CURSO: Bachiller NIVEL: 5

PROFESORA: Nora Medero FECHA DE ENTREGA: August 5th

TP # 1

- READING COMPREHENSION
Read the article and decide if these statements are true or false.

- British companies are failing to spend money on modernising their businesses.

- Large number of companies have invested in new IT equipment.
- The press have reported on many unsuccessful projects.
- LS took over Calcot.
- LS recently took over its rival.
- Bilton´s a successful partnership.
- Small and medium-sized businesses need to negotiate better.
- Parts-2-go on Delkon are working closely together.

CHANGES IN BUSINESS OPERATIONS

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…..
By Alan Rodger

British companies are investing huge amounts of money in making changes to their traditional business
practices. The main aims behind these investments are to increase the quality of services provided, while
reducing prices.
The demand for available and skilled IT resources in the UK is so great that many customer services
companies have decided to outsource contracts to low-cost countries, such as India, in order to meet this
demand.
So, what are the challenges and opportunities that outsourcing presents? There have been many
newspaper stories of failed projects and broken-down relationships between customers and the service
companies who have outsource contracts. Probably the most famous of these stories was LS, who had
agreed a ten-year deal to provide services to Tilkin. This ended earlier this year, when LS was replaced by
Calcot. However, it was not all bad news and LS behaved professionally and helped to ensure the
successful takeover of the service by its rival, so the only problems reported were the minor ones.
The main goal of investing in outsourcing is to improve the quality of customer services, and to lower the
cost of operations at the same time. One example of a successful outsourcing partnership is Bilton´s. Almost
two years ago the company started outsourcing services to a consortium of companies. The deal with the
consortium is for five years.
Payments are made to the consortium if it reaches its targets –it has to deliver a two percentage
improvement in customer satisfaction annually.
There are huge opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses to make savings by using shared
services. For instance, organizations with similar requirements can negotiate to use the same service
provider. This would mean that the costs for each company would be reduced through savings of scale. This
is the model behind the deal recently announced for a joint venture between Parts-2-go and Delkon.
Partnerships are great opportunities to show what can be achieved with open minds, shared interests and a
commitment to better and cheaper services. Perhaps the experience of the past can actually help make
changes for the future.

From the Financial Times

FINANCIAL TIMES
World Business Newspaper
GLOSSARY:
- Consortium: a combination of two or more international companies, which join together for a special
purpose.
- Outsource: to contract work outside the company
- Takeover: a change in the control of a company by merger or sale.

- LANGUAGE CHECK
Choose the right option.

1. When ________________ the company?

a) have you joined
b) did you joined
c) did you join
d) have you ever joined

2. ___________________ in Pakistan?
a) Did you ever worked
b) Have you ever worked
c) Worked you
d) Didn't you have worked

3. That's the best presentation ______________

a) I never heard
b) I didn't hear
c) I used to hear
d) I've ever heard

4. He's the most difficult customer _____________________

a) I never dealt with.
b) I never had to deal with.
c) I've ever had to deal with.
d) I've never had to deal with.

5. ___________________ to him last week.

a) I spoke
b) I've already spoken
c) I didn't spoke
d) I speaked

6. ______________ a binding contract last year and it is still valid.

a) We have signed
b) We signed
c) We haven't signed
 d) We have sign

7. The reason I look so brown is that _______________ from a business

trip to Barbados
a) I come back
b) I came back
c) I never came back
d) I've just come back

8. Sales ________ in 1995 but then _____ in 1996.

a) rised falled
b) rose fell
c) have risen have fallen
d) rose have fallen

9. You ____________ to a word ____________

a) listened I haven't said
b) didn't listen I say
c) listened saying
d) haven't listened I've said

10. It's obvious that ________________ this report.

a) you haven't read
b) you didn't read
c) you don't read
d) you read not

- Complete with a suitable modal verb.

1. Where is the manager? He ____________ be in the meeting he arranged yesterday.

2. I´m not sure but courses ___________ start next month.
3. The project is too risky, they _____________ go on with it.
4. I hope the new boss ____________ recruit more qualified staff.
5. If we spend so much on company cars, it´s _________________ be really difficult to
make ends meet.

- WRITING

Read the text “Gas for Peru vs green imperialism” and write a paragraph about the
following in your own words.

- Peruvian government
- Amazon Watch

- Inter-American Development Bank

- What do you think will happen to the Camisea project? Why?