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 Reading file 4
Background

Technology review: video cameras

Normally, when we think of video
cameras, we think of well-known
brands like Sony or Panasonic and large
hi-tech machines with lots of *buttons
to press. They are great if you have
the money and you want high quality
Hollywood-style films. But the market
for this kind of camera isn’t growing
very quickly at the moment. This is
surprising because video is everywhere
these days. At work we can video a
meeting or a new product and send it
to colleagues. At home we can video
the children and email the film to
their grandparents. So how are people
making videos?
Well, most laptops come with a
webcam. The quality isn’t great, but
it’s OK for making *simple films. If
we want to video family and friends
at the weekend or on holiday then the
mobile phone is popular. The problem
for manufacturers of large video
cameras is this – most people don’t
want complicated technology and don’t
need perfect pictures. Most customers
want *simplicity. One company in San
Francisco understands this. Pure Digital
Technologies produces easy-to-use
video cameras which fit in your *pocket.
Its CEO, Jonathan Kaplan, explains
his company’s philosophy: ‘We believe
video can help change the world.’
Kaplan doesn’t want to *compete with
the large traditional manufacturers
like Sony because the mass market is
happy with basic video technology.
Pure Digital Technologies has had huge
growth in the last two years. Its latest
camera sold a million in its first year
of production – that’s about 13% of
the video camera market. The ‘Flip’ is
similar in size to an iPod and it’s easy to
use. There’s one big red button in the
middle for recording and ‘simplicity’ is
its main competitive advantage. After
you record your video, you put it into
your laptop and then download the
video onto a DVD or even onto your
favourite website. The cameras come
in lots of different bright colours and
there’s even a special case for filming
underwater. The quality isn’t the same
as your standard video camera, but it’s
better than mobile phone quality.
Pure Digital Technologies has had
success because of its main selling
point – quality at a reasonable price.
The other reason is that it hasn’t had
much competition. That’s going to
change. Other companies, including
Sony, are *launching similar camera
products onto the market. Kaplan and
his company will have to find new ways
to *stay ahead.

Glossary
*buttons = switches you press to control equipment
*compete = to try to be more successful than something / someone else
*pocket = a place in trousers, coats, or shorts to put things
*launch = to begin something / introduce a new product into the market
*simple (adj) = easy, not complicated
*simplicity (noun) = see simple
*stay ahead = to continue to be number one in the market

© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary

 Reading file 4
Exercises
1 Work with a partner and discuss these questions.
1 What kinds of technology do you use at work or at home?
2 What’s your favourite piece of technology at the moment?

2 Read the text quickly and answer these questions.

1 What kind of technology is the text about?
2 Why is Pure Digital Technologies doing well?

3 Read the text again and decide if these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1 Sony and Panasonic are two of the main manufacturers of large video cameras.
2 The majority of people are currently buying large video cameras.
3 Many people make videos with webcams and mobile phones.
4 Pure Digital Technologies is trying to compete with the larger producers.
5 Customers choose ‘Flip’ cameras because they have lots of buttons.
6 Pure Digital Technologies’ profits are increasing.
7 You can use their cameras in the water.
8 Pure Digital Technologies is not going to have any competition in the future.

4 Match the words in A and B to make common adjective + noun

collocations. Check your answers in the text.

A B
traditional   well-known   huge market   manufacturer   brands
hi-tech   competitive   high advantage   quality   price
mass   reasonable growth   machines

5 Which collocations from 4 could replace the words in bold in sentences 1–8?
1 There’s always a big increase in sales in November and December.
2 We’re an old company that produces goods.
3 Let’s sell this product to the largest number of people possible.
4 This new range of computers includes products using the latest technology.
5 For most hotels, location is the main thing which makes one hotel more
popular than another competitor.
6 We produce very well-made items.
7 Twenty dollars is a fair amount to pay.
8 Our shops sells all those kinds of products that lots of people know and
buy.

6 Work in pairs. Take turns to ask and answer these questions.

1 What are some of your country’s traditional manufacturers and well-known
brands? What do they produce or provide?
2 How hi-tech is your area of business? Is it having huge growth at the moment?
3 Does your company sell to the mass market?
4 Do you think that your company offers high quality services or products at a
reasonable price?
5 What is your company’s main competitive advantage?

7 Look back at the text and choose three words that you could use to
describe your area of business.

8 Work in groups. Discuss these questions.

1 The article says, ‘Pure Digital Technologies … will have to find new ways to stay
ahead’. Make a list of ways the company can ‘stay ahead’ of the competition.
2 Compare your list with another group.

© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary

 Reading file 5
Background

Number one jobs for the 21st century

How many people have the same job for life? And how many jobs are ‘safe’?
Nowadays, the world of work is changing so quickly and jobs are changing quickly
too. What are the best jobs in this century? Here’s what we think.
1
Wind power, solar power, environmentally-friendly cars – in the next few years
governments and industries are going to spend lots of money on clean energy and
we are going to change the way we live. If you have the right technical *skills, you
can get a job in the world’s fastest-growing industry.
2
Can you imagine a world with no computers? ‘No’ is the simple answer. From
computer programmers to video game manufacturers, there are lots of jobs for
anyone with a computer qualification and there are going to be lots more. We’re
living in the *digital age so it’s a good *choice for the 21st century.
3
They are not always the best-paid jobs in the world, but when the business world
is having problems and people are losing their jobs, a job with the government is
a safe choice. People always need teachers or doctors and your employer is never
going to say, ‘sorry, we’re closing the business’.
4
More businesses employ people to work from home. It’s saves money. More
employees want to work from home because they like *flexible hours and they
don’t have to spend hours in *traffic every day. So our advice is this: look for jobs
you can do on your laptop.
5
Finally, why do you want to wait for your dream job? Start your own business. Be
your own boss and decide when you work, how much you work for, and who you
work with.

Glossary
*choice = option / preference between two or more things
*digital age = current period of time where digital technology is very important
*flexible = not fixed
*skills = ability to do something well because of training
*traffic = other vehicles on the road (cars, lorries, etc.)

© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary

 Reading file 5
Exercises
1 Work with a partner and discuss these questions.
1 When did you start your current job? Is it your first job?
2 Do you think people ‘have a job for life’ in the modern world?

2 Read the text quickly. Match headings a–e to paragraphs 1–5.

a Make your own job
b Government-paid jobs
c Green jobs
d Jobs from home
e Jobs in the digital industry

3 Five people are talking about jobs. Which job in the text would be good
for each person?
1 ‘I want to make important decisions and I don’t like it when people tell me
what to do.’
2 ‘I have an IT qualification and I love computer games.’
3 ‘I love my job, but I hate my journey to work – it takes me two hours to get to
the office.’
4 ‘I lost my job when I was 28 and it took six months for me to find another one –
it was horrible and I never want that to happen again.’
5 ‘I have a qualification in environmental engineering.’

4 Complete this table of words. Find the missing words in the text.
verb noun people / jobs
to program
computer program 1
computers
to manufacture – 2
to qualify 3 –
to teach – 4
6
5 employment
7

5 Work with a partner. Complete sentences 1–6 with the verb + noun
collocations in the list. Look back at the text to help you and change the
form of the verb where necessary.
spend money   start (a) business   spend hours   lose (a) job   
close (a) business    get (a) job
1 Don’t spend all your money today. You’re going to need some tomorrow.
2 My friend his yesterday. But he’s OK. He can work for his father.
3 I need to a new . Are there any in today’s newspaper?
4 We’re losing money every week, so I think we’re going to the
.
5 I on my homework last night!
6 A When did you your first ?
B In 1981 – that’s when I first opened the bicycle shop.

6 Work with a partner. Write five new sentences using words from 4 or 5.

7 Look back at the text and choose three words that you could use in your
day-to-day work.

8 Work with a partner. Discuss these questions.

1 What do you think is a good job for the 21st century?
2 When you are choosing a new job, what is important? Make a list.
3 How is your job going to change in the future?

© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary

 Reading file 6
Background
Best business books of the year
This year was a good year for new books
about business. Here are our favourites.
1 Effective teams
by Dr Carla Essinski
This is a short book, but it’s full of
good advice. Dr Essinski analyses
ten different teams in ten famous
companies and finds out what makes
them effective. She looks at business in
different industries including IT, energy,
and manufacturing, but each team has
*similar characteristics. Teams are small
and team leaders let everyone speak.
It’s a *serious but useful book for any
manager.
2 Culture tips for business travellers
by Helena and Mark Hockly
How do you give a business card in
Japan? Do you use first names or
surnames in Brazil? This book answers
these questions and lots more. The book
is organized country by country. So if
you have a meeting in Lima, you look
up Peru and find out what is *polite or
not acceptable. The only disadvantage
is that the book has nearly 550 pages
so it’s heavy for your luggage! But pack
it if you can – it could stop cultural
misunderstandings.
Glossary
*cartoons = funny drawings (often in newspapers)
*celebrity = a famous person
*discover = to find information, a place, or object for the first time
*improve = to make better
*polite = socially correct
*serious = not funny
*similar = the same in many ways, but not completely
© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary
3 My life in business
by Sir Norman Griffiths
In Britain, Sir Norman is a business
*celebrity. He launched the first home
computers in the eighties. He’s given
advice to the government. He’s even
had his own TV show. Now he describes
how he grew up as a child from a family
with nothing and became one of the
richest and most successful business
leaders of the last thirty years. He loves
telling you about his life, but he also
wants to tell you how to *improve the
world through business. A good book
for people who want to set up their own
business.
4 Why I hate my boss
by Ray Damman
And finally, if you don’t want to read
about work at the end of the day then
here’s a funny book to make you laugh.
The author talked to lots of people
and took down anything they said
about their bosses. The book has some
*cartoons and unfortunately you might
agree with lots of the opinions. Give it
to all your colleagues, but don’t let your
boss *discover it!
 Reading file 6
Exercises
1 Work with a partner and discuss these questions.
1 What types of books do you like reading?
2 Do you ever read books about work or business? Why? / Why not?

2 Read the text from a business magazine. What is the main purpose of the
text?
1 to advertise some books
2 to recommend some books
3 to explain how to write a book about business

3 Read the text again. Match books 1–4 to descriptions a–k.

a Two people wrote this book:
b It isn’t serious:
c It helps you meet people from other countries:
d It’s about the author’s own life:
e You can learn how to work with other people:
f This book isn’t for managers to read:
g It’s a long book:
h The author studied different businesses:
i The author interviewed people:
j The author is famous:
k These three books give advice: , ,

4 We use lots of phrasal verbs in English. A phrasal verb is a ‘verb +

particle’ and they can have many different meanings. Match the phrasal
verbs in bold in the text to the following definitions.
1 learn / discover:
2 start (a company):
3 study / analyse:
4 change from a child to an adult:
5 find something in a list:
6 write what someone says:

5 Complete sentences 1–5 with the phrasal verbs in 4. Remember to use the
correct tense.
1 We the company in 2001.
2 As a child I in a small house in London.
3 Take a this graph.
4 Can you notes on our discussion?
5 I don’t know the location of my hotel. I’ll the address on the
Internet and .

6 Work with a partner. Take turns to ask and answer these questions.
1 Who set up your company?
2 When you need information where do you look it up?
3 Do you take down notes at meetings?
4 Where did you grow up?

7 Look back at the text and choose three words that you could use in your
day-to-day work.

8 Work in groups. Discuss these questions.

1 Would any of the books in the text be interesting for you? Why? / Why not?
2 Would you like to write a book? If so, what would you write about?

© Oxford University Press 2017 Business Result Second edition Elementary