Учебнометодическое пособие Петрозаводск 2010 ббк 81. 2Англ удк 811. 11 Г 613 Рецензенты
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10.30. Carrick returns to the office in the BMW. Wearing wraparound black sunglasses, he catches up on messages from his secretary on the car speaker-phone and makes several calls. His dream is to have a country retreat with a recording studio and to learn the electric blues guitar. He has already produced four albums for new artists. 11.00. He monitors the group’s sales figures on his laptop – he checks them every hour or so – does paperwork and reads press reports. Airtours has traditionally suffered from a poor image but Carrick says complaints are now below the industry average after a purge on its hotels. “Customer satisfaction is front of mind but maybe Airtours wasn’t motivated by it five years ago.” 12.00. He drops in on colleagues for a word. The sales and marketing staff are packed tightly into a warren of open-plan spaces and tiny offices. “We’re constantly juggling small spaces,” says Carrick, closing an overflowing cupboard as he passes by. 12.45 pm. Lunch is a sandwich, yoghurt and fruit at his desk while checking e-mail and the sales figures. 1.30. A meeting with the senior marketing manager. They discuss the promotion of new holidays, marketing tie-ups with potential partners and the design of a new brochure aimed at the youth market. 3.00. Tea and a meeting with the marketing manager for cruises. After discussing budgets, Carrick brings out a draft of the cruise brochure with copious red marks cutting out “hyperbole, vacuous, bland and inane comments.” 4.00. Another meeting, this time to discuss the City Breaks programme. Advertisements in specialist opera publications to promote the Verona opera breaks are dismissed as too expensive. “Try “The Lady and People’s Friend” – it’ll work,” says Carrick. “And make sure the sales staff have some idea that Rigoletto is not a sausage but an opera.” He congratulates the manager on a sales promotion while gently pointing out a missed opportunity. “I’m trying to squeeze the final 5 per cent out of every promotion,” explains Carrick. “There’s always room for improvement,” agrees the young manager soberly. 5.00. Mock-up designs of the new Australia brochure are brought in. Carrick cheerily asks Helen Baines, marketing executive, which she likes best. She is gloomy. “I don’t like any of them – just bits of some of them.” The advertising department has already approved them. Carrick doesn’t like them either. “They are ordinary. The designers need to start again.” Helen is thrilled. 5.30. Discusses plans with his secretary for an imminent all-day marketing meeting, including dress. “They can wear casual clothes so long as they have shiny shoes,” says Carrick. 6.00. A walk through the office in case anyone needs him. A pile of boxes catches his eye. “It’s looking a bit of a mess round here.” 6.30. Goes through messages and paperwork and prepares the marketing presentation. 8.30. Leaves the office. He takes his laptop home at weekends, and when he takes a morning or afternoon off. His idea of a good holiday is “improving product knowledge” and he is full of ideas from his recent Airtours Lake and Mountains holiday. “You never switch off. I'm constantly looking for new ideas – it can be frustrating for the family but they've learned to live with it,” he says. 3) Look through the text again and name the sentences which are true: a) Carric’s dream is to have a country retreat with a recording studio and to learn the electric blues guitar. b) Carric abandoned an academic career in history for tourism planning. c) His being busy can be frustrating for the family but they’ve learned to live with it. d) Carric enjoys a very fast and energetic pace of change in the travel industry. e) He is scrupulous about cleanliness. f) He allows his employees to wear casual clothes as long as they have shiny shoes. g) He goes in for jogging three time a week. 4.22 Sleeping at the office on Wall Street 1) Read the heading and the following words from the text and guess what this text is about: residential area, outdated commercial buildings, the financial district, to convert into apartment blocks, the transformation, office blocks are unsuitable for modern needs, senior executives, leafy suburbs, downtown rents are 15-20% cheaper, to trade something for no commute and a much bigger place at a much lower price. (1) When Paul Polichino said he wanted to work on Wall Street, he had little idea that he would end up living there, too. But thanks to rocketing rents elsewhere in Manhattan, Mr. Polichino has found himself caught up in an unlikely trend: the emergence of the central financial district as New York’s latest up-and-coming residential area. (2) In what has been dubbed as Wall Street's other boom, developers are snapping up outdated commercial buildings in the financial district and converting them into ritzy apartment blocks that are rapidly filling up with young professionals. (3) Three months ago, Mr. Polichino and three room-mates moved into a four-bedroom apartment costing $3,180 (£1,975) a month at 45 Wall Street, a 28-storey building that used to be the New York offices of Atlantic Mutual Insurance and US Trust. (4) From there, Mr. Polichino, 22, enjoys one of the world's shortest commutes – a walk across the street to J.P. Morgan, the Wall Street investment bank, where he has just started work as an analyst. “It’s about 50 steps,” he says. “It takes a minute or two, depending on how long I have to wait for the elevator.” (5) New York’s financial district seems an improbable candidate for gentrification. It is the biggest commercial district in the US after mid-town Manhattan and Chicago’s Loop, encompassing about 100m sq ft of office space and employing about 400,000 office workers. (6) At present, few people live among the skyscrapers, and the stores and restaurants have no reason to stay open once the office workers have gone home. Like the financial centres of London and other big cities, it is a hollow, empty place at evenings and weekends. (7) But things are changing fast. The last of 435 apartments at 45 Wall Street has just been let. Another 345 are being let at 25 Broad Street, the former headquarters of PaineWebber, and 565 are near completion at 127 John Street, the former Cotton and Cocoa Exchange. (8) Behind the transformation is a fall in demand for downtown office space. The financial district’s elderly office blocks are unsuitable for modern needs. Besides, senior executives prefer a midtown location because it puts them within walking distance of Grand Central station and its commuter train links with their homes in the leafy suburbs. (9) In 1995, with vacancy rates at 30 per cent and entire buildings standing empty, New York came up with a plan to revitalize the downtown area by offering big tax breaks to developers who agreed to convert office buildings to apartment blocks. (10) According to the Alliance for Downtown New York, a joint public and private sector organization formed to promote the area, some 2,000 apartments are at or near completion, and 7,000 more are expected to appear over the next five years. “It’s exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations,” says Carl Weisbrod, the alliance’s president. (11) New York’s rapidly rising rents help explain the high take-up. Nancy Packes, President of Feathered Nest, a leading New York real estate agent, says rents rose by an average of 30 per cent in the three years to last December, and shot up by 10 per cent more in the first six months of this year. (12) Because of the tax breaks, downtown rents are typically 15-20 per cent cheaper than those in the more popular residential areas of New York – a boon to newcomers like Mr. Polichino and his room-mates, all recent graduates from Georgetown University in Washington DC. (13) “We wanted to live on the upper East side or upper West side, nearer to Central Park,” Mr. Polichino says. “But we’ve traded that for no commute and a much bigger place at a much lower price.” (14) One big drawback to the financial district is that, so far, it remains almost devoid of the amenities people take for granted in the rest of Manhattan, such as supermarkets, movie theatres, restaurants and bars. (15) But Rockrose Development Corporation, the company that developed 45 Wall Street, says this has not proved to be a problem. “A lot of these people are not even buying groceries. They work hard and go out to eat,” says Mr. Thomas Elghanayan, the company’s President. “And it’s only a short walk to Soho, Tribeca, and the hottest restaurants in New York.” (16) Mr. Elghanayan believes that local merchants open during the daytime will start to extend their hours as the residential population builds up. Meanwhile, in a sign of the times, Regal Cinemas, a Tennessee chain, has just announced plans to open a 16- or 17-screen movie theatre, the biggest in New York, across from the World Financial Center. “We think we’ve got a jump start on it,” says Mr. Polichino. “In six months, we think this place is going to be a lot livelier.” 3) Name the paragraphs which give the answers to these questions: a) Why are downtown rents cheaper than those in the more popular residential areas of New York? b) What is one big drawback of this new residential district? c) Did Paul Polichino expect that he would not only work on Wall Street but live there too? d) Where would he like to live? e) Why then does he live in 45 Wall Street? f) What kind of apartment did he move into? g) How can New York’s financial district be characterized? h) What plan did New York come up with in 1995? 4.23 Make the most of business trips 1) Look through the text and make a supposition which category of readers this text will be interesting for. Business travel is not like a vacation. Sure, it might involve exotic locales, a variety of cultures and customs, and introductions to new people, but many frequent fliers would be happier if they could just stay home. Traveling on business can be tiring and stressful, whether you go abroad for a meeting with a client or supplier, or fly to a nearby city every week to meet with your staff or your boss. If your company asks you to take a business trip, here are some tips that will help you enhance your professional image while doing so. Whether you'll be traveling to Bangkok or Boston, go online and read up on the area, its history, and its points of interest. Asking your client, supplier or colleagues pertinent questions will enhance your image and prove that you're interested in more than just business. It will increase your success at nailing the contract or delivering an exceptional presentation. Furthermore, carry important business documents in your cabin baggage. If you're traveling to make a presentation or bid proposal, have backups of your material on a CD or floppy disk in your pocket. No matter what type of industry you're in, business travel will usually be necessary as you climb the corporate ladder. Even if you detest traveling, it's a career-limiting move to refuse without a very strong and compelling reason. Focus on the long-term benefits, accept the assignment and make the most of your trip. By planning ahead, you'll reduce the chances of unexpected problems, increase your personal enjoyment and enhance your professional image. Bon voyage! 2) Read the text and say whether the given sentences are true or false and justify your answer: a) business travel is like a vacation, b) business travel may involve exotic locales, various cultures and customs, and new people, c) you can always enhance your professional image while taking a business trip, d) it is advisable to read about the area where you go, to know something from its history and points of interest, e) carry all important documents and materials, f) don’t refuse a business trip – it’s a career-limiting move, g) focus on long-term benefits and make the most of your trip. 4.24 How to Behaive Appropriately on a Business Trip 1) Before reading the text make a list of tips on how to behave on a business trip. 2) Scan the text and make a supposition which category of readers this text will be interesting for. Whether this will be your first or your thousandth business trip, you should be conscious of conduct that is considered proper during your absence from the office. As a representative of your company, you need to know how to behave appropriately on a business trip.
3) Look through the text and say which of the tips you agree or disagree with. What tips can you add? 4.25 Classic designs with presents in mind 1) Do you like to give Christmas presents? When do you start doing Christmas gift shopping? What kind of presents do you buy? Do you exchange Christmas presents at work? Is it easy to choose presents for colleagues? Is it a custom to buy presents for the executive in your organization? 2) Skim the text and make a list of things recommended as gifts for an executive. Buying for a busy executive can be a nightmare. They are usually very choosy, and often already own most of the consumer durables which they feel they need. The Sunday Tribune has come up with a few gift ideas which may suit the man or woman who has everything. Helen Kilmartin, the owner of the Presents of Mind and Minima shops in Dublin, says many consumers are shifting away from gadgets to stylish, well designed versions of more traditional gifts. One product which is proving popular is the Anna Corkscrew by Alessi. Available in a range of pastel colours, the Anna takes the classic corkscrew design and toys with it so that the corkscrew resembles a little girl. Staying with the utensil theme, a colander from the Philippe Starck range could be the perfect gift for someone who doesn’t have a huge amount of kitchen space, and for whom cooking is not the pinnacle of an evening. Having drained the pasta, this rather stylish colander can then be given a quick wash, and hey presto – it becomes an ice bucket. Cocktail shakers are also making a re-appearance this year, presumably in the hope that Ireland will follow recent trends in the US where old fashioned drinks have made a comeback in recent years. Another variation on a classic theme is the Stuffed Shirt, which is available from Presents of Mind. The Stuffed Shirt is a compact leather case with enough room for a single pressed shirt and a small range of toiletries. A built-in toilet bag is included in some models as well as a sewing kit with extra shirt buttons and a clothes brush. With a few small changes the case could easily become a stuffed blouse. Novelty cuff links could suit the executive who feels slightly constrained by the conservative dress code favoured by the world of business. The choice includes cars, teddy bears, tennis racquets and road signs, but the most attractive pair features antique hot and cold taps. Stephen Cloonan, the managing director of Harry Moore, offers three or four suggestions for the man or woman who appears to have everything. The JVC DV1 is arguably the quintessential executive toy on sale this Christmas. It claims to be the world's smallest and lightest digital video camera, and its sleek silver design is bound to attract the fashion conscious. However, its £1,799 price tag means than in reality the DV1 won't find its way into too many stockings. Typically, though, a camcorder can be had for £500-£600 while there are budget models for as little as £399. The new Canon Ixus camera echoes the attractive silver design of the DV1, and comes with the latest advanced photo system (APS) technology. It offers three types of prints, and the date and a title can be printed on the reverse of each print. TheIxus is also incredibly соmpact, and is not much bigger than a pack of playing cards. But small is not always beautiful as the television market is moving towards ever larger models. Wide-screen televisions with dig stereo for the full home cinema experience are becoming popular with prices ranging from £650 to £1,600. A more modest television option could be a subscription to Sports or one of the movie channel packages. Mobile phones are still a popular gift, but remember, when choosing a mobile system, GSM phones can be used in many foreign countries, while the analogue models are for domestic use only. |