Read the text carefully and arrange its parts in the logical order.

Entitle the text in English.

Retell it in Russian from the third person.

Key: 3 5 4 2 1.

 

Text 3

Some Hints for a Successful Presentation

Delivery – 1

§ Nerves! You will probably be nervous at the beginning of your presentation. Don’t worry – most people are nervous in this situation. Try not to speak too fast during the first couple of minutes – this is the time you establish your rapport with the audience and first impressions are very important. You may find it helpful to memorise your introduction.

§ Audience rapport(1) Try to be enthusiastic – your interest in the subject matter will carry your audience along. Look around your audience as you speak – eye contact is essential for maintaining a good rapport. You will also be able to pick up signals of boredom or disinterest, in which case you can cut your presentation short.

§ Body language Stand rather than sit when you are delivering your presentation and try to be aware of any repetitive hand gestures or awkward mannerisms that might irritate your audience.

§ Voice quality You must be clearly audible at all times – don’t let your voice drop at the end of sentences. If you vary your intonation, your voice will be more interesting to listen to and you will be able to make your points more effectively.

 

Note: rapport n – связь, взаимопонимание.

 

Read the text without a dictionary.

Work in pairs. Discuss each point of the text in English.

Text 4

DELIVERY – 2

§ Visual aids Use your visual aids confidently, making sure you allow your audience time to absorb information from flipcharts and transparencies.

§ Audience reaction Be ready to deal with any hostile questions. Polite, diplomatic answers are a good disarming tactic, but if you should find yourself ‘under fire’, suggest that the audience keeps any further questions until the end of the presentation and continue with your next point.

LANGUAGE

§ Simplicity Use short words and sentences that you are comfortable with. There is no benefit in using difficult language. Keep your language simple and clear.

§ Clarity Active verbs and concrete words are much clearer and easier to understand than passive verbs and abstract concepts. Avoid jargon unless you are sure all your audience will understand it.

§ Signalling Indicate when you’ve completed one point or section in your presentation and are moving on to the text. Give your audience clear signals as to the direction your presentation is talking.

Translate the text in writing with a dictionary if it is necessary.

Text 5

Read the following presentation.

My name’s Marta Rodriguez. I’m Personnel Director of Tara Fashions. I’m going to talk to you today about our company. First, I’ll give you some basic information about Tara Fashions. Then I’ll talk about our overseas stores. After I’ll outline the strengths of the company. Next I’ll talk about career opportunities with Tara. And finally I’ll mention our future plans. I’ll be pleased to answer any questions at the end of my talk.

Let me start with some basic facts about Tara. The company started in 1978. We are family – owned business and our head office is in Cordoba, Spain. We sell clothes for men and women, and our customers are mainly fashion-conscious people aged 20 to 35. We have 15 stores in Spain. All of the stores are very profitable.

Right, those are the basic facts.

Let me add a few figures. We have an annual turnover of about?260 million. Our net profits last year were approximately?16 million. We have a workforce of just over 2,000 employees. So those are the numbers. Now about our overseas stores. We have 4 large stores in France and another 10 in other European countries. We are planning to open 5 new stores next year.

What are our strengths? We keep up with fashion trends. If we sport a trend, we can bring out a new design in 15 days. And we get it to the stores very quickly. We deliver to stores twice a week. And we sell our designs at the right price.

OK, now what about career opportunities? It’s quite simple. If you are ambitious and fashion-conscious, we have opportunities in all areas of our business. We will welcome you with open arms.

Finally, a few words about our new project. We are planning to open a new store in New York next year – on Fifth Avenue. This will give us a foothold in the US market. We’re very excited about this new development.