Устинова Н.А. Сборник текстов для студентов заочной формы обучения по английскому языку. Москва, 2005 год
Подождите немного. Документ загружается.
1. Its name is __________ .
2. Its main activity is __________ .
3. It owns __________ .
4. Its stores are located __________ .
5. Its head office is based in __________ .
6. Its pre-tax profits are __________ .
7. Its turnover is __________ .
2. Read the following statements about the article and indicate whether they
are true or false.
1. The Benson Group is a chain of department stores in the south of the USA.
2. Benson’s performance over the last five years has been poor.
3. The Benson Group has loyal customers who would not think of shopping
elsewhere.
4. Its main competitor is Hi-Mark.
5. Levinson Brothers is a young company.
6. Levinson Brothers’ target consumer is the 16-25 wage-earner.
7. Benson’s marketing is more aggressive than that of its main competitors.
8. Levinson Brothers’ share price isn’t high. It stands at $5.
9. Benson Group doesn’t want to change its business strategy.
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 22
Read an interview with Tom Hisata who has recently set up a sushi
restaurant business in Manchester. Do the tasks that follow.
SETTING UP A BUSINESS
I – Interviewer, T – Tom Hisata.
I: So Tom, can you tell us how you got the idea for your restaurant?
T: Well actually I had been working in TV, arranging filming for Japanese clients
who wanted to make films in Britain and, you know, with the economic problems of
the last few years that wasn't a business with a great future. And besides, I just wasn't
happy. I knew I could run my own business and I had always been a sushi lover. So
one day I had lunch with a Japanese television producer who told me how hard it was
to find decent sushi in Manchester.
I: Where did you go from there?
T: Well, it took me about two years to make my dream come true. First I had to
decide where to set up the restaurant and then I had to find suitable premises. But that
proved to be more difficult than I had expected because no one would lease me a site
without financial backing and the banks wouldn't give me the finance until I found a
location. So it was like the classic chicken and egg situation.
I: So how did you resolve that problem?
T: Well I was lucky enough to have a friend in the property business who offered to
help me find a site in the city centre. The main problem was convincing the owners
that the idea would work since I didn't have a track record in business but they loved
the concept.
I: So can you tell us exactly what your new idea was?
T: In fact the novelty is that the sushi passes by the customers on conveyor belts so
they can just pick up whatever catches their eye. And we also use robots to prepare
over a thousand sushi dishes every hour.
I: How did you put the finance together?
T: Well, of course I had to put in about £65,000 of my own capital and I managed to
convince two friends to invest a further £50,000 together for 15% of the company.
We also obtained some sponsorship from Japanese companies that were operating in
the area and we made up the difference with money from a government small
business loan scheme.
I: So what happened when you finally opened up? How did things go?
T: Well, it was an instant success and after two months we were making a profit. We
then opened a second branch in another part of the city one year later and then two
more in London shortly after that.
I: What is your recipe for success?
T: Well I'd say that the most important thing is to choose a business where you can
actually do something that you really enjoy. It shouldn't just be about making money
because the only way to get really good at something is when you succeed in
realising your dreams.
1. True or false?
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1. Tom Hisata owns 4 restaurants.
2. He opened his first restaurant in London.
3. Hisata found a location for the restaurant himself.
4. He invested £100,000 of his own capital in the restaurant.
5. His sushi restaurant business is profitable.
6. Tom Hisata enjoys running his business.
2. Choose the correct phrase to complete the following sentences.
1. Tom Hisata used to work in ______________ .
a television.
b property
c catering.
2 . One of the principal difficulties that he had getting started was ______________ .
a finding a partner.
b leasing a site.
c selecting qualified personnel.
3. He managed to convince the owners because ______________ .
a he had past restaurant experience.
b he was of Japanese origin.
c they liked the idea.
4. He did not obtain finance from ______________ .
a banks.
b corporate sponsors.
c government agencies.
5. After two years in business, he had ______________ .
a licensed franchises in five major cities.
b expanded seating capacity in the original restaurant.
c opened three new restaurants.
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 23
Read the article and do the tasks that follow.
SOME TIPS ON STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
Planning is an essential ingredient for a successful business. The type of
business which needs most careful thought is the one you start from scratch. But you
don't need an original idea to have a good business. If you are worried about starting
from scratch, you might want to think about buying a business that is already
running.
Talking to people who have already started up their own business is very
useful. You can learn a great deal from both successful businesses and those that have
failed. Your Enterprise Agency or Chamber of Commerce may run business clubs
where you can meet other small business owners.
Not having enough finance, which is one of the most common problems in
small business, can be fatal. It is easy to underestimate the amount of money you will
need to start up your business. The time that you spend working out your cash needs
and monitoring cashflow is time well-spent.
You should have at least a basic understanding of trading laws, which protect
consumers, employees, the general public and businesses as well.
Failure to respect these laws could even be a crime. For example, every
employee whose employment continues for one month or more has the right to
receive a written statement, which is a sort of contract with the terms and details of
their employment. Your local tax office will send you documents that show you how
much you need to take out of each employee's wages, and where to send the money.
1. Complete the sentences.
1. An essential ingredient for a successful business is ____________ .
2. First, you must decide ____________ .
3. It is very useful ____________ .
4. You can meet other small business owners ____________ .
5. One of the most common problems for start-ups is ____________ .
6. You should know ____________ .
7. Every employee has the right ____________ .
8. Your local tax office sends ____________ .
2. Match the word with the definition.
1. monitor a) to start a job or activity from the beginning.
2. protect b) to be unable to run a business because of a lack of money.
3. start from scratch c) to think that something is less important than it is really is.
4. underestimate d) calculate an answer, amount, price, value; to think
carefully about how you are going to do something and
plan a good way of doing it.
5. fail e) to carefully watch and check a situation in order to see
how it changes or progresses over a period a time.
6. work out f) to keep someone from or something from harm, damage,
or illness.
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 24
Read the article written by Ruth Sunderland and do the tasks that
follow.
NEW KIDS ON THE BUSINESS BLOCK
Dylan Wilk runs his own multimillion-pound business and could afford to
retire. He draws a six-figure salary and drives a bright yellow BMW M3. Holidays
are spent in California or skiing in Austria.
But Wilk is only 23 years old. He set up his company, Gameplay, at the age of
20 and in just three years it has become Britain’s second-largest mail-order supplier
of computer games with 35 staff and a turnover of £7.5 million in 1997, set to double
this year. He is one of Thatcher's babes - the children born or brought up since 1979
when she swept to power and started the enterprise revolution.
Now as 'young adults' they are taking the business world by storm. One in right
of all startup businesses is founded by an entrepreneur aged 16 to 24 and there is a
growing band of teenage and twenty-something tycoons. They include 14-yearold
Tom Hartley, who recently hit the headlines after becoming Britain's youngest self-
made millionaire by selling Porsches.
Andrew Collins, 21, started Firemagic Fireworks, at the age of 19. He is
turning over £100,000 a year and has just taken on a new partner, his former
chemistry teacher, Pete Taschimowitz, who encouraged his interest in pyrotechnics.
Collins loves his work but admits success has come at a price. ‘Starting a business at
that age is not easy. I have to work seven days a week and my social life is out of the
window. My girlfriend doesn’t even like fireworks’.
Several organisations have been set up to help young entrepreneurs; including
the Prince's Youth Business Trust, a charity that offers loans and advice, and oil
company Shell's LiveWIRE scheme, which provides free guidance. But young
hopefuls face greater barriers than their mature counterparts and run a high risk of
failure.
In spite of some undeniable success stories, two-thirds of startups by under-25s
end in failure within four years, a far higher rate than for older people. Eighties'
entrepreneur Alan Sugar, who set up his first business at 19, believes starting too
young can be damaging. Sugar says: ‘I would not want to see many entrepreneurs
straight out of school. They need to have some experience of work and real life’.
Many also face a daunting hurdle trying to raise finance, since banks are often
unwilling to lend to someone without a financial record. Gulam Kadir, 21, had to
overcome his bank manager's opposition to found the Ruhani Moslem Funeral
Service at the age of 19. It now has a turnover of nearly £100,000. Kadir says: ‘I was
turned down for a loan because they said I was too young for the funeral business.
People do not expect a yоung person in this area. I knew it wouldn’t be еаsy, but I
was determined.’
Youngsters may also experience prejudice from customers and suppliers who
see them as naive and inexperienced. Victoria Goodwin, 22, set up her own
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decorative finishes business based in Sheffield when she was 20, and has recently
worked on the set of a TV soap opera. She says: ‘Being yоung can be a drawback,
but it can also be an advantage because some customers believe you don’t have
preconceived ideas and will do what they want’.
Richard Street, chief executive of the Prince's Youth Business Trust believes
future generations must learn the lessons of Thatcher's children or risk losing out in
the employment market. He says: ‘Business education would certainly benefit
young people: not all will become entrepreneurs, but they need to be prepared
because they wil1 have flexible careers with periods in jobs and periods of self-
employmont.’
1. Combine a word or expression from A with one from В.
A B
2. Read the following statements about the article and indicate whether they are
true or false.
1. Dylan Wilk, who founded Gameplay at the age of 20, retired three years later after
becoming a millionaire.
2. Gameplay is the largest British retail chain specialising in computer games.
3. Over ten percent of new businesses are started by people under the age of 25.
4. Tom Hartley inherited most of his money.
5. Andrew Collins set up his company with his chemistry teacher.
6. Shell offers loans to young entrepreneurs.
7. Entrepreneurs in their early 20s are more likely to succeed than older people who
go into business for themselves
8. Many banks are reluctant to provide financing to youngsters.
9. The bank accepted Gulam Kadir's loan application because his business concept
was unusual for a young person.
10. Some customers like doing business with young entrepreneurs as they are more
flexible.
3. Translate the text.
overcome
set up
raise
turn down
take on (x2)
run
a partner
finance
a business
hurdles
the challenge
a risk
a request
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TEXT 25
Read the text and do the tasks follow.
THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE
The South Sea Bubble is the name given to a speculation in 1720, and
associated with the South Sea Company in London. People bought shares in the
company expecting to make a huge profit, but the boom in shares collapsed and
many investors lost all their money.
The South Sea Company was founded in 1711 to trade with Spanish
America. The company's stock offered a guaranteed interest of 6% and sold well.
Unfortunately, however, Spain allowed the company to send only one ship a year to
trade in the area.
The first voyage in 1717 was a success. Then King George I became
governor of the company in 1719. This created confidence in the business, and soon
it was paying 100% interest.
In 1720, there was a boom in the South Sea Company's shares because it
agreed to take over the country's national debt. It expected to get back its money by
increased trade and a rise in the value of its shares.
The shares did, in fact, rise dramatically. The stock of the company, which had
been around £128 in January 1720, reached £1,000 in August. However, by
September the market had collapsed, and the price fell back to £124. Eventually, with
the support of the Government, the shares levelled off at around £140.
The Sourh Sea Bubble had burst and it led to an economic depression in the country.
1. Find the words or phrases in the text which are similar in meaning to the
definitions below.
1. a very large amount of money ______________.
2. set up ______________.
3. sudden increase in buying and selling ______________.
4. to accept responsibility for ______________.
5. go up very fast ______________.
6. in the end ______________.
7. remained stable ______________.
2. Answer the question.
1. What name was given to a speculation in 1720?
2. Where and when did it happen?
3. When was the South Sea Company founded?
4. What was the main activity of the company?
5. How much interest did the company pay to the shareholders?
6. Why did the shares rise dramatically in 1720?
7. What were the consequences of the boom?
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 26
Read the text and do the tasks below.
TULIPOMANIA
The first modern stock market appeared in Amsterdam at the beginning of the
17th century. In Holland in the 1630s, there was one of the first and most
extraordinary speculative explosions in history. It was not in stocks and shares, in real
estate or in fine paintings, as you might expect, but in tulip bulbs. It has become
known by the name Tulipomania.
People from all classes invested in the bulbs. Many sold their property so that
they could pay for the bulbs they had bought in the tulip market. Foreigners joined in
the rush to buy the flowers and money poured into Holland from other countries.
In 1637, the boom in the market ended. No one knows why, but people began
to sell. Others followed suit. Soon there was a panic among investors and the tulip
market collapsed. Many people who had offered their property as security for credit
went bankrupt. People who had agreed to buy tulips at inflated prices were unable to
pay their debts. When sellers took legal action ro recover their money, the courts
were not helpful because they saw such investment as a kind of gambling.
It is not surprising that the collapse in prices led a severe economic recession in
Holland.
1. Answer the question.
1. When and where did the first modern stock market appear?
2. What did people invest their money in?
3. When did the boom in the market stop?
4. Why did many people go bankrupt?
5. Did the courts help to recover sellers’ money? Why?
6. What where the consequences?
2. Find the words or phrases in the text which are similar in meaning to the
definitions below.
1. great in buying and selling, usually of shares ______________.
2. land and buildings ______________.
3. flowed quickly ______________.
4. copied ______________.
5. ended suddenly ______________.
6. offered to a lender when you borrow money ______________.
7. unable to pay their debts ______________.
3. Translate the text.
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TEXT 27
Read the text and do the tasks below.
THE WALL STREET CRASH
The stock market crash in the United States in 1929 was huge and it led to a
severe and lasting economic crisis in the world. Many bankers and industrialists lost
their money and reputations. Some went to prison and others committed suicide.
Share prices on the New York stock exchange had begun rising in 1924, and in
1928 and 1929 they rocketed to unbelievable levels. In spring 1929 there was a break
in the rising prices when the Federal Reserve Bank said it might raise interest rates to
slow down the boom. However, a major bank, the National City Bank, assured
investors that it would continue to lend money to them at affordable rates.
Soon the market took off again. People could buy stock for 10% of its value
and borrow the remaining 90%. The lending rate varied from 7% to 12%. Almost
everyone was optimistic. One economist, at the peak of the boom, said that people
generally agreed ‘stocks are not at present overvalued’.
It all ended on 21 October, 1929. The market opened badly and there was
heavy selling. Confidence in the market disappeared.There was a rumour that the big
bankers were getting out of the market. Share prices fell dramatically and kept
on falling. The boom was over. But its consequences would last for years to come.
1. Find the worlds or phrases in the text which are similar in meaning to the
definitions below.
1. a powerful business person controlling large companies ____________ .
2. went up very fast ____________ .
3. a change for a short period____________ .
4. became very active____________ .
5. highest point ____________ .
6. sold at too high a price____________ .
7. selling all of their shares____________ .
2. Choose the best answer.
If someone speculates:
a) they take a risk to make a quick profit.
b) they make a safe investment for long-term security.
3. What do the following numbers refer to? Make a sentence about each
number.
1. 1929
2. 10
3. 12
4. 90
5. 21
4. Translate the text.
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TEXT 28
Read the text and do exercises that follow.
CASH
Cash is a commonplace and simple method of payment. It's easy to use -
customers don't need any special knowledge to pay in cash. It's ready for use any
place any time - customers don't need any cashing facilities.
When you say that you will pay in cash, it means that you have the necessary
amount of money in notes and coins.
Normally national currency of the country will be expected. Often major hard
currencies will be accepted. Though it is against the law.
According to the law you will be obliged to change your money for the local
currency when you travel overseas. The exchange rate will be displayed at the bank
or bureau de change. The exchange rate is the value of the money of one country
compared to that of another. A buying rate and a selling rate will be shown. Bear in
mind that a commission will be taken by the bank or the bureau de change which is a
percentage for the transaction.
In tourism and hospitality it's convenient to pay in cash when you owe small
amounts. Cash is fine when you leave tips to porters and waiters, pay for taxis or buy
gifts.
It's not convenient to pay in cash when you buy wholesale or purchase
expensive goods or services. When a customer purchases a tour package at a travel
agency he will be generally expected to pay by credit card.
Travellers are not recommended to have a lot of cash on them. It's not safe to
carry money in cash when you travel as travellers are more often pickpocketed than
residents of the country. There are lots of police records in every country when
money was lost or stolen from foreigners.
1. Answer the questions.
1. What is understood by cash?
2. In what way is cash easy to use?
3. Why will travellers be obliged to change their money for local currency of the
country they visit?
4. Where are travellers expected to change money?
5. What is the rate of exchange?
6. Why will a commission be taken when you change money?
7. When is it convenient and when is it not to pay in cash?
8. Why is it not recommended to carry a lot of money in cash?
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