Listen to the following extract from the conversation between Hector Grant and John Martin. Fill in the spaces in the sentences below with the words actually used.

Grant:	Ah, John, … … … … … this scheme of yours … … … … to Abraca.
John:	Oh, I am glad.
Grant:	Yes, it’s all very well to say … … … …, but … … … worth it? Look what happened over … … … … … … … … … ….
John:	That was because we … … … … at the time and we … … … … … … …. But we can’t let that one failure stop us from … … … … … … ….
Grant:	You say … … … … … … ….Well, let’s have some figures. What … … …? Who … … … …? What about …?
John:	There are … … … …, but … … … … assure me that our office equipment … … …… … ….
Grant:	What about … …? It seems there are … … …, and a lot of goods … … … … via Rotterdam. And then there is all that … … involved in … … … ….
John:	Well, if I find … … in Abraca to act … … we can get him … … … … … ….
Grant:	Have you considered … … … … … … within the country?
John:	I’ll have to find out, but we might be able to sell … … … … … … … …. Maybe we should have … … … to find out exactly how … … … … … … … … ….
Grant:	… … are too expensive.
John:	Oh, I don’t agree, Mr. Grant. As you see from … … … …, Abraca is … … … … …. I am convinced that we can … … … … … for our goods there.

Exercise 3

Act as an interpreter.

Peter:	Good morning John. Where were you yesterday afternoon? I tried to contact you all over the place.
Джон:	Я долго катался на машине, чтобы слегка охладить свой пыл.
Peter:	Oh? What happened?
Джон:	Знаешь ли, Эйч Джи решил не пускать меня в Абраку.
Peter:	Oh, no! I thought he’d be bound to agree. I’d have said that particular market was wide open.
Джон:	Я так и думаю. Как бы то ни было, я вдруг стал сыт по горло старомодным подходом Эйч Джи и подал в отставку.
Peter:	Did he accept your resignation?
Джон:	Я оставил ему мало шансов. Я был так зол, что просто вышел из его офиса.

Exercise 4

Listen to the following conversation between Hector Grant and John Martin. All the remarks are mixed up. Put them in the order they appear in the unit. Supply the remarks with the names of their authors. Use the grid below.

A …	Let’s say we have a different way of looking at things.
B …	Perhaps I am. But as our opinions differ so much about the future of the firm, perhaps I’d better go somewhere a little more forward-looking. I’m sorry, H.G.
C …	I’m sorry Mr. Grant, but I do feel strongly about this. If this is really your policy, then I must think about leaving the firm.
D …	I’m sorry, John. On balance, I don’t think it’s quite the right time for this probe. I don’t want the expense of sending you out there. You’ve got plenty to do in the home market.
E …	You are being very foolish, John.
F …	But surely we ought to go ahead now. Why wait and let somebody else get there first? We can’t live on our old markets for ever!

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.

 

Exercise 5

Match the phrases on the left with an appropriate explanation on the right. Fill in the grid below.

1.	to open up a new market	A	Dates on which a firm promises to deliver goods. If the goods do not arrive on time the firm has failed to meet the delivery dates.
2.	income per capita	B	Permission given by a government to bring goods into a country.
3.	Board of Trade	C	Unnecessary formalities. So called from the tape used by lawyers to tie up legal documents.
4.	delivery dates	D	Different ways of getting the goods to the buyers. This may be direct to government departments, to retailers or through wholesalers.
5.	tariff	E	A government tax levied, put, on goods entering a country.
6.	duty	F	Average income, money earned, per head of the population.
7.	import licence	G	(market research). An investigation during which information is collected in the field by means of interviews. A report is then prepared on possible demand: type of consumer, buyer; methods of selling; number of rivals; what sort of packaging is preferred, etc., in any country or area where a company wishes to begin trading. A desk survey would be done in the office by using all statistical information available.
8.	agent	H	An import tax charged or levied by the importing country.
9.	channels of distribution	I	Develop a new market, start one up. (Market: an area where goods can be sold).
10.	field survey	J	A BritishGovernment Department which deals with trade and commerce.
11.	red tape	K	One who acts for a person or business. In this case it means a resident in a foreign country who acts for, or represents, several companies abroad. He works for a commission, that is, a payment of a percentage on the value of goods coming into a country.
1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.	11.

 

POST-LISTENING

 

A

Say how John Martin answered the major questions put by H.G. Make use of the word combinations in brackets.

What are the difficulties of breaking into the Abracan market?

(red tape involved; to get an import licence / to sort out the import licence; to find an agent)

2. Who are the likely competitors of Harper & Grant Ltd. in Abraca?

(to let somebody get somewhere first; to live on old markets)

What about tariffs?

(tariffs on products; the Board of Trade; to be liable for duty)

What about shipping facilities?

(direct sailings; to be trans-shiped via Rotterdam)

What channels of distribution are needed within the country?

(to sell direct to somebody; to have a field survey; to make a preliminary desk research)

B

Why do you think Hector Grant decided to send John Martin to Abraca? Answer this question as if you were

a) Hector Grant

b) Peter Wiles

Unit 2

A Visit to the Factory

Phrase list

Listen to the tape and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the unit. Consult a dictionary and translate them into Russian.

to have somebody on the phone

to make somebody’s fortune

to take somebody / to see round the factory

to get (to fix) an appointment

an office block

the administrative department

the Sales department

the Accounts department

the Personnel department

the Market Research department

the warehouse

to store (the items of) equipment

to keep a stock of the faster-moving items

to meet (urgent orders) from the stock

Works Manager

to come in different sizes (about steel sheets and bars)

to be unloaded on to the delivery bank

a spot welder

to install a conveyor belt

to double (treble) output

assembly shop

to compare favourably with something (about prices)

to furnish the office

to depend on the line

to supply from the stock

requirement(s)

artificial fertilisers

to give a quotation

delivery charges

to be somebody’s deadline

to honour a date

PRE-LISTENING

Task I

Consider the introduction to the unit. Answer the following questions and be ready to give a story line. Use the word combinations in brackets.

1. What is the purpose of Mr. Duncan’s telephone call to Harper & Grant?

(to get a telephone call from somebody; to have an introduction from a mutual acquaintance; to stay in London for a few days; to telephone to fix an appointment to see somebody)

What is Mr. Duncan’s reaction to the suggestion of a later date of his appointment with Mr. Grant?

(to be very busy; to suggest a later date; to be rather short-tempered; to expect to have an appointment whenever somebody wants one; to see over the factory; to see how some of the office furniture is made)

What proves that Elizabeth is a very good secretary?

(to have a good secretary’s sixth sense; to be a valuable customer; to fix an appointment for somebody)

How did it happen that Elizabeth showed Mr. Duncan round the factory?

(to tell somebody about the appointment; to suggest that somebody should do something; to show the customer round the factory)

Why was Mr. Grant reluctant to see G. Duncan?

(the mutual acquaintance; to be a great talker; to waste a lot of time and then buy very little; to be the same; to warn somebody to interrupt the interview after a short time; to do something with the excuse)

What was the reason of Mr. Grant’s sudden change of attitude towards Mr. Duncan?

(to indicate that someone wishes to do something; to place a large order for office furniture for one’s new office block; to complete construction in Scotland; to be interested in escaping from one’s visitor; to know one’s boss very well; to be surprised by something)

Task 2

Give the English equivalents for the following word combinations:

§ осчастливить кого-либо / составить чей-либо капитал или состояние	§ складировать предметы оборудования
§ отдел сбыта	§ склад
§ держать запас быстро раскупаемых товаров	§ договориться о встрече / назначить встречу
§ успешно конкурировать с чем-л	§ управляющий производством
§ осуществлять продажу со склада по срочным заказам	§ выполнить обязательства о сроках (поставки)
§ административный корпус	§ бухгалтерия
§ быть предельным сроком	§ показать кому-либо фабрику
§ плата за поставку	§ отдел кадров
§ отдел изучения конъюнктуры рынка	§ административное управление / отдел

LISTENING

Exercise 1

You are going to hear a talk between Elizabeth and Hector Grant. Before you listen to the conversation look at these statements. After you have listened to the tape determine whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Explain why.

1.	Mr. Macpherson recommended a Mr. George Duncan from Glasgow to come to see Elizabeth Corby.
2.	In Mr. Grant’s opinion it is doubtful that any friend of Mr. Duncan’s will make the company’s fortune.
3.	Mr. Duncan said he would like Mr. Grant to take him round the factory.
4.	H.G. thought that J. Macpherson would take up the whole day and then order one chair.
5.	Elizabeth suggested that she could take a new customer round the factory.
6.	H.G. said that he would see Mr. Duncan first and then Elizabeth would take him round the factory.
7.	H.G. asked his secretary to interrupt his interview with G. Duncan after fifty minutes.
8.	H.G. asked his secretary to remind him that he had another appointment.

Exercise 2

Listen to the following conversation between George Duncan and Mr. Fielding. Look at their remarks given below at random. Put them in the order they appear in the Unit. Supply the remarks with the name of their authors.

A...	I’ll take you to the assembly shop …
B...	This is one of our three workshops. This is the delivery bay here.
C...	Oh, really.
D...	The steel sheets and bars come in, as you see, in different sizes and are unloaded on to the delivery bank here. We buy them in from a steelworks in Wales. This machine here is a spot welder, and this is the new conveyor belt which we had installed last year. We doubled our output in this department as a result.
E...	Oh, yes.

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.

Exercise 3