Pros and Cons of Marrying a CEO

Collocations

13. LMS (a) For 1-10 below cross out the word of phrase in each list which are not normally used with the noun in italics.

1) benefit	accrue / enjoy / make / derive / gain / considerable / financial
2) advantage	enjoy / gain / outweigh / take / huge / considerable / education /
3) opportunity	provide / seize / squander / ample / once-in-a-lifetime / silver / career
4) success	enjoy / achieve / guarantee / enormous / large / depends on
5) prospects	get / offer / boost / damage / long-term / excellent / employment / career
6) disadvantage	distinct / obvious / suffer / have / enjoy / offset
7) failure	achieve / result in / end in / expect / total / complete /
8) achievement	represent / accrue / outstanding / impressive / proudest / a lack of
9) improvement	show / make / take up / scope / room / huge / massive /
10) chance	deserve / give somebody / throw away / possess / arise / take / good

LMS (b) Complete the gaps in the sentences with a word or phrase from (a). There may be more than one possible answer.

1. Achieving (1) ________________ in life depends on many factors like qualifications, but cannot always be (2) ________________ by having them.

2. Even if an academic career ends in (3) ________________, it does not mean that someone’s (4) ________________ career (5) ________________ are seriously (6) ________________.

3. Everyone (7) ________________ a fair (8) ________________ at succeeding in life, but all too often people squander the opportunity.

4. I made a huge (9) ________________in my last years at school, but looking back there was certainly (10) ________________ for more.

5. A person who has a vocational education in plumbing or engineering does not suffer any (11) ________________ in life. On the contrary, having such an education is a (12) ________________ (13) ________________.

6. The financial (14) ________________ that (15) ________________ from acquiring training and skills mean that one can enjoy the fruits of one’s labours.

7. Finding my first job (16) ________________ the proudest (17) ________________ in my life so far.

8. Going to university in my country is a (18) ________________ (19) ________________ that needs to be (20) ________________ once it comes.

LMS (c) Replace each of the underlined words with a synonym:

1. They achieved considerable success in their working lives.

2. I derivedreal benefit from a university education.

3. My qualifications gave me a huge advantage at the interview.

4. His employment prospects are enhanced by the opening of the new bank.

5. Many opportunities have been wasted here.

6. There is an obvious disadvantage to concentrating on only one learning mechanism.

7. There is always scope for improvement, no matter who you are.

8. It was such an outstanding achievement to come top in the exams.

(d) Search the tasks above for the English equivalents of the following Russian phrases:

1) возможность для совершенствования;

2) воспользоваться удобным случаем;

3) воспользоваться, использовать в своих интересах;

4) впечатляющее достижение;

5) долгосрочные перспективы карьерного роста;

6) извлекать выгоду;

7) кончиться полной неудачей;

8) предоставить широкие возможности;

9) упустить возможность;

10) упустить шанс;

11) явный, очевидный недостаток.

 

LMS 14. Put the following paragraphs in the correct order to produce a well organised text.

Can Failure Beget [1] Success?

(A) There is a reason why people who have participated in competitive sports tend to become high career acheivers. Sport magnifies our weaknesses and forces us to make personal improvements in order to succeed. There’s no hiding behind walls or opportunities to blame others when one’s points, time or touchdowns are readily available for others to see. We learn more about ourselves when we have been knocked down than during the moments of triumph.

(B) Such an epic failure taught me about myself and how to navigate the intricacies of launching a new business and those lessons have affected my approach to being an entrepreneur.

(C) Not every travel experience is a monumental success. We might witness atrocities and the sad realities of less fortunate areas of the world or succumb to an illness while abroad. No matter how positive or negative the outcome, we come back stronger for having taken a leap of faith and pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone, even if doing so resulted in a short-term troubling experience.

(D) I would know. The first business I launched was hardly successful. My vision was to build a college athletic recruiting platform designed to match high school student-athletes with college athletic programs. At the time, I was fully employed by Goldman Sachs and I moonlighted on my business with the help of fourteen friends and family members.

(E) Failure does not just come before success in the dictionary; it also plays an integral role in our development and heavily contributes to the engine that drives our successes. Here are three aspects of life where previous failures shape future successes.

(F) The world at large is far bigger than the bubbles in which many of us live. Traveling affords us an opportunity to become more worldly. We learn about new cultures through interaction with locals, taking tours of areas of historical importance and through the oh-so-beautiful lens of cuisine. If we think of our brain as a light bulb, each new experience brightens that bulb slightly until our mind is illuminated by more knowledge than we ever imagined.

(G) So go ahead. Get knocked down. Rise again and see how much stronger you are for it.

(H) Not every business venture is a success; in fact I would argue that success in business is more on par with success in baseball. Fail 70% of the time and you might be a hall of fame!

(I) Ultimately, working a full-time job from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. followed by sleepless evenings toiling on my business was not sustainable. Despite landing partnerships with The Princeton Review and Under Armour, I shut down the business.

Strategy Point Skim the sections and try to identify the opening and closing paragraphs. The introductory paragraph must contain a thesis statement, which names the specific topic (announced in the title) and gives a general idea of the contents of the text. It may list subdivisions of the main topic. The concluding paragraph may be a review of the main points discussed in the text. The conclusion may also convey a message to the reader by making a prediction or recommendation, suggesting solutions or consequences, etc. You may find certain words which may be leading towards the next or concluding part: summing up, in a nutshell, nevertheless, therefore, however, hence, so, simultaneously, apart from etc. They denote a change of the thought process. Search for connectors to sentences – conjunctions, personal (he / she / it / they etc.), relative (who / whose / that / which etc.), demonstrative (these / those / this / that etc.) pronouns - as they indicate that they must have been used in place of some nouns. So find the link between the sentences and paragraphs. A few paragraphs have time factors, indicating that the events mentioned for the earlier time should come first and could help you to put them in chronological order. Successive paragraphs may start with similar patterns of words, which express related ideas. Using parallel structures creates rhythm and balance and enables the writer to highlight information.

 

 

15. LMSListen to a talk [2] presented at a conference. To what extent do you agree with the author? Complete the summary given below. Choose no more than two words from the talk for each answer:

Keep your goals to yourself

When you talk to others about your goal, you already feel a step (1)____________________ to achieving it. However, that pleasant feeling actually makes you (2)_____________________ to achieve the goal. The reason for it is that the mind is (3)_____________________ into feeling that the goal has already been achieved. It doesn’t agree with conventional (4)_____________________. But in one study, people who announced their commitment to a goal tended to (5)___________________ earlier than those who kept their(6)___________________. So, you shouldn’t yield to (7)____________________ to talk about your ambitions.

 

Being Successful

16. Read the article from Forbes.com by Samantha Daniels. Make a list of downsides of being famous and successful. Are there any other considerations that you would add to the list? Do the advantages of success outweigh the disadvantages?

Vocabulary Exercises

*1. Translate the following English phrases from the text “How to be a Winner” into Russian:

1) to claw my way back into contention;

2) to feel low;

3) the spur I needed;

4) illness was never enough to prevent me from pursuing my goal;

5) inch your way towards your dream;

6) to experience a huge dip in my confidence;

7) relieve some of the tension associated with your challenge;

8) try making a few decisions based on your gut instinct;

9) to be assertive and proactive;

10) to boost your confidence and self-belief;

11) there is no way I could get through that sort of workload without being on top of my diary;

12) the possible permutations of what could happen;

13) to misjudge one’s race;

14) to take your time.

 

*2. Find in the text English equivalents for the following Russian phrases:

1) подвести свою страну;

2) достичь намного больше, чем ожидалось;

3) непреодолимое препятствие, преграждающее путь к успеху;

4) преследовать цель;

5) никогда не сдавайся;

6) ставить себе достижимые цели;

7) направить усилия в правильном направлении;

8) не отвлекаться (от цели);

9) оказывать пагубное воздействие;

10) внешний;

11) нервирующий / вызывающий стресс;

12) недооценивать себя.

 

*3. Answer the following questions to the text.

1. What helped Denise Lewis to claw her way back into contention and win in the Olympics?

2. What hurdles did Sir Steven Redgrave have to overcome? What or who boosted his confidence?

3. What advice does Annika Reeder give to those who lack mental will to succeed?

4. What should a person do if he/she has a fear of failure according to Pete Cohen?

5. Should people rely on their instincts in Octavius Black’s opinion?

6. How much importance does Karen Pickering attach to discipline and self-organisation?

7. How to become more focused according to Kirsten Best?

8. How can one’s imagination help achieve their goals?

9. How to boost one’s self-esteem according to Donna Frazer?

 

4. (a) Rewrite the sentences below using synonymous Vocabulary Commentary items instead of the words or phrases in italics:

1. I’ll just keep (working hard) and try to get it finished by tonight. to plug away at

2. It seems to me that most people (don’t realize) how much their attention is diverted by making a phone call while driving.

3. Barack Obama won his second term on a vow to focus on restoring economic stability but he was (turned aside) from the course by (determinedattempts) to pass gun control and immigration legislation. distracted / side-tracked assertive efforts

4. Relying on a single (point of view) is problematic, even (harmful) for predicting an accurate outcome. Detrimental to put things into one perspective

5. A new source of funding for research will hopefully (encourage) new proposals for research from scientists. act as a spur to

6. Any form of exercise produces biochemical changes in your body that (make you feel sure of yourself).; to boost one’s confidence

7. You need to (see it from an objective viewpoint): even though you have not attained your career goals yet, you still have many years to do so. to put things into perspective

8. The golfer is seldom seen without his wraparound sunglasses. They are protection, but not from the sun’s rays. “They help (not to pay attention to) (things that turn my attention away),” he said. block outdistractions

9. In the beginning, I had a hard time following this rule, but it eventually became (possible to be performed automatically). to become second nature / automatic

LMS (b) Fill the gaps in the passage about assertiveness from the Careers and Employability Service website of a British university (you may have to change the grammar form of some verbs):

Language Focus

Getting to the Top

7. (a) Study the words and phrases (from Ex. 3, p. 10) and match the words in bold with the Russian equivalents listed below:

· objective – a goal that you plan to achieve, especially in business or politics; to accomplish / achieve / attain / reachan objective; e.g. Management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. (boundless.com)

SYNONYMS: words for something that you are trying to achieve -target, objective or goal?

A target is the exact result that you try to achieve. It is often specific, and in the form of figures, such as number of sales or exam passes, or a date. People often set their own objectives: these are things that they wish to achieve, often as part of a project or a talk they are giving. Goals are often long-term, and relate to people’s life and career plans or the long-term plans of a company or organization.

· ambition - (1) (C.) something that you desire to achieve; to achieve / fulfil / realizean ambition; e.g. “It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book”(Friedrich Nietzsche)

(2) (U.) the desire and determination to achieve success; e.g. “Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” (Salvador Dali). ambitious

NOTE: The Russian word “ амбиция ” is sometimes used with a hint of disapproval, referring to an unfounded self-confidence and vanity.

· fortune - (1) (C.) [usually singular] a very large amount of money; to make / amassa fortune; e.g. Warren Buffett, the world’s second richest man, continues to make his fortune in investment and turn it to philanthropy in the grand tradition of Carnegie and Rockefeller.

(2) (C.) [plural] the success or failure of a person or enterprise over a period of time; e.g. Venezuela's economic fortunes are tied to world oil prices. (BBC News)

· obsession – (1) (U.) an extreme unhealthy interest in something or worry about something which stops you from thinking about anything else; e.g. Even a company like Apple, renowned for its obsession with secrecy, was apparently not safe from well placed leakers. (Reuters)

(2) (C.) something that continually preoccupies a person's mind; e.g. America is so fixated on dieting that it has become a national obsession.

tobe obsessedwith sth

1) достичь исполнения / реализовать честолюбивое стремление;achieve / fulfil / realizeanambition

2) достичь цели;accomplish / achieve / attain / reach an objective

3) одержимость секретностью;obsession with secrecy

4) предметнавязчивыхмечтаний / мыслей; an object of obsession

5) заработать состояние;make / amass a fortune

6) честолюбивый / целеустремленный / стремящийся к чему-либо;ambitious

7) честолюбие / тщеславие. an ambition

LMS (b) Use the words below to complete the sentences (you may have to use the plural form):

Get gain win earn

NOTE: Use earn ( not gain) to mean 'get money for work you do ';

gain means ‘ to get smth useful or necessary, whether or not you deserve it’;

use earn (rather than gain) to say that you get smth because you deserve it;

get can be used as a less formal way of saying gain or earn

1. Actor Johnny Depp __________ a reputation for choosing risky roles and creating unique and memorable characters.

2. As the Championship play-off winner __________ promotion to the Premier League, it is the most lucrative single game in world football.

3. Homosexual couples in Denmark _________ the right to get married in any church they choose, even though nearly one third of the country's priests have said they will refuse to carry out the ceremonies.

4. Brenda P. Murray has served as chief judge since 1994 and ___________ a reputation as a fair jurist with an unbiased record.

5. Doping is the use of performance enhancing drugs or methods by athletes to ___________ a competitive advantage.

6. In 2013 Zuckerberg joined a long list of insanely rich Silicon Valley entrepreneurs (Apple founder Steve Jobs, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Oracle's Larry Ellison) who ___________ $1 salaries.

7. In order for the Republican Party to _________ control of the US Senate, they would have to win 5 additional seats in the 2018 election.

8. James Maxwell, one of the greatest physicists, ___________ a reputation as a typical eccentric scientist.

9. Many charities run voluntary internships where you can __________ experience of working in areas such as marketing, finance, events, project management and IT.

10. Muhammad Ali was the first man to ___________ the world heavyweight boxing title three times.

11. Perhaps it is ironic that Vincent Van Gogh struggled to ____________ a living as an artist and never sold more than a single painting during his entire lifetime. Nowadays Van Gogh's works are among the world's most expensive paintings ever sold.

12. Seattle residents are being asked to take part in a friendly recycling competition June 22-26 to help their neighborhood ____________ the title of Greenest Seattle Neighborhood.

13. The army ____________ control of all the important towns in few weeks.

14. The MBA programme helped this software engineer develop his leadership skills and ___________ promotion at work.

15. The world's leading auction site eBay is a place where thousands of sellers ____________ their living by selling all kinds of stuff.

16. Whether in a business, school, or social setting, we always aim to ____________ the respect of our co-workers, peers, and friends.

(b) Translate into English using the collocations:

1. Консерваторы получили контроль над советом графства Девон (DevonCountyCouncil) еще на 4 года.

2. Он приобрел репутацию харизматичного политика.

3. Мэр Нью-Йорка Майкл Блумберг, 7ой самый богатый человек в США, получал зарплату в $1.

4. Биологическим отцам еще нужно завоевать звание «папы».

5. Многие студенты используют летние международные программы, чтобы получить неоценимый (invaluable) опыт работы в своей области.

6. Оксана Федорова стала первой Мисс Россия, завоевавшей титул Мисс Вселенная. -

7. В США женщины получили право голосовать в 1920 году.

8. Когда ты уважаешь себя, тебе будет легче завоевать уважение других.

9. Когда мы думаем о том, что значит зарабатывать на жизнь (работая) музыкантом, в воображении предстают мысли (itconjuresupideasof) о продаже дисков и бесконечных турне (endlesslytouring) по стране.

 

Idioms

*11. (a) Replace the phrases in italics with the idioms from Ex. 9, p. 13 (you may have to change the form of the verbs):

a feather in the cap [6] have your head in the cloud

keep on top of things keep up with the Joneses [7]

rub sb up the wrong way [8] steal the show

work one’s fingers to the bone work one’s way up to the top

1. All he does is work very hard in a high pressure job, which is emotionally draining and physically exhausting.

2. Beating the world champions would be a remarkable achievement.

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones attracted the most attention on the red carpet last night, in a black lace gown.

4. Have you ever had that nagging feeling that you've forgotten to do an important piece of work? If so, you probably don't use a to-do list to be in complete control of a situation.

5. If you think oil companies are going to help destroy their own industry by developing alternative energy sources, you are out of touch with the everyday world.

6. If you are in the habit of buying the latest gadgets, such as the most recent smartphone, tablet or games console, the speed at which technology is advancing means you could easily have to make several purchases of £300 or more at any one time. Striving to match your “neighbours” in spending and social standing can have serious financial implications. As a result many consumers live beyond their means.

7. Nowadays a university degree is a prerequisite for most job applications in the corporate world. So the likelihood of being able to start from nothing and move to the most senior position in a company is becoming even more of an unlikely dream.

8. The question “What do you do for a living?” can annoy people, if it is asked early during a conversation with a new individual. It seems like the person is allegedly trying to size you up or compare their accomplishments to your own.

(b) Translate into English using the idioms from Ex. 9, p. 13:

1. Он начинал как посыльный (messengerboy) в офисе и продвинулся по служебной лестнице до должности генерального директора. Для этого требуется напористость и желание преуспеть.

2. Как тебе удается держать все дела под контролем, когда у тебя четверо детей? -

3. Я не хочу работать до изнеможения, чтобы заработать себе на жизнь.

4. Его манера разговаривать с начальниками действует мне на нервы.

5. Насколько вы одержимы (идеей) стараться жить не хуже других? В некоторых случаях небольшая доза зависти может действовать как стимул для карьеры.

6. Она обычно витает в облаках, но, когда дело касается бизнеса, у нее есть серьезные цели и стремление их достичь.

7. С его всесторонним образованием, огромным состоянием и его харизмой перед ним открыты все двери.

 

Focus on Reading, Listening and Discussing

Career Success

*17. (a) Read one more article from Forbes.com by David DiSalvo. What two types of high-achievers does the author of the article distinguish?

The Hallmarks [9] of Highly Respected Achievers

I’ve been working on a research project for a few weeks that involves identifying the characteristics that describe highly ambitious, achievement-oriented people who are also among the most well-respected in any organization. The intersection between ambition and respect is an important one, because we all know people who are ambitious but think nothing of running others over along the way. And, we know examples of people who are respected but stagnant.

What makes respected achievers different?

Respected achievers do not allow hurdles to stop them, at least not for long, chiefly because they have trained their thinking to immediately seek out other ways of reaching a goal. To a determined person, there is never just one way to get there. However, the sort of achiever we are talking about also keeps the well-being of others in mind, and if one of those alternate routes will result in unnecessarily harming someone else, then that route is not an option.

Achievers do not drag out an elaborate vision, get others to buy into it, and then run off to the next big idea because it has sparked their interest more than the first. While maturing multiple visions is fine (assuming they are manageable), the respected achiever will make every reasonable effort to make them happen.

Respected achievers focus on what works. If one approach is not turning out well, they abandon it altogether and adopt a different approach. Their focus is on outcomes. But, implementing a pragmatic approach without being mindful of how changes will affect others does not deserve praise. Respected achievers balance an outcome-focus with a situational awareness of the adjustments required by others. This may build more time into the process, but respected achievers do not value outcomes above peoples’ lives if there is any possibility of creating a mutually beneficial arrangement. In case of failure they feel the pain, recognize that whatever caused it is now part of their experience, and then they resolve to strategically move on.

One less-than-admirable trait of many ambitious people is that they are good at figuring out how to avoid taking responsibility for what went wrong due to a mistake made by the team. But the respected achiever owns responsibility whether or not other team members do the same. Teams are essentially organizations structured to accomplish specific goals, and if those goals aren’t reached, then the team owns the blame, because the team was given the responsibility to succeed. Respected achievers own their role on the team instead of trying to explain why their responsibility should be less than that of the others’. They treat others in the manner they wish to be treated. Their embodiment of the “Golden Rule” is not situational; it’s a consistently applied maxim that guides their behavior.

(b) Tick the qualities and skills a respected achiever possesses (according to the author). Provide evidence from the text.

○ assertiveness

○ determination

○ flexibility

○ perseverance

○ persistence

○ resilience

○ ruthlessness

○ sensitivity to others’ feelings

○ team spirit

○ willingness to compromise

 

*18. Comment on the following quotations. Do you agree with them? What qualities do they illustrate?

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

Winston Churchill (a British Prime Minister)

Collocations

13. LMS (a) For 1-10 below cross out the word of phrase in each list which are not normally used with the noun in italics.

1) benefit	accrue / enjoy / make / derive / gain / considerable / financial
2) advantage	enjoy / gain / outweigh / take / huge / considerable / education /
3) opportunity	provide / seize / squander / ample / once-in-a-lifetime / silver / career
4) success	enjoy / achieve / guarantee / enormous / large / depends on
5) prospects	get / offer / boost / damage / long-term / excellent / employment / career
6) disadvantage	distinct / obvious / suffer / have / enjoy / offset
7) failure	achieve / result in / end in / expect / total / complete /
8) achievement	represent / accrue / outstanding / impressive / proudest / a lack of
9) improvement	show / make / take up / scope / room / huge / massive /
10) chance	deserve / give somebody / throw away / possess / arise / take / good

LMS (b) Complete the gaps in the sentences with a word or phrase from (a). There may be more than one possible answer.

1. Achieving (1) ________________ in life depends on many factors like qualifications, but cannot always be (2) ________________ by having them.

2. Even if an academic career ends in (3) ________________, it does not mean that someone’s (4) ________________ career (5) ________________ are seriously (6) ________________.

3. Everyone (7) ________________ a fair (8) ________________ at succeeding in life, but all too often people squander the opportunity.

4. I made a huge (9) ________________in my last years at school, but looking back there was certainly (10) ________________ for more.

5. A person who has a vocational education in plumbing or engineering does not suffer any (11) ________________ in life. On the contrary, having such an education is a (12) ________________ (13) ________________.

6. The financial (14) ________________ that (15) ________________ from acquiring training and skills mean that one can enjoy the fruits of one’s labours.

7. Finding my first job (16) ________________ the proudest (17) ________________ in my life so far.

8. Going to university in my country is a (18) ________________ (19) ________________ that needs to be (20) ________________ once it comes.

LMS (c) Replace each of the underlined words with a synonym:

1. They achieved considerable success in their working lives.

2. I derivedreal benefit from a university education.

3. My qualifications gave me a huge advantage at the interview.

4. His employment prospects are enhanced by the opening of the new bank.

5. Many opportunities have been wasted here.

6. There is an obvious disadvantage to concentrating on only one learning mechanism.

7. There is always scope for improvement, no matter who you are.

8. It was such an outstanding achievement to come top in the exams.

(d) Search the tasks above for the English equivalents of the following Russian phrases:

1) возможность для совершенствования;

2) воспользоваться удобным случаем;

3) воспользоваться, использовать в своих интересах;

4) впечатляющее достижение;

5) долгосрочные перспективы карьерного роста;

6) извлекать выгоду;

7) кончиться полной неудачей;

8) предоставить широкие возможности;

9) упустить возможность;

10) упустить шанс;

11) явный, очевидный недостаток.

 

LMS 14. Put the following paragraphs in the correct order to produce a well organised text.

Can Failure Beget [1] Success?

(A) There is a reason why people who have participated in competitive sports tend to become high career acheivers. Sport magnifies our weaknesses and forces us to make personal improvements in order to succeed. There’s no hiding behind walls or opportunities to blame others when one’s points, time or touchdowns are readily available for others to see. We learn more about ourselves when we have been knocked down than during the moments of triumph.

(B) Such an epic failure taught me about myself and how to navigate the intricacies of launching a new business and those lessons have affected my approach to being an entrepreneur.

(C) Not every travel experience is a monumental success. We might witness atrocities and the sad realities of less fortunate areas of the world or succumb to an illness while abroad. No matter how positive or negative the outcome, we come back stronger for having taken a leap of faith and pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zone, even if doing so resulted in a short-term troubling experience.

(D) I would know. The first business I launched was hardly successful. My vision was to build a college athletic recruiting platform designed to match high school student-athletes with college athletic programs. At the time, I was fully employed by Goldman Sachs and I moonlighted on my business with the help of fourteen friends and family members.

(E) Failure does not just come before success in the dictionary; it also plays an integral role in our development and heavily contributes to the engine that drives our successes. Here are three aspects of life where previous failures shape future successes.

(F) The world at large is far bigger than the bubbles in which many of us live. Traveling affords us an opportunity to become more worldly. We learn about new cultures through interaction with locals, taking tours of areas of historical importance and through the oh-so-beautiful lens of cuisine. If we think of our brain as a light bulb, each new experience brightens that bulb slightly until our mind is illuminated by more knowledge than we ever imagined.

(G) So go ahead. Get knocked down. Rise again and see how much stronger you are for it.

(H) Not every business venture is a success; in fact I would argue that success in business is more on par with success in baseball. Fail 70% of the time and you might be a hall of fame!

(I) Ultimately, working a full-time job from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. followed by sleepless evenings toiling on my business was not sustainable. Despite landing partnerships with The Princeton Review and Under Armour, I shut down the business.

Strategy Point Skim the sections and try to identify the opening and closing paragraphs. The introductory paragraph must contain a thesis statement, which names the specific topic (announced in the title) and gives a general idea of the contents of the text. It may list subdivisions of the main topic. The concluding paragraph may be a review of the main points discussed in the text. The conclusion may also convey a message to the reader by making a prediction or recommendation, suggesting solutions or consequences, etc. You may find certain words which may be leading towards the next or concluding part: summing up, in a nutshell, nevertheless, therefore, however, hence, so, simultaneously, apart from etc. They denote a change of the thought process. Search for connectors to sentences – conjunctions, personal (he / she / it / they etc.), relative (who / whose / that / which etc.), demonstrative (these / those / this / that etc.) pronouns - as they indicate that they must have been used in place of some nouns. So find the link between the sentences and paragraphs. A few paragraphs have time factors, indicating that the events mentioned for the earlier time should come first and could help you to put them in chronological order. Successive paragraphs may start with similar patterns of words, which express related ideas. Using parallel structures creates rhythm and balance and enables the writer to highlight information.

 

 

15. LMSListen to a talk [2] presented at a conference. To what extent do you agree with the author? Complete the summary given below. Choose no more than two words from the talk for each answer:

Keep your goals to yourself

When you talk to others about your goal, you already feel a step (1)____________________ to achieving it. However, that pleasant feeling actually makes you (2)_____________________ to achieve the goal. The reason for it is that the mind is (3)_____________________ into feeling that the goal has already been achieved. It doesn’t agree with conventional (4)_____________________. But in one study, people who announced their commitment to a goal tended to (5)___________________ earlier than those who kept their(6)___________________. So, you shouldn’t yield to (7)____________________ to talk about your ambitions.

 

Being Successful

16. Read the article from Forbes.com by Samantha Daniels. Make a list of downsides of being famous and successful. Are there any other considerations that you would add to the list? Do the advantages of success outweigh the disadvantages?

Pros and Cons of Marrying a CEO

There are many people who would love nothing else than to marry a CEO. After all, they think that this person must be intelligent, powerful, charismatic and very successful, and usually they are. Does it mean that you will have a charmed life just because you marry a CEO? Here are some things to consider:

· CEOs have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to their business. This is a good thing when it comes to the bottom line[3] financially, but will this be a good thing for your relationship? You will need to make sure they can balance their responsibilities at the office with their responsibilities at home or you might end up being ‘an office widow/widower’. If they have to work those late nights, you will need to be accepting of that and give them the benefit of the doubt that they are not doing this on purpose, it is just the nature of the job.

· CEOs usually work 24/7. This does not mean that they are actively working every minute of the day, but what it does mean is that they are always on call and they are the go-to person when there is a fire that needs to be put out. How this translates to your relationship is that your romantic dinner might be interrupted or there might be a no-show to your son’s soccer game to your son’s disappointment. The pro is that you will probably get to go to any restaurant you want, but the con is that your dinner might get cancelled or interrupted time and time again. CEOs do not always put their families and personal relationships first. Can you handle that?

· CEOs are always under scrutiny. When their company is doing well, they are the heroes and everyone wants to be their best friend, but when times are tough, they get all the blame. You might find that everyone wants to have you at their dinner party when the company is doing well, and when it’s not, the invitations might stop coming. Can you be supportive when serious problems arise? Additionally, you can expect no respect for personal or family boundaries. Gossip columnists are relentless at finding out every single detail of your private life, including potentially embarrassing details you would never want to be publicized. If you actually do become successful and famous, expect constant invasion of your private life.

· CEOs get recognized; especially the successful high profile ones. This might seem pleasant in theory, but can you handle having strangers coming up to him when you are out for a dinner? Can you be gracious all the time? This will be expected of you even if the person who comes up to the table is a blond bombshell or a drunken guy asking why his stock went down this month.

· CEOs get invited to a lot of social events. Again, this might seem like it will be fun in the abstract, but in reality, this means that you will attending a lot of business events where you will be expected to make some boring chit-chat while your spouse works[4] the room. This does not mean that you can’t enjoy or get something out of the events yourself, but mostly you will be expected to be by your spouse’s side with a smile on your face.

Keep in mind that regardless of whom you marry, every marriage needs care and attention so that it can stand the test of time.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? Write:

TRUE	if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE	if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN	if there is no information on this

1. The highest-level executives are considered rather smart, influential and rich.

2. A top manager needs a patient and understanding spouse who is going to stick by him / her.

3. Wealthy people have to take serious measures to maintain their families security.

4. One’s expectations of enjoying a glamorous life-style are not always in line with the reality of being married to a CEO.

5. Tabloid reporters are considerate and scrupulous in the use of personal information.

 

 

Focus on Vocabulary

Unit 1 “Something to Shout About”

Vocabulary Commentary on the text “How to be a Winner ”

Don’t let potential hurdles block your path to success. (12)

· to overcome / surmount (formal) / clear / get over ahurdle –one of a number of light barriers over which runners leap in certain events; an obstacle to be overcome; e.g. What are the major hurdles one must overcome when starting a business?

… and that was it – the spur I needed. (15)

· to spur sb (on) to do sth / into action = to put / set spurs to sth– to encourage; e.g. Even a small success would spur me on to greater effort.

spur, n. (C.) – (1) a sharp object on the heel of a rider's boot which is used to encourage a horse to go faster;

(2) a thing that prompts or encourages smb; an incentive; e.g. It is our hope that the awards will act as a spur to their careers.

No obstacle is ever insurmountable. (18)

· an insurmountable problem / obstacle / etc. – (formal) impossible to deal with successfully; insuperable; e.g. The questions discussed in the article remain thorny but perhaps not insurmountable.

 

When times are hard, keep plugging away towards your goal. (22)

· to plug away at sth - to keep working hard at sth in a determined way despite difficulties; e.g. Barack Obama urged the crowd to “keep plugging away, keep fighting, and we’ll build an even better America.” (The Washington Post)

There was a time in my career when I matured from a little girl to a woman and I experienced a huge dip in my confidence. (24-25)

· to mature (into sth / sb) - to start behaving like an adult and become more sensible as you get older; e.g. Stem cells have the capability of maturing into different types of tissue depending on how they are stimulated.

 

Concentration will (…) boost your confidence and self-belief. (65-66)

· confidence – (1) the feeling that you can trust and be sure about the abilities or good qualities of sb/sth; e.g. The fact that a company needs to be rescued by the federal government tends to undermine confidencein the company’s financial condition.

(2) a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities; e.g. At an interview a candidate who lacksconfidence may be unable to respond to questions properly. (job-interview.net)

confident, – sure about something, someone, or oneself; e.g. Roger Federer was confidentof winning a record eighth Wimbledon title. self-confident

NOTE: To be self-confident is to have confidence in yourself. Self-confident people don't doubt themselves. It is usually a positive word: you can be self-confident without being cocky, arrogant, or overconfident.

 

Sometimes it’s very hard to put things into perspective, but the best approach is toblock out the negative thoughts and keep at it. (27-28)

· perspective, n.– (1) (C.) a way of thinking about sth; e.g. The problem needs to be looked at froma historical perspective.

(2) (U.) a sensible outlook on life; you do not imagine that sth is more serious than it really is; to put things into perspective = to see things as they are, from an objective viewpoint; to have a reasonable view of something. e.g. You can put your worries into perspective when you realize how many people in the world are so much worse off than you.

NOTE: ‘перспектива’ (видынабудущее) = prospect (s); e.g. What are the prospects of promotion in this job?

· to block out / to filter out - to stop yourself thinking about sth or remembering it; to try not to listen to; e.g. You have to block out all your fears if you want to do a parachute jump.

Channel your efforts in the right direction and don’t get side-tracked.(33-34)

So, at work, make an effort to learn something new every day. (47-48)

· effort, n. – (1) (C.) an attempt to do sth that is difficult or involves hard work; e.g. The tobacco industry has fought government efforts to introduce or increase the size of graphic warnings in some countries. (The Washington Post)

(2) (U.) physical or mental energy needed to do sth; e.g. Writing a book requires a lot of time and effort.

 

Then there are external distractions, such as family or lifestyle. (63-64)

· to distract- to draw the attention of (a person) away from sth; to get distracted / side-tracked; e.g. Sometimes getting easily distracted is the result of insufficient motivation to complete your work.

distraction, e.g. In our hyper-connected world, digital distractions can provide all too perfect an excuse for procrastination.(Forbes)

Remember, the more you practise being assertive and proactive, the more it becomes second nature. (45-46)

This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily… (69-70)

· assertive - confident and direct in claiming one's rights or putting forward one's views; e.g. An assertive person can express their feelings and assert their rights while respecting the feelings and rights of others. (skillsyouneed.com)

· to become second nature / automatic – can be performed automatically and without thinking, because it seems normal and natural; e.g. After a while, you will not need to make such a conscious effort; your actions will become second nature. (tipsonhealthyliving.com)

Concentration will (…) boost your confidence and self-belief. (65-66)

· to boost - to encourage, to help sth to increase, improve; to make sb feel more positive or more confident; to boost one’s confidence ≠ to knock one’s confidence; e.g. Constantly reminding yourself about what you like about yourself helps boost your confidence and goes a long way to helping build self esteem.

 

The key is to make sure that these don’t have a detrimental effect. (64-65)

· detrimental – (formal) harmful, damaging; e.g. Retiring early can have a detrimental impact on your retirement savings.

Don’t underestimate yourself. (86)

· to underestimate - to think that sb is not as good, clever, or skilful, as they really are; e.g. I think we all drastically underestimate the effect divorce has on children. ≠ tooverestimate.

 

Search the Vocabulary Commentary for the equivalents of the following:

1) быть уверенным в победе;

2) войти в привычку;

3) ему не хватает уверенности в себе;

4) легко отвлекаться;

5) лишить уверенностив себе;

6) напористый / пробивной человек;

7) необращать внимания / гнать прочь свои страхи;

8) недооценивать;

9) неодолимое / непреодолимое препятствие;

10) неразрешимая проблема;

11) объективно / здраво взглянуть на вещи;

12) отстаивать свои права;

13) пагубное воздействие;

14) переоценивать;

15) подорвать уверенность;

16) подталкивать / подгонять / «пришпоривать»;

17) попытки / усилия;

18) преодолеть препятствие;

19) придать уверенности в себе;

20) продолжать усиленно работать / пахать / корпеть;

21) с исторической точки зрения;

22) слишком уверенный / самонадеянный;

23) служить стимулом;

24) созреть, развиться;

25) то, что отвлекает внимание;

26) требуется много усилий;

27) уверенный в себе.

Vocabulary Exercises

*1. Translate the following English phrases from the text “How to be a Winner” into Russian:

1) to claw my way back into contention;

2) to feel low;

3) the spur I needed;

4) illness was never enough to prevent me from pursuing my goal;

5) inch your way towards your dream;

6) to experience a huge dip in my confidence;

7) relieve some of the tension associated with your challenge;

8) try making a few decisions based on your gut instinct;

9) to be assertive and proactive;

10) to boost your confidence and self-belief;

11) there is no way I could get through that sort of workload without being on top of my diary;

12) the possible permutations of what could happen;

13) to misjudge one’s race;

14) to take your time.

 

*2. Find in the text English equivalents for the following Russian phrases:

1) подвести свою страну;

2) достичь намного больше, чем ожидалось;

3) непреодолимое препятствие, преграждающее путь к успеху;

4) преследовать цель;

5) никогда не сдавайся;

6) ставить себе достижимые цели;

7) направить усилия в правильном направлении;

8) не отвлекаться (от цели);

9) оказывать пагубное воздействие;

10) внешний;

11) нервирующий / вызывающий стресс;

12) недооценивать себя.

 

*3. Answer the following questions to the text.

1. What helped Denise Lewis to claw her way back into contention and win in the Olympics?

2. What hurdles did Sir Steven Redgrave have to overcome? What or who boosted his confidence?

3. What advice does Annika Reeder give to those who lack mental will to succeed?

4. What should a person do if he/she has a fear of failure according to Pete Cohen?

5. Should people rely on their instincts in Octavius Black’s opinion?

6. How much importance does Karen Pickering attach to discipline and self-organisation?

7. How to become more focused according to Kirsten Best?

8. How can one’s imagination help achieve their goals?

9. How to boost one’s self-esteem according to Donna Frazer?

 

4. (a) Rewrite the sentences below using synonymous Vocabulary Commentary items instead of the words or phrases in italics:

1. I’ll just keep (working hard) and try to get it finished by tonight. to plug away at

2. It seems to me that most people (don’t realize) how much their attention is diverted by making a phone call while driving.

3. Barack Obama won his second term on a vow to focus on restoring economic stability but he was (turned aside) from the course by (determinedattempts) to pass gun control and immigration legislation. distracted / side-tracked assertive efforts

4. Relying on a single (point of view) is problematic, even (harmful) for predicting an accurate outcome. Detrimental to put things into one perspective

5. A new source of funding for research will hopefully (encourage) new proposals for research from scientists. act as a spur to

6. Any form of exercise produces biochemical changes in your body that (make you feel sure of yourself).; to boost one’s confidence

7. You need to (see it from an objective viewpoint): even though you have not attained your career goals yet, you still have many years to do so. to put things into perspective

8. The golfer is seldom seen without his wraparound sunglasses. They are protection, but not from the sun’s rays. “They help (not to pay attention to) (things that turn my attention away),” he said. block outdistractions

9. In the beginning, I had a hard time following this rule, but it eventually became (possible to be performed automatically). to become second nature / automatic

LMS (b) Fill the gaps in the passage about assertiveness from the Careers and Employability Service website of a British university (you may have to change the grammar form of some verbs):