Английский язык для экономических специальностей

Acknowledgments •   
3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank teachers and students for their feedback regarding English for Students of Economics. We are 
especially grateful to the fi rst year and postgraduate students of All-Russian Distance Learning Institute 
of Finance and Economics, who took part in the book approbation. We would also like to thank Lisa 
Little (University of California, Berkeley) for practical comments and suggestions. We have made every 
eff ort to respond to their concerns in this fi rst edition. 

REFERENCES (PART I)

UNIT I: Text and MP3 — Audio: Getting Into a Job Market by Mobile Phone 
VOA Special English Development Report, 31 January 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-01/2009-01-31-voa2.cfm>

UNIT II: Text and MP3 — Audio: Starting a Business Means Getting Organized 
VOA Special English Economics Report, 06 September 2007
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2007-09/2007-09-06-voa2.cfm>

UNIT III: Text and MP3 — Audio: McDonald’s Targets Starbucks
VOA Special English Economics Report, 10 January 2008
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-01/2008-01-10-voa2.cfm>

UNIT IV: Text and MP3 — Audio: Microsoft’s Play for Yahoo
VOA Special English Economics Report, 15 February 2008
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-02/2008-02-15-voa1.cfm>
 
UNIT V: Text and MP3 — Audio: The Value of Teaching About Money 
VOA Special English Economics Report, 12 July 2007
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2007-07/2007-07-12-voa2.cfm>

UNIT VI: Text and MP3 — Audio: Learning Words, Donating Rice
VOA Special English Development Report, 27 April 2008
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-04/2008-04-27-voa1.cfm>

UNIT VII: Text and MP3 — Audio: The Price of Pleasure
VOA Special English Economics Report, 21 February 2008
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-02/2008-02-21-voa2.cfm>

UNIT VIII: Text and MP3 — Audio: Raising Rabbits Offers a Big Return from a Small Investment
VOA Special English Agriculture Report, 11 June 2007
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2007-06/2007-06-11-voa2.cfm>

UNIT IX: Text and MP3 — Audio: Starting a Fish Farm
VOA Special English Agriculture Report, 10 November 2008
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2008-11/2008-11-10-voa3.cfm>

• 

UNIT X: Text and MP3 — Audio: Studying in the US: Four Kinds of Financial Aid
VOA Special English Education Report, 18 February 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-02/2009-02-18-voa1.cfm>

UNIT XI: Text and MP3 — Audio: Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior?
VOA Special English Health Report, 20 October 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-10/2009-10-20-voa3.cfm>

UNIT XII: Text and MP3 — Audio: Going Digital: The Future of College Textbooks
 VOA Special English Education Report, 03 September 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-09/2009-09-03-voa1.cfm>

UNIT XIII: Text and MP3 — Audio: Studying in the US: How to Avoid Being Accused 
of Plagiarism
VOA Special English Education Report, 15 April 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-04/2009-04-15-voa1.cfm>

UNIT XIV: Text and MP3 — Audio: Cities Now Home to More Than Half of All People
VOA Special English Economics Report, 09 October 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-10/2009-10-09-voa3.cfm>

UNIT XV: Text and MP3 — Audio: Driven by a Business Plan, but How Far Will It Get You?
VOA Special English Economics Report, 25 June 2009
<http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-06/2009-06-25-voa3.cfm>

For the “Match the words with the defi nitions” exercises the authors used the “Oxford ESL Dictionary 
for students of American English” by A.S. Hornby and C.A. Ruse, Oxford University Press (1994) 
and the VOA Special English Word Book (<http://media.voanews.com/documents/2009Edition_
WordBook.pdf>)

REFERENCES (PART II) ARE MADE IN PART II AFTER THE KEYS

Introduction •   
5

INTRODUCTION

English for Students of Economics is intended for intermediate level of students. Our 
main aim is to teach rather learning strategies than content, although the latter is highly adjusted to 
satisfy contemporary English students of Economics needs. We hope these learning strategies will 
allow students to view foreign language skills as problem-solving activities. Students’ language skills are 
extended through vocabulary exercises. Students are motivated with enjoyable contemporary topics and 
plenty of activities.

The book consists of two parts:  1) Reading, Listening, and Speaking; 2) Writing.
 
Part 1 contains fi fteen units structured identically. Each unit contains Warm-up Activities, 
Vocabulary, Listening, Reading, Text, Comprehension and Speaking sections and includes exercises 
with the following assignment defi nitions:

 
•
Discuss the following with your partner (warm-up section); 
 
•
Match the words with the defi nitions; 
 
•
Complete each sentence with one of the following words (words are off ered);
 
•
Listen to the text and answer the questions (mu l tiple choice);
 
•
Read the text and answer the questions (mul t iple choice);
 
•
Mark the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word(s) … (mul t i p le choice;
 
•
Choose the word or phrase in the bold text that the words … refer to (multiple choice); 
 
•
Decide whether these statements are true or false; 
 
•
Where in the text would the following sentence best fi t; 
 
•
Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the text  (multiple choice); 
 
•
Discuss these questions with your partner (speaking section). 

Part 2 consists of seven units: Application Form, CV, Informal Letter, Formal Letter, 
Classifi cation of Formal Letters, Memorandum, Major Diff erences between British and American 
Variants of English. Each unit contains illustrations in the form of examples. Exercises are provided in 
each section.

Answer Key and Glossary (made in alphabetical order) are supplied as separate appendices for 
the purpose of most adaptable usage by both students and teachers.

All the texts and MP3 fi les are borrowed from <www.voaspecialenglish.com> (see 
References). All MP3 stories are originally recorded in slower English for non-native speakers. Short 
reports transcripts have been designed into Texts for the book and MP3 fi les have been recorded on CD, 
which is attached to the book. We used Agriculture, Development, Economics, and Education Reports 
to select stories for the book. 

The authors would highly recommend using other Voice of America resources, such as 
Captioned Videos (short reports on education, health, economics, agriculture and more), News 
& Features (30-minute broadcasts), Verb Phrase of the Day (a way to make phrasal verbs less 
confusing), World News (VOA English coverage of the latest events around the globe), Web Features 
(Foreign Student Series, Wordmaster, Words and Their Stories, Word Book, Games with 
Words), and many others.

We strongly hope English for Students of Economics will help you making teaching a 
challenge and learning a joy!

• 

Матвеева 
Ирина 
Владимировна 
— 
кандидат 
филологических наук, доцент кафедры Иностранных 
языков 
Всероссийского 
заочного 
финансовоэкономического института. 

Выпускник программ Fulbright (University of California, 
Berkeley, США) и «Intelligent Computer-Assisted Learning» 
(London, Великобритания). Автор более 40 научных 
и научно-методических работ. Член Национального 
общества прикладной лингвистики и Калифорнийского 
подразделения TESOL. 

e-mail: irina.matveeva@yahoo.com

Чикилева Людмила Сергеевна — доктор филологических наук, 
доцент, заведующая кафедрой Иностранных языков Всероссийского 
заочного финансово-экономического института. 

Победитель конкурса на грант фонда Gerald R. Ford Foundation в 
США,  выпускник программы «Использование интернет ресурсов 
в процессе преподавания иностранных языков» (Lewis & Clark 
College, США). Автор более 100 научных и научно-методических 
работ. Член Российской национальной ассоциации преподавателей 
английского языка.

e-mail: inyz@vzfei.ru

ОБ АВТОРАХ

Contents •   
7

CONTENTS

Part 1. Reading, Listening and Speaking 

 
UNIT I. JOB MARKET AND TECHNOLOGIES  ...................................................................... 
11

UNIT II. BUSINESS STRUCTURE  ..................................................................................... 
16

UNIT III. COMPETITION: FAST FOOD  ............................................................................. 
21

UNIT IV. COMPETITION: INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES  ......................................................... 
27

UNIT V. PERSONAL FINANCE  ......................................................................................... 
33

UNIT VI. BUSINESS AND CREATIVE PROJECTS  ................................................................. 
38

UNIT VII. BUSINESS AND PSYCHOLOGY  ......................................................................... 
43

UNIT VIII. BUSINESS AND AGRICULTURE  ....................................................................... 
48

UNIT IX. BUSINESS AND AQUACULTURE  ......................................................................... 
53

UNIT X. FOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE US: FINANCIAL AID  .................................................. 
58

UNIT XI. HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL: PUNISHMENT OR REWARD .......................................... 
63

UNIT XII. THE FUTURE OF COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS  ............................................................. 
69

UNIT XIII. HOW TO AVOID BEING ACCUSED OF PLAGIARISM  ............................................ 
74

UNIT XIV. URBANIZATION: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEM  .......................................... 
79

UNIT XV. A BUSINESS PLAN  .......................................................................................... 
84

Part 2. Writing

UNIT I. АНКЕТА  ........................................................................................................... 
93

UNIT II. РЕЗЮМЕ  ......................................................................................................... 
98

UNIT III. ЛИЧНОЕ ПИСЬМО  .......................................................................................... 104

UNIT IV. ДЕЛОВОЕ ПИСЬМО  ......................................................................................... 110

UNIT V. КЛАССИФИКАЦИЯ ДЕЛОВЫХ ПИСЕМ  ................................................................. 123

Письмо-просьба  ........................................................................................................... 123

Сопроводительное письмо  ............................................................................................. 124

Информационное письмо  .............................................................................................. 124

Письмо-извинение  ........................................................................................................ 125

• 

Письмо-подтверждение  ................................................................................................. 126

Письмо-приглашение  .................................................................................................... 127

Письмо о подготовке деловой поездки  ........................................................................... 129

Письмо-благодарность  .................................................................................................. 130

Письмо-поздравление  ................................................................................................... 130

Письмо-жалоба  ............................................................................................................ 131

UNIT VI. МЕМОРАНДУМ  ................................................................................................ 134

UNIT VII. НЕКОТОРЫЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ АМЕРИКАНСКОГО И БРИТАНСКОГО 
ВАРИАНТОВ АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА  ................................................................................ 139

KEYS  ........................................................................................................................... 142

GLOSSARY  .................................................................................................................. 154

PART 1

READING, 
LISTENING 
AND 
SPEAKING

UNIT I • Job Market and Technologies 
11

UNIT I

Job Market and Technologies 

W A R M - U P  A C T I V I T I E S
W A R M - U P  A C T I V I T I E S

1. Discuss the following with your partner:

What do you think is the best way for companies to hire laborers? 
place job advertisements on radio, TV or in newspapers
drive around in cars with loudspeakers announcing that jobs are available
list open positions on the Internet
other

V O C A B U L A R Y 
V O C A B U L A R Y 

market — рынок; рыночные условия
job market — рынок рабочей силы 
wireless — беспроводный
job seeker — человек, ищущий работу
assured — гарантированный
launch — начинать (какие-л. действия) 

link — соединять, связывать
arm — зд. ветвь, ответвление 
representative — представитель
partnership — зд. cотрудничество
available — доступный; имеющийся 
в распоряжении

Reading,  Listening  and  Speaking • PART 1

hire — нанимать, предоставлять работу
praise — хвалить
charge — зд. взимать плату

highlighted words — выделенные слова в тексте
bold text — текст, выделенный жирным 
шрифтом

2. Match the words with the definitions:

1. employ 
2. employer 
3. employee 
4. advertisement 
5. competition
6. team 
7. service
8. job
9. temporary
10. permanent

A. a group organized for some purpose, often 
for sports
B. the work that one does to earn money
C. a person who employs others 
D.lasting for a very long time or forever 
E. to give work in return for wages 
F. a person employed for wages 
G.showing or presenting the qualities of a 
product to increase sales
H.trying to do better than others 
I. a job that an organization or business can 
do for money
J. lasting only a short time

L I S T E N I N G
L I S T E N I N G

3. Listen to the text and answer the following questions:

3.1. How many young people developed an idea of creating Assured Labor?

(A) fi fteen 
(B) fi fty
(C) fi ve hundred
(D) fi ve

3.2. What percentage of all people lives within reach of a wireless telephone signal?

(A) eighty
(B) eighteen
(C) eight
(D) eight hundred

3.3. How many parts does the electronic marketplace of Assured Labor have?

(A) three
(B) two
(C) one
(D) no parts

3.4. What are both arms of Assured Labor working for?

(A) the United States and developing markets
(B) the United States with center in Boston
(C) Chennai, India
(D) Boston and Chennai

UNIT I • Job Market and Technologies 
13

3.5.  Who is planned to pay for the service?

(A) employees
(B) employers
(C) the company
(D) the US government

4. Now listen to the text again and answer the following questions:

4.1. Who formed a company called Assured Labor?

(A) fi ve young people in the American state of Massachusetts 
(B) fi ve young teachers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(C) Assured Labor's president, David Reich
(D) unemployed people from the United States and developing markets

4.2. Why are the companies interested in having more modern hiring practices?

(A) to quicker connect job seekers with employers
(B) to use mobile phones and the Internet in hiring practices
(C) to fi nd new developing markets
(D) to develop hiring markets within the US

R E A D I N G
R E A D I N G

5. Look at the words highlighted in paragraph 1. Mark the answer choice that is closest 
in meaning to the words within reach.

(A) close 
(B) near
(C) together
(D) within striking distance

6. Look at the words highlighted in paragraph 7 of the text. Mark the answer choice that 
is closest in meaning to the words open positions.

(A) messages 
(B) e-mails
(C) vacancies
(D) letters

7. Look at the word highlighted in paragraph 9 of the text. Mark the answer choice that 
is closest in meaning to the word rate. 

(A) forget 
(B) estimate
(C) help
(D) thank

8. Look at the highlighted words in paragraph 8 of the text. Choose the word or phrase in 
the bold text that the words can look online refer to.

(A) twenty housekeepers 
(B) two letters
(C) people
(D) service providers

Reading,  Listening  and  Speaking • PART 1

Text: Getting Into a Job Market by Mobile Phone 

1. In 2007 fi ve young people in the American state of Massachusetts developed an idea. The team 
knew that the world is fi lled with mobile phones. About eighty percent of all people are said to live 
within reach of a wireless telephone signal. 
2. The idea was to use mobile phones and the Internet to connect job seekers with employers. The 
young people wrote a business plan and formed a company called Assured Labor. 
3. Assured Labor won a development competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
4. Assured Labor is an electronic marketplace. It has two parts. One is for the United States. That 
operation was launched in January in Boston. It links people with employers off ering temporary 
jobs. 
5. The other arm of the business is for developing markets. That operation is meant to help people 
get more permanent jobs. A representative is currently building partnerships with universities and 
international companies in Central America.
6. Assured Labor's president, David Reich, says the companies now place job advertisements on radio 
or in newspapers. Some even drive around in cars with loudspeakers announcing that jobs are 
available. He says the companies are interested in having more modern hiring practices. 
7. Through Assured Labor, companies will list open positions on the Internet. People who think they 
could do the job could reply by text message or on their cell phones.
8. This is how the system works in Boston: the jobs available include house cleaning, dog walking and 
home repair. People who want their house cleaned, for example, can look online at a list of twenty 
housekeepers. The list tells what services they off er and how much they want to be paid. People need 
two letters praising their work to get on the list of service providers.
9. The employer chooses workers they would like to hire. The company then sends the workers a text or 
e-mail message so they can respond quickly to an off er. After a job is completed, the employer and 
employee rate each other. The rating is kept for future use. Assured Labor is not charging anyone 
right now, but the plan is to have employers pay for the service.

C O M P R E H E N S I O N
C O M P R E H E N S I O N

9. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). First read the 
statements and then find the answers in the text: 

9.1.  Assured Labor started their business for mainly developing markets and later they moved to 
Boston. 
T/F9.2.  Assured Labor uses only traditional hiring practices; the company is not interested in any 
modern ones. 
T/F9.3.  Assured Labor is a quickly developing electronic marketplace. 
T/F10. The following sentence can be added to the text: 
 
Three of the founders were graduate students there. 

 
Where would it best fit in the text? 

11. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the text?

(A)  A lot of people in the modern world use mobile phones and the Internet. 
(B)  Young Americans are very creative in developing new ideas.