Read the text paying attention to the words in bold.

A Bad Introduction [13]

 

It was the boss’s first day in his new job, so he walked around the office and introduced himself to everyone. He offered his business card to each person in the usual way: he held it with two hands, so that the other person could read it easily.

But one man in the office said, “I don`t want your business card. I already know who you are.”

“Please take it”, said the boss and smiled.

Slowly, the man took the business card… and then he folded it in two.

Everyone in the office knew that this was very rude. When you receive a business card in this country, you always have to read it very carefully.

In fact, the next day the story was in the newspapers and the boss got more than 10, 000 e-mails of support from people right across the country.

Decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F).

1) It was the boss’s third day in his new job.

2) He offered a cup of teato each person in the usual way.

3) But one man in the office said that he didn’t want his business card.

4) Nobody in the office knew that this was very rude.

5) In fact, the next day many people knew about this story.

 

Open the brackets.

 

1. Mr. Dickens is in charge ______ (on / of) all subsidiaries.

2. He _________ (proposes / offers) hisbusiness cardto each person.

3. My uncle is a very rude person he never introduces himself______ (for / to) anyone.

4. I hear the phone is _______(calling / ringing) in the next room.

5. I work _______(on / for) the International company.

Read expressions (1 - 8). They can all be used in the first few minutes of a meeting. Match them with the functions (a - h).

1. Glad to see you again!

2. I’m Jan Davis, the Human Resources Manager.

3. I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name. Can you say it again?

4. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.

5. Hi! How are you?

6. This is Carla Suarez. She’s in charge of exports.

7. Good morning. Pleased to meet you.

8. Nice to meet you at last!

a. Greet someone you’ve never met before.

b. Check someone’s name if you didn’t hear it very well.

c. Greet someone you often meet.

d. Greet someone you haven’t met though you’ve had contact with them by phone or email.

e. Greet someone you’ve met before, some time ago.

f. Introduce yourself.

g. Introduce a colleague.

h. Ask someone what their name is.

 

Walk around the room and try to talk to each person very briefly.

- Greet the other person and introduce yourself.

- Say where you work and what your job is.

- Find out the name, company and job of the other person.

 

What do you do when someone you haven’t met before visits you in your office? In what order do you do these things? Mark your answers and then discuss your ideas with the rest of the group.

- Hand over your business card

- Shake hands with your visitor

- Greet the visitor with a formal greeting

- Introduce yourself

- Ask about their journey to your company

- Ask about your visitor’s company and work

- Invite your visitor to sit down

- Be ready to meet your visitor at the appointed time

- Say good morning or good afternoon

- Offer something to drink

- Get down to business

 

Grammar

Present Simple

Present Continuous

9. Complete the text about a management training scheme with verbs from the box in Present Simple or Present Continuous.

get learn offer spend want work not have not earn

Ines Garcia is a Spanish graduate in business administration and she wants to have a career in business management. At present, she (1)_______ for a large telecommunications company in Madrid. It is a one-year graduate trainee programme and she ³______ any guarantee of a job at the end of the year. The company usually ⁴______ jobs to only a few of the best trainees – Ines hopes to be one of these. Trainees on the programme ⁵______ up to six weeks working in different departments. This is usually helpful because the trainees ⁶______ useful work experience. A disadvantage is that trainees ⁷______ very much money. Ines says “It’s a hard life just now, but it’s good experience and I ⁸______ a lot of new things.”

 

Open the brackets.

Matt Gina, can I ________ (introduce / am introducing) Tony Lloyd, our Marketing Manager. Tony, this is Gina Tallarigo from our Rome office.

Tony Very pleased to meet you, Gina. I ________ (hear / am hearing) you had a difficult journey last night.

Gina Yes, the weather was very bad, and my plane couldn’t take off.

Tony What time does the meeting start, Matt?

Matt Ten thirty.

Tony OK, we ________ (have / are having) half an hour. Perhaps I can show Gina round the office. Would you like to have a look around, Gina?

Gina That would be great. Thank you, Tony.

Tony OK, let’s go.

 

Decide if the sentences below contain mistakes. Change the form of the verb where necessary.

 

1. We’re not liking the new computer system.

2. How many boxes do you need?

3. Smiths are seeming interested in our products.

4. Paul’s travelling to New York next week.

5. Is Marta preferring the second option?

Choose the correct form of the verbs in italics.

 

I. She write / writes training programmes.

2. The company doesn’t / isn’t making a profit.

3. They are having / have a meeting.

4. We don’t finishing / finish work at 6pm.

5. That printer doesn’t / isn't work.

6. Are / Do you often visit head office?

7. What time is / does Geoff arriving?

8. I’m not / I don’t understand the problem.

13a. Decide if uses (1 - 8) are usually associated with Present Simple (PS) or Present Continuous (PC)

1. facts and permanent situations PS

2. action and events in progress now

3. arrangements for the future

4. verbs of thinking and feeling

5. habits and routines

6. temporary situations

7. fixed timetable

8. current trends and changes

 

B. Match sentences (a - h) with uses (1 - 8).

a. She’s talking on another line right now, can I ask her to call you back? b

b. We offer a networking solution that is reliable and secure.

c. We release figures for total sales every quarter.

d. I’m arriving in Munich at 10:30.

e. The plane arrives in Munich at 10:30.

f. I’m working in our customer services department this month.

g. Internet fraud is increasing all over the world.

h. OK, I understand what the problem is now.

 

14. Put the time expressions from the list below into two categories: those usually used with the Present Simple, and those usually used with the Present Continuous. Write the expression in correct column.

after, always, as soon as, before, currently, every day, hardly ever, never, at the moment, most of thе time, next time, normally, now, nowadays, occasionally, often, rarely sometimes, these days, twice a year, until, usually, when

 

Present SimplePresent Continuous

After currently

Listening

Paul Larousse works in an overseas subsidiary of Lisa Guzman’s company. Listen to the conversation and decide if Paul is visiting the head office for the first time for an international team meeting or not.

Look again at the list in ex. 8 and identify the things Lisa did. Number them in order.

17. What expressions did Lisa use for:

- apologising?

- asking about Paul’s journey?

- inviting Paul to sit down?

- offering something to drink?

Speaking

 

In each situation below, a host receives a visitor from abroad. Take turns to play host and visitor. Before you start, decide which country each of you is from and in which country you are meeting. You can use real personal information or invent new identities. Act out the greetings and introductions, and if appropriate, make some general conversation, as in the listening activity. You don't have to discuss any business matters.

Situation 1

The visitor is from an overseas subsidiary and is visiting head office to meet counterparts in the accounts department. You have not met before but have communicated by email and phone.

Visitor: You arrive very late because your flight was delayed.

 

Situation 2

The host and visitor meet regularly once a month, usually for 1-2 hours.

Visitor: You are from the head office. You travel a lot visiting different subsidiaries and coordinating joint projects.

Host: You don’t have the opportunity to travel much.

 

Situation 3

The host and visitor work for the same company. The last time you met was two years ago at a conference in Scotland. Since then, you have both been promoted to new positions in the company. You are going to start working together on a project.

 

Situation 4

The visitor and host are meeting to discuss an ongoing contract between your two companies. The visitor represents the supplier. You have not met before, but the host knows some of the visitor’s colleagues in the export sales department.

Visitor: This is a new job for you, and it is your first time in the host’s country.

 

Writing

1. Read the profile of Derek Stirling and then write another profile about yourself. Use the topics below to help you.

name company responsibilities

nationality position of the company

hobbies home town

 

Profile

My name is Derek Stirling and I’m Scottish. I live in Hadlow, a lovely English village near London, and I work for the Swire Group, Britain’s largest private company. The Group’s activities are divided into five business areas: shipping, aviation, property, industries, and trading. Our best-known company is Cathay Pacific Airways.

I work at our London head office; I’m head of Corporate Finance, and I’m responsible for developing the business of the Group.

I’m always very busy and I don’t have much free time, but when I do, I like fishing and I grow my own vegetables, just for fun.

Telephoning

1. Study the Word List.

answer the phone – отвечать на телефонный звонок

voice – голос

receptionist – администратор

friendly – дружелюбный

polite – вежливый

busy – занятой

interrupt – прерывать

remember – помнить

switch on – включать

call back – перезвонить

ignore – игнорировать

take a deep breath – тяжело вздохнуть

hang up – брать трубку

Answer the questions.

1. How often do you have to answer the phone?

2. Are you polite when you answer the phone?

3. Do you always answer your phone?

4. Do you stop a conversation to answer the phone?