Reading Extra Texts Teachers Book
Reading Extra Texts Teachers Book
Reading Extra Texts Teachers Book
Stress
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TECH N I Q U E S F O R D EALI N G W I TH SliR ESS
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Rhymer Rigby and
answer the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
B eating stress
B y Rhymer Rigby
1 Read through the whole article and match g) amounts of work that people have to do (9)
each question (a-d) to the paragraph (1-4) h) If something increases a lot, it increases
that answers it. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (9)
a) What should I look out for? i) If you feel responsible for something bad, you
b) What are some of the causes? feel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6)
c) Is all stress bad?
5 Choose the alternative with the closest
d) How do I manage it?
meaning to the expression in italic.
2 Complete the table with words from a) Create (line 30) time ...
paragraph 1. i) make
ii) do
noun adjective or -ing form iii) get
b) ... to organise your thoughts, plan your tasks
organisation
(line 31) and understand what is going o n around
psychological you.
i) what you did
healthy ii) what you have to do
stressed, stressful iii) what you want
c) If you are constantly (line 33) working long hours,
motivation then create good reasons to leave work on time.
production i) always
ii) often
able iii) sometimes
d) "Think of this as a kind of emotional exercise
3 Now match the adjectives in Exercise 2 to (line 37)," says Prof Cooper.
their meanings. i) activity -t
m
ii) plan X
This adjective is used to describe someone who ... -t
iii) project
a) is doing a lot and getting results.
e) "Even if you enjoy working from eight until eight, �
z
b) feels worried and tired because they have too "
in the long term (line 40) it's not good for you."
much work. i) long time
c) is in a good physical and mental condition. ii) long period
d) can do something. iii) long run
......i
STRESS I N TH E P U B L I C S ECTOR �:�
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Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Brian Groom and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DI FFICULTY e e e
1 Look through the whole article and match 3 Read paragraphs 2 and 3 and decide if these
the figures to the things that they refer to. statements are true or false.
1 573 a) the average number of days of a) Anxiety and depression are mental health
absence of public sector workers problems.
per year b) About 20 per cent of employers say that mental
2 1.5m b) the number of public sector health problems have increased in the past year.
organisations who think stress is c) About 20 per cent of employers said last year that
an important cause of absence mental health problems had increased in relation
3 9.6 c) the average number of days to the previous year.
of absence of private sector
d) About 80 per cent of employers have started
workers per year
thinking more about the well-being of their staff
4 6.6 d) the number of companies in the in the past year.
CIPD survey
e) Private sector workers take more days of absence
5 three- e) the number of public sector
than public sector ones.
quarters employers who think change
in their organisation is an t) More than 60 per cent of public sector employers
important cause of stress think that changes in their organisation cause
stress.
6 more than t) the number of workers in the
half private sector who think change g) Fewer than four in ten employees in the private
in their organisation is an sector think that changes in their organisation
important cause of stress cause stress.
7 fewer than g) the number of employees
40 per cent covered in the Cl PO survey 4 Complete these statements with expressions
from paragraph 4.
2 Match the two parts to make expressions a) If you want to make the difference between two
from paragraph 1. things smaller, you try to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ones. (2 words)
Over to you 1
Go back to the answer you gave in 'Before you read'.
Would it be the same now that you have read the
article? Why? I Why not?
Over to you 2
What can companies do to focus on employees' well
being and health?
Read ing
Read this article from the Financial Times by Samantha Pearson and
answer the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
Nine men dressed i n expensive who owns the shop and four has become partic ul arly popu l a r
suits and white coats covered 20 others in the capital, says that one with companies wan t i ng to
with blood gather round a table. of his butchers started offering entertain clients. ·'You could take
Among the group are bankers, a one-off classes three years ago 40 the m to an expensive restaurant,
5 property developer and some of after requests from customers. but they want to do something
E nglan d s richest men. This is
' Now there are three sessions a different. We've even had some
corpora te entertainment in the zs week and half of the places are vegetarians come."
post-banking crisis era and they taken up by corporate bookings. Later on in the evening, the
arc learn i ng the art of b utc hery Borut, a Slovenian butcher J5 men are ch allenged to hold up
10 at an eve ning class in central who jointly runs the class, starts a 45kg side o f beef i n t h e a i r for
London. off by teaching the group how to 20 seconds as their colleagues
The class at the Ginger Pig 30 tell rump from ribeye steak. After and friends count down, cheer
butcher's shop in M aryl ebone c omplet ing a three year degree
- and take pictures with their
has become a popu l ar way for in butchery in Ljubljana, Borut so B l ackBerrys. The prize is a ribeye
15 City institutions to entertain their came to London to follow the steak to take home . Equ i pped
clients in the recession, as many profession that has been in his with saws and knives, they then
cut back on expensive parti es . 35 family for generations. During the go about trying to prepare the
Tim Wilson, the Yo rkshire farmer past six months, he says, the class final cut of beef.
1 Choose the alternative with the closest 3 Correct these expressions used in paragraph
meaning to the expresion in italic. 3 by crossing out the unnecessary word in
each expression.
a) Nine men dressed in (line 1) expensive suits and
white coats covered with blood gather round a I f you ...
table. a) run in a class, you teach it.
i) carrying
b) can tell one thing from of another, you know what
ii) wearing
the difference is between them.
iii) clothing
c) complete off a course, you finish it successfully.
b) This is corporate entertainment in the post-
banking crisis era ... (line 8) d) come to on a place, you arrive there.
i) period following the banking crisis e) follow up a profession, you have a job in that
ii) term after the banking crisis profession.
iii) stage next to the banking crisis f) entertain out clients, you take them to
c) ... and they are learning the art of butchery (line 9) restaurants, special events, etc.
at an evening class in central London.
i) selling meat 4 Complete these statements with words or
ii) eating meat
expressions from paragraph 4.
iii) cutting u p meat
d) The class at the Ginger Pig butcher's shop in a) If you are asked to do something difficult, you
Marylebone has become a popular way for City are c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to do it.
institutions ... (line 1 5) b) If you keep something in the air with your hands,
i) banks and other organisations in London as a you h. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . it u. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
whole c) The people that you work with are your
ii) banks and other organisations in cities c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I S H O S P I TALITY A C R I M E ? • .-:!
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Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Bob Sherwood and
answer the questions.
e e e
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
1 Look through the whole article and decide 5 Complete these statements with appropriate
what the word hospitality refers to. forms of expressions from paragraph 3.
review
f) A formal expression meaning 'to break a law'
bribe bribe, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . is 'to c. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
fear
Over to you 1
4 Read paragraphs 1 and 2 and decide if these
Describe the forms of corporate hospitality that are
statements are true or false.
acceptable for clients in your country.
The new U K laws on bribery ...
a) are causing businesses to check their policies on Over to you 2
hospitality.
...entertaining clients at a sensitive time, such as
b) mean that some hospitality events may be when a contract was due for renewal, would be riskier.
cancelled. How long before or after a contract's renewal would
c) may affect giving free international flights to it be acceptable for the clients to be offered lavish
clients. hospitality? Give your reasons.
d) are not causing a lot of worry among businesses.
Read ing
Read this article from the Financial Times by Tim Bradshaw and
answer the questions.
FT
LEVEL O F DIFFICULTY e e 0
More and more, small I nternet 20 that customer, you should start But search ads are most useful
start-ups are advertising on experimenting with as many .w when people know what they are
television, often within months different marketing channels as looking for - so for companies
of their launch. In the late J 990s, possible." Recent e-commerce trying to build awareness for a
s many of the Internet's biggest companies appearing on UK TV new kind of online service, TV
brands - such as Google, Skype 2s include Spotify, the digital music ads can be more useful.
and Amazon - were built through service; Lovefilm, the DV D-rental 45 "Our goal on TV is to educate
word-of-mouth, without paying and onli ne-video service; G l asses people that there is an alternative
for offline ads. Today Google is Direct, which sells spectacles; to the high street," says Kevin
10 advertising on T V and b i llboards, Wonga, a loan provider; and Corn its, chiefexecutive of Glasses
and i n vestors are encouraging 30 Just-Eat, which lets people order Direct. "'Anyone can do an ad
more of their start-up companies from local fast food takeaways so online, but people trust TV." Mat
to take advantage of television. online. Braddy, marketing chief at Just
Index Ventures invests in Such companies started off Eat, buys TV advertising to target
1s Internet start-ups. Saul Klein, a by advertising on Google's younger people i n early evenings
partner at Index, says: "Once you 35 search ads, which allow an exact and at weekends. "If you're
have a clear sense of how much analysis of how much each ad ss clever about it, you can advertise
it costs you to get a customer cost and how much the visitor at the times of day when people
and the total l i fetime value of who saw the ad went on to spend. make the decision to eat," he says.
1 Look through the whole article and find the 5 Correct these statements about the
names of: expressions in italic as they are used in the
article.
a) three 'old' Internet companies.
b) a company that invests in Internet start-up a) A goal (line 45) is only something that happens
companies. in football.
c) someone who works for the investment company b) If you educate (line 45) people, this always
in b). happens in schools.
d) five new Internet companies. c) If you have an alternative (line 46), you have no
e) people who work for two of these companies. choice.
d) The high street (line 47) is in the same place as a
shopping mall.
2 Find three forms of advertising in paragraph 1.
e) If you do (line 49) an ad online, you read an ad on
the Internet.
3 Complete these expressions from lines
f) I f advertisers target (line 52) particular people,
14-34 with the correct prepositions.
they do not want to reach them and communicate
a) invest _ _ a start-up with them.
b) experiment _ _ _ _ different things
c) appear __ TV 6 Choose the best summary of the whole
d) order something _ _ _ _ somewhere article.
a) the total amount that a customer buys from c) TV advertising is only useful to get people to
-f
a company order takeaway food online. IT1
><
t l
_ _ _ _ v
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
-f
Over to you 1 OJ
b) different ways of advertising )>
m c 'People trust TV advertising.' Is this true in your z
"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
f) examination
a _ _ _ _ _ __
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...
N EW E NTRE P R E N E U RS - -�t·
·
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by luke Johnson and answer
the questions.
e e e
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
1 Put the paragraph headings i n the correct g) Of course, many more people attend (line 43)
order. university now; ...
i) wait for
a) Women entrepreneurs ii) go to
b) The importance of social networking iii) drop out of
c) Graduate entrepreneurs h) .. . yet when I left Oxford, it was seen by many as
d) Entrepreneurs and the Internet "wasting" a degree to want to create (line 46) a
business.
i) start
2 Answer these questions about paragraph 1.
ii) manufacture
a) When did the writer arrive in the world of business? iii) invent
b) What expression does the writer use to describe i) Women entrepreneurs are much more common
what has happened since then? (line 48) than in the past, with almost one in three
c) What does the expression in question b) above UK start-ups in 2009 founded by a woman.
mean? i) ordinary ii) often iii) usual
d) Why has this happened?
4 Complete the table with words from
e) Are all start-ups now Internet companies?
paragraphs 2 and 3, in the form they are
f) How many people work at Facebook?
used in the article.
g) Why are investors willing to put money into
companies with no sales revenues? verb noun
understand
3 Choose the alternative with the closest
meaning to the expression in italic. succeed
a) An understanding of how to use Facebook, target
Twitter, Foursquare and the rest is important to -I
the success of almost any brand targeted at jump IT1
><
(line 28) the young. waste -I
i) made for OJ
creation )>
ii) made by :z
iii) presented to "
b) Each new wave of technology is accepted very 5 Now match the nouns in Exercise 4 to their
quickly. Things used to evolve (line 31) much meanings.
more gradually.
a) the act of starting something
i) stay
ii) event b) the customers that something is made for
iii) change c) when you achieve what you wanted or hoped for
c) Start-ups are far more likely to be founded by d) when you do not use something in an effective way
graduates (line 34) than they used to be. e) when you know what something means, know
i) people with degrees how it works, etc.
ii) people with a gradual approach to business
f) when something is more than before
iii) people with doctorates
d) In the past six years in the Ul<, there has been a
6 I m agine a different headline for the article.
46 per cent jump .. . (line 37)
Choose the best alternative from the
i) fall
following.
ii) decrease
iii) increase a) When I was a young man, business start-ups were
e) . . . in the number of graduates describing easier
themselves as self-employed. (line 39) b) Thirty years of change in the world of entrepreneurs
i) working for a company c) Graduate start-ups are the way to go
ii) working for themselves
iii) working hard
Over to you 1
f) I am sure that will continue, partly because
comfortable jobs are much harder (line 41) to get. Is it possible nowadays to start a business that does not
i) more difficult depend on the Internet in some way? Explain your ideas.
ii) easier
iii) better paid Over to you 2
Do you think that university graduates are 'wasting'
their degree if they start a business? Give your reasons.
•. - :::1 •
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Roger Blitz and Rose
Jacobs and answer the questions.
e e e
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
1 Look through the whole article and find the f) Consumption (line 24) can be measured both by ...
names of: i) the popularity of a sport
ii) the amount eaten at stadium restaurants
a) four types of sport.
iii) the number of spectators
b) two teams that play one of these sports.
g) ... the numbers participating (line 25) in the sport
c) two teams that play another of these sports. and those watching it.
d) three sports organisations. i) activating
e) two people who work for these organisations. ii) taking part
iii) gaming
f) four countries mentioned in relation to a
particular sport.
4 Complete the table with words from
g) two countries mentioned in relation to another
paragraphs 3 and 4, in the form they are
sport.
used in the article.
3 Choose the alternative with the closest 5 Now match the nouns in Exercise 4 to their
meaning to the expression i n italic. meanings in the context of the article.
a) American football is also in the fourth year of its a) when something gets bigger
own export drive. (line 13)
b) when a product enters a new market
i) road
ii) lane c) when a ball hits the ground and goes up again
iii) campaign d) how much a product is known about, bought, etc.
b) On Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers take on e) starting or making something for the first time
(line 15) the Denver Broncos at Wembley stadium f) when someone hits a ball with their foot
in London ...
g) the act of sinking your teeth into something
i) play
ii) carry h) places where something is sold
iii) employ
c) ... in the latest annual attempt to sell the National Over to you 1
Football League to a new audience. (line 19) Why do you think baseball and American football are
i) listener not (with some exceptions) generally as popular around
ii) spectator the world as they are in the US?
iii) public
d) Sports operators face competition from other Over to you 2
sports for revenues . (line 21)
..
MARKETI N G MACH I N E S
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Before you read
Are coffee-making and tea-making machines for the home becoming
popular?
Read ing
Read this article from the Financial Times by Haig Simonian and
answer the questions.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
FT
e e e
Competition in the hot drinks he said he wanted to make 35 1 0 capsule pack costing €3.50.
market reached boiling point on "the Nespresso of tea". The Over on the coffee front, a
Wednesday, as a former Nestle 20 first machines. to be assembled commercial court in the Swiss
executive launched a new tea in China from European city of St Gallen gave Nestle
making system to compete with components, will go on sale an important legal victory
the Swiss food group's own in China in Apri l . with other .lQ on Monday when it won its
recently launched product. The Asian markets next year. and case against discount retailer
move followed legal action, as 25 Europe possibly following. Denner. Denner had been selling
Nestle this week won a court The new system. to be sold Nespresso-compatible coffee
10 battle to ban a rival product in in China for Rmb5.000 ($756), capsules for about half the Nestle
its highly profi table Nespresso followed Nestle's launch last year 45 price. Last June Nestle showed its
business. of Special T, a tea-making system w i l l i ngness to defend Nespresso.
Eric Favre, previously Jo designed to do for tea what which it says is protected by
Nespresso's chief executive, Nespresso has done for coffee. I ,700 patents. It took legal action
1s and who is now an i ndependent Machines for Nestle's Special against the US company Sara
businessman, launched Tpresso. T system, launched initia11y i n 50 Lee, when it launched its L'Or
a new tea-making system which France, cost € 1 29 ($ 1 68), with a Espresso machine.
1 Look through the whole article and find the 5 Answer these questions about paragraph 4.
names of:
a) Who won the court case between Nestle and
a) a big Swiss food compa ny . Denner?
b) a coffee machine that the company makes. b) Why did Nestle take legal action against Denner?
c) someone who used to work for the company. c) Which two other things show that Nestle wants to
d) a tea-making machine that he has launched. protect its Nespresso machine?
'...
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...
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B U S I N E S S TRAVE L
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Rhymer Rigby and
answer the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
1 Put the paragraph headings in the correct 4 Match the two parts to make expressions
order. from paragraphs 3 and 4.
a) you are expected (line 1) to do something, this is b) Organise meetings to take account of how you
what people want you to do. will be feeling when you arrive.
b) you ensure (line 3) that something will happen, c) Don't eat or drink too much on the plane.
you make certain that it will happen.
c) something is fashionable (line 5), not many Over to you 1
people are doing it. What advice would you give for planning a) a successful
d) you find a solution (line 9) to a problem, you find business trip, or b) a successful holiday trip?
an answer to it.
e) you are driven (lines 9-10) somewhere, you drive Over to you 2
yourself there. This article is about time planning on business trips.
t) you are productive (line 16), you don't do much What tips would you give for time management in
useful work. relation to planning your work or studies?
g) x is potentially (line 16) cheaper than y, it will
certainly be cheaper.
h) your time is worth (line 18) a particular amount,
that is its value.
'
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B U S I N E S S I D EAS THAT TA �E Q f�
. -
Before you read
Why do some business ideas 'take ofr and become successful, but
most do not? Make a list of all the factors for success/failure that you
can think of.
Read ing
Read this article from t h e Financial Times by Alina Dizik and answer
the questions.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
FT
1 Choose the alternative with the closest 3 Read paragraphs 1 and 2. What does each
meaning to the expression in italic. word in italic below refer to?
a) When launching (line 1) Gilt Groupe, an online a) They didn't write a traditional business plan.
shopping site ... b) They gave one to venture capitalists.
i) continuing (2 expressions)
ii) starting
c) They found them through Harvard Business
iii) closing
School.
b) ... that currently (line 2) has 3 m members, ...
d) It was difficult because they were not used to
i) at the time
presentations like this. (2 expressions)
ii) during the period
iii) now
4 Read paragraphs 3 and 4 and decide if these
c) to write a traditional (line 4) business plan.
statements about expressions as they are
i) usual
ii) normal used in the article are true or false.
iii) old-fashioned a) Initial (line 33) is used to describe something that
d) "You could have taken a good month to write a relates to the beginning of something.
beautiful 40-page business plan, but you could b) Build (line 35) is only used in relation to houses
have lost a critical (line 12) month ... and other buildings.
i) a difficult
c) Intense (line 37) competition is weak.
ii) a serious
d) If something expands (line 40), it grows.
iii) an important
e) A recession (line 42) is a period when the
e) ... in getting (line 13) your product to market,"
economy gets smaller.
says Ms Maybank, who adds that competition
was coming quickly. f) If goods are offered on a limited-time (line 43)
i) bringing basis, they are available for a very long period.
ii) obtaining g) A bargain (line 44) is when you pay a lot for -l
m
iii) sending something, more than you think it is worth. ><
-l
f) "You don't really know if an idea is going to take
OJ
off before putting it in front of (lines 17-18) 5 What is the key message of the article? >
customers." z
Choose the best summary. "
i) placing it to
ii) making it available to a) Successful businesses always start on the basis
iii) serving it to of a detailed business plan, detailed analysis and
the opening of a number of stores.
Read i ng
Read this article from the Financial Times by Brian Groom and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
1 Look through the whole article. What is it d) caring about your organisation and its success
mainly about? e) improving employees' skills
a) employees' opinions of their companies f) something that may be true, but needs to be
confirmed
b) managers' opinions of their employees
g) someone who works for an organisation
c) neither of the above
verb noun
1 redundancy a) 'I always believe what our
employ . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . .. .. . . .. . Chief Executive tells us.'
Over to you 1
4 Now match the nouns in Exercise 3 to their
What are the biggest causes of stress i n your
meanings in the context of this article.
organisation?
a) a set of questions that you ask a lot o f people in
order to find out about their opinions
Over to you 2
b) continuous feelings of worry
What can senior managers do to increase employees'
c) when there is more of something than before trust in the m? Give five examples.
.. -
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Yih-teen Lee and Pablo
Cardona and answer the questio ns .
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e e
Victorinox
By Yih-teen Lee and Pablo Cardona
Victorinox is famous for its core channels. Victorinox needed to company miSSIOn is the goal
product - the Swiss army knife. 20 find a way to survive and to deal of many businesses. But few
The company was founded in with the fact that there were too achieve this. The secret lies
1884 in Ibach, a small town in many employees. .w in the way that Victorinox has
5 the German-speaking part of Victorinox decided not to always treated its employees. It
Switzerland, by Karl Elsener. He get rid of workers. However, created some employee-oriented
wanted to create jobs tl1at would 25 it stopped hiring new workers, management systems, such as
be long term. This has remained cancelled overtime and reduced long-term employment. training
a cornerstone of the company the workday by 15 minutes. 45 and development opportunities,
10 culture. Employees were encouraged and a policy which aims to
After the terrorist attacks on to take vacation, sometimes in better integrate young and
the US in September 200 I , new 30 advance of when it was due. older workers, immigrants, and
air line safety regulations around Victorinox kept all the employees people with disabilities into its
the world stopped passengers from on its own payroll, while lending so workforce. It also maintains a 5: I
1s taking knives on board. The rules 80 or so to other companies for up salary ratio between the highest
had a serious effect on Victorinox. to six months. paid and average-paid workers.
because sales of pocket tools at Js Having committed workers
airports were important sales who understand and share the
1 Put the paragraph headings in the correct 4 Find words in paragraph 4 with the number
order. of letters shown in brackets that mean the
following.
a) The strategic response
b) The key lessons a) A word ending in -ed that describes employees
who believe in their organisation, want to do their
c) The challenge
best for it, etc. (9)
d) Company history
b) A noun used to talk about the company's
purpose. (7)
2 Choose the alternative with the closest
c) A noun meaning objective, also used in football. (4)
meaning to the expression in italic.
d) A verb used to talk about reaching objectives.
a) Victorinox is famous . .. (line 1) (Give the infinitive.) (7)
i) infamous
e) A verb used here to talk about how the company
ii) well-known
considers its employees, what it does for them,
iii) interesting
etc. (Give the infinitive.) (5)
b) ... for its core (line 1) product- the Swiss army
knife.
f) A word combination used to describe things that
are good for workers. (8-8)
i) most important
ii) most profitable g) A noun used to talk about the way that
iii) sharpest employees can learn new skills, get more
important jobs in the company, etc. (11)
c) The company was founded (line 3) in 1884 in
Ibach, a small town in the German-speaking part h) A noun referring to people who come from other
of Switzerland, by Karl Elsener. countries. (10)
i) begin i) A verb used to say that a situation is kept, not
ii) placed changed. (Give the infinitive.) (8)
iii) started
-i
d) He wanted to create jobs that would be long 5 Choose the best summary of the whole ITt
term. (lines 7-8) article. X
-i
i) were necessary OJ
Victorinox ...
ii) were well-paid )>
a) has always had employee-oriented policies, and z
i ii) would last "
its actions after 9/1 1 were part of this long-term
e) This has remained a cornerstone (line 9) of the
'philosophy'.
company culture.
i) one of the most important parts b) treated its employees particularly well when sales
ii) one of the most interesting parts fell after the 9/1 1 attacks.
iii) one of the weakest parts c) is always willing for its employees to work for
other companies, rather than lay them off.
f) ... because sales of pocket tools at airports were
important sales (line 18) channels.
i) spreading Over to you 1
ii) distribution Why do you think many companies don't share
iii) delivery Victorinox's values? What reasons might they give?
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Rahul Jacob and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
fn Hong Kong, the man and founding family. Asian business office of McKi. nsey, the consulting
woman on the street show more people typically trust an inner firm, is that in the typical family
interest in the lives of the city's circle, which starts with the run business, fam.ily, ownership
tycoons than perhaps anywhere family. Moreover, in developing and business issues are mixed
5 else in the world. On Tuesday, 25 countries, the personal contacts 45 together. "The more you can
Walter Kwok, who, following between founder and family are separate these three, the longer
a dispute with his brothers and more important than they are in your fam.ily business will last,"
sisters, lost his stake in one of the the west. says Mr Ngai.
world's most valuable property The disputes between the Still, change is happening,
10 companies, Sun Hung Kai JO two Indian billionaire brothers, so even in countries like India,
Properties, said that he had been Mukesh and Ani! Ambani of long dominated by family
offered HK$20bn ($2.6bn) to Reliance Industries, over the companies. The founders of
settle the dispute, but that it was past few years have been on an lnfosys Technologies, the
not enough. epic scale. In 2009, the younger Bangalore-based software firm,
15 The family-controlled public 35 brother, Ani!, even flew from 55 were so determined to create
companies of Hong Kong are Mumba.i to the Himalayas seeking a professionally-run company
characteristic of the Asian model the god Shiva's help in the hope that they ordered that none of
of management, say observers. of resolving his dispute with his the founders' children would be
The Asian public company brother. The problem, says Joseph allowed to work in the business.
20 is often an extension of the 40 Nga.i, who heads the Hong Kong
1 Look through the whole article. Which 5 Answer these questions about paragraph 3,
headline (a-c) could be used instead of the starting your answers with the words given.
existing headline?
a ) Have the disputes between the Ambani brothers
a ) Family-run Asian companies and their problems been on a small scale? - No, they ...
b) Family-run companies around the world b) Did one of the brothers seek outside help to
c) Family-run companies in India resolve the dispute? - Yes, he even ...
c) Why are disputes so d ifficult to resolve in
2
family-run businesses? - Because many different
Look through the whole article and find the
issues ...
names of:
d) What is the best way to resolve them ? - By ...
a) a very rich property developer in Hong Kong.
e) What happens if you can resolve family business
b) the name of the company in which he had a stake. disputes?- The longer the business ...
c) two Indian billionaire brothers.
d) their company. 6 Complete the table with words from lines
e) a god whom one of the brothers went to 'see' in 40-58 in the form they are used in the
order to help solve a dispute. article.
f ) a consulting firm with an office in Hong Kong.
verb noun
g) someone who works for it.
h) an Indian IT company. head
separation
3 Find words and expressions in paragraph 1
that mean the following. change
Read ing
Read this article from the Financial Times by Stefan Stern and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e e
1 Look through the whole article. What is it 6 Now match the expressions in Exercise 5 to
mainly about? their meanings.
f ) type k _ __
g) solver ______
1 bad conflict
2 new businesses
3 successfully managed research
4 effective news
5 international performance
6 better corporate strategy
Read ing
Read this article from the Financial Times by Andrew jack and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e e
GlaxoSmithKiine aims to start to remain in their current jobs Royal Free and University College
working this year with LO rather than become employees of Medical School in London,
university "superstar researchers" a biotechnology company. 45 designed to develop a treatment
in long-term partnerships to 25 Patrick Vallance, senior vice- for a rare form of heart disease. Mr
5 help develop medicines more president for drug discovery and Vallance said he planned to sign
effectively and cheaply. The development at GSK, said: "We 10 such deals this year. Under the
aim is to work closely with want partnerships that allow agreement, Prof Pepys' company
leading medical researchers university researchers to work all so Pentraxin Therapeutics receives a
over a decade, all the way to the JO the way through to the end of the small upfront fee allowing GSK
10 launch of a new drug. This will project, getting a big reward if a to gain an exclusive licence for
allow GSK to use its knowledge medicine is launched." The move his experimental drug when it
while providing the university comes as the UK pharmaceutical is launched. "It's a wonderful
researchers with investment that group cuts back on expensive but ss idea," said Prof Pepys. "This new
will be more than paid back if a 35 unproductive in-house research partnership with GSK is very
15 n�w drug is successful. and attempts to change from exciting."
While big drug companies investment in their own research
have often licensed ideas from centres towards partnerships with
universities and then take full outside developers.
control, GSK wants instead to -10 GSK has recently signed a
20 continue working with leading contract with Professor Mark
medical researchers who prefer Pepys, head of medicine at the
1 Look through the whole article. Is it about e) a company cuts back (line 34) spending on
finding new drugs in: something, it increases the amount that it
spends.
a) the Amazon jungle?
f) work is unproductive (line 35), it gets good
b) university laboratories? results.
c) drug companies' laboratories? g) you attempt (line 36) to do something, you try
to do it.
2 Look through the whole article and find the
names of: 5 Complete the table with words from lines
a) a pharmaceutical company. 19-52, in the form they are used in the
b) someone who works for it. article.
treat
3 Find words in paragraph 1 that mean the
following. plan
a) a noun for someone who is very famous in their agree
profession � ________
license
b) an adjective that means 'over a long time'
I -t
6 Now match the nouns in Exercise 5 to their
c) a plural noun for people working together
meanings.
P-----------
d) an adverb to say that something is done in a good a) a way of curing a disease
way e ---------- b) when you pay for the right to use someone's
e) an adverb to say that something is done without ideas in a product
spending a lot of money c _ _ _ _ __ c) when two or more people decide to work together
f) an adverb to describe the way that people work on something
together c _ _ _ _ __ d) the power to make someone o r something do
g) a noun for the time when a new product is sold what you want
for the first time I _ _ _ __ e) a series of actions, etc. to achieve a result
h) a noun for a period of 10 years f) making or improving something
d _____
g) finding something new
i) a word ending in -ing that means 'giving'
P--------
Over to you 1
j) an adjective to say that the result of something
Should the purpose of universities be more for a)
is good � _________
Reading
Read this article from the Financial Times by Sarah Murray and answer
the questions.
FT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY e e 0
With computers, transport 20 boxes." Worse, products usually to other online retailers for their
managers can pack a truck so need to be collected from all sorts -10 purcha es. "If returning products
that only the minimum of space of different places. As a result, it is not customer-friendly. it's going
is left empty. They can work out can cost four times as much to to hurt the retailer's business,"
s exactly how to fill the vehicle take something back as to send says Scott Harkins, vice-president
with goods ready for market. 2s it out. of product marketing at FedEx.
But what about transporting the One factor behind increasing 45 However, an even bigger
"uglies" - the boxes of different return rates is the growth in online challenge is on the way. European
shapes and sizes contajning retailing. "With online shopping Union law now requires
10 broken and unwanted products - there's an attitude of 'I'll buy it manufacturers and importers of
back to the manufacturer? 30 and, if I don't like it, l'll send it electronic goods to collect and
Martin Patten, manager of back'," says Jonathan Wright, a so recycle them at the end of their
the technology programme for senior executive in Accenture's lives. "The transport of goods
Europe at Cisco Systems, the global supply chain COnsultancy. after the sale of the product is now
1s computer equipment supplier, "With Internet sales, up to one as important as it is before the
says, ''You can't use space on 35 in five products gets sent back, sale, and that's a huge change,"
trucks in the best way for returns which is huge." ss says Mr Wright.
because people might use different Moreover, if that process is
wrapping or put things in bigger inconvenient, shoppers can go
1 look at the headline and look quickly e) However (line 45), an even bigger challenge is on
c) In speaking and writing, you can introduce a new g) "The transport o f goods after the sale o f the
idea with 'IN........................ product is now as important as it is before the
' sale {lines 53-54), and that's a huge change,"
a........................ .
says Mr Wright.
d) Products that are sent back to the supplier or
i) they sell
manufacturer are called r........................ .
ii) they are sold
e) Material used to protect and contain a product is iii) they are selling
its IN........................ .
f) I f you take something from a particular place, you 5 look through the whole article again. Which
c....... . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . it from there.
two of these things are not specifically
g) If companies transport goods for delivery, they mentioned in relation to returning goods?
)... . . ....... ............ them o........................ .
a) The cost o f fuel for trucks.
b) The difficulty of packing returned goods on
3 Read paragraphs 3 and 4 and decide if these
trucks. -i
statements are true or false. m
c) Returning goods bought online. X
a) Customers are sending more products back -i
d) The difficulty of arranging a convenient time to �
because of poor quality. )>
collect things.
b) People shopping online buy things knowing that z
e) New EU rules on recycling. "
they can always send them back.
c) The percentage of goods bought online and
returned is not very big. Over to you 1
With Internet sales, up to one in five products gets sent
d) Sending things back is always easy, so there is no
competition between online retailers on this. back, which is huge. Does this figure surprise you?
Why? I Why not?