CRE

0
PART ONE

Tense review: present simple and continuous, past simple and continuous

GRAMMAR

Present simple and continuous

1
EXERCISES

1.

2.

3.

4.

2
READING

-A-

1. Read the following text about business manners:

Mind Your Manners: It's Good Business

Mom said it best: If you want to succeed in business, try to act like you weren't raised in a barn.
But even though knowing how to behave is more important than ever, global alliances, new
technology and an increasingly diverse work force have changed many of the old rules. …….… 0.
Here are a few tips from Sue Fox and Perrin Cunningham, authors of Business Etiquette for Dummies
(Hungry Minds Inc.):

When someone gives you a business card, don't just glance at it and slide it into your pocket. Instead,
take a moment to read it thoroughly. You may want to repeat the person's name to be sure of the
correct pronunciation and/or ask about the person's job responsibilities. …..1

Treat everyone with courtesy, even co-workers who bug you. Remember the morning affirmation of
Marcus Aurelius, a former Emperor of Rome: "Today I will be surrounded by people who irritate me.
I will not demonstrate my irritation."

Americans routinely eat French fries with their fingers. But in France, pommes frites are eaten with a
knife and fork. When you dine overseas or with an international group, be especially watchful of the
behaviour of your companions. When in doubt, use a knife and fork.

Be careful how you sit. Jiggling your knee is a sign of nervousness. Leaning forward can, at times,
suggest aggressiveness, so do it with care. Leaning back with your hands behind your head and your
pelvis lifted is an unseemly display for a man. So is sitting with your legs open if no desk shields your
conversation partner from you. …… 2.

Giving your boss a gift? Use extreme caution. Extravagant gift-giving is bad strategy (it may look as
if you're trying to curry favor or offer a bribe) and in poor taste. ………3.
When making introductions, observe the "pecking order." Always present the "lesser" person to the
more senior person. For instance:
"Ms. Executive, I'd like to introduce Mr. Assistant."
"Mr. Client, I'd like to introduce my partner."
"Governor, may I introduce Ms. Citizen."
"Two-Year Employee, this is Ms. New Employee."
If you'll be hosting foreign visitors, ditch the slang. Idioms can be confusing to foreign visitors, even
if they speak the King's English better than you do. ….4. A sentence such as, "The printer works 24/7,

3
so I'll get you that report ASAP unless the finance guy is AWOL again today" can be difficult for
even a U.S. native to understand.
When dining with colleagues, follow the senior person's lead. If he or she orders an appetizer and an
additional side dish, you should, too. ……5. And although you can always drink less than the senior
person, you should never drink more. Two or three glasses of wine during a business dinner is plenty
for anyone.

Be discreet with your pager. If at all possible, keep your pager on the vibrate mode. If you absolutely
must have your beeper tone on, know exactly where your pager is so you can shut it off immediately.
Every second you spend fumbling through your jacket pockets or purse while your pager plays "God
Bless America" is more bad business karma piling up. …..6. Wait until it is your turn to speak, then
excuse yourself for a moment. Better still, wait until your meeting is over to check your message.

2. Choose the best sentence from below to fill each of the gaps in the text above. E.g. 0 – D.
Do not use any letter more than once. There is one extra sentence.

A. Remember to keep courses balanced so that everyone is eating at the same time.
B. If you're talking to someone, don't look at your pager for a message while they are speaking.
C. Others may resent you for "going overboard." Consider sending group gifts rather than
individual gifts to bosses. It's all right, however, to send a card or flowers to your boss if he or
she has been ill or in the hospital.
D. Good manners really can give your career a boost, but are you confident that you know the
rules?
E. Similarly, leaning back with your legs crossed and one side off the seat of the chair is an
unseemly display for women. So is sitting like a sexy starlet on the Tonight Show.
F. The expression "How's it going?" for instance, doesn't make much sense to someone who
doesn't understand what "it" refers to, let alone where it would be "going."
G. If this person can't handle the fundamentals of a knife and fork, what else did this person
neglect to learn--and do I want him to handle my account?"
H. Be sure to express your thanks for being given the information.

READING

-B-
1. Read the following text about communication in business:

Defusing the Bomb

By BRAD AGRY

Synopsis: Communicating with the irrational customer, client or business associate.

Communicating with someone who is angry is one of the most difficult business challenges a business
owner can face. Whether this angry person is a customer, client, an employee or outside third party,
being on the receiving end of their heightened emotions is stressful. The challenge of someone
pounding their fist, shouting at you or making unfair demands, forces you to respond as a disciplined,
controlled and effective communicator.

When you are put face to face with hostility, the natural human response is to react in kind; however,
in most situations this is not an effective strategy. The key to breaking the cycle is to establish a
mutual understanding. By finding a common ground, you can resolve the conflict and begin to build
communication, step by step.

4
In order to be an effective communicator you need to shift the exchange from the emotional to the
rational. When faced with a situation where an angry and demanding individual or group has a list of
complaints, the owner/manager needs to communicate both an understanding of their grievances and a
willingness to collaborate to address them. The four simple steps to 'defuse the bomb' are:

Inquire: Being a focused listener calls for inquiring about the other person's issues and concerns. The
goal is to not interrupt and to encourage them with eye contact and head nods.

Empathize: This means to connect with somebody on their emotional level. To relate to them you
must first say, "I (appreciate, understand or share) your (frustration, doubt or concern)." Then, you
must commiserate by saying how in the past you too have felt similarly.

Ask permission: Asking whether or not an angry person would like to hear some relevant information
puts them in control, and thereby decreases their tension. Permission questions communicate that you
are a reasonable person doing your best to reach an understanding.

Explain and offer choices: It's soothing for the upset individual to have a choice of solutions explained
to them. The more solution options you offer for a course of action, the greater their sense of control
becomes. This puts them in a more rational state where you can together begin to resolve the situation.
It is important to realize that this model does not always move in a simple and linear fashion. You
may often find yourself in a situation when some residual anger surfaces just when you thought the
problem had been solved. You may have to recycle through the model again or spend a longer time on
individual steps. For example, an angry customer may take a long time to vent their initial anger.
Remembering that anger is essentially fear turned inside out, you must let them express it all before
you can move to a more rational platform of cooperation.

2. Read the following statements and decide whether they are true or false, according to
the text above:

1. Well-trained communication skills help a business person get out of a tensioned T/F
situation successfully.
2. In most situations, when put face to face with hostility, one should react in kind. T/F
3. It is more important to show an understanding of your partners’ grievances than to try to T/F
solve them
4. Empathy means relating to the others’ problems T/F
5. Asking for permission helps to increase your partner’s sense of being in control of the T/F
situation.
6. It is important to let the other party relieve their tension before you go on with your T/F
business transaction.

LANGUAGE

Cultural diversity and socialising (1)

Welcoming visitors

Welcome to … My name's …

Arriving

Hello. My name's ... from …

I've an appointment to see …

5
Sorry I'm a little late/ early …

My plane was delayed ...

Introducing someone

This is ...

He/she's my Personal Assistant …

Can I introduce you to ... He/she's our

(Project Manager).

I'd like to introduce you to...

Meeting someone and small talk

Pleased to meet you.

It's a pleasure.

How was your trip? Did you have a good night / trip /journey?

How are things in (London)?

How long are you staying in (New York)? I hope you like it.

Is your hotel comfortable?

Is this your first visit to (the Big Apple)?

Offering assistance

Can I get you anything? Do you need anything? Would you like a drink?

If you need to use a phone or fax, please say. Can we do anything for you?

Do you need a hotel / a taxi/ any travel information /etc.?

Asking for assistance

There is one thing I need ... Could you get me ...

Could you book me a car / taxi / hotel?

Could you help me arrange a flight to …?

Can you recommend a good restaurant?

I'd like to book a room for tomorrow night.

Can you recommend a hotel?

6
READING

-C-

Customer Service - Dealing with Complaints

Mistakes happen. When they do, customer service representatives often need to handle
consumers' complaints. It's also important for customer service reps to gather
information to help resolve the problem. The following short dialog provides some
helpful phrases to deal with complaints:

Customer: Good morning. I purchased a computer from your company last month.

Unfortunately, I'm not satisfied with my new computer.

I'm having a lot of problems.

Customer Care Representative: What seems to be the problem?

Customer: I'm having problems with my Internet connection, as well as repeated crashes

when I try to run my word-processing software.
Customer Care Representative: Did you read the instructions that came with the computer?

Customer: Well, yes. But the troubleshooting section was no help.

Customer Care Representative: What happened exactly?

Customer: Well, the Internet connection doesn't work. I think the modem is broken. I'd like a
replacement.
Customer Care Representative: How were you using the computer when you tried to connect
to the Internet?

Customer: I was trying to connect to the Internet! What kind of question is that?!
Customer Care Representative: I understand you're upset, sir. I'm just trying to understand
the problem. I'm afraid it's not our policy to replace computers because of glitches.

Customer: I bought this computer with the software pre-loaded.

I haven't touched anything.

Customer Care Representative: We’re sorry that you’ve had a problem with this computer.
Could you bring in your computer? I promise you we'll check the settings and get back to you
immediately.

Customer: OK, that will work for me.

Customer Care Representative: Is there anything else I need to know about this that I haven’t
thought to ask?

Customer: No, I'd just like to be able to use my computer to connect to the Internet.
Customer Care Representative: We'll do our best to get your computer working as soon as
possible.

KEY VOCABULARY

7
customer service representatives (reps)
gather information
resolve the problem
deal with complaints
not our policy
troubleshoot
glitch

KEY PHRASES

What seems to be the problem?

What happened exactly?
I'm afraid it's not our policy to ...
I promise you I'll ...
Did you read the instructions that came with the ...?
How were you using the ...?
I understand you're upset, sir.
I'm just trying to understand the problem.
We’re sorry that you’ve had a problem with this product.
Is there anything else I need to know about this that I haven’t thought to ask?

COMPREHENSION QUIZ

1. Answer the questions to check your understanding of the dialogue between a

customer and a customer service representative. 

1. When did the customer buy the computer?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How many problems is the customer having?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. When did the customer first notice the problem?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Apart from the problems connecting to the internet, what other software is causing
problems?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. Is the customer service representative able to take care of the problem over the phone?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. What suggestion does the customer service make to solve the problems?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

VOCABULARY QUIZ

1. Provide key vocabulary and phrases to complete the sentences.

8
 1. If you can answer a few questions, I'm sure we'll ____________ the problem soon.
2. I'm afraid it’s not ________________ to replace computers with software problems.
3. Unfortunately, the computer has a ____________, so I can't connect to the internet. 
4. Could you please _______________ my computer? I can't seem to get this software
working properly.
5. Our __________________ representatives provide help for customers from around
the world.
6. Once I ______________ the information, I can help you solve your problem.
7. As a customer service representative, I need to _____________ with complaints and
troubleshoot computers software problems.
8. The computer service representative was able to _____________ my problem within
five minutes!

READING

-D-
1. Read the article and answer the questions bellow.

The Government is taking seriously the issue of road safety and is committed to reducing the
number of people killed in accidents. Forums are being conducted regularly to bring law-
makers, law enforcement officers and road users together to discuss ways to tackle the rise in
road accidents. Everyone agrees that more needs to be done on road safety in its
determination to curb the ate of road accidents in the country. The Government, with the
cooperation of relevant agencies, is making serious efforts to instill proper road culture in
children, young adults and the public in general.

There are approximately 14 million cars on the road with the figure on the rise and the traffic
police have been taking a tough stance on traffic offenders. During the first 10 months of the
year, the traffic police issued 143,077 summonses to motorists for traffic light related
offences. Statistics reveal that traffic light related offences are on the rise, especially in the
urban areas. The traffic police, however, have taken a tough stance against traffic light
defaulters by slapping hefty fines and 'awarding' demerit points to the offenders. Typical
reasons cited for beating traffic lights include rushing to an urgent appointment or even worse
to be completely oblivious of the changing of the lights.

If an accident results from the violation of the traffic regulations, the driver could very well
find himself in court charged with dangerous driving. Usual punishments include a fine, a ban
on driving for a specified time and may even be a prison sentence. Sometimes, the court may
even order to pay out compensation if death occurs as a result of the accident.

One common misconception held by motorists is that when the light turns amber, they should
speed up and clear the junction before the light turns red. But in fact, the amber light
indicates that the motorist should slow down in order to stop. By following and
understanding the guideline, unintentional traffic light beating will almost be improbable,
while making the road safer for everyone else.

Sometimes, motorists are flagged down by the police because they could have committed one
traffic offence or another. The most common are speeding, using the hand phone without a
hands-free kit, using the emergency lane or reckless driving. If flagged down, indicate your
intention by using your indicator and pull over to the side and at night switch on your cabin

9
lights. This will allow the police officer to look into your car easily. Also, voluntarily turning
on the light will show that you have nothing to hide.

Usually at road blocks, for every 10 plain-clothes police officers, there would be two
uniformed police personnel manning the operation. If you are stopped by uniformed police
officers while driving, stop the car and wind down your window. If the police officers ask for
your documents, request to see their identifications first. you have the right to know the
offence you have committed by asking the police officers. Produce your identity card and
driver's license and wait to collect your summons.
If you are flagged down by persons claiming to be plain-clothes police officers, do not stop.
Plain-clothes police officers do not have the authority to stop you. Drive to the nearest police
station and lodge a report.
From paragraph 1 :
1. Give an example how the Government attempts to reduce road accidents in the country.
From paragraph 2 :
2. (a) Give one reason why motorists beat traffic lights.
(b) What action have the traffic police taken against traffic light offenders ?
From paragraph 4 :
3. Give one common misconception about traffic lights.
From paragraph 5 :
4. Give two examples of what a motorist should do when flagged down by a police officer ?
From paragraph 6-7 :
5. (a) According to the writer, how are road blocks manned ?
(b) What should a motorist do when
  i. a police officer asked for your documents ?
  ii. a plain-clothes police officer flagged you down ?

GRAMMAR

Past simple and continuous

10
EXERCISES

1.

2.

11
3.

4.

PART TWO

Present perfect with: just, already, yet, for and since

READING

-A-

Is the customer always right?

With many European economies showing slow growth, the retail sector is coming under
increasing pressure to improve its service and cater more for consumer demands.

Is the customer always right? The answer, it seems, depends on which country you are in.
Shopping is very much a part of a country's culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers
vary from country to country just as much as climate or taste in food. From the air-
conditioned order of American malls to the anarchy of African bazaars, the way we shop
shows the way we see ourselves and our relationships with other people.

Recent economic hardship has given the consumer increased power in Europe as retailers

12
fight to win their share of reduced disposable income. This has meant falling prices, plenty of
special offers and a re-examination of what customer service really means. People often point
to America as an example of sophisticated customer service. In restaurants in the south of the
USA, for example, waiters compliment you on your clothes, ask about your day, compliment
you on the wisdom of your order and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass and
make sure that everything is to your satisfaction.

Anyone who has waited 30 minutes to be served in a restaurant might well dream of such
attention, but do Europeans really want US style service? As a friend of mine once told me,
"By the end of the evening I had spent as much time talking to the waiter as to my wife." It is
a question of expectations. Different nationalities expect different types of service.

A Chinese-American friend loves telling people about how her Chinese mother shops for
clothes: "First of all she waits until they are on sale, then she haggles until she gets an even
better price and then she finds some small fault with the product and demands a further
reduction. She never buys anything at the regular price." Could you imagine trying such
tactics in a department store in your country?

Attitudes to service are, of course, affected by employers' attitudes to their workers. As

American sales and service personnel are heavily reliant on commission and tips, they have
more incentive to provide more service. But is this fair? Do we think it is fair to ask shop
assistants to work late evenings, Sundays and 12 hour shifts? Does it fit in with our picture of
society? It might not be a case of "Is the customer always right?" but a case of "How much
service is it fair to expect?"

Reading for meaning

When you read an article, you can often guess the words you do not know from the context.

Find words or expressions in the above article which have the following meanings:
a. the ways we think about life

b. complete lack of order

c. financial difficulty

d. the money left over after all bills have been paid

e. to argue about price in order to reduce it

f. dependent

g. encouragement

VOCABULARY

Useful Meeting Phrases

13
INTERRUPTING
Use the following phrases to interrupt or join in
the conversation.
May I have a word?
If I may, I think...
Excuse me for interrupting.
May I come in here?
ASKING FOR OPINIONS
These questions will help you ask for feedback
and opinions during a conversation.
Do you (really) think that...
(name of participant) can we get your input?
How do you feel about...?
AGREEING WITH OTHER OPINIONS
If you agree with what has been said, use these
phrases to have your voice heard.
Exactly!
That's (exactly) the way I feel.
I have to agree with (name of participant).
ADVISING AND SUGGESTING
Thee phrases can be used to advise or make a
suggestion during a meeting.
We should...
Why don't you....
How/What about...
I suggest/recommend that...
ASKING FOR REPETITION
If you don't understand what's been said, use one
of these phrases.
I didn't catch that. Could you repeat that, please?
I missed that.
Could you say it again, please?
Could you run that by me one more time?
ASKING FOR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OTHER
PARTICIPANTS
You can ask for more feedback by directly asking
what others have something else to contribute.
What do you think about this proposal?
Would you like to add anything, (name of
participant)?
Has anyone else got anything to contribute?
Are there any more comments?
KEEPING THE MEETING ON TIME
14
GIVING OPINIONS
These phrases will give your opinion during a
meeting.
I (really) feel that...
In my opinion...
The way I see things...
COMMENTING ON OPINIONS
Use these phrases to show that you are carefully
listening to other's opinions.
I never thought about it that way before.
Good point!
I get your point.
I see what you mean.
DISAGREEING WITH OTHER OPINIONS
Sometimes we have to disagree with others. Make
sure to be polite, but firm when disagreeing
Up to a point I agree with you, but...
(I'm afraid) I can't agree
CLARIFYING
Sometimes it's important to clarify what you've
said. That might mean that you need to rephrase
your point in other words.
(Statement) Have I made that clear?
(Statement) Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let me put this another way (statement)
I'd just like to repeat that (statement)
ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION
If you'd like to check on some of the details, use
these phrases to ask for more details and get
clarification.
I'm afraid I don't quite understand what your are
getting at.
Could you explain to me how that is going to work?
I don't see what you mean. Could we have some
more details, please?
CORRECTING INFORMATION
At times, it's necessary to correct what someone
else has said if it's vital to the conversation.
Sorry, that's not quite right.
I'm afraid you don't understand what I'm saying.
That's not quite what I had in mind.
That's not what I meant.
Finally, it's common to go too long, so these
phrases can help keep the meeting on time.

Well, that seems to be all the time we have today.

Please be brief.
I'm afraid we've run out of time.
I'm afraid that's outside the scope of this meeting.

Let's get back on track, why don't we?

That's not really why we're here today.
Why don't we return to the main focus of today's
meeting.
We'll have to leave that to another time.
We're beginning to lose sight of the main point.
Keep to the point, please.
I think we'd better leave that for another meeting.
Are we ready to make a decision?

READING

-B-

1. Read the following text about email etiquette:

Business Email Etiquette

1. ____________

Have you seen those direct marketing letters and brochures that often turn up in your inbox?
Often they are letters imploring you to continue to your magazine subscription.

The letters I'm speaking about are four pages long, and fold in the middle like a small book.
They frequently use different type sizes and two or three colours to make their point more
palatable.

I still throw them away. Why? Because I don't have the time to wade through while they get
to their point.

When writing an email message in business, don't fall in to the same trap. Business email is
designed to get a result: to communicate an important fact, or to get a response.

You'll get that result better by getting to the point early, and keeping your message short.

2. _____________

One feature that business communication has in common with other types of communication
is standard grammar and syntax. But particularly when composing email, business people let
their grammar and spelling become sloppy.

15
So keep your wits about you when writing email. Remember that anyone can read an email
message you write, from the CEO on down, so becoming lazy with grammar and spelling
may not put forward the impression you want.
And, if you are writing to a customer your lax grammar will reflect poorly on your company
too!

3. _____________

People won't care about the meeting you are throwing about the XYZ product if the product's
real name ABC. They may remember your mistake though. In many areas of writing email
(as in much business writing) you are practicing persuasion--asking someone to do
something. If your reader doesn't trust your knowledge or your good judgement, you'll have
more trouble "getting your way."

Get your facts wrong and you've at least called your judgement into question for those that
don't know you. Not forever maybe, but why risk it? And, if you have a reputation for good
judgement, errors in fact will at least result in requests for clarification. A series of back and
forth emails will ensue. Who has time for that?

4. ____________

Email may seem a more casual form of communication than an old-fashioned typed business
letter. It has the features of immediacy, ready availability, ease of use. Remember that email
has permanence too.

Microsoft, for example, was probably displeased (but not entirely surprised) when certain
communications were uncovered in their U.S. Government antitrust case. These
communications email--were revealed as exhibits at the trial, showing executives at
Microsoft in an unflattering light.

Surely the people writing those emails, who included the CEO Bill Gates, had not thought
email was totally private? The amazing thing is that even for the computer-literate, the
immediacy of email beguiles them into thinking it is also intimate. That it is a private
conversation with a colleague who may also be your best friend: just like writing a letter,
sealing it in an envelope that no one will open, and dropping it in the mail.

However, travelling through dozens or perhaps hundreds of computers on its way to its
destination, email is not quite so private as that. So choose your words and topics with the
knowledge that more than just a friend could be reading it.
5. _____________

Since email is easy to reply to, be proactive in asking the receiver for a response. Once you
know the answer, you can make your business plans accordingly. And, wondering whether
someone really did get your email after all is worrisome at best. When replying, most email
programs will prefix a "Re:" string to the subject line, making clear to what the message
refers. To get a response, just ask.

2. Fill in the gaps with the following sub-headings:

a) Be right

16
b) Be proactive
c) Be grammatical
d) Be short
e) Be careful

GRAMMAR

Present perfect with: just, already, yet, for and since

17
EXERCISES

1.

2.

18
3.

4.

5.

6.

READING

-C-

19
1. Choose the best word from below to fill each gap:

Factors That Influence Communication

For communication to work and get the response or reaction that you want, the receiver must
understand the message that the sender is sending. To make this possible the message should
be:

 Clear
 Simple
 Accurate
 Complete
 Relevant
This sounds easy enough to do but there are quite a few of those little gremlins that get in the
way of ____________ 1. communication.
• Understanding
If you were told to "vat vir jou 'n boek en sit daar op die stoel" you would not do so. Not
___________ 2., considering that the communication takes place in a language you don't
understand. (It is, by the way, in Afrikaans, which is one of South Africa's 11 official
languages). There has not been effective communication between me, the sender, and you,
the ___________ 3., because the medium used was one you did not understand.
• Attitude
Your response to the request = "would you be able to stay this afternoon and help in the
office?" would be very different if the ____________ 4. was given by a sender you liked and
wanted to impress than it would be if the same message was given by a sender you
___________ 5.
The communication from the sender you want to make a good __________ 6. on would have
got the desired result, you would have helped in the office. The sender that you have a bad
____________ 7. towards would be doing the work himself.
• Timing
Teenagers are experts __________ 8. timing! Don't you just know the right time to ask Dad
for those
new jeans? Even if your communication is clear, simple, accurate, relevant and complete you
know
that it won't be effective (get the jeans) if you ask when the receiver (Dad) is in a bad
__________ 9.,
has just come home from a hectic day, has just seen your report/ messy bedroom/you fighting
with your sister.
• Method
We have already said that in communicating we have a sender (you) a message (I am
dumping you) a receiver (your boyfriend, sorry, ex-boyfriend) and a medium or method. In
this case the notice board at school is not a good method. He will understand the message but
the __________ 10. may not be desirable.
• Tone
The "Oh, go away" that you laughingly say to your friend who is teasing you is
communicating a very
different message to the "Oh, go away" that you say to your _________ 11. little brother
when he asks if he could borrow £2. Same message but very different tones that convey very
different meanings.
• Purpose

20
In business, communicating is usually to remind, reprimand, persuade, request, encourage or
inform. Your reaction to any message would depend __________ 12. the purpose of it, what
the sender was trying to __________ 13. you, the receiver, to do.
• Capability
It is very important for the receiver to understand the message, given in the right tone, at the
right time for the right purpose, but useless if the desired result is ________ 14. his/her
capabilities. Instructing you to split the atom is not effective communication because you are
not a __________ 15. physicist.

1. a) efficient b) effective c) effectual d) professional

2. a) extraordinary b) unexpected c) surprising d) astonishing
3. a) receiver b) recipient c) beneficiary d) addressee
4. a) demand b) request c) memo d) message
5. a) disliked b) hated c) detested d) disapproved
6. a) impact b) effect c) influence d) impression
7. a) feeling b) attitude c) inclination d) dislike
8. a) in b) at c) about d) on
9. a) state b) humour c) disposition d) mood
10. a) reaction b) answer c) reply d) riposte
11. a) frustrating b) irritating c) vexing d) disturbing
12. a) upon b) by c) onto d) on
13. a) make b) get c) persuade d) convince
14. a) within b) beyond c) in d) inside
15. a) accomplished b) skilled c) expert d) trained

GRAMMAR

Defining relative clauses with who, which, where

Examples:

1. A cook is a person who makes food.

2. That's the woman who won the lottery last year.
3. A clock is something which tells the time.
4. Is that the book which everybody's reading?
5. A post office is a place where you can buy stamps.
6. That's the restaurant where l had dinner last week.

Note
 Use defining relative clauses to explain what a person, thing or place is or does.
 Use who for a person, which for a thing and where for a place.

that
 You can use that instead of who or which.
Ex.: She's the girl who / that works with my brother.
It's a thing which / that connects two computers.

21
EXERCISES

1. Complete the definitions with who, which, or where.

Example: A postman is the person who brings you your letters.
a) An octopus is an animal _______ lives in the sea and has eight legs.
b) A lawn mower is a machine _______ cuts the grass.
c) A waiter is the person _______ serves you in a cafe.
d) A changing room is a room _______ people try on clothes.
e) A porter is the person _______ helps you with your luggage.
f) Garlic is a kind of food _______ keeps vampires away.
g) A garage is a place _______ people fix cars.

PART THREE

Verb Patterns: to and -ing

READING

-A-

1. Now fill in the gaps in the following text with the collocations you found above. You
may want to change the form of the verbs (-ing, -ed, etc.) or of the nouns (pl., etc.):

Business Telephone Etiquette for Success

Proper Telephone Etiquette is more important than ever in today’s business environment.
Much of our business communications takes place on the phone: in the office, at home, in the
car, virtually anywhere. In this area, proper phone techniques can 1. ________or break
_______ or relationships. The following are some guidelines to help you use the phone as a
power tool.

First is the greeting. When answering the phone for business, be sure to identify yourself (and
your company, if applicable). If answering someone else’s line, be sure to include their name
in your greeting, so that the other party does not think they have 2. ________ a wrong
________. For example, if answering Jim Smith’s line, Bob Johnson would answer the phone
“Jim Smith’s line, Bob Johnson speaking” and then 3. _________ ________ or 4. ________
_________, depending on how your office works.

When you are the person 5. _______ _______, be sure to use proper phone etiquette from the
start.

You want to be sure to be polite to the “gatekeepers” i.e. Secretaries, receptionists etc. that
answer the phone for your business contact, as they are the ones who have the power put you
through, (or not) at 4:55 pm on Friday, when their boss is getting ready to leave the office.
They may sit outside of the office, but they too have influence and power so a greeting such

22
as “Good morning, this is Penny Jones, I’m 6. _______ _______from John Jones, is he
available? is a bit of etiquette well spent in the long run. It would also be wise to learn the
names of the top assistants, and use their names to make them feel noticed and important.
Some business relationships, especially in fields like sales and marketing, start or stall right at
the front desk.

When you have reached the party, if your call has been expected, remind them of the prior
conversation and appointment. People get busy and can seem surprised until you remind them
of where they should remember you from. If your call is not expected, unless it will be a short
call, ask the party if they have the time for you. Calling unannounced is much like “dropping
in” and you
shouldn’t overstay unless invited. If the other person does not have time, briefly 7.
__________ __________ of your call and 8. __________ ___________ to follow up at a
later time. Have a phone diary. Keep a pencil and pad near the phone and jot notes during
phone conversations.

This will help you “actively listen” and have a reference for later. Employ active listening
noises such as “yes” or “I see” or “great”. This lets the other person know that you care about
what they have to say. Recap at the end of the call, using your notes and repeat any
resolutions or commitments on either side to be sure you are both “on the same page”.

9. __________ _________ on a positive note by thanking the other person for their time and
10. _________ _________ in speaking with them again (if that is true). If not, just let them
know you appreciated them speaking with you and end the call. A gracious good bye leaves
the door open for further communication and in this day of mergers and acquisitions you
never know with whom you will 11. _________ ________ with in the future, so 12.
________ any ___________, or telephone lines, would be unwise. Remember, in this global
marketplace, some of the most powerful business relationships have been between people
who have never seen each other.

2. Find more collocations with the noun call:

verb + call adjective + call

accept business
give sb. collect
make emergency
________ __________
_________ __________

3. Match the following words and expressions with their corresponding definitions:
A
1. assessment a) a device which makes images on a flat transparent
2. interview sheet larger and shows them on a white screen or
3. agenda wall.
4. Annual General Meeting b) the written record of what was said at a meeting
(AGM) c) something that you are shown, such as a picture,
5. minutes film or
6. overhead projector (OHP) map, in order to help you understand or remember

23
7. feedback information.
8. visual aids d) a judgment about something based on an
understanding of the situation
e) a list of matters to be discussed at a meeting
f) meeting once every year in which a company or
other
organization discusses the past year's activities and
elects new officers.
g) face to face communication where questions are
asked.
h) Information or statements of opinion about
something,
such as a new product, that provide an idea of whether
it
is successful or liked

Write your answers here: 1 ____2____3____4____5____6____7____8____

B
1. letter of warning a) a message or other information in writing sent by one person
or department to another in the same business organization
2. paperless b) the third warning given for offences or breaking the rules at
work. If the rules are broken again within 12 months, the
technology employee can be fired.
c) thin book with large pages and a paper cover which contains
3. letter of dismissal articles and photographs and is published every week or month,
intended for the people who work for an organisation.
4. letter of d) a letter an employee receives when he/she gets a more senior
job, usually with better pay and status but more responsibility.
appointment e) documents used in a business to record transactions, eg:
invoices, statements.
5. message f) advancing technology and the use of computers means that
businesses can store information on disk and send information
6. staff magazine via computer and in this way reduce the amount of transactions
written on paper and stored in files.
7. trading documents g) a letter an employee receives when he/ she is given a new
job. The letter contains details of the job, salary, duties, benefits
8. letter of promotion etc.
h) written feedback on any matter that concerns the business,
9. memo eg: monthly sales figures, research carried out, progress of a
task.
10. report i) a short piece of information that you give to a person when
you cannot speak to them directly
j) a letter an employee receives to tell him he has been fired.

Write your answers here: 1

____2____3____4____5____6____7____8____9____10____

24
4. Now fill in the gaps below with the above words and expressions:

A.
5. Spoken Communication

This type of communication happens a lot more than written communication for both
internal and external matters.
The feedback, or reaction, is immediate.

Verbal communication can be over the telephone, and now with mobile phones, it is
quick and flexible. Much communication in businesses is face to face, verbal
communication. This can be at meetings, either formal ones like an 1. __________ or
more informal departmental meetings to get a report back on the progress of a task.
Unless 2. ___________ are taken at the meeting there is no record of what has been said
and different people may have "received" different messages. Some may not even have
heard the message at all! A written 3. _________ is usually sent out before a meeting. It
is to let those who would be attending know what matters will be discussed at the
meeting.

Use can be made of 4. ____________ in a meeting, externally if it is a presentation to a

client and even internally to explain a new project to colleagues. These could be slides, 5.
_________ or charts so that the messages can be heard and seen. Another form of spoken
communication is 6.___________, both internally for a promotion or 7. _________ or
externally if you are applying for a job. These are very stressful because even though they
give immediate 8. ___________ in the form of an impression, this impression is often
false.

1. ________________________ 5. ________________________
2. ________________________ 6. ________________________
3. ________________________ 7. ________________________
4. ________________________ 8. ________________________

B.
6. Written Communication

Written communication is slower than spoken communication, and often no feedback is

received, but you always have proof of the 1. _____________ sent.
Within a business a lot of written communication is done via memorandums or 2.
_________ as they are called. They are short letters, not formal but they do have a set
format and are very important documents.

25
 Letters are a popular form of written communication. Letters are often sent within the
business. When you get appointed to a new job you get a 3. _________________, if you
do that job well you will get a 4. __________________, if you do that job badly you will
get a 5. ______________ and, after enough of those, a 6. ________________. That's a lot
of letters. Letters are also a business's main form of external communication. Letters,
newsletters, contracts and brochures are sent to customers all the time.
7. _____________ are used internally to give feedback on the progress of any task that
may have been delegated. Like a memo, they have a standard format but are more
detailed. Any report should have:
• Introduction
• Findings
• Conclusion
• Recommendations
A report could be written on the results of a marketing campaign, the progress in any
department, quality control on a new product or even on an assessment of staff members.
8. ________________ are used for written communication externally. By these we mean
invoices, statements, delivery notes and quotations. These documents are standard and
pre-printed to save time and effort. They record all the buying and selling transactions
and even with all our "9. _________________" trading documents are still a very
important method of communication for any organisation's office.
A lot of businesses have in-house 10. _______________ which are used to communicate
internally to staff about the organisation, functions that have or will happen, social
activities and news on other staff members. These are great for boosting morale and team-
building within a business, they make the staff feel like part of a team.

GRAMMAR

Verb patterns with: to and -ing

26
EXERCISES

1.

2.

VOCABULARY

1. Word building

Fill in the gaps with the correct part of speech. Use a dictionary.

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

27
- - drastic
- technical
globe(-alization)
Partner - -
Mass -
Achieve -
Evaluate -
Expand
Differ
Act
Commit -
- busy
Understand

PART FOUR

Modal verbs (1): may/might/should/ shouldn’t/ must/ have to/ mustn’t

(possibility/advice/order/ prohibition)

READING

-A-

1. Read the following text about the art of the interview:

The Art of the Interview

If the very word "interview" makes your palms sweat and your head itch, then take a deep
breath, sit down and read this easy step-by-step guide to interview championship.

A.____________________ This one may seem basic, but it's easier said than done.
Before you start your rounds of interviews, be sure to have a comfortable, clean, fairly
conservative outfit. Don't neglect such crucial details as dark socks for guys or stockings
without rips for women. Invest in a nice folder or portfolio in which to stash your resumes
- otherwise you'll end up hurriedly smoothing them out after extracting them from the
bottom of your backpack.

B.____________________ Interviewers expect you to come in with a working

knowledge of the
company, as well as with a list of questions. When you've really done your homework,
though, you may not be able to think of any questions because you already have the
company's history, financial statistics, and the CEO's mother's maiden name memorized.
If this happens, make up some questions ahead of time to ask during the interview. Also,
and this is really crucial, know what the job is that you're applying for before you go into

28
 the interview. If you need a description of it, call the company's personnel department and
ask to be sent information. If you don't want the personnel department to know it's you
calling, have a friend do it.

C._____________________ Imagine the embarrassment if your interviewer asks you to

elaborate on the summer you spent pearl diving off the coast of Tanzania, and you can't
even remember where Tanzania is. For every item on your resume, try to have a
paragraph's worth of information, in addition to what is already listed. Even better, try to
think of a way in which each item illustrates one of your particular strengths or
weaknesses. If you're too nervous to remember everything, it's all right to hold a copy of
your resume in your hand to jog your memory. But don't forget to continue making eye
contact with your interviewer.

D.______________________ But don't brag too much. The hardest thing about an
interview is
making yourself sound like the kind of person anyone would want to hire without coming
off like an arrogant jerk. At the same time, don't be self depreciating to the point of
evaporation. It's important to be able to speak about yourself as objectively as possible.
E.______________________ This is the most important point. The day before your
interview (or even earlier) put on your outfit, sit yourself down in an uncomfortable chair,
and have a friend grill you with questions. Or, better yet, have a career counselor conduct
a practice interview with you. Many career centers will even videotape your practice
interview, so you can see your own strengths and weaknesses (and dandruff).

F._______________________ By the time interview day rolls around, you should be set.
Get a good night's sleep, eat well and take a relaxing walk beforehand. And remember,
it's just one job. If you don't get it, it's not the end of the world - it just means that fate has
an even better opportunity for you waiting around the corner.

A. Fill in the gaps with the suitable sub-headings below:

1. Accentuate the positive. 4. Dress appropriately.

2. Relax. 5. Practice.
3. Be prepared to ask questions 6. Memorize your resume.

B. Find in the text antonyms to the following:

1. biasedly 1. _____________
2. crumpling 2. _____________
3. unprepared 3. _____________
4. trivial 4. _____________
5. calm 5. _____________
6. condense 6. _____________

29
7. commending 7. _____________
8. avant-garde 8. _____________
9. ease 9. _____________
10. tense 10. _____________

GRAMMAR

Modal verbs(1): may/might/should/ shouldn’t/ must/ have to/ mustn’t

(possibility/advice/order/ prohibition)

EXERCISES

1.
30
2.

3.

VOCABULARY

1. Explain the following words and make up sentences with either of them:

1. To mind one’s own business;

2. Bad business;
3. Dirty business;
4. Personal business;
5. Business hours;
6. Monkey (funny) business;
7. Annual business;
8. To be in business;
9. To be out of business;
10. Booming business;
11. To build up business;
12. Business competition;
13. Business corporation.

31
 2. Choose three words which you consider the most important ones in any business
from the list below. Explain your answer:

money customer
result promotion
business challenge
respect profit
team spirit prestige

READING

-B-

1. Read the text about business and answer the questions:

Business is an organized approach to providing customers with the goods and services they
want. The word business also refers to an organization that provides these goods and
services. Most businesses seek to make a profit - that is, they aim to achieve revenues that
exceed the costs of operating the business. Prominent examples of for-profit businesses
include Mitsubishi Group, General Motors Corporation, and Royal Dutch/Shell Group.

However, some businesses only seek to earn enough to cover their operating costs.
Commonly called nonprofits, these organizations are primarily nongovernmental service
providers. Examples of non-profit businesses include such organizations as social service
agencies, foundations, advocacy groups, and many hospitals.

Business Operations

A variety of operations keep businesses, especially large corporations, running efficiently and
effectively. Common business operation divisions include (1) production,(2) marketing, (3)
finance, and (4) human resource management.

Production includes those activities involved in conceptualizing, designing, and creating

products and services. In recent years there have been dramatic changes in the way goods are
produced. Today, computers help monitor, control, and even perform work.

Flexible, high-tech machines can do in minutes what it used to take people hours to
accomplish. Another important development has been the trend toward just-in-time
inventory. The word inventory refers to the amount of goods a business keeps available for
wholesale or retail. In just-in-time inventory, the firm stocks only what it needs for the next
day or two. Many businesses rely on fast, global computer communications to allow them to
respond quickly to changes in consumer demand. Inventories are thus minimized and
businesses can invest more in product research, development, and marketing.

Marketing is the process of identifying the goods and services that consumers need and want
and providing those goods and services at the right price, place, and time. Businesses develop
marketing strategies by conducting research to determine what products and services

32
potential customers think they would like to be able to purchase. Firms also promote their
products and services through such techniques as advertising and personalized sales, which
serve to inform potential customers and motivate them to purchase. Firms that market
products for which there is always some demand, such as foods and household goods, often
advertise if they face competition from other firms marketing similar products. Such products
rarely need to be sold face-to-face. On the other hand, firms that market products and services
that buyers will want to see, use, or better understand before buying, often rely on
personalized sales. Expensive and durable goods - such as automobiles, electronics, or
furniture - benefit from personalized sales, as do legal, financial, and accounting services.

Finance involves the management of money. All businesses must have enough capital on
hand to pay their bills, and for-profit businesses seek extra capital to expand their operations.
In some cases, they raise long-term capital by selling ownership in the company. Other
common financial activities include granting, monitoring, and collecting on credit or loans
and ensuring that customers pay bills on time. The financial division of any business must
also establish a good working relationship with a bank. This is particularly important when a
business wants to obtain a loan.

Businesses rely on effective human resource management (HRM) to ensure that they hire
and keep good employees, and that they are able to respond to conflicts between workers and
management. HRM specialists initially determine the number and type of employees that a
business will need over its first few years of operation. They are then responsible for
recruiting new employees to replace those who leave and for filling newly created positions.
A business’s HRM division also trains or arranges for the training of its staff to encourage
worker productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction, and to promote the overall success of the
business. Finally, human resource managers create workers’ compensation plans and benefit
packages for employees.

2. Discuss the following questions:

2. Give definition to the word ‘business’.
________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations? Support your
answer with relevant examples.
________________________________________________________________________
3. What is production?
________________________________________________________________________
4. Specify the notion of ‘just-in-time inventory’.
________________________________________________________________________
5. What is marketing?
________________________________________________________________________
6. Define such business operation as finance.
________________________________________________________________________
7. What does the HRM involve?
_____________________________________________________________________

33
SPEAKING

1. Discussion. How do you see your future profession? Please answer the following
questions:

What kind of work are you interested in:

1. Well paid work

2. Interesting work
3. Work in a large and famous company
4. Quiet work
5. Work in an industry which has future prospects
6. Prestigious work
7. A kind of work such as not to sit the whole day in the office
8. To travel a lot

2. Please, discuss advantages and disadvantages of your future profession:

1. Do you think that your future profession is prestigious?

2. Do you think it will be still prestigious and well paid by the time you graduate?
3. How difficult is it to find a good work in your field?
4. Is there a competition in your group?
5. Do you think that competition among your colleagues is a good stimulus to study well or it
just makes communication between you more difficult?

VOCABULARY

1. How would you generally feel happy or unhappy, if you were in the following
situations. Use the words in italics to help you decide:

1. The company you work for is well-known for its job security.
2. You were suddenly made redundant.
3. You received a promotion.
4. You were given an increment.
5. You worked unsociable hours.
6. You had a steady job.
7. You had adverse working conditions.
8. You suddenly found yourself unemployed.
9. You took time off work because of repetitive strain injury.
10. The office where you work has sick building syndrome.
11. You receive regular perks as part of your job.
12. Somebody called you a workaholic.
13. Your company doesn’t give you many incentives.
14. Your boss announces that there is going to be some downsizing of the workforce.
15. Your work didn’t offer much job satisfaction.
16. Your company has a generous incentive scheme.
17. You receive a commission for the work you have done.
18. You receive support from a union.
19. You were under stress.

34
20. You were forced to resign.
21. You received a cut in your salary.
22. Your company gave you sickness benefit.
23. You found your job very demanding.

2. Match sentences 1-6 in with one of the sentences A-F below. Use the words in
italics to help you:

1. Samantha is the assistant manager of a bank and she works from 8.30 to 5.30 every day.

2. Tracy works on the production line of a factory which makes cars. She uses a machine to
spray paint onto the finished car parts.

3. Jane works for herself. She is a photographer. She works every day for about eight or nine
hours.

4. Jeanette is a cleaner for a company in Birmingham, but she only works there for about
three or four hours a day.

5. Claire has a powerful job in the personnel office of a large multinational company. She is
responsible for employing new people and getting rid of those that the company doesn’t want
to employ anymore.

6. Marie works in the finance department of an international college in Oxford.

A. She is a semi-skilled blue-collar worker in a manufacturing industry.2

B. She is a self-employed and works full-time. She likes to describe herself as freelance.3
C. She is responsible for hiring and firing.5
D. She calculates the wages, salaries, pension contributions and medical insurance
contributions of all the staff.
E. She is a full-time white-collar worker in a service industry.1
F. She is an unskilled part-time employee.4

PART FIVE

Passive voice
READING

-A-

1. Read the following minutes and fill in the gaps with suitable sub-headings:

MINUTES

35
Niagara Youth Concert Band
Board of Directors
Thursday, December 14, 2000
Niagara Fails Public Library
7:30 p.m.

1. _________________
Present: Nick Bunch, Keith Durkell, Kathy Ganapathy, John Luck, Alleyene Quarter,
Linda
Rogers, Irene Silken.
Regrets: Will Gibson, John Van Dover

2. _________________
Corrections: The gross sales at the Book Sate were $34,000, not $3400.
Motion: It was moved by Alleyene Quarter and seconded by Nick Bunch that the
minutes of
November 28 meeting be approved as corrected. Carried.

3. _________________
a. Treasurer's Report
Keith Durkell reported that most players fees were paid. almost all outstanding
bills have been paid, including those for the annual rent and the new music.
The balance is $10,322.35.
Motion: It was moved by Alleyene Quarter and seconded by Kathy Ganapathy that the
Treasurers Report be accepted. Carried.

b. Tour Committee Report

Tour Committee chair Kathy Ganapathy reported that we are waiting to hear
whether the Newfoundland Youth Concert Band will play a joint concert when
we visit St. John's in late June.
Keith Durkell indicated that players wanted to know the amount of the final
instalment of the tour payments. Kathy Ganapathy indicated that she would try
to learn the exact amount for the next board meeting.

c. Player's Representative
No report.

4. __________________
Niagara Parks Commission (November 30, 2000)
Secretary Linda Rogers indicated that the NPC would not be releasing its
summer Queenston Heights Bandshell schedule until January.

5. __________________

a. Rehearsal Space Rent

John Luck reminded board members that the band was paying a lot to the
board of education for the practice space.
Irene Silken suggested a committee be struck to report on other rental options.

36
 Linda Rogers suggested that some band members would feel awkward if the
practices were held in the hall of a religious group.
Others didn't feel his would concern players.

Motion: Irene Silken moved and Kathy Ganapathy seconded a motion to establish a
rent review committee to investigate other possible rental spaces and to report
at the next board meeting. Carried.

b. Book Sale
Book Sale Co-ordinator Nick Bunch asked board members what they thought
of this year's sale. Board members said that the annual book sale in October
was a big success. The advertising done by D. Pitch brought more customers
into the warehouse. It was agreed to hire her again next year and to begin to
tell band players' families about the sale earlier, perhaps with an initial notice
in May.

c. Play-a-Thon
Orchestra Manager John Van Dover had faxed John Luck a brief report on the
Play-a-Thon. The Play-A-Thon was the best ever. The renovations at the Pen
Centre improved the setting.
Shoppers threw more money into the music cases of the players. It was
suggested that next year the Play-a-Thon be scheduled so that the musicians
could play for Santa's arrival so that the band could be mentioned in the
advertising.

6. _________________
Secretary Wishes to Resign
Secretary Linda Rogers indicated that pressing work commitments meant that
she would have to resign her board position. She agreed to continue until the
next meeting but hoped a replacement would volunteer before then so that s/he
prepare the minutes jointly as training.

7. ___________________
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m. on a motion moved by Nick Bunch and
seconded by Kathy Ganapathy.

8. ___________________ Thursday, January 25, 2001

Niagara Falls Public Library
7:30 p.m.

a) Matters Arising From the Previous Minutes

b) Next Board Meeting
c) Reports of Officers and Committees
d) Adjournment
e) Attendance
f) Correspondence
g) Any Other Business
h) Previous Minutes

37
2. Read the following memo and find which words correspond to the following:
1. funds 6. drug consumption
2. nourishment 7. bond
3. promote 8. accessible
4. essential 9. privacy
5. is putting into practice 10. self esteem

MEMO

To: All Officers, Managers and Supervisors

From: Company CEO
Subject: Referral Agent Program

Daemond Ltd. is implementing a new program for employees in need. The Referral
Agent Program is designed to provide the connecting link between people needing
assistance and local community resources.

We have sent Ms. Martha Peterson, Ms. Leila Desmar and Mr. Neil Roberts to a
comprehensive 16-hour training class, sponsored by United Way. They have gained
valuable information on services that are available for employees who need help. Topics
discussed in the training included substance abuse, child care, domestic violence,
children’s health insurance and nutrition, eldercare, debt management, family counseling
and more.

RAs help their co-workers take the first step toward changing their lives for the better.
They work hand in hand with human resources and employee assistance personnel and
are taught to respect confidentiality. In return, employers often see higher productivity,
less absenteeism and better safety and morale.

Your support will be critical to the success of the program. We encourage you to help
market the
program and to support the work of our Referral Agents.

Please call me at 553355 if you have questions regarding the program.

John Martin NORMAN

1. _______________ 6. _______________
2. _______________ 7. _______________
3. _______________ 8. _______________
4. _______________ 9. _______________
5. _______________ 10. _______________

38
GRAMMAR

EXERCISES

2. Active or passive verb?

Choose the correct verb forms in this news report about a storm.

Millions of pounds' worth of damage (►has caused/has been caused by a storm which ( 1 )
swept/was swept across the north of England last night. The River Ribble ( 2 ) burst/was
burst its banks after heavy rain. Many people (3) rescued/were rescued from the floods by
fire-fighters, who (4) received/were received hundreds of calls for help. Wind speeds (5)
reached/were reached ninety miles an hour in some places. Roads (6) blocked/were blocked
by fallen trees, and electricity lines (7) brought/were brought down, leaving thousands of
homes without electricity. 'Everything possible (8) is doing/is being done to get things back
to normal,' a spokesman (9) said/was said.

2. By the police, etc

In each of these sentences underline who or what is doing the action (the agent).

39
Example: The traffic was all heading out of town.
a) The photo was taken by my brother.
b) The water was pouring out of the hole.
c) A policeman has been murdered by terrorists.
d) We were woken by the alarm.
e) The guide led a group of tourists around the castle.
f) The dog has bitten several people.

3. Active and passive

You are telling a friend some news. Use the notes and complete the second sentence.
Sometimes you need to use the active and sometimes the passive.

Example: (Past simple: Claire / go / to Florida / last month)

You remember Claire? She went to Florida last month.
Example: (Present perfect: send / our luggage / to Australia)
Bad news about our luggage. It's been sent to Australia.

1. (Past simple: Claude Jennings / win / the quiz competition)

Did you hear about the quiz competition? It ..............................................................
2. (Past simple: Mrs Miles / do / a parachute jump / last week)
You know Mrs Miles? She ..................................................................................
3. (Present perfect: a bull / attack / David)
Have you heard about David? He's .........................................................................
4. (Present continuous: build / the house)
Trevor and Laura have bought a house. It's still .........................................................
5. (Present simple: Andrew / like / Jessica)
Did I tell you about Andrew? He ..........................................................................
6. (Present perfect: throw away / your stamp collection)
Bad news about your stamp collection. It's ...............................................................
7. (Present perfect: Martians / kidnap / my neighbours)
Did I mention my neighbours? They've.....................................................................
8. (Past simple: five people / see / the ghost)
Did you hear about the ghost? It .........................................................................

READING

INNOVATION IN BUSINESS

Read a blogpost about being innovative in business.

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

Vocabulary Definition

40
1. …… profits a. using new ideas or ways of doing things

2. …… innovative b. to look at something again to change it if necessary

3. …… a demand c. research and development, the part of a business that develops or

improves its products
4. …… to review
d. money that is made by a business after all the costs are paid
5. …… feedback
e. a need for something to be sold or provided
6. …… R&D
f. to direct a product at a particular person or group
7. …… to target
g. to know that something exists
8. …… to be aware of
h. information about people’s opinions of something that can be used to
improve it

READING

What does it mean to be innovative in business?

In order for a business to survive in today’s world, it is important that we regularly review what we
are doing and how we are doing it. By considering new ideas and new ways of doing things, and
trying to innovate, we can improve on our products/services, increase sales, reduce costs and make
our processes more effective and efficient. Innovation is key to increasing profits.

There are several ways a company can be innovative with their products and services. Today we will
look at four of them.

1. Using the latest technology to improve your product/service

When we think of innovation, we often think of new technologies. While they might be impressive,
we should not use new technologies just because they are available. It is important to consider how
the technology can improve our product/service and make a difference to our customer. Companies
that produce cars, toiletries, household appliances, etc. often have a large R&D department to work on
making their products better.

2. Responding to customer demands by changing what is on offer

By listening to customer feedback, we can get their opinions on how we are doing and find out about
what it is that they want. We also need to be aware of changes in customer demands and keep up with
the times. When fast-food restaurant McDonald’s realised that the market wanted healthier choices,
they introduced fruit and salads, while removing the ‘super-size’ option from their menus.

3. Offering a new product/service to reach new customers

Your business might be doing well, but there is no growth or development and there is a risk that your
competitors might take away some of your customers. Innovation sometimes means developing a new
product that targets a different market. Although video games were often played by boys, in 2006,

41
video games giant Nintendo introduced the game console Nintendo Wii, successfully targeting girls
and older customers with games like Cooking Mama and Brain Training.

4. Changing the way you provide a service

By looking at the changes to the customer’s lifestyle and needs, we sometimes realise that there might
be better ways to serve them. Customers who do not have a lot of time might prefer to have their food
or their shopping delivered to their homes, or they might like to do their banking online rather than in
an actual bank.

Not all innovation will bring success to our businesses, but it can give us the opportunity to grow and
learn more about what we do and what our customers might want.

EXERCISES

1. Complete the text with words from the box.

aware recent innovative customers

convenient development better demands

We need to introduce (1)……………………………… ideas and ways of doing things so that we can
improve and grow. One way of doing this is to look at the most (2)………………………………
technologies and see how they can make our products or services (3)……………………………… .
Some companies have a research and (4)……………………………… department that specialises in
this. Another way is to be (5)……………………………… of changes in what our customers want
and make sure we offer products or services that meet their (6)……………………………… . A third
way of introducing innovation is to develop new products that can help you target new (7)
……………………………… . You can also change the way your service is offered to make it more
(8)……………………………… for your customers.

2. Are the sentences true or false?

Answer
1. We innovate because we want to increase the amount of money our True False
businesses make.
2. Being innovative is all about using the newest technologies in your business. True False
3. Customers often don’t know what they want. True False
4. McDonald’s have not changed their menu since they started. True False
5. If you always target the same customers, you might lose them to your True False
competitors.
6. Nintendo understood that only boys will play computer games. True False

Speaking: Discussion

What are some of the latest innovations in the products/services that you use?

Reading

42
PART SIX

Reported speech

READING AND WRITING

EXAMPLE LETTER I

Here is a formal letter providing terms and conditions for opening an account. This letter is
an example of a letter individual clients might receive.

Dear ____,

Thank you for opening an account with our company. As one of the leaders in this industry,
we can assure you that our products and our services will not disappoint you.

I would like to take this opportunity to briefly set forth our terms and conditions for
maintaining an open account with our firm.

Invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, with a 2% discount available if your payment
is remitted within ten (10) days of receipt. We consider this incentive an excellent
opportunity for our customers to increase their profit margin, and therefore encourage the use
of this discount privilege whenever possible.

We do, however, require that our invoices be paid within the specified time, for our
customers to take advantage of this 2% discount.

At various times throughout the year we may offer our customers additional discounts on our
products. In determining your cost in this case, you must apply your special discount first,
and then calculate your 2% discount for early payment.

As the credit manager, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your
new account. I can be reached at the above number. Welcome to our family of customers.

Sincerely,

Kevin Mangione

ONLINE TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

Here's an example of terms and conditions that might be provided on a website. In this case,
the language is formal, but directed to all. 

KEY PHRASES

 The user agrees to ...

 As a condition of use, you agree to ...

 ... you promise to not ....

43
  ... for any purpose

Welcome to our online community. As a member, you will enjoy the benefits of a vibrant
online social forum. In order to keep everyone happy, we have these simple terms and
conditions. 

The user agrees to follow rules posted on the user forum. Further, you promise to not post
inappropriate comments as deemed by forum supervisors. As a condition of use, you agree to
not post advertisements of any kind.

This includes simple messages posted in online chats. Finally, the user agrees to not use
content posted in the forums on other sites for any purpose. 

PRACTICE LETTER

Fill in the gaps to complete this short letter setting out conditions to begin writing your own
terms and conditions or emails. 

Dear ____,

Thank you for __________________. I'd like to take this opportunity to assure you that
_____________.

I've provided this terms and conditions for ____________________. _____________ are
payable within ________ days of receipt, with a _______ discount available if your payment
is made within ________ days of receipt.

As the __________, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your
new account. I can be reached at ________. Thank you for your _________ and
____________. 

Sincerely,

GRAMMAR

44
EXERCISES

45
GRAMMAR

Tell or say?

1. Put in tell or say.

Example: All the experts say the earth is getting warmer.

Example: Did you tell Mark and Sarah how to find our house?

a) The Sales Manager is going to.................. everyone about the meeting.

b) Vicky, why don't you just…………… what the matter is?
c) They……………. they're going to build a new Disney World here.
d) What did Natasha……………. about her holiday plans?
e) Could you………….. me the way to the train station, please?
f) The company should……………. its employees what's going on.
g) You shouldn't……………..lies, you know, Matthew.
h) Did you …………… anything to Melanie about the barbecue?

2. Changes in reported speech

1. Read what each person says and then complete the sentences.

Example

Vicky: Daniel told me on Friday that he'd had a job interview the previous day.

Daniel had a job interview on Thursday.

1 Trevor: Laura tells me I need a haircut.

................................... needs a haircut.

2 Claire: My brother told me in 1997 that he expected to become Manager the following year.

Claire's brother expected that he would become Manager in ...................................

3 Alice: I wanted to see Mark in April, but he said he was very busy that month.

Mark was very busy in ............................................................

4 Harriet: I saw Nick last week. He said he'd given up smoking the week before.

Nick gave up smoking ................................ ago.

3. Changes of person

Put in the missing words.

1. Changes of place and time

46
Put in here, that day, the day before, the next day, the week before.

Example:
Rachel (a week ago): I'm taking my driving test tomorrow.
You (today): When I saw Rachel, she said she was taking her driving test the next day
1. Emma (two days ago): I've only had this new computer since yesterday.
You (today): Emma said she'd only had the new computer since
2. Matthew (a week ago): I'm meeting a friend at the station later today.
You (today): Matthew said he was meeting a friend at the station later
3. Mark (in the street): I'll see you in the office.
You (in the office): Mark said he would see me
4. Sarah (a month ago): The conference was last week.
You (today): Sarah told me the conference had taken place

When do we change the tense?

1. Put in is or was. Sometimes both are possible.

Example: I heard today that the house is for sale. I wonder who will buy it.

Example: I saw David yesterday. He said he was on his way to visit his sister.

a) This wallet is made of plastic not leather. Why did you tell me it..................leather?
b) We had to hurry yesterday morning. Just as we arrived at the station, we heard an
announcement that the train..................about to leave.
c) I saw Emma just now. She said her tooth ............still aching.
d) I'm surprised Matthew lost. I thought he ..................much better at tennis than Daniel.
e) When he spoke to reporters yesterday, Mr Douglas said that Zedco ..................now in
a much better financial position.

2 The tense change

Complete the replies. The second speaker is surprised at what he or she hears.
Example:
Matthew: Emma and I are getting married.
Rachel: Really? But you said last week you weren't getting married.
Example:
Rita: I like pop music more than classical music.
Laura: I'm sure you told me you liked classical music best.
1 Vicky: I haven't finished my project.
Emma: Haven't you? I thought you said........................................!
Rachel: I'm on a diet.
Natasha: But you told me ....................................................................
Andrew: I enjoy parties.
Daniel: Surely I remember you saying...........................................................

47
1 Matthew: I'm applying for the job.
Rachel: I thought you told me.................................................................

3 The tense change

A comedy show called 'Don't Look Now!' has just closed after five years in London's
West End.

Here's what the critics said when it opened five years ago.
'It's a marvellous show.' The Daily Mail
The Daily Mail said it was a marvellous show.
'You'll love it.' The Guardian
The Guardian said people would love it.

1. 'The production is brilliant.' The Sunday Times

2. 'I can't remember a funnier show.' Edward Devine
3. 'It made me laugh.' Robert Walsh
4. 'You must see it.' The Evening Standard
5. 'It will be a great success.' The Telegraph
6. 'You might die laughing.' The Express
7. 'It's the funniest show I've ever seen.' Susan Proctor
8. 'You shouldn't miss it.' Time Out

Now report what the critics said.

1.................................................................................
2.................................................................................
3.................................................................................
4.................................................................................
5.................................................................................
6.................................................................................
7.................................................................................
8.................................................................................

VOCABULARY
1. Match the following verbs and nouns to form suitable collocations:

1. make a) bridges
2. reach b) a/the call
3. return c) an interest
4. ask for d) a deal
5. state e) a/the call
6. do f) business
7. burn g) a message
8. end h) a number
9. express i) a/the call
10. take j) an appointment
11. handle k) a/the call
12. make l) the purpose

48
1. _________ 7. _________
2. _________ 8. _________
3. _________ 9. _________
4. _________ 10. _________
5. _________ 11. _________
6. _________ 12. _________

READING

Social Media Influencers

Read a blogpost about the impact of social media influencers in the business world to practise
and improve your reading skills.

Before reading

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).

Vocabulary Definitions
1. …… expertise a. something that is popular right now
2. …… a trend b. the people who watch or follow a public event, e.g. a film or concert
3. …… an audience c. expert knowledge or skill in an area
4. …… consistent d. to ask someone to pay
5. …… catchy e. a specialised area
6. …… to charge f. a short introduction of a person (short for ‘biography’)
7. …… a bio g. doing something in the same way over time
8. …… a niche h. attractive and easily remembered

Read a blogpost about the impact of SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS in the business world to
practise and improve your reading skills. 

It is estimated that about 40 per cent of the world’s population use social media, and many of these
billions of social media users look up to influencers to help them decide what to buy and what trends
to follow.

So what is an influencer and how do we become one?

An influencer is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their
relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g. fashion,
travel or technology.

Influencers often have a large following of people who pay close attention to their views. They have
the power to persuade people to buy things, and influencers are now seen by many companies as a
direct way to customers’ hearts. Brands are now asking powerful influencers to market their products.
With some influencers charging up to $25,000 for one social media post, it is no surprise that more
and more people are keen to become influencers too. If you are one of them, then here are five tips on
how to do it.

49
1. Choose your niche

What is the area that you know most about? What do you feel most excited talking about? Find the
specific area that you’re most interested in and develop it.

2. Choose your medium and write an interesting bio

Most influencers these days are bloggers and micro-bloggers. Decide which medium – such as your
own online blog, Instagram or Snapchat – is the best way to connect with your followers and chat
about your niche area. When you have done that, write an attention-grabbing bio that describes you
and your speciality area in an interesting and unique way. Make sure that people who read your bio
will want to follow you.

3. Post regularly and consistently

Many influencers post daily on their social media accounts. The more you post, the more likely
people will follow you. Also, ensure that your posts are consistent and possibly follow a theme.

4. Tell an interesting story

Whether it is a photo or a comment that you are posting, use it to tell a story that will catch the
attention of your followers and help them connect with you.

5. Make sure people can easily find your content

Publicise your posts on a variety of social media, use hashtags and catchy titles  and make sure that
they can be easily found. There is no point writing the most exciting blogposts or posting the most
attractive photographs if no one is going to see them.

Most importantly, if you want to become a social media influencer, you need to have patience. Keep
posting and your following will gradually increase. Good luck!

Choose the best answer.

1. A social media influencer is not someone who …

a. guides the decisions of their followers.
b. is an expert in a particular area.
c. pays their followers to buy products.
d. has many followers who pay attention to their opinions.

2. Companies want to use influencers to help …

a. sell their products to their followers.
b. develop new products.
c. write their blogposts.
d. design their websites.

3. If you want to be an influencer, your bio on your social media account shouldn’t …
a. say who you are.
b. talk about your niche area.
c. be interesting.
d. be the same as other people’s bios.

4. You should make sure that you post …

a. once a month.

50
 b. every day for the first month and then once a month after that.
c. about similar subjects.
d. about all sorts of different things.

5. You can make sure that people find your post by …

a. using hashtags.
b. using funny or memorable titles.
c. using different social media to link to your post.
d. doing all of the above.

6. What should the title of this blogpost be?

a. Five ways to influence people
b. Five ways to use influencers in marketing
c. Five tips on becoming a social media influencer
d. Five tips on making money as an influencer

1. Are the sentences true or false?

a. An influencer needs to know about as many topics as possible, e.g. fashion, True/ False
travel, technology, etc.
b. Companies are paying some influencers up to $25,000 to post about their True/ False
products.
c. Most influencers write regular posts on their blogs or micro-blogs. True/ False
d.  You can chat with your followers using your bio. True/ False
e.  Your posts should not only be attractive but should tell a story. True/ False
f. You can become a social media influencer in a short time. True/ False

Reading

Read an article about how people at different ages use computers and smartphones.
Preparation task

Match the definitions (1–8) with the vocabulary (a–h).

Vocabulary
1. …… to miss out on
2. …… addiction
3. …… constantly
4. …… to be cut off from
5. …… unlike
6. …… social media
7. …… ironically
8. . …… early adopters
Definitions
a. websites and apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
b. in a funny or strange way because it’s unexpected
c. different from
d. to not get the benefits of
e. needing something too much or in an unhealthy way
f. people who are the first to buy or use new technology
g. all the time without a break
h. to have no access to

Reading:

Digital habits across generations

Today’s grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations’
online habits couldn’t be more different. The over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers,
meaning that they will soon be the site’s second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64
and 2.9 million over-65s.

Sheila, aged 59, says, ‘I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos
and photos of them. It’s a much better way to see what they’re doing than waiting for letters and

51
photos in the post. That’s how we did it when I was a child, but I think I’m lucky I get to see so much
more of their lives than my grandparents did.’

Ironically, Sheila’s grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 are
leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they’re not going far from their
smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. ‘It’s my alarm clock so I have to,’ she says.
‘I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.’

Unlike her grandmother’s generation, Chloe’s age group is spending so much time on their phones at
home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other
hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn’t heard from in forty years. ‘We use
Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,’ she says. ‘It’s changed my social life completely.’

Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their
parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that
he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. ‘I was always connected and I felt like I was always
working,’ he says. ‘How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a
screen myself?’ So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and
puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. ‘I’m not
completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I’m setting a
better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.’

Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend
for a less digital life?

1. Are the sentences true or false?

Answer
1. More people aged 55 or more use Facebook than people aged 65 or more. True False
2. Grandparents typically use Facebook less than their grandchildren. True False
3. Sheila feels grateful to social media. True False
4. Peter found his own smartphone use affected how he felt about how much his True False
children used their phones.
5. Peter has changed how much he uses his phone during the working day. True False
6. Peter feels that the changes make him a better parent. True False

2. Write the phrases in the correct group.

are returning to older technology are less keen on Facebook like to keep their phones
near them
use social media to find old friends were the first generation to get feel lucky to have the
smartphones internet in their lives

Teens Grandparents Paraents

Speaking: Discussion

52
Who uses their phone the most among your family or friends?

Adjectives: comparatives and superlatives

Form

Comparative adverbs:

Regular Irregular
quickly - more quickly hard - harder
slowly - more slowly well - better
badly - worse
Comparatives with pronouns
After comparative+ than or as ... as we use an object pronoun (me, her, etc.) or a subject
pronoun + auxiliary verb, e.g. My brother's taller than me. My brother's taller than I am.
He's not as intelligent as her. He's not as intelligent as she is.

Exercise

1. Write sentence with a comparative adjective or adverb + than.

New York is more expensive than Miami. (expensive)
a) 1Modern computers are much _____________the early ones (fast)
b) 2 My sister is _______ me. (tall)
c) 3 I'm ________ this week last week. (busy)
d) 4 Newcastle is _______ from London _______ Leeds. (far)
e) 5 I thought the third Men in Black film was ________ the first two. (bad)
f) 6 Manchester United played _______ Arsenal. (good)
g) 7 The French exam was __________ the German. (hard)
h) 8 My new job is __________ my old one. (boring)

53
 i) 9 My new apartment is _________my old one. (big)
j) 10 I'm not lazy - I just work __________ you! (slowly)

2. Rewrite the sentences so they mean the same. Use as ... as.
James is stronger than Clive.
Clive isn't as strong as James.
a) Adam is shorter than Jerry.
Jerry isn't ________________________________________________
b) Your bag is nicer than mine.
My bag isn't ______________________________________________
c) Tokyo is bigger than London.
London isn't ______________________________________________
d) Tennis is more popular than cricket.
Cricket isn't_______________________________________________
e) Children learn languages faster than adults.
Adults don't _______________________________________________
f) I work harder than you.
You don’t ________________________________________________

3. Complete the sentences with the superlative.

Is this the biggest city in the world? (big)

l Thais are ____________ people I've ever met. (polite)
2 Yesterday was ____________ day of the year. (hot}
3 This is ___________ time to drive to the city. (bad)
4 She's _____________girl at school. (friendly)
5 This is ______________ part of the exam. (important)
6 ____________ time to visit New England is autumn. (good)
7 Ulan Bator i one of ______________ cities in the world. (polluted)
8 _____________I've ever flown is to Bali. (far)
9 That's definitely ____________ film I've ever seen. (funny)
10 Rob's daughters are all pretty, but l think Emily is_____________ . (pretty)

54