For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): the value of the welfare state
In the 2005 film version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie’s father loses his ..(1).. as a toothpaste
cap-screwer because someone has invented a ..(2).. that can do it much faster. This kind of unemployment is known as
‘technological unemployment’, and has been a constant ..(3).. of capitalism - just think about some of the professions that have all
but ..(4).. except in name: chandler, weaver, miller, etc. Without constantly destroying old jobs and creating new ones ..(5)..
technological innovations, capitalism cannot ..(6).. . But the inevitability of technological unemployment does ..(7).. mean that
unemployed people should be left in the dustbin of history. If Charlie’s family had lived in a country with a ..(8).. state which
..(9).. unemployment benefit for the unemployed worker and income support for his ..(10).. as well as subsidising his retraining,
they would not have had to endure penury - or that continuous diet of cabbage soup.
©the guardian.com
1
A career
B vocation
C job
D duty
2
A machine
B worker
C tool
D system
3
A quality
B feature
C trademark
D slogan
4
A died
B disappeared
C transformed
D changed
5
A without
B despite
C before
D through
6
A develop
B shrink
C emerge
D stop
7
A generally
B not
C occasionally
D exceptionally
8
A welfare
B nanny
C well-being
D modern
9
A donated
B included
C provided
D planned
B debts
C savings
D family
10 A pension
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Check your answers.
1
A career
B vocation
C job
D duty
2
A machine
B worker
C tool
D system
3
A quality
B feature
C trademark
D slogan
4
A died
B disappeared
C transformed
D changed
5
A without
B despite
C before
D through
6
A develop
B shrink
C emerge
D stop
7
A generally
B not
C occasionally
D exceptionally
8
A welfare
B nanny
C well-being
D modern
9
A donated
B included
C provided
D planned
B debts
C savings
D family
10 A pension
C
A
B
B
D
A
B
A
C
D
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Giving Presentations
Most presentations today rely on the use of some sort of technology, such as a laptop computer linked to a projector.
While technology can help to ..(1).. presentations better, it also has a ..(2).. of getting in the way. As a general ..(3).. ,
it is better to ..(4).. on the content of a presentation to ..(5).. the audience’s attention, rather than relying on sophisticated
equipment. As a first step, you need to ..(6).. the main points you want to get across - audiences are easily bored and ..(7)..
to remember only the most entertaining, exciting or unusual ideas. Next, create your materials, choosing any images for
your presentations carefully. Remember, you do not want to stop the audience from listening to you, nor do you want to
..(8).. them. Finally, make all the necessary ..(9).. for the equipment you need. If technology is to be
an important ..(10).. of your presentation, make sure you know how to use it ..(11).. and test it out beforehand.
1
A build
B construct
C make
D produce
2
A behaviour
B habit
C practice
D routine
3
A course
B law
C method
D rule
4
A define
B direct
C focus
D target
5
A collect
B take
C capture
D attract
6
A catalogue
B identify
C label
D mark
7
A try
B need
C want
D tend
8
A complicate
B confuse
C disorder
D mistake
9
A appointments
B arrangements
C organisations
D procedures
10 A function
B part
C role
D share
11 A exactly
B precisely
C properly
D suitably
Giving Presentations
Check your answers.
1
A build
B construct
C make
D produce
2
A behaviour
B habit
C practice
D routine
3
A course
B law
C method
D rule
4
A define
B direct
C focus
D target
5
A collect
B take
C capture
D attract
6
A catalogue
B identify
C label
D mark
7
A try
B need
C want
D tend
8
A complicate
B confuse
C disorder
D mistake
9
A appointments
B arrangements
C organisations
D procedures
10 A function
B part
C role
D share
11 A exactly
B precisely
C properly
D suitably
C
B
D
C
C
B
D
B
B
B
C
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Travel
For the second time, the Korona Hotel has been ..(1).. No. 1 for customer satisfaction. “At our hotel, we ..(2).. our guests more than a
high-quality experience - we get them to enjoy the Korona way of life”, says the General Manager, Kurt Ahlberg, “and we pride
ourselves on excellent ..(3).. in a luxurious environment.” The staff are responsive and service-oriented, they obviously enjoy their
jobs and want to help the clients. The Korona is committed to ..(4).. the needs of today’s international business travellers:
there is high-speed Internet access ..(5).. the hotel, and there are three spacious meeting rooms, with all the facilities needed
for ..(6).. business presentations. In ..(7).. , the location of the hotel is ideal: a three-minute ..(8).. from the international airport.
Ahlberg has long understood that busy ..(9).. cannot afford to waste time in ..(10).. jams as they try to reach city-centre venues.
Nor do they particularly enjoy having to get up at ..(11).. to catch an early-morning flight.
1
A positioned
B identified
C ranked
D grouped
2
A give
B sell
C encourage
D expect
3
A products
B service
C equipment
D surroundings
4
A identifying
B assessing
C meeting
D balancing
5
A around
B near
C outside
D throughout
6
A successful
B decent
C our
D dull
7
A summer
B addition
C comparison
D advertising
8
A flight
B sprint
C voyage
D drive
9
A interns
B staff
C executives
D employers
10 A car
B road
C transport
D traffic
11 A dawn
B last
C soon
D all
Travel
Check your answers.
1
A positioned
B identified
C ranked
D grouped
2
A give
B sell
C encourage
D expect
3
A products
B service
C equipment
D surroundings
4
A identifying
B assessing
C meeting
D balancing
5
A around
B near
C outside
D throughout
6
A successful
B decent
C our
D dull
7
A summer
B addition
C comparison
D advertising
8
A flight
B sprint
C voyage
D drive
9
A interns
B staff
C executives
D employers
10 A car
B road
C transport
D traffic
11 A dawn
B last
C soon
D all
C
A
B
C
D
A
B
D
C
D
A
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Introducing change
Change is a natural ..(1)..of the human condition. However, we often perceive it as a threat to our ..(2).. , self-esteem and values,
so it is hardly surprising that the most ..(3).. reaction to change is resistance. Business leaders need to bear this in mind and
to ..(4).. change carefully for it to be successful. They have to raise their staff’s awareness of the purpose of the intended ..(5).. .
This can be achieved through good ..(6).. , as well as through active staff ..(7).. in the decision-making process.
Change is easier in flatter organisational structures than in hierarchical ones. It ..(8).. that people working in teams tend to generate
more ..(9).. and can test them out easily. A supportive style of management, together with adequate training, can also boost
self-confidence and thus help staff cope better with change. ..(10).. , business leaders should create an atmosphere of trust, in which
staff are encouraged to ..(11).. their feelings. Indeed, silent resistance is a greater threat to the success of a change than open criticism.
1
A effect
B development
C part
D result
2
A stability
B security
C sanity
D sensitivity
3
A unexpected
B violent
C public
D frequent
4
A forecast
B introduce
C force
D announce
5
A changes
B reasons
C causes
D circumstances
6
A words
B channels
C communications
D intentions
7
A involvement
B meetings
C interference
D voting
8
A proves
B seems
C demonstrates
D says
9
A changes
B results
C ideas
D solutions
10 A At last
B However,
C Although
D Finally
11 A feel
B explore
C hide
D express
For a three-minute explanation of how demotivated employees can actually be a benefit to a company:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0F_ii1rv4A
Introducing change
Check your answers.
1
A effect
B development
C part
D result
2
A stability
B security
C sanity
D sensitivity
3
A unexpected
B violent
C public
D frequent
4
A forecast
B introduce
C force
D announce
5
A changes
B reasons
C causes
D circumstances
6
A words
B channels
C communications
D intentions
7
A involvement
B meetings
C interference
D voting
8
A proves
B seems
C demonstrates
D says
9
A changes
B results
C ideas
D solutions
10 A At last
B However,
C Although
D Finally
11 A feel
B explore
C hide
D express
C
A
D
B
A
C
A
B
C
D
D
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Company choices
It has become a commonplace to say that the world is ..(1).. at an ever-increasing pace. Companies today are faced with a stark ..(2)..:
adapt or go under. For example, until quite recently, companies typically ..(3).. to be hierarchical. They were built on a ..(4).. which
achieved a high degree of control, but in which channels of communication were few and slow.
Another disadvantage of this type of organisation is that more junior staff may not even know who the CEO is, or what goals the
decision-makers are trying to ..(5).. . In order to try and solve this problem, many organisations have adopted a less bureaucratic,
more flexible ..(6).. culture in which frequent contact between the owner and the ..(7).. ensures that information is
flowing smoothly.
A second difficult choice for a company ..(8).. the extent to which it should go ..(9).. or remain local. Global operations
allow maximum economies of scale, while localisation makes it ..(10).. to respond quickly to market changes and to reach
all market sectors. In order to reduce the tension between global and local demands, many companies have adopted a
‘hub and spoke’ structure. They use ..(11).. regional production and distribution ‘hubs’ where ..(12).. markets are served from one
single location.
1
A moving
B expanding
C interacting
D changing
2
A cost
B warning
C choice
D selection
3
A tended
B tried
C grew
D evolved
4
A design
B model
C project
D plan
5
A do
B make
C achieve
D score
6
A business
B universal
C European
D digital
7
A interns
B employees
C consultants
D banks
8
A underlines
B concerns
C determines
D measures
9
A global
B abroad
C multinational
D away
10 A faster
B comfortable
C optional
D possible
11 A rival
B network
C several
D no
12 A global
B foreign
C international
D neighbouring
Company choices
Check your answers.
1
A moving
B expanding
C interacting
D changing
2
A cost
B warning
C choice
D selection
3
A tended
B tried
C grew
D evolved
4
A design
B model
C project
D plan
5
A do
B make
C achieve
D score
6
A business
B universal
C European
D digital
7
A interns
B employees
C consultants
D banks
8
A underlines
B concerns
C determines
D measures
9
A global
B abroad
C multinational
D away
10 A faster
B comfortable
C optional
D possible
11 A rival
B network
C several
D no
12 A global
B foreign
C international
D neighbouring
D
C
A
B
C
A
B
B
A
D
C
D
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
The Full Monty (1997): the reality of unemployment
This hit British film, starring Robert Carlyle and Tom Wilkinson, is mainly ..(1).. for its exuberant male stripping act. However, the road
which the six protagonists travel to reach that final ..(2)..is a troubled one. In Sheffield in the mid-90s, ..(3).. decline, particularly in the
steel industry, had ..(4).. widespread unemployment. In the film, six jobless workers form a stripping troupe, after a long period of
frustration, indignity, and deprivation. In standard economic ..(5).. , this kind of unemployment should not exist. If the British steel
industry goes into decline ..(6).. competition from, say, South Korea, the industry will shrink and release the capital (machines) and
the labour (workers) that it previously ..(7).. . The labour and ..(8).. thus released will be absorbed by industries in which Britain is
relatively more efficient, but how many former steel workers do you imagine have been re-employed by Goldman Sachs as
investment bankers? The point is that workers cannot ..(9).. move across different jobs, because their experience is specific to their
..(10).. of work - there are few skills that are equally valuable in all industries. The ..(11).. that most unemployed workers face is to get
a new job that does not require much skill - in this case, stripping - which pays far less.
©the guardian.com
1
A remembered
B considered
C estimated
D criticised
2
A target
B epilogue
C scene
D consequence
3
A industrial
B social
C factory
D microeconomic
4
A avoided
B led to
C provided
D followed
5
A terminology
B research
C history
D theory
6
A thanks to
B without
C because of
D preceeding
7
A employed
B enrolled
C worked
D enscripted
8
A investments
B capital
C funds
D reserves
9
A freely
B voluntarily
C deliberately
D independently
10 A place
B market
C job
D line
11 A fact
B future
C alternative
D answer
For some people, there is “a right place”:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBhjDgmGrXg
The Full Monty
Check your answers.
1
A remembered
B considered
C estimated
D criticised
2
A target
B epilogue
C scene
D consequence
3
A industrial
B social
C factory
D microeconomic
4
A avoided
B led to
C provided
D followed
5
A terminology
B research
C history
D theory
6
A thanks to
B without
C because of
D preceeding
7
A employed
B enrolled
C worked
D enscripted
8
A investments
B capital
C funds
D reserves
9
A freely
B voluntarily
C deliberately
D independently
10 A place
B market
C job
D line
11 A fact
B future
C alternative
D answer
A
C
A
B
D
C
A
B
A
D
C
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Leadership
Without followers, there would be no leaders. The concept of leadership, and the qualities needed for someone to ..(1).. a leader,
can probably best be understood by studying the relationship ..(2).. the leader and his or her followers. Good leaders have empathy the ability to step into someone else’s ..(3).. - because they are good listeners. They are open, always willing to discuss and
solve problems. Team-building is one of the top ..(4).. of effective leaders. They work at creating an environment in which each team
member, ..(5).. contributing to the team effort and to the purpose of the organisation, is able to ..(6).. their own performance.
Indeed, they are very ..(7).. empowering their staff, enabling each of them to become a creative and independent team player.
This way, every individual gains the confidence and ability to make the kind of ..(8).. which will help the company achieve its
long-term ..(9).. . Good leaders are also inclusive - they like to involve everyone and they understand the importance of
..(10).. authority. Finally, they have more than just ..(11).. : they have a vision. They can see clearly where they would like the company
to be in five or ten years’ time, and they are able to communicate this to their ..(12).. .
1
A follow
B train
C become
D replace
2
A in
B between
C of
D with
3
A skin
B mind
C shoes
D heart
4
A priorities
B projects
C preferences
D effects
5
A while
B although
C without
D despite
6
A improve
B equal
C reach
D evaluate
7
A happy to
B brilliant at
C certain of
D good at
8
A profits
B decisions
C products
D actions
9
A position
B bonuses
C returns
D goals
10 A maintaining
B exercising
C delegating
D using
11 A skills
B targets
C hopes
D practicalities
12 A colleagues
B stakeholders
C employees
D shareholders
Leadership
Check your answers.
1
A follow
B train
C become
D replace
2
A in
B between
C of
D with
3
A skin
B mind
C shoes
D heart
4
A priorities
B projects
C preferences
D effects
5
A while
B although
C without
D despite
6
A improve
B equal
C reach
D evaluate
7
A happy to
B brilliant at
C certain of
D good at
8
A profits
B decisions
C products
D actions
9
A position
B bonuses
C returns
D goals
10 A maintaining
B exercising
C delegating
D using
11 A skills
B targets
C hopes
D practicalities
12 A colleagues
B stakeholders
C employees
D shareholders
C
B
C
A
A
A
D
B
D
C
B
C
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Wall Street (1987): beware the corporate raiders
Co-written and directed by Oliver Stone, and starring Michael Douglas, the film documents the rise of modern ‘shareholder capitalism’.
From the 1930s to the 70s, ‘managerial capitalism’ (ie, capitalism ..(1).. by professional managers with little ..(2).. from shareholders)
had prevailed in the advanced economies. However, by the 1980s, floating shareholders ..(3).. short-term financial gains started to
get the upper hand. Douglas plays Gordon ‘Greed is Good’ Gekko, a ruthless corporate raider who wins the support of the
shareholders managing a takeover ..(4).. for a company by pointing out the inefficiencies of corporate bureaucracy – the company
..(5).. 33 vice-presidents, doing God knows what. Of course, his real intention is to asset-strip the company : sell off the ..(6).. assets
and close it down, rather than develop it. The film depicts a fundamental ..(7).. at the heart of modern capitalism: you cannot leave
companies at the ..(8).. of short-term-oriented financiers such as Gekko; but ..(9).. pressure from shareholders, it is difficult to
restrain inefficiency. ..(10).. the film appeared, the balance has shifted too much in the direction of short-term shareholders, leading
to criticisms of ‘quarterly capitalism’. Under pressure from impatient shareholders, many companies, especially in the US and UK,
have become far too short-term-oriented and have stopped ..(11).. machines and technologies which only offer long-term returns.
©the guardian.com
1
A administered
B conducted
C managed
D operated
2
A influence
B help
C interest
D support
3
A investing in
B driven by
C fighting for
D selling
4
A offer
B auction
C proposal
D bid
5
A needs
B sacked
C has
D found
6
A valuable
B remaining
C other
D following
7
A context
B dilemma
C event
D danger
8
A charity
B tolerance
C generosity
D mercy
9
A without
B because of
C unless
D through
10 A Before
B When
C Since
D While
11 A producing
B investing in
C inventing
D developing
Watch Gekko give his ‘Greed is Good’ speech (4 minutes):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF_iorX_MAw
To follow the speech as you watch, see the ‘Greed is Good’ file at the endof this document.
Wall Street
Check your answers.
1
A administered
B conducted
C managed
D operated
2
A influence
B help
C interest
D support
3
A investing in
B driven by
C fighting for
D selling
4
A offer
B auction
C proposal
D bid
5
A needs
B sacked
C has
D found
6
A valuable
B remaining
C other
D following
7
A context
B dilemma
C event
D danger
8
A charity
B tolerance
C generosity
D mercy
9
A without
B because of
C unless
D through
10 A Before
B When
C Since
D While
11 A producing
B investing in
C inventing
D developing
C
A
B
D
C
A
B
D
A
C
B
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Conspiracy of Fools is a book by Kurt Eichenwald detailing the Enron scandal and the company’s collapse in 2001.
Enron’s Chief Financial ..(1).. , Andrew Fastow, is depicted as voraciously greedy, using front corporations and partnerships, paying
himself ‘management’ and ‘..(2).. ’ fees as if he were an outsider, all while cooking Enron’s ..(3).. to show fictitious profits. In addition
to Fastow, there are stories of the complicity of Enron’s auditors, their lawyers (internal and external), the senior management and
Enron’s ..(4).. of directors. The picture that emerges is that of an out-of-control corporate culture that ignored the basic ..(5).. of
business, allowing it to be manipulated by greedy incompetents for their own personal gain. The focus on reporting profits - rather
than actually making .. (6).. - created a situation that both encouraged and enabled a small group of insider ..(7).. to ‘game the
system’. The company’s business losses were masked by ..(8).. tricks, while the insiders raked off huge ‘profits’ and bonuses for
themselves. The game was eventually undone by huge losses, bad investments and the ..(9).. of the outside partnerships themselves,
the solvency of which depended on Enron stock prices rising continuously. When Enron’s stock began to ..(10).. , the financial
structures imploded, leaving Enron with billions of dollars in losses and few assets.
©en.wikipedia.org
1
A Adviser
B Consultant
C Manager
D Officer
2
A employer
B counsellor
C consultant
D authority
3
A figures
B books
C numbers
D letters
4
A board
B group
C team
D squad
5
A methods
B ideals
C laws
D principles
6
A decisions
B products
C money
D business
7
A buyers
B criminals
C employees
D gamblers
8
A digital
B legislative
C accounting
D invisible
9
A structures
B locations
C directors
D investments
B peak
C improve
D fall
10 A stabilise
For a short history of Enron (“We’re all going to be rich!”) by The Simpsons:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzRxdeW7adM
Conspiracy of Fools
Check your answers.
1
A Adviser
B Consultant
C Manager
D Officer
2
A employer
B counsellor
C consultant
D authority
3
A figures
B books
C numbers
D letters
4
A board
B group
C team
D squad
5
A methods
B ideals
C laws
D principles
6
A decisions
B products
C money
D business
7
A buyers
B criminals
C employees
D gamblers
8
A digital
B legislative
C accounting
D invisible
9
A structures
B locations
C directors
D investments
B peak
C improve
D fall
10 A stabilise
D
C
B
A
D
C
B
C
A
D
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Up in the Air (2009): sacking people for a living
‘Non-places’ - airport departure lounges, company reception ..(1).. , and escalator-stairwells in shopping malls - are the landscape
for this recession satire in which Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, is employed by a ..(2).. resources consultancy to travel
around the country, almost 52 weeks in a year. And fire people. In theory, Ryan is called in because he is an expert in ‘outplacement
counselling’, which the ailing ..(3).. do not have in-house. In reality, he is the hatchet man, as the ..(4).. lack the nerve to sack their
employees themselves. So it is Ryan who must set up shop in some small office, ..(5).. dozens of people one by one, and give them
the bad news, along with the smooth, hypnotic pep-talk about how their new status is a challenge and an opportunity. While the
..(6).. of the soon-to-be-jobless range from philosophical and resigned to furious and threatening, Ryan never ..(7).. his composure.
Then things get complicated: his boss, Craig, introduces him to Natalie, a dynamic young new employee who has discovered
iChat-style firing. This can be done long-distance over a webcam, making expensive air travel - and Ryan’s current existence - redundant.
Craig forces the resentful Ryan to take Natalie with him, to show her the ropes ..(8).. the new virtual-sacking techniques are started.
Ryan finds himself ..(9).. old-school face-to-face dismissal on the grounds that it is less brutal, and even discovers stirrings of a new
compassion deep inside himself, yet he must press on with his ..(10).. of training this young woman to be really good at sacking people.
©the guardian.com
1
A offices
B grounds
C areas
D premises
2
A human
B natural
C legal
D business
3
A subsidiaries
B companies
C partnerships
D branches
4
A staff
B workers
C colleagues
D bosses
5
A call in
B listen to
C contact
D approach
6
A answers
B feelings
C reactions
D attitudes
7
A shares
B changes
C fails
D loses
8
A during
B before
C when
D after
9
A resisting
B opposing
C defending
D guarding
B task
C vocation
D mission
10 A effort
Watch the trailer (2 minutes) for the film:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTL1FmvVCuA
Up in the Air
Check your answers.
1
A offices
B grounds
C areas
D premises
2
A human
B natural
C legal
D business
3
A subsidiaries
B companies
C partnerships
D branches
4
A staff
B workers
C colleagues
D bosses
5
A call in
B listen to
C contact
D approach
6
A answers
B feelings
C reactions
D attitudes
7
A shares
B changes
C fails
D loses
8
A during
B before
C when
D after
9
A resisting
B opposing
C defending
D guarding
B task
C vocation
D mission
10 A effort
C
A
B
D
A
C
D
B
C
B
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Poor Economics - a radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty
Why do the poorest people in the Indian state of Maharashtra spend 7 percent of their food budget on sugar?
Why is it so hard for children in poor areas to learn even when they attend school?
Why would a man in Morocco who doesn’t have enough to eat buy a television?
Does having lots of children actually make you poorer?
For more than fifteen years, the authors Banerjee and Duflo ..(1).. with the poor in dozens of countries spanning five continents,
trying to understand the specific problems that come with poverty and to ..(2).. proven solutions. Their book is radical in its rethinking
of the ..(3).. of poverty, but also entirely practical in the ..(4).. it makes. Through careful analysis of a very rich body of evidence,
including the hundreds of randomized control trials that Banerjee and Duflo’s lab has pioneered, they show why the poor, despite
having the same desires and ..(5).. as anyone else, end up with entirely different lives.
Through their work, Banerjee and Duflo look at some of the most surprising facets of poverty: why the poor need to borrow in order
to ..(6).. , why they miss out on free life-saving immunizations but ..(7).. medicines that they do not need, why they start many
businesses but do not grow any of them, and many other puzzling facts about living with ..(8).. 99 cents per day.
The book argues that so many anti-poverty policies have ..(9).. over the years because of an inadequate ..(10).. of poverty.
The battle against poverty can be won, but will take patience, careful thinking and a willingness to learn from evidence.
©pooreconomics.com
1
A worked
B studied
C examined
D lived
2
A find
B test
C implement
D introduce
3
A reasons
B effects
C ideology
D economics
4
A orders
B plans
C directives
D suggestions
5
A abilities
B qualifications
C wants
D dreams
6
A save
B invest
C gamble
D lend
7
A ignore
B waste
C refuse
D buy
8
A exactly
B over
C those
D less than
9
A failed
B worked
C evolved
D improved
B funding
C response
D study
10 A understanding
Poor Economics
Check your answers.
1
A worked
B studied
C examined
D lived
2
A find
B test
C implement
D introduce
3
A reasons
B effects
C ideology
D economics
4
A orders
B plans
C directives
D suggestions
5
A abilities
B qualifications
C wants
D dreams
6
A save
B invest
C gamble
D lend
7
A ignore
B waste
C refuse
D buy
8
A exactly
B over
C those
D less than
9
A failed
B worked
C evolved
D improved
B funding
C response
D study
10 A understanding
A
A
D
D
A
A
D
D
A
A
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
The Glass Ceiling
The phrase ‘glass ceiling’ refers to an invisible ..(1).. preventing someone from achieving further success. It is most often heard in
the context of women who cannot advance to the highest ..(2).. of power in the workplace, or achieve power and success equal to
that of ..(3).. . The metaphor comments on an employee’s rise up the ranks of a ..(4).. organization: workers climb higher as they get
promotions, pay increases, and other opportunities. In theory, nothing prevents women from rising as high as men; and after the
Women’s Liberation movement and Civil Rights ..(5).. of the 1960s, many people feel that such discrimination is a thing of the ..(6).. .
However, in practice, there are still barriers, and instead of being able to achieve the same success as a man, a woman is often
stopped by invisible forces that prevent her from rising further. Although the Women’s Liberation movement opened many doors,
many women remain frustrated that they are the ones required to make ..(7).. in order to balance family life with a career.
Other practical glass-ceiling matters include unequal ..(8).. rates and the idea that women lose out on involvement in an organization
if they take maternity leave. In the 1960s, overt sexism in the workplace was commonplace and frequently accepted, ..(9).. for men’s
jobs and women’s jobs were advertised separately, and feminists recall letters of reference in which their looks were commented on.
Although such ..(10).. seem long gone, a frustrating thing about the glass ceiling is that it is not overt, and instead of being a tangible
barrier - which might be easier to identify - glass-ceiling sexism in the workplace persists in more ..(11).. ways.
©womenshistory.about.com
1
A wall
B field
C barrier
D obstruction
2
A standards
B strata
C floors
D levels
3
A men
B colleagues
C managers
D competitors
4
A structured
B hierarchical
C private
D flat
5
A demonstrations
B norms
C legislation
D judgements
6
A past
B history
C distance
D bigots
7
A money
B sacrifices
C adjustments
D concessions
8
A overtime
B interest
C compensation
D pay
9
A publicity
B data
C vacancies
D notices
10 A traditions
B habits
C customs
D behaviours
11 A unsophisticated
B subtle
C positive
D acceptable
For a two-minute clip showing that the glass ceiling goes a long way back:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOPTF897fgk
The Glass Ceiling
Check your answers.
1
A wall
B field
C barrier
D obstruction
2
A standards
B strata
C floors
D levels
3
A men
B colleagues
C managers
D competitors
4
A structured
B hierarchical
C private
D flat
5
A demonstrations
B norms
C legislation
D judgements
6
A past
B history
C distance
D bigots
7
A money
B sacrifices
C adjustments
D concessions
8
A overtime
B interest
C compensation
D pay
9
A publicity
B data
C vacancies
D notices
10 A traditions
B habits
C customs
D behaviours
11 A unsophisticated
B subtle
C positive
D acceptable
C
D
A
B
C
A
B
D
C
D
B
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Mary Poppins (1964): why banking is all about confidence
Few people would associate this Disney film with economics. But it contains a scene that gives an excellent summary of the ..(1).. of
modern banking: the one where young Michael visits the Fidelity Fiduciary bank, where his father works. The bank ..(2).. tries to
persuade the boy to deposit his 2d. coin in the bank so that it can be invested in railways through Africa, dams across the Nile, and
other fantastic investment ..(3).. . Michael is unconvinced, and doesn’t want to give up his coin, but the chairman is able to snatch it.
“Give me back my money!” Michael shouts, prompting other customers to fear that something is ..(4).. and to demand their deposits
back, thus creating a run on the bank - just as we saw at Northern Rock branches in 2007.
The scene illustrates how banks depend on ..(5).. the confidence of their depositors. Like all other banks, the Fidelity Fiduciary had
made a promise it could not keep: to pay its depositors ..(6).. on demand, when actually it had enough to pay only a proportion of them.
This is usually not a problem - at any given ..(7).. , only a small proportion of depositors would want to withdraw their money, so it is
safe for the bank to hold in cash only a fraction of the amount in its deposit accounts. But if depositors begin to doubt the bank’s
ability to pay them back, they have the incentive to take out their money as soon as possible. Even if the ..(8).. are totally unfounded
(as in Mary Poppins), if enough account holders think and act in this way, the bank’s inability to pay will become a self-fulfilling ..(9).. .
This ‘confidence problem’ led to the development of central banks, which can lend to banks in trouble, and of public deposit
insurance: ..(10).. intended to give depositors more confidence in the banks and thus stabilise the banking system.
©the guardian.com
1
A nature
B future
C spirit
D way
2
A chef
B supplier
C officer
D chairman
3
A campaigns
B projects
C affairs
D adventures
4
A wrong
B missing
C dangerous
D reliable
5
A constructing
B measuring
C understanding
D maintaining
6
A currency
B cash
C funds
D supply
7
A time
B day
C deadline
D hour
8
A expectations
B forecasts
C allegations
D doubts
9
A proverb
B prophecy
C projection
D rule
B criteria
C models
D procedures
10 A measures
Mary Poppins
Check your answers.
1
A nature
B future
C spirit
D way
2
A chef
B supplier
C officer
D chairman
3
A campaigns
B projects
C affairs
D adventures
4
A wrong
B missing
C dangerous
D reliable
5
A constructing
B measuring
C understanding
D maintaining
6
A currency
B cash
C funds
D supply
7
A time
B day
C deadline
D hour
8
A expectations
B forecasts
C allegations
D doubts
9
A proverb
B prophecy
C projection
D rule
B criteria
C models
D procedures
10 A measures
A
D
B
A
D
B
A
D
B
A
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
Erin Brockovich (2000): how to measure environmental cost
A hit in 2000, this stars Julia Roberts, who won an Oscar for her role as an unemployed single mother of two who manages to get a
..(1).. as a legal assistant in a California law firm. There, she stumbles on files about the unethical behaviour of a power company
which was buying up land it had contaminated by illegally dumping hexavalent chromium. This was poisoning the ..(2).. supply of
residents and making them seriously ..(3).. . Albert Finney is the hard-up boss of the law firm who agrees to take the case on.
Against all ..(4).. , they end up winning a class action lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) on behalf of their ill clients.
We all love conspiracy films, but this was no Hollywood fiction: Erin exists and, indeed, in 1996, she won $333m from PG&E for
her clients. The film highlighted a real economic issue: the ..(5).. of markets in putting a price on the impact of a company’s core ..(6)..
on the wider environment. In ..(7).. , this is known as the problem of measuring ‘externalities’. Pollution, congestion, noise, climate
change, community displacement and unrest fall into that ..(8).. , and what isn’t measured tends to be ignored. Some ..(9).. in this area
has been made: since the film’s release, companies have come under ..(10).. scrutiny for their business ethics, and Corporate social
responsibility has become something that companies espouse, at least publicly. But a lot more needs to be done, and the business
imperative is clear. Today, thanks to social ..(11).. and 24/7 news, allegations of a company’s ..(12).. to meet required standards travel
instantly round the world. The result can be global ..(13).. of products, falls in share values, chief executives losing their jobs and,
at times, companies that have been around for decades, if not centuries, going under - think Enron, think Arthur Andersen, and
many more.
©the guardian.com
1
A career
B job
C profession
D deal
2
A air
B gas
C water
D food
3
A ill
B insane
C bad
D lifeless
4
A opponents
B forecasts
C predictions
D odds
5
A impossibility
B difficulty
C impracticality
D imprecision
6
A work
B effects
C activity
D strengths
7
A economics
B particular
C fact
D retrospect
8
A section
B department
C class
D category
9
A mistake
B effort
C progress
D use
10 A moderate
B increased
C superficial
D no
11 A media
B groups
C services
D workers
12 A agreement
B attempts
C ability
D failure
13 A sanctions
B boycotts
C refusals
D strikes
Watch the trailer (3 minutes) for the film:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6RIqCq4-2c
Erin Brockovich
Check your answers.
1
A career
B job
C profession
D deal
2
A air
B gas
C water
D food
3
A ill
B insane
C bad
D lifeless
4
A opponents
B forecasts
C predictions
D odds
5
A impossibility
B difficulty
C impracticality
D imprecision
6
A work
B effects
C activity
D strengths
7
A economics
B particular
C fact
D retrospect
8
A section
B department
C class
D category
9
A mistake
B effort
C progress
D use
10 A moderate
B increased
C superficial
D no
11 A media
B groups
C services
D workers
12 A agreement
B attempts
C ability
D failure
13 A sanctions
B boycotts
C refusals
D strikes
B
C
A
D
B
C
A
D
C
B
A
D
B
For each blank space, write one letter - A, B, C or D - in the relevant box:
The Ig Nobel Prizes
Since 1990, these have honoured achievements which first make people laugh, and then make them ..(1).. . The prizes are intended
to celebrate the unusual, honour the imaginative, and spur people’s interest in science, medicine, and technology.
Ig Nobel Peace Prize winners over the years include:
th
1996 Jacques Chirac, President of France, for commemorating the 50 ..(2).. of Hiroshima with atomic bomb tests in the Pacific.
2000 The Royal Navy, for ordering its ..(3).. to stop using live cannon shells, and to instead just shout “Bang!”
2007 The US Air Force Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for suggesting the ..(4).. and development of a ‘gay bomb’, which would cause
enemy troops to become sexually attracted to each other.
2013 Joint winners: Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, for making it illegal to applaud in ..(5).. , AND the Belarus State Police,
for arresting a one-armed man for doing so.
Ig Nobel Economics Prize winners include:
1991 Michael Milken, titan of Wall Street and father of the ..(6).. bond, to whom the world is, truly, indebted.
1994 Juan Dávila of Chile, trader of financial futures and former ..(7).. of the state-owned company Codelco, for instructing his
computer to ‘buy’ when he meant ‘..(8)..’. He then tried to recoup his losses by making increasingly unprofitable trades that
ultimately lost 0.5% of Chile's GDP. Davila’s achievement inspired Chileans to coin a new verb, davilar, meaning “to botch things up
on a grand scale”.
2009 The directors, executives, and auditors of four Icelandic banks, for demonstrating that ..(9).. banks can be rapidly transformed
into huge banks - and vice versa. And for demonstrating that similar things can be done to an ..(10).. national economy.
2014 ISTAT (the Italian government’s National Institute of Statistics), for proudly taking the lead in fulfilling the EU mandate for each
country to increase the official size of its national economy by ..(11).. revenues from prostitution, illegal drug sales, smuggling, and
all other unlawful financial transactions between willing participants.
©www.improbable.com
1
A cry
B study
C think
D analyse
2
A celebration
B jubilee
C anniversary
D ceremony
3
A allies
B sailors
C enemies
D staff
4
A research
B invention
C production
D evolution
5
A public
B groups
C ceremonies
D trains
6
A government
B junk
C treasury
D angel
7
A employee
B guide
C proprietor
D leader
8
A purchase
B hold
C sell
D offer
9
A controlled
B tiny
C gigantic
D provincial
10 A entire
B unprepared
C overheating
D ordinary
11 A increasing
B including
C taxing
D investigating
Watch a 2001 Ig Nobel Economics Prize winner talk (6minutes) about people who find a way
to postpone their deaths, if that would qualify them to pay less inheritance tax:
www.minimovies.org/documentaires/view/ignobel/dying%20for%20taxes
The Ig Nobel Prizes
Check your answers.
1
A cry
B study
C think
D analyse
2
A celebration
B jubilee
C anniversary
D ceremony
3
A allies
B sailors
C enemies
D staff
4
A research
B invention
C production
D evolution
5
A public
B groups
C ceremonies
D trains
6
A government
B junk
C treasury
D angel
7
A employee
B guide
C proprietor
D leader
8
A purchase
B hold
C sell
D offer
9
A controlled
B tiny
C gigantic
D provincial
10 A entire
B unprepared
C overheating
D ordinary
11 A increasing
B including
C taxing
D investigating
C
C
B
A
A
B
A
C
B
A
B
Wall Street
Gekko:
Well, I appreciate the opportunity you're giving me, Mr. Cromwell,
- as the single largest shareholder in Teldar Paper - to speak.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're not here to indulge in fantasy,
but in political and economic reality.
America - America has become a second-rate power.
Its trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions.
Now, in the days of the free market,
when our country was a top industrial power,
there was accountability to the stockholder.
The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great industrial empire,
made sure of it because it was their money at stake.
Today, management has no stake in the company!
All together, these men sitting up here [Teldar management]
own less than 3 percent of the company.
And where does Mr. Cromwell put his million-dollar salary?
Not in Teldar stock; he owns less than 1 percent.
You own the company. That's right - you, the stockholder.
And you are all being royally screwed over by these, these bureaucrats,
with their steak lunches, their hunting and fishing trips,
their corporate jets and golden parachutes.
[Cromwell: This is an outrage! You're out of line, Gekko!]
Teldar Paper, Mr. Cromwell, Teldar Paper has 33 different vice-presidents,
each earning over 200 thousand dollars a year.
Now, I have spent the last two months analyzing what all these guys do,
and I still can't figure it out.
One thing I do know is that our paper company lost 110 million dollars last year, and
I'll bet that half of that was spent in all the paperwork going back and forth
between all these vice presidents.
The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be “survival of the unfittest”.
Well, in my book you either do it right
or you get eliminated.
In the last seven deals that I've been involved with,
there were 2.5 million stockholders
who have made a pre-tax profit of 12 billion dollars.
Thank you.
I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them!
The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed - for lack of a better word - is good.
Greed is right. Greed works.
Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures
the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed, in all of its forms
- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge –
has marked the upward surge of mankind, and greed
- you mark my words - will not only save Teldar Paper,
but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Thank you very much.