Identify key points in the text and extract information from it to pass on to your partner.

Let your partner see whether key points identified by you are the same as those covered in the text. Let him agree or disagree with you.

UNIT 7

THE FUNCTIONS AND DEPARTMENTS OF A HOTEL

1. Read and translate the following international words:

monopoly               general                    resource

superior                  detail                       report

center                     business                   specialty

speciality                elegant                    artistic

hospitality              theater                     chief

controller                product                   create

time                        corporate                 comment

gracious                  chorus                     regional
major

2. Read and translate the following groups of words derived from a common root:

1) person — persona — personal — impersonal — personally — personality — personification — personify — personalize — personnel;

2) special — specialty — specialist — specialize — specially — espe­cially;

3) center — centre — central — centralize — decentralize;

4) count — countable — account — accountant;

5) execute — executive — executable — executor;

6) image — imagine — imagination — imaginative — imaginary;

7) value — valuable — devaluation — evaluate — evaluation;

8) hospital — hospitality — hospitalize — hospitable.

Reading

3. Read the text and translate it. While reading try to find answers to these questions:

1.What is a modern large hotel made up of?

2. What is the main responsibility of a general manager (GM)?

3. Why may some hotels be awe-inspiring?

 

THE FUNCTIONS AND DEPARTMENTS OF A HOTEL

The primary function of a hotel is to provide lodging accommoda­tion. A large hotel is run by a general manager (GM) and an executive committee comprised of the key executives who head major departments: rooms division director, food and beverage director, marketing and sales director, human resources director, chief accountant or controller, and chief engineer or facility manager. These executives generally have a re­gional or corporate counterpart with whom they have a reporting rela­tionship, although the general manager is their immediate superior.

A hotel is made up of several businesses or revenue centers and cost centers. A few thousand products and services are sold every day. Each area of specialty requires dedication and a quality commitment for each department to get little things right all the time. Furthermore, hotels need the cooperation of a large and diverse group of people to do it. Godfrey Bier, the general manager of the elegant 800-room General Ei-senhower Hotel calls it a business of details. Another wise comment comes from Matthew Fox: «If you ignore the little stuff, it will become big stuff».

Hotels are places of glamour that may be awe-inspiring. Even the ex­perienced hotel person is impressed by the refined dignity of a beautiful hotel like a Ritz-Carlton or the artistic splendor of a Hyatt. The atmos­phere of a hotel is stimulating to a hospitality student. Let us step into an imaginary hotel to feel the excitement and become a part of the rush that is similar to show business, for a hotel is live theater and the GM is the director of the cast of players.

Hotels, whether they are chain-affiliated or independent properties, all exist to serve and enrich society, and at the same time make a profit for the owners. Frequently, hotels are just like pieces of property on a Monopoly board. They often make or lose more money with equity ap­preciation or depreciation than via operations.

Hotels have been described as people palaces. Some are certainly pa­latial, and others are more functional. Hotels are meant to provide all the comforts of home to those away from home. A gracious feeling of warmth and welcome is a hotel's most valuable asset. Hotels have person­alities that are created by the combined chorus of effort, interest, and sincerity on the part of every member of the staff [1, 120—121].

Vocabulary notes

to run (smth.)                                           руководить (чем-либо)   

counterpart                                             человек, занимающий аналогичную должность                                                           в другой компании, фирме, гостинице и т. д.

to report (to smb.)                             зд. подчиняться (кому-либо)

immediate supe ­ rior                                  непосредственный начальник

director                                                    1) начальник, директор; 2) режиссер

area of specialty                                      зд. область специализации; сфера узкой                                                                           профессиональной деятельно­сти

dedication                                                зд. ответственное отношение к рабо­те;                                                                 преданность, верность, обязательство перед                                                                   фирмой, рабо­тодателем и т.п.

commitment                                             делать (что-либо) правильно

to get (smth.)                                      делать (что-либо) правильно    

Right

to ignore (smth.)                                      не обращать внимания (на что-либо)

glamour                                                   очарование; обаяние, шарм. Glamour — название                                                          модного женского жур­нала, издаваемого в США                                                      (ср.не­ологизмы в русском языке: «гламур»,                                                                         «гламурные» журналы)

awe- inspiring                                           зд. волнующий, впечатляющий;                                                                                повергающий в трепет

refined dignity                                         утонченное достоинство, светскость

Ritz- Carlton Hotel                                 «Риц-Карлтон» — отель в Бостоне, традиционно                                                         считающийся самым фешенебельным отелем в                                                       стране; сеть этих отелей

Hyatt Hotels                                             сеть известных роскошных отелей Хьятт

splendor                                              великолепие, богатство, пышность, роскошь

imaginary                                                вымышленный

to be chain-affiliated                       зд. быть одним из отелей опреде­ленной известной                                       фирмы (напр., Хилтон, Шератон, Хьятт)  

to enrich                                             обогащать                        

rush                                                    зд. удовольствие, острые ощущения;                          

live theater                                               зд. театр с реальными (живыми) ак­терами

cast of players                                         зд. актерский состав; труппа

equity                                                       экон. акция без фиксированного ди­виденда

appreciation                                            повышение в ценности (стоимости)

depreciation                                            снижение стоимости, обесценивание

palatial                                                     богатый, великолепный, роскошный; зд.                                                                                     похожий на настоящий дворец

asset                                                         зд. ценное качество, преимущество, достоинство                                                   

Vocabulary focus

4. Match each word or phrase on the left with the correct equivalent on the right:

1) chief accountant

2) human resources director

3) owner

4) effort

5) profit

6) sincerity

7) hospitality

8) little stuff

a) начальник отдела кадров

b) главный бухгалтер

с) мелочь, пустяк

d) гостеприимство

e) искренность

f) усилие

g) владелец

h) прибыль, доход

5. Match each attribute on the left with the correct word on the right (more than one interconnection is possible):

1) hospitality

2) quality

3) general

4) chief

5) sales

6) key

7) immediate

a) accountant

b) student

c) сcommitment

d) superior

e) executive

f) director

g) manager

 

6. Match each word on the left with the correct definition on the right:

1) expert-  a) money which is earned by doing business, after all
enced         the costs are taken from it

2) atmos-  b) aperson in a company with the power to make deci-
phere          sions

3) executive c) anumber of people or things that are together, or that are connected in some       way

 

4) home    d) aperson who has the same position as another

5) counter- e) good at something because she or he has spent a lot
part            of time doing it

6) effort               f) the general character or feeling of an organization

7) group   g) the use of strength or determination in an attempt to
do something that is difficult or involves hard work

8) profit   h) the place where you usually live, especially with your
family
[7], [8]

7. Match the synonyms:

1) wise

2) frequently

3) live

4) employer

5) need

6) staff

7) several

8) dedication

9) profit

10) splendor

11) revenue

               a) often

               b) clever

               c) personnel

               d) luxury

               e) loyalty

               f) owner

               g) income

               h) want

               i) afew

               j) profit

               k) exist

 

 

8. Match the antonyms:

1) depreciation

2) little

3) seldom

4) enrich

5) superior

6) different

7) warmth

8) general

9) buy

10) more

a) subordinate

b) specific

c) appreciation

d) frequently

e) impoverish

f) the same

g) less

h) cold

i) big

j) sell

 

Comprehension