Why Urbania should hold the international trade fair

This article will demonstrate that Urbania is the best choice to hold the trade fair. It has excellent transport, is in a perfect location, and has first-class facilities. It also has important businesses and industries.

Writing a persuasive article

Work with a partner. In five minutes, brainstorm information about your city. Organize the information into categories: transportation, location, facilities, weather, trade and industry.

Your city would like to hold one of the events below. Decide which information from exercise 7 is relevant for this event.

1. an international sporting event

2. an international conference on university education                           

3. a national marathon

4. a national cultural event

Write an article (200-250 words) for a magazine, saying why your city should hold this event.

 

 

UNIT 3

PROFESSIONAL INTERACTION

1. Read and translate Text 1:

PROFESSIONAL INTERACTION

In intercultural communication people meet with a lot of problems
across culture nature. Understanding what the aspirations of people in
different cultures are is important. It's very important to be as open-minded
as you possibly can. You come across different kinds of cultures
and they affect business in different ways. You should be aware of a
number of things: there are different attitudes towards work, time,
towards resolving problems, working in teams and so on. In an Anglo-
American culture, they emphasise action, doing things and achieving
things. But when you're dealing with people who are much more
comfortable with consensus, in discussion, then you shouldn’t dismiss
that as time-wasting. You should have a very open attitude to how
people approach work. The simple things like inappropriate food, alcohol,
etc. are much easier to deal with than these more subtle things
To be more marketable in today's economy you have to develop
cross-cultural awareness and 'your attitude' (ability to see things through
your partner’s eyes). Every country has its own customs. Also you
shouldn't assume that because you understand the culture of the capital
city you also understand the culture in the provinces and other areas
in the country. For example, in Colombia where you have a very
sophisticated group of people working in Bogota, their lifestyle, their
way of life, their culture if you like is quite different from, for
example, one of the provinces a long way from the city where the
Government and the Government culture in the capital has had very
little chance to spread.

When speaking about different nations we use stereotyped definitions. Do you agree with the definitions given below? What definitions could you add? How could you define your nationality?

The Germans — hardworking, ambitious, successful, aggressive, arrogant, etc. The Japanese — successful, ambitious, clever, hardworking, etc. The Americans — successful, ambitious, aggressive, modern, etc. The British — boring, humorous, arrogant, aggressive, etc. The French — stylish, modern, arrogant, humorous, lazy, etc. The Italian — lazy, stylish, helpful, humorous, aggressive, etc.

AN UNPREDICTABLE AFFAIR Try to put pressure on a Japanese in a negotiation and you will be met with stony silence. Hold an informal fact-finding meeting with a German and you can expect a battery of searching questions. Disagree with the French on even a minor point and they will take great pleasure in engaging in spirited verbal combat. Doing business across culture can be an unpredictable affair.

CULTURAL AWARENESS Most of us prefer to do business with people we like, and it should come as no surprise that the people we like tend to be like us. So whilst we may dispute the accuracy of cultural stereotypes, it is generally agreed that good business relationships are built on cultural awareness. Across national frontiers ‘nice guys' do more business than nasty ones. But what constitutes nice-guy behaviour in a boardroom in Miami is not necessarily what they expect in Madrid.

THE US PERSPECTIVE For instance, most Americans will insist on the hard sell. It’s not enough that you want to buy their products, you must let them sell them to you. They have to report back to superiors who will be as interested in how the deal was struck as the result. Systems and procedures matter to Americans.

THE SPANIARDS TRUST YOU The Spanish, on the other hand, are unimpressed by the most meticulously prepared meeting and pay much more attention to people. In this they are more like the Arabs or the Japanese. In the Middle and Far East business is built on trust over a long period of time. Spaniards may come to a decision about whether they trust you a little sooner.

ANIMATED ITALIANS Italians too tend to feel that the main purpose of meetings is to assess the mood of those present and reinforce team-spirit. There may well be a lot of animated discussion at a meeting in Italy, but the majority of decisions will be made elsewhere and in secret.

SCANDINAVIANS WANT RESULTS Strangely enough, Scandinavians are rather like Americans. They value efficiency, novelty, systems and technology. They are firmly profit-oriented. They want results yesterday.

SUCCEED WITH THE GERMANS Don't be surprised if the Germans start a meeting with all the difficult questions. They want to be convinced you are as efficient and quality-conscious as they are. They will be cautious about giving you too much business until you have proved yourself. They will demand prompt delivery and expect you to keep your competitive edge in the most price-sensitive market in Europe. Succeed and you will enjoy a long-term business relationship.

PRISONERS OF OUR CULTURE Ask yourself whether meetings are opportunities to network or get results. Is it more important to stick to the agenda or generate new ideas? Is the main aim of a meeting to transmit or pool information? It all depends on where in the world you hold your meeting and whether you belong to an individual business culture like the French, Germans and Americans or to a collective one like the British, Japanese and Greeks. Indeed, who knows to what extent our views are our own and to what extent culturally conditioned? For in business, as in life, “all human beings are captives of their culture”.

 

2. The following business verbs are listed in the order in which they appeared in the article. Use these verbs to make up word combinations with nouns from the text, translate them and learn ten most useful by heart:

BUSINESS VERBS NOUNS

1. hold a meeting

2. disagree on

3. build

4. report back to

5. pay

6. come to

7. reinforce

8. stick to

9. generate

10. transmit

11. pool

 

3.  Complete the sentences below using words from the following list. Referring back to the article will help you with some of them:

market      price          client         cost

profit         quality      technology

1. We’re a firmly.......... oriented company, so the bottom-line for us is not how big our market share is but how much money we’re going to make.

2. Even at low prices inferior products won’t sell in such a..........conscious market.

3. The market’s far too.......... sensitive to stand an increase in service charges.

4. We’re constantly forced to respond both to changing customer needs and to what our main competitors are doing in a.......... driven business such as this.

5. The customer always comes first. We’re a very.......... centred company.

6. In a.......... led business, such as ours, it’s vital to plough profits back into R.&.D.

7. If the price of materials goes up any more, production will no longer be.......... effective.

4.  Read the passage and fill in the blanks with the words below:

agenda, agree, decisions, follow, opinion, participants, prepared,

proposal, spontaneous, views, waste

 

There are many different sorts of business meeting, and how the participants behave varies from country to country. In France meetings are generally used for briefing and coordination rather than discussing (1)... and making decisions. They follow a detailed (2)... and comments are well thought out rather than (3).... The same is true at formal meetings in Germany, where you should be well (4)... if you wish to express an opinion. In the UK, on the other hand, (5)... often arrive at meeting unprepared, and papers distributed before the meetings will not be read.. This does not prevent anyone from expressing his opinion or putting forward a (6).... Everyone is expected to contribute their (7) ….... In Italy meetings seem to be the most informal in Europe. They

don’t usually (8)... an agenda and people often come and go as they please. In fact, sometimes Italian meetings are more like a social gathering, used to reinforce a sense of togetherness. It’s very different in Spain, where meetings do little to create a team spirit. The Spanish prefer to be independent and make (9)... on their own. Meetings are often a (10)... of time because it is impossible to get everyone to (11)....

 

5. Role-play and group-work:

1. Imagine you are having an interview with applicants of different nationalities. Who are you most and least likely to employ?

2. Imagine you are having a Board Meeting of an international company. Choose a nationality you are going to represent and try to behave in their style.

 

6. Fill in prepositions where necessary:

1) After leaving school a young person faces.... a very difficult problem —
choosing an occupation. 2) The majority of young people do not get around....
making a decision until they leave school. 3) Boys and girls seldom talk about this
problem.... with the family. 4) One has to take special courses to qualify.... the
job. 5) There is a special advisory service which counsels.... people who are
looking.... work. 6) There are nonprofit agencies that deal.... nonskilled positions.
7) This agency specializes.... placing people.... their qualifications. 8) The agency
helped me find.... the information I needed. 9) You can turn.... your teacher....
advice and help. 10) Counselors give practical advice.... interview techniques,
application forms, etc. 11) He made an appointment with the career officer....
11 o'clock. 12) A counselor can see only a few applicants.... a day. 13) An
interview.... any kind of job generally requires an appointment. 14) He was.... 20
minutes late and created a negative impression.... the employer. 15) American
business people schedule their day hour.... hour. 16) On the wall he saw a notice
"The agency works.... appointment only". 17) He didn't know how to fill.... the
application form. 18) It turned out that he travelled to the agency.... nothing as he
didn't make an appointment.... advance. 19) Appointment is a necessary courtesy,
you can't just drop....

 

7. Translate the following sentences:

1) Когда я вошла в офис агентства, секретарь, встречающий посетителей, спросил меня, назначена ли у меня встреча. 2) У меня назначена встреча с Мисс Харрис на 10:15. 3) Я проходил мимо вашего агентства и решил зайти и поговорить с одним из ваших сотрудников. 4) Он не пришел в назначенное время на встречу с Мистером Брауном, это, конечно, произвело крайне | при нательное впечатление. 5) Анкета для поступления на работу заполняется печатными буквами. 6) Вам придется начать работу с самой маленькой должности, чтобы приобрести необходимый опыт. 7) Вы должны пойти на курсы, чтобы приобрести знания, необходимые для этой работы. 8) Агентство поможет вам подобрать работу согласно вашей квалификации. 9) Агентство "Manpower" специализируется именно в этой области. 10) Ему предложили две разные должности, но он не мог решить, какую выбрать.

 

8. Fill in the right word from the word column:

OUT OF WORK

In Britain a lot of people are.... Tracey Chapman is 18, and she... a year ago. She lives in the North East, an area of high.... She hasn't been able... yet. "My dad just doesn't understand. He started working in a steel mill when he was 15. Things are different now, but he thinks I should start bringing home some money. Oh, I get my... but that isn't much and I'm fed up with... for it every Thursday. I hate having to ask my mum and dad for money. Oh, my mum gives me a couple of pounds for tights now and then, but she can't stand seeing me at home all day. I've almost... looking for a job. I buy the... every day but I'm really tired of...the "Situations Vacant" column. There are 50... for every job. I was interested in being a dentist's... because I like meeting people, but now I'd... at all. People ask me why I don't... London, but I don't want to leave my family and friends. Anyway, I'm scared of... in a big city."

1. left school 2. to find a job 3. given up 4. looking through 5. receptionist 6. move to 7. Living on my own 8. out of work 9. queuing 10.local paper 11.applicants 12.take any job 13.unemployment benefit 14.youth unemployment

George Morley is 54. Until last year he was a... in the textile industry. He had worked for the same company since he left school. He had a good job, a four-bedroom house and a.... When his company had to.....  because of..., he became.... "It's funny really. I don't feel old, but it isn't easy to start... at my age. I've had so many.... Now I'm frightened of.... All... are twenty years younger than me. You see, I'm interested in learning a... but nobody wants... me. I can see their.... I'll have... in ten years. It's just, well, I... sitting around the house. I've worked hard for nearly forty years and now I... of having nothing to do. When I was still with Lancastrian Textiles I... doing the same thing day after day, but now I'd really enjoy... again... any job really. It's not the money. I got... and the house is paid for... and I've given up smoking... no, it's not just money. I just need to feel... well, useful... that's all."

1. to close 2. refusals 3. the interviewers 4. to train 5. to retire 6. a company car 7. doing a job 8. am tired of 9. looking for a job 10. point of view 11. am terrified of 12. redundant 13. new skill 14. applying for a job 15. economic difficulties 16. production manager 17. was bored with 18. good redundancy pay

 

 

9. Read and translate Text 2:

Resume

An excellent resume may help you get the job of your dreams and a poor resume may mean a lost opportunity.

Since this is the first piece of information a company will receive about you, it is critically important that your resume be well-written.

It should be presented at the beginning of any interview that you have with a company. Ideally, resume should not be longer than one page.

The contents of a resume can be roughly categorized as: 1) PERSONA 1 INFORMATION (address and telephone number), 2) JOB OBJECTIVE, 3) EDUCATION, 4) EXPERIENCE, 5) SKILLS, 6) EXTRACURRI CULAR ACTIVITIES, 7) REFERENCES.

The resume begins with PERSONAL INFORMATION, name, address telephone number centered at the top page.

After your address, a statement of intent or JOB OBJECTIVE should be written. This objective should be well thought out from the very beginning since it will influence how you will write the rest of the resume. It should not be too general, eg: "To obtain a managerial position in a Western company."

Think about your job search and career goals carefully, write them down in a way that shows you have given this much thought.

For example: "Objective: To obtain a position in telecommunication that will allow me to use my knowledge of engineering and take advantage of my desire to work in sales."

Notice that your desire to have a well-paid job is not included in this statement. A focus on money in your resume's first sentence will not make the best impression anywhere in the world, not just in Russia.

After the statement of intent, describe your EDUCATION.

List the universities, institutes and colleges you have attended in reverse chronological order.

Any studying you have done abroad should be included and courses that you have taken that are relevant.

If you graduated with honors, you should definitely include this. A "red diploma" can be called "graduated with high honors" in English. Do not include your high school.

Your working EXPERIENCE is the next section. List your experience starting with your most recent place of employment and work backwards.

Spell out the exact dates of employment, your position, and the name of the company you worked for.

Provide information about your responsibilities, emphasizing important activities by listing the most relevant to your objective. Do not use complete sentences! List your responsibilities in short statements that do not include the words "my" or "I".

Following experience, you should list your special SKILLS.

These include your language skills, computer abilities, and any other talent that relates to your statement of intent.

When describing your language abilities, it is best to be honest about assessing your level, "Fluent English," "native Russian," "intermediate German", and "beginning French" are all ways to describe your language abilities.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES should be included in the next section. Student or professional organizations you belong to, travel, sports and hobbies should be listed here.

Do not list "reading" or "writing" as an activity. It is assumed most people with a higher education do these things regularly.

The last section of your resume is the REFERENCE section. List at least two people, not related to you, who can describe your qualification for the job.

Their names, titles, places of work, and telephone numbers should be included. If you do not have space on your resume for this, write "Available upon request." You will then be expected to give this information to a prospective employer if it is requested.

The style and format of a resume are extremely important. Your resume must be typed, preferably on a computer in order to format it most effectively. A neat and well-written resume with no spelling mistakes will give an employer the impression that you are accurate and take care of details.

A resume will not get you a job. An interview with a company will get you a job.In order to have the opportunity of interviewing with a company you should send your resume with a cover letter.

 

10. Find in the text Russian equivalents to the following:

1) Потерянная возможность; 2) первая информация 3) машинописная страница; 4) информация о себе; 5) цель, которую вы ставите при поиске работы; 6) занять должность; 7) высокооплачиваемая работа; 8) произвести благоприятное впечатление; 9) заявление о намерениях; 10) в обратном хронологическом порядке; 11) пройти курс (закончить type); 12) закончить с отличием; 13) начиная с; 14) последнее место работы; 15) следуйте в об­ратном (хронологическом) порядке; 16) увлечения (занятия в нерабочее вре­мя); 17) могут быть представлены при необходимости; 18) быть вызванным на интервью; 19) заявление (письмо к нанимателю).

11.  Fill out the blanks with prepositions or adverbs where necessary:

1) Spell... the exact dates of employment. 2) It should be presented... the beginning of any interview. 3) It is best to be honest... assessing your level. 4) The resume begins... Personal Information. 5) If you graduated... honours, you should definitely include it. 6) Name, address are centered... top of the page. 7) Give the full name  of the company you worked …. 8) The job objective should be well thought... from the very beginning. 9) The resume should be typed... a computer. 10) List the places you studied at... reverse order. 11) An applicant should take great care... details. 12) There are several ways... looking... a job. 13) If you've chosen the right way, it's possible to count... success. 14) Ads are often published... agencies... behalf... their clients. 15) At the agencies preliminary selection is carried... on the basis of resumes. 16) This really testifies...a company's dependability.