The Flaws of Age Discrimination

1. The British employment laws have encouraged younger people to value the wisdom that age and experience brings - often confounding their prejudices and establishing a new respect and friendship that bridge the age-gap. There is also a measurable change in the recognition of age-linked capability. "60 is the new 40" people are fond of saying. And it's true. Given better health, education and opportunity, the middle-aged are far more ambitious, adaptable and teachable than they used to be, just a generation ago.

2. In the case of ageism, there must be very few who would want to return to that old workplace atmosphere, in the UK, where the over 40's lived in permanent fear of redundancy, just because their boss might feel one morning that they were past their 'sell by date'. That was a type of institutionalized, bullying behaviour, and was certainly a stress factor to the employee involved. Also fear itself is known to inhibit performance out of all proportion to the actual risk and a constant mood of apprehension would certainly impact upon both team and individual productivity. But if the UK can claim to be at the forefront of anti-ageism, I can assure you that some profoundly mixed messages can come out of the whole ageism agenda. Take the selection of TV news presenters. The television stations have to achieve ratings based on viewer choice, so it is possible to argue that the bias in favour of young, female newscasters is justified, as it's clearly an appearance-based role.

3. Sometimes it appears that it may soon become an offence to remunerate people in respect of their valuable experience and qualification! I certainly hope not. A job should be given on the person's ability to do it - whether the applicant is 20 or 60, a slim young female with a pretty face or a middle-aged man with a moustache. The person specification should relate closely to the criteria of the job specification.

VII. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) The British employment laws have improved peace of mind.

2) It never appears that it may soon become an offence to remunerate people in respect of their valuable experience and qualification!

3) Ageism leads a person to a stress.

VIII. Прочитайте абзац 3 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

What are the criteria to be given a job?

Контрольная работа №2

Вариант №1

I. Переведите письменно существительные (1-10). Выберите определения

(a – j), соответствующие существительным:

1) commerce	a) the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries
2) export	b) a country or area that is under political control of a more powerful country
3) import	c) the people who live in the same area, town, etc.
4) colony	d) the sale of goods in shops to customers for their own use
5) equipment	e) the business of selling and sending goods to other countries
6) currency	f) very large shop
7) community	g) place where you buy things
8) retail	h) the system or type of money that a country uses
9) shop	i) the tools, machines, clothes etc. that you need to do a particular job
10) supermarket	j) a product that that is brought from one country into another

II. a) Выполните КОПР № 3, 5.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните глагол-сказуемое, определите его видовременную форму и залог. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) Japan’s growth has been becoming much less dependent on exports lately.

2) He finally came at 11 a.m. I had been waiting for him in the office since 8:30 a.m.

3) The US economy has been improving since the global financial crisis.

III. a) Выполните КОПР № 1.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) American consumers cannot keep spending more than they earn.

2) Tracing the complex flows of funds is often difficult.

3) Congress failed to approve proposal that the two countries have normalized trade relations.

IV. Перепишите и письменно переведите на русский язык следующие предложения. Помните, что инфинитивные обороты часто соответствуют придаточным предложениям.

1) Russia’s population is expected to fall by 22 % between 2005 and 2050.

2) Insurance companies consider manual workers to be high risk.

3) Price rises are likely to grow next year.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 1, 3.

Foreign Trade of the UK

1. The prominent position of British commerce in world trade during the 18^th and 19^th centuries resulted largely from the geographical isolation of the British Isles from the wars and political troubles. The development of the great trading companies, colonial expansion, and naval control of the high seas* were main factors. Before the 17^th century the foreign trade of England was almost completely in the hands of foreigners. Wool was the principal export, and manufactured goods were the chief imports. Under the mercantile system the government fostered British foreign trade, the development of shipping, and trading companies. As British overseas possessions increased, the raising of sheep for wool and mutton became a major occupation in the colonies. The practice of exporting wool from England was gradually replaced by the import of wool and the manufacture and export of fabrics. Cotton textiles, iron, steel, and coal soon became significant British exports.

2. In the early 1990s Britain remained one of the world’s leading trading nations. Its major exports were road vehicles and other transportation equipment, industrial machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, etc. Exports were valued at $190 billion annually in the early 1990s. In the same period, annual imports totaled $221 billion. Trade with other Commonwealth members and with the sterling area (a group of countries whose currencies are tied to the British pound sterling) declined after Great Britain joined the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1973. Trade with Western Europe has become more important.

3. Most domestic retail trade is conducted through independently owned shops, although the number of chain stores and supermarkets is increasing. More than half of all wholesale trade is carried out in London.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) As British overseas possessions increased, the raising of sheep for wool and mutton became a minor occupation in the colonies

2) In the early 1990s the major exports in Britain were road vehicles and other transportation equipment.

3) UK trade with USA is increasing fast.

VII. Прочитайте абзац 2 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

When did trade with other Commonwealth members and with the sterling area decline?

Вариант №2

I. Переведите письменно существительные (1-10). Выберите определения

(a – j), соответствующие существительным:

1) manager	a) raising money for a person
2) consumer	b) danger; a chance of suffering harm or loss
3) entrepreneur	c) anything that is done
4) benefits	d) a person who buys goods or services
5) risk	e) one in charge of managing an enterprise for business
6) job	f) a trademark or label that names a product
7) research	g) a person who launches or manages a business venture
8) brand	h) a rise in the amount or size of something
9) increase	i) offers a public service as water, heat, electricity
10) utility	j) a detailed study of a subject

II. a) Выполните КОПР № 3, 5.

1) Managing change effectively had been related to success before the economic crisis.

2) The company representatives have been negotiating a contract for two hours.

3) The exhibition has always been the place for introducing new products and new technologies.

III. a) Выполните КОПР № 1.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) Organizations exist to combine human efforts in order to achieve certain goals.

2) We have to decide whether it’s worth risking the money

3) Entrepreneurs are responsible for such economic decisions as what to produce, how much to produce and what method of production to adopt.

IV. Письменно переведите на русский язык следующие предложения. Помните, что инфинитивные обороты часто соответствуют придаточным предложениям.

1) Entrepreneurship is regarded to be the first step to success.

2) You want us to help your company by lending you money, don’t you?

3) You expect us to save time for you and get nothing in return.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 1, 2, 3.

Entrepreneurs

1. Entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages a business. This is a French word that has been accepted into the English language. Entrepreneurs are a mystery to some people, especially those who are only comfortable with a nine-to-five existence. The entrepreneur is a business person who prefers to take calculated risks in order to be his or her own boss.

2. Sometimes the entrepreneur is regarded as a business person who takes risks. This is not so. An entrepreneur is a business person who minimizes risks. He does this by advance planning, research, and consideration of all factors that could affect his enterprise. When the entrepreneur forgets to do advance investigation and preparation, then he can be a failure.

3. Speaking about entrepreneurship, professor K.Vesper of the University of Washington says that “Business continue to be launched by people who didn’t make it the first time around. A driving force in entrepreneurship is addictiveness. Once people have a taste of freedom in a business of their own, they like it. They don’t want to go back to working for someone else.”

4. While the percentage of growth for men entering into business independence is not high, women’s increase in a single decade was 69 percent. There is no mystery here. Women go into business for the same reason men do – to make money and to be their own bosses. The rise in female entrepreneurship is like what the early-20^th-century immigrants did – and the more recent waves of immigrants from different parts of the world. Entrepreneurship is regarded to be the first step to success.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) An entrepreneur is regarded as a business person who takes risks.

2) Once people have a taste of freedom in a business of their own, they don’t want to go back to working for someone else.

3) Each person who owns stock in a corporation becomes its co-owner.

VII. Прочитайте абзац 5 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

Why do women go into business?

Вариант №3

I. Переведите письменно существительные (1-10). Выберите определения

(a – j), соответствующие существительным:

1) decade	a) the amount as of money or goods, asked for or given in exchange for something else
2) export	b) business enterprise; a firm
3) business	c) to send or transport abroad, especially for trade or sale
4) company	d) the occupation, work, or trade in which a person is engaged
5) wage	e) a period of ten years
6) profit	f) articles produced to be sold
7) goods	g) payment for labor or services to a worker, especially remuneration on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis
8) consumer	h) the capacity of a physical system to do work
9) price	i) the return received on an investment after all charges have been paid
10) energy	j) a person who buys goods or uses services

II. a) Выполните КОПР № 3, 5.

1) Figures show that unemployment has been growing since 1990s.

2) Proposals have been put forward for increasing worker mobility.

3) Experts have been warning of the bankruptcy since the company was founded.

III. a) Выполните КОПР № 1.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) The two carmakers hope to achieve savings of 5% on common projects.

2) American corporations begin to offer entire packages of services.

3) After some hard talking officials decided to take part in a meeting in Geneva.

1) Mobile operators appear to have realized that they need to open up their networks.

2) The Fed[‡] is reported to accept the document issued by “government-sponsored” enterprises.

3) They called for America’s illegal immigrants to be treated sensibly and humanely.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 2, 3, 4.

Land of the Rising Price

1. Japan is the place that should greet the return of inflation with joy. The country has had deflation for over a decade. After an economic recovery which began in 2002 firms pay better wages.

2. Prices are on the rise. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) raised its forecast for ‘core’ inflation in the fiscal year ending in March 2009 to 1.8% up from 1.1%. But even Japan’s “core” inflation rate is rising, as higher prices for wholesale goods pass on to consumers. Higher prices not only do harm to Japan’s external strength. They are hurting companies’ profit margins at home.

3. The prices of Japan’s exports relative to imports have deteriorated[§] for at least four years. Japan’s recovery was supported by strong exports to China, Europe and oil-exporting countries. In value terms, exports to America are shrinking. Now, export growth to Europe looks as if it is shaking.

4. For as long as money remains cheap, corporate restructuring is unlikely to take hold. Some companies will continue to earn for a living on a drip of cheap credit, while plenty of unproductive sectors and smaller businesses will escape the kind of consolidation they need.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) Japan has been in the grip of deflationary forces for over a decade.

2) A burst of inflation won’t provide what economy needs.

3) Consumers are not satisfied with higher prices in Japan.

VII. Прочитайте абзац 1 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

What Japan’s recovery was supported by?

Вариант №4

I. Переведите письменно существительные (1-10). Выберите определения

(a – j), соответствующие существительным:

1) workforce	a) number of people living in a place, country, etc.
2) service	b) making of goods and materials
3) bank	c) the members of the population able to work
4) job	d) money paid regularly for work done
5) rise	e) business agreement
6) industry	f) system or arrangement that supplies public needs
7) deal	g) establishment for keeping money and valuables safely
8) wage	h) employment, post
9) manufacturing	i) upward progress
10) population	j) branch of trade and manufacture

II. a) Выполните КОПР № 3, 5.

1) Before John celebrated his 26^th birthday, he had started his own company.

2) The world’s leading gas and oil exporter has become one of the most attractive markets in the world.

3) The company has been dealing in car sales for many years.

III. a) Выполните КОПР № 1.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) Banks are interested in keeping most of their money in circulation so that it should bring them profit.

2) In 1913 H. Ford began to use assembly-line techniques in his plant.

3) Many countries in Asia have an absolute advantage in manufacturing electronic goods.

1) The RF government is expected to put considerable efforts and financial resources into transport infrastructure, development and modernization.

2) Most secretarial and clerical jobs require the applicant to take a written examination.

3) Some of the major investors wanted the bank to pay a higher interest rate.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 2, 3.

Employment

1. By the year 2000 Britain’s working population – the workforce – was 27 million (nearly 50 per cent of the total population). Those in employment include full-time, part-time and self-employed people. People are employed in manufacturing and service.

2. Employment is also often divided into sections according to the types of work and social class. These categories include professional, manual and non-manual. A doctor, for example, is a professional in the service sector, while a steelworker would be a manual worker (skilled or unskilled) in the manufacturing sector. One trend is very clear in Britain: fewer people now make cars or work in coal mines; more work for banks and hotels.

3. In 1951 ninety-six per cent of the people in work in Britain had full-time jobs and the majority of these (seventy per cent) were held by men. By 2000 twenty-one per cent of jobs were part-time and forty-four per cent of workers were women. The basic employment trend of the 1980s continued, with a general rise in the number of part-time jobs for women, particularly in service industries. The number of people who were self-employed also rose due partly to new technologies and to changing work patterns.

4. There are big differences in pay between men and women. The average full-time wage for women is still only 80 per cent of the male average, even when the same job is involved. Certain highly-paid occupations such as surgery are still almost exclusively for men.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) Employment has risen among people over 55.

2) People are engaged in production and service.

3) The numbers of part-time jobs for women rose due partly to new technologies.

VII. Прочитайте абзац 4 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

What are differences in pay between men and women?

Вариант №5

I. Переведите письменно существительные (1-10). Выберите определения

(a – j), соответствующие существительным:

1) debt	a) the business of buying and selling a specified commodity
2) market	b) a governing body or organization
3) goods	c) articles produced to be sold
4) government	d) the amount of money or goods, asked for or given in exchange for something else
5) price	e) something owed, such as money, goods, or services
6) taxpayer	f) an amount of cash or credit
7) money	g) a person who buys goods or uses services
8) bank	h) money in the form of bills or coins; currency
9) cash	i) a business establishment in which money is kept for saving or commercial purposes or is invested
10) consumer	j) one that pays taxes

II. a) Выполните КОПР № 3, 5.

1) Managers have been increasing sales these three years.

2) The main car manufacturers have raised the prices for car parts .

3) Why have advertising agencies and marketing companies been interested?

III. a) Выполните КОПР № 1.

б) В следующих предложениях подчеркните герундий и инфинитив. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

1) It is very important to listen to customers.

2) You can enjoy the conversation without worrying about when to pay.

3) You should start by offering 10 percent to 15 percent less than the list price.

1) Advertisers are supposed to focus on young people.

2) The company is likely to expand into new markets in the US.

3) Retailers are expected to have a website, where customers can do research before going to the store.

V. Прочитайте и устно переведите на русский язык весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите абзацы 1, 2, 3.

The US Economy

1. The United States of America has the world's largest economy. 2007 GDP is believed to be three times the size of the next largest economy, Japan. US dominance has been eroded by the creation of the European Union common market and by the rapid growth of the BRIC[**] economies, in particular China.

2. The recent failure in the US housing and credit markets have resulted in a slowdown in the US economy. The forces of supply and demand directly drive the price levels of goods and services. What to produce, and how much of it is to be produced depends on the price level fixed by the interaction of supply and demand.

3. The role of government in the US economy is very important when it comes to decision-making in monetary and fiscal policies. The federal government takes all the necessary initiatives to ensure the growth and stability of the United States. The US government makes full use of economic tools such as money supply, tax rates, and credit control to adjust the rate of economic growth. The US Federal Government also regulates the operations of private business concerns in order to prevent monopolies. The government provides support for national defense, monetary aid for research and development programs, funds for highway construction and infrastructure in general.

4. The question of national debt is a controversial one within the US. American consumers are also increasingly dependent on debt and have been re-mortgaging their houses to higher loan amounts, and using the extra cash to fund shopping. This debt figure is the largest in the world in absolute terms, but as a percentage of GDP it is less than Japan and similar to several European countries. Most of the debt is funded by central banks and sovereign wealth funds from Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

VI. Определите, являются ли приведенные ниже утверждения (1, 2, 3)

а) истинными (true)

б) ложными (false)

в) в тексте нет информации (no information)

1) The US government makes full use of economic tools.

2) The president takes all the necessary initiatives to ensure the growth and stability of the United States.

3) The capital of the USA is Washington D.C.

VII. Прочитайте абзац 4 и ответьте письменно на следующий вопрос:

Are American consumers dependent on national debt?