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CURS DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

ANUL I

SEMESTRUL I

IACOB MIRUNA
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PARTEA I

MATERIALE DE CURS
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UNIT 1. EDUCATION AND LEARNING

I. In groups, discuss about the importance of formal and non-formal education in

one’s development.

II. Read the following text and answer the questions:

Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind,
character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by
which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one
generation to another.

Primary (or elementary) education, coming after pre-primary education, generally consists of the
first 4 years of formal, structured education in a school, starting at the age of five or six, although
this varies between, and sometimes within, countries. Globally, around 89% of primary-age
children are enrolled in primary education, and this proportion is rising. Under the Education for
All programs driven by UNESCO, most countries have committed to achieving universal
enrolment in primary education by 2015, and in many countries, it is compulsory for children to
receive primary education. Schools that provide primary education are mostly referred to as
primary schools.

The division between primary and secondary education is somewhat arbitrary, but it generally
occurs at about eleven or twelve years of age. Some education systems have separate middle
schools, with the transition to the final stage of secondary education taking place at around the
age of fourteen. In most contemporary educational systems of the world, secondary education
comprises the formal education that occurs during adolescence. It is characterized by transition
from the typically compulsory, comprehensive primary education for minors, to the optional,
selective tertiary, “post-secondary”, or “higher” education. Depending on the system, schools for
this period may be called lower secondary or middle schools, upper secondary or high schools,
gymnasiums, colleges, or vocational schools. The exact meaning of any of these terms varies
from one system to another. In the United States, Canada and Australia primary and secondary
education together are sometimes referred to as K-12 education, and in New Zealand Year 1-13
is used.

Higher education, encompassed in tertiary education, also called third stage, or post secondary
education, is the non-compulsory educational level that follows the completion of a school
providing a secondary education, such as a high school. Colleges and universities are the main
institutions that provide tertiary education. Collectively, these are sometimes known as tertiary
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institutions. Tertiary education generally results in the receipt of certificates, diplomas, or

academic degrees.

Higher education includes teaching, research and social services activities of universities, and
within the realm of teaching, it includes both the undergraduate level and the graduate (or
postgraduate) level. In most developed countries a high proportion of the population (up to 50%)
now enter higher education at some time in their lives. Higher education is therefore very
important to national economies, both as a significant industry in its own right, and as a source of
trained and educated personnel for the rest of the economy.

1. What is the first level of education called?

2. Is primary education compulsory in Europe?
3. What is secondary education?
4. Give alternative terms for higher education.

III. Provide an answer for the following questions:

1. What is the official name of our university?
2. How many students are there in the university?
3. How many Faculties are there in the university?
4. Name the categories of students.

IV. Choose the correct answer(s):

1. Helen’s parents were very pleased when they read her school ………..
a. report; b. papers; c. diploma; d. account.
2. Martin has quite a good …………….of physics.
a. result; b. pass; c. understanding; d. head.
3. Mary has a ……………..…in French from Leeds University.
a. certificate; b. degree; c. mark; d. paper.
4. My favourite ……………...at school was mathematics.
a. topic; b. class; c. theme; d. subject.
5. The head of a school is called a ………….………
a. director; b. principal; c. diligent; d. professor.
6. Before you begin the exam paper, always read the ……….…….carefully.
a. orders; b. instructions; c. rules; d. answers.
7. If you want to …….. the examination, you must study thoroughly.
a. take; b. bring; c. past; d. pass.
8. Jack decided to ……………..a course in education sciences.
a. make; b. take; c. attend.
9. Sheila has always got good …………..in algebra.
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a. marks; b. points; c. notes.

10. My sister ………………..me how to draw.
a. learned; b. taught; c. teaching.
11. Martin …………….his exam and had to take it again.
a. failed; b. failure; c. missed.
12. If you have any questions, ……………your hand.
a. raise; b. rise; rose.

V. Match the phrases on the left with their explanation on the right. Then introduce
them into appropriate contexts:

1. have a tutorial a. one who is absent without permission,

especially from school
2. take a degree b. obtain qualification in a particular field
3. Bachelor’s degree c. to receive a sum of money given by a
government or other organization for
educational purposes
4. graduate with honours d. a sum of money paid for instruction
5. Master’s degree e. a designation referring to graduates’
performance
6. cram for end-of-term exams f. to have a class that provides instruction in a
particular area
7. do a Ph.D. g. title of a first university degree in a
particular subject
8. play truant h. university degree in a particular subject
which one gets after studying for one year or
two longer after your first degree
9. get a grant i. be enrolled in a high-level university degree,
conducting original and advanced research,
synthesized in a thesis
10. tuition fee j. to study hastily for an examination

VI. Look at these idiomatic expressions using learn. Then rewrite the sentences below
using the expressions:

• learn (off) by heart

• learn by rote
• learn the ropes
• learn (one’s) lesson
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• a quick learner

a. Starting a new job is difficult because you have to learn all the basic things that you don’t yet
know.
b. He was able to pick up everything about the sport in no time at all.

c. We had to remember all the words of the song before the concert.

d. The child, who ran in the school corridor, fell over and banged his head. He now knows never
to do that again.

e. When my grandfather was at school he had to memorize all the facts that the teacher told him.
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UNIT 2. TRAVELLING AND HOLIDAYS

I. Read the following text and answer the questions:

Alternative vs. Mass Tourism

Most people have a defined picture of a vacation, usually associated with accommodation and
some attractions at a place or few. However, more and more people are breaking away from
traditional package holidays (usually limited to transportation, accommodation and some local
commercialized attractions), treating local people and their native area with responsibility,
looking after the environment, searching for virgin nature and unsophisticated ways of life. A
vacation type which most forms of alternative tourism offer.

The impact of mass tourism is quite popular, especially upon the environment. Besides, very
limited share of money spent on holidays actually get to the local people, whose regional and
native cultural attractions we all enjoy. These are the people who actually save the traditions and
habits of their local areas. The people who allow us to catch a glimpse of their cultural heritage;
these who have preserved and take care of the unspoiled nature for all of us.

Many people think that big tour operators and large travel consortiums have a responsibility to
preserve that local cultural heritage and environment. But the part of their great profits spent for
this is not exactly known. But if one does not look a bit further into the future, one will see that
this way, one day there will not be many remaining tourist resources and gains will start
descending fast. Unfortunately, this will affect no one so greatly, but the locals.

After all, alternative tourism forms include small groups of people who surely do not harm the
environment that much. Besides, as I am sure most of them are familiar with one of the aims of
alternative tourism, namely to acknowledge how to preserve the environment and local traditions
and culture. Actually, some alternative forms are meant to enable people to appreciate the
greatness of nature. A good example is eco-tourism.

However, there is a totally different situation in some big resorts with thousands of people
running around and hundreds of hotels keeping the beautiful nature views away from your sight.
Of course, there are many ways of entertainment in view of tourist animation, nightlife, and
other. But is it not exactly that what we are running from? Could great nightlife compare with
natural wonders and cultural heritage? So, from my point of view, except for the slightly higher
prices in alternative tourism, it seems that alternative tourism is the better choice.

(Published on 27th of March 2017, by Ivaylo Yordanov)

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1. Is it mass tourism or alternative tourism that tends to dominate the market nowadays?
2. How do alternative tourism fans behave towards nature and local people?
3. What is the role that local people play in tourism?
4. What is the most important aim of alternative tourism?

II. Find words in the text that mean:

1. a term quite close to holiday;

2. to decrease;
3. an association or combination of businesses, financial institutions or investors for the
purpose of engaging in a joint venture;
4. to injure physically, morally or mentally;
5. see something for a brief time.

III. Look at these different types of traveller. How would you describe them?

a pilgrim a tourist a rambler an emigrant

a holiday-maker a commuter a hitch hiker a yachtswoman
a bus conductor a motorcycle courier

Now match these types of traveller to the following descriptions:

a. She sails round the world single-handed in a catamaran.

b. He goes sightseeing and takes lots of photos.
c. She finally arrives at the holy place and approaches the icon.
d. He left Britain in 1980 and has settled in Australia.
e. He thumbs a lift.
f. He delivers urgent letters and parcels to businesses in the city.
g. Every Sunday, he walks ten miles or so for pleasure across hills and moors.
h. This summer we’ve booked a lovely holiday hotel near the beach in the south of Spain.
i. She catches the eight o’clock train every weekday morning.
j. He sells tickets on the number 22.

IV. Match the types of trips below to the texts that describe them:

go on a boat trip go on an excursion go on a voyage

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go on a journey go on a walk go on a guided tour

go on an expedition go on a business trip

1. We have been planning it for years. It’s one of the last remaining unexplored areas of
rainforest in the world, and who knows what we will find there. There will be scientists and
ecologists as well as experienced adventurers because we could discover new species of plants
and animals.

2. Well, I’ve booked it. We have to be in front of the hotel at six o’clock in the morning,
and, as soon as everybody has taken their seat, we’ll set off for Warwick and Stratford. It’s
motorway most of the way, but there should be some nice views when we get near Warwick. We
have two hours at the castle and all afternoon to visit Shakespeare’s house. We have to be back
on the coach for the drive home at six.

3. It was a lovely afternoon, so we put on our coats and boots and headed off for Hare Hill.
We took the dog, too. The path along the river is very narrow so we went in single file until we
reached Newbridge village. And it’s a really steep climb to the top of the hill. We were
exhausted by the time we got home.

4. We went up on deck. The strong breeze immediately hit us in the face. I looked far out
across the huge desert of green-blue that lay before us, but I could see no land. It would be three
more days before we reached the coast of South America.

5. There were hundreds of people on the platform, and, carrying two suitcases, and a
rucksack on his back, William began to worry that he wouldn’t be able to find his seat. It would
take two days travelling on this old train across some of the most lonely and beautiful scenery in
the world before he reached the little village in the foothills where he was going to work.

6. I’ll be arriving at Linate Airport at 3, travelling club class. Could you arrange for a driver
to be waiting for me? I have to be at Head Office for the meeting at four thirty. I will only be
carrying hand luggage – a briefcase and an overnight bag – so I shouldn’t be delayed in customs.

7. It was the highlight of the holiday. We booked a trip along the River Umacinta between
Mexico and Guatemala. It was wonderful. We travelled for two hours past forested banks
watching the alligators, visited a Mayan ruin, and stopped for lunch in an old village.

8. On the left, you can see St Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. We’re
going inside now. Could you all stay together, please?’
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V. Choose the correct answer:

1. We still have to book/make a hotel and to buy our plane tickets.

2. I'm leaving tomorrow and I still haven't packed/stacked my suitcases.
3. I always get great deals on hotels because my friend is a trip/travel agent.
4. After they got in/ on the bus, they realized it was the wrong number.
5. At present, double deckers/ two floor buses are no longer used only in London.
6. Travel agents often ask you whether or not you would like to buy traveller's
insurance/papers.
7. A connecting/connect flight requires a passenger to move from one plane to another.
8. If you lose something at an airport, you should check at the airport's lost-and- find/found
office.
9. When you arrive in a new country, you often have to go through customs/custom at the
airport.
10. A lay around/layover is the time you have to wait at an airport for your connecting flight.
11. Our tour guide/conductor was amazing! He knew so much about the city!
12. Are you here on vacation? No. I'm here on affairs/business.
13. We plan to do some sightseeing/see-sights while we're in Chicago.
14. I left my bag in a locker/lock at the train station.
15. You have to check in/on at the airport three hours before your flight.
16. Are there any cheap places to eat around/close here?

VI. Answer the questions:

1. What is a globetrotter?
2. What do you take if you travel light?
3. What does a travel agent do?
4. What are you if you are well-travelled?
5. What is a travelator?
6. Wanderlust is …?
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UNIT 3. WORK AND EMPLOYMENT

I. What is the profession that you would like to have?

II. Name five factors that would motivate you to work harder, regardless of the job.

III. a. Read the article. Mark each of the statements below as True or False.

In someone else’s job for a day

If you could do any job at all for one day, what would it be? An easy question to answer, you
may think. But when Campaign for Learning, an education charity, said they would arrange for
me to take on any job I wanted for a day, I was flummoxed.

Going through some newspapers, I found references to two studies: one suggesting that workers
in Wales have the highest job satisfaction in Britain, another suggesting that company directors
are the happiest among all professionals. Which is why I drove to an engine plant in Wales last
week to be a company director for a day. I arrived to meet Bob Murphy, the 42-year-old plant
manager, at 9.30am. On the wall of his office, there was a picture of an eagle and the slogan:
‘Focus: If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.’ I explained how I had chosen to spend the
day at his plant.

Our first task was to attend a meeting of the senior team members who run the plant, which itself
runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, producing 622,000 engines a year. A manager got the
meeting rolling by saying: ‘The block and head CMMS went down late yesterday evening,
which delayed the change of the VCT.’ I couldn’t understand a word of what they were talking
about. After the meeting, Bob Murphy told me: ‘We are going to go for a walk around the plant
now. I do three walks a day. I don’t think you can manage from a desk – the factory floor is
where the action is.’ I thought these walks would last a few minutes each, but since the 25-year-
old plant covers 6 hectares, they lasted some time

longer – most of the day, in fact. They were interspersed with various meetings about many
things I did not understand.

By the end of the day, at 4:30pm (or rather at the end of my day – Bob works from 5am to
6:30pm, and comes in at the weekends too), we must have walked five or six miles. But in spite
of the pain in my feet, I was glad I went for the Welsh factory option. It was nice to discover that
there are some management jobs that do not simply involve chairing meetings and sitting at a
computer screen. And it was interesting to meet so many people who seem to be content with the
jobs they have.
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1. The author spent a day at a factory that makes engines.

2. He went to a meeting where people used a lot of jargon and abbreviations.
3. In between walking round the site, the author and Bob attended several meetings.
4. Bob Murphy spends most of his day chairing meetings.
5. The author regretted having chosen to visit this factory.

b. Choose the best answer to each question.

1. What do you think ‘flummoxed’ means?

a) completely confused

b) certain about how you fee

c) delighted

2. The message on Bob’s office wall means

a) if you work hard, you’ll achieve more.

b) don’t be afraid to set high targets.

c) if you try to do two things at once, you’ll fail.

3. The word ‘itself’ at the beginning of the third paragraph refers to

a) the meeting.

b) the senior management team.

c) the plant.

4. A manager ‘got the meeting rolling’. Do you think that means

a) started the meeting?

b) interrupted the meeting?

c) made everyone laugh?

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II. Look at the following words/ expressions and use some of them to complete the
sentences below.

work experience workplace work hard

working day workaholic all work and no play
work overtime flexitime work long hours

a. Nowadays, people have to ………to make a living.

b. Salesmen often ……………, starting early in the morning and finishing late at
night.
c. I usually finish work at 5, but if I have to …………………, finishing at 7 or 8, I
don’t mind, because I get paid more money.
d. ………………… makes Jack a dull boy.
e. .................is a system of working a set number of hours with the starting and
finishing times chosen within agreed limits by the employee.
f. You should listen to him. He has a lot of ……….. .
g. Being a …………, he doesn’t have time for anything else, unfortunately.
h. In France, the …… ….….. is just 7 hours/ day.
i. In the civilized world, one can no longer speak about discrimination at the … …. .

III. Choose the right answer for each gap:

a. professor; b. bank manager; c. carpenter; d. dentist; e. gardener; f. mailman;

g. photographer; h. plumber.

a. Mary needs to borrow money in order to build her new house. She has to see the
…….
b. My father teaches French at College. He is a…….
c. I waited for my letters, but the …… was late as usual.
d. Peter, the faucets don't work and there is water all over the floor. Could you
please call the …….?
e. In order to properly immortalize the best moments of a wedding, you will need to
call the best.........in town.
f. One of my fillings has come out, and I've got terrible toothache. So I have to go to
the ……..
g. Anita wants to use the wood from these shelves to make a bookcase. She needs
the help of a ………..
h. The lawn is really long and there are weeds everywhere. So I had to call the
…………
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IV. Match the jobs with their definitions:

senator biologist refuse collector fireman economist
pharmacist electrician musician novelist architect

1. an expert who designs buildings

2. an expert in the science of economics;
3. someone who writes novels;
4. someone who plays a musical instrument as a profession;
5. a member of a senate;
6. a person who tends fires, a member of a fire department who tries to extinguish fires;
7. a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs;
8. a scientist who studies living organisms;
9. a person who picks up rubbish;
10. a specialist who remedies electrical faults.

V. Find opposites for the following phrases:

1. it’s well-paid
2. it’s relaxing
3. it’s stressful
4. you can go home early
5. it’s exciting
6. you don’t need to pass many exams to do this job
7. it’s rewarding
8. it’s mundane

VIII. Fill in the gaps using the words given:

punctual confident diligent team-player

reliable ambitious conscientious

a. I am an ...................man and this would be a great opportunity for me to reach the

position I have dreamt of.
b. I am .......................that I will make a valuable addition to your team.
c. I am very ......................... . I take care to make sure I do a good job.
d. I am very .............................. . I put a lot of effort in what I do.
e. I am very .............................. . I always arrive at work in time.
f. I am .......................... . You can depend on me to get the job done in time.
g. I am a ................................. . I am happy to collaborate with other people on
projects.
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UNIT 4. EUROPEANS LIVING TOGETHER

I. Read the following text about the EU:

The European Union needs no introduction. Over half a century, it has brought political
stability and economic prosperity to its citizens. It has created a frontier-free single market and a
single currency, the euro. It has reunited a fractured continent. The European Union is a major
economic and commercial power and the world’s biggest donor of development aid to poorer
countries. Its membership has grown from six to 28 nations, bringing the EU’s population to
nearly half a billion. The size of the countries varies widely, with France the biggest and Malta
the smallest.

Though richly diverse, EU countries are united in their commitment to peace,

democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. They seek to uphold these values in
Europe and beyond, to build and share prosperity, and to exert their collective influence by
acting together on the world stage.

The EU began life in the 1950s as the European Economic Community with six founding
members — Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. They created a
new way of coming together to manage their joint interests, based essentially on economic
integration. They were joined by Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1973, Greece in
1981, and Spain and Portugal in 1986. Unification of Germany in 1990 brought in the Länder
from eastern Germany. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary,
Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia joined in 2004, followed in 2007 by Bulgaria and
Romania. Croatia joined in 2013.

With fewer young people, the EU workforce is shrinking. Fewer workers will have to
support more and more pensioners. The number of over-80s is forecast to reach 6.3 % of the
population by 2025. To boost the working population, Europe needs more people of working age
to take jobs, to have them retire later, to get more women to work, to update workers’ skills
through life-long learning programmes and to promote targeted immigration. More babies would
also help!

The standard of living in the EU varies. GDP per inhabitant is highest in Luxembourg
and lowest in Bulgaria. The EU is striving to narrow the gap between its rich and poor members,
strengthen the European economy, make it more competitive and create more jobs so we can all
enjoy a better quality of life. As it is, GDP growth is currently faster in the poorer countries than
in the other member states.
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A thriving economy needs people to stay in work longer and to learn new skills
throughout their working lives. ‘Lifelong learning’ is the watchword. In the EU, the number of
adults taking part in learning activities has been rising — reaching 9.6 % of people aged between
25 and 64 in 2006.

Education is the key to success — for individuals and for the EU as a whole. The subjects
Europeans choose to study tend to differ according to their gender: more men choose science,
computing and engineering, while more women choose the arts, humanities and law. Europe
needs well-qualified people in all walks of life. In particular, it needs more women in
professional careers, and more scientists (of both genders) to carry out vital research. On the
whole, the less educated you are, the more likely you are to be unemployed. If you have
completed ‘tertiary’ education (e.g. a university degree course), your risk of being out-of-work is
less than half that of someone who never got beyond primary or lower secondary schooling.

Employment and the creation of more and better jobs for its citizens are top
priorities for the EU. The Union must also help provide equal opportunities, so that
everyone who wants to can work. The aim is to raise the number of people of working age
with jobs to the level of 70 % of the working-age population by 2015.

As to jobs, in the 1950s, more than 20 % of the EU’s population worked in farming
and around 40 % in industry. Since then, employment in agriculture and industry has fallen
while the number of jobs in the services sector has soared. By 2010, more than two thirds of
jobs in the 25-nation EU were in the services sector. The figure for agriculture was 5.0 %
and for industry 27.9 %. Recent figures show that, while employment levels continue to rise
in services and fall in agriculture, the number of industrial jobs has remained relatively
stable.

The EU is the main exporter in the world and the second biggest importer. The United
States is the EU’s most important trading partner, followed by China. In 2005, the EU accounted
for 18.1 % of world exports and 18.9 % of global imports. The European Union is also an
important trading partner for less developed countries, most of whose exports enter the EU duty-
free or at reduced rates of duty. This preferential access to the EU market is aimed at boosting
the economic growth of poorer countries around the world.

II. Read the text again to find words/ phrases for the following explanations:
1. without borders;
2. one that contributes something, such as money, to a cause or fund;
3. the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is
fairly applied;
4. to support or defend;
5. common interest;
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6. all the people working or available to work, as in a nation, company, industry, or on a

project;
7. to increase; raise;
8. the total market values of goods and services produced by workers and capital within a
nation's borders during a given period; the English equivalent for PIB;
9. to rise, fly, or glide high and with little apparent effort;

III. Fill in each gap with a word derived from the word given:
1. COMMERCE
a. The decision has been made on purely ...............................basis.
b. It was that TV .................................. that made me buy that product.
2. NEIGHBOUR
a. I can always pay him a visit because he lives in the ............................... .
b. Ukraine has recently had difficulties with the .........................countries.
c. I have always liked that part of the country because it has given me a
........................feeling.
3. SURVIVE
a. The doctors said it was a miracle that he ........................ .
b. In these areas, every day is a fight for ................................. .
c. This child is the famous singer’s only ......................descendant.
d. He is the only .............of the 1935 winning team.
4. STRONG
a. He is a ...............................person, always achieving what he wants.
b. The European Union and the Member States must become ……………… involved in
policies aimed at promoting energy efficiency.
c. We need someone who has the ……………….to take on a difficult job.
d. Specialists consider that aerobic exercise …………………….the heart.
5. COMPETE
a. All her peers agree that she is a very ................................employee.
b. We are all aware of the fierce ........................existing in the field where we operate.
c. Many firms are struggling to survive on a highly ..........................market.
6. TRAIN
a. The clinic is run by specially ......................................medical staff.
b. The ..................................we invited to enhance our communication skills comes from
Norway.
7. KNOW
a. The accountants denied all ............................of the events.
b. The manager is extremely .........................about business and finance.
c. The documents were delivered to his last ...........................address.
8. EMPLOY
a. All ........................................in this company have to work shifts.
b. During the interview, the ..............................offered to pay for my rent.
c. After graduation, she found ................................with a local finance company.
d. He is in the red because he has been ...................................for more than six months.
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IV. Insert the necessary articles (definite, indefinite or zero):

Romania is a European country, with …….1….. population of almost 23,000,000 and

……2……… area of 238,391 square kilometres. The capital of Romania is Bucharest, one of
…..3……… most interesting cities in the country. Bucharest is also called "little Paris", because
of …….4…….. many French influences of the last century, when the most frequently spoken
foreign language in Romania was …….5……French.
In 1918, the national day of Romania was established on the 1st of December. It was the
day when …..6……. three parts that once were apart came together and formed the country as it
is today.
The official language is …….7…….Romanian, a Neolatin language, being related to the
other Latin languages in Europe, such as Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Romania boasts great biodiversity and unspoiled ecosystems. ……..8….. vast territories
of the Danube Delta, the big number of large carnivores and the huge wooded expanses in
……..9…….. Carpathians are among the most significant and best known aspects of Romania’s
natural wealth. Natural and semi-natural ecosystems stand for about 47% of …….10……
country’s area, 783 types of habitat having been identified and defined.
Wildlife diversity is attested by existing populations of wolf, bear, chamois and lynx,
considered among ……11…….rarest in Europe, and also by vast unspoiled forest and alpine
habitats associated with the Carpathians. Approx. 5600 bears, accounting for 60% of
………12….. European brown bear population, approx. 3000 wolves or 40% of the European
wolf population, and approx. 1500 lynxes (40%) could provide ……13…… basis for
reintroducing these species in other zones of Europe.
On ……14….. territory of Romania 3700 plant species were identified, of which 23 have been
declared ……..15……..nature monuments, 74 are extinct, 39 are endangered, 171 are
vulnerable, and 1253 are rare.
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UNIT 5. PEOPLE AND BEHAVIOUR

Managing projects and managing people are very similar; however, there is one critical
difference between them that often makes project management more difficult than people
management and another that makes them approach their work differently.

Similarities between Project Management and People Management

Both disciplines require strong leadership skills. Project managers and supervisors propel
teams to achieve common goals. In order to be a leader, people have to follow. If a project
manager or supervisor does not have followers, the consequences are dire. Work does not get
done, and everyone gets frustrated. While individual followers may face disciplinary action,
leaders are the ones whose jobs are most in jeopardy when their leadership is not followed.

Communication is critical in project management and supervision. A common adage about

project managers is they spend 90% of their time communicating. Any project manager
should tell you that is true. Checking on the status of a task a work member committed to
completing, writing status reports, and holding meetings are just a few of the communication
responsibilities project managers have. Supervisors communicate much of the time as well.
Setting expectations with their staff, gathering information, and reporting on the team’s work
are some supervisory responsibilities that require effective communication.

Organizational skills are important for project managers and supervisors. Project managers
tend to be planners by nature who thrive on establishing a plan and executing it. They even
have plans within plans like a communication plan within a project’s work breakdown
structure. Supervisors need to keep track of what their staff members are doing.

Differences between Project Management and People Management

The main difference between project management and supervision is that project managers
do not hold management authority over their project team members whereas supervisors can
hire, fire, discipline and compel their staff to follow orders.

This means project managers need to have excellent management skills. They do not have
the threat of personnel action in their back pockets. Granted, supervisors should rarely
threaten personnel action, but they have the ability, and many times, that is enough of a
threat. When all else fails, a project manager gets help from a project sponsor. This person
has the organizational clout to do things neither a project manager nor an ordinary supervisor
can do. A project sponsor can go above a supervisor to have a project team member removed
or coached to better performance.
 20

Something that makes project managers approach their work differently than supervisors is
that a project manager is not necessarily an expert in a project’s subject matter while
supervisors are experts in their staffs’ business.

Project management and people management share many of the same necessary skills and
abilities; however, the jobs are dissimilar in their authority and technical expertise. Both
present interesting and challenging career paths for those who have leadership,
communication, and organizational skills.

I. Use the following words to describe the people below:

shy thoughtless honest

bad-tempered mean sociable

friendly affectionate patient

out-going good-tempered generous

fun thoughtful nice

selfish easygoing caring

childish mature kind

1. She gives a lot of money to charity, and she likes to share everything she has with other
people.
2. He’s great to go out with to parties and discos. He makes me laugh.
3. He never gets angry. He’s always calm and relaxed.
4. She never thinks about how other people may feel.
5. He’s very loving. He likes to show that he cares about me.
6. Sometimes he does stupid things. He should grow up!
7. She is only interested in herself.

II. We often use adjectives that end in –y to describe personality. Find the phrase in
the description that defines each of the words below.

fussy cheeky witty nosy moody

 21

 Well, frankly, my brother is all of those things. He always wants to know what
everybody else is doing, even when it’s none of his business.

 He is bright and lively one minute, and quiet and bad-tempered the next.

 He is also very hard to please when it comes to a good meal.

 But he thinks very quickly and says the funniest things, although sometimes what
he says is funny but rude to people older than him.

III. Choose the right answer:

1. My wife is always ......... when she is busy and becomes angry at me for no reason at
all.
a. jealous; b. talkative; c. content; d. bad-tempered.
3. Glenn is very .......... He always helps out the underprivileged people in our
community.
a. creative; b. reticent; c. sociable; d. generous.

4. My little sister is so ......... at school that she is afraid to ask any question.
a. shy; b. courageous; c. tolerant; d. envious.

5. Never ask Phoebe to dance while her husband is looking. He always gets so ..........
a. jealous; b. responsive; c. loving; d. tolerant.
6. Mary's husband is very .......... He never helps her with any of the chores around the
house.
a. handsome; b. dependable; c. lazy; d. tolerant.

7. William loves gossip. He always wants to know what everybody else is up to. That’s
because he’s …….

a. inquisitive; b. interesting; c. informed; d. bad tempered.

8. Teresa never gets angry with children. She is very ........

a. brave; b. patient; c. pleasant.

IV. Match the following body idioms with their significance. Then use the right form
of the idioms above to fill in the gaps:
 22

1. break someone's heart a. persuade someone;

2. stand on your own two feet b. watch someone carefully;

3. back someone up c. entirely;

4. learn something by heart d. be independent

5. have green fingers e. upset someone greatly;

6. keep an eye on f. be a very kind person;

7. from head to toe g. be very busy;

8. have your hands full h. like gardening;

9. have a heart of gold i. support someone;

10. twist someone's arm j. remember all the words without help.

1. She ………………………………..when she left him.

2. I’ve ………………………..the poem …………, so I can recite it to you.
3. She'll always help – she ………………………….. .
4. I can't do anything about it right now – my …………………. .
5. Her garden looks amazing. She must …………………..
6. I didn't want to go out, but, after he …………………….., I finally went.
7. I don't need your help – I can ………………………………
8. Thank you for ………………………… in the meeting. I wouldn’t have done it without
your help.
9. I think that he is not really honest; you’d better ………………..
10. We were covered in mud ………………

VIII. What personal qualities you think are important in the following categories of
people?

a. a close friend
b. a parent
c. a boss
 23

UNIT 6. INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

I. a. Read the following article and complete the table:

Finding the right international mix

In these days of increasing global integration, the task many international marketers face
is not so much market entry as managing the marketing mix in different national markets. Is
it better to standardise or to adapt it across different markets?

Consumer tastes in cars are very different in North America, the UK, Germany, Italy,
Japan and India. A “global” car that does not have country-specific differentiating features
will fail. The manufacturer, therefore, has to find the balance between designing a separate
car for each market – which would be exorbitantly costly – and designing one car for all
markets. Nissan was a pioneer in this area. It reduced the number of different chassis designs
from 40 to 8 for cars meant for 75 different national markets.

Some companies, however, do develop the same product for all markets, regardless of
existing local preferences. Companies such as Kellogg have succeeded in changing
consumption patterns. Breakfast cereal was unknown in France 20 years ago. Today it is
common. Kellogg ignored the research that said cereal would not sell in France. In contrast,
Coca-Cola changes the flavour of its soft drink to conform to local tastes. Coke in the US
tastes different from Coke in the UK, which in turn tastes different from Coke in India.

Thus there is a spectrum of new product development strategies. Firms sometimes

customize a product to every market; at other times they offer one standardised product
everywhere; and sometimes they compromise and settle in the middle.

New product development that co-ordinates efforts across national markets leads to better
products and services. Such opportunities are not normally available to a company that
operates only in one country or is only just entering a new country.

The advent of the Internet and Intranets has the potential to accelerate the process of
mining all markets for relevant information and for features that can be included in new
products. Unilever has four global research laboratories that develop products for their
different national markets while providing inputs for global products. The laboratories co-
ordinate their efforts by looking at the possibilities of melding product ideas arising from
different countries. Motorola’s software development establishments coordinate their efforts
in working on different modules of the same project.
 24

Companies also develop products in different countries in markedly different ways.

Japanese companies, for example, tend to believe much more in getting new products to
market and then gauging the reaction to them. The product itself may have been developed
with reference to observations of present and potential customers rather than conventional
market research. US companies, on the other hand, tend to use more formal market research
methods. And for German companies, product development schedules tend to be more
important.

Clearly, companies decide on different launch strategies for different categories of

products. Toshiba launched the Digital Video Disk (DVD) in Japan in November 1996, in the
US in March 1997 and in Europe in autumn 1997. however, Intel launches its latest PC chips
practically simultaneously in all countries. The launch decision also includes marketing mix
decisions. When Citibank introduced its credit card in the Asia-Pacific region, it launched it
sequentially and tailored the product features for each country while maintaining its premium
positioning. The promotional, pricing and distribution strategies also differed from country to
country.

As a contrast, consider Rolex. The genuine Rolex watch is the same certified
chronometer anywhere in the world; its positioning – as the timepiece for the elegant high
achiever – is the same around the world, as is the advertising message. One will always find
a Rolex in an upmarket distribution outlet and at a premium price. Or consider Unilever’s
Lifebuoy soap, which has different ingredients in India compares to East Africa. However,
Unilever positions the soap in the same way in both markets – as an inexpensive everyday
soap that has antibacterial properties and protects health.

Company Product Marketing approach

NISSAN cars reduced number of chassis

designs

KELLOGG’S

COCA-COLA

CITIBANK

UNILEVER
 25

b. Find noun phrases in the text which have similar meanings to the explanations
below:

1. things that make a product different for a particular country;

2. range;
3. to design specially;
4. places where worldwide markets are investigated;
5. choices about price, product, promotion, place;
6. a high price for something special or unusual.

II. The words in each of the following noun phrases are in the wrong order. Write
them in the correct form:
1. impressive figures sales really;
2. department new public relations;
3. highly research market ambitious programme;
4. rapidly sheet balance improving;
5. marketing report confidential;

III. Complete the statements with suitable marketing expressions from the box:
buying habits economic situation government bureaucracy

income distribution monetary regulations political stability

1. Because of tight …………………………..company profits could not be taken out of the

country.
2. Red tape and other examples of ………………….hinder a company’s entry into a
market.
3. The country is attractive to exporters because it has enjoyed ……………for the last 50
years.
4. The purchasing behaviour of consumers can be described as their ……………………
5. The ………………………..is improving, leading to a rise in employment.
6. ……………………is a term used by economists to describe how wealth is shared in a
country.

IV. Fill in the gaps in the following text, taking into account the first letter of the
missing word:
The dictionary defines “advertise” as “to make (something for sale, services offered, etc.)
known to the public”. Advertising can therefore be considered a form of marketing
communication, the ultimate aim of which is to p....................1............... consumers to
 26

choose a specific product or service. Every company tries to d.............2.................. its

products from those of the competition, and a key element here is the strategy of branding.

A b..............3............... can be defined as the name attached to a product or service, how

that name is visually expressed through a l.................4................ and how this together with
the name are extended throughout a company’s communications.

However, a brand is much more than just a noun. It also represents some intangible
aspects of a product, as it is how the product or often even the whole
c................5....................is perceived by its c................6........... . A successful brand will
make customers think of your company first when they think of the particular product
category to which the brand is attached. A classic example is the “Hoover” brand. The word
“hoover” became a synonym for “vacuum cleaner”, and many people still use the word
“hoover” even if the apparatus they use was manufactured by another company.

V. Make up new words from the words given:

1. advertise
 In our new company, our main ................medium will be television.
 Benetton produced a series of eye-catching ............................for their products.
2. associate
 Engineering firms often work in ..........................with other companies on a major
contract.
3. consume
 Wine .........................is high in France, and on the increase in other European
countries.
4. market
 To make money, you don’t just need a good product – you also need excellent
................. .
 Some products are very innovative, but they simply aren’t ..................... .
5. produce
 Although the meeting went on for hours, it was rather ...................................... .
 Since we introduced the new pay structure, ....................................has improved
enormously.
6. profit
 This line of raincoat is highly .................................... – we must discontinue it as soon
as possible.
 27

PARTEA A II-A

MATERIALE DE SEMINAR
 28

UNIT 1. SOCIALIZING IN BUSINESS

1.1. Lead-in
Consider the following questions:
1. Is there any difference between formal and informal language?
2. Read the following questions and mark your answer:

DOs and DON’Ts

Business manners make a major impression on colleagues, employees and customers but
sometimes, there’s only a subtle difference between saying “the right thing” and ”the
wrong thing”. Read the following situations and decide which is right and which is wrong:

1. When you want to intrude on a colleague’s time, you say:

a. May I have a moment of your time?
b. Are you busy right now?

2. When you want to smoke:

a. Light a cigarette in a bathroom or corner.
b. Look for a smoking sign, or leave the premises to light up.

3. When you accidentally use profanity:

a. Please, excuse my anger.
b. I know I shouldn’t say things like that, but being late makes me so mad.

4. When you are wondering when to start eating:

a. Start eating when you are invited to do so.
b. “Dig in” at the table before others begin their meals.

5. When you are wondering how to address someone you just met:
a. Repeat his or her entire name slowly and ask for the proper form of address.
b. Use a first name unless you’re in a social setting or meeting a peer.

6. When you are running out of time during an appointment:

a. Offer to make an additional appointment for further questions or comments.
b. Summarily end the meeting or anxiously look at the clock.

7. When you want to make a personal comment to a colleague:

a. Ask to speak to the individual privately.
b. Raise the issue during a meeting.

8. When you enter a room:

a. Place your items on the individual’s desk unless he invites you to do so.
b. Stand until the other individual sits down.
 29

9. When you hear a rumor:

a. Listen politely and without comment.
b. Repeat the rumor or harangue the individual for spreading the rumor.

10. When a conversation partner is not paying attention to you:

a. Stop the conversation entirely or bring public attention to the individual’s behavior.
b. Offer a “mini-pause” of a few seconds, followed by a warm nod of the head or a
smile.

11. When you are trying to decide how to dress:

a. Dress casually.
b. Dress in approximately the same style as you expect the individual you are meeting
to dress.

12. When you are visiting someone and you must pass a reception desk:
a. Walk by the receptionist without acknowledging her.
b. Ask permission to go ahead, even if you know the direction to the individual’s
location.

13. When you take your coat off in someone’s office:

a. Ask where coats should be hung, even if you notice a hook on the wall.
b. Drape it over the back of your chair.

1.2. Reading

Business Manners / Business Etiquette around the World

The prospect of committing a faux pas in front of your peers, boss or clients is enough to
make you blush. A case of the hiccups or giving a presentation with your zipper down will
haunt you for the rest of your career.
The odds of making a social misstep increase when you travel abroad. U.S. workers
making business trips to other countries often find themselves trying to put their best foot
forward but instead end up stepping on the toes of their hosts.

Don't always clean your plate

The dinner table is the perfect venue to commit a well-intentioned gaffe. Nancy Mitchell of
The Etiquette Advocate trains clients on business protocol and etiquette. One of her clients
recently admitted that he offended a Chinese business associate on his first trip to Beijing.
The business associate invited him to dinner on the first night of the visit. His research
taught him that in China, he shouldn't discuss business at such an early stage of his trip, so
he went to dinner confident about his efforts to keep the conversation on learning more
about China and his host's family.
 30

As the evening progressed, the American politely ate every bit of food on his plate, even as
the courses continued and he was full. When the evening ended, the host's warmth had
disappeared and he gave the visitor a cold goodbye.
The next morning he found out from a co-worker that in China, cleaning your plate means
you weren't given enough food. Several helpings of food signal that the host wasn't
generous to his or her guest.

Other rules of etiquette American business travelers might find quirky can be found in
Cross- Cultural Selling for Dummies by Michael Soon Lee. Among them:
- You shouldn't give a Chinese person a clock as a gift. This can be viewed as an unlucky
action signaling someone's death.
- Knives don't make good gifts in Japan as they can be seen as symbolic of cutting ties with
the recipient.
- In New Zealand, a common greeting between two people is to rub or touch noses.
- In Middle Eastern countries, you shouldn't use your left hand for greetings or to hand
someone an object, as the left hand is seen as unclean.
Before you head overseas to woo a client and make some important contacts on behalf of
your company, do your homework. Buy some books about etiquette and search online for
tips. Some countries even have government-sponsored Web sites that tell visitors what to
expect. Perhaps your best resource is friends or colleagues who have visited the country
because they can give you advice based on their experiences.

1.3. Language focus: The Noun

The Noun

Study the following nouns from the text; can you detect any difference?

Business – businesses: His business is buying and selling shoes. – There are different
types of businesses.

Introduction – introductions: The introduction of the book is interesting. – He made the

introductions.

People – peoples: People think he is a successful businessman. – Peoples in Asia are

different from peoples in Europe.

Manner – manners: He has a self-confident manner. – You should study business manners.

Silence – no plural: Silence in the room!

Countable nouns
Form: Sg./ pl.: office/ offices; businessman/ businessmen
 31

Determiners for Countables: the article (a, an, the), the numeral (one, two etc.), some,
many, several, a lot of etc.

Uncountable nouns
Form: They have only one form: milk, tea, coffee, information, news, trouble etc.
Determiners for Uncountables: little, a little, some (of), much (of), enough, the, no, zero
article Ø, any, more, most (of the), a lot of (the), some, all (of) the, a great/ small amount
of, a bit of (informal), a piece of, a loaf/ slice of (bread), a lump of (sugar) etc.

Use:
a lot of - in positive sentences: I have a lot of work.
much – in negative sentences and questions:
There isn’t much work to do. Have you got much work to do?
some – in positive sentences and in questions when the expected answer is
‘yes’: I have some good news. Would you like some tea?
any – in negative sentences and questions:
He didn’t make any progress. Is there any good news?
no – in negative sentences with a positive verb:
He has no experience at all.

Uncountable nouns:
Materials/ substances: oxygen, petrol, bread, chocolate, cheese, cream, gold, snow,
wind
abstract nouns: heat, science, mathematics, economics, love, hate, happiness,
advice, experience, fun, help, health, information, knowledge, progress, weather,
work
nouns that are uncountable in English but are often countable in other languages:
accommodation, music, equipment, furniture, homework, luggage, rubbish

Rule: Uncountables + Vb. in the sg.: Mathematics is important.

Always take a verb in singular: information, homework, advice, intelligence, wisdom,

money, luggage, knowledge, justice, nonsense, news, furniture, politics, economics,
phonetics, measles, sugar, bread, butter, fruit, gold, silver, jam, honey etc.
The plural is suggested by adding: three pieces/ items of… several/ many pieces of…

Always take a verb in plural: glasses, clothes, scissors, pants, trousers, scales, goods,
premises, savings, outskirts, grounds, compasses, scales, spectacles, scissors, earnings,
funds, manners, savings, stairs, contents, wages
 32

Foreign plurals
analysis – analyses
crisis – crises
datum – data
memorandum – memoranda
phenomenon – phenomena
formula – formulae
focus – foci

Choose the correct form of the noun in the following sentences:

1. Do you have any experience/experiences of working in marketing?

2. How many people/persons/peoples will be participating in the meeting?
3. The accident happened because the workers were not wearing protective
clothing/clothings.
4. Our son cannot join us on the trip because he has a lot of homework/homeworks to
do.
5. The clerk could not give any information/informations about the company profile.
6. We all like the new office furniture/furnitures.
7. Jane has got cold/a cold. She must have caught it from me.
8. It will cost a lot to repair the damage/damages caused by the flood.

1.4. Functions
a. Identifying yourself

Hello, I’m… from…

Hello, my name is…I work for…
Hello, let me introduce myself, I’m…I’m in charge of// I’m responsible
for… Hello, first name+ surname…I’ve got an appointment with…

b. greetings when you meet someone for the first time

First greeting Reply to the greeting

Neutral How do you do? I’m (very) pleased/
delighted to meet you.
It’s (very) nice to meet you.
How do you do? Nice/ good to
Informal meet
you.
Hello. Nice to have you with us.
Hi. Pleased to meet you.
How do you do? It’s (very) nice to meet
you too.
I’m pleased to meet you too.
Nice/ good to meet you too.
Pleased to meet you too.
 33

c. Introducing people

Phrase of
introduction Relevant information
Mr. X, I’d like you to meet
Neutral Y a colleague of mine.
May I introduce Y
I’d like to introduce
Y From…
Our Marketing manager.
Informal Can I introduce He’s with…
This is… A friend of mine.
I want you to meet… He’s over here on business.

d. Greetings

Greeting Follow-up enquiry Reply Specific enquiry Reply

Hello. How are you? Very well, How was your Very good.
Hi. How are you doing? thanks. holiday? Very
(Good) How are things? Not too How was the trip? interesting
morning. How have things bad. How did the meeting Very well/
(Good) been? Fine, go? fine.
afternoon. Is everything okay/ thank you. How did you enjoy Very much.
all right? the film?
How’s everything
going?

Greeting people you see less

frequently

You have met them several times

before
I’m very pleased to meet/ see you
Neutral again.
It’s (very) nice to meet/ see you again.

Informal Good/ nice to see you. Good to meet you again.

Great to see you. Pleased to meet you again.
 34

UNIT 2. THE ARTICLE

Reading.

1. Electronic devices, multimedia, and computers are things we have to deal with every
day. Especially the Internet is becoming more and more important for nearly everybody as
it is one of the newest and most forward-looking media and surely “the” medium of the
future. The Internet changed our life enormously; there is no doubt about that. A few years
ago, if someone wanted to know about a company’s products, he would call and say: “Can
I have some brochures?” Today, he does it all on the Internet. It’s the most efficient way to
do business.

2. Although no one can predict the full effect of the current information revolution, we can
see changes in our daily lives. The computer is an important component of every modern
office. Companies already present their products, their services on the Internet and so they
get more flexible. Furthermore, they are able to exchange experiences, novelties and often
they start new projects together. They can also add files to their e-mail and that’s why a big
data transfer is possible. They don’t have to send disks with information around the world
anymore, having access to information digitally. Consequently, we may say that especially
in the business sector, knowledge provided by the Internet is power.

3. Another advantage of the Internet is the e-mail that has replaced the traditional letter.
You do not have to buy stamps anymore and it is much faster and also for free. But a
question arises here: is electronic correspondence more valuable than meeting face-to-face?
Some neighbours still stop by when a family crisis strikes but other people offer
condolences via e-mail. Whichever we prefer, the electronic seems to represent the future.
The Internet pushes life beyond the old physical barriers of time and space.

4. One example: for the women staying home and taking care of their own children
teleworking (the work on a computer at home) has become a current procedure. What are
the consequences, the advantages of teleworking? If you have a family, you can spend
more time at home, probably with your children. You can organise every day the way you
want. Meetings at the company are reduced to a minimum. Teleworking is also an
advantage for the owner of the company. Official studies substantiate that people who
work at home are more motivated than their colleagues at the office.

5.Additionally, another major advantage of the Internet is the easy access to information.
Online reference books and dictionaries replace the real bookshop or the library. It is again
cheaper to search for information on the Internet than buying a book. The Internet contains
a lot of information which is renewed and up-dated. Moreover, you can read the daily
newspapers from all over the world, sometimes for free. In addition, most newspaper sites
have an archive in which you can search for old articles.
 35

6. The Internet is also a big “advertising company”. A lot of enterprises have a homepage
with ads and support opportunities. To stay competitive, international economy
corporations must open themselves to information and new ideas. Issues must be presented
quickly with visual aid.

7. Obviously, technology promises more and more information for less and less effort. As
we hear these promises, we must balance faith in technology with faith in ourselves.
Wisdom and insight often come not from keeping up-to-date or compiling facts, but from
quiet reflection. What we hold most valuable – things like morality and compassion – can
be found only within us. While embracing the future, we can remain loyal to our
unchanging humanity.

(Source: text adapted from

http://newroom.cisco.com)

2.3. Language focus: The Article.

Notice the use of the article – definite, indefinite, zero – in the following sentences:
“But a question arises here”
“The Internet is also…”
“…Ø technology promises more and more Ø information for less and less Ø effort”

The Article
The Indefinite Article

Form: a, an
Used: only with countables (not to be used with uncountables!)
I bought an apple.
She is a secretary.

The Definite Article

Form: the
Used with: countable nouns – singular and plural (the chair/ the chairs); uncountable nouns
(the rain, the news)
He is the man I told you about.
I’ve heard the good news.
 36

The Zero Article: Ø

Used:
with abstractions: Ø Fear is dangerous./Love is stronger than hate.
with proper names: I will meet Ø Tom tomorrow.
with nouns of material: I like Ø silver.

Phrases with indefinite/ definite/ zero article

indefinite:
to indicate frequency, speed, cost: once a month, 20 km an hour, $2 a pound
in exclamations: What a shame! What a pity! What a mess!

Definite:
With the meaning of “only one”: the Parliament, the zoo
for nationalities: the Romanians, the British
+ adjectives, to indicate a class: the rich, the poor
for regions, mountain ranges, oceans, seas: the Carpathians, the Black Sea
for hotels, restaurants, pubs, theatres, cinemas: The Continental, The National Theatre

Ø
for institutions (used for their main purpose) – schools, hospitals, churches, universities: I
go to school.
for names of meals: Let’s have dinner. (The dinner was good.)
for cities, countries, continents: Bucharest, France, Europe (but: the USA, the UK)
for mountains and lakes: Mount Everest, Lake Michigan
for streets: East Street

Insert the correct form of the article – definite, indefinite, zero – in the following texts:

A. There are 1. …people who do not read 2. … paper in 3. … morning anymore. They read
4. … e-paper instead. In 5. … future there will be more and more e-papers and 6. …
newspapers will disappear. Some are beginning to talk to their computer (Come on, let’s
work!) but they are not able to talk to each other anymore. While chatting on 7............
… Internet you tend to use 8. … abbreviations, incomplete sentences and so on. This leads
to speaking disabilities in everyday life.

B. 1 … top managers of 2 … corporation are appointed or dismissed by 3 … corporation’s

board of 4 … directors, which represents 5 … stockholders’ interests. However, in 6 …
practice, 7…board of directors is often made up of 8 … people who were nominated by
9…top managers of 10 … company. 11 … members of 12 … board of 13…directors are
elected by 14…majority of 15 … voting stockholders, but 16…most stockholders vote for
17 … nominees recommended by 18 … current board members. 19 … stockholders can
also vote by proxy – 20 … process in which they authorize someone else, usually 21 …
current board, to decide how to vote for them.
 37

Please complete the following exercise using a/an/the/0 (no article) in the
underlined spaces where appropriate. Change capital letters to lower case letters at the
beginning of a sentence if necessary.

Ms Parrot, (1) ___ most famous lady detective of (2) ___ twenty-first century, was born in (3)
___ United Kingdom in (4) ___ 1960s. Since then, she has been to many countries, including
(5)___ Portugal, Singapore and Australia, and has lived in (6) ___ northern hemisphere and (7)
___southern hemisphere, as well as on (8) ___ equator. She has never been to (9) ___ Congo or
(10) ___ United States, but she speaks (11) __English, French and Portuguese. Like Sherlock
Holmes, (12) ___ famous detective, she plays (13) ___ violin, and sometimes practises up to five
times (14)___ day. She is also (15) ___ only person in (16) ___ world to have performed
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture [a long piece of music] in one breath on (17) ___ recorder. She has
been (18) ___ detective for thirty years and claims that although many people think that being
(19) ___ detective is (20) ___ piece of cake, detectives generally work very hard and it’s not all
fun and games. (21) ___ detective is someone who solves mysteries and (22) ___ people who
contact Ms Parrot have some very unusual problems. Little information is available about some
of (23) ___ cases she has solved, but quite (24) ___ few of her most famous cases have attracted
worldwide attention and she has been offered up to (25) ___ thousand dollars (26) ___ hour to
help solve mysteries such as (27) ___ case of (28) ___ Australian owl in (29) ___ uniform. (30)
___ bird laid (31) ___ egg in (32) ___ European nest in less than (33) ___ hour after its arrival.
What (34) ___ strange problem! With great (35) ___ modesty, she has either declined such (36)
___ fee or donated (37) ___ money to (38) ___ poor, or to (39) ___ Grammar Survival Fund.
 38

UNIT 3. THE STRUCTURE OF A FIRM

Reading
Organizational structures
One of the most challenging tasks of a business may be organizing the people who perform
its work. The plan for the systematic arrangement of work is the organization structure.
The typical depiction of structure is the organizational chart.

Traditional organizational structures focus on the functions, or departments, within an

organization, closely following the organization's bureaucratic procedures. These structures
have clearly defined lines of authority for all levels of management. Two traditional
structures are line and line-and-staff.

1. The line structure is defined by its clear chain of command, with final approval on
decisions affecting the operations of the company still coming from the top down. Line
structures by nature are fairly informal and involve few departments, making the
organizations highly decentralized. It is common to see the president or CEO working
alongside the subordinates. Because the president is often responsible for wearing many
"hats" and being responsible for many activities, she or he cannot be an expert in all areas.

2. While the line structure would not be appropriate for larger companies, the line-and-staff

structure is applicable because it helps to identify a set of guidelines for the people directly
involved in completing the organization's work. This type of structure combines the flow
of information from the line structure with the staff departments that support them. Based
on the company's general organization, line-and-staff structures generally have a
centralized chain of command. The line-and-staff managers have direct authority over their
subordinates, the decision-making process is slower than in a line organization. The line-
and-staff organizational structure is generally more formal in nature and has many
departments.
 39

3. A variation of the line-and-staff organizational structure is the matrix structure. In

today's workplace, employees are hired into a functional department (a department that
performs a specific type of work, such as marketing, finance, accounting, and human
resources) but may find themselves working on projects managed by members of another
department. Organizations arranged according to project are referred to as matrix
organizations. Matrix organizations combine both vertical authority relationships (where
employees report to their functional manager) and horizontal, or diagonal, work
relationships (where employees report to their project supervisor for the length of the
project). Since employees report to two separate managers, this type of organizational
structure is difficult to manage, especially because of conflicting roles and shared
authority. Employees' time is often split between departments and they can become easily
frustrated if each manager requires extra efforts to complete projects on similar time-lines.
Within the project or team unit, decision making can occur faster than in a line-and-staff
structure, but probably not as quickly as in a line structure. Typically, the matrix structure
is more informal than line-and-staff structures but not as informal as line structures.

Language focus: Prepositions

Form; type:

Simple: over, to, by, at, under etc.

Derived: beside, between, before etc.
Compound: upon, within, into etc.
Complex: instead of, because of, up to, according to etc.
Prepositional phrases: in front of, in spite of, on behalf of, with respect to etc.

Mark some of their lexical contexts:

 40

verbs + prepositions: borrow sth. from, deal with, introduce someone to, laugh about sth.,
laugh at someone, lend sth. to, pay for, wait for, apologize to/ for, argue about, ask
someone about/ for,

complain about, confess to, explain sth. to, negotiate with, talk about/ to, thank someone for,
believe in, dream about, hope for, worry about

adjectives + prepositions: amused at/ by/ about, excited about, good at, interested in, kind
of/ to, nice to/ of/ about, pleased with, proud of, afraid of, anxious about, frightened of,
scared of, terrified of, ashamed of, bad at, bored with/ by, critical of, disappointed in, fed
up with/ about, suspicious of, upset about, worried about, amazed at/ by, angry at/ with,
annoyed at/ by/ about, surprised at/ by, different from, full of, engaged to, identical to,
married to, responsible for, similar to, sure about, used to

nouns + prepositions: advantage of, addiction to, connection with/ between, damage to,
disadvantage of, exception to/ of, increase in, reaction to, sympathy for, friend of,
invitation to, photograph of, reply to, witness to

Prepositions in time and place phrases

At:
time: at noon/ dawn/ five
place: at 22 Trafalgar Square/ at the cinema

In:
time: in the morning/ in the afternoon/ in the evening/ in spring/ in May/ in 2003
place: in America, in England, in New York, in …….Street

On:
time: on Sunday/ on the 22nd of June
place: on Fifth Avenue

Prepositions + gerund: capable of, charged with, begin by etc.

2.4. Functions

Presenting and supporting opinions

 41

Asking for opinions

What are your feelings on this?

To one person To a group of people

What are your views on….? Any reaction to that?
What are your feelings about…? Has anybody any strong feeling about /
views on that?
What do you think of ….? What’s the general view on/ feeling about
that?

What’s your opinion about that? Has anybody any comments to make?

Use the correct prepositions:

A. The meeting is scheduled 1. … noon because Mr. Tett is 2. … a hurry. The exhibition is
planned to be opened 3. …a fortnight, that is 4. … June 2nd . 5. … the end of the month
Tom has to finish his report 6. ... the new product since this is the main topic our managing
director will talk7……..8. … the opening of the exhibition. He is a bit excited, since 200
guests are invited,10… all over the world. He has no reason to be scared because he is one
12. .. the five specialists 13. … the world to have dealt 14. … this important issue.

B. Experienced miners can be almost sure that they will obtain a job 1. … South Africa
provided they enter as immigrants. Moreover, there is no hard work attached 2. … mining
here since all physical labour is performed 3. … crews 4. … native boys. This explains
why no labouring or unskilled jobs are available 12. … foreign mines – only experienced
mine foremen and engineers are wanted.
 42

UNIT 4. THE JOB AND WORK ENVIRONMENT OF THE FUTURE. PRONOUNS.

Lead-in

Consider the following questions:

1. Can you imagine what jobs will be the most frequent in the future?

2. Will there be any jobs that will disappear? Why?

Reading

The Job and Work Environment of the Future

1. In future the majority of jobs will be in industries that provide services, such as
banking, health care, education, data processing, and management consulting.
Continued expansion of the service-producing sector generates a vision of a work force
dominated by cashiers, retail sales workers, and waiters. In addition to the creation of
millions of clerical, sales, and service jobs, the service sector will also be adding jobs
for engineers, accountants, lawyers, nurses, and many other managerial, professional,
and technical workers.

2. The range of employment growth in various careers will be diverse. The greatest
growth in jobs will be for technicians and related support occupations. Workers in this
group provide technical assistance to engineers, scientists, and other professional
workers as well as operate and program technical equipment. Much of this growth is a
result of rising demand for engineers, computer specialists, lawyers, health diagnosing
and treating occupations, and preschool, elementary and secondary school teachers.
The greatest decrease in jobs will be in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and related
occupations.

3. As we move into the 21st century, what will the workplace be like? Changes are
expected in both workers and the environment of the workplace. Workers will be more
culturally diverse while organisations will also change. Mergers and acquisitions
displace workers with increasing regularity. Failures, down-scaling, and mergers will
be part of the workplace of tomorrow. In addition, businesses are increasingly
becoming international organisations. As a result, success for companies will partly
depend on the ability to relate to workers and organisations in other countries.
 43

4. Since millions of workers centre a great deal of life on the workplace, the heads of
organisations are increasingly realizing that the workplace is an important setting for
promoting health and welfare of individuals (Offermann & Gowing, 1990).

5. Job satisfaction of individuals in a work group may be influenced by both their co-
workers and their supervisor or manager: employees are more likely to be satisfied
with their job if they get along well with their fellow co-workers and if they perceive
their boss or supervisor to be warm, understanding, and have a high degree of integrity.
As a rule, job satisfaction increases as people grow older. Satisfaction probably
increases because as we get older we get paid more and we are in higher status
positions.
(Source: text adapted from: J. A. Simons, S. Kalichman, J. W. Santrock, Human
Adjustment, Brown & Benchmark Publishers, Iowa, 1994, pp. 248-262)

Money alone does not lead to job satisfaction

The success of a company depends mainly on its employees. Dissatisfaction among the
employees leads to bad results. The job of a manager: to motivate the employees in order
to get things done through them: "You can take a horse to the water, but you cannot force it
to drink; it will only drink if it's thirsty."
A manager should develop a system of incentives in order to convince potential employees
to enter the company and to increase the performance of current employees.

Different types of incentives

 material factors: wages, profit sharing, fringe benefits, suggestion systems, etc.
 non-material factors: training, promotion prospects, group membership, work climate,
leadership, content of work, responsibility, etc.

Exercise 1:
Below you can find a list of some motivating factors. Please rank them according to their
importance for you and start with the most important one.

A job security
B enough help and resources
 44

C friendly, helpful co-workers

D interesting work
E good working conditions
F balanced authority
G good wages
H development opportunities
I enough information
J full appreciation of the work done
K competent supervision
L clearly defined responsibilities

Maslow's hierarchy of needs: People’s behaviour is dominated by unsatisfied needs. So,

money doesn’t spur workers to higher performance or lead to satisfaction; their existence is
seen as granted; if missing => people are dissatisfied.

We cannot deal with people's motivation without thinking of money, but we cannot count
only on this motivation factor. You need a basic, fair salary to avoid dissatisfaction and to
create requirements for intrinsic factors like responsibility or recognition which will then
lead to satisfaction of your staff.

Language focus: Relative Pronouns. Indefinite Pronouns/Adjectives.

Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives

Relative pronouns
Read the following examples and look for others in the text:
someone who owns (par. 1)

…which are specialized (par. 1)

the corporation whose stock is traded (par. 1)
…corporation that wants (par. 2)
…bonds which are…(par. 3)

Who/ whom (who)/ whose: used for persons:

The secretary who wrote that report was fired.

 45

The secretary whose report was bad was fired.

The secretary whom I talked to was fired.

Which: used for things

The report which you read was a bad report.

That: used both for persons and things

The secretary that wrote the report……….

The report that you read……………..

Indefinite Pronouns/ Adjectives: Some, any, no

Read the following examples:

Some companies pay… (par. 2)
… to pay off any bonds it has issued before any money is
returned…(par. 3) some of the profits… (par. 4)

Any: used:
in negative sentences: He hasn’t any work to do.
after hardly, scarcely, barely: There are barely any suggestions to be made in this matter.
in interrogative sentences: Does he have any chance to win?
to express doubt; after if: If he meets any of you, he will surely help you.
To express ‘no particular one’, ‘practically every’: Any suggestion you have may help.

No: adjective

Used: in affirmative sentences, to express negative meaning: There are no bankruptcies to

be mentioned.
 46

Some/ any/ no/ every + thing// body// one: something, somebody/ someone

Other indefinite pronouns: each, all, another, (the) other(s), little, much, few, many, one,
either (of), neither (of)

Observation: The indefinite pronouns anybody/ anyone, anything, everybody/ everyone,

everything, nobody/ no one, nothing, somebody/ someone, something: used with the verb in
the

Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives

some of those profits… (par. 4)

that option will reduce…(par. 2)
Find the other demonstrative pronouns/ adjectives from the text and underline them.

This/ that

These/ those
This book here is different from that book there. (adj) I’ll take this and not that. (pron.)
These people here will meet those people there. (adj.) These are engineers and those are
businessmen. (pron.)

Such

Used in the following structures:

such + a/an + noun: such a business/ such an office…..
such + noun (pl.): Such products are……..
such + noun (pl.) + as: You have to consider such conditions as………..
 47

a.Complete the following sentences using:

some, any, no
suitable relative/ demonstrative pronouns/ adjectives

Be careful: although there are some other words too, that fit into the blank spaces, you
must use only the required pronouns/ adjectives

The man 1. … is waiting next to 2. … car is my business partner. 3. … say about him that
he is the greatest specialist in car marketing from our company. There is 4. … difficult
problem 5. … he can(not) find a solution for. When the company faces tough situations he
raises his hand in the middle of 6. … meeting and he asks 7. … question he is famous for:
Can I be of 8. …help?

9. … 10. … don’t know him, would think he is mocking, but we all know the fact 11. …
he speaks as seriously as he can. Nobody is offended by his behavior since we can rely on
him in 12. … serious case 13. … appears. I don’t know 15. … idea was to hire him but he/
she did a good job.

b.Use WHO or WHICH to complete the following sentences:

Bob Geldof is a singer and songwriter WHO was born in Ireland in 1954.
1. He is the famous pop musician …………………. organized charity pop concerts in the
1980s.
2. “I don’t like Mondays.” is the name of one of his songs ……………….. became a big hit.
3. “Feed the World” is the song …………………… raised $8 million for famine relief in
Ethiopia.
4. “Bond Aid” was the name of the group …………………. sang the number one hit.
5. Charlie traveled all over the world. He found a lot of famous people ………………….
were willing to give money for his projects.
6. Before Bob became a pop star, he had many different jobs ………………….. he didn’t
like.
7. Being a music journalist in Canada was a job ……………………. he enjoyed.
8. “The Boomtown Rats” played in a city ……………………… is called
Dublin.
9. Arthur wrote a best-selling book about his life …………………… is called IS THAT IT?
10. People ………………… know Sebastian say that he is congenial.
 48

c. Complete the sentences using SOMEONE / ANYONE / NO ONE / SOMETHING /

ANYTHING / NOTHING / SOMEWHERE / ANYHWHERE / NOWHERE / EVERYONE
/ EVERYTHING / EVERYWHERE:

1. The bus was completely empty. There was ……………………….. on it.

2. The party was very nice. We had a blast! ………………………….. enjoyed it.
3. Tom is very popular. ………………………… wants to be around him.
4. ……………………….. was very kind to us. They helped us too much.
5. ……………………….. can make her happy because she is very depressed now.
6. I opened the door but there was ………………………….. there.
7. ……………………….. telephoned the police but he didn’t give his name.
8. Is ……………………… living in that house? It looks empty.
9. I heard ………………………. falling down the stairs.
10. ………………………… is here, no absentees.
11.‘We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which
hardly……………..knows ……………..about science and technology’. (Carl Sagan)
12. John went ……………………….. exciting last week.
13. ‘Economics is…………….., and understanding economics can help you make better
decisions and lead a happier life.’ (T. Cowen)
14. ‘Your time is limited, so don't waste it living………………...else's life’. (Steve Jobs)
15. She stayed in Istanbul for a month and visited ………………………… in this city.
16. What’s wrong? Have you got ………………………….. in your eye?
17. A: Where did you go for your holidays?
B: …………………… . I stayed at home.
19. The accident looked serious but fortunately ……………………….. was injured.
20. Jane was very hungry, so she wanted to go ……………………….. to eat a hamburger.
 49

UNIT 5. LANGUAGE FOCUS: THE ADJECTIVE AND THE ADVERB

Sally is looking for a flat and has emailed her mother to tell her about one she’s seen. Highlight
all the adjectives in the email.

Hi Mum,
Just been out looking again and I’ve found a fantastic flat. The bedroom is quite
small but the living room is lovely. There are huge windows with an amazing view
over a beautiful park. It even has a little balcony - I hate being stuck indoors when
the weather’s nice. Unfortunately, the kitchen is tiny but I’m a terrible cook anyway.
Can you come with me to look at it again?
Love
Sally

The Positive degree

Cold, good, lovely, rich, expensive

The Comparative Degree

Of equality: (almost) as rich as

Of inferiority: Not so/ as big as, less rich than, less expensive than, much less expensive than
Of superiority: Richer than, far/ slightly richer than, more expensive than, much more
expensive than

The Superlative

Relative: The richest, the most expensive

Absolute: very rich/ expensive
Of inferiority: the least rich/ expensive

Ways of intensifying the comparison:

 50

by repetition: It gets darker and darker.

with: far, still, ever, much, a great deal,……:The event has even greater significance than he
thought.
“the + comparative … the + comparative”: The sooner, the better.
with: extremely, terribly, exceedingly, quite: It is an extremely attractive salary.
with: far, by far: It’s far more interesting than we thought.

The Irregular Comparison of Adjectives

Positive Comparative Superlative

good better the best

bad worse the worst

much more the most

many more the most

little less the least

late later the latest (in time)

late the latter (the last from two) the last (in a sequence)

far farther the farthest (in space)

far further (additional) the furthest (abstract)

old older the oldest
old elder (attributively) the eldest

The Adverb

Form: adjective + ly
Rapid –rapidly, quick – quickly, simple - simply
 51

Careful-carefully, faithful – faithfully

adv. + ward(s): backward(s), eastward(s), ………..
noun+ long: headlong, sidelong,……….
Formed by composition: Somewhere, meantime, beforehand, midway………….

Identical adverbs and adjectives

Adjective Adverb Example

fast fast The fast car races fast.
long long After such a long meeting, will you stay here long?
He doesn’t eat much because we don’t have much
much much bread.
little little He speaks little because there is little time left.
low low A low price toy plane flies low.

Make the difference:

hard work: He works hard (very much). He hardly works (he does almost nothing).
high mountain: The plane flies high. The report was highly (very) useful for us.
new colleague:
light parcel: I travel light (without luggage). Don’t judge her lightly (superficially).
Short letter: He shut up short (all of a sudden). We will return shortly (very soon).

Use the dictionary and build correct sentences for the next two:

Quick/ quickly
Loud/ loudly
 52

Comparison of adverbs

A.
Soon – sooner – soonest
Fast – faster – fastest
B.
Correctly – more correctly – most correctly
Comfortably – more comfortably – the most comfortably

Irregular forms of comparison

Well – better – best

Badly – worse – worst
Much – more – most
Little – less – least
Far – farther/ further – farthest/ furthest
Near – nearer – nearest/ next
Late – later – latest

Types of adverbs:

 Adverbs of Manner: + ly: happily, easily, angrily, truly, sensibly, reasonably,

comfortably, automatically, beautifully, carefully, secretly, severely // hard, fast,
well

Their place is after the verb.

 Adverbs of time/ frequency: Now, yesterday, still, yet, already, early, late, soon,
recently, lately (=recently), afterwards, lately, soon, yesterday, since Monday, on
 53

Thursday; ever, never, often, always (before the main verb). Adverb phrases of time
can start with: since, for, at once, until, then.
Their place is: at the beginning/ end of sentence (now, yesterday, soon); between Subject and

Predicate: I usually write memos.; between the auxiliary and the verb: They have never met
him.

 Adverbs of place: here, there, away, abroad, south, below, upstairs, next to, close
to, anywhere, everywhere, at home
Their place is after the verb.

Adverbs of degree: fairly, hardly, just, quite, really, very, extremely

Their place is before the adjective or adverb they modify: They really should stop arguing.
Sentence adverbs: actually, anyway, of course – they indicate what we feel about a whole
sentence: Actually, he is a good manager.

The order of adverbs: manner, place, time: They worked hard on the project yesterday.

The position in the sentence:

Between S and P: They often visit us.
After the verb to be, when this is the main verb of the sentence: They are always late.
After the first auxiliary, modal or link verb: Businessmen have always
tried to be successful.

Prepositions used in adverbial phrases: throughout, during, in, for, since

e.g.: She was ill throughout the holiday.

I’ll go to Paris in July.
I’ve played the violin for five years.
 54

Adjectives and adverbs that make stronger sentences

Adjectives: absolute, complete, real, total: The meeting was a complete success/ a total
disaster.
Adverbs: absolutely, completely, totally: I completely agree with him.
Very, extremely: He is extremely known in his field.
Really: It’s a really big success.

Adjectives and adverbs that make weaker sentences

fairly, quite, pretty, slightly: The results were slightly appreciated by the committee. He is
quite a good negotiator.

A. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate adjectives and adverbs:

To communicate 1. … in the Digital Age, technology can be a 2. …blessing and a 3. …

curse. In some 4. … ways, it 5. … speeds up the communication process, but in other
ways, it 6. …slows it down. We are 7. … inundated with so many communication tools –
fax, electronic mail, teleconferencing, postal mail, interoffice mail, voice mail, and others –
that oftentimes we sacrifice face-to-face interaction for other means of communicating our
requests. This 8. … lack of “connectedness” can cause 9. … communication breakdowns
and produce 10. … stress.
Consult the list: severe, unpleasant, painful, obvious, effectively, tremendous, gentle,
considerably, definitely, continuously.

B. Read the following text about G. Thomson; there are some words missing but you
will find them at the end of each paragraph: find their right location in the text.

1. Gillian Thomson is the a). … and director of The Protocol School of Palm Beach TM.
She served six years as the b.) … officer and c.)… director of public d.)… for The
Breakers – a five-star, luxury e.) …in Palm Beach, Florida. She has held f.) … positions
with Sea World of Florida, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, and northwest Airlines.
protocol, founder, management, relations, assistant, resort
 55

2. The Protocol School of Palm a.) … TM is Florida’s leading b.) … and protocol company.
The c). … are customized to help you d.) … your self-confidence, heighten your
communication e.) …, outshine your competition and increase your f.) …. Our goal is to
entertain, educate, motivate and g). … the needs of today’s leaders.

enhance, beach, etiquette, seminars, meet, productivity, skills

3. Gillian Thomson is a frequent a.) … to numerous trade and business publications and is
the editor-in-chief of the Protocol Post – an b.) … newsletter for c.) … executives. She was
recently d.) … “Business Associate of the Year” by the American by the Women’s
Association of North Palm Beach and is a e.) … member of Palm Beach County’s Civility
Committee.
awarded, contributor, business, electronic, founding

4. Ms. Thomson has a a.) … of Science b.) … in telecommunication from The University
of Florida. Furthermore, she is a c.) … and associate of The Protocol School of
Washington where she d.) … public relations, marketing and business etiquette to the e.)
…. A member of the National Speaker’s Association, she is f.) … to combating incivility
in society while g.) … courtesy, respect and integrity. In highly competitive markets where
many companies offer similar h.) … and products at similar costs, how you i.) … your
customers may be as important to your company’s success as the quality or j.) … of your
product. When you possess good manners, it puts your clients and customers at k.) …, it
increases customer satisfaction, and positively affects your company’s bottom line.

consultants, graduate, price, devoted, degree, treat, bachelor, teaches, promoting,

ease, services

3.4. Functions

Describing trends:

- intensifiers and softeners:

fractionally higher
 56

marginally lower
slightly higher
a little lower
somewhat lower
considerably higher
substantially lower
a great deal higher
far lower
much lower
dramatically lower

e.g. Sales were slightly lower…….. Productivity was dramatically higher….

Sales dropped slightly There was a dramatic increase in productivity
There was a slight drop in sales…. Productivity rose dramatically….

- Rates of change

e.g. Sales rose dramatically/ sharply/ rapidly.

There was a gradual/ steady fall in population.

- comparison
Higher than much lower far lower than
a little lower
Larger than a great deal lower than
The highest rather better than
Compared to considerably better than
The lowest slightly higher than
 57

UNIT 6.COMMUNICATION
Lead-in

Consider the following questions:

1. What does communication mean for you?

Reading
Communication is a process whereby information is enclosed in a package and is
channeled and imparted by a sender to a receiver via some medium. The receiver then
decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. All forms of communication require
a sender, a message, and an intended recipient; however the receiver need not be present or
aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication in order for the
act of communication to occur. Communication requires that all parties have an area of
communicative commonality. There are verbal means using language and there are
nonverbal means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage, and eye contact,
through media, i.e., pictures, graphics and sound, and writing.
Human spoken and written languages can be described as a system of symbols (sometimes
known as lexemes) and the grammar rules by which the symbols are manipulated. The
word "language" is also used to refer to common properties of languages. Language
learning is normal in human childhood. Most human languages use patterns of sound or
gesture for symbols which enable communication with others around them. There are
thousands of human languages, and these seem to share certain properties, even though
many shared properties have exceptions.

Nonverbal communication is the process of communicating through sending and receiving

wordless messages(gestures, facial expressions). Non-verbal communication is also called
the silent language. Such messages can be communicated through gesture, body language
or posture; facial expression and eye contact, object communication such as clothing,
hairstyles or even architecture, or symbols and info graphics, as well as through an
aggregate of the above, such as behavioral communication. Nonverbal communication
plays a key role in every person's day to day life, from employment to romantic
engagements.
It is essential that the basic elements of communication be identified. These elements are:
• Sender/encoder/speaker

• Receiver/decoder/listener

• Message
 58

• Medium

• Feedback/reply

Between parties, communication includes acts that confer knowledge and experiences.
These acts may take many forms, in one of the various manners of communication. The
form depends on the abilities of the group communicating. Together, communication
content and form make messages that are sent towards a destination. The target can be
oneself, another person or another entity (such as a corporation).

Types of Communication

- Oral
- Written
- E-mail
Nonverbal
- Expression
- Expressive behaviors
- Body language

Communication
Distinctions
- Formal/Informal
- Official/unofficial information exchange
- Superior-subordinate/peers
- Personal/impersonal

Communication happens at many levels (even for one single action), in many different
ways, and for most beings, as well as certain machines. Several, if not all, fields of study
dedicate a portion of attention to communication, so when speaking about communication
it is very important to be sure about what aspects of communication one is speaking about.
Definitions of communication range widely, some recognizing that animals can
communicate with each other just like human beings do.
Nonetheless, communication is usually described along a few major dimensions:
Content (what type of things are communicated)
Source (by whom)
Form (in which form)
Channel (through which medium)
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Destination/Receiver (to whom)

Purpose/Pragmatic aspect (with what kind of results)
Corporate communication is the process of facilitating information and knowledge
exchange with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct
relationship with an enterprise. It is concerned with internal communications management
from the standpoint of sharing knowledge and decisions from the enterprise with
employees, suppliers, investors and partners. Examples include:

Enterprises use annual reports so as to convey information related to results, processes and
relationships of the enterprise.

Corporations use electronic and print newsletters to share corporate diversity hiring
practices and enterprises use corporate Intranets to create corporate communication
platforms.

Communicating within the company

The memo:

is used for the routine, day-to-day exchange of information within an organisation. A memo
should be clear and concise.
The format of the memo:

To:

From: Date:
Subject:

The body of the memo (2-5 paragraphs)

E.g.:
To: Mike Andrews
From: Personnel Manager Date: December, 21st 2017
Subject: Marketing training courses
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We need to improve the marketing knowledge and selling skills of our staff, in accordance
with the growing demand of well-prepared salesmen on the market.

Please see what the needs of our staff are and the domains in which they feel they need
training.
Look for the best specialist able to prepare them and arrange staff workshops till the end of
the month.
Please have the data ready by January 15th . Let me know if you have any conflict in
meeting this due date.

How to write a memo? / Basics

A memo is a reminder to start or finish something, a document sent within a company; in

short form.

It will not exceed one page or it will become a document. It is used to help you remember
something or remind someone about something.

The layout:

To: Ccccccc Ssssssss

- this is who the memo is written
for From: Ddddd Gggggg
- this informs the recipient as to who is sending the
memo Date: Mmmm 99, 9999
- the date of when the memo is sent
Subject: Boldface the line and use words to allow filing the memo correctly
- what the memo is about.

Example 1:

To: Katherine Chu, Regional Manager

From: Stephen Yu, Sales
Date: 4 April 2009
Subject: Notification of My Resignation

I am writing to inform you of my intention to resign from G & S Holdings.

I have appreciated very much my four years working for the company. The training
has been excellent and I have gained valuable experience working within an efficient and
professional team environment. In particular, I have appreciated your personal guidance
during these first years of my career.
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I feel now that it is time to further develop my knowledge and skills base in a
different environment.

I would like to leave, if possible, in a month's time on Saturday, May 2nd . This will
allow me to complete my current workload. I hope that this suggested arrangement is
acceptable to the company.Once again, thank you for your support.

Memo – writing exercise

Situation: You are the Customer Services Manager at the Supershop Supermarket in
Southampton. You have received a letter from Mr Talbot, Headmaster at Joseph’s Primary
School in Southampton, asking if a group of 12 children could visit your supermarket. The
children are all working on a special project about shops and shopping. He suggests
Monday 2nd May.

Task: write a memo to your assistant Mrs Eileen Wright. Inform her of Mr Talbot’s
request. Ask her to contact Mr Talbot directly to arrange the visit. Head Office has
colourful information packs especially for children and if these would be useful to let you
know.

Note: write the memo and add any information you think necessary.

Keep in mind the following steps:

Step 1. Identify the task

Step 2. Layout

Step 3. Identify the relevant information

Step 4. Group the relevant information

Step 5. Choose the format

Step 6. Write the memo.

Step 7. Check your writing

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UNIT 7.BUSINESS ETHICS

Reading
Business Ethics

Business ethics (also known as Corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional
ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a
business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the
conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Applied ethics is a field of
ethics that deals with ethical questions in many fields such as medical, technical, legal and
business ethics.

Business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline.

Discussion on ethics in business is necessary because business can become unethical, and
there are plenty of evidences today on unethical corporate practices. Even Adam Smith
opined that "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and
diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some
contrivance to raise prices.”
General business ethics overlaps with the philosophy of business, one of the aims of
which is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company. If a company's main
purpose is to maximize the returns to its shareholders, then it should be seen as unethical
for a company to consider the interests and rights of anyone else. General business ethics
includes: corporate social responsibility or CSR: an umbrella term under which the ethical
rights and duties existing between companies and society is debated; includes issues
regarding the moral rights and duties between a company and its shareholders; and finally
ethical issues concerning relations between different companies include issues such as such
as hostile take-overs and industrial espionage.

Finance ethics is overlooked for another reason–issues in finance are often addressed as
matters of law rather than ethics. Looking closer into literature concerning finance ethics,
one can be convinced that as the case with other operational areas of business, the ethics in
finance too is being called into question. Ethics of finance is narrowly reduced to the
mathematical function of shareholder wealth maximization. Ethics seen from the
stakeholder perspective is the privilege of the immediate and remote stakeholders as much
as it is the obligation of the firms towards them. Fairness in trading practices, trading
conditions, financial contracting, sales practices, consultancy services, tax payments,
internal audit, external audit are discussed in them.

Creative accounting, earnings management, misleading financial analysis.

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Insider trading, securities fraud: concerns (criminal) manipulation of the financial

markets.
Executive compensation: concerns excessive payments made to corporate CEO's
and top management.

Bribery, kickbacks, facilitation payments: while these may be in the (short-term)

interests of the company and its shareholders, these practices may be anti-
competitive or offend against the values of society.

Cases: accounting scandals, Enron, WorldCom, Satyam

Ethics of human resource management includes the ethics of discrimination, and

employees' rights and duties are commonly seen in the business ethics texts. While some
argue that there are certain inalienable rights of workplace such as a right to work, a right
to privacy, a right to be paid in accordance with comparable worth, a right not to be the
victim of discrimination: others claim that these rights are negotiable. Ethical discourse in
HRM often reduced the ethical behaviour of firms as if they were charity from the firms
rather than rights of employees.

Discrimination issues include discrimination on the bases of age (ageism), gender, race,
religion, disabilities, weight and attractiveness. See also: affirmative action, sexual
harassment.

Issues arising from the traditional view of relationships between employers and
employees.
Issues surrounding the representation of employees and the democratization of the
workplace: union busting.
Issues affecting the privacy of the
employee. Issues affecting the privacy of
the employer
Issues relating to the fairness of the employment contract and the balance of power
between employer and employee: slavery
Occupational safety and health.

Marketing Ethics is a subset of business ethics. Ethics in marketing deals with the
principles, values and/or ideals by which marketers (and marketing institutions) ought to
act.

Pricing: price fixing, price discrimination.

Anti-competitive practices: these include but go beyond pricing tactics to cover
issues such as manipulation of loyalty and supply chains.
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Specific marketing strategies: greenwash, viral marketing, spam (electronic).

Content of advertisements: attack ads, subliminal messages, sex in advertising,
products regarded as immoral or harmful
Children and marketing: marketing in
schools. Black markets, grey markets.

Cases: Benetton.

Ethics of production usually deals with the duties of a company to ensure that products
and production processes do not cause harm. Some of the more acute dilemmas in this area
arise out of the fact that there is usually a degree of danger in any product or production
process and it is difficult to define a degree of permissibility, or the degree of permissibility
may depend on the changing state of preventative technologies or changing social
perceptions of acceptable risk.

Defective, addictive and inherently dangerous products and services (e.g. tobacco,
alcohol, weapons, motor vehicles, chemical manufacturing, bungee jumping).
Ethical relations between the company and the environment: pollution,
environmental ethics.
Ethical problems arising out of new technologies: genetically modified food, mobile
phone radiation and health.
Product testing ethics: animal rights and animal testing, use of economically
disadvantaged groups (such as students) as test objects.

Cases: Ford Pinto scandal.

The ethics of property, property rights and intellectual property rights are assiduously
contested throughout the history of the concept. Discourse on property gained its
momentum by the turn of 17th century within the theological discussion of that time. For
instance, Locke justified property right from theological point of view that God has given

Patent infringement, copyright infringement, trademark infringement.

Misuse of intellectual property laws to stifle competition (patent misuse or
copyright misuse)
Employee raiding: the practice of attracting key employees away from a competitor
to take unfair advantage of the knowledge or skills they may possess.
The practice of employing all the most talented people in a specific field, regardless
of need, to prevent any competitors employing them.
Business intelligence and industrial espionage.

Cases: private versus public interests in the Human Genome Project

While business ethics emerged as a field in the 1970s, international business ethics did
not emerge until the late 1990s, looking back on the international developments of that
decade. Many new practical issues arose out of the international context of business.
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Theoretical issues such as cultural relativity of ethical values receive more emphasis in this
field. Other, older issues can be grouped here as well. Issues and subfields include:

The search for universal values as a basis for international commercial behaviour.
Comparison of business ethical traditions in different countries. Also on the basis of
their respective GDP and [Corruption rankings].
Comparison of business ethical traditions from various religious
perspectives. Issues such as globalization and cultural imperialism.
Varying global standards – e.g., the use of child labor.
The way in which multinationals take advantage of international differences, such
as outsourcing production (e.g. clothes) and services (e.g. call centres) to low-wage
countries.
The permissibility of international commerce with pariah states.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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ANEXE