Устинова Н.А. Сборник текстов для студентов заочной формы обучения по английскому языку. Москва, 2005 год
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TEXT 16
Read the text and answer the questions that follow.
INSTANT COFFEE
Powdered instant coffee was devised by Satori Kato but his idea was exploited
by others. The practice of drinking coffee was invented earlier in Arabia where it was
reported by ar-Razi, an Arab doctor in the 10th century. Coffe is produced in many
countries. The coffee bush was found originally in Arabia and Ethiopia, but it is now
grown in Brazil, Colombia, the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Angola, Kenya and Central
America. The beans are ground and coffee is used in most countries as a breakfast
drink. The first coffee house was opened in Paris in 1643 and was followed by others
in Oxford (1650) and London (1652).
Coffee bushes produce berries which contain one or two beans. The
berries are picked by hand and are put through a pulping machine. The beans which
come out are placed in large tanks where the pulp ferments. The beans are then
washed and spread out to dry in the hot sun. After two weeks the beans are put
through a machine which removes the last of the skin. It is not until the coffee beans
have been roasted that they get their fragrant scent. After roasting the beans are
ground between steel rollers. The best coffee is made from freshly roasted and
ground beans.
1. Are these statements true or false?
1. Powdered instant coffee was devised by Satori Kato.
2. The practice of drinking coffee was invented in Brazil in the 10th century.
3. The coffee bush was found originally in Kenya.
4. The first coffee house was opened in Paris.
5. Each coffee berry contains about ten beans.
6. The best coffee is made from freshly roasted and ground beans.
2. What do the following numbers refer to? Make a sentence about each
number.
1. 10
2. 1650
3. 1-2
4. 1643
5. 2
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 17
Read the text and do exercises that follow.
TEA HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Tea traveled throughout Asia, eventually capturing the interest of explorers
from Europe. It was the famed East India Trading Company that formally introduced
tea to England in the early 1600’s. At first, tea was highly taxed, expensive and
scarce. Only aristocrats were able to enjoy its appealing aroma and flavor. But as
trade increased, prices fell and soon everybody had their daily cup of tea.
Early Dutch and English colonists introduced tea to the New World., but it was
an enterprising young Scotsman, named Sir Thomas J. Lipton, who truly popularized
the beverage in America in 1890. Lipton had already established a successful tea
business throughout England based on a commitment to sell only the freshest, highest
quality blend of tea leaves that would produce the "BRISK" tea taste he pioneered.
To ensure a supply of tea that met his uncompromising standards of high
quality at low prices, Lipton bought his own tea estates in Ceylon (now SriLanka)
and transported the tea to America in clipper ships. It was Lipton who was the first to
package tea in small, convenient tins to keep it fresh, preserve the flavor and
guarantee that customers received the correct amount of tea. Lipton's enterprising and
innovative spirit earned him the title of "Sir Tea" throughout the world. Today, the
Lipton name is still synonymous with tea, and with Sir Thomas' principle: the highest
quality at a fair price. That's why Sir Thomas’ likeness appears on every box of
Lipton's "BRISK" tea bags today.
By the turn of the century, tea was indeed a beverage for the masses on both
sides of the Atlantic Ocean. However, in 1904, two interesting developments
happened almost simultaneously that would broaden tea's appeal even more. In New
York, a tea and a coffee merchant named Thomas Sullivan decided to package loose
tea in small hand-sewn silk bags as an inexpensive and convenient way to distribute
tea samples to his customers. To his surprise, his customers brewed the tea in the tea
bags rather than removing the contents, thus giving birth to the tea bag. The Thomas
J. Lipton company further improved upon this invention with the introduction of the
Flo-Thru Tea Bag in 1952. With four brewing sides, rather than two, boiling water
reaches the tea more easily, releasing more of the Lipton "BRISK" tea taste.
Later that year at the World's Fair in St. Louis, Richard Blechynden, a
merchant of Indian tea, faced the dubious task of selling hot tea to crowds sweltering
in the summer heat. In desperation, he poured his tea over ice and the cool, copper-
colored beverage was an instant sensation. And the love affair with iced tea
continues... Today, Americans drink 136 million cups of tea each day, and 80 percent
of it is served over ice.
1. Answer the question.
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1. When did East India Trading Company introduce tea to England?
2. Who brought tea to America?
3. Who popularized tea in America?
4. Where did Lipton start his tea business?
5. Where did he buy tea estates?
6. What title did Lipton earn?
7. What was Lipton’s principle?
2. Complete the sentences.
1. Lipton transported tea in ___________.
2. Lipton was the first to package tea in ___________.
3. Thomas Sullivan packaged tea in ___________.
4. The Flo-Thru Bag was introduced in ___________.
5. Richard Blechynden invented ___________.
6. Americans drink ___________.
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 18
Mr. Lopez is introducing a new product. Read his presentation and find the
correct answer to the questions below.
PRESENTING A NEW PRODUCT
Good morning ladies and gentlemen; we haven't all met before so I'd better
introduce myself. I'm Luis Lopez from the Development Department of Citrus
Incorporated ... I should say before we start that I hope you'll excuse my English, I'm
a little out of practice... Anyway, I'm going to be talking this morning about a new
product which we are planning to launch in two months' time; its called KOOL-OUT,
that's K-O-O-L dash O-U-T, and it's a lemon-flavoured drink ...
Well, I'll start with the background to the product launch; and then move on to
a description of the product itself; finally, I'm going to list some of the main selling
points that we should emphasize in the advertising and sales campaign. I think if you
don't mind, we'll leave questions to the end ...
Now firstly, as you all know, we have had a gap in our soft-drink product range
for the last two years; we have been manufacturing mixed-fruit drinks and orange
drinks tor the last ten years, but we stopped producing lemonade two years ago; I
think we all agreed that there was room on the market for a completely new lemon-
flavoured drink ... Secondly, the market research indicated that more and more
consumers are using soft drinks as mixers with alcohol so, in other words, the market
itself has expanded. This brings me to my next point which is that we have a rather
new customer-profile in mind; I must emphasize that this product is aimed at the
young-professional, high-income, market and not the traditional consumer of old-
fashioned lemonade. At this point we must consider the importance of packaging and
design, and if you look at the video in a moment, you'll see that we have completely
гe-vamped the container itself as well as the label and slogan . . . Now to digress for
just a moment, the more sophisticated packaging means a high unit cost, and this may
be a problem in the selling area, but we'll have a chance to discuss that aspect later ...
so... to go back to my earlier point, this is a totally new concept as far as Citrus
Incorporated are concerned; as you see we are using both the new-size glass bottle
and the miniature metal cans. Finally, let's look at the major attractions of the
product. In spite of the higher price it will compete well with existing brands; the
design is more modern than any of the current rival products, and incidentally the
flavour is more realistic and natural ... it's low calorie, too.
O.K., so just before closing, I'd like to summarize my main points again ... We
have KOOL-OUT, a new design concept, aimed at a relatively new age and income
group; it's designed to be consumed on its own, as a soft drink, or to be used as a
mixer in alcohol-based drinks and cocktails. It comes in both bottle and can and this
will mean a slightly higher selling price than we are used to; but the improved flavour
and the package design should give us a real advantage in today's market... Well,
that's all I have today for the moment, thank you for listening, now if there are any
questions, I'll be happy to answer them...
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1. Here are the notes made by one of Mr. Lopez’ colleagues. Unfortunately he
has misunderstood some of the Mr. Lopez’ points. Correct these points.
1. Mr. Lopez is English.
2. The new product is an orange-flavoured drink.
3. Citrus Incorporated have not produced a lemon drink for two years.
4. Market studies prove that the market is shrinking.
5. The container design is unchanged.
6. The drink comes in both bottles and cans.
7. The flavour is rather artificial.
8. The calorie-connect of the drink is relatively low.
2. Answer the questions.
1. Is Mr. Lopez from the marketing department?
2. Is the new product called TAKE-OFF?
3. Is it an orange drink?
4. Is there a gap in the market for this kind of drink?
5. Is the design of the product unchanged?
6. Is it cheaper than other fruit drinks?
7. Does in only come in cans?
8. Does it taste natural?
3. Find in the text and list the functional phrases that are used to present a
company or product.
4. Translate the text.
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TEXT 19
Read the text about two international retailing companies. Do the tasks
below.
MANAGING INTERNATIONAL RETAILING
Among international retailers, two have set the pace: Ikea, the Swedish
furniture chain, and Toys "R" Us, the US toy retailer. They have built up worldwide
networks - Ikea in 28 countries, Toys "R" Us in 26 - of giant stores which have killed
competition from local rivals.
Ikea is opening 12 new stores a year in cities including Frankfurt, Shanghai,
Chicago, and Wroclaw in Poland. A committee of senior executives at the group's
international headquarters in Denmark oversees investment in new markets and the
redesigning or expansion of existing stores.
Responsibility for product development and purchasing lies with Ikea of
Sweden, the original company that pioneered the 'blond' style of Scandinavian
furniture and furnishings which has gained a huge international following.
A third layer of country managers tailors the presentation and marketing of
those products in their home territories. Country managers usually assume control for
day-to-day activities only when there are more than two stores in their region. They
are allowed some flexibility in choosing additional products which they think will
meet local tastes.
At Toys "R" Us, by comparison, the fickle nature of children's choices requires
more latitude for local managers. Toy tastes vary significantly between different
cultures, says Greg Staley, President of the company's international division.
For example, Asian families like educational toys, while American children are
heavily influenced by Saturday morning television programmes. Some toys, such as
Barbie dolls and Lego building sets, do well everywhere. But others are less
predictable.
Headquarters decides whether to open a new store but local managers take all
the day-to-day decisions on what toys to buy and in what quantities; how to market
them, and how much to spend on advertising. 'We really do give them great latitude
in the management of their business,' says Mr Staley.
1. Mark the sentences true or false, according to the information in the text.
1. Both Ikea and Toys "R" Us are strongly competitive in local markets around the
world.
2. Ikea and Toys "R" Us have the same management structure for their international
network.
3. Ikea's international headquarters are in Sweden.
4. Children in different countries like different kinds of toys.
5. Toys "R" Us local managers have more decision-making powers than Ikea local
managers.
6. Ikea's country managers have more control when they are in charge of more than
two stores in the same region.
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2. Find the best explanation for each of these words and phrases as used in the
text.
1. have set the pace
a) have been slow to expand
b) have taken a lot of risks
c) have provided a good example for others
d) have been in competition with each other
2. tailors
a) takes full responsibility for
b) creates ideas for
c) carries out
d) adapts or modifies
3. fickle
a) unpredictable
b) expensive
c) limited
d) unchanging
4. latitude
a) restrictions
b) assistance
c) freedom
d) guidance
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 20
Read the article from the Financial Times and answer the questions that
follow.
DAEWOO AND THE ART OF CUSTOMER FOCUS
When Daewoo entered the UK car market in spring 1995 it was hardly known
at all; its cars were technically average and had an unfashionable country of
origin (Korea). With around 40 carmakers the market was crowded. Less than half of
these had market shares of over 1%. Many companies had a 'Buy UK' or 'Buy
European' policy for their fleet purchases, which account for about half of all car
purchases.
Since the mid 1970s, no new entrant to the UK car market had achieved more
than a 1% market share. Yet Daewoo did exactly that in less than a year. We believe
it did so by achieving its aim of being the most customer focused car company in the
UK.
Daewoo's market research revealed that its best target market would be drivers
primarily interested in a car's ability to get from A to В reliably and cheaply. Surveys
had shown that most motorists were afraid to visit car showrooms and found
salespeople too aggressive. They believed that they were treated even worse after the
sale. Further, Daewoo's research found that in its target segment, 84% of motorists
believed that the treatment they got from the salesperson was at least as important as
how they felt about the car itself.
Daewoo developed a new approach to selling:
1. They did not use dealers to sell their cars. By saving the money normally paid to
dealers, Daewoo was able to offer higher specifications at a lower price
2. Daewoo designed its car showrooms to be like high street stores, with free access
to product information and a free cafe; salespeople were on a fixed salary and no
negotiating on price was allowed.
3. The price included extensive guarantees and three years' free servicing.
4. Daewoo offered free collection and delivery as well as a courtesy car during
servicing.
Daewoo's competitors had been unwilling or unable to rethink the way that
they did business in the face of clear dissatisfaction in the market. This created a
market opportunity that Daewoo was able to exploit.
1. Which of the following sentences best summarises the content of the article?
a) Daewoo's share of the UK car market is declining.
b) Daewoo needs to research the UK car market more thoroughly.
c) Daewoo understands what their customers really want.
d) Daewoo sells cars by traditional methods.
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2. Mark each of the following statements as true, false or can't tell.
a) Daewoo was not present in the UK car market until 1995.
b)Cars from the Far East are not popular in the UK.
a) There was very strong competition in the UK car market when Daewoo entered.
c) Company cars account for approximately 50% of the UK car market.
d)Only ten car manufacturers have a market share of more than 1%.
e) Within a year. Daewoo had achieved a market share of more than 1%
3. Which of the following statements best describes Daewoo's cars, according to
the information in the article?
a) inexpensive in relation to the specifications
b)technically very exciting
c) luxury class
d)unreliable
4. How does Daewoo sell its cars? Mark all the statements that are true.
a) Offering salespeople large bonuses if they sell more.
b)Making showrooms more friendly.
c) Offering good after-sales service.
d)Offering big discounts on price.
5. Translate the text.
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TEXT 21
The Benson Group is a chain of department stores in the south of the USA.
Its performance over the last five years has been poor. It has lost market share
to its two main rivals, Hi-Mark and Levinson Brothers. Read the article below
and do the tasks that follow.
BENSON FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE
BENSON Inc., the department store group, announces this year’s annual
results on Wednesday. Once again, profits are expected to be well below expectations.
Benson built its first store in 1952. It now owns ten stores in the southern region of the
United States, and two in Ontario, Canada. All the stores are on prime sites in the high
streets of major cities. The Group’s head office is in Petersville.
Recently, Benson’s performance has been extremely disappointing. Two years
ago, pre-tax profits had fallen to just $8.3m on a turnover of $225m. This уеar, profits are
expected to be down yet again. Sales per employee is also much lower than the industry’s
average.
Fortunately for Benson, it still has number оf loyal customers who would not
think of shopping elsewhere. However, the Group is facing fierce competition from
Hi-Mark and up-and-coming Levinson Brothers. Hi-Mark are well established, with a
clearly defined up-market image. It has a reputation for selling good quality
merchandise but at high prices. Levinson Brothers set up its first store seven years
ago. Since then, it expanded fast. It now has eight stores located in big cities.
Levinson Brothers’ target consumer is the 16-25 wage-earners. Nevertheless, it attracts
to its stores people of all ages and from all income groups.
Levinson Brothers’ marketing is more aggressive and effective than that of its
two main competitors. It often cuts prices, and even offers goods at giveaway prices
to get people into its stores. It advertises heavily in local newspapers, and on local
television. Its special promotions are always accompanied by a great deal of
razzmatazz. Levinson Brothers’ share price stands at $12 - its highest rating this year.
Even so, the share is still probably a good buy for investors.
In order to compete more effectively, Benson changed its business strategy about
eighteen months ago. It began to rent space to outside firms on a concessionary
basis. Almost 20% of its stores’ space was rented to selected companies from
outside the organization. Unfortunately, this strategy has not been too successful.
Several firms renting space complain that their sales have been poor.
Benson’s stores were redecorated recently. This ‘facelift’ has met with mixed
reactions from its customers. The layout of the stores continues to confuse customers.
The customers complain that departments are not grouped together in a logical
manner. As a result, shoppers get tired out looking for the goods they want.
At present, it looks very much as if Benson has lost its dynamism and sense of
purpose. Investors holding shares in the group might be well advised to sell.
1. Complete the information about the company.
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