International Affairs

COMPENDIUM

Mtra. María del Pilar Solís Flores

Prof. Jorge Antonio Cristóbal Valenzuela
 ABSTRACT: The present work includes
exercises and images related to an
internationalist approach. They have been
adapted according to the needs of the target
population and arranged by the authors with the
purpose of matching the content with the
curriculum of the Level 4 English course. This
compendium was compiled from four books:
Business Result Pre-intermediate Student’s
Book1, New Market Leader Pre-intermediate
Student’s Book2, Intelligent Business Pre-
intermediate Coursebook³ and Business
Benchmark Pre-intermediate to Intermediate4.
In order to make an instrument as explicit as
possible, the chosen exercises strictly cover the
contents that internationalist students will
assess during their journey through the
language. Thus, this compendium depicts a
complementary, parallel material for students’
thorough formation.

1 Grant, D., & Hudson, J. (2016). Business Result Pre-intermediate Student’s Book. Oxford.
2 Cotton, D., Falvey D., & Kent S. (2002). New Market Leader Pre-intermediate Student’s Book. Oxford.
3 Johnson, C., (2006). Intelligent Business Pre-intermediate Coursebook. Longman.
4 Whitby, N. (2013). Business Benchmark Pre-intermediate to intermediate. Cambridge.

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 Introduction
Welcome to International Affairs Compendium Level 4!

7. Aleksander is giving Natalia advice about writing a good CV. Three of the
verbs in bold are correct, but five are incorrect. Find the five incorrect verbs
and correct them.
In this Compendium you will find
Dear Natalia
six units with listening, speaking,
You asked for help with writing your CV. Here are some ideas to help you. reading, writing, grammar, and
Obviously, you ¹should mustn’t forget your contact details (address,
phone, etc.) and you ²must ____________ include your education, work
experience, and skills. You ³must ____________ include a photograph if
vocabulary exercises to complement
you want, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
It’s a good idea to write quite a short CV, so you ⁴must ____________
your English formation in Level 4
write more than two pages, and don’t forget, you ⁵should ____________
start with your most recent job first. according to the specialized course
I think you ⁶should ____________ also write short sentences, and use
verbs with impact, for example, ‘achieved my goals’. ‘improved my
performance’, etc.
that has been crafted for you.
Finally, you ⁷shouldn’t ____________ check that you haven’t made any
spelling or grammar mistakes - and most importantly - you ⁸could
____________ always tell the truth!
Hope this is useful.
Best wishes,
Aleksander

Therefore, in each unit you will

find different options to practice
the language, as well as, useful
phrases and vocabulary included
in a series of activities to help you
build and practice communication
in real-life work situations and
bring theory into practice.

11.Complete these phrases with verbs from the box.

Do (x2) keep make(x2) spend

1. to ____________ a presentation
2. to ____________ a week somewhere
3. to ____________ research
4. to ____________ one’s afternoons free
5. to ____________ yoga
6. to ____________ steady progress

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 Contents
UNIT 1..............................................................................5

UNIT 2..............................................................................13

UNIT 3..............................................................................19

UNIT 4..............................................................................29
UNIT 5..............................................................................35

UNIT 6..............................................................................43

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International Affairs

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Unit 1
1. Work with a partner. Read statements 1-5 and
Initial discussion discuss whether you think they are true or false.
Then read the text and check your answers.
I. How can you measure the
performance of a company? Put 1. Everybody loves a company that makes money.
these in order from the most 2. It’s not enough for a company to have good sales
important (I) to the least results.
important (5).
3. Companies have to show that they look after their
__how much money the company employees.
makes 4. Employees would work harder and for a lower
__how green the company is salary if they were with a socially responsible
__who it employs company.
__how it treats its staff 5. Only a small minority of employees think they work
__how safe it is to work there for a socially responsible company.
II. How can you measure the
performance of a government? Company performance in a
socially responsible world
Every investor loves a company when it achieves its sales targets, manages its
costs, and performs well on the stock market and, therefore, makes money.
However, a company nowadays also needs to think about its reputation with the
public and its own staff. In other words, it has to be socially responsible. For example,
it is expected to improve its environmental performance. In addition, it is often judged
these days on the diversity of its workforce: the number of women, people from
ethnic minorities, and disabled people in all positions, including senior management.
This has become an important factor in
recruitment. Finally, a company needs to
have a good safety record, both in terms of
its workers and the products it produces.
In a recent survey. 40% of workers said
they would work longer hours and 48%
would work for less pay with a socially
responsible company. Interestingly, 46% of
employees believed they already work for a
socially responsible company. Without
doubt, profits are no longer the only way to
measure a company’s success. Employees
and customers expect a lot more.

2. Complete the sentences with words and phrases in bold from the text.

1. If a company is open to both sexes and all races, it believes in the ____________.
2. A company which protects people and nature is ____________ .
3. If your company has good results, its shares usually ____________.
4. If people like or respect the company, it has a good ____________.
5. If the company doesn’t spend too much, it ____________ its ____________.
6. If there aren’t many accidents, the company has a good ____________.
7. If the company sells what it plans, it ____________ its ____________ .
8. If a company doesn’t pollute too much, it has a good ____________.

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 3. Listen to five people talking about their employers. Which aspects of the
1 company’s performance is each person evaluating?

1. _______________________________________.
2. _______________________________________.
3. _______________________________________.
4. _______________________________________.
5. _______________________________________.

4. Complete the sentences with these adjectives. Then listen again and check
1 your answers.

poor excellent satisfactory encouraging disappointing

1. It’s very ____________ - I really thought I had a big future here.

2. Last year was ____________, because the number of serious injuries went
down dramatically.
3. We’ve had a really ____________ year, much better than we expected.
4. It’s been a very ____________ performance - I don’t like to tell people who I
work for.
5. I suppose I could say we’ve had a ____________ year.

Present perfect VS Simple past

5. Look at Angela LeMero’s curriculum vitae and correct sentences 1-7.

Name: Angela LeMero 1. I’ve got a degree from Portland University

DOB: 1 June 1975 in 1998.
Qualifications 2. I worked as a Manager at Portland Running
1998 Company since 2005.
Degree in Business Administration 3. I’ve been responsible for cost management
from University of Portland, Oregon since several years.
Work Experience 4. I have been an Assistant Manager at One
2005-present Step Fitness Club for three years.
Portland Running Company - Manager 5. At One Step Fitness Club I’ve developed
Day-to-day management of two shops customer activities.
Responsible for sales growth and cost 6. I have worked as a sales assistant for four
management years.
2002-2005
7. I’ve left One Step Fitness Club in 2005.
One Step Fitness Club - Assistant
Manager
Responsible for developing customer
activities
1998 -2002
Sun Sports Clothing - Sales Assistant
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6. Complete the questions with the present perfect or past simple using the
information from Angela LeMero’s curriculum vitae.

1. How long / Angela / work / Portland Running Company

How long has Angela worked for Portland Running Company ?
2. When / she / join / One Step Fitness Club
_________________________________________________?
3. How long / she / be / Assistant Manager / One Step Fitness Club
_________________________________________________?
4. How long / she / be / a manager
_________________________________________________?
5. Where / she / work / 1998-2002
_________________________________________________?
6. How long / she / be / responsible for sales growth
_________________________________________________?
7. How long / she / work / Sun Sports Clothing
_________________________________________________?
8. How long / she / be / sports and fitness industry
_________________________________________________?

7. Write the time expressions from the box under the correct heading.

Past simple Present perfect

two years ago so far

so far two years ago in 1999 yet just

yesterday for the past two weeks already
last Monday during the 1990s since 2001 when I was at university

8. Cross out the incorrect sentence in each pair.

1. Stress levels have increased in recent years.

Stress levels increased in recent years.
2. The role of women changed dramatically over the past 100 years.
The role of women has changed dramatically over the past 100 years.
3. He has worked as a stress counsellor since 1999.
He worked as a stress counsellor since 1999.
4. I resigned two months ago.
I have resigned two months ago.
5. Have you ever been to a stress counsellor before?
Did you ever go to a stress counsellor before?
6. I have seen a stress counsellor last week.
I saw a stress counsellor last week.
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9. Add the verbs from the box to the phrases below to create some common
stressful situations.

going having being queuing

finding making traveling going

1. ____________ to the dentist 5. ____________ to the hairdresser

2. ____________ in the supermarket 6. ____________ an interview
3. ____________ stuck in a traffic jam 7. ____________ a speech
4. ____________ a place to park 8. ____________ by air

10. Read the article below. Then decide whether these statements are true (T) or
false (F).

1. Philomena had always wanted to be a market research consultant, but she soon
found the job too stressful.
2. One day, she realised she was not giving enough care to her husband because
of her job.
3. It took her more than five years to achieve a good work—life balance.
4. She did not write her first book exclusively for business people.
5. These days, she works up to 7o hours a week, but she is happy.

Slow down, you move too fast by Roslyn Guy

Philomena Tan knows all about stress.
By her early 30s, she was a successful,
highly paid market research consultant
who sometimes worked till 10 p.m. ‘We
had a lot of meetings and deadlines; we
had to win projects, so I was writing
proposals, making presentations,
supervising staff,’ she says.
For a long while, she loved her job and
there were perks — lots of travel, for
instance — but it was never what she
had planned to do with her life. Like so
many others, she just got involved in a
career that had started accidentally.
Tan had studied psychology, and she
was also good with statistics and
computers. In the early 1980s, these
were a rare and valuable combination of
skills, so Tan made steady progress up
the corporate ladder. But the turning
point came the year she spent the entire
week of her husband’s birthday in
Brisbane running market research
groups while he was home alone in
Melbourne.
It made her examine her life and think
about what she was really contributing
to society. Tan planned her escape
carefully. She saved money and
returned to study. A decade later, it has
all come together, and she is happy.
The research she did for a doctorate in
psychology not only added to her
qualifications as a psychologist and
psychotherapist, but gave her the raw
material for her first book, Leaving the
Rat Race to Get a Life, a handbook for
anyone seriously considering changing
the pace of their lives.
These days, Tan is in private practice
in her local community, does yoga and
chooses her own hours. She rarely
works more than four days a week and,
because she sees clients in the
evening, she keeps her afternoons free
to catch up with reading, meet with
friend or research her next book. She is
happy. ‘When you are working up to 70
hours a week, you don’t have time for
this,’ she says.
From http://www.theage.com.au

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11. Complete these phrases with verbs from the box.

Do (x2) keep make(x2) spend

1. to ____________ a presentation
2. to ____________ a week somewhere
3. to ____________ research
4. to ____________ one’s afternoons free
5. to ____________ yoga
6. to ____________ steady progress

12. Match the words (1-5) to their definitions (a—e).

1. lifestyle a. a time or date by which you have to do something

2. workaholic b. a system where employees choose the time they start and
3. workload finish work each day
4. deadline c. the way people choose to organize their lives
5. flexitime d. someone who cannot stop working and has no time for
anything else
e. the amount of work a person is expected to do

Useful language
Making suggestions Agreeing
We could offer staff a wider choice of food. Yes, that’s right.
Why don’t we change the menus? I think I agree with you.
How about offering healthier meals? Exactly.
What about having a no-smoking policy? Good./Excellent idea./Great.
I think we should send out a questionnaire. I completely agree.
(strong suggestion)
Disagreeing
Giving opinions Yes, but what about the cost?
I think that we should ask the staff. I’m not sure I agree.
I feel that we have to consider the cost. I really don’t agree.
I’m sure/convinced/positive that people would like it (strong disagreement)
Yes, but on the other hand it will make some people I’m not sure that’s a good idea.
unhappy. For me, that’s out of the question.

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 13. The speakers use several expressions to make suggestions. Listen again and
2 fill in the missing words.

1. We ____________ ____________ all staff a free medical checkup.

2. ____________ ____________ having a no-smoking policy in the staff
restaurant?
3. I think we ____________ ____________ the food.
4. True. We ____________ ____________ the menus and offer healthier meals.
5. ____________ ____________ setting up a counseling service, Vincent?

14. Later in the same meeting they discuss whether to buy group membership to
3 their local Sports Centre. Listen and tick the expressions they use. Then write
A if the expression shows agreement, or write D if it shows disagreement.

1. Mm, I don’t know. ✓ D

2. It sounds interesting, but it could be very expensive. ✓ D
3. I agree with you, Tanya. It’d cost a lot ...
4. I don’t agree at all. It’s got a very good pool and sauna.
5. Yes, it’s worth checking out, I suppose.
6. A sauna is very relaxing, I must admit.
7. Maybe, but there are so many other things we could do.

15. Write to a customer to tell them that the product/service they want is not
available at the moment.

Prepare the situation using the questions below. The information can be real or
imaginary.

a. What is your company’s business? What products/services do you offer?

b. What is the particular product/service that you normally offer, but is not available
at the moment?
c. Why?
d. When is it going to be available again?
e. Who is the customer that you are writing to? Why do they need your product/
service?
f. Are you going to promise any action, give additional information, offer help, or
simply say that you will tell them when the product/service is available again?

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Glossary

Company performance Making suggestions

◦ achieve target sales ◦ We could…
◦ Manage (a company’s) costs ◦ Why don’t we…?
◦ Perform well ◦ How about…?
◦ Reputation ◦ I think we should…
◦ Socially responsible
Giving opinions
◦ Environmental performance
◦ I think…
◦ Diversity of its workforce
◦ I feel that…
◦ Safety record
◦ I’m sure/convinced/positive that…
Performance Adjectives
Agreeing
◦ Poor
◦ That’s right.
◦ Excellent
◦ I agree
◦ Satisfactory
◦ Exactly
◦ Encouraging
◦ Good / excellent / great idea
◦ Disappointing
◦ I completely agree
Stressful situations
Disagreeing
◦ Stress levels
◦ Yes, but…
◦ Role
◦ I’m not sure I agree
◦ Stress counsellor
◦ I really don’t agree
◦ To resign
◦ I’m not sure that’s a good idea
◦ Have an interview
◦ That’s out of the question
◦ Be stuck in a traffic jam
◦ Travel by air Other vocabulary items
◦ Give a speech ◦ Degree in business administration
◦ Markey research consultant ◦ Day-to-day management
◦ Work-life balance ◦ Assistant manager
◦ Deadlines ◦ Sales assistant
◦ Make presentations ◦ Growth and cost management
◦ Supervise staff ◦ To be responsible for something
◦ Statistics
◦ The corporate ladder
◦ Market research
◦ Qualifications
◦ Lifestyle
◦ Workaholic
◦ Workload
◦ Flexitime

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Unit 2
1. Which of these companies would you like to
Initial discussion work for? Why?

1. “Everyone is in sales. It doesn’t a) A family owned company

matter what area you work in, you b) A multinational company
have clients and you need to sell”
Do you agree? c) Your own company

2. Which of these do you agree
with?
“There is too much advertising
on Tv and the internet”
“Advertising isn’t necessary in a free
world”.
“There should be strict controls
on what is advertised, and to
whom”
2. Read the text about Carrefour, the French
supermarket group. Are these sentences
true or false?
1. Carrefour is increasingly successful in China.
2. All of the Carrefour stores in China sell the same
products.
3. Chinese consumers have always drunk wine with
their food.
4. Chinese consumers can buy Carrefour products
and pay later.
5. Internet shopping is now possible at Carrefour.

A global retailer
Carrefour is the second largest retail company in the world and was the first to open a
hypermarket in China. It entered the Chinese market in 1995. It now has annual sales
in the country of more than €2 billion and is opening an increasing number of stores to
improve its market share (currently 5%).
Carrefour has attracted customers by adapting to and copying local customs. For
example. Chinese consumers traditionally bought live fish at markets, so Carrefour
introduced live fish at stores near the sea. However, in stores hundreds of miles from
the sea, live fish would not be practical. Frozen fish was introduced instead and this
boosted sales of fish by 30-40%.
Carrefour has tried to stay ahead of the customer by not introducing products and
ideas that are so new and radical
that they don’t sell, but not being too
late either. One way Carrefour has
done this is by introducing Chinese
consumers to the idea of drinking
wine with a meal by selling a few
wines which go well with fish and
seafood. It has also expanded its
range of services, introducing
loyalty cards as a way to offer
discounts, and providing consumer
credit. In 2006 it launched an
advertising campaign for online
shopping. All of these have helped
promote the Carrefour name, both
in China and around the world.

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3. Match verbs 1-8 to a—h to make phrases. Then look at the text to check your
answers.

1. to improve __ a. ... sales

2. to enter __ b. ... new customers
3. to attract __ c. ... a discount
4. to launch __ d. ... a new market
5. to expand __ e. ... the company’s name
6. to offer __ f. ... an advertising campaign
7. to promote __ g. ... your range of products or services
8. to boost __ h. ... market share

4. Work with a partner. Complete the questions with verbs from 3. Then ask and
answer the questions.

1. When did Carrefour __________ the Chinese market?

2. How did it __________ sales of fish in China?
3. In what other way did it __________ more customers?
4. How has it __________ its services?
5. What did it __________ in 2006?

Modal verbs
5. Read the text and answer the questions.

1. How is São Paulo different from before?

2. What do you think of the mayor’s idea?

São Paulo – the city that said ‘no’

to advertising
The residents of São Paulo in Brazil don’t have
to look at advertising in the street any more.
Companies can’t advertise outdoors any
longer. That means an end to the city’s 8,000
billboards.
The law was introduced by the Mayor of São
Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, in January 2007. He
said that the city authorities need to fight
pollution, and that the ‘visual pollution’ of
outdoor advertising is one of Sao Paulo’s
biggest problems.
Advertisers who don’t respect the new law have
to pay a fine. In the first nine months the city
collected $8 million from companies who
continued to advertise. Shops can continue to
put ads in their windows, but they aren’t
allowed to use more than 15% of their window
space to promote their products and services.

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 6. Look at the text in 5 again and put the verbs in bold in the table below.

If’s necessary
It’s not necessary don’t have to
It’s possible / permitted
It’s not possible / permitted

7. Listen to four people talking about advertising. Which speaker thinks

4
a. some advertising laws aren’t good? __
b. online advertising is important? __
c. outdoor advertising isn’t attractive? __
d. advertising laws are necessary? __

8. Complete the sentences with verbs from 7. Then work with a partner and
discuss your answers.
4
1. Companies ____________ advertise to sell their products.
2. You ____________ have big billboards everywhere.
3. You ____________ have laws on advertising.
4. You ____________ stop companies advertising products which are bad for you.
5. In my country, you ____________ advertise cigarettes.
6. You ____________ advertise beer and alcohol on TV, but you ____________
do it before 8.00 p.m.
7. When we use the Internet, we usually ____________ pay to get the information
we need.
8. Many website owners make their profits from advertising, so we ____________
use their websites for free.
9. There are a lot of ads online. but you ____________ look at them.

9. Are these sentences true or false for your country? Correct them where
necessary.

1. You’re not allowed to drive a car if you don’t have a licence.

2. Car drivers have to wear a seat belt.
3. Car passengers don’t need to wear a seat belt.
4. You can’t smoke in restaurants and pubs.
5. You’re allowed to vote when you are 16 years old.
6. Products with lots of sugar need to carry a health warning.
7. Schoolchildren don’t have to wear a uniform to school.
8. You can retire when you are 55 years old.
9. Advertisers aren’t allowed to compare their products with their competitors.
10. Shops can open seven days a week.
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10. Complete the missing words in this guide for new employees, using a
suitable form of have to, need to, can, or be allowed to.

Working at FTC
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Q Where can I / am I allowed to park my car?
A in the employee car park behind the main building.
2. Q ____________ I ____________ to wear formal clothes to work?
A No, you don’t. Jeans and a shirt are fine.
3. Q What hours do I have to work?
A Everyone ____________ ____________ be in the company between 10 a.m.
and 4 p.m. But you ____________ ____________ to choose when you start and
finish work, e.g. 8 to 4. 10 to 6.
4. Q ____________ I ____________ to take my paid holiday when I want?
A Yes, but you have to take at least three weeks in the summer.
5. Q Who do I see if I have a problem with my contract?
A You ____________ ____________ speak to the HR Manager.
6. Q Can I use the Internet for personal research?
A You ____________ use it during your lunch break, but ____________
____________ you to use it during office hours.
7. Q Am I allowed to use my office phone for private calls?
A You can make local calls to landlines and you ____________ ____________
to pay for these. You ____________ use the office phone for long-distance calls
or calls to mobiles.

11. Match a company training course from the list to 1-5 below.

Project management Motivating employees Time management

Managing stress Communication skills

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WORK

Five training courses to help you achieve your personal and professional
goals:
1. ____________ to achieve a work-life balance and take a step back.
2. ____________ to be a better listener and run effective meetings.
3. ____________ to speed read and deal with emails.
4. ____________ to give better feedback and set clear goals.
5. ____________ to plan work schedules and learn to delegate.

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Glossary

Business collocations
◦ Family-owned company
◦ Multinational company
◦ Your own company
◦ Enter the market
◦ Improve a company’s market share
◦ Attract customers
◦ Boost sales
◦ Expand a company’s range of
services
◦ Offer discounts
◦ Launch an advertisement campaign
◦ Promote a name
Advertisement
◦ Billboards
◦ Advertisement
◦ Promote a service/product
*Office jargon
◦ Employee car park
◦ Formal clothes
◦ Start/finish work
◦ Paid holiday
◦ Contract
◦ Office hours
◦ Private calls
◦ Landlines
◦ Long-distance calls
◦ Work-life balance
◦ Take a step back
◦ Work schedule
◦ Delegate (responsibilities).

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Unit 3
Initial point
1. What skills do you need for
your present job? Did your
company offer you any special
training?
2. What new skills would you like
to learn for your professional or
personal development?
The benefits of business coaching
In recent years business coaching has grown, with
companies such as Unilever and KPMG taking part. It can
cost up to £3,000 a day. However, the results are so
impressive that some companies want all their executives
to enrol to improve their performance.
what do business coaches do? Basically, they let you talk
about the problems you are having in your professional life
and help you set new goals. They then meet or speak with
you regularly to see if you are achieving those goals. For
example, they can find ways for you to get better sales
results, to motivate your team to work better, or to improve
your promotion prospects in your company. Coaches do
not actually make decisions for you, but give you feedback
on your ideas. They can also help you identify what
training you might need to develop your skills.
The coaching experience can be an ideal opportunity to
take a step back and evaluate your lifestyle. The result is
often a better work-life balance. Jeremy Lang, former Chief
Executive of Chilprufe, the underwear manufacturer, said,
‘I am working 50% more on my business and 50% less in
my business. I am 100% happier.’

1. Read the text. Would you like a business coach in your life?

2. Read the text again and answer the questions.

1. What’s the maximum you might pay for a day’s coaching?

2. What are some companies asking their top managers to do?
3. Do business coaches usually…
a. help you organise your working time better?
b. listen to your problems?
c. make written recommendations on what action to take?
d. help you get better results?
e. recommend jobs for you in other companies?
4. What does Jeremy Lang mean when he says ‘I am working 50% more on my
business and 50% less in my business’?

3. Match words and phrases in bold in the text to meanings 1-8 below.

1. think about your life in a calm way ____________

2. give somebody the desire to do something ____________
3. learn how to do things better ____________
4. do your job better ____________
5. decide on your objectives ____________
6. reaching your objectives ____________
7. increase the possibilities of a better job in your company ____________
8. tell someone what you think of their performance ____________

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 4. Complete these sentences with a form of the words and phrases from
3. Then work with a partner. Take turns to ask and answer the questions.

1. What things ____________ you to do your job well?

2. When was your last annual appraisal? Did you ____________ any
____________ for this year? What are you doing to try and ____________
them?
3. How often does your boss ____________ you ____________ on your
performance?
4. Do you think training is the best way to ____________ your ____________
____________ ? What other ways are there to move up in the company?
5. When is the best time to ____________ a ____________ ____________ from
your job?
6. What new ____________ would you like to ____________ in your professional
life?
7. Have you done any training courses recently to ____________ your
____________ at work? How have these courses helped you?

5. Listen to Scott Wesley, a sales director, speaking with different colleagues.

Match conversations 1-3 to situations a—c.
5
a. At the coffee machine __
b. At an annual appraisal __
c. At a meeting __

6. Match problems 1-7 to the advice a—g and choose the correct modal verb in
italics.

1. Our competitor’s new product is cheaper than ours. J_

2. Our salary costs are too high. __
3. The new job is less interesting and it pays less. __
4. Our restaurant is losing customers. __
5. They’ve asked me to work abroad. __
6. I’m stressed at work. __
7. I’ve made a big mistake in the accounts. __

a. You should / shouldn’t ask for language lessons.

b. You could / mustn’t change the menus.
c. You could / mustn’t work such long hours.
d. You mustn’t / must recalculate your figures.
e. I think / don’t think you should accept it.
f. You shouldn’t / could reduce your price for the first three months.
g. You should / shouldn’t recruit any more people.

21
7. You are going to read an email between two friends. Three of the modal verbs
in bold are correct, but five are incorrect. Find the five incorrect modal verbs
and correct them.

Dear Natalia
You asked for help with writing your CV. Here are some ideas to help you.
Obviously, you ¹should mustn’t forget your contact details (address,
phone, etc.) and you ²must ____________ include your education, work
experience, and skills. You ³must ____________ include a photograph if
you want, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
It’s a good idea to write quite a short CV, so you ⁴must ____________
write more than two pages, and don’t forget, you ⁵should ____________
start with your most recent job first.
I think you ⁶should ____________ also write short sentences, and use
verbs with impact, for example, ‘achieved my goals’. ‘improved my
performance’, etc.
Finally, you ⁷shouldn’t ____________ check that you haven’t made any
spelling or grammar mistakes - and most importantly - you ⁸could
____________ always tell the truth!
Hope this is useful.
Best wishes,
Aleksander

22
 Discussion point
1. ‘Corporate entertainment is
only about making money.’ Do
you agree?
2. What sort of entertainment do
companies offer?
Corporate entertainment
Why is it impossible to get tickets for most major
sports and cultural events? Because so many of the
tickets are bought by firms to entertain their clients
and other VIPs. It is called corporate entertainment,
but why do companies do it?
Corporate entertainment is a marketing tool.
Companies use it to improve relationships with their
customers, suppliers, or staff. ‘I work for a law firm,’
says Virginia Allen. ‘Every year, I invite my best clients
to a concert sponsored by the firm. I hope to reinforce
their positive feeling towards us’. So the main
purpose of corporate entertainment is to make
customers feel good. Invite them to a special event
and you will ensure their loyalty for the coming year.
The venue for corporate events varies from country
to country. In the USA, guests might play golf with a
professional player. In France, they could go on a
wine-tasting cruise. In Japan, they might watch some
sumo wrestling. Other events depend on the budget
of the host company, but possibilities include
parachute jumping, paint-balling, or a night at the
opera. The list is endless.

8. Read the text and find seven examples of corporate events.

9. Work with a partner and answer these questions.

1. Which events is it often difficult to get tickets for? Why?

2. Why do companies spend money on corporate entertainment?
3. What should a host company consider first when it plans an event?

10. Complete the table with the words in bold from the text.

Information Details
HSBC bank
Leading VIPs from banking world
To reinforce relationship with clients
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club
Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final
£90,000

11. Listen to two people talking about corporate events they have attended.
6 Complete the table.

1 2
Host company
Guests
Purpose
Venue
Events

23
 12. Match verbs 1-6 to nouns a-f. Then listen again and check your answers.
6
1. hold __ a. clients
2. reinforce __ b. an invitation
3. arrange __ c. a venue
4. entertain __ d. a relationship
5. book __ e. a trip
6. accept __ f. an event

13. Choose the correct answer from the words in italics.

1. If they won’t plan / don’t plan the event carefully, they go / ‘ll go over their
budget.
2. If the venue is / will be too small, we don’t book / won’t book it.
3. He don’t get / won’t get a good deal if he ‘ll wait / waits any longer.
4. If we don’t hold / won’t hold a corporate event this year, we lose / ‘ll lose some
of our clients.
5. The manager don’t accept / won’t accept the invitation if she won’t like / doesn’t
like the venue.
6. If we’ll arrange / arrange a trip to the Guggenheim, we don’t arrive / won’t arrive
back at the hotel in time for dinner.
7. They’ll cancel / cancel the outdoor activities if it rains / ‘ll rain at the weekend.

14. Rewrite the sentences using the prompts.

1. if / the weather / be / bad / we / not go / sailing

If the weather is bad, we won’t go sailing______.
2. if / the singer / be / ill / they / cancel / the concert
_______________________________________.
3. we / not go / to the show / if / it / finish / late
_______________________________________.
4. how / they / travel / if / the airline / be / on strike
_______________________________________?
5. he / call / the host company / if / he / not receive / an invitation
_______________________________________.
6. what / you / do / if / it / snow / on the day
_______________________________________?
7. if / she / not like / the food / she / order / something different
_______________________________________.

24
 Discussion point
1. What global issues are in the
new moment?
2. Which issues are you most
worried about? Why? Are there
any you are not worried about?
3. Which ones affect your
company, your working life, and
you personally?
Countdown to crisis
Oil is running out, and the race is on to find an alternative
source of energy. Over the last 40 years, oil has been used
worldwide to give us food, warmth, chemicals, medicine,
clothing and, most of all, mobility. But now Jeroen van der
Veer, CEO of the oil multinational Royal Dutch Shell, has
named the year that our needs will exceed the supply of oil.
He predicts global demand for oil will rise dramatically in
the next few years due to population growth and the rapid
economic development of countries, such as China and
India. He forecasts that, because of this, the world supply
of oil will no longer be able to meet that demand as early as
2015.
Despite the urgency of this problem and the millions
invested in renewable energy using sources, such as wind,
waves, and sunlight, world governments are far from finding
a solution. This means that, if we don’t take the oil
shortage seriously, the energy crisis will happen sooner
than we think.

15. Read the text and find out when the global oil crisis is predicted to start.

16. Match the phrases in bold in the text to definitions 1-7 below.

1. energy whose source will always exist ____________

2. the need for something in the world ____________
3. an improvement in financial conditions ____________
4. a time when energy will cause problems ____________
5. an increase in the number of people ____________
6. a situation where there is not enough oil ____________
7. the amount available in the world ____________

17. Use a word from A and a word from B to complete the sentences.

A B 1. People will take the energy crisis_ more seriously

oil supply when they can no longer afford to run their cars.
economic crisis 2. The ____________ ____________ of oil and gas is
population energy running out.
world growth 3. Where there is ____________ ____________ the
renewable demand financial situation of a country improves.
global shortage 4. Wind and water are sources of ____________
energy development ____________ .
5. ____________ ____________ means that there will
be nine billion people living on the planet by 2050,
6. More countries need more oil these days so the
____________ ____________ has increased.
7. Governments are hoping to find new oil fields to
avoid an ____________ ____________ .

25
 18. Listen to Judy Collins, an economic analyst, discussing the effects of the oil
7 crisis on the economy. Number the effects she mentions in the order you hear
them.

a. Meetings will be by video conference. __

b. Fewer people will own cars. __
c. More employees will work from home. __
d. Oil prices will rise. __
e. Consumer goods will become more expensive. __

19. Listen again and complete each sentence with a verb.

7
1. Economists ____________ that a 5% reduction will cause the price of oil to rise.
2. All plastic goods will become more expensive as the oil starts to ____________.
3. Experts ____________ that only a few people will be able to run cars in the
future.
4. Recent advances in technology will ____________ working conditions for many
employees.
5. The situation will ____________ until a substitute for oil is found.

20. Rewrite the sentences with will, won’t, may / might, or may not / might not.

1. Perhaps / the CEO / visit the office this afternoon

The CEO may visit the office this afternoon .
2. I’m sure / we / finish the report today
_______________________________________.
3. Perhaps / the manager / not in her office right now
_______________________________________.
4. Perhaps / your secretary / know when the meeting is
_______________________________________.
5. I’m sure / I / not / get the job I applied for
_______________________________________.
6. Perhaps / they / not give us a pay rise this year
_______________________________________.
7. I’m sure / he / not go on any more business trips
_______________________________________.

26
21. Complete the dialogue with will, may / might, may not / might not, or won’t and
the verb in brackets.
A. Do you think you’ll be working for the same company in ten years’ time?
B. I’m not sure. I ¹ may look for (look for) a different job, if I’m still earning the
same salary. It depends on my promotion prospects, too. I hope I
²________________________ (be) a manager by then, and I certainly
³________________________ (feel) very satisfied with my job if I’m still in the
same position. How about you?
A. I don’t think my company ⁴________________________ (exist) in ten years’
time. We make the plastic casing for mobile phones, but without oil, we can’t
manufacture the plastic.
I’m not sure, but I ⁵________________________ (lose) my job once there’s an
oil shortage.
B. Why don’t you try to find a new job now while you’ve got the chance?
A. I’m thinking about it, but I still haven’t decided. I ⁶________________________
(apply) for a new job until I’m really sure my company is going to close. I’ve seen
a lot of R&D jobs on the Internet, so I’m sure I ⁷________________________
(find) it difficult to change companies.

27
Glossary

Business coaching
◦ Improve a company’s performance
◦ Set goals
◦ Achieve goals
◦ Motivate
◦ Promotion prospect
◦ Feedback
◦ Develop skills
◦ Annual appraisal
◦ Training course
Resumé
◦ CV
◦ Contact details
◦ Education/work experience
Corporate entertainment
◦ Purpose
◦ Event
◦ Venue
◦ Guests
◦ Budget
◦ Host company
◦ Hold an event
◦ Reinforce a relationship
◦ Arrange a meeting
◦ Entertain clients
◦ Book a trip
◦ Accept an invitation
◦ Go over the budget
Green companies
◦ Global demand
◦ Population growth
◦ Economic development
◦ World supply
◦ Renewable energy
◦ Oil shortage
◦ Energy crisis

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 Unit 4
Initial discussion
1. Has your company introduced
any new green ideas recently? If
so, what?
2. ‘We all need to do more about
the environment.’ Do you agree?
3. What is the best green policy
you have heard of? Why?
GreenCitizen: the solution to
electronic waste
The disposal of old computers has always been a problem
for companies. Now, with the introduction of fines in many
countries for companies that do not respect the
environment, the problem is even greater. One company in
the USA, GreenCitizen, has come up with a new initiative to
deal with the equipment in an affordable and responsible
way.
GreenCitizen provides a convenient service for
businesses by picking up the machines from the workplace
and taking them away for recycling. GreenCitizen uses
only registered recycling companies, which process the
components so that they can be used again. Soon, it hopes
to create a system which tracks all the units it deals with.
GreenCitizen’s original service is good value for money
for companies who need to update their computer systems
and at the same time maintain an environmentally
friendly image.

1. Read the text about GreenCitizen and find out what service it offers
businesses.

2. Work with a partner and answer the questions.

1. Why do companies have to take care when they dispose of their old equipment?
2. In what ways is GreenCitizen a responsible recycler?
3. What are the advantages to a company of using GreenCitizen?

3. Work with a partner. Match a word or phrase in bold from the text to a quote
from a customer.

1. ‘The cost of the service was easily within our budget.’

2. ‘It was so easy and quick.’
3. ‘It’s a new and interesting service.’
4. ‘We got an excellent service for relatively little money:
5. ‘The process enables people to re-use old components.’
6. ‘it helps to protect the planet from damage.’
7. ‘ ... getting rid of the items we no longer need.’
8. ‘This new plan is an excellent idea.’

4. Listen to four people talking about green initiatives in their companies.

8 Match the speakers 1-4 to pictures a—d.

30
 5. Listen again and complete the table.
8
Speaker Green initiative Advantages
1 1
2
2 1
2
3 1
2
4 1
2

6. Correct these sentences.

1. Deliveries are make three times a week.

Deliveries are made three times a week _______.
2. The invoice sent yesterday.
_______________________________________.
3. Over a thousand guests was invited to the event.
_______________________________________.
4. The post collects at 10.00 a.m. every day.
_______________________________________.
5. The software is wrote by our own engineers.
_______________________________________.
6. The meeting was cancelling because of the strike.
_______________________________________.

7. Choose the correct answer from the words in italics.

Outsourcing is when a company ¹uses / is used an external company to provide a

service. The idea of outsourcing is not new: it ²first suggested / was first suggested
by Adam Smith in his book ‘The Wealth of Nations’, which ³published / was
published in 1776.
One of the main advantages of outsourcing is that it ⁴saves / is saved a company
money, resources, and energy. However, direct communication between a company
and its customers ⁵is often lost / often loses and customers can soon become
dissatisfied.

8. Rewrite these sentences in the passive form starting with the words given.

1. They serve hot meals in the staff canteen.

Hot meals are served in the staff canteen.
2. The HR Department sent an email to all employees.
An email _______________________________________.
3. Someone stole the money during the night.
The money _______________________________________.
4. The Heads of Department informed the staff about the decision.
The staff _______________________________________.
5. We discuss salaries with employees individually.
Salaries _______________________________________.
6. He keeps the key to the safe in his desk.
The key to the safe _______________________________________.
31
 Discussion point
1. ‘There is never enough time in
the day.’ Do you agree with this?
2. Are these sentences always,
sometimes, or never true for you?
‘I organize my working time
well.’
‘I have a lot of interruptions at
work.’
‘When I have important work to
do. I finish it on time.’
3. How do you feel about people
who are always late or early?
Multitasking: time-waster or
time-saver?
On the other end of the phone, you hear the sound of
fingers on a keyboard. During a Monday department
meeting, a colleague has his head down, planning his
schedule for the week. At home, your husband or wife is
answering emails while helping the children with their
homework.
We have all learnt to multitask because we feel we don’t
have enough time to get everything done. 45% of workers
feel they are asked to work on too many tasks at once,
according to a study by the Families and Work institute.
Another survey by ComPsych, a provider of employee
assistance programmes, reports that 54% of workers
spend time reading email while on the phone and 11%
make to-do lists during meetings.
We all have to meet deadlines, but is multitasking really
the solution for finishing everything on time? Not really, if
you believe the scientists. We think we save time by doing
two tasks at once, but studies show that the brain is less
efficient when performing similar tasks, such as reading and
listening. And each time we switch to another task, we have
to allow time for our brains to adapt to the new situation.
Perhaps the worst thing about people who multitask is the
feeling that they are only giving you half an ear. So next
time you ask a caller to repeat something because you are
reading your emails and not listening to him or her, just
remember one thing: you’re wasting time, both yours and
the caller’s.

Comprehension
9. Look at questions 1-3 and answer them. Then work with a partner and
discuss your answers.

1. What percentage of workers read email while speaking on the phone?

a. a third b. more than half c. more than three quarters
2. ‘Multitasking’ means doing more than one job at the same time, e.g. writing an
email and answering the phone. Does it allow you to work more quickly?
a. Yes b. No c. Sometimes
2. What’s the worst thing about people who multitask?
a. They don’t really listen. b. They make lots of mistakes.
c. They think they’re the best.

32
 10. Work with a partner. Look at these sentences about managing time.
Choose the correct answer from the words in italics, using the words and
phrases in bold in the text to help you.

1. If you waste / save time on something, you don’t use your time well.
2. Before you plan / meet your schedule, you need to know the deadline.
3. When preparing a presentation, you should allow / spend time to practice it.
4. If there’s on / enough time to do everything, you’ll meet your deadline / task.

11. Match 1-8 to a-h to make complete sentences.

1. Computer shortcuts usually allow you to f_

2. I have to meet __
3. At weekends I don’t have __
4. My job is 60km from my home, so I __
5. It’s important to __
6. You should allow __
7. My train never arrives __
8. Multitasking isn’t very efficient, it just __

a. ... yourself time to take a break each day.

b. ... enough time to see friends.
c. ... plan your work schedule carefully.
d. ... spend a lot of time traveling.
e. ... on time.
f. ... save time.
g. ... wastes time.
h. ... deadlines in my job

12. Listen to two conversations about deadlines. In each conversation, what do

9 they have to do?

13. Listen again and match 1-7 to a-g.

9
1. by __ a. away
2. within __ b. as possible
3. before __ c. have time
4. as soon __ d. Monday
5. right __ e. the end of next week
6. on __ f. a week
7. when you __ g. Friday

33
 14. Look at this book review and complete 1-9 with phrases from the list.

might they do would you think about didn’t know

could only read we would recommend You lost your job
they would give they could start found themselves

What would you do if you were 50 years old and¹ you lost your job? If you²
________________________ where your next pay cheque was coming from,
³________________________ setting up your own business? Journalist Matthew
Colbert talked to twenty successful entrepreneurs who started their own companies
after being made redundant in their 50s. He asked them what advice
⁴________________________ to people if they ⁵________________________ in
the same situation. If ⁶________________________ their businesses again,
⁷________________________ things differently?
‘20 Lives That Began At 50’ is a fascinating collection of interviews for anybody
over 50 who’s thought of starting their own company. If you
⁸________________________ one business book this year. this is the one
⁹________________________ .

15. Choose the correct word in italics to complete these sentences.

1. I would / will travel around the world if I has / had enough money.
2. What part of your job do / would you delegate if you had / would have an assistant
to help you?
3. If you were / would be me, were / would you sign the contract?
4. If we would give / gave them more money, they worked / might work during their
holiday.
5. We would finish / finished on time if the electrician worked / would work faster.
6. Would / Did we receive the goods tomorrow if you sent / would send them today?
7. He wouldn’t / didn’t work late if you wouldn’t pay / didn’t pay him so well.
8. I might buy / might bought a flat if I earned / would earn more money.
9. Where do / would you go if you don’t get / didn’t get the promotion?

Glossary
Green policy Outsourcing ◦ Spend time
◦ Affordable ◦ Invoice ◦ Meet deadlines
◦ Convenient ◦ Software ◦ On time
◦ Recycling ◦ Outsourcing ◦ Allow time
◦ Original ◦ Dissatisfied ◦ Waste time
◦ Value for money ◦ Pay cheque
Multitasking
◦ Environmentally ◦ Entrepreneur
friendly ◦ Plan one’s schedule
◦ Assistant
◦ Be within a ◦ Multitask
company’s budget ◦ Have enough time

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Unit 5
Initial discussion
1. What are the most popular
careers in your country?
2. Which careers have the longest
training?
3. Are there too many graduates
in any one career area?
4. ‘A change is as good as a rest.’
Do you agree with this idea?
How to move a mountain - the
story of Greg Mortensen
It’s been over fifteen years since Greg Mortensen
attempted to climb K2, the world’s second highest
mountain. At the time. Greg was working as a trauma nurse
in the USA, but his adventure in the Himalayas set him on a
new career path.
During the climb, 50 year old Greg became ill and lost the
rest of his group. He walked to a local village and while
recovering there, he realized that the children in the village
did not have a proper school. He made the decision to
return to the USA and concentrate on raising money so
that a school could be built in the village. When he got
home, his life changed direction dramatically. He gave up
his house, lived in the back of his car, and wrote hundreds
of letters to celebrities asking for money. However, he had
little success at first.
Greg’s luck changed when a student in his mother’s class
in a school in Wisconsin found out that one penny would
buy a pencil for a child in South Asia. Together, the class
collected more than 62,000 pennies. Next, a Seattle IT
specialist saw an article about Greg’s experience on K2 and
sent him a cheque for $12,000.
Since then, Greg has spent six months of every year in
the area, building over 60 schools. In 2006, he completed
a best-selling book about his adventures, Three Cups of Tea.

1. Read the text and find out which jobs Greg Mortensen does or has done.

2. Read the text again. Then work with a partner and answer these questions.

1. When and where did Greg Mortensen’s life change?

2. What were his fundraising methods?
3. How does Greg spend his time now?

3. Match the words or phrases in bold in the text in 1 to these definitions.

1. stopped having or doing ____________

2. finished ____________
3. a planned series of jobs or professions ____________
4. took a different way ____________
5. decided (to do something) ____________
6. give all your attention to something ____________
7. passed (time) ____________

36
 4. You are going to read about the life of Vladimir. Put the stages of his career in
the right order 1-9.

a. __ At this point he decided to help the runner and his career path changed
direction.
b. __ When he injured his knee during a race, his career plans changed
c. __ He gave up his job to go back to university and study physiotherapy.
d. __ His ambition was to become a professional runner.
e. __ He made the decision to become an economist instead of an athlete.
f. __ He completed an economics degree and started work in a big multinational.
g. __ Vladimir’s greatest strength was his fitness.
h. __ While he was working, he spent all his evenings training other runners.
i. __ One day, the best athlete on the team suffered a similar knee injury to
Vladimir.

5. Listen and complete the sentences with one word each.

10
1. Dealing with the public is one of Speaker 1’s ____________.
2. Time management is her greatest ____________.
3. Speaker 2 joined the army at 16 because he had no ____________ plan.
4. Speaker 3 studied human resources because she wanted a ____________.
5. To hold an exhibition of his own pictures was Speaker 4’s ____________.

6. Match the words and phrases from 5 to meanings 1-5.

1. A new and difficult thing that needs effort. ____________

2. A fault in your character. ____________
3. The good qualities that you have. ____________
4. The direction you want to go in your working life. ____________
5. Something that you really want to do. ____________

Paraphrasing
7. Look at the quotations from people talking about their careers. Rewrite each
sentence using the word or phrase in brackets so that it means the same as the
first one.
Example: A I chose to go to Oxford and not Cambridge University.
B He made the decision to go to Oxford and not Cambridge.
1. ‘I chose to go to Oxford and not Cambridge University.’ (make the decision)
2. ‘I finished my studies in 1989.’ (complete)
3. ‘I trained in an architect’s studio for two years.’ (spend)
4. ‘I’m going to study medicine, go abroad for some work experience, do my
exams, and qualify as a family doctor.’ (career path)
5. ‘I left my job in the city and moved to the country.’ (give up)
6. ‘I was studying maths, but I hated it, so I tried drama and became an actor
instead.’ (change direction)
7. ‘All I want to do is paint.’ (concentrate on)

37
8. Complete these sentences with a suitable word or phrase.

1. Rita wants to make the right decision , so she’s taking her time.
2. She left her job to ____________ on her writing.
3. I ____________ five years at university and then I couldn’t get a job.
4. They want to ____________ their jobs in the city and go and run a hotel in the
country.
5. My ____________ is to become an airline pilot.
6. I’m looking forward to the ____________ of learning a new language.
7. Atsushi decided to change ____________ and become a taxi driver.
8. When he failed his final exams, all his ____________ plans had to change.
9. I’m going to do some voluntary work when I ____________ my degree.
10. Anna’s greatest ____________ is her personality - she gets on with everyone.
11. The first stage of her career ____________ was to get a law degree.
12. My only ____________ is my handwriting — nobody can read it!

9. Which of the following events and activities would business people from your
country enjoy most?
1. a Premier League or World Cup 4. staying at a health spa
football match 5. destroying a car with a tank
2. hot-air ballooning 6. flying a jet fighter
3. the Wimbledon tennis tournament

10. Read the article below. Tick (✓) all the activities in Exercise B which are
mentioned.
Corporate thrills reach new highs
Entertaining is no longer about cocktails and
canapés — instead, it’s toys and tanks.
London firms are now taking their favorite
clients on driving lessons. The only difference
is, it involves a tank, as well as target practice
using the vehicle’s guns. The winner of the
day’s contest gets a chance to run over a car
with the tank.
‘A lot of traditional corporate hospitality events
like racing at Ascot and tennis at Wimbledon
have been around for so long, and so many
companies have actually done these things,’
says Rachel Elnaugh, an entrepreneur. ‘But
every year they have the same clients they
need to entertain, so they have to come up with
new and exciting ideas.’
Another event aimed at thrilling clients
involves flying a jet fighter, reminiscent of the
movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise But catching
the imagination of corporate customers is
expensive.
Entertaining at events like the Henley Regatta
near London costs $600 a day, while a
corporate hospitality seat at the Wimbledon
tennis tournament can set you back $2,000.
‘The budgets are huge. But it is much more
cost-effective to keep that customer than to try
and find new ones,’ Elnaugh says.
A day in a tank costs $400 a head, while a 30-
minute flight in a jet adds up to $1,000. If you
want something more authentic, a ride in a MIG-
29 jet fighter in Russia will set you back
$18,000.
‘Entertainment firms are always looking out for
new ideas, and increasingly they are actually
creating events in response to what is in the
media and what is popular,’ Elnaugh says.
Corporations are now able to offer trips up
Everest or treks across Antarctica for their
clients.
They try to offer a once-in-a-lifetime
experience their clients are unlikely to forget,
but hot-air ballooning and visits to health spas
are still more usual.
From http://www.cnn.com

38
 11. Complete these sentences with words from the article.

1. Companies have to come ____________ ____________ new and exciting ideas.

2. In Russia, a ride in a jet fighter will ____________ you ____________ $18,000.
3. Entertainment firms are always looking ____________ ____________ new ideas.

Multi-word verbs
A multi-word verb is a verb and one or two particles (prepositions or adverbs).
• It is sometimes possible to guess the general meaning of multi-word verbs from the
context.
August is too early for our conference. Let’s put it off until October. (= to delay to
arrange to do something at a later date)
• However, sometimes the meaning is difficult or impossible to guess.
I turned down their offer. ( = to refuse)

5. Two colleagues, Ana and Ben, are talking about their company’s program
11 for some Taiwanese visitors. Listen to excerpts from their conversation and
answer these questions.
1. Why did Alice have to change the hotel reservation?
2. What would the visitors like to do before they leave?
3. What happened two years ago?

13. Complete the conversation with Ben’s replies (a—h) below.

1. e ‘Alice is looking after our guests from Taiwan.’

2. __’She had to change the hotel booking because several extra visitors turned
up.’
3. __’Our Sales Manager is taking them out tonight.’
4. __’And they all want to look around the city before they go.’
5. __’I certainly look forward to meeting their new Chief Executive.’’
6. __’I hope all staff can take part in the visitor program.’
7. __’They want us to visit them next year. We said we’d like to take up their
invitation.’
8. __’It was a shame to turn down their invitation to their sales conference two
years ago.’

a. ‘Do they really? It’s a pity there aren’t many places to visit?’
b. ‘I agree. It was a mistake to refuse.’
c. ‘I know. She told me three more people arrived unexpectedly.’
d. ‘Jeff has always loved socializing. I’m sure he’ll entertain them very well.’
e. ‘She loves taking care of visitors, doesn’t she?’
f. ‘So do I. It would be great if all of us got involved in it.’
g. ‘That’s really kind. Of course we’ve got to accept.’
h. ‘Well, I think we’re all really excited that we’re going to meet her at last.’

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 14. The sentences below describe stages in an unsuccessful product launch. Put
12 them in a logical order. Then listen, and check your answers.

a. The newspapers asked questions.

b. We recalled the product.
c. The company lost a lot of money.
d. We launched the product.
e. The R&D department tested the product.
f. The number of complaints doubled.
g. People started to complain.
h. The product sold well.

15. Answer these questions about the product launch.

a. What was the product?

b. What was the problem?

Narrative Tenses
We can use different tenses to narrate a story.
Simple past The newspapers heard about it.
Past continuous It was going really well.
Past perfect We had tested it for over six months, and there had been no bad
reaction to it.
Present perfect Since then, we have kept away from skin-care products.

16. Answer these questions about the product launch.

1. ____________- setting the scene and providing background information?

2. ____________- events which happen before the story begins?
3. ____________- events in the story?
4. ____________- saying what the present results of the story are?

40
17. Complete this text about a pharmaceutical company with the correct tenses.

We like to think we are an ethical company, but we

¹____________ (have) a problem last year when we
²____________ (launch) our new product. Let me give you
the background to the problem. The new product
³____________ (sell) very well; we ⁴____________ (get)
good feedback, and sales ⁵____________ (increase) month
by month. Everyone was happy. Then it all ⁶____________
(go) wrong. In August we ⁷____________ (start) to get
complaints from some doctors about one of our salesmen.
They ⁸____________ (complain) about the methods that the
salesman ⁹____________ (use) to persuade them to endorse
the product. He ¹⁰____________ (offer) them expensive gifts
and ¹¹____________ (take) them to expensive restaurants.
The doctors ¹²____________ (feel) under pressure to
promote the product. By the end of the year we ¹³____________ (receive) over thirty
complaints about that particular salesman. In December, articles ¹⁴____________
(start) to appear in the press about our unethical sales methods. in the end we
¹⁵____________ (fire) the salesman. As a result of this, we ¹⁶____________ (recently
issue) guidelines to all sales staff about appropriate gifts.

18. Write a story about any of these ideas. Use narrative tenses.

a. A significant news event you remember well.

b. An ethical problem you know about.
c. A memorable event in your life (good or bad).
d. An unusual or memorable experience while you were traveling abroad.
e. Your first or last day in a job or organization.

Reported speech
There are a number of ways to report what people say.
1. We often use say, tell and ask to report speech.
‘The new job is challenging.’ = She said (that) the new job was challenging.
• We use tell with an object.
The new job is challenging. = She told her boss (that) the new job was challenging.
• We use ask (with or without an object) to report questions.
‘When do you want to start?’ = Her boss asked (her) when she wanted to start
2. We usually make the following changes in reported speech.
• The verb goes back one tense (for example, from present simple to past simple).
• Nouns and pronouns may change.
‘My new sales team is difficult to manage.’ = He said (that) his new sales team was difficult to
manage.
3. When we report things that are either very recent or generally true, we often use the same tense as
the speaker.
‘I want to see Pierre.’ = Pierre, Susan has just phoned and says she wants to see you.
‘Training is important.’ = He said (that) training is important.

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 19. Complete these sentences with the correct form of say or tell.

a. He ____________ that he was finding it difficult to manage people.

b. He ____________ me that he was finding it difficult to manage people.
c. She ____________ him to improve his performance.
d. She ____________ they would never agree.
e. My boss ____________ me not to pay the invoice.
f. He ____________ that he worked for General Electric.

20. Use say, tell and ask to report this dialogue between two company directors.
For example, Philip told Amanda (that) he wanted to motivate their managers
more.

a. Philip: I want to motivate our managers more.

_______________________________________.
b. Amanda: Are you delegating the less important decisions?
_______________________________________.
c. Philip: I think so. And I’m making more time to listen to their suggestions.
_______________________________________.
d. Amanda: That’s good. Responding to their ideas is really important.
_______________________________________.
e. Philip: Is the department investing enough in training?
_______________________________________.
f. Amanda: Yes, it is. This year’s budget is bigger than last year’s.
_______________________________________.

21. Your colleague is away and you have been asked to check their voice mail.
13 Listen to each message. Note down who rang and what was said or asked.
Then write a short note for your colleague. For example:

Jenny rang about the conference. She said she’d

found a hotel with good rates. She asked how many
rooms you wanted to book.

Glossary
Paraphrasing (careers) ◦ Corporate hospitality ◦ Look after
◦ Career path ◦ Budget ◦ Take someone out (hang
◦ Make a decision ◦ To thrill out)
◦ Concentrate on ◦ Cost-effective ◦ Look around
◦ Change direction ◦ Once-in-a-lifetime ◦ Look forward to
◦ Give up ◦ Entertainment firms ◦ Take part in
◦ Spend (time) ◦ Come up with ◦ Take up
◦ Complete ◦ Set someone back X
◦ Fundraising amount of money. Ethics
◦ Strength ◦ Look out for ◦ Ethical company
◦ Weakness ◦ Launch a product
Multi-word verbs ◦ Salesman
Corporate thrills ◦ Put something off ◦ Complaints
◦ Cocktail (postpone) ◦ Sales methods
◦ Canapé ◦ Turn down (refuse) ◦ Guidelines

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International Affairs

COMPENDIUM

U
N
I
T

43
Unit 6
1. Read the following questions (1-4), then scan the
Initial discussion text to find the answers.

Work in pairs. Read the following 1. In China, is color red traditionally considered
definitions, then discuss the lucky or unlucky?
questions below.
2. When did Ikea open its first store in Beijing?
1. Culture: the customs, 3. What is the meaning of the Chinese word he?
institutions and achievements of a
particular nation, people or 4. What is the meaning of the number 8 in China?
group.
2. Cultural awareness: the ability
to understand the culture of the Marketing in China
people you are meeting and
behave appropriately.
A number of business people dream of marketing their
How important is it for business
people to have good cultural products in China, just because of the size of the
awareness? population. After all, the country contains a billion
possible new customer. But, of course, things are not as
simple as this.
Firstly, with many types of products, the largest
producers are Chinese firms who have already won large
parts of the market. Indeed, many old Chinese
companies such as TongRenTang, a pharmaceutical
company which dates back to 1669, are now enjoying a
renewed popularity.
Secondly, any company which tries to move into a
foreign market needs to study the situation and culture of
that country. This is certainly the case with China. Many
international companies go into the market with their
usual range of products but they find that, as they are, the
products do not sell. Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant,
opened in Beijing in 1999 but not many people bought
the furniture. It seemed too expensive for Chinese
customers and possibly did not appeal to Chinese taste.
Pricing is not the only issue. Companies also need to
consider what ideas customers from a different culture
might have about their product; what marketing experts call ‘product positioning’. De
Beers, the diamond company, provide an interesting example of this. In the West,
diamonds are a symbol of romantic love and appear on wedding rings. However; the idea
of romance is different in Asia and so De Beers decided to present diamonds as a symbol
of harmony and a lasting relationship rather than love. Their ChineseTV ads showed a
husband giving his wife a diamond at their wedding and then moved forward in time to
show the following years of a long, happy marriage.’Harmony’ or a lack of conflict (he in
Chinese) is a very important value in Chinese culture and De Beers were very successful
in using this idea to market their product.
Branding is very important in China. Chinese society traditionally has many levels and
the possession of a particular brand can show your place within society. However, as in
any country, companies need to take advice on what their brand name sounds like in
Chinese, or if people can pronounce it. Sometimes a successful brand name can be
greated

44
created by slightly changing the original name to Chinese. Gillette razors, for example, use
the Chinese name ‘Jilie’. ‘Ji’ in Chinese means ‘lucky’. Chinese companies trying to export
their products, of course, have to think about this too. The Chinese refrigerator, Haier, has
not been very successful globally, partly, it seems, because Westerners find the name
difficult to pronounce.
In a country where the writing system is based on symbols, it is especially important to
have a memorable logo. A logo with a picture like Shell or Apple is likely to be more effective
than one which consists of Western letters like BP. Companies also need to be aware of the
popular ideas about some colors. Red, for example, is traditionally a lucky color, while white
is the color of death, and is traditionally seen as unlucky. Blue and yellow used together can
also suggest death, so this combination is best avoided on logos. This is because at a
traditional funeral, a gift of money was often put in a yellow envelope with a blue stripe.
There are also popular ideas relating to numbers, just as, for example, the number 13 is
thought unlucky in some Western countries. Four is considered unlucky in China, as it
sounds like the word for ‘death’. Eight, on the other hand, is a lucky number. When the
Japanese department store Yaohan opened in Beijing, the person selling the pens put a
price of 88,888 yuan on one expensive gold pen. This was a joke of course, but it made a
wonderful talking point for the customers.

2. The text “Marketing in China” uses different companies to illustrate its points.
Scan the text for the names of each of the companies (a-g) in the box on the left.
Then match the company with the general point (1-7) that it illustrates.

1. Gillete __ a. Some international companies do not research the

2. Ikea __ Chinese market very well before launching their product.
b. Knowledge of the meaning of some numbers in China can
3. Shell __ help to attract customers.
4. Yaohan __ c. Some traditional companies in China are becoming
successful again.
5. TongRenTang __ d. Some Chinese company names are difficult for overseas
6. De Beers __ customers to pronounce.
e. Some brand names can he changed to sound more
7. Haier __ positive in Chinese.
f. Some products have to be given different associations in
China from in the West.
g. It can be a good idea for foreign companies to use a
picture as their logo.

3. Listen to three people describing business etiquette in their cities - Sydney,

London and New York - and answer the questions.
14
In which city…
1. … Do people like to be informal? ____________
2. … Are people very competitive? ____________
3. … are things changing? ____________

45
 4. Listen again, make notes and complete the table.
14
Sydney London New York
Breakfast meetings
Punctuallity
Dress
Lunch
What do people talk
about outside work?

14. Look at this book review and complete 1-9 with phrases from the list.

avoid invest respond

introduce improve ignore

A recruitment firm gives this advice to new workers:

It is important to ¹____________ in your relationships with others at work. Get to
know the people who work near you: ²____________ yourself to them and tell
them something about yourself. If people ask for your help, always ³____________
positively. Don't ⁴____________ emails or phone calls just because you are busy. If
you make a mistake, it is better to admit it and then apologise. When things go
wrong, stay calm and ⁵____________ shouting and using bad language.
Remember, good manners help to ⁶____________ your working environment, and
you will find you can enjoy your work more.

46
Glossary
Culture
◦ Culture
◦ Cultural awareness
◦ Marketing
◦ Foreign market
◦ Pricing
◦ Product positioning
◦ Branding
◦ Logo
◦ Effective
◦ Traditionally
◦ Market research
◦ Overseas
◦ Informal
◦ Competitive

Personal Relationships
◦ Avoid
◦ Introduce
◦ Invest
◦ Improve
◦ Respond
◦ Ignore

47
 References

◦ (2010). Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.

◦ Cotton, D., Falvey D., & Kent S. (2002). New Market Leader Pre-intermediate
Student’s Book. Oxford.
◦ Council of Europe (2011). Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Council of Europe. Retrieved
from: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
◦ Grant, D. & Hudson J. (2016). Business Result Pre intermediate Student’s
Book. Oxford.
◦ Johnson, C., (2006). Intelligent Business Pre-intermediate Coursebook.
Longman.
◦ Latham-Koenig, C., Oxeden, C., & Seligson, P. (2013). American English File.
Oxford University Press (US).
◦ Whitby, N. (2013). Business Benchmark Pre-intermediate to intermediate.
Cambridge.

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