READING PASSAGE 1

FIRST TIME LEADER

Taking on a leadership role for the first time is tough. There is always pressure on you to
do the right things, and to be seen to be doing them. But, unless there’s something that
needs sorting out urgently, your first few months in the role will be better spent in
understanding the people and the situation. One easy mistake to make is to think that you,
as leader, the top person with the top salary, have the sole responsibility and the know-
how to solve every single problem yourself. And you can be sure that others will
encourage you to think that way, since it takes the pressure off them, and it satisfies their
natural urge to leave the solving of problems to others. Instead try using existing
resources to identify the current position and the ways to change it for the better.
Start by consulting widely, beginning with the people who now report to you
direct, as these are most likely to be the people with the expertise and experience to
tackle some of the problems that are identified. A series of one-to-one meetings, though
time-consuming, will be worthwhile, especially if they are structured to provide you with
the information you need to make decisions later on. Two useful questions are: ‘What do
you see as the biggest problem facing the department now?’ and ‘What one change would
make the most difference to our success?’ From their answers you can build up a picture
of your people, as well as of the issues. Some will consider the needs of the department
as a whole, while others may just concentrate on their own particular concerns. You will
also have had personal contact with each person and can judge who you will work well
with in the future.
Overlap in their responses is a useful pointer to the priorities needing your
attention. If there is no duplication in problems or solutions, it means that you have
inherited a disunited group which will need some team-building and restructuring. If no
clear picture emerges, it means that your people are part of the problem: you will need to
make them aware of this.
At the same time, consult with customers. Be open to criticism and to praise.
Compare the views of your department with this external viewpoint and see where the
biggest gaps are. This will help to identify areas for action.
While you are data-gathering, have a look at the figures. Apply different measures
from the standard ones. You probably lack knowledge about which company products are
profitable, and you recognize that staff costs are a key factor. So, ask for an analysis of
profitability per employee. There will be some grumbling that the new figures involve
extra work, but the analysis will reveal how many and what kind of staff your company
really needs.
Finally, a key issue for you as a new leader is to establish priorities. If you have
done your research well, you will have identified a number of areas for action. Bring your
senior team together and tell them about your research findings, both the problems and
the suggested solutions. Together, plot the solutions on a big graph, with one axis relating
to the amount of difference the action would make; and the other axis to the ease of
implementation. This will prompt useful discussion on the issues and the means of
resolving them. In selecting priorities, you might well gain volunteers to tackle some of
the tasks. Agree actions, assign responsibilities and establish dates for completion and
progress reviews.
A. Choose the best answer, A, B, C or D.
1. Employees encourage their boss to believe that he or she should solve all the
problems, because they ____.
A. really want to have to solve the problems themselves.
B. believe that the employer is paid to solve problems.
C. know that the boss has a lot more information about the issues than they do.
D. don’t feel that they have to solve the problem on their own.
2. How should you structure your first meetings according to the writer?
A. Explain to each member of staff what they are facing in their department.
B. See people individually and ask each one the different questions.
C. Ask each member the same question in separate area.
D. Bring everyone into the discussion to get an agreed plan of action.
3. Getting the same answers from different people during your research tells you
that ____.
A. you have realized the most urgent service needing your attention.
B. the most critical problems from department that need to get your interest.
C. the people who are under you clearly do not work well together.
D. many of your department’s problems are caused by the staff themselves
4. It is useful to talk to customers about the performance of your department
because ____.
A. you can evaluate what they say against what your boss told you.
B. it gives you an opportunity to value them and make customers feel that their opinions
are important to you
C. you can assess what customers tell you and then compare with what your employees
told you.
D. they are likely to be more honest and more reliable and you can evaluate what your
own staff told you.
5. According to the writer, using a graph as part of the meeting with senior staff is a
good way to ____.
A. get your staff talking about the issues and what to do about them
B. set deadlines for completing the work and reporting back.
C. give feedback to your staff on the results of your research.
D. show which members of staff should tackle the various problems.
B. Read the text and decide if these statements are TRUE or FALSE Or NOT
GIVEN (NG).
6. Being a leader for the first time is a challenging task.
7. First-time leaders should spend the first few months getting to know about the people
and the situation.
8. A leader must ask people in the company about what they like most about their job and
what changes they want to make.
9. The writer recommends that a leader can increase credibility and reliability by using
different measures.
10. A key issue for a new leader is to decide which things need to be done first.

READING PASSAGE 2

ARE BRAND NAMES BEING PUSHED OFF THE SHELF?

According to the Wall Street Journal: "More and more shoppers are by- passing
household names for the cheaper, no-name products one shelf over. This shows that even
the biggest and strongest brands in the world are vulnerable."

It has been clear for some time - principally since recession began to be felt in the
major economies of the world - that the strength of brands has been under fire. During the
second half of the eighties, the Japanese, for example, showed themselves willing to pay
a huge premium to buy goods with a smart label and image to match: they were fashion
victims par excellence, be it in choosing their luggage (Louis Vuitton was much
favoured) or in buying their booze, where a 20-year-old version of a good malt whisky
could fetch the equivalent of £60 or more. Over the past year or two, that enthusiasm to
spend big money on a classy label has waned markedly.

But we may be witnessing the death of the brand.

First, every story that now appears about the troubles being experienced by makers of
luxury goods triggers wise nods and told- you-so frowns.

Two days ago, LVMH in France, which owns Moet et Chandon champagne, Louis
Vuitton and the Christian Lacroix fashion house, reported lower earnings for the first half
of 1993 than it did a year ago. As David Jarvis, in charge of the European operations of
drinks company Hiram Walker, puts it: "A few years ago, it might have been considered
smart to wear a shirt with a designer's logo embroidered on the pocket; frankly, it now
seems a bit naff."

This conclusion fits with one's instincts. In the straitened nineties, with nearly 3
million out of work and 425,000 people officially classed as homeless in England alone,
conspicuous consumption now seems vulgar rather than chic.

But just because flashy, up-market brands have lost some of their appeal, it does not
follow that all brands have done so. Cadbury's Dairy Milk is just as much a brand as
Cartier watches. Tastes may have shifted down-market, but that does not mean that they
have shifted from flash-brand to no brand.

The second strand of the brand argument is tied intimately with the effects of
recession. No one yet knows to what extent the apparent lack of some brands' appeal is
merely a temporary phenomenon.

Third, the example of Marlboro is an extreme one. The difference in price between
premium brand cigarettes and budget rivals in the US had become huge during the 1980s:
a packet of Marlboro or Camel might cost 80 percent more than a budget variety. Few
brands in any area of consumer goods could hope to maintain so great a premium
indefinitely.

And fourth, in looking at the brands argument globally, it is too easy to become
misled by what is happening in an individual market. In the UK as a whole, about one
third of groceries are under supermarkets' own labels. In the USA the proportion is only
20 per cent. But it does seem that the gradual shift from manufacturer-branded to retailer-
branded goods is worldwide.
 As David Jarvis of Hiram Walker says: "We believe that brands will retain their halo,
but people are less inclined to pay for something just because it's a fashion accessory.
They need to be reassured that the product is intrinsically better."

(from The Guardian)

Fill in the gap in the summary below with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage.

Consumers often prefer to buy (11)………….unbranded products rather than more

expensive branded goods. The reason for this seems to be the worldwide (12)………….in
major economies.
In Japan, consumers are less likely to buy goods with a fashionable (13)....................
In the present economic climate, it seems (14)....................to spend money on expensive
designer products.
(15)……….brands are less popular, but (16)................... brands are still important.
In the 80s, famous-brand cigarettes cost (17)…………..more than cheap brands. This
difference is no longer so (18)...................
In the USA, proportionally fewer (19).......... ….. are sold than in Britain.
The consumer won't buy branded goods unless they are (20)...................