Workplace communication (Unit 17)

I'm Paula Morris, a senior marketing manager for a British publishing company. I usually use video-conferencing at my work. We meet and talk with our partners via the Internet once a month, which is great! In the past we spoke on the phone or sent e-mails. E-mail and telephoning are OK but to discuss, ask questions and explain things, it is better to see the face of the person, it's more personal. The main benefit is to have face to face communication. Video-conferencing can be with a group, so it's also more dynamic and creative than e-mail. Earlier we had to travel to New York for our marketing meetings, usually twice a year. But air travel can be expensive and some people don't like flying. Therefore, video-conferencing has a very good future. In fact, we have much more communication now.

However, it is difficult at first. There is a delay with the voice, so you wait after people speak to hear the words. The main problem is that the process can be a little slow and unnatural sometimes. Also, there are technical problems from time to time. The screen freezes or the system crashes and the communication process is not perfect. It's difficult to interrupt, so if some people speak a lot and you're listening and listening to them, it can be very boring. But sometimes, when someone talks and the voice breaks up, it can be quite funny!

1. Translate from Russian into English:

голос, медленный, экран, техническая проблема, скучный, слушать, забавный, обьяснять, человек, личный, творческий, дорогой, будущее, общение, трудный.

2. Translate from English into Russian:

a senior marketing manager, a delay, to crash, to freeze, to speak, to talk, via, to speak on the phone, benefit, to travel, air travel, to fly, to send.

3. Answer the questions:

1) Where does Paula work?

2) How did she and her partners communicate in the past?

3) What's the best benefit of the video-conferencing?

4) Why is video-conferencing dynamic?

5) Why is it inconvenient for Paula to travel to New York for business?

6) What are the difficulties with video-conferencing?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? What ways of communication do you prefer and why? Does video-conferencing have a good future? Why or why not?

Slow and fast food (Unit 18).

Hi! My name is Mary. I’d like to tell you about two different movements in the world: slow food and fast food. Fast food is usually junk food like hamburgers, pizza, chips that are very unhealthy. Slow food movement, on the contrary, promotes high quality restaurants and food. I prefer slow food and usually eat out. I like Russian, French and Italian cuisine. My favorite restaurant is ''Dejavu''. I usually do a reservation there and book the table by the window. After I look through the menu I'm ready to order. Sometimes I begin with a starter such as green salad with bread or go straight to the first course. The first course in a three-course meal is soup. I can choose noodles, beetroot or cabbage soup. The main course is usually meat: pork, beef, lamb or chicken. It's served with a selection of vegetables - potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

I also like seafood, such as prawns, cod, salmon or crab. My favorite dish is John Dory - a kind of white sea fish. My husband doesn't eat meat or fish. He is a vegetarian. If I want some red or white wine, I see the wine list. My husband prefers soft drinks to hard drinks: a bottle of still, orange juice or sparkling mineral water.

After the main course you can also eat a dessert: pies, chocolate cakes, biscuits or order a plate of fruit such as apples, pineapples, pears, peaches, cherries, grapes or tangerines. After the meal I pay the bill and leave tips. The food in this restaurant is fresh and tasty and I really enjoy it. I recommend this restaurant to all my friends.

1. Translate from Russian into English:

предпочитать, кухня, блюдо, хлеб, любимый ресторан, лапша, свинина, курица, мясо, картофель, помидоры, овощи, лосось, вегетарианец, сок, ресторан, безалкогольные напитки, вишня, мандарины, просматривать меню, наслаждаться, карта вин.

2. Translate from English into Russian:

slow food, fast food, junk food, unhealthy, to eat out, to promote, beef, lamb, carrot, seafood, prawns, cod, plate, dessert, cake, pineapple, grapes, to pay the bill, to do a reservation, to order, three course meal, hard drinks.

3. Answer the following questions:

1) What are two food different movements in the world?

2) What is fast food?

3) What is slow food?

4) What do people do before going to a restaurant?

5) What cuisine does Mary like?

6) What does she do at the restaurant first?

7) Does Mary begin with the starter?

8) What does she prefer for the first course?

9) What is her favorite dish?

10) Does Mary's husband eat meat?

11) What drinks do Mary and her husband prefer?

12) What can people choose for dessert?

13) What do people do after the meal?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? What are traditional dishes in your country? What is your favorite dish and drink?

Online (Unit 20).

Hi, my name is Mike Parker and I give technical help to people with computer problems in the company. Modern society cannot imagine its life without computer. Computers help us in our everyday activity and working life. We can connect to the company network if you want to work from home, search for useful information, use the intranet to learn the company news. There are, of course, some rules about using the internet at work. You are not allowed to surf on the websites in work time for private use and connect to internet chat rooms.

I give technical help to people with computer problems in the company. I get a lot of angry e-mails every day from people with problems: people can’t log on, can’t open their e-mails or attached files; people say their computer is too slow; some people can’t remember their password, delete the documents by mistake or download files which have virus. I usually get over 50 e-mails a day because I work in a big company. It’s absolutely crazy.

My family also uses computer at home. With the arrival of the internet, the biggest change is that Lauren – my wife does most of our shopping online. It’s great because it’s really easy. She just logs on to our online supermarket or clothes store and buys what we need. Most shops send the products the next day. It’s a little more expensive but we both really hate shopping in real shops and so are happy to pay a little more. Besides we can book our holiday travel on the internet.

Marta, my daughter, is 15. She has a PC in her room and uses the internet all the time. Of course, she gets information for her schoolwork but she also spends a lot of time in chat rooms talking to friends all over the world. It’s good for her Spanish because she can practice with friends in Mexico and Argentina. Moreover Marta can download free music. For her, the Internet is fantastic.

George, my son, is 19. He’s studying hard at the moment and wants to be a website designer. In fact, he’s already helped design sites for a couple of local businesses. His girl friend hates computers and thinks we all spend too much time in front of the PC and I agree. Sometimes he doesn’t move for more than 12 hours. I think out of all of us his life is most dominated by the computer.

1. Translate from Russian into English:

вирус, искать информацию, личное пользование, технические проблемы, загружать файлы и бесплатную музыку, дорогой, заказывать (бронировать), путешествие, пароль, удалять, домашняя работа.

2. Translate from English into Russian:

To log on, attached files, by mistake, store, to connect to chat rooms, to surf the net, to dominate, local business, everyday activity, society, to imagine, daughter, son, wife.

3. Answer the questions:

1) What do we need computers for?

2) What are the rules of using computers at work?

3) Why does Mike get a lot of angry emails every day?

4) What computer problems do most people have?

5) What does his wife Lauren do via the Internet?

6) What does Martha use the Internet for?

7) Why does George spend lots of time sitting before the PC?

8) Why does George’s girlfriend hate computers?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? What role do computers play in your family’s life? Are people nowadays dominated by computers? Why or why not?