This product is based on an earlier model

2 This product helps you organise your paperwork.

3 This product has a feature that is not essential.

4 It is rather difficult to learn how to use this product.

5 This product is expensive for home use.

6 This product is designed to make your working area look more interesting.

7 Someone from the company can show you how to use this.

8 This product has a special device for ensuring privacy.

9 This product is not likely to be required by many people.

 

A

PRINTER

Hamaki UK’s new DFG-2000 Bubble jet printer is ideal for anyone looking to add colour to serious documents and presentations, and is an upgrading of last year’s DFG-15. Outstanding graphics make it a leading printer in its class, ideal for a business looking for quality, although its price may put it out of the reach of most private users. The unit can reproduce the finest details and its extended palette of colours means that a wide variety of images can be produced. Operated using software that can spot user errors before they result in poor printing, the machine has a simple two-button control panel. It is also user-friendly and easy to install.

 

B

ELECTRONIC MULTIMEDIA BOX

Primal Products is set to liven up even the dullest desktop with its latest range of accessories. Office workers can now express themselves and individualise their working area with the Storage Collection. The Collection is a series of smart-looking boxes for multimedia disks, spoilt only by a rather unnecessary and gimmicky digital display on the front of the box, telling you what disks it contains. Available in bright colours chosen to match hardware trends, the collection is easily carried, which is a definite plus for those who need to take their work home with them.

 

C

FAX MACHINE

Reak’s office machinery further expands its “Home-office” range of products with the introduction of the RK1 fax machine. To reduce routine filing and save valuable time, the RK1 prints incoming documents and collates them automatically. Its slightly angular appearance is not very eye-pleasing, but it is very inexpensive, can store up to fifty numbers for quick dialing and has a built-in paper cutter.

 

D

NOTEBOOK COMPUTER

Kipad, the company responsible for marketing Melon computers, has launched the MH3 notebook computer with unique removable disk drive. This means that each user can keep their own files confidential, on separate disks. The MH3 does take some time to master, and its functions are rather complex. However, it is extremely versatile and is ideal for use in the workplace and at home. It only weighs 3 kg, comes with a one year warranty and is in the mid-price range for notebook computers.

 

E

PHOTOCOPIER

Peterson’s new ‘slimline’ photocopier is another attempt at making a product as small as possible. It is extremely portable for a photocopier, and even comes with a carrying case. It is very easy to use and includes the offer of a free home or office demonstration if you request one. This is a fairly basic machine and copy quality leaves something to be desired; however, if you need a portable photocopier this could be for you - although it is difficult to imagine a big market for this type of machine.

Text 13

Look at the statements below and passages taken from a book about famous management thinkers. Decide which passage each statement refers to. You will need to use some of the letters (A, B, C, D or E) more than once.

1. He has developed his own company to promote his work.

2. Others in his field think very highly of him.

3. His ideas have spread beyond the business world.

4. He felt that people should be able to enjoy their work.

5. His ideas are more complex than they seem.

6. He did a variety of interesting things before writing his books.

7. His most successful book was written with a colleague.

8. He is particularly skilled at forecasting important developments.

9. Contact with the military was an early influence on his thinking.

 

A

JOHN ADAIR

Adair is the pioneering British thinker in the theory of leadership. He was the first person in the UK to hold the professorship in Business Leadership and has published a series of influential books on the subject.

Despite his quiet appearance, Adair has had a colourful life, serving in a Bedouin regiment and working on an Arctic fishing boat! His initial interest in leadership came from his army experience and he used to lecture at the highly prestigious academy where British army officers are trained. He now works as an international consultant.

 

B

EDWARD DE BONO

De Bono is unusual among major ‘gurus’ for two reasons: firstly, he was born not in one of the great industrial nations but on the tiny island of Malta. Secondly, his ideas have reached a wider audience than just managers, so that his books have become essential reading in many different disciplines. Most of de Bono’s work has been concerned with the way human beings can train themselves to think more creatively. This apparently simple idea has resulted in 37 books and a highly successful career as a lecturer and consultant.

 

C

PETER DRUCKER

Probably no other single thinker has done as much as Drucker to establish management as a serious area of study. Certainly, his fellow management thinkers consider him one of the ‘founding fathers’ of the discipline, and his books and articles are quoted more than those of any other management writer. His first book was published as far back as 1939, yet he is still writing and teaching. His greatest distinction has been his ability to predict coming trends in business and economics. As a result, his ideas are treated with the greatest respect and interest.

 

D

FREDERICK HERZBERG

Although relatively few contemporary management students will have read his books, Herzberg’s name is instantly recognizable to anyone who has studied industrial organizations. This is because the American psychologist was responsible for introducing the concept of ‘motivation’ into management thinking.

As a young man, Herzberg became deeply interested in mental illness and the human need for mental and emotional satisfaction. This led him to criticize the approach of many companies to job design, and to argue for the need for ‘job enrichment’ to stimulate employees’ efforts.

 

E

TOM PETERS

The American’s reputation was created in the 1980s by the spectacular success of one book, IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE, co-written with Robert Waterman. The two were working together as management consultants and no-one expected their first (and only) book to end up selling 5 million copies worldwide!

Although his ideas have been criticized, Peters’ popularity as a speaker and writer has continued to grow. So much so that Peters has created his own business to market books, videos and consultancy based on his work.

Text 14

Read the leaflet about complaints. Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A-H) for each space (1-6). There are two extra headings.

A. Be polite but firm

B. Complain as soon as possible

C. How to complain about goods

D. How to complain about services

E. Know what you want

F. Make your complaint to the right person

G. Manufacturer or retailer?

H. Take a receipt

 

1. A typical example: you buy a pair of shoes in a sale. A week later a strap comes right away making the shoes unwearable. What should you do?

2. Although there is no obligation on you to return the goods, it is best to take them back as soon as you discover the defect. It is impractical for you to return to the shop at once, perhaps because you live a long way off, or because the goods are bulky, write to say that you are dissatisfied with the product and ask for collection arrangements to be made. Any unexplained or unreasonable delay will weaken your case.

3. Many people believe that the initial complaint about faulty goods should be made to the manufacturer. This is not the case. Your contract is with the retailer, the party who sold you the goods, and so it is to him that your complaint should be made.

4. It is always a good idea to ask for the manager in a shop or the department manager in a large store. In asking for a person in authority you also show that you mean business right from the start. Don’t be fobbed off with the common response that the manager is ‘in a meeting’ or ‘away’. Insist that someone must have been left in charge and that you’ll see that person. Failing that, register your complaint with the assistant and make an appointment to call back and see the manager at a mutually convenient time.

5. When making your complaint it is important that you adopt the right tone. The last thing you want to do is antagonize the person you are dealing with. You should try to be polite but firm and give a generally businesslike impression. Maintain this approach and avoid having a row.

6. It is remarkable how many people return faulty products to the seller not having the faintest idea what they want to happen. Do you want a full refund, a repair, a credit note or an exchange? You may not get what you want but you should decide beforehand.

Text 15

Read the article about a woman who works for the film industry. Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A-I) for each part (1-8). There is one extra heading.

A. Initial career move

B. The purpose of an audition

C. Huge effort to attend auditions

D. Determination is essential

E. Looking good on the screen

F. Choosing an alternative career

G. Chance of stardom in future

H. Turning down promising actors

I. The pressures in holding auditions

 

1. I studied Theatre Arts at university and had intended to end up working as a stage manager in a theatre. However, during one summer holiday I did some voluntary work with a children’s theatre group and I met a number of casting agents – people whose job it is to look for children to take part in any new production. They do this by holding auditions – which are rather like interviews – where they can assess a child’s acting ability.

2. It was fascinating sitting in on the auditions. Children whom I thought were brilliant, who could sing and dance and had such confidence were not always the ones who got the parts. The casting agents would explain that one of the things they were looking for was how photogenic the child would appear in front of the camera, so each audition is videoed and watched on a monitor at the same time as the child is performing live.

3. Three people usually sat in on each audition and the director made the final decision. The schedule was always very tight and auditions were held in a different place each day for a period of up to two weeks at a time. So they were constantly on the move and might audition up to a hundred young hopeful in one day. I spent two days accompanying children to these auditions, and it was that experience that attracted me to the profession.

4. However, when I first left university I worked as a personal assistant to the Production Manager of a children’s animation and cartoon company. It was my job to look after his diary, arrange meetings, book actors and musicians for recording sessions and so on and in that way I met hundreds of different people. Then one day I heard that a TV company was looking for a casting agent and I applied for and got the job.

5. I was prepared for the hard work and the travel but one thing that I was completely unprepared for was the emotional strain of the job. You arrive at the hall where the auditions are being held to be greeted by hundreds of young people all desperate to be chosen. And sometimes, however good they are, they are simply not right for the point, so you end up disappointing the vast majority of these kids.

6. Obviously they’ve all worked and rehearsed enormously hard to get as far as the first audition. Most of them are accompanied by their teachers or a parent, they may have travelled miles to reach the place on time and spent money on fares and new clothes and so on. And they’ve got probably no more than five minutes to show us what they can do. Some of them are so nervous they just freeze, others are over-confident and burst into tears when you have to tell them they are not what you’re looking for.

7. In an ideal world you’d like to be able to offer everyone a job. But it is a very competitive world and if you can’t survive these knocks early on when you are still a teenager, the chances are you’ve picked the wrong profession. But if you believe in yourself and you can cope with these setbacks, it is worth auditioning over and over again. Sometimes people wait years before they get through an audition and there are no guarantees that you’ll succeed in this business.

8. But on the positive side there’s enormous job satisfaction to be gained from choosing the right actors for a new production. I know that all the hours I’ve spent this last month will have been worth it when the first episode of this new soap is broadcast, and perhaps some of these new young faces will go on to become big names in the years ahead.

Text 16

Read the article about cyber cafes. Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A-H) for each part (1-7). There is one extra heading.

A. Staying in contact

B. E-mail keeps costs down

C. The cyber cafe is here to stay

D. The cyber cafe may replace the office

E. Costs vary during the day

F. Internet use is now widespread

G. Office workers like the cyber cafe

H. The original attraction of the cyber cafe

 

1. In the early nineties in Great Britain going for a coffee and surfing the Net were new and exciting things to do. The cyber cafe was a successful mixture of two things: coffee and the Internet. Not even cold coffee and slow connections put people off from going to these cafes.

2. Ten years later the picture has changed and in the 21^st century millions of people can use the Internet from home, work, school or university. In many ways the Internet has become a personal playground and as for the coffee, well, there’s a lot more choice of different coffee shops serving every kind of coffee you can wish for.

3. So who’s using the cyber cafes now that surfing the Net is as ordinary as waking up every morning? Some people say that if their computer goes wrong at home they don’t bother to get it fixed. They will rely on the cyber cafe to find out what is happening in the world and to check their e-mail; they feel that there is nothing special about cyber cafes any more. These cafes are part of the cultural scene in the same way that cinemas and supermarkets are.

4. One man who is the director of a chain of Internet shops, says that although consumer demand for using the Internet has risen, home computers are no good if you are out and about or happen to be on holiday somewhere. The cyber cafe is the obvious place to go if you want to keep in touch with friends and family.

5. “Most of our users are backpackers and international students checking their e-mail”, he says. “We also operate a price structure which is good for those students who get up early. This means that the cheapest time of day is six in the morning and as the cafe fills up, the price goes up. Early evening is one of the most expensive times.”

6. Cyber cafes are also popular with foreign students studying abroad. These students feel it’s important to keep in touch with everyone at home and e-mail is cheaper than the telephone. Some students use the cyber cafe for as much as four hours a week and like the fact that the cafes are clean and friendly places.

7. In the future it is likely that the cyber cafes will also attract people who are self-employed. With mobile phones and e-mail there’s less need for traditional offices, and as more and more people in the UK choose to work for themselves the cyber cafe could become communication centres for these workers by providing the electronic support for people who neither have nor want traditional office space.

 

Text 17

Look at the extracts from correspondence. What does the writer want to know in each case?

1. Bearing in mind the difficulties you are having with obtaining components, we were wondering whether we might expect delivery of the goods during the next two weeks or whether there is likely to be still further delay.

2. In view of these circumstances, may we receive your assurance that, assuming we will not be receiving the shipment before July 2, you will be prepared to offer us a discount of 10 per cent on the quoted price?

3. Would you be kind enough to inform us whether the price you have quoted for the units does or does not include a twelve-month service contract, which we understood to be part of our agreement with you?

4. We would like you to provide us with a detailed specification of the machine so that we may consult our production managers regarding the suitability of the equipment for installation in our assembly plants. Please bear in mind that the power requirements of each unit are of particular importance.

5. It appears that there may have been some confusion between your quotations ER889 and ER887 and that the quantities of the former may have been inadvertently entered in the latter. We would be grateful if you could check this and inform us if an error appears to have arisen.

 

1. They want us to let them know…

a) what difficulties we are having

b) what components we are obtaining

c) when the goods will be delivered

2. They want us to let them know if we….

a) can give them a discount

b) will ship before July 2

c) will give them a discount if shipment is delayed

3. They want us to let them know….

a) if we are providing a year’s free service

b) how much our service costs

c) how much the units will cost

4. They want us to let them know….

a) if our machines are suitable for their requirements

b) if we have consulted their managers about this

c) as much as possible about the machine

5. They want us to let them know if there is an error in our….

a) quotation ER889

b) quotation ER887

c) quotations ER889 and 887

Text 18

Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

The Pearl Group is to relocate its London headquarters and five regional offices to Peterborough in a move involving 2,000 jobs.

Pearl has obtained a 20-acre site at Peterborough Business Park, on which it will develop a 250,000 square feet building at a cost of $25 million.

Construction is planned to start next spring, with new building ready for occupation two years later. In the meantime, Pearl will start moving staff into temporary accommodation in Peterborough later this year.

It is the second major endorsement of Peterborough by the Pearl Group.

Some years ago, Pearl Assurance obtained a 10-acre site from the Peterborough Development Corporation at Thorpe Wood for its computer and accounts centre.

The 400 staff who currently work at Thorpe Wood will transfer to the new offices and the older building, says Pearl, “will be surplus to requirements and will be further developed as an investment.

A further 1,600 staff employed by the Group will be given the opportunity to move to Peterborough. Pearl estimates that its relocation decision will create an annual demand of between 200 and 300 jobs in the Peterborough area.

Group Chairman Einion Holland said: “To maintain its position as one of the UK’s leading life offices, Pearl must be able to offer its customers the products they want at the right price.”

“This requires the combination of operational flexibility and efficiency and low costs, which it would have been impossible to achieve at our existing Chief Office.”

“The ability to centralize our operations in Peterborough and to develop the most up-to-date computer systems which only a purpose-designed building will allow, will bring important long-term benefits for our customers, shareholders and employees”.

Pearl has occupied the same High Holborn building since 1915. Now the entire building is in need of major refurbishment, but no decision has yet been made about its development.

It is estimated that among the long-term savings created by the move to Peterborough will be running costs of $1 million a year, and London weighting of $2 million.

Peterborough beat off competition from other places because of Pearl’s experience of the successful earlier relocation, and because of the quality of the site at the business park.

For Peterborough, it is the biggest single relocation out of more than 420 firms attracted since the city’s expansion programme began, beating the move of travel organization Thomas Cook from London to Thorpe Wood which involved more than 1,000 jobs.

Development Corporation General Manager Kenneth Hutton said: “This is the best news we have had. We have been working on this project for many months, and we knew that Pearl was looking at several other places very seriously. Peterborough won because it was the best.”

 

1. Before they acquired the 20-acre site, Pearl Group……

a) already had one site in Peterborough.

b) already had two sites in Peterborough.

c) had no sites in Peterborough.

2. Staff will start moving to Peterborough….

a) shortly before the new building is completed.

b) when the new building is completed.

c) long before the new building is completed.

3. When the new building is complete, Pearl’s Thorpe Wood building will….

a) be used as temporary offices.

b) not be used by Pearl.

c) be used as its computer centre.

4. The new building in Peterborough Business Park will house Pearl’s….

a) headquarters.

b) headquarters and five regional offices.

c) headquarters, computer and accounts centre, and five regional offices.

5. Pearl plan to relocate to Peterborough so that….

a) they can redevelop their London head office.

b) they can operate efficiently and keep costs low.

c) their products will be more competitive.

 

Text 19

Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

An American firm which uses the most sophisticated communication equipment has chosen Winston as the pivot between its European customers and manufacturing plants around the world.

Chesterton (UK) Ltd is part of Chesterton International, a specialist engineering group based in Massachusetts.

Its new European Customer Service Centre has been set up in offices in a converted older building on the edge of Winston’s Queensgate covered shopping centre.

The new centre will receive orders from all parts of Europe, translate them, and pass them to the Chesterton factories in Holland, Eire and the USA.

Each of its Winston staff has mastery of at least one European language – and all but one of them were recruited from the locality.

Chesterton specializes in pumps and sealing devices used in the process industries. International Manager Philip Metz said: “Winston was chosen because it was the place which best met our criteria of central location, high technology communications capability and the availability of highly educated quality staff”.

The Winston operation is a return ‘home’ for the company, which was formed 102 years ago by A.W.Chesterton soon after emigrating from the East Midlands town of Loughborough.

 

1. Chesterton’s Winston offices are….

a) purpose-built

b) near the shopping centre

c) extremely attractive

2. The new centre will receive orders….

a) from European countries.

b) from all over the world.

c) from the United States.

3. The new centre is being set up because….

a) it is expensive for customers to communicate with the USA direct.

b) orders are placed in many different languages.

c) Chesterton has so many factories in Europe.

4. Every member of the new centre’s staff can speak English and….

a) one or more European language.

b) more than one European language

c) one European language.

5. The new centre’s staff….

a) all come from Winston.

b) mostly come from the Winston area.

c) all come from the Winston area.

6. Chesterton’s business is….

a) communications

b) processing.

c) manufacturing.

7. Winston was chosen because of its location and because….

a) the founder of the company came from the East Midlands.

b) Chesterton has no factories in the UK.

c) suitable staff were available.

 

Text 20

Read the extract from an article. Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

Fashion has always been important to the Spanish but until recently they haven’t had a home-grown fashion industry and have imported most of their clothing. All that is changing now, however. The Spanish government is busily promoting the clothing and fashion sectors of the textile industry. Their ultimate goal is to make their fashion products so well regarded on the international market because of their quality, that this success will spread to other product areas and export markets.

Spain is starting from scratch when you compare it with fashionable competitors like Italy and France. But there is activity everywhere. The government has set up organizations to support the fashion industry, organizing projects such as combined efforts between fashion designers and people in business. The country holds fashion fairs twice a year, The Cibeles in Madrid, and the Gaudi in Barcelona. There is also a children’s fair in Valencia which further demonstrates Spaniards’ creative progress to international fashion buyers.

The government is trying to create an environment where fashion and textile designers have an opportunity to prosper. Talented companies and designers can succeed in Spain but although there is much creativity, there is a lack of managerial experience. Some people still do not believe enough is being done, and point to Italy where they believe there are better chances for designers to succeed. One highly regarded Spanish designer is now manufacturing her entire line of clothing in partnership with an Italian company. The problem, as some see it, is that amount of money being provided by the Spanish government is still not enough. People in the fashion industry know they will not be able to make an impression in foreign countries unless government funding is increased.

Nevertheless much progress is being made. While the exclusive salons are in the larger cities, studios and boutiques are opening throughout Spain and many Spaniards are already involved in exporting their clothes. Through their own efforts, designers are beginning to open shops in France, Italy and Japan. But most fashion houses are quite small, and they are finding it difficult to create the industrial and financial links needed for growth and expansion.

 

1. What is the Spanish government ultimately trying to achieve?

a) all Spanish products being considered of high quality

b) an increase in imported clothing

c) an increase in clothing sales

d) a change in the manufacturing ability of the textile industry

2. Who is ahead of them in terms of fashion design?

a) the Spanish government

b) support organizations

c) the French and Italians

d) business people everywhere

3. What are the Spanish doing to show their advances in fashion?

a) holding regular fashion exhibitions and shows

b) sending designers to work abroad

c) sending buyers abroad to buy designer clothes

d) teaching business people how to design

4. What is lacking in Spanish fashion industry?

a) creative talent

b) textile designers

c) support from the French and Italian fashion industries

d) government money

5. What are the people involved in fashion afraid of?

a) the strong competition

b) not having enough money for the industry to expand abroad

c) not being able to influence foreigners

d) not having any good, new fashion designers

6. What have some fashion designers started to do?

a) establish boutiques at home and abroad

b) open small boutiques in Madrid and Barcelona only

c) open big shops in Europe and Japan

d) obtain government support for exporting their clothes

7. Why are a lot of fashion businesses finding it hard to make partnerships?

a) they are too small to find good partners

b) their clothes are too expensive

c) there are too few industries wanting to expand

d) there are too many fashion stores abroad already

Text 21

Read the extract from the novel. Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

When Michael Henchard, the Mayor and local corn merchant, employed Donald Farfrae as his manager it was because of the younger man’s honesty, efficiency and obvious talent. When others began to notice Donald’s qualities too, Henchard suffered some loss of popularity and his pride was wounded.

Henchard, however, could not help continuing to admire Donald’s talents, and Farfrae was undoubtedly well-liked. Although no longer close, they had a social working relationship and their business routine continued smoothly for some time.

Their town, Casterbridge, was not particularly lively, and when a national day of celebration was announced, there was no response until Donald Farfrae approached the Mayor with his request. He was planning some entertainment and wanted to borrow some tenting. After Henchard had agreed, he realised that he, as mayor, should have been the one to take responsibility for the town’s festivities. With the Council’s permission – which was willingly given, as Henchard offered to pay for everything – he started making plans.

He had in mind games of all kinds: pole climbing, high jumping, donkey races, boxing, wrestling and many other physical competitions, with food and animals as prizes. One thing was sure: there would be no charge. Surely people would prefer his entertainments to Farfrae’s, who was charging an admission fee.

The morning came. The sky, which had been clear until then, darkened, and there was the thread of rain. Henchard wished he had not been so sure of a fair day, but it was too late to change or postpone. By lunchtime it was raining heavily, and despite a few brave competitors, it soon became obvious that his project was a failure. The donkeys shivered, the tents blew down and the few remaining spectators fled. Towards six, the weather cleared and Hevchard bravely ordered things to re-commence. “But where is everybody?” said Henchard. “All the shops are shut. Why don’t they come?”

The answer became clear as he walked back to town. Across the middle of the High street, supported by the avenue of trees, Farfrae had constructed a huge tent as a ballroom. The sound of dancers and musicians made it obvious that Farfrae’s entertainment had been much more successful than his own. Hiding in the shadows, Henchard heard unfavourable comparisons being made between the two of them, not just on the subject of their amusements, but on their characters, work and tempers. Henchard heard these and his mood darkened. He could no longer bear the shame. Before the night was over Farfrae would have to be dismissed.

 

1. What was the relationship between the two men?

a) they were both managers

b) they were old friends

c) they were employer and employee

d) they were both merchants

2. Why had their relationship changed?

a) Henchard had stopped admiring Farfrae’ talents

b) Farfrae was not well liked

c) Farfrae was dishonest

d) Farfrae became more popular than Henchard

3. What kind of town was Casterbridge?

a) quiet b) lively c) wealthy d) unfriendly

 

4. Why did Henchard organize the celebration?

a) because the council asked him to

b) because, as Mayor, he had to

c) because Farfrae asked him to

d) because Farfrae made him remember his responsibility

5. What was the major difference between the plans for the two celebrations?

a) the tents

b) the entrance money

c) the prizes

d) the council’s agreement

6. What was the weather like on the morning of the celebration?

a) cloudy

b) raining heavily

c) clear

d) fair

7. What did Henchard overhear at the dance?

a) criticism of Farfrae’s temper

b) that Farfrae would be dismissed

c) criticism of his own character

d) that his own entertainment had been more successful

Text 22

Read the article. Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

Flexible working, often through a job share, is pushing its way up corporate agendas as a way to attract and retain staff in the unceasing ‘war for talent’. More than 90 per cent of job sharers are women, and most of them have childcare responsibilities. The industries keenest on job share include banking and finance, IT and public services. A recent report from Incomes Data Services says the number of workers in job shares has doubled to about 200,000 in ten years. Management jobs are now being shared, whereas formerly only occupations such as nursing and secretarial work featured.

Angela Baron, adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, believes all jobs can be shared, up to the highest level. She says: “After all, hospital nurses and doctors make life-affecting decisions based on handed-over information. What is more important than that?”

Most employers who allow job shares like them. Staff are more motivated because they can work the ours that suit them. There is less absenteeism, staff working half-weeks are often fresher, and two workers on the same job can be more creative. Ms Baron says: “When there is a tricky problem, you actually have two brains instead of one”. One disadvantage for employers is potential difficulty finding a replacement if a job-share partner leaves. Extra training and equipment may also be necessary.

Workers like job sharing because it allows them to keep a firmer footing on the job ladder, when, for example, returning from maternity leave. There is, however, no blanket legal obligation on an employer to offer a job share or part-time working. If management opposes the creation of a job share, there may be no easy way to secure it. It is often easier in areas with a history of job sharing. They are far more prevalent in the public sector, for example. If your company has a flexible working culture, you are more likely to achieve a job share. Most shares operate on a 50/50 basis, with one partner working from Monday to Wednesday and the other from Wednesday to Friday.

The key to a successful job share is a compatible and trusting relationship with your partner, underpinned by a satisfactory contract. If you board and play power games with information, this sort of arrangement is unsuitable. Individuals need to be organized and good communicators. Sue Monk, chief executive of flexible workers’ charity Families at Work, and a job sharer herself, says: “You’ve got to be prepared to put in extra effort to make it work. For example, if you are busy, you may need to put in a phone call in the evening. You have to be very responsible. It’s easy to leave things for someone else to do.”

 

1. Nurses and doctors make life-affecting decisions based on handed-over information means that they make decisions based on information that

a) they get from somewhere else

b) they get from each other

c) is out of date

2. When Angela Baron says, “What is more important than that?” she means that

a) doctors and nurses handing information to each other shows how this can work in the most important situation you can imagine

b) nothing is more important to nurses than job-sharing, as many studies have shown

c) they should only hand over life-affecting information but not other sort of information

3. Staff working half-weeks are often fresher means that the employees who only work half-weeks

a) have only just started in the company

b) are more enthusiastic

c) are less tired

4. When there is a tricky problem you actually have two brains instead of one means that

a) it’s easier for two people to solve problems than one

b) tricky problems can only be solved by two intelligent people

c) when someone has a tricky problem, they use twice their normal intelligence to solve it

5. One disadvantage for employers is potential difficulty finding a replacement if a job share partner leaves means that if one of the two sharers leaves,

a) it is always difficult to find someone to replace them

b) it is sometimes difficult to find someone to replace them

c) replacing job sharers who leave is the only disadvantage of the system.

Text 23

Read the article. Choose the correct answers to the questions below the text.

In the bad old days, working mothers had to learn to lie. Returning to work after having a baby, they had to prove that nothing had changed. On those black days when the child was ill or the childminder did not turn up, it was better to pretend to be sick themselves than to admit to any problem at home. Some people still live like this. But most companies now recognize that employees may have families. They know, in theory at least, that the old way meant their workers were unhappy, stressed out and likely to leave. Yet despite the new family-friendly policies, most companies are still getting it wrong. At one extreme, individual managers consider that any woman who has a family is not serious: at the other, the new militant working mothers behave as if it is their right to put their families first and let their colleagues cover for them.

We need help, and today we are getting some. Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, is publishing a pamphlet called “Finding the Balance”, containing 10 handy tips on how to balance work and family.

First, Prof Cooper says, you should alert your boss to the idea that you have family to look after. You should spell out how much you like your job and how committed you are. You should plan your approach in advance, thinking about what your employer’s reaction is going to be. When problems arise you should give your employer an idea how long it is going to take to sort them out, and maybe offer to take some of the time off as holiday. You should suggest a way around a particular crisis that will allow you both to be at home and get some work done at the same time. When you come back you should try extra hard, and then point out to your employer how being flexible has allowed you to deal with the crisis at home, without your work suffering.

 

1. If you publish a book, brochure, pamphlet, etc., you

a) make it available for people to obtain and read

b) advertise it

c) force people to buy it

2. If you alert someone to something, you

a) try to hide it from them

b) bring their attention to it

c) talk about it casually

3. If you spell something out, you

a) give a general outline of it

b) give the letters of the words in the sentences you are using

c) make it very clear

4. If a problem arises, it

a) occurs

b) is solved

c) goes away

5. If you suggest a way round a problem, you

a) tell someone else to solve it

b) suggest a way of solving it

c) refuse to deal with it

Text 24

Read the article. Choose two correct answers to each question below the text.

Venture capitalists (VCs) act as headhunters. An entrepreneur who approaches a VC for finance will not typically have management experience. “If you hire a good CEO, the business will take care of itself; but usually an entrepreneur has no network and no idea who to hire,” says Mr Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Associates. So the venture capitalist usually takes on the role of recruiter, finding the entrepreneur some experienced executives.

Second, VCs provide advice and support. Accel Partners, for instance, gives office space and time to entrepreneurs so that they can develop their business plans. For inexperienced entrepreneurs, VCs are advisers, too. “We are professional coaches”, says Ms Ann Windblad, co-founder of Hummer Winblad.

Third, an active venture capitalist puts the companies in which it invests in touch with professional services firms such as lawyers and accountants specializing in information technology. Start-ups backed by a well-known venture capital firm can often obtain legal and other professional advice at a lower rate, until they have the revenues to cover full fees.

Fourth, the backing of a leading venture capital firm, which has identified technology trends correctly in the past, brings credibility with commentators and the start-up’s potential customers. “Far from just providing money, the venture industry brings contacts and confidence”, says Mr Neil Weintraut of 21^st Century Venture Partners. “We create markets as much as we create companies”.

Finally, the most ambitious venture capitalists act as boosters, not just of a few companies, but of the whole category into which an investment falls. They attempt to create excitement around a particular concept, such as the Java computer language, which will make people take it seriously as a business.

 

The best venture capitalists

1. a) help just one company at a time.

b) help whole areas of activity.

c) help whole industries.

2. a) get people interested in products.

b) have no effect on marketing.

c) create excitement about products.

3. a) make people take a business seriously.

b) give credibility to a business.

c) have no effect on how people consider a business.

4. a) have played an important part in the development of the Internet.

b) have played no part in the development of the Internet.

c) have been one of the major factors in the success of the Internet.

5. a) make things happen faster than other sources of finance.

b) have no effect on how fast things happen

c) speed up the development of new companies.

Text 25

Read the article about teenagers learning the art of discussion and argument. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7).

Teenagers can talk for hours on the phone to their friends, but if you try to get them to talk about politics or the latest developments in agriculture, for example, they are likely to fall silent. 1____ It is more to do with lack of confidence or experience in putting forward clear arguments in front of strangers.

In order to demonstrate the value of good communication skills, a boarding school in Bath, in the west of Finland, decided to organise an interesting and exciting way of teaching teenagers how to argue and debate in public. 2_____ The Model United Nations programme, which is a role-play exercise, was first, developed in the US where it forms part of the curriculum in hundreds of schools.

As many as 600 student representatives, ranging in age from 13 to 18, attend from schools all over England and Northern Ireland. 3______

The important roles within the UN, like the president of the general assembly, and the topics, are chosen by the teachers, and they decide which subjects students will discuss. 4_______

MUN starts on a Friday evening and lasts until Sunday evening. Before arriving all the students are given a country to represent and are expected to prepare for the discussion in advance. 5_____

It is then up to the students to discuss their views with the other members of their committee to win support for their argument, before they reach a decision by voting on a particular topic. 6______

For some of the students it will be the first time they have spoken in front of an audience and it can be very nerve-wracking. 7______ At the same time students become more aware of political affairs as well as gaining in self-confidence they learn about international issues.

 

A. The other roles are taken by the students who pretend to be diplomats and try to represent the views and opinions of different member states.

В. However, it gives them an opportunity to develop their skills at persuading other people and interacting with other students.

С. Who is then chosen to speak in the full assembly is up to the student who is the chairperson of that committee.

D. This is not so much to do with lack of knowledge or opinions about these matters.

E. Once they are all together they are devided into five committees.

F. They hold an annual Model United Nations (called MUN for short by teachers and students) based on the real United Nations General Assembly.

G. In some years a few students from other countries such as Italy and Poland will also attend.

Text 26

Read the article about a man who works in the kitchens of a fast food restaurant. Choose from the sentences A-I the one which fits each gap (1-8).

When I graduated from cookery school, I could have applied for jobs in ski chalets or on board ships sailing around the Caribbean. Instead, I applied to work in a fashionable fast-food restaurant and suddenly found myself working very long hours in hot, sweaty kitchens full of completely crazy characters.

I thought that starting at the bottom of the food chain, as opposed to the high life of skiing and sailing, would be good training. 1______

At 7,45 each morning I stagger into the kitchen with all the other cooks, exhausted from working a 10-hour shift the night before. 2______ Nothing is where it should be. Vegetables have been left on the floor and raw fish has been left uncovered in the fridge. A couple of dustbins have not been emptied and everything has to be cleaned before we can begin the day's work.

3______ I fill a sink with water, throw in several box loads of the stuff and wash each leaf separately. My hands are so cold I can hardly feel them.

Between 9 and 10, the line chefs start arriving. 4_____ They swan around the kitchens shouting orders at the poor cooks like me whose job it is to prepare all the ingredients

But if anything goes wrong once the customers' orders start coming in, you can guess who gets the blame. If they run out of sauce, then it's the cook's fault for not preparing enough in the first place. 5_____

The chefs are only under pressure at particular points in the day. The cooks are under pressure all the time.

6_____ This is when the waiters get told what the day's special menus are. Then, no sooner are we back in the kitchen to start the lunch service than three deliveries of food and drink arrive all at the same time. 7_____ I am faced with carrying boxes of frozen chips or bottles of fruit juice from the lorries down two flights of stairs to the store rooms.

By mid-afternoon, the lunchtime rush is dying down. 8_____ Then I am allowed to have my free staff 'lunch', by which time I'm too tired to eat.

 

A	This means I get sent to sort them out
B	These are the people who get all the glory.
С	Before we open at midday, all the staff meet in the restaurant
D	My first job of the day is shopping, and shredding leaves and lettuces for salads.
E	However, I don't get anything to eat until the end of my working day, at 6 that evening.
F	There's been a break of just about four hours and the kitchen has not been tidied from last night.
G	I couldn't have been more wrong.
H	If the chicken goes cold, then it's the cook's fault for not keeping it in the oven longer.

Text 27

Read the article about personality tests. Choose from the sentences (A-H) the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence.

Do you agree with the following statements? Just answer yes or no - and do it as quickly as possible.

• I looked up to my father as the ideal man.

• Sometimes I feel like smashing things.

• Women should not be allowed to drink alone in bars.

• I prefer having a bath to a shower.

1_____ And since your next job or promotion could depend on your answers you had better take this test very seriously.

At a time when employing the wrong person could cost a company money, employers are understand­ably careful about accepting information from can­didates at face value. 2_____ They need to know whether you are sociable or shy, the type that enjoys a challenge or runs away from change. If you're always out-going, you could be the perfect sales assistant - but might not be suitable for another position.

Personality testing is not new. In the Old Testament, Gideon the war leader used a simple psychological test to select an army that was about to go into battle. 3_____ In modern times, however, personality testing only dates back to World War I, when the American army tested two million men in order to place them in the most suitable jobs. Despite their popularity, not everyone thinks that personality tests work. At the centre of the argument lies the question of what makes a personality.

4_____ Furthermore, do we know ourselves well enough to be able to give correct and honest answers? On the subject of honesty, psychologists believe that there is a huge gap between what people say about themselves and their true personalities. Applicants are usually aware of the types of people an employer wants. 5_____

Psychologists believe that people do not change in the way they behave. That is to say that people, no matter if the time or the place changes, will always do things in the same manner. 6_____ Another thing these tests assume is that people who are organised in their private lives, will be organised in the workplace. Clearly this may not be the case, but that person whose test results say that they are hard­working and honest will appear very attractive to an employer.

But nowadays, with so many applicants for each job, employers are not all that interested in whether there is real evidence that personality tests work.

7_____ And a refusal to complete one of these tests when you next apply for a job is unlikely to be seen as a positive sign by the employer. If one applicant refuses, while all the others agree, the employer will often just throw the application away.

 

A	There is little evidence that those of the personality revealed by testing are related to people performing well in a job.
B	In most cases, employers simply want to know basically what type of person you are.
C	For example, one person may always be polite when speaking on the telephone, while another will always be sharp and impolite.
D	Personality testing has become such a big business that there are now more than 50,000 different tests.
E	As a result, there is a tendency for applicants to lie or cheat by giving the answers he or she knows the employer wants to hear.
F	The ancient Chinese also used personality tests to select high-ranking clerks and civil servants.
G	They just want a quick, cheap method of cutting down on the number of applicants they have to interview for each job.
H	All these statements appear on a personality test currently being used by employers in Britain.

 

 

Section II. VOCABULARY 1