times, but the heat
was too great. When his brother-in-law showed up, he verbally assaulted the
man calling him a chicken for not going in to save his girls. 10____ I heard this
story years ago, and I can't remember the specific point Les Brown was making
on stage. I do remember the "chicken-man," though, and I frequently think about
how I should get all the facts before passing judgment on people. Les Brown's
stories have longevity, and your stories will have that type of impact as well.
When in doubt, speak from the heart. Let your audience see the real you, and
you will have a great speaking performance.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.leadersinstitute.com/articles/effective_
public_ speaking_in_ business_presentations.html)
A. Since then, I have spoken before thousands of people, and coached hundreds of
managers, executives, and other leaders on how to present more effectively to
groups.
B. I was the youngest person in the room, just 20.
C. I heard Les Brown, a famous motivational speaker, years ago, and he told a story
about how a man in his hometown went around the town square holding two baby
dolls and squawking like a chicken.
D. The reason this is so important is that the human mind likes to think of only one
thing at a time.
E. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves not on you.
F. Ever since then, the man has not spoken a word -- instead he just clucks like a
chicken.
G. They also form perceptions about the company you represent based on your
performance.
H. I thought they would.
I. As you add additional points, each previous point will become diluted.
J. Don't over do it, but give more energy than what you normally would.
K. I had to answer "no."
1.2.
English in use
1.2.1. Read the article below and fill in the gaps with ONE word.
7. Use aids. For certain sorts of presentations, visual 23 ___ such as PowerPoints,
handouts, even things written on the board can help your audience locate and
grasp the main points. Just be sure to explain these materials fully in your
presentation: No one is happy to see an outline that cant be made heads or 24 ___
of.
8. Dont bury the crowd. Including massive numbers of quotations or unfathomable
amounts of data can overwhelm even the 25 ___ attentive audience.
9. Be yourself. As important 26 ___ the content you present is your authenticity in
presenting it, so dont try to be someone youre not. Youll never succeed.
10. Play it straight. Theres 27 ___ harm in including a little humour in your
presentations, especially if you can carry it off well. But in most college
presentations, clowns will get Cs.
11. Circle the crowd. A very important part of public speaking is to make 28 ___
contact with people seated in all parts of the room even those nodding off in the
back. That shows people that youre interested 29 ___ communicating with them
not just getting 30 ___ this experience as quickly as possible. And it wouldnt hurt to
go out from in back of the podium or desk and walk around the room a little. Sharing
space with the audience can also communicate your interest in sharing your results
31 ___ them, something you surely want to do.
12. Appear relaxed. You dont have to actually be relaxedfew speakers are but
at least try to appear as relaxed as possible. Bring along some water or a drink, take
short 32 ___ from time to time, and think pleasant thoughts. No one enjoys speakers
33 ___ are trembling and sweating bullets.
13. Finish strong. Always be sure to have a satisfying conclusion 34 ___ your
presentation in 35 ___ you make clear to the listeners what they now know. It
creates a warm feeling in the minds of your listeners and shows them that theyve
really learned something from your talk which they probably have.
14. Welcome interruptions. Some speakers are terrified that someone will interrupt
them 36 ___ a question or comment. Actually, this is one of the 37 ___ things that
can happen, because it shows that someone in the audience has engaged 38 ___
what youre saying, and, if you have the time to offer a brief response, it can actually
lead to genuine progress on the point you were making. And two-way conversation
(assuming youre minimally good at it) is always a tension-reducer.
15. Know when to stop lecturing. Certain presentations especially in advanced
or upper-division classes or seminars can require you to present some material,
then lead a discussion. Be sure to attentively listen 39 ___ any comments or
questions your classmates might raise 40 ___ starting on your answer. And in a
discussion period, never lecture (only discuss), and be sure to answer exactly the
question asked. In many classes, how you discuss is as important as how you
present.
(adapted from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professorsguide/2010/02/24/15-strategies-for-giving-oral-presentations)
Use the phrases above to fill in the gaps in the following text:
We had to 1 ___ Robs disastrous presentation to the group today. We were
overloaded with information, and he completely 2 ___ the main points; he should 3
___ it ___. He thought a good powerpoint would compensate for poor presentation
skills, but nothing could have been 4 ___. Most of the time he spoke too slowly (one
or two people were 5 ___). Then Dr Jones asked him a tricky question and you
could see the panic 6 ___. When Elaine asked about projected sales he 7 ___
before shed finished, and they ended up 8 ___. He was hoping it would be the
presentation 9 ___, but instead he ended up a 10 ___.
2. First meetings
Lead-in
Are you a sociable person?
What kind of persons do you find it difficult to relate to?
What factors can influence the success of a first meeting?
2.1. Reading comprehension
Parts of the sentences in the following text have been removed. They are
given in the box below the text. They are lettered A to L. Read the text and fill
in the blanks numbered 1 to 10 with the corresponding missing parts A to L.
There are two letters that you do not need.
What to Say When Meeting Someone for the First Time
It can be quite a nervous time when you are meeting someone new and often
people can wonder what they should say. It doesn't matter if it is a date, a new work
colleague, a business meeting or someone you meet in a social situation, you can
find yourself stuck for what to say when meeting someone for the first time.
However, 1 ____ and begin a relationship on good terms.
The greeting
The first thing to do when meeting someone is to smile and greet them, telling them
your name. A smile will relax you as well as making you appear friendly and open,
so the other person also relaxes and 2 ___.
You should say your name (probably just your first name unless it is a business
situation). Again, this relaxes you and the other person because it makes you
appear open and 3 ___. It doesn't matter that they may well forget your name later;
you made yourself appear open to them.
Use the situation
You have met together for a purpose, whether that is a meeting, a party, or
whatever. You can find some connection between you to talk about in that. If you are
at a company meeting you 4 ___. Or at a party you might ask how they know the
host.
Beyond that, you could use your physical surroundings to find something to talk
about. So you may ask about the other person's journey or remark upon the decor
etc. Ask their opinion about something and show that you are interested in what they
think.
Keep it light
Keep your comments light and positive and you should get a response that is also in
the same manner. Don't voice 5 ___ until you know the person better as it is
possible you could offend them. Keep controversial conversation topics for a later
meeting.
Relax
You have reason to be confident when meeting someone for the first time because
in this situation they have never met you either. You are equals, both in the same
position in that respect.
Even though you have to be a little careful not to offend people, don't feel you need
to put on an act. It is the real you 6 ___ if you are to have a lasting and positive
relationship so that is what you should present to them.
Use your manners
Even if you have offended someone on a first meeting, you can rescue the situation
so there is no need to panic about it. Simply apologize and let it be known that 7
___. If people can see that your apology is sincere and that you meant no offence,
the vast majority of people will be fine with your apology and not hold a grudge
against you.
Don't outstay your welcome
If you are meeting someone for the first time, 8 ___, or at least work out some kind
of exit strategy if the meeting is not going well. Often, this is simple; all you have to
do is say that you need to go talk to a friend you have just spotted across the room.
Be sure to thank them for their time in speaking with you and 9 ___ and the door is
open for you to go back to talk with them again.
So, what to say when meeting someone for the first time should be light, open and
friendly. It should 10 ___. It is enough to smile and be open and interested in the
other person and make light conversation about the situation that brings you
together.
(adapted from http://ezinearticles.com/?What-to-Say-When-Meeting-Someone-Forthe-First-Time&id=4343369)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
that you need the other person to connect with and to like
feels more happily disposed toward you
could ask how long the other person has worked for the company
it is out of your reach
you may well want to keep the meeting quite short
not probe too deeply into personal issues nor disclose too much of yourself
any particularly strong opinions
all of these situations offer you opportunities to strike up a conversation
leave on good terms so they are left with a good impression of you
nothing bad can happen
it connects the two of you
it was not your intention to cause offence
Use the phrases above to fill in the gaps in the following text:
When I met my new boss, it wasnt exactly 1 ___. I didnt know what 2 ___ him
really, and 3 ___, I just had to 4 ___. But were OK now.
My first host family are fantastic! We got on really well 5 ___ . They welcomed me 6
___, and I 7 ___ almost immediately.
I met my boyfriend on the Internet and I reckoned wed 8 ___. But as I was driving to
meet him in person, 9 ___. He was lovely, though, and I 10 ___ his quirky sense of
fun immediately.
2.2.2. Replace the underlined word/phrases with another word/phrase that has
the same meaning.
1. Hows life?
3. Business meetings
2.1. Read the following text about meetings. Some of the underlined parts are
correct; some have a mistake in them (a grammar mistake, a vocabulary
mistake, a spelling mistake, a missing word, an unnecessary word, and
inappropriateness in the context). Identify the mistakes and correct them.
Why are you presenting?
This is the first thing that 1. you will need asking to ask yourself. Why are you
presenting? Is 2. it there an important message to give or are you simply making up
numbers? Are you looking 3. to rise raise your personal profile or are you standing in
for someone who has dropped out? Are you comfortable 4. about with your subject
matter or have you been given the topic of the presentation? If you have serious
doubts now is the time to start 5. to consider considering if you need to be speaking
or if you can start to change the topic of the presentation.
Block out some time in your diary.
This is one of 6. the most commonly common mistakes that we see a lot of. For an
important business presentation, we suggest 7. that you block out around 20 hours
of your time. This is how much time it will take to do a good job - in research,
planning and most importantly in rehearsing. 8. If you haven't got that much space in
the diary then you will simply have to move something out, or you 9. will must have
to work in evenings or weekends. This is what most of us end up doing.
Your competitive advantage
We have 10. sat in through thousands of business presentations - and many can be
quite boring affairs. The one common factor that we see a lot is bullet points. These
are 11. a very uneffective ineffective way of communicating. If there is only one
piece of advice that you could follow from this site - it would be to use pictures rather
than bullet points. Business research shows 12. that the chances of achieving your
objectives increase from around 33% up to around 66%. And that is a major
competitive advantage.
Rehearsing
This is an absolute must. You may be 13. quick-witted and like to ad lib, but I'll tell
you one thing. Learn 14. your speech word with for word and you will be able to ad
lib better! Remember the comedian Frankie Howard with his bumbling delivery "ooh now where was I?" Every one of those remarks 15. was carefully scripted and
practised for hours in front of a mirror.
2.2. Fill in the gaps in the text below with the most appropriate words or
phrases in the following box.
irrelevant issues
all the way up to
evidence
fall apart
lifeblood
shapes and sizes
on average
effective project coordination
3) inspiration
4) results
Preparation means making sure your meeting has a clear, stated purpose, and an
agenda. Participants are chosen carefully, invited in 5. ___ (PROFESSION) way and
given sufficient prior information. Preparation also means attention to details
including: room 6. ___ (BOOK), catering, a/v equipment, 7. ____ (MIND).
Facilitation means that someone or a team is responsible for guiding the meeting, a
plan for the meeting is reflected in the agenda and the facilitator (or chair) keeps
things on time and on track.
Inspiration is probably the most 8. ___ (LOOK) aspect of everyday meetings. All the
attention to detail and process can push the opportunity for 9. ___
(SPONTANEOUS) and enthusiasm aside. Build in activities that engage
participants, use strategies to generate discussion, or visual aids to grab attention.
Results means that every meeting should be directed toward one or more 10. ___
(COME). Participants must feel that something has been accomplished, and they
must see all of their meetings as part of the bigger strategy to involve them in the
future of the organization. Achievements at one meeting should be recapped in the
next, and so on.
2.4. Vocabulary development
Study the following phrases.
forge ahead (with sth) make strong and steady progress with sth
hold the floor speak during a discussion, especially for a long time so that
nobody else can speak
in dribs and drabs gradually and in small amounts or numbers
lay sth down officially state rules, principles, etc. that people must obey or
follow
leave sth hanging fail to make a definite decision or statement about sth
ramble on (informal) speak about sth for a long time in a boring or
confusing way
run over continue for longer than planned
rush into sth do something without thinking carefully about it first
throw sth together make or produce sth in a hurry
to the detriment of sth/sb resulting in harm or damage to sth/sb
Use the phrases above to fill in the gaps in the following text.
The chairperson may be responsible when a meeting goes badly. Heres why:
- Participants are allowed to arrive 1 ___.
- They dont know whats happening because the chairperson has 2 ___ the
agenda at the last minute and hasnt 3 ___ clear rules for the conduct of the
meeting.
- Without firm guidance from the chair, one or two people may 4 ___ and 5
___ for ages, and as a result, the meeting 6 ___ with nothing achieved.
- Poor time management may mean people 7 ___ decisions, or that decisions
are 8 ___.
- One person at the meeting (often the chairperson) 9 ___ their own agenda,
10 ___ the meeting and the other participants.
3. Writing
Comment on the following statement: Meetings are a waste of time.
1. Types of Businesses
1.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
How much do you know about the private business activity?
Would you plan to set up your own small business after graduation?
What sort of business would it be?
What makes, in your opinion, a successful businessman/woman in your country?
1.2. Reading
Read the following text and fill in the gaps with ONE word.
Types of Companies under the Companies Act UK
Legislation governing Companies
The internal governance procedures and management, rights of shareholders and
duties and responsibilities of company officers are governed 1 ___ the Companies
Act 2 ___ 1985.
Registering a Company
To register a company, the required documents must be filed and certain conditions
imposed by the Registrar of Companies satisfied. A certificate of incorporation will
then be issued and the company brought 3 ___ existence. A companys first
shareholders are subscribers and can be natural persons or other companies.
Incorporation Documents
The documents which must be filed include, importantly, the memorandum of
association and the articles of association. The memorandum lists the company
name, its objects, the country of its registered office, the liability of its shareholders
and the share capital. The articles list the company regulations and rules 4 ___ the
internal administration.
After the certificate of incorporation is issued, the company is considered as
registered and can commence trading. A public limited company must 5 ___ specific
capital requirements before it can commence business. A private limited company
requires only one member, whereas a public limited company requires a minimum of
two.
Classification of Companies
The Companies Act broadly categorises companies as either public 6 ___ private
companies. There are three categories of liability of the company shareholders,
which refer to their liability for the companys debts if or when it enters liquidation:
Shareholders' liability for companies limited by shares is limited to any amount still
owing to the company for their shares. This is referred to as 'limited liability' and is
the 7 ___ popular form of company, as the directors and shareholders do not
become personally liable for the debts and conduct of the company, except in
special circumstances.
The formation of a company for most trading enterprises means forming a company
limited by shares.
http://www.gillhams.com/articles/135.cfm
1.3. Vocabulary development
1.3.1. Match the following words from the text with the correct definitions:
1. jurisdiction
2. partnership
3. capital
4. liability
5. insolvent
6. to petition
7. memorandum
8. to incorporate
9. shareholder
10. severally
11. to allot
a. (legal) responsibility
b. the right to use an official power to make legal
decisions, or the area where this right exists
c. to use a particular amount of time for something,
or give a particular share of money, space etc to
someone or something
d. not having enough money to pay what you owe
e. to include something as part of a group, system,
plan etc
f. two or more owners who have agreed to divide, in
some proportion, the risks taken and the profits
earned by the firm
g. to ask the government or an organization to do
something by sending them a petition; to make a
formal request to someone in authority, to a court
of law, or to God
h. money or property, especially when it is used to
start a business or to produce more wealth:
i. differently and separately
j. a short legal document that contains the
important details of an agreement
k. person that owns shares/ stocks
7. We took out a loan from the bank, so were going to have to make monthly ___
for the next five years.
PAY
8. Liskeard and Callington are basically ___ from here, so itll take about the same
time to get to either of them.
DISTANT
9. Their help was hugely ___.
BENEFIT
10. Please keep e-mails short. ___ makes everyones lives easier.
BRIEF
11. The schools football pitch has been ___ over the summer to conform to new
national standards.
LONG
12. I dont want to ___ the agony for you, but Im afraid youll have to wait another
two days to know how much money youve won.
LONG
1.4. Functions
Presenting information
Im going to talk about.
First of all, lets look at.
After that.
As you can see from the bar graph
Now, if we turn to..
Now, turning to.
Finally , lets look at.
In conclusion..
So, to conclude.
Writing
Present the advantages and disadvantages of having ones own business in
Romania.
2. The place of work
2.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
Can you imagine what jobs will be the most frequent in the future?
What jobs will disappear? Why?
What will the workplace be like? Describe it.
What are the factors that contribute to job satisfaction?
2.2. Reading
Parts of the sentences in the following text have been removed. They are
given in the box below the text. They are lettered A to I. Read the text and fill in
the blanks numbered 1 to 8 with the corresponding missing parts A to I. There
is one letter that you do not need.
The Natural Productivity Cycle
In your personal life, when attending to business or working on side projects, how
often do you spend 8 consecutive hours in front of a computer? It doesnt make
sense because 1 ___.
Everyone goes through alternating periods of high and low mental acuity. There are
days when I work on personal projects for well over 8 hours, but the time is always
divided into multiple sessions. I might spend a few hours coding a design, a few
hours writing, and a few hours reading feeds, moderating comments, and
responding to email.
I work this way because 2 ___. Any more than 3 hours in front of a computer and my
eyes start hurting and I become restless. I lose the ability to do my best work.
Instead of forcing myself to continue, 3 ___. These breaks maximize productivity by
eliminating down periods. Its counter productive to force work when the mental
energy isnt there.
The Problem with an 8 Hour Work Day
A continuous 8 hour work day is a relic of the past. It makes sense for physical
labour and manufacturing work, but with information workers it 4 ___. The ability of a
factory worker to think analytically is irrelevant, hes either cranking widgets or he
isnt.
In the case of the modern information worker, nearly all tasks involve creative or
strategic thinking. The way someone answers an email or interprets a piece of
information can differ drastically depending on his or her energy level. Nobody does
their best work 5:30 in the afternoon after 5 ___
I cant speak for all workers, but Ive observed that productivity levels generally peak
twice a day first thing in the morning and shortly after lunch. The most productive
period is the beginning of the day. People are capable of creative tasks like writing
and solving complex technical problems. After a couple hours of intense work, 6 ___
like responding to email and tinkering with existing creations. Towards the end of the
cycle, the mind is so cluttered and drained that workers resort to work related
activities that appear productive but dont contribute to the bottom line. The
afternoon cycle is similar but the productivity peak isnt as high. For different people
the peaks and valleys will vary, but 7 ___
This number isnt caused by slacking. You cant force an information worker to be
highly productive when the energy isnt there. Workers can try their hardest, but the
work just wont have that creative edge. The low ratio of highly productive hours to
total hours worked is the result 8 ____.
When workers reach the low energy part of the cycle, they cant recharge with a
non-work activity. The only option is office purgatory. You cant be highly productive
because youre mentally fatigued, but you cant recharge because the 8 hour work
day requires the appearance of constant productivity. The result is millions of
unproductive workers trapped at their desks when theyd rather be doing something
else.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
2.4.2. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the space.
Although a certain percentage of graduates will still be 1 ___ (EMPLOY) six months
after leaving university, the majority will have found 2 ___ (EMPLOY) by
then. Many of these will even have been offered a job while at university, as
a result of visiting a job fair. Job fairs are held at many universities each year.
Companies come along to advertise jobs, which are usually in 3 ___
(MANAGE), and the career structures and benefit packages that go with
them. Job fairs are an 4 ___ (EFFECT) way for undergraduates to find out
what kind of job they might be interested in. If you go to a job fair, dress 5
___ (PROFESSION). Dont wear jeans and a T-shirt. Wear a suit! You dont
want to look 6 ___ (RESPONSIBLE) when you have your first 7 ___ (MEET)
with your potential 8 ___ (EMPLOY). If youre interested in a job on offer, you
may have to fill out an 9 ___ (APPLY) form, so its 10 ___ (HELP) to take
along relevant information with you. Youll also need proof of all your 11 ___
(QUALIFY), so dont forget to take photocopies of all your certificates with
you.
2.5. Functions
Forecasting
Certainty
Will definitely+ vb.
I am sure that.
To be bound to
It certainly + vb.
Probability
Will probably
X should + vb.
X is likely to.
The likelihood is
that
Possibility
X could + vb.
Its possible we
X may + vb.
There might be
Theres just a
chance that.
Improbability
X is unlikely to
I doubt if.
Discussion topics
A. Describe the office of your dreams to your partner, using the expressions given
above, and then listen to their story.
B. Imagine that you are speaking to a group of consultants who are evaluating the
efficiency of your department/ faculty/ organisation etc. Give a detailed description of
the duties and responsibilities of your present job.
Writing: Use the expressions given under forecasting to refer to the university you
would build.
3. Fund Raising
3.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
Is it necessary for a company to have its own fund-raising policy?
Does a well-defined policy contribute to the success of the company in the business
world?
3.2. Reading
Read the following text and fill in the gaps with ONE word.
Corporations How Corporations Raise Funds For Investment
1. By investing in new issues of a companys stock, shareholders provide the funds
for a company to begin new or expanded operations. However, most stock sales do
not involve new issues of stock. Instead, when someone 1 ___ owns stock decides
to sell some or all of their shares, that stock is typically traded on one of the national
2 ___ exchanges, which are specialised markets for buying and selling stocks. In
those transactions, the person who sells the stock not the corporation whose stock
is traded receives the funds from the sale.
2. An existing corporation that wants to secure funds to expand its operations has
three options:
It can issue new shares of stock, using the process described earlier. That option
will reduce the share of the business that current stockholders 3 ___, so a majority
of the current stockholders have to approve the issue of new shares of stock. New
issues are often approved because if the expansion proves to be profitable, the
current stockholders are likely to benefit 4 ___ higher stock prices and increased
dividends. Dividends are corporate profits that some companies periodically pay out
to shareholders.
3. The second way for a corporation to secure funds is by borrowing money from
banks, from other financial institutions, or from individuals. To do this the corporation
often issues bonds, which are legal obligations to repay the amount of money
borrowed, plus interest, 5 ___ a designated time. If a corporation goes out of
business, it is legally required to pay 6 ___ any bonds it has issued before any
money is returned to stockholders. That means that stocks are riskier investments
than bonds. On the other hand, all a bondholder will ever receive is the amount of
money specified in the bond. Stockholders can enjoy much larger returns, if the
corporation is profitable.
4. The final way for a corporation to pay for new investments is by reinvesting some
of the profits it has earned. After paying taxes, profits are 7 ___ paid out to
stockholders as dividends or held as retained earnings to use in running and
expanding the business. Those retained earnings come 8 ___ the profits that belong
to the stockholders, so reinvesting some of those profits increases the value of what
the stockholders own and have risked in the business, which is known as
stockholders equity. On the other hand, if the corporation incurs losses, the value of
what the stockholders own in the business goes down, so stockholders equity
decreases.
( http://www.the-unitedstatesofamerica.com/admin/rechterframes/2704.htm)
3.3. Vocabulary development
3.3.1. Match the words with the correct definition:
1. issues (par. 1)
2. to incur (par. 4)
3. transaction (par. 1)
4. to secure (par. 2)
5. expansion (par. 2)
6. dividends (par. 2)
7. bonds (par. 3)
8. returns (par. 3)
9. profits (par. 4)
1 ___ (WORK) at Shepparton Carpets Ltd voted today to continue with their
industrial action. Union leader Elaine Watkins issued a statement saying:
Although we do not envisage an all-out strike at this stage, everyone at the
plant will continue to refuse to work 2 ___ (TIME) until this dispute is settled.
We urge (3) ___ (MANAGE) to reconsider their proposals. The industrial
action, which began three weeks ago, has affected 4 ___ (PRODUCE) at the
factory. Joe Turner, Managing Director of Shepparton Carpets, has, however,
refused to bow to union demands. If Shepparton Carpets wants to survive, it
has to become more 5 ___ (COMPETE), he said. It is my responsibility as
an 6 ___ (EMPLOY) of over 500 7 ___ (EMPLOY) to ensure this company
continues to make a profit. 8 ___ (PERIOD), we have to make changes to
improve efficiency. If we dont, well be all out of a job. It may not be
pleasant, but it is essential. Some of the working practices at the factory are,
frankly, 9 ___ (ANTIQUE) and totally 10 ___ (APPLY) to the modern world. I
just wish the unions would work with me on this, rather than fighting me
every step of the way.
3.5. Functions
Trends
upward movement:
a rise
an increase
a climb
a jump
to rise
to increase, to go up
to climb
to jump
downward movement:
a fall
a drop
a decline
a decrease
to fall
to drop
to decline
to decrease
use of prepositions:
contrast
contrast words or phrases: but, although, despite, in spite of the fact that, whereas,
however, nevertheless
in contrast (to).
On the other hand.
On the contrary
similarity
both..and.
likeX.
the same.
X is similar to..
Neither nor..
Similarly..
Writing:
..while.
against.
compared to..
In comparison (to)
Imagine that you are the CEO of a car manufacturing company. How would you
choose to raise funds in the present context?
includes the fundamental ground 6 ___ by which we live our lives. Philosophers
have been discussing ethics for at 7 ___ 2500 years, since the time of Socrates and
Plato. Many ethicists consider emerging ethical beliefs to be "state of the art" legal
matters, i.e., what becomes an ethical guideline today is often translated to a law,
regulation or rule 8 ___ Values which guide how we ought to behave are considered
moral values, e.g., values such as respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, etc.
Statements around how these values are applied are sometimes called moral or
ethical principles.
So What is "Business Ethics"?
The concept has come to mean various things to various people, but generally it's
coming to know what is right or wrong in the workplace and doing what's right -- this
is in regard 9 ___ effects of products/services and in relationships with stakeholders.
Wallace and Pekel explain that attention to business ethics is critical during times of
fundamental change -- times much 10 ___ those faced now by businesses, 11 ___
nonprofit and for-profit. In times of fundamental change, values that were previously
12 ___ for granted are now strongly questioned. Many of these values are no longer
followed. Consequently, there is no clear moral compass to guide leaders through
complex dilemmas about what is right or wrong. Attention to ethics in the workplace
sensitizes leaders and staff to how they 13 ___ act. Perhaps most important,
attention to ethics in the workplaces helps ensure that when leaders and managers
are struggling in times of crises and confusion, 14 ___ retain a strong moral
compass. However, attention to business ethics provides numerous other benefits,
as well. Note that many people react that business ethics, with its continuing
attention to "doing the right thing," only asserts the obvious ("be good," "don't lie,"
etc.), and so these people don't take business ethics 15 ___. For many of us, these
principles of the obvious can go right out the door during times of stress.
Consequently, business ethics can be strong preventative medicine.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.articles911.com/Business_Ethics/)
2.2. Read the second part of the article about business ethics and fill in the
gaps with the words in the box. There is one word that you do not need:
daily, mismanagement, misunderstanding, remedies, practices, preaching
Two Broad Areas of Business Ethics
1. Managerial mischief. Madsen and Shafritz, in their book "Essentials of Business
Ethics" (Penguin Books, 1990) further explain that "managerial mischief" includes
"illegal, unethical, or questionable 1 ___ of individual managers or organizations, as
well as the causes of such behaviors and 2 ___ to eradicate them." There has been
a great deal written about managerial mischief, leading many to believe that
business ethics is merely a matter of 3 ___ the basics of what is right and wrong.
More often, though, business ethics is a matter of dealing with dilemmas that have
no clear indication of what is right or wrong.
2. Moral mazes. The other broad area of business ethics is "moral mazes of
management" and includes the numerous ethical problems that managers must deal
with on a 4 ___ basis, such as potential conflicts of interest, wrongful use of
resources, 5 ___ of contracts and agreements, etc.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.articles911.com/Business_Ethics/)
2.3. Read the last part of the text and use the following words to form a word
that fits in the same numbered space in the text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
special
expect
poor
research
5.
6.
7.
8.
supply
emerge
organise
guide
4. English in use
In the following article some of the underlined parts are correct; some have a
mistake in them (a grammar mistake, a vocabulary mistake, a spelling mistake, a
missing word, an unnecessary word, and inappropriateness in the context). If the
part is correct, write CORRECT in its corresponding numbered space; if the part is
incorrect, write the correct version in its corresponding numbered space:
9 Myths About Business Ethics
(1) Business ethics in the workplace is about prioritising moral values for the
workplace and ensuring behaviours are aligned with those values -- its values
management. Yet, myths abound about business ethics. Some of these myths arise
from general confusion about the notion of ethics. Other myths (2) arise from narrow
or simplistic views of ethical dilemmas.
1. Myth: Business ethics is more a matter of religion than management. Diane
Kirrane, in "Managing Values: A Systematic Approach to Business Ethics," (Training
and Development Journal, November 1990), (3) asserts that "altering peoples
values or souls isn't the aim of an organizational ethics program -- managing values
and conflict among them is ..."
2. Myth: Our employees are ethical so we don't need attention to business
ethics. Most of the ethical dilemmas faced by managers in the workplace are highly
complex. Wallace explains that one knows when they have a significant ethical
conflict when there is presence of a) significant value conflicts among differing (4)
interests, b) real alternatives that are equality justifiable and c) significant
consequences on "stakeholders" in the situation. Kirrane mentions that when the
topic of business ethics comes up, people are quick to speak of the Golden Rule,
honesty and courtesy. (5) But when presented with complex ethical dilemmas, most
people realize there's a wide "gray area" when trying to apply ethical principles.
3. Myth: Business ethics is a discipline best led by philosophers, academics
and theologians. Lack of involvement of leaders and managers in business ethics
literature and discussions has led many to believe that business ethics is a fad or
movement, having little to do with the day-to-day realities of running an organization.
They believe (6) business ethics is primary a complex philosophical debate or a
religion. However, business ethics is a management discipline with a programmatic
approach that includes several practical tools. Ethics management programs have
practical applications in other areas of management areas, as well.
4. Myth: Business ethics is superfluous -- it only asserts the obvious: "do
good!" (7) Many people react that codes of ethics, or lists of ethical values to which
the organization aspires, are rather superfluous because they represent values to
which everyone should naturally aspire. However, the value of a code of ethics to an
organization is its priority and focus regarding certain ethical values in that
workplace. For example, its obvious that all people should be honest. However, if
an organization (8) is struggling around continuing occasions of deceit in the
workplace, a priority on honesty is very timely -- and honesty should be listed in that
organizations code of ethics. Note that a code of ethics is an organic instrument that
changes with the needs of society and the organization.
5. Myth: Business ethics is a matter of the good guys preaching to the bad
guys. Some writers do seem to claim a moral high ground (9) while lamenting about
the poor condition of business and its leaders. However, those people well versed in
managing organizations realize that good people can take bad actions, particularly
when stressed or confused. (Stress or confusion are not excuses for unethical
actions -- they are reasons.) Managing ethics in the workplace includes all of us
working together to help each other remain ethical and to work through confusing
and stressful ethical dilemmas.
6. Myth: Ethics can't be managed. Actually, ethics is always "managed" -- but, too
often, indirectly. For example, (10) the behaviour of the organisations founder or
current leader is a strong moral influence, or directive if you will, on behaviour or
employees in the workplace. Strategic priorities (profit maximization, expanding
market share, cutting costs, etc.) can be very strong influences on morality. Laws,
regulations and rules directly influence behaviours to be more ethical, usually in a
manner that improves the general good and/or minimizes harm to the community.
Some are still sceptical about business ethics, believing you can't manage values in
an organization. Donaldson and Davis (Management Decision, V28, N6) (11) note
that management, after everything, is a value system. Sceptics might consider the
tremendous influence of several "codes of ethics," such as the "10 Commandments"
in Christian religions or the U.S. Constitution. Codes can be very powerful in smaller
"organizations" as well.
7. Myth: Business ethics and social responsibility are the same thing. The
social responsibility movement is one aspect of the overall discipline of business
ethics. Madsen and Shafritz (12) refine the definition of business ethics to be: 1) an
application of ethics to the corporate community, 2) a way to determine responsibility
in business dealings, 3) the identification of important business and social issues,
and 4) a critique of business. (13) Items 3 and 4 are often matters of social
responsability. (There has been a great deal of public discussion and writing about
items 3 and 4. However, there needs to be more written about items 1 and 2, about
how business ethics can be managed.) Writings about social responsibility often do
not address practical matters of managing ethics in the workplace, e.g., developing
codes, updating polices and procedures, approaches to resolving ethical dilemmas,
etc.
8. Myth: Our organization is not in trouble with the law, so we're ethical. (14)
One can often be unethical, yet operate within the limits of the law, e.g., withhold
information from superiors, fudge on budgets, constantly complain about others, etc.
However, breaking the law often starts with unethical behaviour that has gone
unnoticed. The "boil the frog" phenomena is a useful parable here: If you put a frog
in hot water, it immediately jumps out. If you put a frog in cool water and slowly heat
up the water, you can eventually boil the frog. The frog doesn't seem to notice the
adverse change in its environment.
9. Myth: Managing ethics in the workplace has little practical relevance.
Managing ethics in the workplace involves identifying and prioritizing values to guide
behaviours in the organization, (15) and establishing associated policies and
procedures to ensure those behaviours are conducted. One might call this "values
management." Values management is also highly important in other management
practices, e.g., managing diversity, Total Quality Management and strategic
planning.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.articles911.com/Business_Ethics/)
5. Discussion point
Take a look at the following real-to-life examples of complex ethical dilemmas
and decide what you would do in each situation.
1. "A customer (or client) asked for a product (or service) from us today. After telling
him our price, he said he couldn't afford it. I know he could get it cheaper from a
competitor. Should I tell him about the competitor -- or let him go without getting
what he needs? What should I do?"
2. "Our company prides itself on hiring minorities. One Asian candidate fully fits the
job requirements for our open position. However, we're concerned that our
customers won't understand his limited command of the English language. What
should I do?"
3. "My computer operator told me he'd noticed several personal letters printed from
a computer that I was responsible to manage. While we had no specific policies
then against personal use of company facilities, I was concerned. I approached
the letter writer to discuss the situation. She told me she'd written the letters on
her own time to practise using our word processor. What should I do?"
4. "A fellow employee told me that he plans to quit the company in two months and
start a new job which has been guaranteed to him. Meanwhile, my boss told me
that he wasn't going to give me a new opportunity in our company because he
was going to give it to my fellow employee now. What should I do?"
(adapted and abridged from http://www.articles911.com/Business_Ethics/)
6. English in use
Read the following article about codes of ethics. In some of the lines there is an
extra word which is either grammatically incorrect or does not fit with the meaning of
the text. If a line is correct, write CORRECT against the corresponding number; if
there is an extra word in the line, write the extra word in capital letters against the
corresponding number:
Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics
1According to Wallace, "A credo generally describes the highest values to which
the same
2company aspires to operate. It contains the `thou shalt's. A code of ethics
specifies the
3ethical rules of operation. It's the `thou shalt not's." In the latter of 1980s, The
Conference
4Board, a leading business membership organization, found that 76% of its
corporations surveyed had codes of ethics.
5Some business ethicists also disagree that codes have any value. They explain
that too
6much focus is put on the codes themselves, and that codes themselves are not
7influential in managing ethics in the workplace. Then many ethicists note that it's
the
8developing and continuing dialogue around the code's values that is most
important.
8. Reading comprehension
Read the following article. Some sentences have been removed from the text.
Choose from sentences A- J the one which fits each gap (1-9). There is one
sentence which you do not need to use.
Ethical Decision-making Quick Test
by Bruce A. Hamm
Often, making ethical decisions in the work place is a delicate balancing act
between competing forces. Easy decisions like "should I embezzle hundreds of
thousands of dollars" are obvious and generally do not require much help or
analysis to determine whether they are ethical or not. 1 ___. Having a quick test
allows you to make the easy decisions and recognize when the decision may be a
bit more difficult. If at any point, you cannot legitimately answer the question, you
might consider asking someone else for help. 2 ___. Remember, generally the
decisions are yours and you have to live with the results, so be prepared to accept
responsibility for them.
Is it legal?
This is the first filter through which your ethical decision will pass. 3 ___. A business
law professor in an MBA course once stated that the law is generally about 12 years
behind society's concept of ethical practices. Don't simply stop your ethical decision
making process at whether an action is legal. It may not be against the law but it
may also not be the right thing to do. If the answer is no or raises objections, you
must stop, reject the action and take another course 4 ___.
How would it look in the news?
Okay, you've determined that your action is legal. Now, how would it look to the rest
of your community, the nation and ever more frequently, the world? It's one thing for
you or even your close associates to know about your decisions and actions but
entirely another when people outside your inner circle know about them. 5 ___
Would you be embarrassed to have these events known? How would your company
perceive publicity surrounding your actions? If the answer is unacceptable, stop,
reject the action and take another course. If the answer is acceptable, go on to the
next criteria.
Does it comply with our company values?
What are your company values? Okay, let's first assume your company values are
legitimate ones. Do your actions conform to them? For example: if your values say
something about treating employees fairly, do you have a legitimate process for
applying discipline and/or discharge? Do managers fire people in the heat of an
emotional upheaval or is there an appropriate escalation of discipline before the
company allows such a step? 6 ___. If your action conforms to your corporate
values, move on to the next criteria.
Under the same circumstances, would I want the result of this decision to
happen to everyone? Am I treating others as I want to be treated?
How do you want to be treated? If you've made a mistake do you take responsibility
for it? Have you accepted appropriate discipline with an attitude conducive to
correcting the behaviour? 7 ___. If you've done something well, do you expect an
appropriate reward, even if it is only verbal? Do you give that same level of reward
to your staff or co-workers? For decisions concerning others, is the result of the
action fair? Does the person affected get only the appropriate degree of reward or
discipline? Would others agree with your perception of the outcome? If no, stop,
reject the action and take another course. If yes, move on to the next criteria.
How will I feel after the decision is known? Can I face myself the next
morning?
This is the man in the mirror story (updated to include the woman in the mirror). 8
___. How do you feel about the decision? Even if it is a tough decision and the
outcome would affect someone negatively, have you acted out of the overall best
interest of everyone concerned? If the answer is no, stop, reject the action and find
another course. If yes, take the action with good confidence you've resolved your
dilemma.
Often with subsequent information we regret our actions but we also realize that we
make decisions with the information available at the time. If the decision does not
need to be made immediately, have you given your proposed action enough
reflection to feel confident about its outcome?
This process may seem long and involved. 9 ___. Every time you discard a
particular option run the next alternative through this same practice. Taking the time
to review decisions with an ethical perspective is critical to making the right choices.
When a company's people focus on their ethical behaviour, everyone involved is
better off.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?
ID=3935)
A. If it is legal, go on to the next criteria.
B. If your ethical dilemma is obviously at odds with your company values, stop,
reject the action and take another course.
C. When you shave or apply your makeup and you think of the action you will take,
can you look yourself in the mirror and know you are satisfied you've done the right
thing?
D. It's a bit tougher when the decision is between two competing right things to do.
E. In general, they may even share part of the responsibility.
F. However, the more you use it, the more quickly you can work through the decision
review process on subsequent occasions.
G. The word discipline has its origins in the Greek word meaning to teach not to
punish.
H. Talk to your supervisor or, if you are lucky enough to have an ethics officer or
ethics helpline, talk to whoever can help you make the final decision.
I. How will the people you don't know perceive your actions?
J. Legal and ethical are not equivalent concepts.
9. Writing
Pick one of the dilemmas from exercise 5 and describe the decision you
would take giving arguments for your decision. (200 words)
CHARACTER
ABLE
IDENTITY
SUCCESS
CREDIBLE
LEAD
RESPONSIBLE
ACCOMPLISH
PARTICULAR
INVEST
ACCORD
REQUIRE
EXCEL
MANAGE
TIME
1.3.2. Fill in the blanks with ten of the following fifteen phrasal verbs from the
list. Use the remaining five in sentences of your own. You may want to consult
a dictionary for the meaning of certain verbs.
call back
set out
bring forth
call upon
set back
bring back
call for
set forth
bring about
call up
set off
bring out
call out
set aside
bring up
1. We had to ___ the help of a consulting firm in order to solve our queries
regarding auditing.
2. They finally ___ to invite their business partners to the annual conference on
regional development.
3. Im sorry to ___ the subject of solvency but Im afraid we have to deal with
this issue as well.
4. Given that the new procedure failed, he decided to ___ the previous one.
5. Please, dont hesitate to ___ me ___ as soon as youve got word from our
main investor.
6. I suppose we will have to ___ our differences and concentrate our efforts on
solving the problem in hand.
7. I wouldnt like the problem of travel costs to ___ you ___ in your intention to
take part in this years trade fair.
8. Following the news of the market crash, desperate firm owners began to ___
for help through all media.
9. I am sorry that Mr. Brown is not in his office now, but please dont hesitate to
___ in an hour.
10. The new management restructuring has ___ significant changes in the
companys policy.
1.3.3.
A. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word derived from the one given in
brackets.
Art and Science in Management Research
Noted 1 ___ (RESEARCH) Thomas Kuhn, in his book The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions, addresses issues associated with the state of current 2 ___
(SCIENCE) research and the opportunities for scientific discovery. Kuhn, in his
previous editions of this text, drew distinctions between mature and 3 ___
(MATURE) fields of study. In mature fields of study, many of the central questions of
that field have been answered, and strong consensus exists among researchers
regarding the fundamental 4 ___ (ASSUME) of that field. Conversely, in immature
fields of study, there is still a great deal of debate on major questions in the field,
and gains in 5 ___ (KNOW) come sporadically. In many ways, management is an
immature science. While its 6 ___ (FOUND) in psychology, sociology, and other
related areas give it a long and rich history, the nature of the areas of study renders
it immature. That is, due to the difficulties of studying human behaviour in a number
of disparate 7 ___ (SET), the study of management is still very young when
compared with other fields of research (e.g., in the physical sciences). In fact, many
scholars have argued that the social sciences (e.g., management research) suffer
from envy of the physical sciences, in which "truths" are able to be determined
through research. As such, social sciences researchers may strive to create a more
"scientific" approach to their fields in order to grant them more 8 ___ (LEGITIMATE).
B. In some of the sentences there is an extra word which does not fit with the
meaning of the text. Find the extra word.
Despite of its relative immaturity, some consistent answers have been developed in
the field of management. In many ways this is due to the many increased
sophistication of management research. However, there are still a number of
research of gaps in management; despite our increased knowledge in some areas,
there is still a very great deal of disagreement and confusion in other areas. In these
circumstances, the practice of management is likely to will be dictated by the
perspective of management as an art. Because of there are no hard and fast rules in
certain circumstances, individual managers' experiences and skills must to guide
them.
Today, much of the management research conducted in academic institutions
blends with the notion of management as an art and as a science.
1.4. Language focus: Reflexive Pronouns
1.4.1. Reflexive Pronouns
Look at the following example of a reflexive pronoun:
They are thus called upon to commit themselves to maximum performance and
investment of their full potential in teams and project.
Fill in with the suitable reflexive pronoun forms:
I
you
he
she
it
we
you
they
themselves
accepted and part of a group (social need). If that happens, then next we have ego
needs: recognition and acknowledgement from others, as well as a sense of status
or importance. Finally, if that need is met, we want self-fulfilment (self-actualisation
in Maslows terms): to achieve, to develop to our fullest potential.
2. Herzberg expressed similar ideas. He agreed that the most important motivators
at work were the sense of achievement, earned recognition and interest in the job
itself. But then there was another set of job factors (hygiene or maintenance
factors) that do not motivate employees, but can cause dissatisfaction if they are
missing. These include salary, job security, working conditions and good relations
with co-workers
3. McGregor observed that managers generally fall into two categories: Theory X
and Theory Y. Theory X managers believe that most people dislike work and must
be controlled and directed to achieve the organisations goals. Theory Y managers
believe that most people like work and actively seek responsibility. They believe in
empowerment (= giving employees the authority to make decisions without
traditional managerial approval) and enabling (= giving them the tools).
4. Drucker believed in management by objectives (MBO). MBO calls on managers
to work with employees to formulate clear, ambitious but achievable goals. There
has to be monitoring and measurement to ensure objectives are being met, and
workers who achieve their objectives can be rewarded with pay rises, bonuses, etc.
Communication
Communication is two-way: top-down and bottom-up. It can also be external: the PR
function handles this.
Inside an organisation, informal communication happens all the time; everyone
enjoys discussing office politics at the water cooler and picking up information on
the grapevine (= passed from one person to another in conversation). Formal
communication is through the medium of meetings, presentations, reports, etc. But
two other key communication skills are required:
Active listening. This means listening with full attention, not interrupting
except to ask for clarification, and giving consideration to the other persons
point of view.
Assertiveness. This means stating your needs and opinions confidently and
clearly, without on the one hand being indirect or suffering in silence, or on
the other being aggressive and rude.
B. Read the following text and choose the personality type that you think you
belong to.
Teamwork
A team (or taskforce or working party) needs a variety of personality types to
perform well:
Head people who are good at thinking and problem-solving
Hands people who are good at doing and acting
Heart people who are good at networking and resolving conflicts
Once a team has been set up, it usually goes through the five stages identified by
Bruce Tucker:
an objective
a problem
a suggestion
a decision
decision
outcome
Now divide the words in each box into three groups, based on their meaning.
achieve, meet,
reach, fulfil
define, identify,
establish, set
an objective
a problem
a suggestion
a decision
decision
outcome
2.3.4. Match the team roles in the box to the descriptions below. This task is
based on the ideas of Belbin and Margerison-McCann.
Coordinator
Promoter
Innovator
Shaper
Evaluator
Specialist
Finisher
Implementer
Team worker
Head people
1. ___________ - solves difficult problems with creative ideas; not afraid to
challenge norms; may ignore details.
2. ___________ - thinks carefully and accurately about things; listens patiently;
may lack energy to inspire others.
2.5. Writing
Choose a leader that you admire. Explain why you admire them. Write
approximately 300 words.
3. Multinationals
3.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
What determined the need for multinational corporations?
Why is it more difficult to manage a multinational corporation?
Would you like to work in a multinational corporation? Why?
What factors influence communication in a multinational corporation?
3.2. Reading
Read the following text and fill in the blanks with ONE word. Then answer the
question in the title.
Multinationals: heroes or villains of the global economy?
Foreign-owned multinationals employ one worker in every five in European
manufacturing and one in seven in US manufacturing. They sell one euro in every
four of manufactured goods in Europe and one dollar in five in the United States.
Yet policy-makers and the public 1 ___ the world have mixed feelings about
multinationals: they see them 2 ___ as welcome bearers of foreign wealth and
knowledge or as unwelcome threats to national wealth and identity. Policy-makers
want multinationals to invest in their country, but are unhappy when national
firms close 3 ___ domestic activities and open up foreign ones or when foreign
brands compete successfully with national ones.
This Jekyll and Hyde perception of multinationals stems more 4 ___ ambiguous
feelings about large market players with no national identity than from rigorous
economic analysis. Indeed, the debate 5 ___ multinationals is rarely grounded
on economic arguments and there is little understanding of what multinationals
are, or of what costs and benefits they bring to local economies.
Multinationals are often different 6 ___ purely national firms and some concerns
are legitimate. They are relatively large and they do have competitive power in
the market place and bargaining power in the policy-making arena, particularly in
smaller developing countries. They are global players that can circumvent local
regulations and policies 7 ___ easily than national firms. They are footloose, able
to move activities between their plants 8 ___ relatively low cost, removing
benefits as rapidly as they deliver them. And they do mass-produce standardised
products, jeopardising product variety.
Yet other features of multinationals also explain why countries compete fiercely
to attract them. They often bring scarce technologies, skills and financial
resources. They are fast in 9 ___ advantage of new opportunities and
contributing to national wealth creation. They are bound by international
standards and market competition and they often offer better employment
conditions and product qualities 10 ___ national firms.
ALLY
NATION
UNDERSTAND
DEVELOP
MANAGE
ETHNIC
APPRECIATE
GOVERNMENT
COMPREHEND
BUSY
equity
inflexible
negotiate
stalemate/deadlock
counter-proposals
shareholding
deal
concession
withdraw/pull out
Many countries, such as Nigeria and India, are trying to get more control over their
economies. They welcome foreign 1 ___ but insist that their own nationals own a
percentage of the companys 2 ___. The size of the 3 ___ varies, ranging from 20%
to 60%, though it can be higher or lower.
Rewrite the following sentences replacing the words in italics with the correct
forms of the expressions above.
1. The management has acted firmly concerning smoking in the factory.
2. We dont have a contract with them but weve taken the first steps towards getting
one.
3. I was laid off in January but I was really lucky because I found an even better job
a month later.
4. I made a bad mistake when I told our Marketing Director that the new product
would fail.
5. For some time, we were planning to enter the US market. Then, at the last
moment, we lost our nerve and decided not to.
6. The group of department stores made losses for three years running. However,
now it has recovered.
7. It took three years hard work, but at last weve got a secure position in the
Japanese market.
3.4. Language focus: The tense system: Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
3.4.1. The tense system: Past Simple vs. Past Continuous
Simple Past
Form:
Regular verbs: - ed: worked, dropped, played, tried
Irregular verbs: 2nd form: see, saw; write, wrote; buy, bought
Interrogative: Did he buy?
Negative: did not/ didnt
It indicates:
It indicates:
-
Writing
Using the list you have drawn in the previous activity, comment (in approximately
300 words) on the statement Multinational corporations are robbing poor countries
of their national assets.
The job interviews are the main step in the recruitment process, which should be
clearly designed and agreed 8 ___ HRM and the line management. The job
interview should discover the job candidate who 9 ___ the requirements and fits
best the corporate culture and the department.
The job offer is the 10 ___ step of the recruitment process, which is done by the
HRM Function; it finalises all the other steps and the winner of the job interviews
gets the offer from the organisation to join.
http://hrmadvice.com/hrmadvice/hr-processes/recruitment-andselection/recruitment-process-design-and-development/main-recruitment-processsteps.html
1.3. Vocabulary development
1.3.1. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using a suitable word
derived from the word given at the end of each sentence:
1. If you are looking for a job you should carefully read the ...
page of newspapers.
2. Generally companies decide to advertise their job ... in a
newspaper.
3. If you decide to apply for a job you must be sure that you
meet the ... specified in the job description.
4. You should send your CV and a letter of application at the
address ... in the advertisement.
5. Your letter of application should ... your suitability for the job
you are applying for.
6. After reading the CVs and the letters sent by the ..., the
company will draw a shortlist of candidates, who are invited to
attend an interview.
7. Henkel needs young candidates for position in ... teams.
8. The company offers a ... salary and generous benefits.
9. ... count as much as work experience.
10. It is useful to have recommendations from two or three ...
(e.g. former employers, teachers, etc.).
APPOINT
VACANT
REQUIRE
SPECIFIC
EMPHATIC
APPLY
CULTURE
COMPETE
QUALIFY
REFER
1.3.2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the required
preposition.
1. Our company finally decided to advertise ___ their newly launched products.
2. As Mr. Jones retired, Peter decided to apply ___ the position of senior
production manager.
3. Should you need further information, apply ___ our PR assistant.
4. If you want this job you should be ready to work ___ pressure.
5. You will be responsible ___ all aspects of production if you want this position.
6. Our employees are very committed ___ our companys goals.
7. Try not to be envious ___ Johns success! You know he deserves a
promotion.
8. My letter comes ___ reply to your advertisement for the position of
operations officer.
9. Mr. Jackson is not really interested ___ the position of customer services
assistant.
REFERENCES
(give two or three names of persons who have known you for some time and can
recommend you for the job)
b) Consider the following advice on writing
covering letter).
Concluding Section
In concluding your letter, express your interest in the job and provide any
particular contact details that may be unique, for example:
"I look forward to discussing this application with you in the near future. I can
be contacted on XXX or alternatively, XXX during work hours."
Another example might be:
"I look forward to discussing this application with you in greater detail in the
near future and will be available for interview at a mutually convenient time."
(www.contentmonster.co.uk/Job_hunting)
2.3. Vocabulary development
2.3.1. Fill in the blanks in the following text with the words and phrases given
below:
ago
among
hygiene
suppliers
brand
styling
sales
market
field
worldwide
kind
leading
since
consistent
continuously
___ its foundation over 126 years ___ our company has put ___ focus on customer
oriented product development.
The Schwarzkopf & Henkel division is one of the largest of its ___ in the world and
its ___ -name products business is ___ expanding. With our cosmetic products we
achieved ___ of 2085 million Euro in 150 countries ___. We hold ___ market
positions in all of the international ___ segments of our strategic business units. Our
company stands for brand-name products in the ___ of hair colorants, hair ___ and
care, toiletries, skin care, oral ___ and fragrances. The Schwarzkopf Professional
hairdressing unit is ___ the worlds four leading ___ of hair salon products.
(http://www.9.henkel.com/int_henkel/cosmetics)
2.3.2. Look up the following phrasal verbs. Fill in the blanks in the sentences
below with the required tense form of the suitable phrasal verb.
break in
with
look after
break off
break out
break through
break
look for
look forward
look into
look out
1. The meeting was interrupted when the secretary ___ to say that the building
was on fire.
2. They ___ negotiations weeks ago because of the financial crisis. The value
of our shares fell dramatically when the scandal about the merger ___. The
new management had almost no difficulty in ___ the lines of competition.
3. We are deeply sorry, but we had to ___ our allies after more than one flaw
were identified in the contract. We are very disappointed to find out that our
MD is always ___ his own interests only.
4. Our company ___ an experienced production manager.
5. In conclusion, we ___ to your reply.
6. We will have to ___ the possibility of hiring more PR assistants.
7. If you dont ___ you may end up in bankruptcy.
2.3.3. Study the phrases given in the table below.
close on
part of the furniture
take sb under your wing
the tricks of the trade
pass sth on (to sb)
take some doing
throw your weight
around/about
To fill these roles you will need the following skills & experience:
An understanding of issues facing the public sector and their relevance
to SRI's work
An ability to work on a wide range of research projects under the
supervision of a project manager
First class report writing skills
An understanding of the demands of working in commercial environment
An ability to work on a number of different projects simultaneously and
to prioritise a demanding workload
there are verbs that suggest an action in progress by their meaning: live,
rain, sit, study, wait, work (they can be used both with the present perfect
simple and the present perfect progressive, with little difference in meaning):
He has worked/ has been working in this office for two years.
2.5.2. Choose the correct form of the verb in the following sentences:
1. This morning our secretary has written/has been writing more than twenty
letters to our suppliers.
2. I have been applying/have applied for various jobs since September.
3. They have been trying/have tried to attract them into a profitable partnership
for a very long time, but with little success.
4. Our production manager has made/has been making the same mistake
again.
5. How many times have you brought up/have you been bringing up the issue
of working overtime in a production meeting?
6. Sales figures have improved/have been improving lately.
7. He has answered/has been answering the phone since 10 oclock. Thats
why he is so tired.
8. We havent seen/havent been seeing our partner since the end of July.
9. The candidate hasnt said/hasnt been saying a word about his qualifications
yet.
10. Why havent we thought/havent we been thinking of this solution earlier? It
could have saved us.
3. The interview
3.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
What is the role of the job interview?
How much attention should one pay to appearance when attending a job interview?
Why is the presence of a psychologist useful in an interviewing team?
How can you fight stress during a job interview?
What questions do you expect to be asked in a job interview?
3.2. Reading
Read the following text and fill in the gaps.
Job interview Advice
Before your interview, find 1 ___ everything you can about the company (read their
annual report which can be obtained 2 ___ telephoning them). Re-read your
application, thinking through your own career and the questions they might ask you.
You should try to anticipate the general questions which they will ask and also
prepare some questions to ask them.
To do well at the interview you will need to convince the interviewer you are
technically qualified to do the job. You will 3 ___ need to show that you are
sufficiently motivated to get the job 4 ___ well and that you will fit in with the
companys organisational structure and the team in which you will work.
You should dress smartly for the interview and should leave home earlier 5 ___ you
need to on the day of the interview you may de delayed by traffic or 6 ___ other
reasons. Be courteous to all employees of the company. At the interview itself you
must be positive about yourself and your abilities but do not waffle.
When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right
signals. You should always look attentive so do not slouch in your chair. Never lie
to anyone in an interview, your 7 ___ language and tone of voice or the words you
use will probably give you 8 ___ classic body language giveaways include
scratching your nose and not looking directly at the other person when you are
speaking to them.
If you have a moustache you may want to consider shaving it off people with
moustaches can be perceived as being aggressive. You can always grow it again
once you have got the job.
(http://www.contentmonster.co.uk/Job_hunting)
3.3. Vocabulary development
3.3.1. Match the words and phrases with their corresponding definitions:
3. annual
a. yearly
b. expect, foresee
c. pleasantly neat and clean in appearance
4. slouch
5. smartly
1. anticipate
2. waffle
6. delay
7. giveaway
8. courteous
9. scratch
10. perceive
or important
f. rub
g. realise, notice, see or hear it especially when it is
not obvious to other people
h. sit/stand/walk in a lazy or tired way, with your
shoulders and head dropping down
i. cause somebody to be late
j. revealing, disclosing (usually something secret)
3.3.2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using a suitable word
derived from the word given at the end of each sentence:
1. ... should be dressed smartly when attending a job interview.
2. This handbook will offer you ample ... on how to best use the
computer system.
3. The auditor will ... have done the right thing while going
through our papers.
4. You must be well-prepared ... if you want to succeed in being
recruited for a promising job.
5. She couldnt ... her shyness in front of the recruitment board.
6. Your CV is sadly ... . We are sorry to inform you that you have
not been offered this position.
7. Being ... prepared, you risk missing out on one of the biggest
career opportunities youve ever had.
8. Thanks to her ... skills the candidate selection process left us
with one of the best professionals we could have ever found.
9. Without wanting to sound ..., I think that this firm is not really
one of the best.
10. The failure of certain candidates to submit a complete
application package resulted in their immediate ... from the job
contest.
VIEW
GUIDE
HOPE
HAND
COME
CONVINCE
SUFFICE
ORGANISE
COURT
QUALIFY
3.3.3. The following text describes a typical selection process, but the
sentences are in the wrong order! Re-arrange the sentences in each section
so that the whole text makes sense. The first sentence has been done for you.
1. Firstly, a vacancy is advertised
2. and suitable candidates are invited for interview.
3. These are sorted
4. and applications are received.
5. and applicants are interviewed.
6. After that, a final short list is drawn up.
7. Next, appointments are arranged
8. A job offer is made to the successful candidate,
9. and one of them is selected.
10. and finally, an employment contract is signed.
11. The candidates on the list are interviewed again,
3.3.4. Read the text below and select the best option from the drop-down
menu of words.
If you have 1 ___ the interview stage, your CV and letter of application must have
been 2 ___! The company now wants to know more about you. But there is still
more work to do if you want to get that job! Make sure you have 3 ___ the company
as thoroughly as possible - use the Internet, company reports, recruitment literature
etc. 4 ___ yourself of why you applied to this company. Make a list of the skills,
experience, and interests you can 5 ___ the organisation. Finally, try to 6 ___ the
questions you will be expected to answer - imagine you are the interviewer!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
A gained
B reached
A effective
B important
A researched B inquired
A remember B remind
A showB present
A ask
B suggest
C arrived
C impressive
C examined
C imagine
C offer
C give
D achieved
D significant
D discovered
D summarise
D demonstrate
D predict
it is/ was a pity/ shame/ surprise/ wonder: It was a pity (that) they should be
fired.
the nouns: idea, hint, thought, reason, supposition: The idea that they should
be present annoyed her.
the verbs: command, order, demand, insist, request, suggest, propose,
arrange, offer, agree, settle: They requested the goods should be delivered
fast.
adjectives: to be + glad, anxious, pleased, sorry: I was glad that he should
graduate this summer.
After: although, though, whatever, however, no matter: He will win whatever
he should do. // so that: They phoned so that I wouldnt be taken by surprise.
I took the money so that they could buy the firm.
B. Active/Passive Voice
Look at these examples:
Performances are held everywhere (3)
His photographs were exhibited..were presented (5)
Works that have never been shown (5)
Life couldnt be imagined (6)
Active/ Passive Voice
Rule: to be (any tense required) + the Past Participle of the verb to be conjugated
They give her flowers.
Flowers are given to her.
She is given flowers.
The use of the passive
When the logical subject is obvious or is not important: Goods should be
delivered as soon as possible.
When the object is more important than the logical subject: The manager
was informed on the situation.
When the speaker avoids mentioning the logical subject: The order has
already been placed.
In formal notices: Passengers are requested not to
Newspapers: President sacked because
Processes in science or engineering: The wheel is tested
Passive Structures:
modals + passive: The meeting can be postponed.
Passive + infinitive + object: with the verbs: advise, believe, expect, feel,
forbid, mean, order, report, request, require, say, teach, understand: They
were advised to negotiate the price.
It + the passive of: agree, announce, discover, expect, hope, suggest: It was
suggested that they would work hard.
3.5. Writing
Write a list of personal qualities that you would be looking for in a candidate for the
position of personal assistant. Would you qualify for this position? Give reasons in
approximately 250 words.
journey
voyage
travels
flight
drive
tour
7) crossing
8) ride
9) expedition
10) outing
11) excursion
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
e.g. 0 - a
1. Business travel can become 0___ rut. Challenge yourself and your corporate
travel agent to come up 1___ alternatives to save money or time. It is surprisingly
easy to get into a familiar pattern when 2___ travel to the same destination
repeatedly.
2. Assess where you stay. Are you staying in the 3___ effective place when you visit
your customers? Are you being lulled into complacency 4___ frequent traveller
programs? Check out the business alternatives. There are several newer chains of
budget hotels for the business traveller. Use 5___ Internet to see which other hotels
have last minute deals in your area.
3. Organize your office - at work and 6___ the road. This is the time to evaluate your
electronic gadgets and consolidate your important information. Clean out your
address book 7___ organize your computer files. If you have an assistant or
colleagues, 8___ together to brainstorm ways to improve communication and
coordination while you are out 9___ the office. What new technologies 10___ help
you? Fax boxes? Picture messaging? Fast mobile data connections? Don't forget
the batteries!
b. Read the second part of the text. Some of the underlined parts are correct;
some have a mistake in them (a grammar mistake, a vocabulary mistake, a
missing word, an unnecessary word, and inappropriateness in the context). If
the part is correct, write CORRECT in its corresponding numbered space; if
the part is incorrect, write the correct version in its corresponding numbered
space:
4. Review your car rental company choice. As car rental fleets shrink and prices rise,
(1) you may find it is more cheaper to use a taxi. These sites can help you budget
for the taxi fares. Can you get a better corporate deal from a car hire company (2) if
everyone uses them for their business travel?
5. Review your travel safety skills. Do you know (3) how to avoid from getting
robbed? Escape a hotel fire? (4) Choose one safe taxi? Business travellers are
prime targets. (5) Take old labels off your luggage - they shout business traveller to
the crooked. Have a map of (6) where are you going.
6. Improve your stress management skills. Accept it, (7) business travel is stressing.
Current issues with airport security make it inevitable that your next business trip will
include (8) a significant amounts of stress. There are many coping techniques (9) to
effectively reduce stress. Practice deep breathing or muscle stretches. They will
come in handy the next time you're stuck in the system.
7. Review your business travel programme and frequent fliers schemes. Have you
access to lounges, now and next year? (10) Use these to ease those business travel
journeys.
(adapted and abridged from http://www.nrgpax.com/businesstravel/article001.htm)
4. Reading comprehension
a. Read the following article about how airlines have changed their offers
since September 11, 2001. Some sentences have been removed from the
extract. Choose from sentences A- I the one which fits each gap (1- 9).
A. It could be anything from a sole trader running a news agency to a firm employing
several hundred people with an annual travel budget of about 100,000.
B. The scheme runs until June, but SAS plans to continue to operate some kind of
SME programme.
C. But the points are awarded on any airline as part of an itinerary that includes a
segment flown on Swiss.
D. Under the scheme, cash credits are offered against any KLM flight of any class or
fare type and redeemed as free flights.
E. We decided on a web-based corporate loyalty programme to make it cost
effective.
F. Unable to qualify for corporate deals because they do not generate enough travel,
SMEs have been ignored by travel providers.
G. However, the market exists and we have been working hard to find ways to
develop a relationship with this sector
H. We are looking at extending On Business to include semi-restricted tickets,
says Stuart Beamish, BAs senior manager, loyalty marketing.
I. It would be a huge benefit for our customers to get our partner airlines on board,
says Thomas Brandt, Deltas general manager, distribution planning.
Will small businesses fill the airlines large gaps?
Airlines discover, post-9/11, that small can be profitable
Airlines striving to hold on to their share of a tough corporate market are increasingly
looking to nurture business travellers they have previously ignored.
Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are companies which have a fraction of the
travel budgets of the 1m-plus spend of large firms.
1___
Not any more. Pressures to fill aircraft and the competitive threat of low-cost airlines
have seen airlines launch rafts of incentives, including cash rewards, free flights and
upgrades, to show SMEs that they really are wanted.
Airlines use different criteria, such as number of trips, value of travel spend or size
of company, to define an SME. 2___
Typically, a PA (Personal Assistant), financial director or company boss will be
responsible for administering the schemes in-house. Over the past 12 months,
airlines including KLM, Swiss, and SAS have all introduced initiatives to try and win
such managers on board.
KLM estimates that the 3.8 million or so UK-based SMEs can save up to 10 per cent
of their travel costs through its cashback loyalty programme, BlueBiz. 3___
As with most airline schemes, not only does the company benefit, but the individual
can also collect frequent flier mileage points on flights taken.
KLMs e-commerce manager Glyn Duggan explains: Due to their volume levels,
SMEs had fallen off our radar.
But after the US terror attacks of 9/11, we began looking at various options to get
this market back on track. 4___
SASs new PayBack Programme offers cash rewards of up to 15 per cent of the
annual travel spend or a maximum of 20 return tickets between the UK and
Scandinavia depending on the level of expenditure. Bmis Company Returns
scheme has similarly gone down the cash reward and points route.
Yesterday, BA announced a fresh round of job cuts, knowing that the only way to
compete with the no-frills airlines and its traditional rivals is on cost. Unfortunately
for BA, cost-cutting is also top of the 6___ for its passengers.
A London-based economic think tank, the Centre for Economics and Business
Research (CEBR), says in a new report that it expects business 7___ in Europe to
grow by 2.7 per cent this year.
But Douglas McWilliams, co-author of the report, added: The business travel sector
is increasingly exposed in a world where a blowtorch is being applied to every
conceivable kind of corporate expense. Business travel is typically 2-3 per cent of
corporate cost and is generally regarded as the largest single controllable 8___.
The report says surveys of American corporate travel purchasers indicate that they
believe that, since 2000, they have managed to negotiate down their prices for
business travel by 20 per cent.
1. A. complaints
2. A. team
3. A. trips
4. A. rivals
5. A. kicked
6. A. tree
7. A. trip
8. A. expense
B. complainings
B. crew
B. crossings
B. enemies
B. punched
B. head
B. voyage
B. tax
C. demands
C. pilot
C. travels
C. partners
C. hit
C. world
C. excursion
C. fine
D. misgivings
D. flying
D. routes
D. foes
D. damaged
D. agenda
D. travel
D. fare
5. English in use
Read the second part of the article. Use the words below to form a word that
fits in the same numbered space in the text.
0.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
busy
emphasize
provide
increase
large
power
6. improve
7. place
8. global
9. supply
10. address
11. stable
12. stringent
13. agent
14. profit
15. warn
e.g. 0 - business
The decline in passenger numbers is now levelling off, but the nature of 0___ travel
has changed irrevocably: events since September 11 have made that inevitable.
There is a new 1___ on briefing travellers and staying in touch. Information 2___
such as Control Risks and Country Briefings provide assessments, while technology
3___ allows employees to stay in touch while on the road.
Executive jet travel, 4___ because of concerns over security, is also now extremely
buoyant according to Christian Rooney, marketing and sales director of Bookajet,
one specialist operator. The company has just opened a new base at Southampton
airport and now uses five jets.
Technology, while helping corporates track and control expenditure, has also 5___
employees to book flights and hotels themselves while still following company travel
policy. According to Delta Airlines, only 29 per cent of UK business travellers now
prefer to book with a travel agent, with two-thirds choosing to book using the
internet.
British Airways will, in April, no longer issue paper tickets on the 75 per cent of its
routes where electronic tickets can be used. Fast 6___ technology on board aircraft
is also now delivering live TV news and e-mail, while wireless-free use of laptops in
hotels and airports is rolling out at a frenetic pace.
The idea that videoconferencing will one day 7___ travel has largely been
disproved, however. While it does have a role, the underlying need for face-to-face
contact is growing due to the ratcheting up of 8___, according to the CEBR report.
McWilliams said: Maintaining and enhancing business relations, both in-house and
with customers and 9___, needs a regular dose of direct contact.
It is a point being echoed by all sectors of the industry, not least those hotel, airline
and credit card suppliers desperate to see a return to regular corporate flying. But
they also argue that companies, having 10___ the issue of cost cutting, will be
leaner and more positive about travelling.
A report out this week from Company Barclaycard concludes: Overall, the figures
indicate that business travellers are on the move more, thanks to confirmed new
business rather than trying to secure it, an indication of greater 11___.
This positive view relies, naturally, on the continued stability of world events.
Corporates may be starting to travel again, but the increasing 12___ of US
immigration is one striking example of how fragile confidence remains in travel.
John Melchior, executive vice-president of global corporate travel 13___ Radius,
summed up the mood: Companies have adjusted and are becoming more 14___.
Those who have survived know that there wont be such a big dip in world events
again.
There are certain dangers out there, but we still have to travel. Now we have to
know where travellers are, and to give them 15___ of potential problems. We all
have to accommodate that.
(adapted and abridged from
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,5466,00.html)
6. Writing
In no more than 200 words, write an argumentative essay about the
advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane. Use at least 5 words
from the box.
air hostess
connecting point
airline office
departure lounge
air turbulence
airport hotel
direct flight
airport terminal
arrival airport
economy class
business class
excess baggage
baggage reclaim
ground transportation
boarding pass
booking procedures
check-in
landing
security check
take off
unclaimed luggage
weight limit
1.3.2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using a suitable word
derived from the word given at the end of each sentence:
1. Good knowledge of cultural differences is ... to any
definition of cultural interaction.
2. Sometimes cultural traits may suffer changes beyond ... .
3. A(n) ... traveller will fail to do justice to cultural difference.
4. A visitor to your country should be offered plenty of ... in
exploring local culture.
5. You might find a lot of ... locals while travelling in foreign
countries.
6. Nationalists would like their countrys traditions to be ... .
7. Sometimes its difficult to choose when you are faced with
a huge ... of tourist attractions.
8. I wouldnt like to sound ..., but you should get more
involved in the mores of your host country.
9. I am neither moral, nor immoral. My ... is often a mystery
to my friends.
10. Her ... at Heathrow airport made her miss her connecting
flight.
VALUE
RECOGNISE
EXPERIENCE
COURAGE
APPROACH
CHANGE
DIVERSE
REASON
MORAL
ORIENTATION
1.3.3. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the required
preposition.
1. I am sorry to say that you are a candidate___ a suitable background for his
job involving talking ___ foreigners.
2. My approach ___ dealing ___ cultural difference is a most successful one.
8 ___ As a legal standard adopted through the United Nations, universal human
rights represent the hard-won consensus of the international community, not the
cultural imperialism of any particular region or set of traditions.
Like most areas of international law, universal human rights are a modern
achievement, new to all cultures. Human rights are neither representative of, nor
oriented towards, one culture to the exclusion of others. 9 ___
A Human rights are the natural-born rights for every human being, universally. They
are not privileges.
B Not selective, not relative, but universal respect, observance and protection.
C These are some of the issues, concerns and questions underlying the debate over
universal human rights and cultural relativism.
D Universal human rights do not impose one cultural standard, rather one legal
standard of minimum protection necessary for human dignity.
E Human rights must be approached in a way that is meaningful and relevant in
diverse cultural contexts.
F As such, it serves as an excellent indicator of international consensus on human
rights.
G Everyone is entitled to human rights without discrimination of any kind.
H One cannot pick and choose which rights to promote and protect. They are all of
equal value and apply to everyone.
I Universal human rights reflect the dynamic, coordinated efforts of the international
community to achieve and advance a common standard and international system of
law to protect human dignity.
J By rejecting or disregarding their legal obligation to promote and protect universal
human rights, States advocating cultural relativism could raise their own cultural
norms and particularities above international law and standards.
2.3. Vocabulary development
2.3.1. Fill in the blanks in the following text with the words given in bold:
requirements
diversity
pressures
sense
arguments
Many companies and organisations adopt equal opportunities policies because of
external ___ Wilson and Iles suggest that this response "varies between a narrow
minimalist response to legislative ___, and a wider concern that people should be
treated equally, based on ethical and human rights or moral ___ Managing ___ on
the other hand is internally driven, from a ___ of commitment by the organisation
and its key players".
opportunities
force
staff
The driving ___ behind introducing diversity management policies is seen as the
business case - that a diverse workforce will result in more focused marketing,
greater creativity and decision making and happier ___ who stay longer and benefit
from organisational ___
public
range
profile
volunteers organisation
Looking at the marketing example - the voluntary sector supports and works with a
diverse ___ of service users, supporters and partners. If the public face of an ___
reflects that diverse public, then individuals will more easily identify with it, thinking
"this is an organisation for me". Volunteers are the ___ face of many organisations,
and if diverse, will be more welcoming to users and members. Also, if ___ are drawn
from a wide sector of the community, then they each tell their friends and family,
raising the ___ of your service.
(adapted from http://www. mori.com/digest/2000)
2.3.2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with a word derived from the
word given at the end of each sentence:
1. ... at the working place is a topical issue in both the western
and eastern world.
2. Women usually contend that they have ... work opportunities
as compared with men.
3. Bill Clintons visit to Romania was a ... moment.
4. Exploring the ... sites of London could be a quite rewarding
experience.
5. He is a government official extremely ... with different people
in very high circles.
6. After months of strenuous research, the main causes of their
failure to meet international standards remained ... .
7. This question ... addresses those prone to xenophobia.
8. ... tourists flock to the big cities of the world every day in
search of yet unimagined sensations.
9. Because your application is incomplete, it will rest ... until a
further date.
10. After accumulating lots of practice in organising package
tours, the travel agency decided to ... their findings in a report
published in a local journal.
EQUAL
EQUAL
HISTORY
HISTORY
INFLUENCE
IDENTIFY
PRIMARY
NUMBER
PROCESS
THEORY
2.3. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the required preposition.
1. My methods differ a lot ___ the more conventional ones.
2. The history of this project dates back ___ 1985.
3. What did you have ___ mind when you called that company?
4. The reasons ___ establishing a new basis ___ cooperation are ___my
depth.
5. Lets focus ___ this issue now and we will look ___ the other one ___ a later
date.
6. ___ the present framework of rules, we have to abide ___ each one of them.
7. Equality ___ job opportunities is essential.
8. Her influence ___ the whole project is undeniable.
9. Theres no visible difference ___ the way they are treating immigrants ___
their country.
10. There has been no shift ___ our regulations since they came ___ force.
2.4. Language focus: The tense system: Past Perfect Continuous
2.4.1. The tense system: Past Perfect Continuous
Form: to be (in the past perfect) + verb + ing: I had been writing. Had I been writing?
Yes, I had. No, I hadnt.
It indicates: a past action in development before another past action and also
continuing that moment: When he came she had been reading for two hours.
!!!!!!!!!!!!
often used in past perfect and past perfect progressive sentences: when, after, as
soon as, before, by the time
e.g. After they had been quarrelling for minutes, I asked them to stop.
We had been waiting for weeks before we got the money.
They had been negotiating for hours by the time I got there.
2.4.2. Choose the correct form of the verb in the following sentences:
1. The staff complained that they had asked/had been asking for better working
conditions for two months.
2. We had hoped/had been hoping to solve our problem easily and were very
disappointed when we couldnt.
3. Our partners had looked forward/had been looking forward to the contract to
be signed and became quite angry when it had been cancelled/had been
being cancelled.
4. The whole staff had worked/had been working until the last minute and they
had no time left to decorate the room for the meeting.
5. The newspapers had been publishing/had published a lot of articles on the
accident for weeks when they found out about it.
6. We had been discussing/had discussed all day with our partners and by 10
oclock the agreement wasnt signed.
7. Our competition had done/had been doing everything they could to attack us
and we had to take steps towards fighting back.
8. When the PR assistant arrived, the customers had waited/had been waiting
for her for hours.
9. He asked us why we had written/had been writing such a long preamble to
our report.
10. After the President had looked/had been looking through our papers for a
while, he decided to speak.
Writing. Comment on the following statement: People are born equal and therefore
they should benefit from equal opportunities in society.
3. National stereotypes
3.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
What do you understand by stereotype?
To what extent are national stereotypes fair?
Seventy-six percent of people questioned regard the British as well educated. British
higher education is particularly well respected with 88% of people rating it as "good".
However the United States still emerged as the market leader in higher education.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents believe that qualifications from the United States
have the most credibility with potential employers.
Media
"Even the more cultured people read the tabloids to be informed. Most of the
scandals coming from the Royal Family are found there." - Mexico
A significant minority (28%) believe that the British media cannot be relied on to tell
the truth. In Germany only 5% of people trust the truthfulness of the British media.
However the British media were regarded as being more truthful than their
counterparts in most of the countries surveyed.
Science and Technology
"The British are exploring more...cloning sheep and genetics and scary stuff." South Africa
Whilst 62% of respondents agree that Britain has a b reputation for scientific and
technological innovation, the UK was ranked well behind the United States, Japan
and Germany.
Society
"They are well brought up people. Even if they don't like you too much, they try to be
nice." - Russia
"The UK are one of the first democracies in Europe" - France
Sixty-five percent of people questioned agree that the UK is a good model of
democratic government. A grudging 58% agree that the British legal system ensures
that everyone gets a fair trial. Sixty-five percent also believe that the country has a
good health care service. British institutions may be respected but a significant 41%
believe that British people are not very welcoming towards foreigners.
(http://www. mori.com/digest/2000)
3.3. Vocabulary development
3.3.1. Match the words and phrases with their corresponding definitions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
tabloid
grudging
emerge
averse
counterpart
6. avant-garde
7. gap
8. loathe
9. pop
10. survey
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
hate, detest
poll, research of public opinion
pause, break, distance
aesthetically new and experimental
popular, relating to the tastes of common people
opposed, objecting to, unfavourable to
exit, appear as
newspaper publishing scandalous material
equivalent, analogue
hesitant, ill-disposed towards
3.3.2. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using a suitable word
derived from the word given at the end of each sentence:
1. He sometimes uses ... language.
2. Please give me a ... of prices for oil.
3. The tabloids made much ado about the fact that she
was ... in the royal scandal.
4. Your ... behaviour could irremediably harm the
relationship between the two countries.
5. These are just a few of the ... underscoring our excellent
policies regarding cooperation among states.
6. My ... has often been reviled in tabloids.
7. I hereby wish to ... your contribution to our success.
8. Their ... efforts led to fruition.
9. Her ... skills are impeccable at all social gatherings.
10. Im sorry to say that the degree of your intelligence is ...
in this case.
LOATHE
QUOTE
IMPLICATE
DIPLOMATIC
STRONG
ECCENTRIC
KNOW
EXHAUST
CONVERSATION
SIGNIFY
3.3.3. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the required
preposition.
1. I am speaking ___ behalf ___ all those who feel wronged by the Romanian
Constitution.
2. IN the survey appear the figures ___ this years rate ___ diplomatic blunders
___ the part ___ Romania.
3. Your behaviour will have consequential implications ___ public diplomacy.
4. The gap ___ my abilities as a diplomat and yours is enormous.
5. I respect this small country ___ its great traditions.
6. His fame ___ successfully handling conflict situations is one ___ his advantages.
7. Teenagers are prone ___ identifying themselves ___ pop stars.
8. How do rate ___ a diplomat?
9. The English are associated ___ a proverbial reserve ___ definition.
10. Our country is the market leader ___ button manufacturing.
3.4. Language focus: Modal Verbs
3.4.1. Modal Verbs
Read the following examples from the text:
Later on you may be able (par. 4)
You must enter as an immigrant (par. 5)
The job seekershould be prepared (par. 4)
A college in foreign commerce would definitely help (par. 1)
Modals
May
Form: may// May he?// may not
It indicates:
Possibility: He may come today. (to be possible)
Probability: We may get that contract. (to be probable)
Permission: You may leave. (to be allowed/ to be permitted)
Might
6. Later on, of course, you will have the opportunity to apply for creative work.
7. The job seeker heading overseas has to take on jobs that have been turned
down flat by natives.
8. To work overseas you need to obtain a work permit.
9. It is advisable you find a job for which no work permit is needed.
10. Women will be able to work au pair. Under this arrangement, any girl is
supposed to get bed and board.
11. Their duty is to act as baby sitters. Their daily activity is to give general
household help.
12. Their employers are also obliged to pay them a sum of money.
3.5. Functions
Cause, effect and purpose
Cause
Effect
Result in.
Lead to
Since
As
Due to
Owing to the fact that
Because of
Purpose
So that
In order to
Present Continuous/Progressive
Past Simple
Past Continuous/Progressive
Future Simple
used for actions and events in the future
Future Continuous/Progressive
used for actions or events in the future that will
continue into the future
Past Perfect
usually used to show that an event
happened or an action was completed
before a particular time in the past
Future Perfect
used to show that something will be
completed before a particular time in the
future
Writing. Define the stereotype for your nationality. Use adjectives from the table
below.
able
accepting
adaptable
bold
brave
calm
caring
cheerful
clever
complex
confident
dependable
dignified
energetic
extroverted
friendly
giving
happy
helpful
idealistic
independent
ingenious
intelligent
introverted
kind
knowledgeable
logical
loving
mature
modest
nervous
observant
organised
patient
powerful
proud
quiet
reflective
relaxed
religious
responsive
searching
self-assertive
self-conscious
sensible
sentimental
shy
silly
smart
spontaneous
sympathetic
tense
trustworthy
warm
wise
witty
VERB
A
absorb
account
add
adjust
admit
agree
apply
appeal
argue
argue
arrange
arrive
apologize
approve
ask
accuse sb
arrest sb
B
base
beg
begin
benefit
believe
belong
boast
borrow
blame sb
blame sth
C
care
cater
choose
comment
collide
communicate
compare
compete
complain
compose
concern
concentrate
confess
confuse
congratulate
consist
contribute
cope
correspond
PREPOSITION
in
for
to
to
to
with
for
to
with
about
for
in / at
for
of
for
of sth
for sth
on
for
with
from
in
to
about
from
for sth
on sb
for / about
for
between
on
with
with
with / to
with
about
of
about / with
on
to
with
on
of
to
with
with
count
cover
crash
charge sb
charge sb
convict sb
convince sb
cure sb
D
decide
dedicate
depend
despair
deter
differ
disagree
disapprove
discuss
devote
dream
dress
drink
demand sth
derive sth
discourage sb
distinguish
sb/sth
distract sb
E
elaborate
emerge
escape
experiment
excuse sb
exchange sth
exclude sth
expel sb
explain sth
F
face
feel
feel
fight
forget
forgive sb
G
guess
get married
get rid
get tired
on
with
into
with sth
for sth
of sth
of sth
of sth
on / against
to
on
of
from
from
with
of
with
to
of / about
in
to
from sb
from sth
from sth
from/between
sb/sth
from sth
on
from
from
on
for sth
for sth
from sth
from sth
to sb
with
like
about
against/with/for
about
for sth
at
to
of
of
grumble
H
hear
hide
hope
help sb
hinder sb/sth
I
impress
insist
insure
interfere
invest
involve sb/sth
J
joke
K
know
L
laugh
listen
long
lend sth
M
meet
mistake
get married
O
object
operate
P
participate
pay
persist
pray
prepare
prohibit
praise sb
present sb
prevent sb
provide sb
provide sth
punish sb
Q
quarrel
quarrel
R
react
recon
about
of / about
from
of / for
with sth
from sth
on
on
against
with / in
in
in sb/sth
about
about
at/about
to
for
to sb
with
for
to
to
on
in
for
in
for
for
from
for sth
with sth
from sth
with sth
for sb
for sb
about sth
with sb
against / to
on
recover
refer
rely
reply
resign
respond
result
retire
room
remind sb
rob sb
S
search
see
shout
smile
specialise
speak
stand
stare
stem
subscribe
substitute
succeed
suffer
save sb
sentence sb
share sth
subject sb
suspect sb
T
talk
talk
think
turn
tell sb
thank sb
translate sth
trust sb
U
use
V
vote
W
wait
wonder
work
worry
write
warn sb
from
to
on
to
from
to
in
from
for
of sth
of sth
for
to
at
at
in
to
for
at
from
to
for
in
from
from sth
to sth
with sb
to sth
of sth
to
about
of/about
to
about sth
for sth
into sth
with sth
for
for
for
at
on
about
to / about
about/against
ADJECTIVE
A
accustomed
accused
acquainted
addicted
annoyed
allergic
amazed
anxious
appreciated
ashamed
associated
astonished
aware
angry
afraid
attached
B
bad
based
beneficial
boastful
bored
brilliant
busy
C
capable
careful
certain
characteristic
clever
connected
conscious
content
crazy
crowded
curious
D
dissatisfied
doubtful
delighted
derived
different
disappointed
E
eager
eligible
enthusiastic
excellent
PREPOSITION
to
of
with
to
about/with/at
to
at/by
about
for
of
with
at/by
of
with
of
to
at
on
to
for
with
at
with
of
with/about/of
about
of
at
with
of
with
about
with
about
with
about
at/about
from
from
with
for
for
about
in/at
excited
experienced
exposed
envious
F
faithful
familiar
famous
fed up
free
frightened
friendly
fond
furious
furnished
full
G
generous
guilty
gentle
good
grateful
H
happy
hopeful
I
identical
immune
impressed
inferior
indifferent
innocent
interested
involved
incapable
J
jealous
K
kind
keen
L
late
limited
lucky
M
nervous
notorious
O
opposed
about
in
to
of
to
with
for
with
of/from
of
with
of
about
with
of
with/about
of/about
with
at
to
about
of/about
with/to
to
with
to
to
of
in
with
of
of
to
on
for
to
at
of/about
for
to
P
patient
pessimistic
pleased
polite
popular
presented
proud
punished
puzzled
Q
qualified
R
ready
related
relevant
respectful
responsible
rid
S
sad
safe
satisfied
scared
sensitive
serious
sick
similar
shocked
skilful
slow
sorry
successful
suitable
sure
superior
surprised
suspicious
sympathetic
T
terrible
terrified
tired
thankful
trilled
troubled
typical
U
unaware
upset
with
about
with
to
with
with
of
for
by/about
for
for
to
to
for
for
of
about
from
with
of
to
about
of
to
by
at
at
for/about
in
for
of/about
to
at
of
with
at
of
of
to/for
with
with
of
of
about
used
W
wrong
worried
to
with/about
about