Homework

A Comprehension

1. What purpose do lecturers have in asking students the question about the soft-drinks
company?

Lecturers want to see what principles students have.

2. What argument might someone in the British motor car industry use to justify the giving of
bribes?

My opinion is that bribes cannot be justified and should be punished as such.

3. Why was the US company ITT criticized for making a large financial contribution to a
political campaign?

Because he tried to influence the political elections in favor of that campaign.

4. The Minister of Works of the Caribbean country did eventually award the contract to the
sales manager. What finally persuaded him to do this?

He convinced him because besides the $ 20,000 he added something else.

5. Explain briefly the difference of opinion existing within the International Chambers of
Commerce about how the organization should deal with bribery.

I think the French are right, the state should really be dealing with the problem of bribery and
be punished with prison.

B Vocabulary

1. Complete each group of sentences using an appropriate form of the word in italics.

Ethics
a) Giving a bribe to secure a contract would be considered ____unethically______________
by an honest businessman.

b) When working under pressure, someone might find it hard to do what is

________ethically__________ correct.

Corrupt

a) ________corruption__________ can in some countries become the normal ingredient of an

aggressive sales policy.

b) Some officials will under no circumstances accept bribes. They

are______inccoruptible____________.

c) He was charged with ______corrupt____________ accepting unauthorized payments.

Moral

a) It is easy to ______moral____________ when one has never been in a position to be

tempted.

b) She is a person of very high______morality____________.

c) One must inevitably question the ____moral______________ of his action.

d) To offer money for corrupt purposes is____immoral______________.

e) Having no sense of what is right or wrong, he is in fact totally________immorality____.

Approve

a) Securing official ___approval_______________ for the import of goods can be costly in

some countries.

b) Tenders for contracts have to be submitted in the ____approved______________ form.

c) Many authorities express public _____disapproval_____________ of bribery, yet do little

to try to stamp it out.

d) The goods will be sent to you on_______approve___________.

Tempt

a) To many people, the offer of a country house would be very______tempted____________.

b) Most people experience the _____temptation_____________ to act against their principles.

Admit

a) It is, ______admitted____________, difficult to know the right course to follow in certain

situations.

b) An ______inadmissible____________ fact at his trial was that he had offered a bribe.

2. Supply any appropriate word for each blank space.

In many countries, it is common to pay someone to ease the passage of a business

_____deal______. For a company ______to break______ into these markets for the first time,
the__bent_________ to use bribery is very great indeed. In many cases, the company will
have to pay inflated _____commisiions________ to an agent or make other such payments if
an order is to be_______rejected________. Later, there will be the routine handout to make
sure the consignment of goods is _______approved_____through customs. Although an
international business community like the ICC can give guidelines to companies, it cannot
_____impose_____ bribery by its own efforts. It is up to governments in those countries
where bribery is ___a way of life_____ to help stamp out this _____outlaw_____by bringing
in laws against corruption and making sure these are_____respected_____.

3. Circle the letter next to the most suitable interpretation.

a) Those who are tempted to bend their principles:

(i) generally are people without any principles.

(ii) usually change their principles according to circumstances.

(iii) rather unwillingly make some kind of compromise.

b) If you are in a wheeling-dealing business, you should expect:

(i) to be involved in deals worth millions of pounds.

(ii) to have frequent and extensive disputes with dealers.

(iii) to work fast under pressure to get results.

c) Speeding up the wheels of bureaucracy will probably:

(i) reduce administrative delays for a company.

(ii) involve many contacts with official machinery.

(iii) mean greater interference by government officials.

d) When a tender is put on a selective contract list:

(i) a company gains an advantage over some of its competitors.

(ii) no other company is allowed to bid for the contract.

(iii) a company is almost certain to be awarded the contract.

e) Industry is caught in a web of bribery. This statement implies that:

(i) bribery is widespread and difficult for a businessman to avoid.

(ii) almost everyone in industry is engaged in taking bribes.

(iii) anyone entering industry will almost certainly be corrupted.