Vocabulary list. Вопросительная форма

Вопросительная форма

Отрицательная форма

Утвердительная форма

There is a cash dispenser in the branch. There is money on the account. There are cash dispensers in the branch.

There is no cash dispenser in the branch. There is no money on the account. There are no cash dispensers in the branch.

There is not a cash dispenser in the branch. There is not any money on the account. There are not any cash dispensers in the branch.

Is there a cash dispenser in the branch? Is there (any) money on the account? Are there (any) cash dispensers in the branch?

	1.	an item on the agenda — вопрос на повестке дня
	2.	to seek office — зд. претендовать на должность
	3.	to expound one's views on smth — излагать свои взгляды на что-либо
	4.	to preside at a meeting — председательствовать на собрании
	5.	to be employed full-time — работать на постоянной основе
	6.	to sit (be) on a board — быть членом правления
	7.	to attend a meeting — посещать собрание/присутствовать на собрании
	8.	to declare a meeting open — объявить собрание открытым
	9.	to pay tribute to smb — отдать должное кому-либо
	10.	to address a board in alphabetical precedence — выступать перед членами правления в алфавитном порядке
	11.	priority — первоочередная задача syn. principal objective
	12.	to be subject to smth — подвергаться чему-либо
	13.	free enterprise — свободное предпринимательство
	14.	to retard growth — замедлять рост
	15.	to reduce profit — сокращать прибыль
	16.	to measure profit in terms of earnings per share — измерять прибыль в расчете на акцию
	17.	to tumble — зд. падать (о ценах на акции)
	18.	to remain vigilant —сохранять бдительность
	19.	to be financially unsound — быть ненадежным с финансовой точки зрения
	20.	to tie up funds at low rates of yield — инвестировать средства в проекты с низким уровнем дохода
	21.	to fund low-income housing — финансировать жилищное строительство для малоимущих
	22.	housing mortgage — закладная на приобретение жилья
	23.	to be notorious for low return of profit — печально прославиться низким уровнем прибыли
	24.	to make concessions — идти на уступки
	25.	a business loan — ссуда деловым предприятиям

1. During the first week of November Ben Rosselli's physical condition worsened. He didn't control FMA any more.

A group of the bank's senior directors met privately. There was only one item on the agenda. They agreed upon the full board to name a successor to the presidency. The decisive board meeting took place on December 4.

There were not many candidates to choose from. In fact there were only two candidates seeking office. They were Roscoe Heyward and Alex Vandervoort. They were going to expound their views on FMA. Jerome Patterton, vice-chairman of the board, presided at the meeting.

a) Why did FMA's senior directors meet privately?

b) How many items were there on the agenda?

c) There were not many candidates to choose from, were there?

d) Who presided at the meeting?

2. A board of directors of any major American corporation resembles an exclusive club. There are from three to four top management executives who are employed full-time on the board. There are a score or so of outstanding businessmen there. They are often board chairmen or presidents themselves, from other diverse fields. There is one or several reasons for their board membership. They are their own achievements elsewhere, the prestige of the institution they represent, or a strong connection — usually financial — with the company on whose board they sit. Businessmen consider it high honour to be a company director because of prestige. Besides major companies pay each director between one or two thousand dollars for every meeting attended, normally ten a year. Particularly high in prestige is a directorship of any major bank. First Mercantile American, as befitting a bank among the nation's top twenty, possessed an impressive board of directors.

a) There are a few outstanding businessmen on the board of any major American corporation, aren't there?

b) What reasons are there for board membership?

c) Why do businessmen consider it high honour to be a company director?

d) Did FMA possess an impressive board of directors?

3. Alex Vandervoort surveyed the other directors as they took seats around the long boardroom table and decided there was a high percentage of dead wood on the board. There were also conflicts of interest since some directors, or their companies, were major borrowers of bank money. "There is much work to do to make the FMA board more representative and less like a cosy club" Alex thought. There were not many supporters of Alex Vandervoort on the board. Alex knew that one of his strong supporters was Leonard Kingswood, chairman of Northam Steel.

a) Why was there much work to do to make the FMA board more impressive?

b) There were many supporters of Alex Vandervoort on the board, weren't there?

c) Who was Alex's strong supporter?

4. A hum of conversation in the boardroom quitened. Jerome Patterton declared the meeting open. Predictably, he paid tribute to Ben Rosselli, enumerated reasons for the meeting, principally the need to name, speedily, a new chief executive for First Mercantile American Bank. Then Roscoe Heyward and Alex Vandervoort addressed the board in alphabetical precedence. Roscoe Heyward rose to his feet. There was a prepared text on the table in front of him.

"Members of the board, since this is a closed and private meeting, there are some priorities I want to elaborate on — the profitability of FMA, gentlemen, is our priority number one. In my view, social issues influence too many decisions in banking, and in business generally. As a banker I believe this to be wrong.

Corporate policies should not be subject to every changing social wind. It is dangerous to American free enterprise. It lessens our bank's strength, retards growth and reduces profits".

There were approving nods from several of the directors. Others, including the steelman Leonard Kingswood, remained expressionless.

a) What did Jerome Patterton discuss at the beginning of the meeting?

b) Was there an advertising proof on the table in from of Roscoe Heyward?

c) There was only one priority Roscoe Heyward wanted to elaborate on, wasn't there?

d) What was priority number one in Heyward's view? Why?

5. Heyward made a pause and then went on. "I spoke of profit as our principal objective. There are some who object to that. They argue it is shortsighted and selfish. Well, as banker I disagree. All banks measure profit in terms of earnings per share. Shareholders, depositors, investors and the business community nationally and internationally study widely such earnings. They regard a rise or fall in bank earnings as a sign of strength or weakness. While earnings are strong, confidence in banking is high. If big banks show decreased earnings per share, there is general alarm. Depositors with draw funds, and shareholders their investments. Bank stocks tumble. In short, there is a public crisis. This is why a bank like ours must remain vigilant in its duty to make money for itself and its shareholders.

a) In what way do all banks measure profit?

b) Are there many people who study earnings per share?

c) When is confidence in banking high?

d) In what circumstances is there general alarm?

e) There were not any murmurings of approval around the boardroom at Heyward's words, were there?

6. "How, as a bank, do we achieve maximum profit? There are some points I want to make. First, we do not achieve it by becoming involved with projects, which while good in intent, are either financially unsound or tie up bank funds at low rates of yield for many years. I refer to the funding of low-income housing. We should not place more than a minimal portion of bank funds in housing mortgages of any kind which are notorious for their low return or profit. Second, we do not achieve profitability by making concessions and lowering lending standards as, for example, with minority business loans. Third, we should not concern ourselves unduly with matters of environment. It is not our business to pass judgement on the way our customers conduct their business vis-à-vis ecology. This bank should depend on its business with American industry. We need pragmatic leadership. We should lend our own and our depositors' money only on the basis of the best return". Heyward sat down amid applause.

a) There were two points Roscoe Heyward made, weren't there?

b) What points did he make?

c) What did FMA need in Heyward's view?

d) Was there applause when Roscoe Heyward sat down?

Дата добавления: 2014-12-26