Work in pairs and each take one of the roles in a telephone conversation. Read your card and prepare what you are going to say. When you are ready, Student B begins.

Student A You are a financial adviser. One of your client telephones you. Take the client’s account number and then give some advice. The client owns shares in the following companies: 1) AT Engineering. This group is performing very well and is probably worth investing in further. It has recently received a very large new contract in a new market. 2) Inteco Company. This company will soon get a new chief executive who may want to make big changes. You are not sure if this will have a good or bad effect on the share price, so it is probably best to wait and see what happens.

Student B You own shares in these two companies: AT Engineering and Inteco Company. Your account number is 0994758367. You are worried about Inteco as there are stories in the news about changes to the board of directors. You think this may affect the share price. Should you sell the shares? You are also thinking of investing another sum of money. Telephone your financial adviser for advice.

 

Listening: Interview with the founder of an Internet business consultancy

(Market Leader, Upper Intermediate Business English CB by D. Cotton, Unit 9)

 

Writing

Part 1

A. Choose three companies from different sectors that interest you (entertainment, technology, telecommunications, food, cosmetics, transportation, etc.) and fill in the information that you obtain from your research. Then, based on your research, write a report analyzing these companies and graph their stock prices for the past six months.

Company Name:______ Symbol:_____________ History:_____________ Management:________ Products:____________ Income Analysis:______

B. Discuss the following questions.

1) Comparing the information you've found from your research, which companies would be a good investment? Why? Which ones might not? Why?

2) Many stock analysts think it is important to build a portfolio of varied stocks from different sectors. Explain why.

3) How will you build your portfolio from the stocks you have researched?

Module 2 Banking

 

Starting up

Look at the cartoon and express your vision of the painter’s message.

Discuss with your partner

v Are banks the best place to keep your money? Why?

v What are good and bad things about banks?

v Do you use a piggy bank? For what reason?

v Would you like to work for a bank? Why?

 

Reading: The Banking Industry

A. Study the topical vocabulary.

 

banking institutions	банковские учреждения
banks	банки
savings ~	сберегательные
commercial or retail ~	коммерческие
merchant ~	торговые
to issue	выпускать, выдавать
~ notes	зд. деньги
~ personal cheque	именной чек
~ money	деньги
~ shares	акции
to undertake	проводить, осуществлять, предпринимать
~ management	управление, администрирование
~ monetary policy	кредитно-денежную политику
to pay interest on the account	платить процент по счету
receipt of deposits	получение вклада
transfer of money	перевод денег
encashment	оплата наличными, инкассация
to save money/to keep money safe	экономить, сберегать, копить
to lend = to loan (to make a loan)	давать взаймы, одалживать
lender	заимодавец
to borrow	брать взаймы, в долг, в кредит
borrower	заемщик
to deposit	положить на счет
a depositor	вкладчик
insolvent	неплатежеспособный
legal tender	законное платежное средство
capital surplus	избыток капитала
collateral	залог
to be subject to	подлежать чему-либо
capital	капитал
~ surplus	избыток капитала
~ deficit	дефицит капитала
to charge interest	взимать комиссию
liquidity	ликвидность (способность банка своевременно выполнять обязательства)
maturity	срок действия вклада, срок долгового обязательства