CONTENTS 6/2014 18 Marissa Mayer The Big Picture Careers United States plus Amazon getting ready for Christmas 76 82 Working World 8 Names and News plus The latest from the world of business Management 84 Mobile Banking Living without cash in Zimbabwe 86 What Happened Next The Mobro garbage barge 87 Executive Eye plus Adrian Furnham on managing orchestras Language Test 12 Synonyms and Antonyms How extensive is your vocabulary? Global Business 18Profile Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s charismatic boss 24Head-to-Head advanced Is TTIP good for Europe? 26 It’s Personal advanced Elisabeth Ribbans on winning and sleeping 29 Business Press Behind the headlines advanced Business Skills Technology 88Acoustics advanced Objects that can hear 90Trends Cigarette secrets; efficiency at work; Shrinky Dinks 91 Language Focus advanced Technical drawing People 30 Series (5): Meetings plus Ten tips for better meetings plus 35 Training Plan Improve your meetings skills 36Toolbox Ken Taylor on better writing 94 My Working Life easy Beccy Jesson, nature ambassador Regular sections Intercultural Communication 38 The US Doing business with Americans Series (3): Job Interviews What to say — and what not to say Tips and Trends Advising your boss; dealing with office politics Fuse 6 Mauritius 38 American Dream? Corbis plus 3Editorial 22SprachenShop 37 Index 2014 81 Classified Ads 92 Feedback / Impressum 93Preview READERS’ SERVICE Email: abo@spotlight-verlag.de Internet: www.spotlight-verlag.de Telephone: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-16 Fax: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-159 Multimedia learning with Business Spotlight Business Spotlight plus plus Practise the language used in the magazine with our exercise booklet. In this issue, we focus on the vocabulary you need to talk about energy, a listening exercise on medical tourism and the language of meetings. Business Spotlight Audio Our audio product offers more than 70 minutes of texts, dialogues, exercises and interviews. On this CD, you can get tips on how to have a successful job interview. 30 Good meetings 55 Grammar basics GUIDE 63 Uvocabulary seful Languagesection Section Language Language in Business Spotlight Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked. US American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation are used in these articles. All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty. Articles not marked on the contents pages are at a medium level. (CEF stands for the Council of Europe’s “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages”.) easy Approximately at CEF level A2 medium Approximately at CEF levels B1–B2 advanced Approximately at CEF levels C1–C2 ifml.: informal word or phrase; vulg.: vulgar word or phrase; sl.: slang word or phrase; non-stand.: non-standard word or phrase; UK: chiefly British usage; US: chiefly North American usage Cover topics Business Spotlight Online Business Spotlight in the classroom This six-page supplement for teachers and trainers provides lesson activities based on articles in Business Spotlight. It is free to those who subscribe to the magazine. To order, please send an email to: schulmedien@spotlight-verlag.de plus www Go to our website for language-learning activities, as well as news and blogs. Subscribers have full access to our online premium content. www.business-spotlight.de www.business-spotlight.de 5 Cover photograph: Masterfile 46Vocabulary Concert halls easy 47 Grammar at Work Showing interest plus plus 48 Easy English Developments easy 50 Wise Words Weather and renewable energy plus 52Translation False friends and more 53 Language Cards To pull out and practise 55 GRAMMAR BASICS 20 reference tables 63 SKILL UP! Energy 64Email Linking phrases 65 English on the Move Flight conversations 66 Short Story The CBO 68 English for… Philanthropy 70 Legal English Understanding legislation advanced 71 Talking Finance Pimp your GDP! advanced 72 Teacher Talk Interview with Timothy Phillips 74Products What’s new? 75 Key Words Vocabulary from this issue Meeting your needs Für viele sind Sitzungen unproduktiv, im Geschäftsalltag sind sie aber oft unverzichtbar. Im fünften Teil unserer Serie nennt BoB Dignen zehn Punkte, die eine Sitzung effizient und für die Teilnehmer zudem zu einer positiven medium Series Part Five Erfahrung machen. Plan ahead and make your www.business-spotlight.de meetings30 more effective document3990880031434588908.indd 30 6/2014 16.09.14 10:48 MEETINGS BUSINESS SKILLS I n spite of the complexity of the modern world, doing business effectively still depends on a number of key skills. One of these is the ability to hold meetings efficiently and take good decisions. Yet few of us like business meetings or find them productive. In this article, we provide ten tips to help you to make your meetings more efficient — and more enjoyable. This article is the fifth in our special skills series. Each article contains ten top tips for a key area of business communication — and a training plan to help you to structure your learning (see p. 35). In previous issues: Part One: Listening (2/2014) Part Two: Speaking (3/2014) Part Three: Writing (4/2014) Part Four: Telephoning (5/2014) TIP 1 Think about your goals You are more likely to reach your goals in a meeting if you have clear aims beforehand. Consider the following points: Your needs. What decisions are essential to you because they match your (or your department’s) goals, capabilities and resources? Your influence What powers and arguments do you have at your disposal to get others to accept your decisions? These might include facts and figures or support from key people in your organization. Your flexibilit . What is your fallback position if your ideal decision cannot be reached? What or who limits your flexibility to accept decisions? Understanding the needs of others may help you to reach your own goals. But in complex organizations, it is also important that people avoid narrow and defensive thinking — the so-called silo mentality. You should do some pre-meeting work by phone and email to gain a wider organizational perspective and to discover the needs of others. Here are some questions that you could ask your colleagues: l What exactly do you want from the meeting? l To what extent do you know what I want from the meeting? l What does your boss want from 4 this meeting? TIP 2 Consider your organization Meeting your needs [)mi:tIN jO: (ni:dz] In addition to thinking about your own needs, it is essential to consider carefully the needs of your organization as a whole. The best decisions for the organization may not necessarily be in your personal interest or in the interest of the members of your department. department [di(pA:tmEnt] disposal: have sth. at one’s ~ [dI(spEUz&l] fallback position [(fO:lbÄk pE)zIS&n] goal [gEUl] resource [ri(zO:s] silo mentality [(saIlEU men)tÄlEti] seinen Bedürfnissen/ Erfordernissen gerecht werden Abteilung etw. zur Verfügung haben Alternative, Plan B Ziel Mittel „Silo-Mentalität“, isolierte Betrachtungsweise 6/2014 document3990880031434588908.indd 31 Mauritius Understanding the needs of others may help you to reach your own goals www.business-spotlight.de 31 16.09.14 10:48 BusinessSpotlight 6/2014 Grammar basics – to take away Hildegard rudolpH hat für Sie auf acht Seiten die wichtigsten Grammatik-Regeln der englischen Sprache zusammengestellt. Zum Heraustrennen und Aufbewahren. TABLE 1: Nouns There are two types of noun: countable and uncountable. Countable nouns Singular Plural For regular plurals, add -s employer employers For nouns ending in -ch, -s, -sh, -x, add -es switch boss crash box switches bosses crashes boxes For nouns ending in -y, change y to i and add -es currency currencies For nouns ending in -f or -fe, change these to -ves shelf life shelves lives Some irregular plurals businessman/-woman analysis businessmen/-women analyses Uncountable nouns Singular Plural Some nouns have only a singular form. Use “pieces of” or “bits of” for the plural advice information three pieces of advice two bits of information Some nouns have only a plural form. Use “pairs of” for the plural (a pair of) trousers two pairs of trousers TABLE 2: Personal pronouns These can be used alone or with prepositions. You and me! Subject Direct object Indirect object I you he she it we they me you him her it us them (to) (to) (to) (to) (to) (to) (to) me you him her it us them iStock TABLE 3: Verbs — present simple The present simple expresses actions and states in the present. Negations are formed using “do” / “does” + “not” + infinitive Regular verbs I / you / we / they he / she / it work works do not work (don’t work) does not work (doesn’t work) Use the present simple: l Third-person singular (he / she / it) to talk about states and facts She is a wonderful student, and she speaks French fluently to talk about habits and actions that are repeated (often with adverbs such as “always”, “never”) He never arrives on time. For most verbs, add -s work → works [w§:ks] live → lives [lIvz] produce → produces [prE(dju:sIz] l For verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -ss and -x, add -es catch → catches [(kÄtSIz] wash → washes [(wQSIz] pass → passes [(pA:sIz] fix → fixes [(fIksIz] l Irregular verb “be” Irregular verbs do → does [dVz] go → goes [gEUz] have → has I he / she / it we / you / they 6/2014 document2294484637416767013.indd 55 to talk about schedules and timetables (also scheduled future actions) The meeting starts at 10 a.m. am is are am not is not are not www.business-spotlight.de 55 19.09.14 08:50 BusinessSpotlight 6/2014 Grammar basics – to take away TABLE 4: Contractions Contractions are shortened forms. The apostrophe shows that one or more letters have been dropped. The auxiliary verbs “be” and “have” are often shortened I am he / she / it is you / we / they are I / you / we / they have he / she / it has I’m he / she / it’s you / we / they’re I / you / we / they’ve he / she / it’s I am not he / she / it is not you / we / they are not I / you / we / they have not he / she / it has not I’m not he / she / it isn’t you / we / they aren’t I / you / we / they haven’t he / she / it hasn’t The auxiliary forms “do” and “did” are often shortened when used with “not” I / you / we / they do not he / she / it does not I / you / we / they / he / she / it did not I / you / we / they don’t he / she / it doesn’t I / you / we / they / he / she / it didn’t TABLE 5: Verbs — modal verbs These often accompany a main verb. They do not take -s or -es in the 3rd person. Negations are formed using the modal + “not” + infinitive I / you / we / they / he / she / it can could may might must should would work cannot (can’t) could not (couldn’t) may not might not (mightn’t) must not (mustn’t) should not (shouldn’t) would not (wouldn’t) work Note: l l Could is the past simple of “can”. It is also used in polite requests. Could you help me, please? Would is also used for polite statements and questions. Would you mind closing the window, please? I would like to leave earlier today. TABLE 6: Verbs — past simple The past simple expresses actions and states in the past. Negations are formed using “did” + “not” + infinitive Regular verbs I / you / we / they / he / she / it The importance of time worked did not work (didn’t work) Forming the past simple For most verbs, add -ed work → worked [w§:kt] For verbs ending in -e, just add -d invite → invited [In(vaItId] raise → raised [reIzd] For some verbs, double the final consonant and add -ed stop → stopped [stQpt] travel → travelled (traveled US) [(trÄv&ld] Irregular verbs do → did have → had (see the list of irregular verbs in Table 20) Use the past simple: to talk about completed actions and states in the past (often with expressions of time, such as “last year”) Last year, profits increased by 35 per cent. iStock l 56 www.business-spotlight.de document2294484637416767013.indd 56 6/2014 19.09.14 08:50 Bernhard Förth PICTURE THIS! 2 7 4 1 3 5 6 12 11 8 9 10 It’s not easy without creature comforts OFF THE GRID? Have you ever tried to live without electricity? It may not be a problem for a few days of camping, but could you do it forever? Here are the words you will need to discuss this topic. 1. coal-fired power stationKohlekraftwerk opencast mine Tagebaugrube 2. carbon emissions Kohlendioxid-, [(kA:bEn i)mIS&nz] CO2-Ausstoß 3. pylon [(paIlEn] Hochspannungsmast 4. national grid Stromversorgungsnetz high voltage [(vEUltIdZ] Hochspannung overhead line Überlandleitung 5. solar-powered home Solarhaus energy-neutral build- Passivhaus ing [)enEdZi (nju:trEl] 6. solar panel Sonnenkollektor 7. wind generator Windgenerator harness wind energy Windkraft nutzen 4 SKILL UP! document3108150528632398464.indd 4 8. backup generator Notstromaggregat diesel-powered mit Dieselantrieb 9. water butt Regentonne (US rain barrel) 10. green consumerumweltbewusste(r) Verbraucher(in) carbon footprint CO2-Bilanz creature comforts häusliche Annehmlichkeiten live off the grid vom Versorgungsnetz abgekoppelt leben 11. utility bill Gas-, Wasser [ju(tIlEti )bIl] und/oder Strom rechnung 12. outhouse US Plumpsklo ISSUE 29 04.09.14 07:06 What are they saying? Matt: Living off the grid means my utility bills are zero. Julia: But you live so close to the power station anyway. What’s the point? Matt: Well, you have to start somewhere. At least I’ve reduced my own carbon footprint. Julia: And you’ve reduced your creature comforts, too. I couldn’t do that! air conditioner / conditioning Klimaanlage boiler Heißwasserspeicher central heating Zentralheizung energy-efficient energiesparende alternative Alternative fan heater Heizlüfter feed-in tariffs Einspeisevergütung [)fi:d In (tÄrIfs] gas/oil furnace [(f§:nIs] Gas-/Ölheizung geothermal HVAC (heating, Erdwärmeanlage ventilation, air- (Heizungs-, Lüftungsconditioning) system und Klimaanlage) Wärmepumpe heat pump air heat pump Luft-Wärmepumpe geothermal heat pump Erdwärmepumpe Tauchsieder immersion heater UK paraffin heater [(pÄrEfIn] UK Petroleumofen Heizkörper radiator [(reIdieItE] solar water heater Solaranlage für Warmwasser storage heater Nachtspeicherofen Saving energy insulated pipes [(Insju)leItId] isolierte Rohre Wärmedämmung insulation [)Insju(leIS&n] off-peak rate Nachtstromtarif SKILL UP! Did you know? For many homes in mild climates, heat pumps can be an energy-efficien alternative to boilers, furnaces and air conditioners. A heat pump can both heat and cool. On a simple level, it is a lot like your refrigerator. Heat pumps use electricity to move air from a cool space to a warm space, and the other way round, heating or cooling the air as required. Your energy — your appliances appliance [E(plaIEns] Haushaltsgerät dishwasher Geschirrspüler Elektroherd electric cooker UK energy efficiency class Energieeffizienz klasse extractor fan Dunstabzug flat-screen televisio Flachbildfernseher freezer Gefrierschrank,-truhe fridge-freezer Kühl-Gefrierkombination microwave Mikrowelle (Back-)Ofen oven [(Vv&n] refrigerator (fridge) Kühlschrank [ri(frIdZEreItE] stove Herd (tumble) dryer Trockner Waschmaschine washing machine iStock Your home — your energy In the UK, “gas” describes the substance that is burned to cook food or to heat a house. In the US, “gas” is also used in this context, but it more commonly describes the fuel that powers a car or other vehicle. In the UK, on the other hand, we call this fuel “petrol”. ISSUE 29 document3108150528632398464.indd 5 Is your house energy-efficient SKILL UP! 5 04.09.14 07:06