pe eras Professional Nn Michael acesMichael Black io a>> inreRNeTPRoJect dq Flying high The words ‘flier’ (or ‘flyer’) and ‘high-flier’ - also spelt ‘high flyer’, and with or without the hyphen ~ have several meanings in English, including some that are common in business. Connect to the Internet and go to www.blackcat-cideb.com or www.cideb.it. Insert the title of the book into our search engine. Open the page for Business [ssues. Click on the Internet Project link. Go down the page until you find the title of the book and click on the relevant links for this project. 1 Which definition matches the subject of this unit? If you keep a vocabulary notebook, copy into it the definitions that you think will be useful, and look for examples of sentences that contain the words ‘flier’ and ‘high-flier’. 2 Now click on ‘Origin of high-flier’ Find the answers to these questions: 1 Does the expression ‘high-flier’ come from balloons, planes or birds? 2 In which century was it first used? 3 When it was first used, was it generally used as praise or criticism? 4 |s it generally used as praise or criticism now? Bee, tek on er apd copy tne UE Companies in the News definitions that are relevant to business. 4 Next enter ‘high flier’ into a search engine and look at some of the results. What are the most common activities of the businesses? 5 In the 1987 film Wall Street, Charlie Sheen plays a high-flier called Bud Fox. Click on Wal! Street and read the information there, then click on ‘Full summary’ on that page. What is your opinion of Bud Fox? eo What do you think the advantages and disadvantages are of these jobs? Consider the points below. Make notes. secretary doctor factory worker chief executive en salary working hours responsibilities. job security possibility of promotion job satisfaction RTE Rementer A high flier may rise fast, but fall even faster! 16COMPANIES IN THE NEWS CS. Reading "@2@ Now read these newspaper items about changes in senior staff at companies. In your opinion who has gone for the biggest career change? Why? sc Changes at the top People in the news MOVE TO TOROBA Karen Harper, who was unsuccessful in her attempt to become the new chief executive of Rinaldo’s, is to supermarket chain. combine the role Stockton, has with that of chief executive, with resigned her position as Stockton’s 1 immediate effect. She is replacing, Director of Human Resources, to | Gerald Donnelly, who unexpectedly become CEO of Toroba, the resigned yesterday, after less than six machinery manufacturer. Her first months in the position. Mr Donnelly __ task will be to close down Toroba’s is to be the new chair of Dalton, the loss-making factories. chemicals company. SUDDEN DEPARTURE Ina surprise move, Patricia Stevens, non- executive chair of soft drinks group APPOINTMENT AT BANK Carl Sergeant's appointment as executive chairman of Guildford Bank ORCHARD TO RETIRE i Carol Orchard, chief executive of Malpas, the publishing group, has brought has had a mixed forward her response in the retirement tothe —_ finance industry — Sergeant has no end of this month. Brian Starkey will experience of retail operations, as his take up the position of acting CEO career has been mostly in investment until a permanent successor is banking. He will remain a non- named, while remaining the executive director of several company’s CFO (chief financial companies in the sector. officer). 18 Banking 8 CHAPTER THREE Comprehension check © Now complete the table with information from the news items. Name New position Company _ Company sector Patricia Stevens —_ chief executive Rinaldo’s ane + chair Gerald Donnelly 2. chemicals Brian Starkey acting CE 8... 4 O+ Karen Harper CEO lee 8 Carl Sergeant ae ae ee retail banking Vocabulary — the board of directors e Complete each sentence (1-6) with the most suitable ending (A-G). There is one ending that you won't need to use. | A company’s board of directors. LC] Non-executive directors Executive directors Board meetings An executive chair A non-executive chair OanRwNE > is a chairperson who is not employed by the company. are usually the company’s chief executive and chief financial officer, and so are involved in its day-to-day management. usually consists of executive and non-executive directors. is a chairperson who is also the company’s chief executive, are involved in planning and policy-making for the company, but not in its day-to-day management. is often also the chief financial officer. are led by the chairman (sometimes called the chair, chairperson or, if female, chairwoman). w moa an 19Reading COMPANIES IN THE NEWS (23 © Read these newspaper items, then answer the questions below. 20 SHARMAN PLANS SAVINGS around the world and leaving it EXPANSION PLANS AT MOORE’S Sales at Moore’s, the men’s clothing chain, have hit record levels. The group plans to invest a large part of its profit in expanding into overseas markets, and will open thirty new outlets in the next two years. Itis also interested in taking over a major competitor, Rycroft for Men. DONNER TO SELL DIVISION Donner, the Scottish manufacturer of health and beauty products, is short of money alter it invested heavily in aunching its brands in the USA, with disappointing results. As a result it is looking for a buyer for its health division, and will in future concentrate on cosmetics. Sharon Webster, chief executive of furniture manufacturer Sharman, The Latest from the World of Business Companies in the news has forecas ill achi able savings by closing factories rec e fi achieve considerable savings by closing a. ae its head office in London. It is looking for new premises in a less expensive part of the country. SUCCESS FOR KEBLE Keble, which specialises in developing IT applications for hospitals, has been @ potential takeover target for along time. It has now become even more attrac- tive to its competitors, with its announcement that it has won major contracts with five healthcare providers in Europe and the Middle East. CHAPTER THREE Comprehension check © Which company does each statement refer to? 1 This company spent a lot when it started selling its products in a new market. 2 Other businesses in the same sector want to take control of this company. 3 This company intends to increase the number of stores it owns in other countries. 4 This company is reducing its expenditure on premises. 5 This company’s turnover is the highest it has ever been. 6 This company has decided to sell part of its business. Vocabulary - phrasal verbs Most phrasal verbs consist of two words: a verb (e.g. bring, take), and an adverb or preposition (e.g. forward, on). Some consist of three words: a verb, adverb and preposition, e.g. look forward to. Many (but not all) phrasal verbs can take an object: Carol Orchard has brought forward her retirement. With many of these verbs, the object can come after the first or second part of the verb: this is usual if the object is short, but not if it is long: I'd like to bring the date forward. or I'd like to bring forward the date. If the object is a pronoun, it must come after the first part of the verb: I'd like to bring it forward. not Hetikete-brngtorwardte. Qe Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verb in brackets. 1 We must... . the launch of our new product line. (bring forward) 2 The chairman's leaving party was because he decided to retire early. (bring forward) 3 The human resources manager intends to consider the employees’ concerns. (set up) 4 The company was . by the present chief executive. (set up) 5 I'm going to... @ new career in banking. (take up) 6 The company has... . its motorbike division and is concentrating on manufacturing cars. (close down) 7 Johnson's is . as many of its competitors as it can. (take over) 8 Staines & Parker was soresseee Last Month, (take over) a committee to 24, eS. Listening aes © Questions 1 and 2 You will hear two short recordings. For each question, choose the correct answer, A, B or C. COMPANIES IN THE NEWS 1 Why is Marie MacTavish leaving Kendall Jones? A [_| She has decided to retire. Another company has offered her a job. The company has made her leave. is Terry O'Neill’s new position? Chairman BB [_] Financial director C [_] Chief executive ny Peon = Ss Questions 3 to 10 ¢ Look at the notes below about a publishing group called Greenfield. Greenfield publishing group Some information | News Hees ti hoes sien Seen here educational bool e You will hear a © ext oe radio talk by a will be sold of Her att journalist. ° different ® Fate distribute and sell magazines @ new online publishing cia are based in ne each numbered © magazine staff are base spaces using one New tennis magazine word. e targeted ‘al several major European ® ..-- gaom ., delayed @ needs a large DON aere weet: Fill in the missing information in Remember A company is a legal body. All its staff may leave, and new people may join, but the company goes on. 22 Creating a Famous Brand Warm up 0 Think about these questions and make notes. 1 Do you use any of the means of transport below? If so, which? bicycle car motorscooter motorbike 4x4 2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these vehicles? Consider: - for consumers (price, running costs, convenience, comfort); - for the environment (pollution); - for manufacturers (production costs, sales), 3 Who is each vehicle most suitable for? Consider, for example, people's age, family situation, financial status and where they travel to. 4 \f you were going to set up a company to manufacture one of these vehicles, which one would you produce? Why? 23je Eo (23 © Now read this article about Lambretta motor scooters. An icon is something CREATING A FAMOUS BRAND Reading very well known, which is thought to represent a particular way of life. An Italian icon: the Lambretta Japan has its bullet train, Britain the Mini, and Italy its motor two-wheeled vehicles, like motorbikes, but you step onto them, rather than having the bike between your legs. They're ideal for heavy traffic and a warm climate. And the best-known motor scooter brands must be the Vespa and the Lambretta. ‘The Lambretta was manufactured by a company called Innocenti, but it wasn't their first product. The company’s founder, Ferdinando Innocenti (1891-1966), opened a factory to manufacture steel tubing in Rome in 1922. This was used in the construction industry, and Innocenti benefited from the large number of building projects in Rome during the 1920s. Some of his products were used to water gardens and for fire-fighting. In 1931 he relocated the business to Milan, which had become Italy's industrial centre. He opened a larger factory, and did well, despite the economic crisis of the time. His projects included building stands for the stadiums where the 1934 football World Cup was to be held. By the end of the Second World War, in 1945, Italy was suffering Cities, factories and roads had been badly damaged, and it was difficult to travel around the country. Innocenti identified a market for motor scooters scooters, realising that production costs would be relatively low, and they would be cheap for customers. The company set up a motor division and spent a year developing its motor scooter. After delays caused by difficulties in obtaining supplies, the Lambretta went into production 24 CHAPTER FOUR Lambretta motor scooters come off the production line at the Innocenti factory in Milan (1950). in 1947. It was named after the River Lambro, which was near the Milan factory. From very early on, the scooters were sold not only in the domestic market, but were also exported. Sales figures rose fast, and by 1949, the output of 150 a day could hardly keep up with demand. Lambrettas were soon being manufactured under licence in France and Germany, and later in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In Spain they were produced from 1954 until 1989 - in fact for ten years longer than in Italy. Motor scooters were very popular during the 1950s and early 1960s, particularly among young men. However, from 1963 sales declined, because of growing competition trom small, inexpensive cars. In 1966 Ferdinando Innocenti died, and his son Luigi succeeded him. The company was now struggling, and it signed an agreement with the British Motor Corporation to produce some BMC cars in Italy. ule This did not solve Innocenti’s problems, and BMC took over the company. Scooter sales continued to fall, and production came to an end in 1971. The Milan factory closed the following year, and was sold to the Indian government. India had a poor infrastructure, and very few people could afford cars, but there was a demand for private transport. Scooters India Ltd, based in Lucknow, was set up as a state-run enterprise. The machinery from the Milan factory was moved to India, and was used to produce motor scooters until 1998.ea UN STi Oke td dk rat 2) Comprehension check 6 Put these events in the order that they happened, and find the year/period from the article. oll Soar The business was passed over to Luigi Innocenti. The last Lambretta was manufactured in Italy. D Ferdinando Innocenti decided to manufacture motor scooters. E The Innocenti factory was moved to Milan. F Motor scooters using Lambretta machinery came to an end. G An Innocenti factory was established in Rome. H The Lambretta was launched, | Ferdinando Innocenti was born. J Motor scooters reached the height of their popularity. K Production of Lambrettas moved to India. 1 2 3 A Sales of motor scooters began to fall B c Vocabulary — word families e Find words from the article to complete this table. You may need to change the word slightly. You can find other related words by using a dictionary. Verb Nouns to agree rar to compete 2, to divide aie . to4 expansion to manufacturer to produce OE, toys relocation to sell cree 26 CHAPTER FOUR omplete this summary of the article with the correct form of one of the words in the table. Try to do it without looking at the text. ++. Of steel to Milan, and the he Innocenti company was set up in the 1920s as a 1 tubing, A few years later, the company was 2 .... business was 3 in 1945 Innocenti set up a new 4 to make motor scooters. At first these were very successful, with 5 in many parts of the world. In the 1960s, small, cheap cars were produced, which 6 .. Lambretta. Innocenti reached an 7 .. with BMC to & .. in Italy, but the company’s problems continued. Vecabulary — collocations Collocations are words that are often used together. Complete these Collocations with words from the box. All are used in the article. r anagreement demand anend a problem 1 under licence amarket production aprofit supplies 1 to come to .. 5 to obtain 2 to go into 6 to manufacture .. 3 to identify 7 tosign ... A to keep up with .... 8 to solve .. @ Now complete these sentences using some of the phrases above. 0 After the Second World War, Innocenti Sentified @ market transport. Innocenti’s motor scooter .... ended. At first, strong sales made it difficult to .. Innocenti and BMC .... cars in Italy. Innocenti produced BMC cars in order to .. success. Production of the Lambretta in Italy .. . for cheap ... two years after the war ~ to manufacture some of BMC’s oe a .. but without . in 1971, 27V2 © You will hear a marketer presenting his marketing plan for the Lambretta and Bec CREATING A FAMOUS BRAND Listening Scooter Museum in Italy. As you listen, complete the notes with no more than two words. Notes on proposed marketing plan for Lambretta and Scooter Museum, Rodano Aim Make the museum better known among people aged! .., to Target market: 2 . - rides on motor scooters -4.......... about their history ~ Make and sell 5 . Publicity methods Create a new & Activities to local firms Send a7 Hold events in the 3 Advertise in Events could include: publications ~ dinner Di « The Vespa A motor scooter that is often compared with the Lambretta Is the Vespa, which is also manufactured by an Italian company. Follow the instructions on page 20 to find the correct website. Click on ‘Vespa’. This and the next few pages give the history of the company. Find the answers to these questions. 1 What is the name of the company that manufactures Vespa motor scooters? 2 How old was the founder of the company when he set it up? 3 What does the Italian word ‘vespa’ mean in English? Do you think this is a good name for a motor scooter? Why, or why not? 4 Which films are mentioned as including a Vespa? INTERNET PROJECT Remember Travel is its own reward. Upgrade your skills Warm up ° ‘Think about the questions below and make notes. 1 What training have you received, both for your work and in sport or other leisure activities? 2 What is important when you receive training? Consider: the trainer; the time available; your previous knowledge or skill; being trained alone or with other people. 3 What training would you like to receive in the future? 4 Have you ever trained anyone? Do you think you are (or would be) a good trainer? 29ow Ee Reading et e Read this article about training at work. As you read it, decide how useful each training topic would be for you. UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS Training and developing employees There’s no real difference between training and development, except in focus. An expert helps them: * learn a particular area of knowledge; * develop particular skills that they can use. Training is usually quite specific and lasts for a limited time. Development focuses on helping people: * learn a wide area of knowledge; * develop a number of skills. future job, and may continue over a long period. The two words are often used together, to cover both focuses. Training focuses on helping people to do their current jobs better. Development is often intended to help someone to prepare for a 30 CHAPTER FIVE ite may have a big ict on how effectively communicate. For ple, @ sales person who about their products in fH Unorganised way, and i{ look at the listener, is inlikely to sell many goods. ‘Computer skills _imiputer skills are essential in a lot of jobs. In the past, managers had secretaries to ‘lype for them, but now they generally need to use a computer themselves. Customer service Customers who aren't satisfied with a company will probably go to one of its ‘competitors instead, so companies need to train their staff to ensure customer satisfaction. } Health and safety ' Training is essential to help prevent accidents and illnesses. It is particularly important for employees working with something that is potentially dangerous, H such as chemicals, but is valuable for all staff, so that they become more aware of Safety issues. _ Human relations What are some of the benefits Many people are under a lot of stress of training and development? at work, and this may lead to Employees will be: Misunderstandings and arguments. — *_ more satisfied with their jobs; Training can reduce these, for * more highly motivated; instance, by helping people to get on © more efficient at their work; with each other and work together ° more likely to remain with the more effectively. _ company. | Quality A company's goods or services need to be of good quality, or it will lose customers, Hecause of this, employees require training, so that they understand exactly what is fequired, and can follow the guidelines necessary for achieving it. 34y iS. UPGRADE YOUR SKILLS Comprehension check 6 Complete this summary by choosing words from the text to fill each space. . provides employees with the specific knowledge or a that they need. Development is broader, and may be intended to lead to a3 .. that the learner isn’t doing at present. Communication training helps people to speak and write more 4 .. Computer skills are more important than they used to be for > ... ey Withowt customer service training, companies may lose customers to their Health and safety training is important for all employees, and not only those working with 7 .. .. or something else that might be dangerous. Human relations training can help to prevent § .. oy . . Quality training provides employees with 19 .. how to produce goods or services of a high quality. The! 2 Vocabulary - linking words and phrases 6 Look at these extracts from the text then say if the words and phrases in blue are used to: A give an example; B give a reason. ak al The way that people speak and write may have a big impact on how effectively they communicate. For example, a sales person who talks about their products in an unorganised way, and doesn’t look at the listener, is unlikely to sell many goods. 2 Customers who aren't satisfied with a company will probably go to one of its competitors instead, so (that) companies need to train their staff to ensure customer satisfaction. 3 It is particularly important for employees working with something that is potentially dangerous, such as chemicals. 4 Training can reduce problems like these. For instance, it can help people to get on with each other and work together more effectively. 5 A company’s goods or services need to be of good quality, or it will lose customers. Because of this, employees require training. 6 Employees require training, so that they understand exactly what is required. 32 CHAPTER FIVE jase sentences with a suitable word or phrase from above. Pay the punctuation. There may be more than one correct answer. 7 was Invited to the company .. everyone could learn lise spreadsheets, department's health and safety officer has left, .. someone : Heads to take over the position. ie Company faces several problems at the moment, if motivation and falling sales. iere sa danger that the company will make a loss this year. .. jsiderable savings need to be made. +» Poor ling ik at the notice below. It shows a list of training courses. For questions 1- lecide which course each person needs to attend. Don’t use any letter ore than once. One-day courses in business communication skills Chairing and taking part in meetings Job applications Newsletters and press releases Preparing for interviews Presentation skills G Reports and proposals \\, H Telephone skills A B C Minute taking D iE F Cla company has invited Shelley Mason to come and discuss her job Application, but she isn’t sure how best to answer questions. Mare Piccard hopes to learn how to make notes during meetings, then write and distribute records of meetings. Fabrizio Perri often has to talk to large groups of people about his company’s products, and he needs advice on preparing for it. Isabella da Silva wants to get a new job and needs help with writing her CV and a covering letter to send with it. | Gisela Hirsch has an idea for improving her company's marketing, and wants advice on writing a document that will explain it clearly to the chief executive.- Ey. UT adctay PY Cele setae} Listening eS @ You will hear a conversation between two colleagues, Nick and Helen, about a BEC _ training course that Nick has just attended. For each question, 1-5, choose the best answer, A, B or C. 1 Nick's course was about A improving communication skills. B |_| getting a promotion. C |_| learning managerial skills. 2 Nick attended the training course because he wants |__] to find work in another company. to do his job more effectively, _| to get promotion within his company. did Nick think of the course? It was badly organised. It was too hard for some participants. (] The trainer wasn't an expert in the subject. thought the most useful part of the course was taking minutes. giving a presentation. writing a report. n advises Nick to learn more about communication skills by |_| having one-to-one training. |_| attending another course. reading books. wo sour = 2 s 2 a Oomrrowmrzone z ® 6 Do you agree with Helen’s advice? Why, or why not? What other advice would you give Nick? Rementer ‘Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.’ Mark Twain (1835-1910), American novelist 34 Think about how you would launch a new product. Use one of the suggested ‘products below and make notes on how you would organise a marketing fampaign, manufacturing and distribution for the product. Think about who yolir Consumer would be, where and how you could advertise and where your silos outlets would be. ready-to-eat meals an environmentally-friendly car a home cinema system a new innovative photo-editing programuw ES. FINDING A GAP IN THE MARKE ear maamSIb asion check er e Read the article about a sandwich company called Crocodile. Make notes on faph (A-E) mentions the following information? the reasons the article gives for Crocodille’s success. Reading a iuipment used by the company Crocodille lange in the market for fast food 6 GoMpany’s outlook for the future 4 list of reasons why Crocodile has done well way of drawing attention to Crocodille’s products | hipw the products reach the stores where they are sold | A In the early 1990s, fast food was a | product category that hardly existed in the Czech Republic, so setting up Crocodile, a business to make and sell sandwiches and baguettes, was a big risk. Now, however, fast food is everywhere, with international and domestic firms competing for customers, and Crocodille is one of the most successful local brands. Its products are sold hen and where was Crocodille established? in retail outlets in both the Czech Republic and Hungary. What do stores display to attract attention to Crocodille's products? “ Whiat form of storage is used to keep Crocodille products fresh? ... 4 Where do the products go when they leave the production centres? § How many places sell Crocodille products? 1 the questions below. Choose no more than three words and/or a from the article for each answer. B Crocodille’s success is due to good marketing, research into consumer tastes and technology. Outside stores where the products are on sale there are green flags. These flags encourage impulse buying by people in the street. C New sandwich fillings and other products are developed, based on the research and development team’s work into finding Bulary tS saa out who Crocodille’s typical customers are, and what food they like. As for technology, the firm uses state-of- the-art bakery, sandwich-making and packaging techniques and machinery to make its products. And in the outlets, the products are stored in special refrigerated boxes, which keep them fresh. & ‘Match the words in the box to each definition. Strategy retail outlet supply chain impulse buying en consumer distribution centre growth potential ;omMeone who buys goods or services for his or her own use. ie purchase of a product without previously planning to. A business which sells goods to end users. All the stages involved in manufacturing and selling a Particular product. 6 Tho actions that a business plans in order to achieve its objectives. } A company’s ability to increase its turnover in future. A Warehouse that holds enough stock to meet the needs of # particular area. A name or sign used to identify a particular product or manufacturer. D Crocodille’s strategy is to manage the whole process, from baking bread to delivering finished products to outlets. This gives the company as much control as possible over its supply chain. Products are made at two production centres, then transported to distribution centres - two in the Czech Republic and one in Hungary, From here they are delivered to over 2,500 retail outlets, made up of mostly supermarkets, grocery stores and petrol stations. E Crocodile has achieved steady growth since it was founded, and is confident of its strong growth potential — the company’s future looks good. 36 37fe oe 38 FINDING A GAP IN THE LS Reading 6 Complete this text using the words in the box. Choose ‘one word from the box for each space. There is one extra word which you do not need to use. customers — director employees factory | market orders outlets Supplier 1 sr A successful brand of Indian food Patak's Indian food is now a Major international brand, but the business started on a very small scale. In 1956 Laxmishanker Pathak emigrated from Kenya to the UK. He realised there was al. .. for Indian food, and so he started cooking in his tiny kitchen in London, At first his 2... Were Indians living in Britain, but soon all Sorts of people were buying his products. Pathak’s son Kirit joined the company in 1970, at the age of 17, Later Kirit's wife Meena became a 3., +, with responsibility for product development. In 1978 the company relocated to Wigan, in the north west of England, By 2007 Patak’s had over 650 4. ++» Most of them working in the company’s state-of-the-art food processing 5., While most of its products were sold in the domestic market, they were also exported to more than 40 other countries, In Britain the company was a major Ge + tO Indian restaurants. It also sold its products in supermarkets and other - IN 2007 the Pathak family sold the Company - apart from its operations in India ~ tothe giant food manufacturing group, Associated British Foods, CHAPTER SIX Comprehension check e Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false ones. mF 1 Before Laxmishanker Pathak moved to the UK he lived in India. ci 2 Members of Pathak’s family came to work for the company. 3 Patak’s Indian Food is sold only in Britain. F 4 The Pathak family have kept just a small part of the company. Listening ES 6 You will hear part of a conversation between Ruth Sanderson, who is setting up a business called SQS Catering, and her business adviser, Gary Arthur. ey Look at the notes below. Some information is missing. As you listen, fill in the missing information using one word. SQS CATERING Main activity: producing and selling ? .. 12 Outlets: CUSTOMERS! 2... .csssessses 7 at least 3 hours between placing an order and , Salads, etc. Time scale for orders: von industrial estate Premises: Partners’ responsibilities: * Ruth Sanderson * Charles Jackson: © Erica Syke: . and staff e What do you think is important when selling food? Make notes. Consider the types of food sold by competitors, finding customers, and quality. 39BEC ® Look at the charts below, which relate to SQS Catering’s first ten weeks in business, They show the average number of orders per day and the average value of orders each week. Which week does each sentence below describe? For each sentence, write one letter (A-J). Do not use any letter more than once. SQS Catering Number of orders Financial Results eee aes = Average value (£) ots a 2 } = n up 1 |_| Both the number and value of orders were only slightly high@F in this me four terms often used when talking about company | week than in the previous one, @ Here are the definitions of foul O inance. Match each term below to the correct definition. | 2 [_] The average value of orders dipped in this week, although the humber Ahanee. | of orders continued its unbroken tise. turnover market share profit _ target | 3 [| The number of orders declined this week, although their average Value : 5 | teached a peak. r 1 A company’s sales figures as a proportion of the total sales the same sector. 4 {_] The number of orders increased by a small amount, while thell: average of all companies in iW ae value was unchanged on the previous week, 2 The goal a company wants to ae ue is i e. 1 5 [_] Although the average value of orders rose by one of the largest 3 The total income a company receives amounts, the increase in the number of orders was far less sighilieant a specified time. | j Remember 4 The total amount of money earned after the deduction S of all costs. Some people eat to live, others live to eat, There’s nothing better than working in a highly motile group of people. a a0 a4FINANCIAL RESULTS Reading LS 6 Now read this section from a company’s annual report and decide whether the Chairman's main feeling is happiness, disappointment, anger or relief. @ Kenton Chairman’s statement Kenton Food Stores ple has made considerable progress in the past year, and Iam pleased to be able to report a trading result that is better than expected. Trading conditions have been difficult throughout the year: a series of rises in interest rates has led to a downturn in consumer spending, particularly on higher value goods. Through our acquisition of our smaller competitor, Valuemart, we have gained 74 supermarkets, making a total of 538, As a result, our market share has increased from 3.9% to 4.3%, which matches our growth target for the year, ‘The acquisition has involved significant costs, including the loss of about £15 million of turnover from closing a number of Valuemart stores for refurbishment. We are confident, however, that increased sales in these stores will soon make up that loss. Our convenience stores division is expanding rapidly — faster than supermarkets — and its contribution to Kenton Group sales was up by £65 million on the previous year. Our strategy is to acquire more convenience stores where there are suitable opportunities, as we believe that this type of store is one of our particular strengths, Our pre-tax profit rose by 47% to £36.2 million. Farnings per share were up 19% to 11.3 pence. Despite the closing of stores for refurbishment, sales grew by 3.5% to £4.2 billion, However, growth in the first half year was followed by a decline of 0.2% in the second, Margins were unchanged. 42 CHAPTER SEVEN Comprehension check BEC@ Are sentences 1-6 ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’? If there is not enough information to answer ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’, choose ‘Doesn't say’. 0 A decline in consumer spending has led to a disappointing result for Kenton. A Right (®) Wrong C Doesn't say 1 Kenton has had to increase the amount it pays in interest. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 2 Consumers are spending less. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say i 3 The acquisition of Valuemart has doubled the quantity of Kenton’s supermarkets. ‘ A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 4 The company’s market share has grown by less than it planned. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 5 The company expects to recover the money it has spent on stare improvements. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 6 The convenience stores have a higher turnover than the supermarkets. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say Vocabulary eo Find a word or phrase in the text that matches each of the following definitions. The answers come in the same order in the text. 0 Acompany’s profit or loss from its sales and expenditure trading result during the year. p i eS The state of the country’s economy, and how it affects sales. The percentages of borrowed sums of money that borrowers have to pay for obtaining loans. The takeover of one company by another. Improving the condition of a building by making it fresh and clean. A section of a large company, usually focused on one range of products. , The differences between the cost prices and selling prices of items.ro 6 Complete this section of a com activity 4. Read the whole statement before deciding. PETERSON’S DOMESTIC ay ~~ APPLIANCES: Oe co Chairman’s statement The last year was not a good one for Peterson's, 1, times during the year, which added considerabh Consumer spending fell, and as a result 2... 3 remained at 10.4%, ‘The domestic appliances 4... consumer spending, ending the year with a 5 However, the Group as a whole made a smalll profit. We are hopeful that our recent 6,..... results next year. Listening "i © You will hear an investment advisor BEC 44 company, Look at the notes below. For information in the numbered spaces usi (2). (4) (DE... for a new (8) to find foreign (3) .. company million FINANCIAL RESULTS pany report with some of the words from rose several 'y to costs, In addition, ; s sv fell by 5% to £17 million. However, our competitors also suffered, which means our was badly hit by the downturn in of £5.7 million. +. Of J. J. Caley will lead to better giving a woman information about a each question (1-8) fill in the missing ing a word, numbers or letters, (os alae) A Reading - @ Look at the website below. It shows a list of training sessions in finance. For questions 1-5, decide which training session (A-H) each person needs to attend. PSS TeTTe ELAS eich teh B Getting a loan estes Coe Rye} D The changing economic CWViColiu-ing (SM OTaeCeHesSecTaTe Ln eacstelo cease RSME) F Understanding cash flow G What to do when your customers don’t pay H What to do when a company is LSTA anos 1 [_] Yasmin Alibhai wants to expand her electrical business, but needs to | find out the best way of borrowing the money she will need. 2 [_] Gordon Sherman is a sales manager and wants to know how his | company’s sales might be affected by changes in taxation and interest rates. 3 a Pia Andersen is a self-employed graphic designer who hasn't yet received payment for some work she has done, and she wants to know | what she can do about it. 4 |_| Hua Ching Chang has been working alone, but is planning to start employing staff. She wants help in deciding how much to pay them. 5 Juan Gémez doesn't understand his company’s balance sheets and profit and loss accounts, and wants to learn about them.Vocabulary oe Complete the paragraphs below using words from the box. borrow charge invest lend owe purchase repay spend Yasmin Alibhai, whose electrical goods store has been trading for three years, intends to open three new stores next year. Part of the cost will come out of profits, but she will also need to 1 .... . from a bank. She hopes the bank will allow her to 2... the loan over five years. Hua Ching Chang's customers normally 3 ..... . at least £15,000 on their wedding. She expects to 4 them between £1,000 and £2,000 for her services. Gordon Sherman is the sales manager of EG Palmer Ltd, a small heating installation and repair company. The company is planning to 5 ... +» Part of its profits in a new computer system. Several of Pia Andersen’s customers still 6 . * her money for graphic designs she supplied them with more than six months ago. If they don’t pay her soon, she may have to ask the bank to 7... --. her some money. Juan Gomez's job is to 8 ... - Components and services for the car manufacturing company he works for. 8 Write the correct preposition in each cell, All the phrases in the same cell Motivating staff need the same preposition, (1) (2) ca ur c Warm up Bi ane i they for you ? it aspects of work below. How important are . to borrow something......... someone | to charge someone . something o Lage eek es ies important do you think they will be? Put them in to purchase something.......... someone | to pay someone . something order, numbering them from 1 (the most important) to 7 (the least to buy something someone important). (3) (A) serctttss A money to invest money .......... something to spend money .......... something B being in your own office No preposition c having a company car to lend someone money to owe someone money dL colleagues to repay money to repay someone E |_| responsibility i F a company newsletter Remember G a canteen 4 Money is equally important to those who have it and those who do not, whether they’re people or businesses. a6= Ee. MOTIVATING STAFF Reading et e The article below is about what might make people enjoy their work. Before poms decide which four of these things you think will be mentioned: arbecues, job titles, easy journeys, carpets, promotions. Now read the article and see if you were right. How im i isn’ ae portant is the one that isn't aii Do we want to work? Do we enjoy work? Many of us claim we don’t, and that we spend the whole working week looking forward to the weekend. And yet there’s plenty of research showing that, in fact, most people do enjoy their work. a is good for companies, because employees who like their work are ikely to do it well and stay in their jobs. This is both good for business as well as reducing the cost of recruiting and training new staff, So how can companies motivate their staff, that is, help them to enjoy their work and want todo their best? The obvious way is by paying them well but surprisingly, perhaps, money isn’t a very effecti P : , . s y effecti a i ie ry ive way of motivating In the 1940s the psychologist Abraham Maslow defined what he called hierarchy of needs’, suggesting that there are five levels of needs that we try to satisfy. The basic needs (the names vary) are for food, drink and shelter, and work provides the income that allows people to have a hom and enough to eat and drink. Companies may also provide a canteen or LARA CHAPTER EIGHT aaa le coffee machine, so that staff can eat and drink while they are at work. Self- At Maslow’s second level are safety qe ie needs. In work terms, these are met by safe working conditions. sot ecisar We generally take it for granted that our jobs will meet our basic and safe- ty needs: we complain if they don’t, but hardly notice that they do. We are much more likely to be motivated if our job meets our needs above these two levels. The next level up is social needs, and there is plenty of research showing that one of the most common reasons for enjoying work is interaction with other people — colleagues, customers and suppliers. To improve opportuni- ties for social activities, businesses often provide a club, or organised activities like barbecues. People who work alone may miss these chances of having social interaction, Above social needs there are self-esteem needs, which are to do with how we feel about ourselves. Our feelings are likely to be affected by how others see us, and by status symbols such as job titles, having our own office or a company car. Many companies have a clear hierarchy, with the size of the office, the size and quality of the desk and even the size of the carpet depending on a person’s position The highest level of Maslow’s pyramid is self-actualisation needs, such as the need to achieve our full potential. This is met by a company providing opportunities for promotion or offering additional responsibilities. These needs are probably met far less often than the other needs. So while we may say that we only work for money, we actually have plen- ty of other reasons for getting up in the morning and going to work.CHAPTER EIGHT Ly. Comprehension check MOTIVATING STAFF Vocabulary - paying employees e Here are some definitions of money paid in different ways to employees for © ee the statements tue (1) or false (F)? Correct the false ones. their work. Match each one to the correct word or phrase from the box. 1 Staff who enjoy their work i usually do it better than those who don't, bonus overtime profit sharing raise salary wages ee 2 People id enjoy their work find it easy to change jobs. A H 3 Companies can save money if their staff enjoy their work. OO Paying someone a lot of money is the best way of motivating them. [| [_] money paid according to the number of hours the employee works, often calculated weekly: ..... oe a fixed amount paid to an employee for their work, however many hours they spend doing it, usually paid month! extra payment, usually at a higher rate, for work done outside the employee's normal working hours: nn N oe Which level of Maslow's hierarchy are the following most closely connected to? wo 0 a company newsletter social Salary or wages 4 a special payment, usually for achieving a target: a staff football team 5 an increase in regular payments to an employee, calculated either as a ‘teamwork percentage or as an amount 6 money given to each employee as part of the difference between the Not having to lift heavy items company’s income and its expenditu telephone conversations with customers. water cooler having the chance to Manage a project being called a ‘sales executive’, rather than a Sales representative’ Reading @ Use some of the answers to activity 6 to complete the paragraphs. CNOnORwWHOE KDB is a British construction company. As in most companies, managers are on permanent contracts and are paid a ' .... ... » This is fairly low, and each year they get a 2 .... which is at the rate of inflation. However, the company runs a $ .. .. scheme, so the managers _| benefit in years when the company does well. The majority of the employees do the building work. They are all on temporary contracts, which are renewed if the company has more work to do, and their ace are paid weekly. Sometimes they are asked to work longer hours than usual, in order to meet a deadline, and then they are paid 5 Vocabulary © Find a word or phrase in the article wi the following meanings. You ic Yc i ith each of the following meaning: 1 To like an activity, to like doing something. 2 To say something is true, whether or not it is, 3 To be happy about something that will happen in the future, 4 To make it possible for someone to do something, } 5 To communicate with other people. : 6 To make something better than it was. 7 To influence, to make a difference to something. 8 To give someone a job at a higher level. i Last year KDB won an award for the high quality of its work and completed its largest ever contract — for a new shopping centre — ahead of schedule. To celebrate, every employee was paid a 6 serenees Equal to their | income for the whole of the previous month. | 50 51Listening MOTIVATING STAFF ae 6 You will hear Jackie and Kent, two Managers of a large store, discussing how to improve employee motivation. For each question, 1-6, choose the best answer, A, B or C. BRC 1 What is the main problem that the company is facing? A high staff turnover too little training for staff |_| Customers complaining about service 2 What do Jackie and Kent think is the main cause of the problem? A lack of responsibility B low salaries and wages 3 Who does Jackie think should ‘Suggest ways of improving motivation? A (|_| the chief executive B [_] the managers C |_| all the staff 4 Kent suggests introducing A (_] shitt work, B [_| team working. C [_] part-time work. 5 What do they agree to recommend asa Social activity for staff? A |_] aday ata health resort B [_| a visit toa theme park c [ Jaquiz 6 Who do they decide should organise the social activity? A |_| Kent B Jackie C [_| both of them Remember There’s nothing better than working in a highly C [_] poor working conditions motivated group of people. Effective Reports Warm up oe Here are descriptions of four types of business documents. Match each one to one of the words from the box. There is one extra word. advertisement annual report business plan proposal report — 1 A business produces this once a year. It includes the balance sheet and other financial statements. ; 2 The writer uses this to persuade the reader to agree with a suggestion. ; 3 Anew company may write one, to present its objectives, financial forecasts, etc. 2 4 It describes what has happened, or is happening now, and is mostly factual. 53IVE REPORTS Reading VEX © Here is an article trom a business magazine. As you read it, decide if the main purpose of the article is to i vice or to explai entertaii i it s : in readers, give advi t fail Successful report writing If you ae oe ue might have happened to you: the boss comes in sy fe've i aa a aa problem. Let me have a report on it by Your first reaction is probably to panic, but you won't need to if you know how to write reports. Writing a report isn’t just writing, Some people make the mistake of trying to write it from the beginning to the end, like a letter or an email, Usually they find it hard! There are really three stages: preparation - writing - improvement. PREPARATION In the preparation stage you find your material for the report, and write it in note form under suitable headings and subheadings, using bullet points. If you write notes, it’s easy to check whether you've included everything you need to and are making it clear. Ask yourself following questions yourself the | Way i report needed? | What's the purpose of the report? ie Seen : In other words, what exactly do youneed | which is the starting ~ to do? Ask your boss, make sure you | point, the reason why agree on what’s required, and write it | a report is needed. down. This will give you your Terms of reference, which come at the beginning of the report. This is really a summary of what the report is about, so keep | checking that everything you write is relevant to the terms of reference, How shall | do this? information you need. Plan what to do | and make notes on it. When you've col- lected the information you need, you'll describe what you did in the Method section of the report. | CHAPTER NINE Consider different ways of collecting the en = 54 What have | found out? As you collect your information, make notes. These are your Findings. Afterwards, arrange your notes logically, for instance, describe what happened in chronological order. If the information relates to several different points, organ- ise it under subheadings. Remember not to waste time writing complete sen- tences at this stage - notes and bullet points are more useful. What shall | do with my findings? ‘As you write your notes, you'll be get- ting a clear idea in your mind about the main causes of the problem. You'll report this in your Conclusions section. This is a summary of what you've dis- covered. The conclusions may also say why something needs to be done.’ What should we do in future? This leads neatly and logically into the final part of your report, Recommendations. This section should be brief, and shouldn’t introduce any new reasons for recommending particular actions — all the reasons should be clear from earlier sections. Use bullet points to separate the recommendations.’ WRITING You've written an out- line of the report, in note form, and the sec- ond stage is writing it in full. It's now fairly easy to turn your notes into complete sentences and paragraphs. As you write, keep thinking about the readers. Will they understand exactly what you mean, for example, if you say that A happened and then B happened, do you really mean that A caused B to happen? If so, say so. IMPROVING The third - and equally important - stage is checking and improving what you've written, First think about the meaning. Imagine you're the person who is going to read the report. Is it easy to understand? Is everything included that should be there? Are there any complicated sentences that would be clearer as two simpler ones? Are there enough helpful headings and sub- headings? When you're sure the report is clear and complete, check it for mistakes, such as spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, | When you've done all this, you should have a report you can be proud of!LL w . Comprehension check EFFECTIVE REPORTS © Here are the six main sections of a r i ach one with an explanation A-G. Nise PaTe EES Has wa 1 [_JTerms of reference 2 [| Method 3 [_] Background 4 Oo Findings 5 |} Conclusions 6 [_} Recommendations Aa summary of the main causes of the problem, or of why action is needed B how you collected information C why the report is needed D a summary of the whole report E what you think should be done, to prevent the problem happening again F the purpose of the report G what you discover Reading © Read the report on training in customer service on the next page. Decide which sections (A-I) should go under each heading. 1 Terms of reference .... 2 Method . 3 Background .. 4 Findings .... 5 Conclusions ........., 6 Recommendations .... or A lalal alam Lh Thave looked at the programmes of training courses provided by three local training organisations. I have also spoken to two trainers about the possibility of running training sessions on our own premises. ending, n external Advantages: staff would learn from the experience of people from other companies. Additionally, by attending a session somewhere away from the company, staff would concentrate on the training. Disadvantages: such courses are relatively expensive, with prices for a one-day n ranging from €150 to €300 per person. The training would not deal with our own products or customers, and we would be limited to fixed dates. We should also write a summary of the aspects of customer service that need to be dealt with. ‘The number of complaints from customers has increased by 10% in the last two years, and one of our biggest customers is considering finding new suppliers, In addition, several staff members have asked for training in customer service. I recommend that we ask Acorn Training to organise one-day courses, to be held on our premises. We would need three sessions, so that all our sales staff can attend, Inviting an external trainer to provide a tailor-made course for our staff Advantages: unlike the previous option, the training could focus entirely on our particular situation, products and customers, and so would be very useful for staff. In addition, we could probably arrange dates to suit ourselves, and could negotiate a fee with the trainer, making this a much cheaper option Disadvantages: because the training would take place on company premises, staff may not take it very seriously, and may leave to deal with problems in their work. Acorn Training is willing to provide a suitable course, and would charge €1,200 for a maximum of ten participants. To summarise options for training in customer service, and to make recommendations about arranging suitable training for the Sales Department. ‘The two main options for providing training in customer service are as follows: We risk losing our biggest customer, and possibly others too, because they are dissatisfied with our customer service. To avoid this, we must urgently improve | our service quality.FS} © Look at the notes below. Some information is missing. You will hear a hotel BEC manager, Danny, telling a staff member, Carol, about a teport that he wants her to write. Fill in the missing information using no more than two words or numbers, | Notes on report for Danny Subject: Potential new suppliers Current supplier: * goods are often delivered 1 * we have made several 2 , What I need to do * find at least 3... so. Weeks after the order is placed | -»- about their service | new possible suppliers Contact each company’s 4 , * find out how quickly they can deliver * compare their * check the 6. | Report: sos. With those of our current suj ipplier of their products Sto be written by 7... abulary © Complete the two Paragraphs with verbs from the b ox. Choose the correct form. There is one verb that you will not need to use. change fill in improve make offer provide reduce Several customers have 1 omplaints about the quality of our service Fecently, so we'd better 2. some training for our customer service staff. We also have to 3....... -. the number of complaints about delays. After training, our customer service 4 .. a great deal, and our biggest customer is no longer Considering 6 .. - Suppliers. We're now going to ask all our customers to § ,, a customer satisfaction questionnaire, Remember If a report is too long, people are unlikely to read it, ill i " 4 HF I Succession Planning @ Think about these questions and make notes. If any of the following people left a company, could they easily be replaced? ~ financial director ~ receptionist - cleaner ~ chief executive ~ personal assistant Why are some people easier to replace than others?BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING ols ae o A In the USA, the UK and many other | someone ready to replace the person leaving? If the answer is that you are countries, a lot of babies were born in the ‘baby boom’ of the late 1940s and 1950s; after that the birth-rate fell. Baby boomers have now retired, or are approaching retirement, and this is caus- ing headaches for many organisations: there are not enough people to succeed their top managers when they retire. B Does your organisation have key staff who can’t easily be replaced? A CEO or financial director, perhaps, or a technical expert with knowledge that nobody else in the organisation has. If your answer is ‘yes’, what will happen when they retire, or leave for another company? Will you wait until the last moment before look- ing for someone to replace them? Or is your organisation thinking about likely future changes now, as it should be, and making plans, so that there is likely to be Reading Succession planning does your business need it? planning ahead, your organisation is car- tying out succession planning. C Succession planning means looking inside the organisation for ‘high-fliers’ — current staff members with the potential to fill key positions - and planning the 6 Answer the question below and then read the article to check if you were right, Succession planning means planning A O who will be ready to take a key position when someone leaves. B |_| how to make the organisation successful. C [_| how many new staff to recruit, 60 E Sometimes a staff member is chosen as a potential successor to a particular senior manager, but a better method is for organisations to select a number of high-fliers, and prepare them for a range of senior roles. An organisation can’t be certain when a particular senior manager will leave. Having a group of people being prepared for top positions makes it easier to replace someone who leaves unexpectedly, and also means that there are other people available if a high-flier leaves the company. training, responsibilities and promotion they need, to make them ready when a senior vacancy occurs — which may not be for several years, The company bene- fits by being able to make an internal promotion when a key person leaves, and in the meantime it benefits by devel- oping the skills of its high-fliers and encouraging them to stay. And the high- fliers benefit, because they achieve their full potential, a career is planned for them within the organisation, and they can look forward to a senior post in time. F It is probably best for an organisation } to make the majority of its senior appointments internally. However, it also I needs to make some external appoint- ments, to bring in fresh ideas and approaches. Getting the balance right can be a challenge. But without succes- sion planning, the retirement of the baby boomer generation would cause i even more problems. Business Comprehension check i 8 Choose the best heading (1-6) for each paragraph of the article (A-F). D The training programme planned for the high-fliers will help them to develop the leadership skills they need for more senior roles, skills such as planning long- term strategies, A career path is also planned, so that each high-flier moves into a number of different positions over a few years, to gain the experience and knowledge they need. Thinking ahead Looking outside the company [_] Looking inside the company Keeping options open |_] Effects of a changing trend in society Getting key staff ready Ourwne 61me SUCCESSION PLANNING eae Staff turnover Bec @ Look at the chart below. It shows a company’s annual staff turnover over a nine-year period. Which year does each sentence (1-5) describe? For each sentence, choose one letter (A-H). Do not use any letter more than once. BEC®@ For each question 1-4, choose the correct answer, A, B or C. 1 Whatis said about the people available to become senior managers? A |_] there are too few of them |_| the skills they have are not suitable C |__| they are not interested in the posts In the second paragraph the writer advises companies to A |_| ask important staff to stay. B i) advertise for new staff when someone leaves. C [_] predict when staff are going to leave. 3 What relationship between potential successors and senior positions does the writer recommend? A [_] one person for each position B |] a different group of people for each position € |_| one group of people for several positions 4 The writer recommends that senior appointments A [_] should be mostly internal. B [_| should be mostly external. c Ea should be equally internal and external. o Annual staff 16 turnover, 14} by category 12. 10) 8 ee 6 Senior managers 4 IB Middle managers 3 Bl Key technical staff ° = a ll AB ¢ DE F GH 1 The figure for senior managers remained stable in this year, while there was a decline in the figures for both the other categories. 2 The percentage of middle managers who left decreased, and was overtaken by the figure for key technical staff, which continued to rise the following year. 3 An increased percentage of senior managers left in this year, while there was no change in the percentages of the other two categories leaving. | 4 The figure for senior managers fell, and the percentage of middle managers who left dipped below that of key technical staff, which was unchanged. a The percentage of key technical staff leaving continued its upward movement, to equal the figure for middle managers, with both categories reaching a peak. nD Percentage Vocabulary 6 Choose a word or phrase from the article to match each definition. The answers are in the same order in the article. B to leave a job and stop working because of age (verb): to ......... very important (adjective): @ job that nobody is doing and so is available for somebody new (noun): a nN wo the act of giving someone a higher or more important position in an Organisation (noun): ... until something that is expected happens (adverbial phrase of time): S ale a the qualities needed for running an organisation well (noun phrase): o @ planned series of jobs (noun phrase): a ..... 8 giving jobs to people from outside the company: i 62PU ke a Eee aU UNI Listening eS e Look at the notes below about a programme that is part of a company’s BEC — Succession plans. Some information is missing. You will hear part of a talk by the company’s Human Resources Director to the staff members chosen for the programme. For each question, 1-7, fill in the missing information in the numbered space using one or two words. High-flier programme Notes Vacancies within five years * CEO, who intends to! © various departments: in several 2 . positions © Finance department: a few 3 .. Programme for igh-flers , © several training sessions in ® .... «first session will focus on > . © with a senior manager, will plan: a suitable 6 .... 7 © within a year, can expect Remember Succession planning helps a company to continue — but maybe in ways that will soon be out of date. 64© Read the information below. For your answer Qe Read the information below and than complete the text by choosing the Correct word to fill each gap, from A, B or C below. + Your company has appointed a new marketing director. * Write a memo to the staff in your department: ~ telling them about the new appointment; - informing them about the marketing director's previous experience; ~ giving details of an Opportunity to meet the marketing director. SF LIL DIDS PD PPP ITT SI i wi All staff Office manager 15 October | Subject: New marketing director The new marketing director is Paula Kinsky. She will take 1 | Post on 1 December. Her previous experience includes 2 an advertising agency. She 3...... to meet you all in the boardroom 4 10 a.m. on 2 December. 1 A on B over Cc up 2 A manage B managing C managed 3 A hopes B likes C enjoys 4A at B in C with , choose the best alternative, A, B or C, for each part of the email, 1-3. * You have noticed that you made a mistake in your monthly sales report. + Write an email to your line manager, Danny Gray: - apologising for your mistake; ~ correcting the mistake; ~ predicting the next sales figures. Last month’s sales figures are wrong. B I’m sorry that you have made a mistake in last month's sales report. C I'm afraid I’ve just realised that | made a mistake in last month’s sales report. 2 A The figure for diaries should be £9,732 instead of £7,932. | |B We sold more diaries than | told you. | C The figure of £7,932 for diaries is too low. 3 A This month's sales are very good, and | expect the total to exceed £80,000. ; This month’s sales are disappointing because it is the middle of the holiday season. C | will give you this month's sales figures next week. a Se Read the letter below from Simon Kemp, a college student. \ Dear Sir or Madam, \ lam a business student in my final year at college. | need to carry \ out research into a company, and write a project on one particular \ aspect of its work. | would be very interested in studying your \ company and learning about it. | am afraid | would probably need \ quite a lot of help, as | have not yet had any business experience. Yours faithfully, Simon Kemp 67WRITING FILE Write a letter to Simon Kemp: * agreeing to his request; * inviting him to visit you to discuss his project; a suggesting one or two aspects of your company that he could write about; * saying how you could help him. A Choose the four most suitable sentences from A-J, in the best order, for 1-4, Dear Simon, 1C] P| Spl] 4tj Yours sincerely, > Please give me more details of what you intend to do. When you've chosen your topic, I'll arrange for you to meet any managers who can help you. Thank you for your letter. Collinson Furniture is one of the best furniture manufacturers in the country. Your project could be about finance, marketing, production, human tesources or our environmental policy. Thank you for your letter. | am very pleased you have chosen Collinson Furniture for your project. You might be interested in researching how we have grown from one small factory to an international company, or our policy on customer service. Thank you for agreeing to write about Collinson Furniture for your project. | will write to you with details of your project. Would you like to come and see me next Wednesday at 2 p.m., so that we can discuss this in detail? J Iwill come and see you next Wednesday at 2 p.m., so that we can discuss o ° o m =e 2 Sex EXAM PRACTICE BEC There are 38 questions in the reading and writing sections and 7 questions in the listening section. READING Questions 1-30 PART ONE Look at the list below. It shows some businesses with stands at a trade fair. For questions 1-5, decide which business (A-H) each person needs. Do not use any letter more than once. a Businesses at trade fair A AJA: advice on internal communications. B Barrington Finance: outsource your invoicing and payments to us! C Conferencia: we help with conferences, from venue to catering D H&T: employment law advisors E Mansfield Recruitment: complete staffing solutions F Morgan: premises and facilities maintenance G Pinkney: marketing and advertising consultants H PMS: construction project management _] Sarah Collett, of the firm Staines Construction, needs to find somewhere to hold a meeting of all her company’s sales and marketing staff. Johnson Laver, a firm of accountants, wants to get ideas on the best ways to distribute information among the staff on its twelve sites. Barford Town Council intends to have new premises built for its legal department, and is looking for a firm to organise and supervise the work. Because Crosskeys’ finance department is short of typists and administrators during the holiday season, the HR Manager wants an agency to provide temporary employees. [_] The Queensbury Conference Centre is looking for a company to be responsible for cleaning the building after each event and carrying out repairs. 69EXAM PRACTICE PART TWO Look at questions 6-10 and choose the correct answer, A, B or C. (208. | from: Gillian Shaw | To: Tom Bruce ce subjet Sales figures Tom: please check the December sales figures you sent me —! think you sent me November's by mistake. | “ need to calculate the final quarter's results asap. | Thanks Gillian 6 Gillian wants Tom to send her the correct fi figures for A (_] November. B December. C |_| the final quarter. Western Bank ba baled bg Coen eee et ee ee te ey If your company’s annual turnover is less than £1m, we'll give you business software worth £1,000 7 The purpose of this text is to A al sell business software to companies. B O compare the services offered by different banks. € |_| encourage small companies to change their bank. 70 | CBX shares have rise! } 4 EXAM PRACTICE —— — — | From:(_Jack Stanley, Sales Manager _ i} | To! All sales staff ce Subject: Change in payment terms _ Payment can now be made in six monthly instalments. Customers who pay in full within 30 days should be offered a discount of two per cent. Customers are offered a discount if they pay within six months. B [_] Customers are asked to pay in full within 30 days. C |_| Customers are given a choice of ways of paying. from: ( Mandy Daventry, Purchasing Manager 1®) To. Finance Department staff subject: New photocopier | The model of photocopier that we intended to purchase this month for Finance is currently unavailable, and so we are temporarily hiring | asecond-hand one. The company plans to buy a new photocopier when it becomes available. B The company has decided to save money by hiring a photocopier. c The company has bought a second-hand photocopier. CBX share prices have increased in value because of a possible takeover of the company. _| CBX share prices will rise if Greene's takes the company over. C[_| CBX share prices have increased in value because the company wants to take control of Greene's. 10A © BteakingNews! n by a record 76% itis thought that pany in the past week, as | Greene's is planning to take the com over. @ Toread more, click here. 71EXAM PRACTICE PART THREE Read the article below about a merger between two pharmacy chains. Are sentences 11-17 ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’? If there is not enough information to answer ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’, choose ‘Doesn’t say’. Pharmacies to merge Mees Pharmacies ple and Walker Chemists have agreed to merge. The new company is to be called Maynard Walker. Maynard Pharmacies was formed by a group of retail pharmacists in 1947, when its business was the wholesaling of pharmaceutical products to inde- pendent pharmacists in the north of the country. In 1993 Maynard was listed on the London Stock Exchange as a public limited company. It subse- quently expanded through acquisi- tions, taking full control of several independent pharmacies around the country, and in this way moving into the retail business. Walker Chemists was set up in 1949 as a single retail pharmacy, but in time it has grown into a chain of over 200 branches around the country, including a number in the region where Maynard was strong. Its manu- facturing and research facilities enjoy a high reputation in the pharmaceuti- cal sector, and this is its major attrac- tion to Maynard, whose turnover has declined in recent years because the firm suffers from a rather dull range, Particularly with regard to its beauty products. The new company has announced that it will maintain its existing brands separately, and will compete strongly with its competitors by offering a greatly expanded product range. 11 Maynard Pharmacies was set up in 1947 as a chain of retail stores. C Doesn't say C Doesn't say 13 Since 1993 Maynard Pharmacies has bought a number of other A Right B Wrong 12 Shares in Maynard Pharmacies were first sold in 1993. A Right B Wrong businesses. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 14 Walker Chemists was Maynard Pharmacies’ main competitor in the retail pharmaceutical business. A Right B Wrong 72 C Doesn’t say EXAM PRACTICE 15 Walker Chemists was well known to the general public for the quality of its research. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 16 Maynard's sales of its beauty products are falling. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say 17 Maynard Walker intends to start selling its products under that name. A Right B Wrong C Doesn't say PART FOUR Read the minutes below from a meeting of office staff. Choose the correct word to fill each gap, from A, B or C below. For each question (18-25), mark one letter (A, B or C). MINUTES Working hours Staff are unhappy about the current system of fixed working hours from 9 until 5. Several alternatives were suggested, (18) .. . everyone choosing to work for (19) . . eight hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., five days a week. (20) many people supported this proposal, the majority (21) a like to have the option of working (22) .... .. on four days and taking half a day ora whole day off. It was pointed out, (23) . ., that we need to (24) .. sure there are always some staff in the office between 9 and 5, to (25) . .... the phone and deal with customers. 18 A including B include C included 19 A some B every Cc any 20 A Unless B Despite C Although 21 A would B should C could 22 A long B longer C longest 23 A besides B however C moreover 24 A take B do C make 25 A reply B answer C respond 73EXAM PRACTICE PART FIVE Read the two emails below. Then complete the complaint form on the opposite page. Write a word, phrase or number for each answer. (808 AA } Sp seranow Sendiaee My Sune” i D | To: johan.andersson@langbourn.com i From: hafez.m@crs.co.uk Date: 1 June Subject: Stationery order Hi Johan Another order for you! We'd like 20 boxes each of yellow and green card (FH191 and 192) and a flipchart (PGY47), please. It's urgent, so please send today if possible. | | Best regards, | Majeda CRS Design | To: Majeda Hafez Date: 2 June From: Ken Hart Subject: Stationery order | Majeda, please contact Langbourn Ltd about our last order (3504). They've only sent the card, and we must have the flipchart by tomorrow. Their delivery van only comes to this area on Fridays, so | insist they use a courier. If there's any problem, they'd better call me. | | Ken | Woven y 74 EXAM PRACTICE COMPLAINT FORM Company name: (26)... \ Order no: 3504 ' Date of order: (27). Problem: non-delivery of (28) Action send asap using (29) .. Contact person: (30) .... | WRITING Questions 31-38 PART ONE You have arranged to visit an important client next week, and you want your assistant to go with you. Write an email to your assistant, Jack: * telling him about the meeting; * explaining why it would be useful for him to meet the client; * suggesting when you and Jack can discuss the meeting. For your answer, choose the three most suitable sentences A-| from the box, in the best order, 31-33 Subject | Jack Important meeting Dear Jack, (31). (32) .. (33) . Hazel 75EXAM PRACTICE A Ann Matthews, the sales director of GP Computers, is coming to the office next Wednesday at 10 a.m. Let's talk about it over lunch tomorrow. You can meet the client next Wednesday. I'm going to see Ann Matthews, the sales director of GP Computers. Do you think it would be useful for you to meet the client? Id like you to come with me, as you'll be her main contact in future. Let's have lunch together tomorrow. I'm going to see Ann Matthews, the sales director of GP Computers, next Wednesday at 10 a.m. | It would be useful for you to meet the client. Zammooon PART TWO Read the part of a letter below from Carolyn Quirk, the manager of the Franton Conference Centre. Following the conference that you recently arranged for your company at Franton, I would be grateful for your feedback on the venue, covering the building, facilities and quality of service. I very much hope you will use the centre for a future event Write a letter to Carolyn Quirk: * giving your opinion of the venue; * recommending one or two improvements to service at the conference centre; * apologising for the extra people who attended the conference; * saying whether your company will use the conference centre again. 76 as EXAM PRACTICE For your answer, choose the best alternative, A, B or C, for each part of the letter, 34-38. Dear Ms Quirk, 34 A C] | have received your letter. B |_| Thank you for your letter. Cc Your letter arrived today. ao 8 My company held a conference at Franton last week, which was attended by 75 people from my company. B Your conference centre has two large meeting rooms and a canteen. C |_| We found the conference centre very comfortable, with well equipped meeting rooms and very helpful staff. However, nobody seemed to know how to operate the projector, so it might be a good idea to provide training. B oO The staff have clearly had very good training! Cc The staff haven't been trained to operate the projector, and that was a problem for us. 37 A B c 38 A 36 A Five extra people attended our conference because their booking forms had got lost. Have we paid for the five people who attended our conference without booking? I'm sorry if the five people who attended without booking caused additional work. We hope to make our conference an annual event. Our next conference will be in a year's time. We plan to hold itin l=: | 7 Italy. Cc Next time we need to hold a conference in this country, I'm sure we will consider using Franton again. Youts sincerely, 77EXAM PRACTICE (2% LISTENING Questions 39-45 Look at the notes about a managing director's speech. Some information is missing. You will hear part of a speech by a toy retailer's managing director, who is leaving the company. For each question 39-45, fill in the missing information in the numbered spaces using one or two words. You will hear the speech twice. Managing director's leaving speech Jowine Kenton Toys 39 First heard about the company by reading a 40 Greatest bit of luck was talking to the company’s . 44 First job for the company was in . EXPERIENCE IN THE COMPANY 42 Launched the companys .... 43. Responsible for finding new Actievements as MD 44 Proudest achievement: the company’s 45 The activity of the next subsidiary may be . 78 acquire (to) : buy or purchase something (noun = acquisition). acting : temporary; someone who takes on a job role until a permanent person can be found. appraisal : a formal interview between an employee and his/her supervisor, where the employee's work is discussed and evaluated. brand : a product manufactured and sold by a company. career path : a programme designed for an employee to follow, so he or she can develop new professional skills. chain : a group of shops which belong to the same company. chair (-person, -man, -woman) : the chair is the person who controls the official meetings of a group of directors of a company. The chair may or may not have an active role in the daily running of the company. chief executive : often abbreviated to CEO (Chief Executive Officer). This is the highest position a person can hold in a company. competitor : a company in the same sector which sells the same or similar products as another. convenience store : a shop which typically sells ready-to-eat foods, drinks and snacks. es Demayd = eurpoe +o yeep with He lemarwol = Yi dull ; boring, not interesting. aa firm : another name for a company or a business. fleet : the quantity of aeroplanes owned by an organisation (fleet is used when referring to means of transport, such as cars, aeroplanes and buses). forecast (to) : predict something which one thinks is likely to happen. founder : someone who starts a business. hierarchy : a system where people or objects are arranged according to their level of importance. impact : the powerful impression that something may leave on another. impulse buying : buying something without thinking about it before. incentive : something which makes you want to do something well. infrastructure : the set of systems which allow a country to work efficiently, for example transport and communication. faunch (to) : produce and put a new product on the market. limited company : (abbreviation = Ltd) a company in the UK in which the owners are personally responsible for only a limited amount of any debts. Am ¢ PLC 79 ch ote Ba crpocdieGLOSSARY market share : a company’s sales figures as a proportion of the total sales of all companies producing the same type of product. merge (to) : combine or join two companies (noun = merger). outlet : a shop which sells the products of a company. partnership : a company owned by two or more people where all owners are totally responsible for any debts. post ; a job position in a company. premises : a building where a business is located. profit : the total amount of money earned by a company after the deduction of all costs. recruiting ; the employment of new staff. refurbishment : the redecoration of a store or office's interior design. relocate (to) : move a company from one location to another. resign (to) : decide to leave a job. retire (to) : stop working permanently usually due to age. revenue ; the total amount of income made by a company. shares : the individual parts of company which are owned by different people. shelter : (here) somewhere to live. strategy : a plan to achieve something. struggle (to) : have difficulty doing something. subsidiary ; a company which is owned by a bigger company. supply chain : a system which includes all involved with the manufacturing and distribution of a product, from the suppliers of individual materials to the retail outlets. takeover : the purchase of a smaller company by a bigger one trading result ; a company’s profit or loss figures over a specified period. turnover : the total income a company receives from sales over a specified time. 80Pees Cn rere erat een oe Rn eigenstate EU oa items ts UC Conn isu chines tite ea thee tien writing effective reports, creating a famous brand, financial results But erccop year aera tmnt oie eeetne es estate eae en a Peanae Ns agi een re ream Cae tata reer rae aCe arena recreate ae eater rete d Eerie ene Cue Rent Chcknet atthe ureter as erg em hee tare gee ee eee eal Co cule Conia iste se tantotitmer bets el} _ Cambridge BEC-style activites Pe Silex teas ca men Bot erect Rana w aceite activities Bs ema lat chee tae a ete ttl tele) Rests a cena eo aie ceet ta eee ere vO aes Scene | CS ec ie Step Two Ml CEFR B1.1_ exam Preparation PET/BEC Preliminary Step Three Mi CEFR B1.2 examLevel PET/BEC Preliminary Seige WNC man d= mecca zeae nso! ola e foie eel eam O Sankara TE Loe-i\seh ol ol re oo Bxam Preparation CAE/BEC Higher/ILEC/ICFE ISBN 978-88-530-0934-0 ees | iii Ce ee a ee 9°788853"009340 Cn neas aoe oer . 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