Unit 1. Crisis management speciality

Pre-text exercises

1.1.1 Practise the reading of the following words and say what Russian words help guess their meaning:

 

- crisis; - crises; - discipline; - sphere; - technique; - diagnosis; - career; - procedure; - analysis; - process; - license; - bankruptcy; - potential.

 

1.1.2 Memorize the following words and word-groups from the text:

 

a non-profit – некоммерческая организация;

devastating – опустошающий, разоряющий;

to perfect – совершенствовать, улучшать;

arbitrary – арбитражный;

to initiate a speciality – вводить специальность;

to achieve an objective – достигать цели;

assets – имущество, фонды;

financial recovery – финансовое оздоровление;

performance (зд.) – деятельность;

failure (зд.) – несостоятельность;

insolvency – неплатежеспособность;

prevention – предупреждение, предотвращение;

to enable – давать возможность, право;

to assess – оценивать, определять (размер ущерба);

to take on advanced courses – поступить на курсы повышенного типа;

an acute need – острая необходимость;

to deal with – иметь дело с…

 

1.1.3 Review the meaning of the following verbs that are in the text:

 

- to manage;

- to include;

- to require;

- to offer;

- to avoid;

- to complete;

- to ensure;

- to determine;

- to provide;

- to obtain.

 

1.1.4 Translate the following words and word – groups into Russian:

 

a) to manage, manager, crisis – manager, management;

b) to assess, to assess damages, assessor, assessment;

c) to consult, consultant, consulting, to work for a consulting company;

d) to develop, developer, development, the latest developments in crisis management.

 

1.1.5 Explain the difference in-“ed”-forms and translate the sentences into Russian

 

- To achieve this objective, the Crisis Management specialty was initiated at the Faculty of Economics and Management in 1998.

-Lectures are based on a subject- centered approach and active learning determined both by professors’ view-points and theories.

 

1.1.6 Put questions to the parts underlined

 

- Crisis Management deals with skills and techniques required to avoid or manage crises.

- Crises are a reality of everyday life.

- The University offers state grants and scholarships to those who are well-prepared to take on advanced practical courses.

- The Crisis Management department provides profound knowledge in different spheres.

- The Crisis Management speciality was initiated at the Faculty of Economics and Management in 1998.

Crisis Management Speciality

 

1.2.1 Read and translate the text using the dictionary. Be ready to do the assignments that follow

 

 

Crises are a reality of everyday life in all countries. They can affect all parts of society - businesses, churches, educational institutions, families and non-profits. Their influence on the economy and life in general is devastating.

It is vitally important, therefore, to develop and perfect crisis management, a discipline which deals with skills and techniques required to avoid or manage crises. In our time, there is an acute need for training highly-qualified specialists in crisis management. To achieve this objective, the Crisis Management speciality was initiated at the Faculty of Economics and Management in 1998.

The Crisis Management department offers training in more than 40 disciplines.These include Crisis Management Basics, Theory of Enterprise Crisis Management, Crisis Management of Credit Organizations, Information Technologies in Crisis Management, Business Basics, State and Municipal Assets Management, Advertising and On-line Advertising. The Crisis Management department provides profound knowledge in different spheres: legal basis for bankruptcy procedures and arbitrary processes, enterprise and credit organizations financial recovery, crisis management and financial analysis and enterprise performance monitoring, diagnosis, failure and insolvency prevention. The Crisis Management department attaches great importance tomanagerial skills development as well as to theoretical basics.

The program includes lectures, practical classes, seminars, students' independent study and their research activity. Lectures are based on a subject-centered approach and active learning determined both by professors' viewpoints and theories and listeners' individual educational goals.

After a five-year period of study students completetheir graduation thesis, pass their finals and obtain a qualification of economists-managers. Upon getting their diploma, economists-managers receive a licence of Russian Federation Service for Financial Recovery and Bankruptcy, enabling them to work as crisis managers in organizational, analytical and consulting spheres. Crisis management graduates can also start their careers and realize their potential working for bank or assessment companies. Those inclined for research may work as lecturers or instructors in higher educational establishments, for auditing, consulting companies or in crisis assessment. The University offers state grants and scholarships to those who are well-prepared to take on advanced practical courses, and ensures students’ success in International Exchange Programs and in their career prospects.

 

Notes:

Russian Federation Service For Financial Recovery and Bankruptcy – российская служба по делам о несостоятельности и финансовому оздоровлению

Assignments

 

1.3.1 Give the Russian equivalents from the text for the following word-groups:

- vitally important;

- skills and techniques;

- legal basis;

- a subject-centered approach;

- to attach importance;

- independent study;

- to complete graduation thesis;

- to ensure success.

 

1.3.2 Say whether the following statements are true or false

 

- Crises are a reality of everyday life.

- CM speciality was initiated at the Faculty of Economics and Finance in 1998.

- CM department attaches great importance only to managerial skills development.

- After a six-year period of study students … obtain a qualification of engineers - economists.

- The University does not offer grants or scholarships to any graduates.

 

1.3.3 Answer the following questions basing your answers on the text

 

- Crises can affect all parts of society, can’t they?

- Why is it very important to develop and perfect crisis management?

- What does CM deal with?

- Why and when was the CM speciality initiated?

- What spheres does the CM department offer training in?

- What does the CM department program include?

- What qualifications do CM graduates obtain?

 

1.3.4 Find in the text the English equivalents for the following word-groups:

 

-быть хорошо подготовленным к чему-либо;

- избежать кризис;

- арбитражный процесс;

- деятельность предприятий;

- глубокие знания;

- развивать антикризисное управление;

- финансовое оздоровление;

-определять цели.

 

1.3.5 Match each word on the left with the correct definition on the right:

 

- licence; - to initiate; - assessment;   - expertise; - to ensure;   - assets; - insolvency; - research; - approach(n).

- to guarantee; - a detailed study of a subject; - anything owned by a company that has money value and can be sold; - the way to deal with sth; - an official document giving permission to do or to use sth; - to introduce; - fixing the value of property; - excellent knowledge, skill or training; - inability to pay debts.

 

1.3.6 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text:

 

a) business; b) assets; c) diploma; d) recovery;

e) scholarship; f) to affect; g) non-profits; h) approach.

 

1) We expect economy to show the signs of … over the period of two years.

2) Many factors … prices, wages and earnings.

3) A company’s total … include cash, buildings and any other property.

4) John has recently won … to the University.

5) Ann is now planning to start her own … in furniture

6) Applicants are required to earn a high school ….

7) … are universities, hospitals and social work agencies.

8) We need to find a more effective … to the problem.

 

1.3.7 Translate the last paragraph of the text in written from

 

1.3.8 Retell the text in detail

 

1.3.9 Translate the following sentences into English using the active vocabulary of the text

 

1) Студенты не только изучают программный материал, но и занимаются научно-исследовательской работой.

2) Поступая в университет, многие абитуриенты (applicants) выбирают специальность «Антикризисное управление».

3) За последние 10 лет профессия антикризисный менеджер быстро и успешно развивается.

4) Кафедра готовит специалистов для работы в фирмах, оценивающих ущерб, причиненный (caused) разными типами кризисов.

5) Частые случаи неплатежеспособности приводят к банкротству.

 

1.3.10 Act out the dialogue

 

Happiness

 

Ann: You look happy today!

Paul: I am happy. I just heard I passed my English exam.

Ann: Congratulations! I'm glad somebody's happy.

Paul: Why? What's the matter?

Ann: Oh, I'm just worried, I guess I have to take a Business Basics exam next week.

 

Notes:

- Notice the intonation of I am happy. This intonation, with the strongest stress on am, is the emphatic, confirmatory form normally used in response position (as here). It is similar, in meaning and intonation, to the short answer form, I am-which might, in fact, be used here, with the weak-stressed happy simply dropping off. I just heard I passed... Notice that the that is omitted in this bit of reported speech. Exam = examination.

- I'm glad somebody's happy. Note the omission of that in reported speech, and the strong contrastive stress on somebody (implying that the speaker herself is not happy).

- What's the matter? A common idiom meaning What is troubling you? What is wrong?

- I'm just worried. Here just means merely, only. In line b (I justheard...) it is used in its meaning of very recently. Have to = must. Notice the /f/ in the pronunciation of this idiom: /haefte/.

- I guess = / think (that).