Fast Track English E-Book

Robert Parr

• Herausgeber: wbg Academic
• Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
• Sprache: Deutsch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 386

Beschreibung

Wer es sich zum Ziel gesetzt hat seine Englischkenntnisse in den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Handel auszubauen, trifft mit diesem Sprachkurs die richtige Wahl. Das Lehrbuch hilft jedem Leser dabei, seine kommunikativen Fähigkeiten in der Wirtschaft oder im Geschäftsleben zu festigen. Behandelte Themen sind unter anderen: Börsenhandel, Telekommunikation und Werbung. Durch die geschickte Aufteilung in 13 Lektionen, jeweils unterteilt in 5 Module werden sowohl Wörter/ Wendungen und Hörverständnisübungen als auch optische Elemente bestmöglich aufgezeigt und somit ein angenehmes und erfolgreiches Lernen garantiert.

Leseprobe

Robert Parr

Fast Track English

The Business World

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Impressum

Die Fernsehsendungen zu Fast Track English,The Business World produzierten die PilgrimProductions 2000 (Canterbury, England) imAuftrag des Westdeutschen Rundfunks(Redaktion: Peter Teckentrup) für das telekolleg.Drehbücher: Gillian Jones: Language Consultant.Rüdiger Deutsch, Keith Jones; Kamera: Georg Pellet;Regie: Brian Early, David Pick.

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diesePublikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliographie;detaillierte bibliographische Daten sind im Internetüber http://dnb.de abrufbar.

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ISBN 978-3-534-27179-5

Elektronisch sind folgende Ausgaben erhaltlich:eBook (PDF): 978-3-534-27180-1eBook (epub): 978-3-534-27181-8

Vorwort

FAST TRACK ENGLISH, The Business World bietet Ihnen die Möglichkeit, Ihre Englischkenntnisse in den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Handel auszubauen und zu festigen. Parallel zu den gleichnamigen Fernsehsendungen besteht jede der 13 Lektionen dieses Begleitbuchs aus fünf Abschnitten:

Die Module A und B geben Statements und Dialoge aus den Fernsehsendungen im Wortlaut wieder. Ausgewählte Worter und Wendungen werden gesondert aufgelistet und übersetzt. In diesen Wordlists fehlen bewusst wichtige Ausdrücke -diejenigen, die der sich anschließende Teil Working with the text behandelt. Der Übungsblock Exercises geht über den jeweiligen Text hinaus und bietet -zusammen mit Focus on, das wichtige sprachliche Strukturen aufgreift -zusätzliches Übungsmaterial. Das Hauptaugenmerk richtet sich auch in diesem Abschnitt auf die Wortschatzarbeit.Lernende, die sich intensiver mit der englischen Grammatik auseinandersetzen möchten, seien auf die vorausgehenden Bände der Reihe FAST TRACK ENG-LISH verwiesen: PART ONE (Lektion 1-13), PART TWO (Lektion 14-26).

Modul C versteht sich vorrangig als Hörverständnisübung. Es empfiehlt sich daher, diesen Teil der Fernsehsendungen mehrmals anzuschauen, bevor Sie sich mit den Übungen beschäftigen.

In Modul D begegnet uns ‘Troubleshooter’, der Mann, der sich unermtidlich um die Sorgen und Probleme von Geschäftsleuten kümmert. Lassen Sie sich von seinem Humor, Charme und Engagement inspirieren!

Modul E rundet mit Originaldokumenten, Bildern und anderen optischen Elementen die Lektionen ab.

Im Anhang finden Sie die Tapescripts zu den Modulen C, sämtliche Lösungen zu den Übungen sowie ein alphabetisches Register aller Wörter aus den Wordlists.

Robert Parr

Contents

1Retail and wholesale

1ABuying and selling

1BDay-to-day business

1CDavid Novell - managing the family business

1DTroubleshooter starts up in business

1EHave you got what it takes?

2A variety of firms

2AFour types of business

2BWorking at Empire Property Services Ltd

2CHugh Pierce - helping young people in business

2DTroubleshooter advises a young photographer

2EA profit and loss forecast

3Technology at work

3AHow magazines are produced

3BImproving the office

3CTed Roffey - adapting to technological change

3DTroubleshooter updates his office

3ESome definitions of success

4Banking

4AAdvising business customers

4BOpening a joint account

4CPat Daniels - investing in the future

4DTroubleshooter’s mother intervenes!

4EA letter from a bank

5Advertising

5AA variety of media

5BChairing a meeting

5CAndrew Brown - heading the Advertising Association

5DTroubleshooter launches an advertising campaign

5EMineral water

6Tourism and travel

6AThe hotel business

6BBooking a holiday

6CKevin Poulter - managing the hotel staff

6DTroubleshooter gets all the credit

6EWhich airport is it?

7Human resources

7AJob hunting

7BAttending an interview

7CChris Brown - training to be a manager

7DTroubleshooter seeks secretary

7EReading job advertisements

8Communications

8AHandling information

8BMeeting customers face to face

8CLinda Metcalfe - organizing trade fairs

8DTroubleshooter keeps in touch

8EWorking on a PC

9Distribution

9AA distribution centre

9BBuying produce at the farm shop

9CBrian Nixon and Carol Bushen - distributing stock

9DTroubleshooter knows when he’s not wanted

9EEnglish tomatoes

10Export and import

10AExporting porcelain

10BImporting tea

10CSam Twining and Rachel John - working for reputable companies

10DTroubleshooter goes to France

10EHow to make tea

11The transportation of goods

11ACarrying goods by road and rail

11BMoving house

11CAndy Ingleston - enjoying the challenge

11DTroubleshooter earns some free samples

11EHandling perishables

12Insurance

12AInsurance for personal and business needs

12BEnquiring about motor insurance

12CPhil Hickley - dealing with marine insurance

12DTroubleshooter is made liable

12EA letter from an insurance company

13The City and international trade

13AInsurance and investment banking

13BFinding out more about the export business

13CRoger Miles - feeling positive about the City

13DTroubleshooter makes a name for himself in the City!

13ECareer goals

Module C tapescripts

Key to exercises

Wordlist

‘It is too late to agree with me:

I‘ve changed my mind.’

Mahbub ul Haq, 1934-1998

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE 1

What do these three people do?

David Novell: “I’m the Managing Director of this garden centre. The name of the garden centre is Polhill Garden Centre. We sell lawnmowers, we sell plants, garden furniture, in fact everything you need for the garden. There are a number of

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different departments. There’s a Plant Department, a Pet Department and a department that sells all kinds of fish and aquariums. We are a retail business. That means we sell to the general public. We employ about a hundred and thirty staff. Some of them are part-time and some of them full-time.”

Brian Archibald: “I’m responsible for buying for the Pet Department and Garden

10

Sundries. In our Pet Department we actually sell animals and all products associated with them. Garden Sundries, that means all the products for gardening like compost, pots, seeds and fertilizers. The Garden Centre buys plants from local growers. We also buy plants from abroad. I purchase a lot of my products from wholesalers. Many of the wholesalers that I use are local but sometimes I purchase

15

from wholesalers that are abroad, in other words, I import. The sort of items that we import are bamboo canes from China and many garden tools from Germany.”

Colin Cross: “I’m the Manager of this distribution depot. I’m a wholesaler. That means that I buy large quantities of products from manufacturers and supply those to garden centres and small retailers in smaller quantities across the Home Counties.

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One of our largest customers is Polhill Garden Centre. We have developed a system with them whereby we are linked by modem through their computer to ours. That enables us to receive an order from them at the end of trading on Sunday so that we can start picking it first thing Monday, and we deliver those products, at the very latest, Monday afternoon after receipt of the order on a Sunday

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evening.”

retail and wholesaleEinzel- und GroßhandelcaneRohrlawnmowerRasenmäherdistributionVerterlung, Vertriebsundries plVerschiedenesdepot(Lager)hausfertilizerDüngerHome countiesan London grenzendegrowerZüchter(in) Grafschaflen

Working with the text

I.Are these sentences true or false according to the text? Tick the appropriate box in the grid (Gitter).

1.David Novell and Brian Archibald both work at the Polhill Garden Centre.

2.The Polhill Garden Centre is a retail business.

3.Brian Archibald is David Novell’s boss.

4.Colin Cross knows Brian Archibald.

5.Colin Cross does business with retailers and manufacturers.

true

false

II.Complete these sentences. Use two words from the text in each sentence.

1.A retail business sells products to the … ….

2.A wholesale business sells products to… ….

3.A manufacturer sells … … of products to wholesale businesses.

III.Nouns in the text. Which are they? (The first letter is given.)

1.a large part of a company

d…

2.all the people who work in a company

s…

3.a person who buys something from a shop

c…

4.a piece of paper which asks for products to be delivered

o…

5.a person or company that makes a product

m…

IV.Verbs in the text. Which are they? (The last letter is given.)

1.to offer work to somebody

…y

2.another word for ‘buy’

…e

3.to bring in products from another country

…t

4.to deliver products to a person or company

…y

5.to make possible

…e

V.Complete these sentences. Use words from exercises III and IV in their correct form.

1.David Novell … about 130 people at the Polhill Garden Centre.

2.Some of the … are full-time, some are part-time.

3.Brian Archibald, the Centre’s Buyer, … products from wholesalers in Britain.

4.He also … from countries such as Germany and China.

5.Colin Cross is a wholesaler. One of his … is Brian Archibald.

6.Colin Cross often receives … by computer.

7.This enables him to … retailers within 24 hours.

VI.What’s the German?

1.managing director

(line 2)

2.the general public

(line 7)

3.garden tools

(line 16)

4.end of trading

(line 22)

5.receipt of the order

(line 24)

VII.Say these words from the text out loud.

1.staff

2.tool

3.depot

4.modem

5.receipt

VIII.What about you?

1.Do you think having a garden centre is a good business in Britain? Give a reason for your opinion.

2.If you had the choice between doing David Novell, Brian Archibald or Colin Cross’s job, which one would you choose? Can you say why?

Exercises

Focus on talking about jobs

Deutsche Berufsbezeichnungen oder Bildungsabschlüsse lassen sich manchmal schwer ins Englische iibersetzen bzw. haben keine englischen Entsprechungen. Spricht man über den Beruf, empfiehlt es sich daher, das Aufgabengebiet zu beschreiben bzw. den Arbeitgeber zu nennen.

I’m responsible for buying for the Pet Department.I work at the Polhill Garden Centre.

I.Say it in English. Start with: ‘I work in …’ Use one short sentence only!Don’t translate word for word!

1.Ich bin Betriebswirtin und arbeite in der Personalabteilung eines großen Elektrokonzerns in München.

2.Ich bin Anasthesist in einer Kinderklinik in Braunschweig.

3.Ich habe Feinwerktechnik studiert und bin in der Abteilung Forschung undEntwicklung bei einer großen Autofirma in der Nähe von Stuttgart angestellt.

4.Ich bin Sozialversicherungsfachangestellte und arbeite bei einer Betriebskrankenkasse in Berlin. Ich bin verantwortlich für den Bereich Beitragszahlung.

II.Read these job ads. Imagine that three people are working in these jobs and describing their work to English-speaking friends. What might they say? Write two sentences for each job. Don’t translate word for word!

Focus on compound nouns

Zusammengesetzte Substantive bestehen meist aus zwei Substantiven. Sie bilden gemeinsam einen Begriff, z.B. garden centre. Das erste Substantiv beschreibt das zweite. Zusammengesetzte Substantive werden entweder zusammengeschrieben (z.B. lawnmower) oder getrennt geschrieben (z.B. retail business) - oder, aber viel seltener, mit Bindestrich versehen.

III.What’s the difference between …

1.a ‘horse race’ and a ‘race horse’?

2.’milk chocolate’ and ‘chocolate milk’?

IV.Which compound noun is being described? Check the spelling in a dictionary.

1.a clock that wakes you up in the morning

2.people who have poor eyesight wear them (they are not glasses!)

3.you can pay for things with it, it is sometimes called ‘plastic money’

4.a simple hotel where young people can stay

5.a person who looks after small children when their parents are away

6.a room where you wash, bath or have a shower

Focus on defining relative clauses

Relativsätze, die für das Verständnis des ganzen Satzes notwendig sind, werden ohne Kommas geschrieben. Als Objekt des Relativsatzes kann das Relativpronomen entfallen.

There’s a department that sells all kinds of fish and aquariums.Many of the wholesalers (that) I use are local.

V.Which of these sentences contain defining relative clauses? Which contain non-defining relative clauses and need commas?

1.The people we met on our holiday were all really nice. 2. We sometimes work with people who can’t even operate a computer.

3.Have you seen the new car they’ve bought?

4.The garden centre we went to doesn’t close until 9pm.

5.Mr Schneider who originally came from Germany has worked here for twenty years.

6.The people who come here want to enjoy themselves.

def

non-def

VI.Is there an object relative pronoun in the sentence? If so, rewrite the sentence without it.

1.Is that the woman who you work with?

2.The goldfish which we bought died after three days.

3.The man who came to the door yesterday wanted to sell us insurance.

4.Is there anybody who doesn’t like going on holiday?

5.The flowers which are in this part of the garden never get the sun.

6.The accident which we saw yesterday was shown on TV.

VII.Word families. Complete the grid.

verb

noun

1.

reduce

2.

assist

…

3.

deliver

…

4.

enclose

…

5.

choose

…

6.

restrict

…

7.

advise

…

8.

agree

…

VIII.Complete this paragraph. Use six of the eight words in the box.

chance • company • conference • customer • department • public • staff • travel

“I work for SIP, a medium-sized computer …. I work in the personnel …. I’m responsible for recruiting new …. I like my job because it gives me a … to meet people. The other thing I like about my job is that I … quite a lot. Next week, for example, I’m going to a training … in Berlin.”

IX.What do you do?

Now you write a short paragraph in English about your job. Say where you work and what you are responsible for. Finish by saying why you like - or do not like - your job. (If you have not got a job at the moment, write about a job you would like to have!)

At the garden centre

Clare Stevens has bought a plant from a garden centre and now she does not want it. What happens when she goes back to the shop?

Can I help you?

5

Yes, I hope so. I bought this here yesterday and it’s just not what my husband wanted. Can I change it or could you give me a refund?

Have you got your receipt?

Yes, I have.

Would you like a refund or would you like to exchange it for something else?

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I think I’d like to exchange it for something else.

If you’d like to leave that here and go and choose something.

OK, thank you.

At the post office

Clare needs a new car licence so she goes to a post office. Has she got the right

15

documents with her?

I hope I filled this in correctly.

Let’s have a look.

And I hope I have everything I need.

I’m sure you have. May I have your registration document, please?

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Here you are.

Thank you. And your certificate of insurance?

This one?

That’s the one, thank you. That’s fine. And your MOT certificate?

This one?

25

Thank you. Are you paying for a year or six months?

A year, please.

That’s going to cost you £145, please.

Thank you.

At the bank

30

Next Claare goes to the bank. What does she do there?

Can you check my current account for me, please?

Yes, of course. May I have your card, please?(She gives Clare a print out.) There we are.

Thanks. I’d like to transfer some money from my deposit account to my

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current account.

How much would you like to transfer?

£500, please.

If you could just check this and sign it for me, please. That will go through for you today.

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Thank you.

day-to-dayregistration documentMOT (abbrfor Ministry of Transport)Alltags-, täglichKraftfahrzeugbriefTÜVcurrent accountprint outdeposit accountgo throughGirokontoAuszug, -druckSparkonto(Betrag) eingehen

Working with the text

I.Which ending (a-c) completes the statement best? Tick it.

1.At the garden centre Clare hopes to …

a)change some money.

b)exchange one product for another product.

c)find another husband.

2.At the post office Clare would like to …

a)buy a new car.

b)get insurance for her car.

c)renew her car licence.

3.At the bank Clare wants to …

a)buy some Austrian money.

b)transfer money from one account to another account.

c)pick up a new credit card.

II.Which word in the text is being described?

1.the money that you get back (after you have returned something you have bought)

2.a small piece of paper which shows that you have received a product

III.Complete the definition by adding one word.

1.A … account is a bank account for everyday expenses.

2.A … account is a bank account for savings.

IV.Further questions. Answer them using your own words as far as possible.

1.Why does the woman at the garden centre want to know if Clare has got a receipt for her plant?

2.What three pieces of paper does the woman at the post office want to see before she can give Clare a new car licence?

3.What does Clare do before she transfers money from her deposit account to her current account?

V.And what about you?

1.Do you think people in Germany often go back to shops to exchange goods or get a refund? Say why or why not.

2.Do post offices in Germany offer the services that British post offices do?

Exercises

Focus on polite questions

Urn Fragen höflich zu stellen, verwendet man meist die modalen Hilfsverben ‘can’, ‘could’, ‘may’ oder ‘would’ (+ ‘like to’) in Verbindung mit dem Infinitiv.

Could you give me a refund, please?Would you like to exchange it for something else?

I.Join a sentence on the left to a sentence on the right to form mini-dialogues.

1.Can I help you?

a.Yes, certainly.

2.Can you check my current account, please?

b.Oh, thank you.

3.Please choose something else.

c.I’m sure you have.

4.I hope I’ve got all the forms.

d.Yes, please.

II.You make some requests. Use polite forms with ‘may’ or ‘could’. Use the information below - and your own ideas.

1.You want to open the window (because the room is hot).

2.You want to interrupt somebody (who is talking).

3.You want to borrow somebody’s pen (to write down a phone number).

4.You want to disturb somebody (who is working).

III.You have a guest. Make polite offers with ‘would like’. Use the information below and some of your own ideas to build an eight-line dialogue.Begin like this: ‘Hello! Please come in. Let me take your coat…’

1.Your guest has arrived. Perhaps it’s time to offer her/him a drink.

2.You know your guest drinks white wine. Perhaps she/he will have a glass now.

3.You have some new New Zealand wine. Maybe your guest will try some.

4.Ask your guest to come into the kitchen and look at the bottle.

IV.What’s the difference in meaning between these questions?

1.Do you like tea?

2.Would you like tea?

V.Ask questions with ‘What…?’ to get the missing information.

1.I like gardening but I don’t like

2.I wouldn’t like a new bicycle but I would like

3.I would like to work in a foreign country but I wouldn’t like

4.I don’t like going on holiday but I like

VI.Rewrite the conversation. Use short forms of the auxiliaries (eg ‘is’, ‘shall’, ‘would’ etc) wherever possible.

Is John arriving in the evening or in the afternoon?

I think he is coming at half past five.

Shall I book a table for us?

Yes, that is a good idea.

What time would be best?

We could eat at eight, I suppose.

OK. I will ring the restaurant now.

VII.Because primary auxiliaries (’be’, ‘do’, ‘have’) don’t carry any meaning, they often disappear in informal speech. Which auxiliaries are missing in these questions?

1.… you going into town this morning?

2.… they ready to leave?

3.… you want to know what happened?

4.… we been here before?

VIII.Using ‘please’ and ‘thanks’. Put each word into the dialogue three times.

Hello.

Good morning.

Could I have ten first-class stamps,…?

Ten?

Yes,….

Anything else?

No, ….

That’s £2.80,….

…. And twenty pence change.

….

I.As you listen to David Novell talking about the Polhill Garden Centre, read and answer this question.Which one of the following things does David Novell not talk about? Mark it.

a)how his business began

b)the Garden Centre’s customers

c)his favourite flowers

d)the Centre’s departments and products

e)the administrative work at the Centre

f)the staff

II.Listen again. Which is the correct answer? Tick it.

1.David Novell formed his company in the …

a)1970s.

b)1980s.

c)1990s.

2.Every week about…

a)2,000 customers go to the Polhill Garden Centre.

b)20,000 customers go to the Polhill Garden Centre.

c)200,000 customers go to the Polhill Garden Centre.

3.One of the most popular departments at the Centre is … a) the Pet Department. b) Garden Sundries. c) the restaurant.

4.The number one product at the Centre are …

a)plants.

b)aquarium fish.

c)cups of coffee.

III.What do the underlined words in sentences 1-4 refer to?Choose an answer (a-d).

1.They love pottering around places like this …

a.the butcher

2.It acts as a customer draw to our Centre …

b.the office staff

3.He is a good attraction for the Centre …

c.the customers

4.They’re also responsible for ordering the products …

d.the restaurant

IV.Word family. Read the definitions and complete the sentences below using one of the words in its correct form.

•To produce /pre′dju:s/ something is to make something in large quantities.

•A product /′prodAkt/ is something which is produced and sold, (countable)

•Produce /′prodju:s/ is something which comes from a farm, (uncountable)

1.The company I work for sells a range of beauty ….

2.Where does the butter come from? - On the packet it says: of France’.

3.Outside the farm shop there’s a sign that says: ‘Fresh … daily’.

4.Last year Germany … more cars than ever before.

Troubleshooter is sure that he will soon be making a living out of troubleshooting - solving other people’s business problems. He’s almost ready to begin. All he needs is the signmaker to finish putting a sign on the side of his van. Suddenly the phone rings. Troubleshooter’s first customers are on the line.

5

A young couple would like to go into business. They want to open their own garden

shop. However, before the bank will lend them any money, it wants to see their business plan. Troubleshooter cycles out to talk to the young man and woman. As they know very little about profit and loss forecasts, overheads, fixed costs and things like that, they want Troubleshooter to help them.

10

Troubleshooter goes back to his office and starts work. Soon he’s able to present

the couple with a business plan. The couple, however, are not prepared to give Troubleshooter his money yet. They want to wait until they have shown the plan to their bank.

In the meantime Troubleshooter goes to the signmaker to pick up his van. Clearly

15

the signmaker has been in business longer than Troubleshooter has because he asks for his money immediately. “Payment on completion of work,” he says. Troubleshooter writes out a cheque and hands it over to the signmaker. He thinks the £280 have been well invested. “It pays to advertise,” he says.

troubleshooterbusiness plan

Krisenmanager(in)Geschäftsplan

overheadspresent with

allgemeine Kostenpräsentieren, überreichen

I.Answer the questions.

1.Why does Troubleshooter visit the young couple?

2.How can we see that Troubleshooter is not a very experienced businessman?

3.What is Troubleshooter’s financial situation like at the moment?

II.Which is the correct answer? Mark it.

1.’Overheads’ (line 8) are …

a)lights.

b)regular costs (for rent, light, heat etc) when you run a business.

c)a small management team.

2.The expression ‘Payment on completion of work’ (line 16) means …

a)after the work is finished you must pay.

b)after you pay the work is finished.

c)you must not pay if the work is completed too slowly.

3.The expression ‘It pays to advertise’ (line 18) means …

a)you must pay if you want to advertise.

b)advertisements are too expensive.

c)it’s good for business if you advertise.

III.Match the underlined idiomatic expressions with their explanations.

1.Politicians pay lip-service to environmental issues.

2.You pay through the nose for food in this part of London.

3.We paid an arm and a leg for our summer holiday last year.

a.to pay a lot of money

b.to pay too much money

c.to say that you support something (but not to support it in practice)

A VARIETY OF FIRMS 2

What do these four people do? What sort of company do they work for?

ony Shaw is the proprietor of Red Signs and Stripes. He is a sole trader who works on his own, organizing and running his own business. “I was made redundant so I decided to set up my own company as a sole trader. I mean it’s quite complicated

5

starting your own business. I really didn’t want the hassle. Being a sole trader, on the financial side I take all the responsibility. The Hopewell Business Centre can help with advice, financial advice, legal advice, any worries of that sort. Each company is responsible for security, each of us responsible for making sure that the unit is clean and tidy.”

10

David Huggins is one of the partners at Winch & Winch, a firm of solicitors which gives advice to companies at the Hopewell Business Centre. “Winch & Winch is a partnership. I’m one of the partners and there are four partners all together. In the case of a legal practice, we are not permitted to work together in any other way.

We’re not allowed to become limited liability companies. The advantages of a partnership,

15

of course, are that you share a common view and you have colleagues on whom you can rely and with whom you can share your business problems. The disadvantage is that you are not able to limit your personal liability, that if in fact you get into trouble then you are liable to the full extent of your personal assets. You cannot protect yourself behind limited liability.”

Putting the finishing touches to a fountain

20

Ian Kirkpatrick is the Managing Director of another company at the Hopewell Business Centre. “The Fountain Workshop is a limited liability company. A limited liability company generally has a board of directors. For our company we have two directors. The advantage to those directors is that your liability is limited, as the name suggests, and each director has legal obligations towards the company.

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Every limited company needs to display a certificate of incorporation upon its premises. Every company which has a turnover of greater than £350,000 has to file accounts at Companies House.”

Nicola Foulston is the Chief Executive of Brands Hatch, a famous racing circuit. “Brands Hatch Leisure PLC is the largest organizer and promoter of motor sport

30

events across Europe. PLC stands for ‘public limited company’ and means that a company is listed on the stock exchange within the UK. The shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange. The advantages of being a PLC are that you are able to raise money more easily and more efficiently than as a private company. Brands Hatch Leisure PLC turned over £14.2 million in 1996 and made an operating profit

35

out of that of £3 million.”

sole traderhasslesolicitorpartnershipliabilitypersonal assets

pl

board of directorsincorporationpremises

pl

Einzelunternehmer(in)ÄrgerRechtsanwalt, -anwäitinPersonengesellschaftHaftungpersönlicher BesitzVorstandGründungFirmengelände

turnoverfile accountsCompanies Housechief executivestock exchangesharequote

Umsatz(Geschäfts)büchereinreichen

Handelsregister in GB

Geschäftsfuhrer(in)BörseAktie

(Aktien)

notieren

Working with the text

I.Which part of the (brackets) is correct according to the text?Read out the correct sentence in full.

1.Tony Shaw (has got/has not got) his own business.

2.David Huggins has got a business with (three/four) other people.

3.Ian Kirkpatrick runs a business. He is (also/not) the owner of the business.

4.Nicola Foulston (works/doesn’t work) at the London Stock Exchange.

II.Complete these sentences. Use a word from the text.

1.Tony Shaw is a s… trader. That means he owns and runs a business by himself and takes all the r… for it.

2.David Huggins is a s….He works with three other colleagues. Their small firm is a p….

3.Ian Kirkpatrick is the d… of a company that specializes in f….

4.Nicola Foulston works for Brands Hatch Leisure, which is a p… limited company. That means you can buy s… in the company.

III.Which word or phrase from the text is being described?

1.the owner of a business

2.to lose your job

3.everything a person owns and has a value and which can be used to pay debts

4.a business which belongs to a doctor or a lawyer

5.the obligation a person in business has to pay debts

6.the total sales of a company

7.a place where people can buy shares in a company

8.the money which is made by a company

IV.Questions on the text. Answer them.

1.What advantages does Tony Shaw have by being part of the Hopewell Business Centre?

2.What’s the main legal difference between the companies Winch & Winch and The Fountain Workshop?

3.When does a limited liability company have to file its accounts?

4.What are the advantages of being a PLC rather than a private company?

V.Further questions. (The answers are not in the text.)

1.Tony Shaw says that he ‘didn’t want the hassle’ (line 5). What does he mean exactly?

2.David Huggins talks about ‘getting into trouble’ (line 18). What sort of trouble is he referring to?

3.Ian Kirkpatrick speaks about the directors ‘having legal obligations towards the company’ (line 24). What legal obligations could these be?

4.Nicola Foulston mentions ‘raising money more easily and more efficiently’ (line 33) as a PLC. Why would a company like Brands Hatch Leisure want to do this?

Exercises

Focus on focusing structures

Eine gebräuchliche Form von Aussagesätzen:

ArticalNounto bethat…Thedisadvantageisthatyou are not able to limit …Theadvantages of a PLCarethatyou are able to raise …

I.Join the two halves of the sentences. (The four sentences make a short story.)

1.The fact is

a.that the bank gave me another loan.

2.The problem was

b.that I went to see my bank manager.

3.The thing is

c.that I started my own business last year.

4.The result was

d.that the business got into financial difficulty.

II.Make one sentence out of two.

1.A sole trader takes all the responsibility for the financial side of the business. That’s a fact.

2.In a partnership you are not able to limit your personal liability. That’s a problem.

3.In a limited liability company you are not liable with all your assets. That’s an advantage.

4.A PLC is affected by the price of its shares. That’s the thing.

III.Write a short paragraph in English describing the advantages and disadvantages of different types of transport (bicycle, bus, car). Write 60 to 80 words.

Example:

The main thing about bicycles is that they are cheap. The disadvantage is that…

IV.Complete the table.

noun

adjective

1.

finance

2.

commerce

…

3.

low

…

4.

variety

…

5.

efficiency

…

6.

frme

…

V.Say these words out loud. Can you stress (betonen) them properly?

1.company

2.business

3.colleagues

4.advantage

5.liability

6.premises

7.turnover

8.executive

Focus on comparisons

Einsilbige Adjektive werden durch Anhängen von ‘-er’ und ‘-est’ gesteigert. Zwei- und dreisilbige Adjektive steigert man durch ‘more’ und ‘most’ (Ausnahme: Adjektive, die auf ‘-er’, ‘-le’, ‘-y’ und ‘-ow’ enden sowie unregel-mäßige Formen).

Every company with a turnover of greater than £350,000 has to file accounts.The advantages are that you are able to raise money more efficiently.

VI.Complete these comparisons. Use the correct form of the words in (brackets).Where you see a question mark (?), think of a word yourself.

1.Would you say that it is (good) working for yourself (?) for other people?

2.It’s probably (comforting) to work with other people (?) being completely on your own.

3.Do sole traders have (?) many responsibilities (?) members of a partnership?

4.Limited companies whose turnover is (great) (?) £350,000 must register at Companies House.

5.Most people agree that it is (easy) for a PLC (?) for a limited company to raise captial.

VII.Look at this short extract about partnership agreements. Where do the four expressions in the box go?

capital • disagreements • duties • profits and losses

“A partnership agreement covers the relationship between the partners themselves. It can cover such matters as the … of the partnership, that is what one or more partners put into the business. It can cover the … of the partnership, how much they can take out, how much they have to put in and if there’s a loss. It can cover their …, such as what hours they should work on the business of their partnership. It can also deal with such matters as … between the partners, by setting out the procedures to deal with that.”

One of the companies at the Hopewell Business Centre is Empire Property Services. Here are three conversations which take place at the firm.

Giving instructions for the day’s work

Morning Harry. Morning Bert. This is today’s job. This is the paperwork. It’s a

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painting job. Painting the outside of the house, the windows, the doors. You’ll find it all down here.

What’s the address?

23, Ashley Drive. Do you know where that is?

Yes, I know. It’s near the old sports ground.

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What kind of a place is it?

It’s a two-storey house, wooden windows. You have to paint the outside of the house, the doors and the windows.

What’s the colour scheme then?

It’s all written down here. Beige for the walls, light blue for the windows and

the doors.

How long will it take us?

We’ve allowed a week but I’ll see you back here tonight and you can tell us how you’re getting on. OK?

OK, let’s go then!

Harry and Bert go off to work

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Asking the boss for a day off work

Have you got a moment, Alan?

Yes, Theresa?

Do you think I could take a day off work at the end of the month?

Which day is it?

25

Friday week. The 31.

We’re rather busy then. Is it something important?

My cousin’s getting married and she asked me to be a bridesmaid.

Well, I suppose I’ll have to say yes then, won’t I?

Thanks very much.

But remember to fill in a holiday form!

Asking an employee to work overtime

Tara, we’re going to be very busy at the end of the month and Theresa wants to take the Friday off. Can you work a couple of hours’ overtime?

Oh dear, um, yes, I suppose so. How late would you want me to work?

35

Hopefully only a couple of hours. Until seven o’clock.

Yes, all right then.

All right, thanks, because we’re going to be very busy at the end of the month.

paperworkstoreyUnterlagenStock(werk), Etage

Working with the text

I.Complete these sentences using the information in the text.

1.Harry and Bert’s job today is to ….

2.It’s quite a big job and it should take them....

3.Theresa wants a day off work because....

4.Her boss, Alan, agrees but asks her....

5.Alan would like Tara to ….

6.One reason is because Theresa is not at work on that day.The other reason is that ….

II.Answer these questions on the text.

1.What will Harry and Bert find on the piece of paper the supervisor gives them?

2.Why must Theresa fill in a holiday form?

3.When does Tara usually finish work on a Friday?

III.Say these words from the text out loud.

1.colour scheme

2.beige

3.Friday, 31st

4.won’t I?

5.employee

IV.Further questions.

1.Alan says: ‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to say yes’ (line 28) when Theresa asks him for a day off work. What does Alan’s sentence say about how he really feels?

2.Explain the expression ‘Friday week’ (line 25).

3.What does a ‘bridesmaid’ (line 27) do?

V.What do you think?

1.Should employees always be allowed a day off work when somebody in their family gets married?

2.Is it possible for an employee not to do overtime when the boss asks him or her?

Exercises

Focus on asking difficult questions

Eine Bitte Oder heikle Frage leitet man mit ‘Would you …?’ oder ‘Could you …?’ ein. Sehr höflich sind die Bitten ‘Would you mind if …?’, ‘Do you think I could …?’ und ‘I was wondering if…?’.

Would you mind if I took a day off work?Do you think I could take a day off work?I was wondering if I could take a day off work?

I.Match the two halves of these sentences.

1.Do you think

a.to leave work earlier today?

2.Would it be all right

b.if I could leave work earlier today?

3.Would it be possible for me

c.I could leave work earlier today?

4.I was wondering

d.if I left work earlier today?

II.Look at Alan’s question and Tara’s answer. Does Tara agree to Alan’s request?

Alan:

Would you mind if I closed the window?

Tara:

No, not at all.

III.Look at the underlined verb in Tara ‘s question. It’s a past tense form but is it also past time?

Tara:

Would it be all right if I

came

later tomorrow?

Alan:

I suppose so.

IV.Ask questions using the prompts (Helfer) below. Include a structure in the box. (Be careful with sentence 61)

Would it be all right if… • Would you mind if… • Would it be OK if…

1.You want to use your boss’s phone.

2.You would like to go home at one o’clock on Friday afternoon.

3.You are planning to have two weeks’ holiday in January.

4.You are thinking of working at home tomorrow.

5.You are wondering if you could start work later in the morning.

6.You don’t like the idea of moving office.

Focus on verb + object + infinitive

Nebensätze vermeiden hilft die im Deutschen seltenere Satzkonstruktion Verb + Objekt + Infinitiv mit ‘to’.

She expects him to call.Remind me to buy some milk.

V.Now you ‘re the boss! Translate these sentences into good English.

1.Ich möchte, dass Sie heute etwas länger bleiben.

2.Ich will, dass wir an diesem Sonntag arbeiten.

3.Ich mochte, dass du klopfst, bevor du eintrittst.

4.Ich hätte gerne, dass jeder zur Weihnachtsfeier kommt.

VI.Complete the mini-dialogues using the question words from the box and the correct form of the words in (brackets).

How • How far • How long (x2) • How often • What»When • Where • Whose • Why

1…. (you/come/from)?

From a small town in Saxony-Anhalt.

2.… (motorbike/this)?

It’s my brother’s.

3.… (the journey/take)?

About three hours but we had one stop.

4.… (this/call/in English)?

It’s a hole puncher.

5.… (it/from/Glasgow to Edinburgh)?

About 50 miles, I think.

6.… (you/see/each other)?

Usually twice a week.

7…. (you/work/in this company)?

For about three years now.

8…. (you/get/here)?

By car.

9.… (you/smile)?

I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.

10.… (your train/arrive)?

Just after 10.30.

VII.Complete Alan Winter’s text. Use the correct forms of the words in (brackets).Where there is a question mark (?), think of a word yourself.

“ I... (make redundant) from a large multi-national company and I... (begin, operate) from my own house in the back bedroom. I set up a small office there and started working … (?) a sole trader. The business … (grow) to such an extent that after a twelve-month period I … (find) that I had so much … (?) that I couldn’t cope with it myself and I needed to look for … (?) to work with me. It was that time that I set up a … (?) with somebody who is now my co-director. The business … (continue, grow) and it… (be) then appropriate to become a limited company. As a limited company we … (carry on, grow) and last year our … (?) exceeded £1 million.”

Hugh gives Ben some advice

I.As you listen to Hugh Pierce talking about the The Prince’s Youth Business Trust, read and answer this question.What is Hugh Pierce’s job? Tick the most appropriate answer.

a)He’s a teacher.

b)He’s a business advisor.

c)He’s a photographer.

d)He’s a lorry driver.

II.Listen again. Which is the correct answer? Tick it.

1.How long has Hugh Pierce had a career in banking?

a)Over 15 years.

b)Over 20 years.

c)Over 35 years.

2.The Prince’s Youth Business Trust supports young people in two ways. These are …

a)with a loan and a business advisor.

b)with a business advisor and lots of publicity.

c)with a computer and office furniture.

3.Who is Ben?

a)He’s one of Hugh’s sons.

b)He’s one of Hugh’s clients.

c)He’s one of Hugh’s friends.

4.Hugh Pierce mentions one very important aspect of his work with the clients. This is …

a)choosing the right name for the business.

b)finding the right premises.

c)working out a business plan.

III.Look at these three sentences from the interview. What does the underlined word ‘it’ refer to? Match it with the answer below (a-c).

1.It frees me up to talk objectively about his business from my perspective.

2.It can sound a theoretical exercise. I can assure you, it’s not. It’s hard work.

3.When it’s up, it’s very, very good but don’t get over-optimistic.

a.doing a business plan

b.the business cycle

c.not being in the same profession as the client

IV.Say these words out loud. Make sure you stress them properly.

1.average

2.photographer

3.expertise

4.recommendation

5.decision

V.Complete this table.

noun

verb

1.

advisor, advice

…

2.

…

succeed

3.

loan

…

4.

…

support

5.

photographer

…

6.

…

contribute

7.

recommendation

…

8.

decision

…

9.

…

meet

10.

…

prepare

Troubleshooter has got an important appointment this morning. He has been asked to give some advice to an up-and-coming portrait photographer.

When he arrives at the photographer’s door, Troubleshooter is surprised to find that his services are no longer required. His client is already receiving advice from

5

another organization: the Prince’s Trust. Troubleshooter does not give in, however. He walks into the photographer’s studio, takes out a piece of paper and pen and begins to ask questions.

The photographer is busy. He is taking photographs of a young model. All he really wants to know is whether he can afford a larger studio. Troubleshooter suggests

10

the photographer cuts out any unnecessary costs: no more chocolate biscuits, no more sugar in his coffee. He should also remember to recycle his paper clips and not to take too many photographs. Troubleshooter is proud to quote his professor: “Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.”

Troubleshooter is interested in the overheads: rates, rent, gas and electricity, phone

15

and fax bill. However, to work out whether the photographer can afford a new studio, he needs to borrow a calculator. As the photographer doesn’t have one, Troubleshooter takes out an abacus from his briefcase. He suggests that the young model might help with the calculation.

The young model, however, has had enough of this strange man disturbing the photographic session. She stands up and punches Troubleshooter on the chin.

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Troubleshooter falls to the ground. The photographer steps forward to take a photograph of him for ‘The Daily Splash’. The cover reads: ‘Troubleshooter counted out!’

up-and-comingkommend, aufstrebendabacusAbakus (Rechenbrett)paper clipBiiroklammerbriefcase(Akten)tasche, -mappequotezitierenpunchschlagenrates plKommunalsteuerncount out(Sport) auszahlen

I.Answer the questions.

1.Who does Troubleshooter visit and why?

2.Why does the client give Troubleshooter such a cool reception?

3.What happens to Troubleshooter at the end of his visit?

II.Which is the correct answer? Mark it.

1.What does ‘Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ (line 13) mean?

a)