1 Semestre

15/16

Ingls Tcnico
Licenciatura em Contabilidade e Administrao

Unit 1 The World of Work...

Jobs and careers

Employment trends

Modern slavery

Unit 2 Business Ethics.....

29

Illegal business practices

Corporate social responsibility

(Un)ethical investments

Unit 1
THE WORLD OF WORK

Jerome K. Jerome

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF ATTITUDES TO WORK
Work, for much of the history of the human race, has been hard and degrading. But while it has
always been recognized that work is necessary for the satisfaction of material needs, attitudes towards
working have varied over the centuries.
Getting on for 3,000 years ago, the ancient Greeks regarded work as a curse. Philosophers such as
Plato and Aristotle made it clear that the majority of men laboured so that the minority could engage in
pure exercises of the mind art, philosophy and politics. According to Plato, Those who need to work
must be willing to accept an inferior status.
During the Middle Ages from about 400 AD until 1400 AD work was still perceived negatively,
though with a positive attitude towards earnings which prevented people from being dependent on the
charity of others for the physical needs of life. Wealth was recognized as an opportunity to share with
those who might be less fortunate, and work which produced wealth therefore became acceptable.
However, any effort to accumulate excessive wealth was criticized. It was the duty of a worker to remain in
his class, passing on his family work from father to son.
With the Reformation, a period of religious and political disturbance in Western Europe during the
sixteenth century, came a new perspective on work. Two key religious leaders who influenced the
development of Western culture during this period were Martin Luther and John Calvin, from Germany
and Switzerland respectively. Building on Luthers doctrines, John Calvin introduced a significant new
attitude towards work. He taught that peoples daily life and actions, and success in worldly matters,
reflected their moral worth. Calvin believed that all men must work, even the rich. Men were not to wish
for wealth, possessions, or easy living, but were to reinvest the profits of their labour into financing further
ventures. Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to achieve the greatest profit possible was considered
a religious duty, even if that meant abandoning the family trade or profession. The key elements of these
new beliefs about work were hard work, punctuality, working for long-term (rather than immediate)
benefits, and the great importance of work. In time, these attitudes became norms of Western culture.
As the Industrial Revolution gathered pace in the nineteenth century, the idea of work as a religious
obligation was replaced by the concept of public usefulness. Economists warned of the poverty and decay
that would befall the country if people failed to work hard, and moralists stressed the social duty of each
person to be productive.
Now let us fast-forward to the present, to the information age which began in the 1980s. Autonomy
has been identified as a particularly important factor in job satisfaction, and motivation to work now
involves trust, caring, meaning, self-knowledge, challenge, opportunity for personal growth, and dignity,
instead of purely financial incentives.
4

 What is your view of work? Does it correspond to any of the perceptions mentioned in the
text? Why (not)?
 Summarize the text in 100 words.

READING COMPREHENSION 1
Read the following text and answer the questions.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WORTH?

One of the most difficult questions to answer is how much a job is worth. We naturally expect that a
doctors salary will be higher than a bus drivers wages. But the question becomes much more difficult to
answer when we compare a miner with an engineer, or an unskilled man working on an oil platform in the
North Sea with a teacher in a secondary school. What the doctor, the engineer and the teacher have in
common is that they have devoted several years of their lives to studying in order to obtain the necessary
qualifications for their professions. We feel instinctively that these skills and these years when they were
studying instead of earning money should be rewarded. At the same time, we recognise that the work of
the miner and the oil rig labourer is both hard and dangerous, and that they must be highly paid for the
risks they take.
Another factor we must take into consideration is how socially useful a mans work is, regardless of
the talents he may bring to it. Most people would agree that looking after the sick or teaching children is
more important than selling second-hand cars or improving the taste of toothpaste. Yet it is almost certain
that the used-car salesman earns more than the nurse, and that the research chemist earns more than the
schoolteacher.
You can argue that a man who does a job which brings him personal satisfaction is already receiving
part of his recompense in the form of a psychic wage, and that it is the man with the boring, repetitive job
who needs more money to compensate for the soul-destroying monotony of his work. It is significant that
those jobs which are traditionally regarded as vocations nursing, teaching and the Church, for example
continue to be poorly paid, while others, such as those in the world of sport or entertainment, carry
financial rewards out of all proportion to their social worth.
5

A. Choose the best option for each question.

1. The professional man, such as the doctor, should be well-paid because
a) he has spent several years learning how to do his job
b) his work involves much greater intelligence than, say, a bus drivers
c) he has to work much harder than most other people
2. It is difficult to compare a doctor and a miner because
a) a miners work is not as useful as a doctors
b) a miners job is less skilled but on the other hand it is more dangerous
c) a miner has to learn just as many skills to be able to do his job well
3. You can compare an engineer with a teacher because
a) they both do useful work
b) they have both spent several years in training
c) one does socially important work and the other does dangerous work
4. The writer believes that
a) we should pay for socially-useful work, regardless of the persons talent
b) we should pay people according to their talents
c) market forces will determine how much a person is paid
5. The argument of the psychic wage is used to explain why
a) people who do socially important work are not always well paid
b) people who do monotonous jobs are highly paid
c) you should not try to compare the pay of different professions
6. A man who does a boring repetitive job
a) receives less money than he deserves
b) should receive more money as a compensation for the drudgery of his work
c) can only expect more money if his job is a highly-skilled one

B. Which kind of work should be better paid: vocational or monotonous work? Why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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VOCABULARY 1
1. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
1. If people are dissatisfied they will complain. What else can you .?
a wait for b expect c cope with d hope e prevent
2. Medicine is a profession; street-cleaning is simply a .
a trade b skill c job

d task e labour

3. To qualify as a doctor, youll need to spend years studying.

a few b several c various d a lot e different
4. The reason most of us work is to money.
a win b gain c become d award e earn
5. Mozart composed music when he was still a child. He had a great for it.
a skill b ability c gift d force e training
6. Peter is a public relations officer. He says it is an interesting
a work b job c trade d office e skill
7. It took him two years to write his book.
a entire b complete c all d total e whole
8. Public figures, such as actors, are often reluctant to talk about their lives.
a personal b private c particular d individual e peculiar
9. It is a great to be able to speak foreign languages.
a receipt b profit e benefit d advantage e bonus
10. Anna expected to get high marks, but in fact she failed. She was very .
a deceived b disappointed c disillusioned d deluded e disaffected

2. Fill in the blanks in the following passage using the words given. Some words may be
used more than once.
get

pass

go in for

choose

enter

be

study

go to

Before you a career, you should find out whether you need to

take

university to

a degree, or whether you will have to a training course. For example, if you want to
a teacher, you will have to a training course. But if you decide to

law, you will need to the subject at university before you can the legal
profession. In either case, you will have to several examinations, and if you them, you
will the necessary qualifications.

3. Complete each sentence with one of the words given. Use each word once only.
agent

competitor
dealer

executive
industrialist
foreman
labourer
trainee

producer

client

a) Nowadays you often find that the top.... in a company is a woman.

b) If you have any problems with your work, talk to the.... .
c) Happy Chips is the number one.... of potato crisps m the country.
d) Im starting next week as a .... chef in a large hotel.
e) Our company is the .... for several large insurance companies.
f) David was not content until he had become a rich .... .
g) Our firm is quite a long way ahead of our nearest .... .
h) With mechanisation it is difficult to find work as an unskilled .... .
i) I have been working as a used car .... for the past six months.
j) A company should make every .... feel important.

4. Choose the most suitable word or phrase given.

a) Were very busy this week. Can you work....?
a) extra time

b) supplementary time c) overtime

d) double time

b) I succeeded in my job through sheer hard.... .

a) work

b) labour

c) industry

D) effort

c) Catherine works for a/an .... engineering company.

a) main

b) forefront

c) outgoing

d) leading

d) Im thinking of changing my job because there are few....of promotion.

a) prospects

b) opportunities

c) chances

d) sources

e) Bill has a real....for looking after handicapped children.

a) career

b)post

c) inspiration

d)vocation

f) Ruth is looking for a new .... at the moment.

a) vacancy

b) appointment

c) condition

d) employment

g) I am well-qualified and have completed a .... in graphic design.

a) less

b) curriculum

c) course

d) timetable

h) In our company I am afraid there is very little .... to work hard.

a) inspiration b) advantage

c) gain d) motivation

i) The government is building a nuclear power .... not far from here.
a) works

b) factory

c) station

d) industry

j) Its not very interesting work, but at least its a .... job.
a) regular

b) continuous

c) firm

d) steady

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 1
1. Choose the most suitable word given for each space in the text.
What are you working for?
Have you ever asked yourself what you are working for? If you have ever had the time to (1) ..
this question, you (2) .. have heard some or all of the (3) ..arguments Its the money of
course, some say. Or its the satisfaction of (4) .. well done, the sense of having made an
important (5) .. I worked as a bus conductor once, and I cant say I (6) ..the same as I
daily (7) .. out tickets. Its the company of other people perhaps, but if that is the (8) ..,
what about farmers? Work is power and a sense of status say those (9) .. have either attained
these goals, or that feel upset because nobody has recognised their leadership (10) .. . I suspect,
and I say this under my (11) .., that most of us work hoping for something to (12) .. up.
Well save some (13) .. and open that little shop we always dreamed of, or go (14) .. the
world, or spend more time in the garden. One day well get that (15) .. we deserve, but until then
at least we have something to do. And maybe we are so busy doing it that we wont have time to wonder
why
1) A) propose
2) A) might
3) A) below
4) A) a work
5) A) deal
6) A) enjoyed
7) A) made
8) A) one
9) A) people
10) A) qualities
11) A) oath
12) A) move
13) A) resources
14) A) round
15) A) ambition

B) meditate
B) can
B) rest
B) a job
B) position
B) wished
B) turned
B) case
B) must
B) status
B) suspicion
B) turn
B) opportunities
B) over
B) station

C) consider
C) will
C) following
C) a task
C) job
C) hoped
C) issued
C) question
C) who
C) property
C) breath
C) ease
C) rest
C) into
C) vocation

D) launch
D) should
D) latter
D) an effort
D) engagement
D) felt
D) gave
D) former
D) to
D) requirements
D) pressure
D) end
D) money
D) to
D) promotion

2. Complete each sentence with a word or compound word formed from the word in
capitals.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Many pupils at ......................................school have already chosen a career.

We cant ............................. with these low prices.
This used to be a rural area but it has become............. .
.............. in our factories is falling because of absenteeism.
I dont have a job, so Im living on ............................................. benefit.
You wont be paid much as a/an ................ worker.
The government is encouraging ............. in heavy industry.
We would like details of your ................ on this form.

SECOND
COMPETITOR
INDUSTRY
PRODUCE
EMPLOY
SKILL
INVEST
QUALIFY
9

FURTHER READING 1

Waiting for the biblioburro

A true story
This is a true story. Its about Luis Soriano, a teacher who since 1990 has spent his Saturdays bringing
books with the help of his two donkeys to children of the rural and isolated villages on the mountains in
Colombia.
This dedicated librarian reads stories to every child he meets, and lends them books that they will give
back on his next visit.
This amazing library "Biblioburro" has more than 5000 titles, mainly thanks to donations of books.

On a hill behind a tree, there is a house. In the house, there is a bed and on the bed there is a little
girl named Ana, fast asleep, dreaming about the world outside and beyond the hill.
When Ana wakes-up to the roosters quiquiriqu, Papi is already at work on the farm and Mami is
busy in the garden. Ana bathes her little brother and feeds the goats and collects the eggs to sell at the
market.
After breakfast, Ana and her mother walk down the hill. Ana closes her eyes against the sun and
wishes she was back in the cool of the house with her libro, her book.
Ana has read her book, her only book, so many times she knows it by heart. The book was a gift from
her teacher for working so hard on her reading and writing. But last fall, her teacher moved far away, and
now there is no one to teach Ana and the other children in her village.
So, at night, on her bed in the house on the hill, Ana makes up her own cuentos and tells the stories
to her little brother to help him fall asleep. She tells him stories about make-believe creatures that live in
10

the forest and the mountains and the sea. She wishes for new stories to read, but her teacher with the
books has gone.
One morning, Ana wakes up to the sounds of tacatac! Clip-clop! and a loud iii-aah, iii-aah!
When Ana looks down the hill below her house she sees a man with a sign that reads Biblioburro.
With the man, there are two burros. What are they carrying? Libros! Books!
Ana runs down the hill to the man with the sign and the burros and the books. Other children run to
him too, skipping down hills and stomping through the fields.
The man says, I am a librarian, a bibliotecario, and these are my burros, Alfa and Beto. Welcome to
the Biblioburro, my biblioteca.
But, seor, Ana says, I thought libraries were only in big cities and buildings.
Not this one, says the librarian. This is a moving library.
Then he spreads out his books and invites the children to join him under a tree.
Once upon a time, the librarian begins, sharing the story of an elephant who swings from a spiders
web. He reads from books with beautiful pictures, then helps the little ones learn their abecedario.
He sings, A, B, C, D, E, F, G...
Finally, he says, Now its your turn. Pick out books and in a few weeks I will be back to collect them
and bring you new ones.
Me too? asks Ana.
Especially you, says the librarian with a smile.
So many cuentos!
While Alfa and Beto chomp the sweet grass under the tree, Ana picks up book after book and finds
pink dolphins and blue butterflies, castles and fairies, talking lions and magic carpets.
Someone should write a story about your burros, Ana tells the librarian, rubbing Alfas nose and
feeding more grass to Beto.
Why dont you? he asks. Then he packs up the books, and is off.
Enjoy! he calls to the children. I will be back.
Ana runs up the hill to her house, hugging the books to her chest. She cant wait to share her books
with her brother, and that night she reads until she cant keep her eyes open any longer.

Each morning Ana does her chores and reads and looks out her window. She listens for the sounds of
Alfa and Beto, but weeks pass, and the librarian doesnt return.
When will he come back? she asks her mother, who smiles and says, Go read, Ana.
When will he come back? she asks her mother, who smiles and says, Go draw, Ana.
When will he come back? she asks her mother, who smiles and says, Go write, Ana.
When will he come back? she asks her mother, who finally says, Go to bed, Ana!

11

One night, Ana dreams she is flying over her country on a butterflys back. In her dream she crosses
mountains and oceans and rivers and jungles, bringing stories everywhere she goes. Stories fly from her
mouth and fingers like magic, falling into the hands of the children waiting below.
When Ana wakes up she misses Alfa and Beto and the Biblioburros books. She remembers that the
librarian told her that she could write a book, and so, with paper and string and colored pencils, she does.
Finally, just when Ana thinks shell never see the Biblioburro again, she wakes up to iii-aah, iii-aah!
and children yelling.
She runs down the hill with her library books and a special surprise of her very own.
I wrote this cuento for you, she says.
Qu bueno! the librarian says and then he reads her story to the children under the tree.
When its time to go, Anas book is packed carefully on the burros back, ready to be carried away,
over the hills and through the fields to another child who is asleep on a bed, in a house, on a hill behind a
tree, dreaming of Alfa and Beto and all the new stories the Biblioburro will bring.

AUTHORS NOTE
How far would you go for a book? How far would a librarian travel to bring a book to you?
Around the world, there are many librarians, and libraries, that travel long distances, just like the
Biblioburro. In Kenya, camel caravans deliver books to nomads in the desert. In Sweden, Stockholms
floating library delivers books to islanders on book boats. In Zimbabwe, there is a donkey-drawn mobile
cart library. In the United States, bookmobiles started out as book wagons.
This book was inspired by a particular librarian I was honored to get to knowLuis Soriano
Bohorquez. Near La Gloria, Colombia, this teacher and librarian delivers books to children who live in
remote villages with the help of his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto. Luiss Biblioburro program is an
inspiration to us all. To learn more about Luis, check out:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/index.html
This book is a celebration of Luis and all the teachers and librarians who bring books to children
everywhereacross deserts, fields, mountains and water.
GLOSSARY OF SPANISH TERMS
abecedario: alphabet
biblioteca: library
bibliotecario: librarian
burro: donkey
cuento: story
domingo: Sunday
haba una vez: once upon a time
iii-aah: hee-haw
jueves: Thursday
libro: book

lunes: Monday
martes: Tuesday
mircoles: Wednesday
qu bueno: thats good
quiquiriqui: cock-a-doodle-doo
sbado: Saturday
seor: sir
tacatac: clip-clop
viernes: Friday
12

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
When one helps another, both gain in strength.
Ecuadorian Proverb

The most vivid memories I have from my childhood come from the long train journeys I took to
reach my grandmothers home thousands of miles away from where I lived. Along the way, as I stared
out the window, I would get a glimpse of what India was truly aboutthe mud huts with thatched
roofs, barefoot and ragged children running behind the train waving, and the many men and women
toiling in the hot sun to earn their daily bread and butter.
From the comfort of my cushioned seat on the train, I would see children even younger than I,
struggling to find a spot of shade, or a morsel of food to eat, and wonder about the disparity that
exists in my country. I could see how much difference money made and how unfair this proves to be
in the different social classes of life.
I come from a small and close-knit family of four, consisting of my parents, my elder sister and I.
Although I was born in the Netherlands, I have spent most of my life in Bangalore, a part of south
India. I am by descent a North Indian.
When I was in the tenth grade, I was given the opportunity to head the school social service
sector for two years, which was the most enlightening and beneficial experience Ive ever had. Our
school was associated with an organization for the mentally and physically disabled, called
Samarthanam. It was an orphanage which aimed to educate children aged five to eighteen, and was
constantly understaffed and overcrowded.
Although I was appointed as a volunteer teacher for Samarthanam, I ended up learning more
from the young children I interacted with than they could learn from me. Being a part of this
community really changed my lifeit showed me that despite seemingly insurmountable odds, if one
has faith and belief in oneself, nothing is impossible. In those two years, I became a new person
altogether.
As I had not yet graduated from high school, I was given the task of helping children from grade
one to nine with their homework, which actually involved much more than studying. The challenge
was clearing their doubts and building a positive belief in themselves that they could succeed.
The counselor who overlooked my shift assigned me to two sixth-graders and one seventhgrader for two hours every week. Teaching Shilpa, the seventh-grade girl who I was coaching was by
no means an easy task. Although most of her fellow students were twelve years old, she was eighteen
and had failed for six consecutive years. Physically, she was also very different as she was bald, tall,
and walked awkwardly. Unfortunately, she had hardly any friends, which meant she would have very
little support, apart from myself, to help her through this process.

13

After observing her work for a few days, I began to wonder how she had come this far since she
could barely read and write. It was sad to learn that other instructors had given up on her long ago,
seeing her as a lost cause. Consequently, she had also given up on herself. However, I was absolutely
determined to give her the chance that she deserved, and with this resolve, I began working with her
whenever I could.
For the next six months, I doubled my shifts and dedicated myself to building her academic
skills. Her main weakness was her second language, Hindi (an Indian language), and as it happened to
be my native language, I was reasonably well equipped to teach her. In order to keep her hopes up and
her motivation high, I had to get creative. For every word she spelled correctly and every syllable she
pronounced right, I would reward her with small gifts or praise. During the month before her exams
we worked extra hard until finally, she had mastered the language. My last efforts were spent giving
her the confidence to show up at her exams believing she would pass.
When we opened her report card together, she burst into tears. Shilpa passed each exam and
then went on to the eighth grade. She was so overwhelmed that she was unable to talk. More than her
result, I was overjoyed about the happiness she felt. I had made a difference to another human beings
life.
Today, if I am ever upset or discouraged about anything that is not working the way I want it to,
I think of Shilpa and how she was able to learn a language she barely knew and pass after six years of
struggling. I thank her for giving me courage and showing me that anything is possible if we are
determined enough.
My experiences at Samarthanam taught me how to be happy with whatever I have and count
my blessings rather than complain about my challenges or what I could not have or get. Focusing on
my strengths and what is good in my life gives me a lot of positive energy and helps me to believe in
myself. I still visit the orphanage whenever I can, sometimes to make donations and sometimes just to
meet the children who have shown me so much about life. Even for the simplest gifts such as clothing,
I am thanked profusely and it warms my heart. From these young survivors, I have learned what I
consider the most important lesson of my life: Without faith, nothing is possible, but with it, nothing is
impossible, which is a quote from Mary McLeod Bethune.
Shivany Dixit1
Jack Canfield et al.
Extraordinary Teens:
Personal Stories and Advice from Today's Most Inspiring Youth
Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, LLC, 2009
(Adapted)

 Does this example fit your idea of entrepreneurship? Why (not)?

Recipient of the International Award for Young People (The Duke of Edinburgh Award); Engaged in community service in high
school and secondary school, with over 100 hours of community service; Part of volunteer group of Samarthanam Trust for the
Disabled; National Topper (100%) Scholar in Sanskrit, India; Recipient of the CBSE Merit Certificate for gifted students; Recipient
of the prestigious Sahodaya Award for merit.
14

READING COMPREHENSION 2
1. Would you like to be an entrepreneur? Why (not)?
2. Can you name any successful entrepreneurs in your country?
3. Why do you think they are successful?

15

A. Scan the article and choose the words below closest in meaning to the words and
expressions in bold italics numbered 112 in the article.
1 a) obvious
2 a) character
3 a) being innumerate
4 a) prime examples
5 a) strategies for winning
6 a) have a speech problem
7 a) ambition
8 a) set path
9 a) sales
10 a) employee
11 a) success
12 a) unexpected opportunities
13 a) say it is because of
14 a) refuse
15 a) when

b) seeming
b) quality
b) a hearing problem
b) serious problems
b) excellent communication skills
b) talk too much
b) physical problem
b) promise
b) weakening
b) top executive
b) luck
b) unfortunate accidents
b) give thanks to
b) reduce
b) where

c) remarkable
c) feature
c) a reading disorder
c) famous people
c) ability to overcome problems
c) are unable to communicate
c) new project
c) security
c) disagreement
c) small part
c) faith
c) unbelievable disasters
c) make statements about
c) ignore
c) which

B. Read the article and choose the correct option A, B, C or D.

1 In paragraph 1, the writer says that
A all entrepreneurs are successful
B success for entrepreneurs tends to be random.
C entrepreneurs thrive in independent capitalist societies.
D not all entrepreneurs use their assets wisely.
2 What does the writer say about three famous entrepreneurs?
A Their success was completely unpredictable.
B They failed several times before becoming successful.
C They all had to overcome physical disadvantages.
D Their business strategies are very strong.
3 The writer says that some billionaires
A lack a certain amount of confidence.
B have had difficulties speaking fluently.
C can concentrate much more than less successful people.
D proved they could be successful by studying hard.
4 Many top-ranked entrepreneurs
A completed their education with top marks.
B started their working life in a safe profession.
C were unafraid to take risks.
D excelled in any organisation they joined.
5 In paragraph 5, the writer states that
A many hopeful entrepreneurs get capital and then fail.
B not getting outside finance can be the best thing for an entrepreneur.
C many company founders lose their shares.
D entrepreneurs need to control every part of their company.
16

6 What does the writer say about Steve Jobs and Stan Lee?
A getting fired was the worst thing that could have happened to them.
B they both struggled to succeed after losing their jobs.
C they both created successful companies as a result of losing their jobs.
D both of them returned triumphantly to their former companies.
7 What does the writer say about creators of large enterprises in paragraph 7?
A Most of them have a detailed master plan.
B Luck plays a big part in their success.
C They often need to come up with new inventions.
D They need to be more flexible.
8 What does it refer to in paragraph 8?
A faith
B fortune
C their past
D chance
9 What does the write say about himself in paragraph 9?
A He doesnt believe in chance.
B He always has a clear plan.
C He never ignores chance meetings.
D He knows where the next big success will come from.
10 In the writers view
A the future looks uncertain.
B there arent many opportunities nowadays.
C next year looks very positive.
D its fun trying to be successful

VOCABULARY 2
1. Match the definitions below with the words underlined in the article.
1 losing your job
2 successes
3 by chance
4 advantages .
5 rise (n).
6 quality .
7 fixed, cannot be changed .

8 hope to be .
9 unconventional .
10 being very successful .
11 plan to gain an advantage .
12 defeat, triumph over .
13 a free thinker ..
14 achievements ..

GROUP WORK RESEARCH AND PRESENTATION

Find out more about one of the entrepreneurs mentioned in the article, or an entrepreneur in your own
country. Find out about their company/companies, what they think makes a successful entrepreneur, what
advice they give to would-be entrepreneurs.
Prepare an oral presentation (5-10 minutes) for the class.
17

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 2
1. Choose the most suitable word for each gap in the text.
When I was younger I had a job working in a factory
When I was younger I had a job working in a factory, it was _1_ after I graduated from university. I
worked there for about six months while I did interviews for a real job that would start my career.
Looking back at it now, _2_ it was a boring job, it was one of the happiest times of my life. After years
of being a poor student, it was the first time I had money from working a full-time job. We would get _3_
every Friday and by Monday most of it would be gone! I would spend most of my money on clothes and
having fun with my friends over the weekend. I was too young to think about saving _4_ the future, I just
wanted to have a good time.
The atmosphere at the factory was relaxed, I could wear what I wanted to work and I made a lot of
good friends there. We would _5_ the whole day laughing and joking while we worked and at the end of
the day it was just a short walk home.
I stopped working there when I got a new job at a finance company downtown. I now had my dream
job but everything changed. I had to wake up much earlier to _6_ into the city and work longer hours than
Id experienced before. Working in a high-pressure and stressful environment of a multi-cultural business
was hard to adapt to after my factory life. Even having to wear a suit to work took some getting _7_ to.
Now many years later, I am a boss at the finance company and even though I consider myself to be a
_8_, I still remember those factory days fondly.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.
A.

near
unless
bank
of
spend
way
enough
success

B.
B.
B.
B.
B.
B.
B.
B.

straight
instead
loan
by
make
trip
made
wealthy

C.
C.
C.
C.
C.
C.
C.
C.

begin
however
paid
for
be
travelling
used
popularity

D. mostly
D. although
D. salary
D. on
D. take
D. commute
D. fit
D. date

2. Complete each sentence with a word or compound word formed from the word in
capitals.
1. Please send a photograph with your CV and _____________________ form. (APPLY)
2. You need to make a _____________________ today. (DECIDE)
3. Her _____________________ of the grammar was very unclear. (EXPLAIN)
4. We had a long _____________________ about our problems. (DISCUSS)
5. Students must have their parents _____________________ to come on the trip. (PERMIT)
6. When I lived abroad, I found the _____________________ from my family very difficult. (SEPARATE)
7. I entered a bowling _____________________ . (COMPETE)
8. His answers were very _____________________ so he failed the Mathematics exam. (ACCURATE)
9. I cant come up with a _____________________ to this problem. (SOLVE)
10. The _____________________ of junk food has increased over the last 20 years. (CONSUME)
18

FURTHER READING 2

The roses in my carpets

Its always the same. The jets scream overhead. Theyve seen me. Im running too slowly, dragging
my mother and sister behind. The ground is treacherous, pitted with bomb craters. My mother and sister
weigh me down. A direct hit. Just as Im about to die, or sometimes just after, I awake.
Blessed darkness. A moment passes before I realize I am in our mud house in the refugee camp. Safe.
I hear the quiet breathing of my mother and sister nearby.
A cock crows, and then the eerie cry of the muezzin calls me to prayer. Dawn. I might as well rise and
fetch the water before there is a lineup at the well.
My breath floats in clouds before me as I return with the heavy bucket. The plastic handle cuts into
my hand. I must stop and rest several times.
At home I wash my face a useless habit. Here, the walls are mud, the floor is mud, the courtyard is
mud, too. It is impossible to stay clean.
I wake my mother before I go to the mosque for prayer. When I get back, breakfast is ready. My
sister Maha still sleeps, so I eat my bit of bread and sip my tea in peace. Then I kiss Mahas sleeping face
and go to school.
I hate school a room full of restless boys girls are in another class. We sit on rough mats that
rub my ankles raw. Id rather be weaving carpets.
When I come home for lunch, the hut is swept. I eat slowly, breaking the bread into pieces, making it
last. Maha wolfs down her share, then eyes mine.
No, says Mother sternly. But when her back is turned, I give Maha a few bites. I will pull my sash a
little tighter.
19

Again, the muezzin calls me to prayer. Forgetting to be watchful, I step into the narrow road. A car
brushes past, blasting a warning.
In this place they drive as if demons pursue them, heedless of those in their path. I think of Maha.
She, at least, is safe at home.
After Zuhr prayer comes my favorite time of day. I go to practice my skill as a carpet weaver. When I
am weaving I can escape the jets, the nightmares everything. As if with my fingers I create a world the
war cannot touch. A paradise like the one where my father is.
My father was a farmer, at the mercy of weather or anyone who would steal his land and crops. But I
will have a skill no one can take away. As long as I am strong and able, my family will never go hungry.
First I must practice. Someone far away makes my training possible. I am a sponsored child. A foster
child. They even took my picture.
Soon, I will be a master craftsman and my sponsors money will not be needed. I will hold my head
high for the sake of my father who died ploughing our field in the war.
Each color that I weave has a special meaning.
The threads that line the frame, on which all the other threads are
knotted, are white. White for the shroud we wrapped my fathers body
in. Black is for the night that cloaks us from enemy eyes. Green is the
color of life. Blue is the sky. One day it will be free of jets.
Everything in camp is a dirty brown, so I do not use brown anywhere
in my carpets.
Red is my favorite. It is the color of roses. I have never grown
flowers. Every bit of land must yield food. So I make sure there are plenty
of roses in my carpets.
I weave intricate patterns of roses, each connected to the other like the tribes of Afghanistan. A
garden of beauty surrounded by a border, a wall. A wall around a little piece of paradise.
I am so intent on my weaving I do not hear the gasping breath of the boy who has entered the room.
It is the silence that alerts me. I look up. Everyone is staring at me. Something is terribly wrong.
Its your sister. Shes been hit by a truck.
I leap to my feet and spill a thousand threads on the floor. A friend says to leave them, hell pick
them up. I nod and run out the door.
The runner tells me Maha is at the clinic. My mother is with her. They are operating, trying to save
her legs.
When I arrive, my mother is frantic, trying to reach Maha. People are holding her back. There is
screaming. Its coming from me.
My mother turns, her eyes wild. Like when my father died.
I must be strong. I must not cry. Gently I take her aside, telling her she is in the way. She nods. My
20

words sink in. She puts her head on my shoulder and I see that Ive grown. A strange time to notice such
things. I tell my mother to go home and pray for Mahas safety.
When there is news, Ill come.
I cannot just sit and wait. I pace. Then I take my own advice and pray. I pray for Maha and for my
mother. Then I pray for my sponsor who is paying for Mahas operation and doesnt know it. Afterward, I
feel better.
Finally, the doctor emerges from the doorway looking haggard. Good news. Maha will be all right.
Her legs are broken, but she will be able to walk again. Not soon, but one day. Relief washes over me like
a cool rain. I run home to tell my mother. She looks old. She weeps for joy.
We have bread and water for supper. Mother rips the bread into three pieces before she remembers
there are only two of us tonight. She gives me Mahas share. I give half of it back. In silence we eat. Every
bite sticks in my throat. No amount of water helps.
Exhausted, I lie down on the straw mat that is my bed. It is too quiet without Maha. I miss her
terribly. For a long time I cannot sleep.
When I finally do, I dream again of jets, tearing the fabric of the
sky.
But this time my mother and sister do not drag at me. They run
with me and do not hold me back.
While running, we find a space, the size of a carpet, where the
bombs cannot touch us.
Within that space there are roses.

Rukhsana Khan
The Roses in my Carpets
Ontario, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004
(Adapted)

1. What does the 1st paragraph of this story refer to?

2. How would you describe this boys living conditions? Have you ever heard of sponsored children?
3. What is the symbolism of the colours he uses in the carpets and why are roses so important to him?

 You can listen to the story told by the author at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXSZdb9pezs
and visit the authors website: http://www.rukhsanakhan.com/orphanafghan.html and see how she has
used the funds from this book to establish libraries in Afghanistan.
21

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3
SLAVERY AND ABOLITION
Most of the major maritime nations of Western Europe and the Americas involved themselves to
some degree in the Atlantic slave system. But by the mid-eighteenth century, the British had emerged as
commercial and maritime masters in moving large numbers of Africans speedily and profitably towards
the American plantations.
From first to last, slavery was a system characterized by brutality. Moreover, it was a system that had
far-reaching ramifications for three continents: for the Americas, whose economic potential was extracted
by generations of imported Africans, for Europe, which orchestrated (and benefited from) the whole
system, and of course for Africa, for which massive loss of population, with violence and disruption, caused
incalculable and long-term damage.
But Atlantic slavery had even more profound consequences, for it was a major ingredient in the
transformation of the West. Slavery was the means by which the West emerged to a position of unrivalled
economic and political dominance. Stated simply, African slave labour, transplanted into the Americas,
was critical to the creation of Western wealth and the consequent domination of other regions and peoples
by the absolute power of the West.
Modern readers and students often find it difficult to grasp that the suffering which was the essence
of Atlantic slavery could be visited on so many people, on so vast a scale, with so little hesitation, and with
no real scruple. It was as if Atlantic slavery was morally neutral for those most actively involved (counted
in their tens of thousands), from the humblest of sailors to the grandest of planters and slave merchants.
Slave captains, planters and colonial officials (often God-fearing men) filled their records, account
books and diaries with the most violent and degrading descriptions of their dealings with slaves, all
without registering the least doubt or hesitation about their actions. Moral self-doubt and religious
hesitation rarely intruded into the way they described their working lives, which were dominated by daily
face-to-face dealings with Africans and their enslaved descendants.
There is, it is true, another side to this story. There were, from first to last, people of conscience who
felt uneasy about African slavery, and who recognized the moral and theological difficulties posed by
slavery. But they tended to be outside the slave system. By and large, their voices were marginalized or
silenced by the contrary force of commerce, and by the profitable trade made at the expense of African
slaves. The material well-being derived from slavery was so abundant, so universal (except to the slaves, of
course), that moral objections seemed out of place.
But, although it scarcely raised a moral cry for centuries in the West, slavery ended in a crescendo of
outrage and ethical disgust. The institution which had survived for centuries without attracting much
opposition ended its days denounced as an offence to Christian values and a blot on the Western
conscience. Clearly, something had changed. What had happened to transform slavery (and the slave
trade) into such a moral and irreligious monster?
22

What had changed was not slavery and the slave trade (both buoyant and booming in the years
before 1807), but Britain itself. There had been a shifting of British life, a shift which produced major
changes in sensibility and attitudes. New forms of religious dissent, a more literate populace, the impact of
democratic ideals, all laid the basis for popular abolitionism, itself made easier in an urbanizing, literate
society.
James Walvin
A short history of slavery
Penguin Books, 2007
(Adapted)

 In the opinion of some leading economists, The worlds whole economic system is actually
based on slavery.
Does this statement make sense to you? Why (not)?

READING COMPREHENSION 3
DISPOSABLE PEOPLE
Going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed how
modern slavery penetrates the global economy and flows into the things we buy.
Named as a visionary who is changing your world and the originator of one of 100
World-Changing Discoveries by the Association of British Universities, he is a
leading abolitionist in the last great anti-slavery movement. In 2001 he co-founded
Free the Slaves, the American sister-organization of the UKs Anti-Slavery
International, the worlds oldest human rights group. In eight years it has helped to
liberate thousands of slaves in India, Nepal, Haiti, Ghana, Brazil, Ivory Coast, and
Bangladesh, and work with them to build new lives of dignity.

Children are an important part of the workforce in Pakistan, and many of them labor with their
parents to make bricks at the kilns. This kind of work presents many dangers. If the workers fall
completely into the kiln, they are instantly incinerated. If only a leg or the feet are burned, there may be
hope. But the injuries will be serious and disabling.
In spite of the risk, the children continue to work because their families need their help to survive.
And many families, even with the efforts of the children, still cannot make ends meet. As I visited the brick
kilns across the state of Punjab, I found very few children who attended the local school. When they
actually went to school, only three or four boys were able to go (when children are sent to school, girls are
rarely included). For the children of the brick kilns the work is long and hard, but hard work and diligence
dont guarantee success.
23

If the conditions of work were not bad enough, the system of working in the brick kilns presents
other dangers and hardships. Almost all of the families making bricks are working to pay a debt to the
owner of the kiln, and this debt does not end if the father of the family dies. Instead it passes to his wife
and sons. A boy of thirteen or fourteen can be burdened with a debt that he will carry for many years,
perhaps his entire life.
Inheritance of debt, or debt bondage, is a system that keeps many Pakistani families enslaved.
Kevin Bales
Disposable People
Berkeley, University of California Press, 2000
(Adapted)

VOCABULARY 3
A. Match the words and phrases in the text to these definitions.
Oven; furnace
Earn just enough money to live on
Severe suffering or privation
A persons promise of their labour or services as security for the repayment for a
debt or other obligation

B. Rewrite the following sentence by using the words given (do not change the meaning).
1. In spite of the risk, the children continue to work because their families need their help to survive.
Despite____________________________________________________________________________________ .
Although _________________________________________________________________________________ .
_________________________. However_________________________________________________________ .

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 3
Fill in the gaps with the correct option (A, B, C or D).

Less is more
For (0) B. 100 years slavery has (1) . illegal. Many people thought that making slavery illegal would
make it disappear. It didnt. There are 21-30 million people in slavery today.
The 21-30 million in slavery and the $32 billion they make in (2) . for criminals every year may seem too
big to (3) . But look (4) . modern slavery from another directiontodays 21-30 million slaves is the
smallest proportion of the world population to ever be in slavery. The earnings they (5) . for
slaveholders are a tiny (6) . in the global economic ocean. For comparison: $32 billion is what
Americans (7) . every year on snack foods like potato chips and pretzels.
Plus we dont have to face the barriers of 150 years agono one is arguing that slavery is (8) .
acceptable, there is a law (9) . it in every country, and if all slavery ended tomorrow, no country or
industry would collapse. So what is holding us (10) .?
24

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A

more
made
capital
deal with
for
cater
dive
spend
morality
for
back

B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B

over
said
cash
overcome
to
make
example
cost
wide
against
backward

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

less
been
money
hide
forward
offer
plunge
make
morally
opposite
on

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

under
done
profits
conquer
at
made
drop
pay
generally
contrary
forward

GROUP WORK
You work for a non-profit organization (NPO) which wants to do something about the
circumstances described in the text Disposable people. Together with the other members of
your group,
 make a note of all the main issues raised by the situation;
 develop a project to address them.

FURTHER READING 3

Henrys Freedom Box

Authors Note
In the mid-1800s, there were about four million slaves living in the United States. Slaves were owned, like
tables, or cows, or wagons. Historians believe between 60,000 and 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom,
traveling on what was called the Underground Railroad.
The Underground Railroad wasnt a real railroad. It was all the secret ways slaves made their way from the
South to the North. They hid in carts, rode on horseback, walked hundreds of miles through forests and
25

swamps, and crossed flowing rivers in summer and icebound rivers in winter. Conductors and
stationmasters hid them and helped them throughout their journey,
When Henry Brown climbed into his Freedom Box, he hoped hed be carried to a safe world. He brought
along a small tool to make holes, a little water, and a few biscuits. Henry arrived in Philadelphia, having
travelled 350 miles from Richmond, Virginia, in twenty-seven hours.
His story made newspaper headlines in America and Europe. Henry never found Nancy and his children. In
1850 he went to England, and there were some reports that he married again. We do know with absolute
certainty that Henry Box Brown became one of the most famous runaway slaves on the Underground
Railroadthe man who mailed himself to freedom.

Henry Brown wasnt sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves werent allowed to know their
birthdays.
Henry and his brothers and sisters worked in the big house where the master lived. Henrys master had
been good to Henry and his family.
But Henrys mother knew things could change. Do you see those leaves blowing in the wind? They are
torn from the trees like slave children are torn from their families.
One morning the master called for Henry and his mother. They climbed the wide staircase. The master
lay in bed with only his head above the quilt. He was very ill. He beckoned them to come closer.
Some slaves were freed by their owners. Henrys heart beat fast. Maybe the master would set him free.
But the master said, You are a good worker, Henry. I am giving you to my son. You must obey him and
never tell a lie.
Henry nodded, but he didnt say thank you. That would have been a lie.
Later that day Henry watched a bird soar high above the trees. Free bird! Happy bird! Henry thought.
Henry said good-bye to his family. He looked across the field. The leaves swirled in the wind.
Henry worked in his new masters factory. He was good at his job.
Do not fear the tobacco leaf! the boss yelled at the new boy. He poked the boy with a stick.
If you made a mistake, the boss would beat you.
Henry was lonely. One day he met Nancy, who was shopping for her mistress.
They walked and talked and agreed to meet again. Henry felt like singing. But slaves didnt dare sing in
the streets. Instead, he hummed all the way home.
Months later, Henry asked Nancy to be his wife. When both their masters agreed, Henry and Nancy
were married. Soon, there was a little baby. Then another. And another.
Henry knew they were very lucky. They lived together even though they had different masters.
But Nancy was worried. Her master had lost a great deal of money. Im afraid he will sell our children,
she said. Henry sat very still.
Henry worked hard all morning. He tried to forget what Nancy had said.
His friend James came into the factory. He whispered to Henry, Your wife and children were just sold
at the slave market.
26

No! cried Henry. Henry couldnt move. He couldnt think. He couldnt work.
Twist that tobacco! The boss poked Henry.
Henry twisted tobacco leaves. His heart twisted in his chest.
At lunchtime, Henry rushed to the center of town. A large group of slaves was tied together. The owner
shouted at them.
Henry looked for his family.
Father! Father!
Henry watched his children disappear down the road.
Where was Nancy?
He saw her the same moment she saw him.
When he wiped away his tears, Nancy, too, was gone.
Henry no longer sang. He couldnt hum.
He went to work and at night he ate supper and went to bed.
Henry tried to think of happy times. But all that he could see were the carts carrying away everyone he
loved.Henry knew he would never see his family again.
Many weeks passed. One morning, Henry heard singing. A little bird flew out of a tree into the open
sky. And Henry thought about being free.
But how? As he lifted a crate, he knew the answer.
He asked James and Dr. Smith to help him. Dr. Smith was a white man who thought slavery was wrong.
They met early the next day at an empty warehouse.
Henry arrived with a box.
I will mail myself to a place where there are no slaves! he said.
James stared at the box, then at Henry. What if you cough and someone hears you?
I will cover my mouth and hope, Henry said.
Dr. Smith wrote on the box:
To: William H. Johnson
Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Henry would be delivered to friends in Philadelphia.
Then he printed on the crate in big letters:
THIS SIDE UP WITH CARE
Henry needed an excuse to stay home, or the work boss would think he had run off.
James pointed to Henrys sore finger. But Henry knew it wasnt bad enough. He opened a bottle of
vitriol.
No! cried James.
Henry poured it on his hand. It burned his skin to the bone.
Now the boss would have to let him stay home!
Dr. Smith bandaged Henrys hand. They arranged to meet the next morning at four oclock.
27

The sun was not yet up when Henry climbed into the box.
Ready! he said.
James nailed down the lid.
Dr. Smith and James drove to the station. The railway clerk tipped the box over and nailed a paper to
the bottom.
Dr. Smith begged the clerks to be careful. But they didnt listen. They threw the box into the baggage
car.
Hours passed. Henry was lifted up and thrown again. Upside down!
He heard waves splashing. This must be the steam boat headed for Washington, D.C.
The ship rode smoothly, but Henry was still upside down.
Blood rushed to his head. His face got hot. His eyes ached. He thought his head would burst.
But he was afraid to move. Someone might hear him.
Im tired of standing, someone said.
Why dont we move that box and sit on it? said another.
Henry held his breath. Could they talking about his box?
Henry was pushed. The box scraped the deck.
Now he was on his right side! Now on his left! And suddenly, right side up!
What do you think is in here? said the first man.
Mail, I guess, said the other.
I am mail, thought Henry. But not the kind they imagine!
Henry was carried off the steamboat and placed in a railroad car, this time head up. He fell asleep to the
rattling song of the train wheels.
He awoke to loud knocking. Henry, are you all right in there?
All right! he answered.
The cover was pried open. Henry stretched and stood up. Four men smiled at him.
Welcome to Philadelphia!
At last Henry had a birthdayMarch 30, 1849, his first day of freedom! And from that day on, he also
had a middle name.
Everyone called him Henry BOX Brown.

Ellen Levine; Kadir Nelson

Henrys freedom box A true story from the Underground Railroad
New York, Scholastic, 2007
28

Unit 2
BUSINESS ETHICS

29

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1
YOUNG ADULTS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Todays students, though seemingly apolitical, mirror quite faithfully the central features of their
culture and time. Is it appropriate to criticize young adults for being materialistic and greedy at a point in
time when their culture has little to offer them besides money and position as symbols of authority,
affirmation, success, and belonging? Have not some of our most talented young adults been taught
(implicitly, if not explicitly) to define success first in the form of academic grades and then simply to
substitute dollar signs for grades?
At the same time that our social culture is being increasingly homogenized by the media and many
other informational and commercial networks we all share, we are experiencing isolation by economic
class as a growing phenomenon in American society. Todays students, like many of us, do not have much
direct experience of people who dwell in an economic stratum and culture other than their own, wherever
they are on the economic scale. This cultural insulation restricts compassion as the capacity to see (and, if
necessary, to suffer) through the eyes of another, because compassion is the root of the ethical
imagination.
These conditions are exacerbated by the enormous value we have placed upon the individual. We
have lost sight of the relationships between the individual and the social system, between freedom and
responsibility. Our young adults do not have a strong vision of social engagement and responsibility;
moreover, they do not yet have an imagination by which they can creatively address the intensifying
complexity of an interdependent global economy and ecology. They can see the individual and the
individual corporation; they do not as readily recognize the social-ecological-political fabric within and on
which both must dwell and depend.
The split between commerce and social responsibility is promoted in part by the rupture in Western
culture between material and transcendent values: between the commercial world and the worlds of
religion, education, the humanities, and the domicileincluding personal and family life.
The entering MBA student is inevitably influenced by this cultural split, as was evident in several
instances in which students expressed the perception that if something was a good business decision (i.e.,
good for profits), it did not, therefore, count or qualify as an ethical decision. What surprised us was that,
when discussing the forms of success to which they aspire, the majority of the students (and even more
men than women) explicitly mentioned a desire for balance as well as success. A small number of students
desire some kind of influence on some little corner of the world, to make a social contribution that is
more than checks, and to expand [my] voice outside the office in the community.
Because the conventional philosophy of this society presumes a split between commerce and values,
it is essential that the business curriculum be designed so that ethics cannot be perceived as a matter set
apart. Given the cultural milieu in which most of them dwell, many students arrive with the mind-set that
they should do business during the week and wait to save the whales on the weekend. They are yet
unaware of the number of business decisions made every day that directly affect not only the whales, but
all that the whales symbolize. This comment alerts us to the educationally strategic importance of
recognizing that, since every managerial decisionlarge or small, at all levels of the organizationimplies
multiple ethical choices that often reach well beyond the boundaries of the corporation itself, the capacity
to recognize and articulate the ethical scope of every managerial decision needs to be cultivated as a skill
integral to responsible and professional managerial practice.
Thomas R. Piper, Mary C. Gentile, Sharon Daloz Parks
Can ethics be taught?
Boston, Harvard Business School, 1993
30

1. What is the purpose of a business, in your opinion? Is it just to make money? Why (not)?
2. Discuss this list of unethical activities. In your opinion, which are the worst? Are any common
in your country?

READING COMPREHENSION 1
MONEY LAUNDERING
A. Read the text and answer the questions that follow it.
1. It has been estimated that approximately 20% of the money that is moved around the world is secret
money. Secret or dirty money can take many forms. Individuals place money in secret bank accounts to
refrain from paying tax or to avoid public criticism. Companies and governments may have slush funds
which they use to pay for certain services or assistance. They would prefer nobody to know about such
payments. However, this is only a tiny part of all illegal money. The major market in black money is
controlled by international drugs, Mafia and terrorist organizations who derive vast sums from drugs,
extortion and gun-running.
2. Before money that is obtained from illegal activities can be spent, it needs to be made clean. Money
laundering is a term used for cleaning up dirty money. Today, money laundering is one of Europes
growth businesses and it doesnt involve putting dollars, euros or pounds in the washing machine industry.
Businesses in which receipts are in a cash form, and in which the level of activity is not obvious are
vehicles through which money to be laundered can be channelled.
3. Money laundering can be very basic, such as walking into a casino, exchanging cash for chips and a few
hours later changing the chips back to cash again. On the other hand, laundering can be highly complex.
Many criminal organizations now employ accountants, lawyers and bankers who are experts in the subject
of international finance. Dirty money can be quickly moved around the world through different bank
accounts. Different types of laundering schemes can be combined in order to make tracing the origin of
the funds virtually impossible. Furthermore, the top criminals organizations cannot spend all the money
they generate. In order to disguise the illegal origin of the funds they become investors in legitimate
companies.
4. Money laundering has become a global problem. It is for this reason that law enforcement authorities
around the world have decided that they must attack these money laundering techniques and prevent
black cash from entering our legitimate financial market.
31

1. Money laundering means:

a) investing money in the washing machine
industry
b) spending money abroad
c) cleaning up illegal money

3. Different types of money laundering schemes are

used to:
a) hide the origin of illegal funds
b) transfer money to bank accounts abroad
c) pay for experts on international finance

2. Dirty money is:

a) forged banknotes
b) illegal money
c) money which needs cleaning

4. Law enforcement authorities around the world fight

against:
a) international drugs, Mafia and terrorism
b) black cash entering legitimate financial markets
c) spending money in casinos

B. Choose true (T), false (F) or does not say (DNS) according to the text.
1. Only one fifth of the money that is moved around the world is legal money.
2. In order to avoid paying taxes companies have slush funds.
3. Some companies have illegal money which is used in countries where it is difficult to do business
without offering bribes.
4. Money cannot be spent unless it is laundered.
5. To launder illegal money companies usually invest it in washing machine industry.
6. Laundering schemes being very complex, it is nearly impossible to discover the origin of the money.
7. By investing money in legitimate companies, criminal organizations hide the illegal origin of the funds.
8. Law enforcement authorities around the world cannot prevent illegal money from entering legitimate
businesses.

VOCABULARY 1
Match these illegal business practices with their definitions.
a. Making or faking false documents, banknotes or artworks. These are
called forgeries or fakes.
b. Illegally giving someone money so that they act in your favour
c. Accounting that is only just legal or may be illegal
d. Any illegal money-making activity
e. Fixing the price of something illegally
f. Illegally taking money from the organisation you work for
g. Disguising the criminal origin of money such as drug money
h. Using knowledge gained illegally to buy and sell shares profitably

1. Creative accounting
2. Bribery
3. Embezzlement
4. Forgery
5. Fraud or racket or scam
6. Insider dealing
7. Market rigging
8. Money laundering

Answers:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

32

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 1
1. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below.

Being Ethical
Most people think of being ethical in business ethics as compliance with laws and financial
regulations to avoid (1) _____ . When these are not (2) _____, as in the case of Enron, the story makes
headlines around the world and has a huge negative impact on the people and companies involved.
Most business people are not tempted to commit large scale financial fraud, though, and are (3) _____
of the consequences. Instead, it is the day-to-day actions and behaviour of individuals which present
the most problems.
As a manager, if you (4) _____ a blind eye to seemingly small matters such as staff taking home office
supplies then you are not (5) _____ yourself with an ethical workplace. Everyone watches everyone
else to see where the ethical boundaries are. You should carefully consider what messages you are
sending by your (6) _____ or inaction, words and attitudes.
(7) _____ the whole there are three areas to consider in everyday business ethics. The first is respect.
Respect for the people you work with; respect for the company resources time, equipment and
money; and respect for the working environment, which includes obeying laws and regulations. You
should treat the people you work with well with (8) _____ and honesty and use the company
equipment for work purposes that means no personal phone calls.
Responsibility is the second area, and means working well with others (9) _____ instance doing your
share of the work and providing high quality services and goods to your customers.
(10) _____, the The end justifies the means argument is not one that an ethical person would use.
Means are as important as ends because good results are important. (11) _____ you achieved the results
by being unethical either morally or legally then you endanger the business and your own career.
Do not forget: dont take what isnt yours. This applies to everything from taking office supplies (12)
_____ as paper and pens to taking the credit for work done by others. Also, (13) _____ you agree to
confidentiality, keep your word. And be able to say that every answer you give is as (14) _____ as it can
be, because if you give (15) _____ information it is bound to affect your future business relationship.
And remember that the excuse Everyone does it just doesnt work, especially in a court of law.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

A legal
A obeying
A careful
A see
A aligning
A words
A To
A integrity
A in
A Secondly
A If
A seen
A providing
A sure
A misleading

B law
B obeyed
B respectful
B show
B sharing
B thoughts
B At
B pleasant
B for
B At last
B Unless
B good
B could
B reasonable
B true

C lawyers
C obey
C mindful
C take
C turning
C actions
C In
C nice
C to
C Finally
C When
C like
C unless
C accurate
C correct

D lawsuits
D disobey
D lawful
D turn
D leaving
D message
D On
D polite
D as
D Then
D Could
D such
D if
D believable
D real
33

2. Complete the sentences with the best verb from the box.
issue

comply

deny

admit

uphold

allege

breach

fall short

1 If a company has a code of conduct, it should .. with it.

2 Companies that regularly their own code of conduct are engaging in unethical behaviour.
3 If rights groups . that a company has behaved illegally, they need to provide evidence to
support their claim.
4 Every company should the laws of any country it operates in, in addition to its own code
of conduct.
5 A company should never an allegation that it knows to be true.
6 If illegal activity is discovered, a company should . its mistake and correct it immediately.
7 An ethical code of conduct can set investors expectations very high. When companies .
of expectations that they have set, investors have a right to feel unhappy.
8 Its important for a company to .. a clear statement responding to accusations of
illegal activity.
3. Further discussion
The only social responsibility of a business is towards its shareholders.
Do you agree? Give your reasons.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
34

FURTHER READING 1
STANDING BY HIS WORD
In used furniture business, unlike new, you cannot order from a catalogue. People call in, and
you have to go out and make an offer. You cant sell what you dont have, my father would say. So
making his calls was crucial for him.
When I was age thirteen, my father lost his store manager. With his manager gone, my father
came to me. Until he found the right person, would I come in while he went out to answer the days
calls?
The store had tens of thousands of items. People like to bargain, he told me, so I dont mark
prices. You just have to know a range.
Every day after school, I would pedal down to the store. Soon after, I was writing up a sales slip
for an attractive plate when my father walked in. I had asked a dollar and the guy did not hesitate. I
was very pleased. My father glanced down at what I was doing, turned to the customer and said, You
sure got a bargain today. My employee gave you the price and thats the price.
Afterward, I asked my father, What was that all about?
It turned out it was an antique plate, worth a few hundred dollars. I was devastated. Here I was
trying to help my father in the business and instead I was losing money for him.
He said, I couldve stopped the sale if Id wanted to. You were just writing up the slip and hadnt
yet taken the money. Besides, by civil law, youre under age. But, a Jew stands by his word and the
word of his agent.
It cost my father a small amount of money to teach me a lifelong lesson in integrity.
The event has a sequel. Years later, my wife and I needed to wire a large sum of money to our
daughter in Israel. A bank teller advised my wife that a VISA check carried no service charge or
interest unless late. When the bank statement showed considerable charges, I went in and tried to
explain to the branch manager that we acted on their advice to avoid charges. To everything I said, all
she could reply was, Were sorry, but the teller made a mistake.
I then told her the story of my father standing behind the word of his employees. I finished by
saying, I expect my bank to behave with at least as much integrity as my father.
The branch manager had not said a word during all of this, and her silence continued as I sat
back in my chair. I had no idea of how she was going to react. When she began to speak, her voice had
softened, and she said in a dignified manner: The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will not be
less than your father.
Then she promised that all the charges made to my account for that VISA check would be
reversed.
As I thanked her and stood to leave, I was grateful that even in todays impersonal business
world, a tale of integrity still had power to touch the heart and sway the conscience.

Rabbi Roy D. Tanenbaum

Jack Canfield et al.
Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul
HCIbooks, Deerfield Beach, 1999
(Adapted)
35

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2
NASTY BUSINESS
To me, the whole notion of a beauty business is profoundly disturbing. I believe beauty is about
vivaciousness and energy and commitment and self-esteem, rather than some ideal arrangement of limbs
or facial features as celebrated in fashion magazines and beauty pageants. Yet the beauty business is what
the cosmetics industry is all about.
In my view the cosmetics industry should be promoting health and wellbeing; instead it promotes an
outdated notion of glamour and sells false hopes. With multi-million dollar advertising budgets, the major
cosmetics houses seek to persuade women that they can help them look younger. Yet they know that such
claims are nonsense.
What is even worse is that the industry seems to have absolutely no sense of social responsibility;
and in its desperate need to chase profits in an area that has been experiencing, at best, slow growth for
years, it is moving into territory where it should have no place. It is producing lipstick and eye shadow for
children in a society where the spread of child pornography is causing increasing concern. It has even
launched expensive perfumes for babies and toddlers. While totally frivolous and worthless products
proliferate, the industry is signally failing to take account of real needs. Look at the demographic change in
Western society. We now have an ageing population, with 12 per cent over the age of sixty-five. As you get
older your skin and body change and your requirement for cosmetics also changes. The plain truth is that
no cosmetic product can prevent the ageing process. Nor, indeed, would one even be allowed under
existing consumer legislation. Any product that could do that would not be a cosmetic, it would be a drug.
I believe this to be immoral. It is immoral to trade on fear. It is immoral constantly to make women
feel dissatisfied with their bodies. It is immoral to deceive a customer by making miracle claims for a
product. It is immoral to use a photograph of a glowing sixteen-year-old to sell a cream aimed at
preventing wrinkles in a forty-year-old.
It is immoral, but it slots perfectly well into the context of a general business environment in which
greed has become respectable and worth is measured by what you accumulate rather than what you
contribute; into an environment in which bosses award themselves exorbitant pay rises while they are
sacking hundreds of their employees. Todays corporations have global responsibilities because their
decisions affect world problems concerning economics, poverty, security and the environment. Yet while
global business binds the planet in a common fate, there is no international code of practice, no agreement
on mutual responsibilities.
Fortunately, attitudes are changing. The marketplace is now more human-oriented, more issueoriented. Increasing numbers are becoming committed to a more human way of trading, and I feel these
people will be essential in the times to come. I still believe that we can change society for the better.

Anita Roddick
Body & Soul
New York, Crown Publishers, Inc. 1991
(Adapted)
36

READING COMPREHENSION 2
Corporate Social Responsibility
Part 1
By Mike Scott

1 ....................
Climate change, human rights and child labour. A few years ago, companies would have found these
issues irrelevant. However, as the world has become better informed, companies have had to take more
account of their non-financial impact on society and corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become
crucial to a companys success.
2 ....................
But do graduates pay any attention to this and is it having any effect on the career choices they
make? Peter Davies, deputy chief executive of Business in the Community, the UK charity that aims to
improve the companys impact on society, says that commitment to CSR does help companies attract
new recruits. Companies seen to be managing aspects of corporate responsibility are able to retain and
recruit better staff.
3 ....................
Sectors at the forefront of CSR are those addressing global issues such as human rights, poverty and
HIV/Aids, some of the big issues in society, Professor Warhurst of Warwick Business School says.
Those are the attractive employers. Theyre exciting, theyre doing something completely different
and theyre the ones in the press.
4 ....................
She gives the example of the logistics sector as one that has welcomed the challenges of ethical
business. Many train, freight and air services among them DHL and FedEx have helped hurricane
victims in the Caribbean. TPG, the Dutch logistics group, invests heavily in the World Food Programme
and has introduced a staff volunteering programme.
5 ....................
Different types of companies are having to face different issues, she says. Retail companies are there
on ethical supply chain management, oil and mining companies are getting there on land rights,
transparency and human rights, while the chemical sector is working on environmental issues.
A. Read Part 1 of the article. Match the headings (ae) to the paragraphs (15).
a) Good publicity for companies
b) Growing importance of ethical business
c) CSR in the transport sector
d) Helping to attract and keep employees
e) Ethics in a variety of sectors
B. Now read Part 2 of the article and complete the gaps (610) with the missing sentences (ae).
a) So, on the one hand there is a group who want to feel that something is being done.
b) This might be ethical investment or environmental consultancy, for instance.
c) That made them think much more deeply about what they wanted from a job.
d) Theyre faced with a big pay package, a glamorous company with lots about CSR.
e) Only time will tell if interest in business ethics will continue to increase.
37

Part 2
The effort is worthwhile, she believes. People think of companies doing these things as better
companies and might choose them over others. Anne-Marie Martin, director of the University of London
careers service, agrees, but says that for many the interest in CSR started in the last recession, when
students saw their parents being made redundant. .................... 6
Corporate scandals such as Enron and Anderson also made students look twice at some high-flying
financial careers, but Ms Martin says Theyre generally aged twenty-one to twenty-three. .................... 7
Youre not going to look too hard at it. Some students, though, wont touch particular areas because they
are not socially responsible. These students do think quite deeply about this. Theyre very serious about
things like the arms trade, the tobacco industry, the third world and green issues. .................... 8 On the
other there are also those who are just interested in money.
Over recent years there has certainly been a huge growth in careers in areas related to CSR. ...................
9 In addition, a recent survey reported that, among new employees, the qualities employees most value in
a company are clear vision and ethical values. .................... 10
From the Financial Times

C. Consider Parts 1 and 2 and decide whether the following statements are True or False.
1. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has risen up the business agenda. __________
2. CSR has little effect on the career choices graduates make. __________
3. The challenges of ethical business mean that different companies have to face different issues.
__________
4. The interest in CSR has increased due to the economic boom. __________
5. The cases of Enron and Anderson made students more aware of the dangers of business success.
__________
6. There has been a growth of careers in CSR-related fields. __________

38

VOCABULARY 2

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 2
1. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below.
Three UK Alstom directors held on suspicion of bribery
Three UK directors of the French engineering group Alstom have been arrested on suspicion of bribery
and other offences after raids this morning by the Serious Fraud Office.
The three men have been taken to police stations to be interviewed by the SFO. They are accused of
bribery and 1)________________, conspiracy to pay bribes, money laundering and false 2)______________.
The agency said search 3)______________ were executed this morning at five Alstom premises and four
homes.
The SFO has been working 4)______________ with authorities in Switzerland, including Swiss federal
police, and a number of police forces in the UK.
This mornings raids took place at addresses in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Shropshire,
Derbyshire, Staffordshire and London.
The investigation centres on suspected 5)_______________ paid by companies within the Alstom group
in the UK in order to 6)________________ contracts overseas, and this has allegedly involved money
7)_______________ and other offences.
SFO director Richard Alderman said: The SFO is committed to 8)_____________ corruption. We are
working closely with other criminal justice organizations across the world and are taking steps to
encourage companies to report any 9)______________of corruption, either within their own business or by
other companies or individuals. Alstom 10)______________ 5,000 people in the UK where it is active in
the energy and transport sectors.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

loan
accounts
warrants
closely
bonus
deliver
washing
deal
suspicions
employees

corruption
accountable
debts
without
bribes
lose
schemes
tackling
doubts
works

lending
accounting
capture
close
gifts
loss
laundering
hide
suspicious
staff

dealing
accountant
police
closure
merchandize
win
hiding
have
reservations
employs
39

FURTHER READING 2

In Your Hands
A folktale from India

A young man once thought to confound the elder of his village.

The old man was said to be exceedingly wise.
But the young man was certain his own wisdom exceeded that of the frail old man.
He had caught a young bird, and carrying this bird hidden in his hands, he approached the older
gentleman.
Here is a riddle for you, old man. I have in my hands a bird. Is it alive? Or is it dead?
He thought there was no way the old man could win. If he guessed dead, the boy would open his
hands and release the living bird. But if he guessed alive, the young man would crush the bird in his
hands. When he opened them there would be a dead bird.
But the old man looked into the young mans eyes and said, The answer, my son, is in your hands.

Margaret Read MacDonald

Earth Care
Arkansas, August House Publishers, 2005

40

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Diamonds are neither valuable nor rare. Though fabulously expensive, they are actually one of
the most common minerals on earth. In the West cut diamonds outnumber cars. They are almost
untradeable as a commodity. Their resale value is significantly lower than their original cost, and
nowadays they can easily be substituted in all their industrial uses. In fact, without the tradition and
romance which have always given diamonds their sentimental value, they could be almost worthless.
The high price of diamonds is a triumph of the commercial influence and marketing genius of
De Beers, the South African conglomerate that has an 80% stake in the world diamond supply. By
strictly regulating the mining and distribution of diamonds, De Beers has managed to keep prices
artificially high. And by turning the diamond into a universal symbol of romance it has prevented
secondhand diamonds from flooding the market and forcing prices down. Even in times of hardship
people are reluctant to part with their diamonds. De Beers knows that if they ever did part with
them, the market would be saturated overnight.
Most of the diamonds traded internationally are mined by the African poor or bought on the
cheap from the Russians. And three quarters of the worlds gems are cut in poverty-stricken Surat, in
India, often by young children earning as little as four American cents per stone. Appalled by De
Beers business ethics, America outlawed the company, effectively preventing it from opening its
own outlets in the United States. Ironically, America remains by far De Beers single biggest market
and the company operates through American dealers unrestricted.
It was the marketing magic of De Beers which persuaded Americans at the turn of the century
to adopt the European custom of giving a diamond engagement ring as a symbol of marriage. The
same magic worked again in the 1950s when the Japanese in their desire to be Western became the
worlds second largest market for cut diamonds. And when the Oppenheimer family, who own De
Beers, found themselves with a mountain of unsold small diamonds on their hands, they dreamt up
the idea of the eternity ring as a means of getting rid of them.
A perfect example of a near total monopoly, De Beers has always found ways to increase
demand and cut surplus production. When General Electric discovered a way to produce highquality synthetic diamonds, De Beers still managed somehow to prevent GE undercutting their
prices. In fact, the Oppenheimers have spent more than $160 million a year repeating their message
that diamonds are forever, probably the most successful advertising slogan of all time. So, even
when profits are down and their share price takes a tumble, De Beers makes sure that the legend of
the diamond lives on.

New Internationalist
41

1. Have you ever made an unethical investment? What was it?

2. If you havent, what do you consider to be unethical investments?
3. Give some examples of ethical investments.

READING COMPREHENSION 3
AVIVA ORDERS COAL COMPANIES TO CLEAN UP
British insurance group Aviva has put 40 coal companies on notice that it will sell its shares in their
businesses unless they can prove they are serious about tackling climate change.
The decision could make Aviva, one of Europes largest insurers, a prominent recruit to a global fossil
fuel divestment campaign trying to stigmatise the use of coal, oil and gas because of their impact on the
climate.
Universities in the US and UK, as well as the heirs to the Rockefeller oil fortune, have said they will
sell out of fossil fuel holdings, while Axa, the French insurer, said in May it planned to sell 500m of coal
assets.
The moves come in the lead-up to a big UN conference in Paris in December where governments
from nearly 200 countries are due to finalise a global accord to lower warming greenhouse gas emissions.
Aviva, which has about 300bn in assets, will also aim to invest 2.5bn in renewable power and
energy efficiency over the next five years to help avoid what its chief executive, Mark Wilson, says are
eyewatering financial risks. If we dont tackle climate change and temperatures rise by 6 degrees, the
value at risk - roughly speaking the value of global assets - will decline by up to $13.8tn for investors, he
said in a speech in London yesterday. This would be by far the greatest market failure of all time, he said,
as he launched a report his company commissioned on the financial implications of global warming.
The report underlines the insurance industrys fiduciary duty to take action in relation to climate
change, said Steve Waygood, chief responsible investment officer at Aviva Investors, the insurers asset
manager.
The group has identified holdings in 40 companies deriving more than 30 per cent of revenues from
coal mining or coal power generation, and will urge them to make their operations more climate-friendly.
We will be expecting these companies to play a much more significant strategic role in promoting carbon
capture and storage, Mr Waygood said, referring to technology that traps carbon dioxide emissions from
power stations and stores it underground before it can warm the atmosphere. Without an increase of CCS
by many orders of magnitude, we believe that the coal industry will face ever stronger existential threats
over the decades ahead, he said.
If we judge that our engagement is not likely to make a positive contribution, then we will be
divesting. However, we believe that investors should first do all they can to challenge those companies in
need of the greatest change to reform.
The coal companies will have at least a year to act under the insurers plan, which will only involve
its own assets, not the money it invests on behalf of clients. Aviva is also going to step up its engagement
42

with policymakers and governments that Mr Wilson said may or may not be striving to be good
ancestors to future generations facing the impact of climate change.

1. Complete the sentences below with a correct form of the verbs in the box.
come

derive

finalise

make

plan

prove

step

urge

1. British insurance group Aviva has warned 40 coal companies that it will sell its shares in their businesses
unless they can _______ they are serious about tackling climate change.
2. Universities in the US and UK have said they will sell out of fossil fuel holdings, while Axa, the French
insurer, said in May it _______ to sell 500m of coal assets.
3. The moves _______ in the lead-up to a big UN conference in Paris in December
4. where governments from nearly 200 countries are due to _______ a global accord to lower warming
greenhouse gas emissions.
5. The Aviva group has identified holdings in 40 companies _______ more than 30 per cent of revenues
from coal mining or coal power generation,
6. and will _______ them to make their operations more climate-friendly.
7. If we judge that our engagement is not likely to ______ a positive contribution, then we will be divesting.
8. Aviva is also going to _______ up its engagement with policymakers and governments.

VOCABULARY 3
1.Match the words on the left with their definitions on the right.
1. insurers
2. heirs
3. lead-up
4. accord
5. implications
6. underline
7. revenues
8. engagement
9. divest

a. sell off assets

b. show the importance of
c. money coming into a company
d. possible future effects or results
e. the time before an important event
f. involvement in a particular issue or concern
g. a formal agreement between countries or groups
h. people who receive money or property when a person dies
i. companies that receive regular payments from people and pay out if
something bad happens to them or their assets

2. Match the two halves of the sentences below so that they define the words in italics.
1. If you order a person to do something,
2. If you put a person on notice,
3. If you tackle something,
4. If you stigmatise something,
5. If you sell out of holdings or shares in a company,
6. If several governments are due to do something,
7. Something that you aim to do
8. If you commission a report,
9. Companies have a fiduciary duty
a. you let other people buy all of them from you because you no longer think they are a good investment.
b. to act responsibly towards people who trust them to manage their money or assets.
c. you ask somebody to do the research and write it out in return for a payment.
d. you use your authority, power or influence to tell them they must do it.
e. you make people think that a certain activity is wrong and shameful.
f. you warn them about something you are going to do.
g. is something that you hope to achieve successfully.
43

h. you try to manage a difficult problem.

i. everyone expects them to do this.

FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 3
1. Choose the best word to fill each gap from A, B, C or D below.
Charity fund-raising
Every year in the spring our school has a special (0) ____C____ event on a Friday evening to (1) ________
money for poor people in a (2) ________ part of the world.
It all started a few years ago when two teachers, who wanted to make the (3) ________ a better place,
decided to hold an all-night karaoke party in aid of the victims of the recent Tsunami disaster in SouthEast Asia. Although there was little time to organise it, they managed to throw the party (4) ________ well
enough that a grand total of one thousand pounds was collected, a clear sign that all the hard work had
paid off.
Afterwards, everybody put the party's success (5) ________ the enthusiasm of the two organisers, which
had soon rubbed off on everybody else. There was a prize for the best singer, so many people happily paid
twenty pounds for the chance to sing with all their (6) ________ while other people agreed to (7) ________
the challenge of singing an unfamiliar song for as much as fifty pounds.
Because that first charity event (8) ________ so well, it was decided to hold another similar event every
year and each subsequent party proved more successful than its predecessor. The school staff soon realised
that an (9) ________factor in making something like this work is how many people are willing to (10)
________ time and effort in the preparation. Fortunately, at our school there is no shortage of such people.
0.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

A. society
A. create
A. poverty
A. globe
A. on
A. over
A. breath
A. take
A. turned out
A. imperative
A. give

B. sociable
B. raise
B. poorly
B. world
B. up
B. up for
B. strength
B. carry out
B. came up
B. indicating
B. make

C. social
C. afford
C. depraved
C. the planet
C. about
C. down to
C. power
C. make
C. carried off
C. essential
C. invest

D. so-called
D. learn
D. deprived
D. planet Earth
D. together
D. off with
D. might
D. accept
D. went on
D. assumed
D. dedicate

2. Read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a
word that fits in the space in the same line.
FAMOUS ME!
I sometimes wish I were a great (1)___________________ like Edison or Marconi.
My name would go down in history for having (2) ___________________ something
totally (3) ___________________ . Perhaps I would also be famous for being

INVENT
DISCOVER
REVOLUTION

extremely (4) ___________________ with technology. I would be the most famous

CREATE

and respected (5) ___________________ in the world! What a great brain I would

SCIENCE

have! I would find (6) ___________________ to the most difficult mathematical

SOLVE

equations. I would be responsible for new (7) ___________________ that would

PRODUCE

change the way people live and would be (8) ___________________ to the whole

BENEFIT

world. Everyone would know about my latest technological (9) __________________

DEVELOP
44

and would thank me for the many great (10) ___________________ of my life!

ACHIEVE

Yes, that would suit me fine!

FURTHER READING 3
ONE HEN

Kojo lifts a bundle of firewood on to his head. Since his father died, he has had to leave school and
help his mother collect wood to sell at the market. It is the last load of the day and he is tired and hungry.
Kojo and his mother live in a mud-walled house with an open fire for cooking. Beside it is a garden
where they grow their own food. They never have much money or much to eat. As Kojo nears the house,
he can smell the cooking of their main meal. He begins to walk faster. Kojo and his mother live in a village
in Ghana, a country in West Africa. The 20 families in the village do not have much money, but they do
have a good idea. Each family promises to save a bit of money and one of the families will borrow all the
savings to buy something important.
The Achempong family is first to borrow the money. They buy two cartloads of fruit, which they sell
for a profit at the market. When they pay back the loan, the Duodu family borrows the money to buy a
sewing machine. They turn the cloth they weave into shirts and dresses to sell.
One day it is the turn of Kojos mother. She uses the loan to buy a cart so she can carry more
firewood to market. She also hopes to rent the cart to people who need transport. There are a few coins left
over. Kojo asks if he can have them to buy something for himself. He has a good idea, too. Kojos idea is to
buy a hen. He and his mother will eat some of the eggs it lays and sell the rest at the market. There is a
farmer in a neighbouring village with many hens, and Kojo will ask to buy one. It takes Kojo two hours to
walk to the chicken farm. By the time he arrives, he is hot and dusty. He wonders how he will know which
hen to choose. In the end, he chooses a brown hen with a bright red comb.
Kojo pays for the hen and puts her in a wicker basket. He gently covers the hen with a cloth and lifts
the basket on to his head. As he walks home, he dreams about the future and he sees a lot of eggs in it
eggs to eat and, if he is lucky, eggs that he can sell to buy more hens. That night he puts the basket with
the hen beside his sleeping mat to keep it safe. Kojo makes a nest for his hen from an old box and checks it
for eggs every day. On the first day he finds ... nothing. On the second, there is, under some straw, a
smooth, brown egg! Kojo is lucky, indeed: his hen does seem to enjoy laying eggs. She lays five eggs in the
first week. Kojo and his mother eat one egg each, and he saves the other three for the market on Saturday.
On market day he walks among the stalls and finds a good place to set down his small basket and
call out for customers. Kojo sells two eggs to Ma Achempong and one to Ma Duodu. He clutches his egg
money tightly so he wont lose it.
Slowly, slowly, Kojos egg money grows. After two months he has saved enough to pay his mother
back. In four months he has enough to buy another hen. Now Kojo can sell five eggs a week, and he and
his mother have more to eat. After six months he buys a third hen, and he and his mother have an egg
every day. Kojo is proud of his eggs. And his mother is proud of Kojo. Little by little, one small hen is
making a big difference.
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One year later Kojo has built up his flock to 25 hens. Selling eggs at the market has given Kojo some
savings. Maybe he will use his egg money to build a fine wooden chicken coop. Maybe he will buy some
things his mother needs, such as a new water bucket and a good knife. Or maybe he will pay for something
hes been dreaming of: fees and a uniform so that he can go back to school.
In school Kojo works hard to catch up with other students on reading, spelling and mathematics.
Later he learns to write essays and solve science problems. He learns about his countrys history and its
resources, and about other countries in Africa and around the world. There are practical lessons for
country life, too: how to filter drinking water with a cloth to remove parasites; how to use chicken manure
and compost made from rubbish to fertilize soil and grow vegetables. The lessons Kojo learns help him
care for his hens.
His dreams are growing bigger, but now he sees that he will need more education to make them
come true. Kojo studies even harder. He wins a scholarship to college, where he will learn more about
farming. His mother will care for his chickens while he is away.
At college Kojos dreams start to take the shape of a farm of his own. After Kojo finishes college, he
decides to take a big risk. He will use all the money he and his mother have saved to start a real poultry
farm. He buys a large plot of land and enough wood and wire to build chicken coops. Now he needs hens
nine hundred of them to start the farm. He needs another loan, too a big one.
This time Kojo goes to a bank in Kumasi, a nearby town. When the banker hears that Kojo wants to
buy nine hundred hens, he shakes his head. He does not want to lend money to a young man from a poor
family. Kojo does not give up. He goes to the capital city, Accra, and visits the banks headquarters. Kojo
waits and waits to see the bank director. It is near closing time when, finally, the director agrees to see
him. Kojo tells the banker that he has an education and will work hard. The banker has heard stories like
this before. Then Kojo tells him about the small loan and the brown hen and the money he has used to
build his flock. The banker sits back in his chair. This is not a story he hears every day. He smiles and
promises Kojo will get his loan.
As years pass, Kojos poultry farm becomes the largest in all of West Africa. He is older now and a
proud grandfather. His grandchildren visit often and help collect eggs.
Where will this one go? they ask And that one?
To Bamako in Mali, Kojo replies, or to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Kojos workers pack
thousands of eggs a day, and Kojo feels proud each time an egg truck pulls away to take food to families in
neighbouring countries.
By now Kojo has paid many taxes to the government of Ghana. So have his workers and the
shopkeepers who sell his eggs. The government uses the tax money to build roads, schools and health
centres across the country. It uses the money to improve the port at Accra where ships from many
countries come to trade. One more egg truck drives away, and Kojo looks down at his youngest grandson.
The next time the boy asks Kojo where an egg will go, Kojo says, To your future, my child.
This is the way that one young boy, with one small loan to buy one brown hen, changed the lives of
his family, his community, his town and his country. It all started with a good idea and a small loan to
make it come true. It all started with one hen.
Katie Smith Milway
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One hen
London, A&C Black, 2009
(Adapted)

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