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It's interesting to know. Russian people well-known in the USA. Unit 3. Business communication. Reading. 1. Work with a partner and discuss these questions.
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IT'S INTERESTING TO KNOW
RUSSIAN PEOPLE WELL-KNOWN IN THE USA
ACADEMIA
Several researchers from Russia have enriched our knowledge by writing studies about their native land. In fact, much of America's present-day understanding of Russia and the Soviet Union is in large part due to the work of immigrants like ancient historian Michael Rostovtsev (1870-1972); church historians Georges Florovsky (1893-1979), Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983), and John Meyendorff (1926-1993); linguist Roman Jakobson (1896-1982); literary critic Gleb Struve (1898-1985); and historians Michael Florinsky (1894-1981), Michael Karpovich (1888-1959), Alexander Vasiliev (1867-1953), George Vernadsky (1887-1973), Aleksander Riasanovsky (1923– ), and Marc Raeff (1923– ).
ART
Influential Russian American artists include Gleb Derujinski, a noted sculptor, and Sergey Rossolovsky, a respected painter from Portland, Maine.
LITERATURE
Writers generally have the greatest difficulty adapting to and being accepted in a new environment, since their language is their instrument of creativity, and by its nature a foreign and inaccessible element. Nevertheless, a few Russian authors have flourished on American soil. These include Vladimir Nabokov (1889-1977), who switched from Russian to English in the late 1940s and produced many novels, including the very popular Lolita (1958), and the short story writer Nina Berberova. Two other authors, while continuing to write in Russian, have nonetheless enhanced their careers while in the United States. They are Josef Brodsky (1940– ) and the historical novelist and social critic Aleksander Solzhenitzyn (1918– ), both of whom were awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.
MILITARY
John Basil Turchin (born Ivan Vasilevich Turchinov) served in the Union army during the Civil War and was promoted to the rank of U. S. Brigadier General—the first Russian American to be elevated to such a high position.
MUSIC, DANCE, AND FILM
Classical music, opera, and ballet in the United States have been enriched for over a century by the presence of Russian composers and performers from Petr Illich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Prokofieff to Fritz Kreisler, Feodor Chaliapin, Sergei Diaghileff, Anna Pavlova, and Rudolf Nureyev, all of whom have graced America's stages for varying periods of time. Others came to stay permanently, including Serge Koussevitsky (1874-1951), conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949; composers Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) and Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956); cello virtuoso, conductor, and musical director since 1977 of the National Symphony Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovich (1927– ); choreographer, founder of the School of American Ballet, and from 1948 to his death, director of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine (1904-1983); and ballet dancers Natalia Makarova (1940– ) and Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948). But the most famous of all was Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), who settled permanently in New York City in 1939, from where he continued to enrich and influence profoundly the course of twentieth-century classical music. Dimitri Tiomkin was a noted composer and musical director and author of many musical scores for Hollywood films. Natalie Wood, who was born in San Francisco as Natasha Gurdin (1938-1981) was an actress in numerous American films.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Vladimir Ipatieff (1867-1952) was a prominent research chemist; George Gamow (1904-1968) was a nuclear physicist who popularized the big-bang theory of the origin of the universe; Wassily Leontieff (1906– ) is a Nobel Prize-winning economist who formulated the influential input-output system of economic analysis; Alexander Petrunkevitch (1875-1964) wrote numerous works in the field of zoology; Igor Sikorsky (1889-1972) was an aviation industrialist and inventor of the helicopter; Pitirim Sorokin (1889-1968) was a controversial sociologist who argued that western civilization was doomed unless it attained " creative altruism"; and Vladimir Zworykin (1889-1982) was a physicist and electronics engineer who is known as the father of television.
(Источник: http: //www. everyculture. com/multi/Pa-Sp/Russian-Americans. html#ixzz2KL4tIX5R)
UNIT 3. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
The aim of this Unit is to make you be aware of the significance of establishing fruitful personal relationships with your potential business partner in order to succeed in future business dealings; as well as to give you a clear idea of various patterns and ways of socializing in different business cultures.
READING
1. Work with a partner and discuss these questions.
a. Why is socializing so necessary in business?
b. Many business people find socializing more difficult than a business meeting. Why?
c. Do the same rules work when socializing with colleagues and friends?
2. Now read the text and check your answers.
TEXT 1. SOCIALIZING WITH COLLEAGUES
Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
http: //quotations. about. com/cs/inspirationquotes/a/Communication6. htm
Socializing is necessary in business if you want to build a relationship with someone. A good relationship can help you to do business more easily – and it's more rewarding to deal with people you know than with strangers. A good personal relationship creates a stronger business relationship. Many business people find socializing more difficult than a business meeting. In a meeting there's usually a deadline and everyone knows they have to talk business and they have an agenda to guide them.
Socializing is hard because people who don't know each other well have to find topics of mutual interest to talk about. Different cultures have different ideas about socializing with colleagues. In some cultures, office colleagues often go out to eat and drink with one another. In other cultures, only friends go out together, and working relationships are more distant and formal.
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When meeting someone for the first time, it is common to greet them with a firm handshake in Britain. Verbal greetings are usually enough when meeting old friends or acquaintances. Among close friends and family, women usually greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. If you are unsure about what to do - especially on social occasions - the rule is to observe what other people do and go with the flow.
If you are invited to dinner or to a party in their room by one of your friends, it is a good idea not to go empty-handed. A bottle of wine is usually enough. Though if you don't drink, don't let this dissuade you from accepting an invitation! There are a variety of non-alcoholic drinks you can bring instead, such as sparkling apple juice, non-alcoholic cider or wine, soft drinks, etc. Small snacks or nibbles (such as crisps, cake and the like) are another alternative. Similarly, if you are invited to someone's family home - especially, if this is for the first time or for a meal, bring a small gift. If you will be dining together, then a bottle of wine is again ideal, but you could also bring a small gift of flowers or chocolates instead. These need not be expensive, but the gesture will be warmly welcomed. To thank your host, a phone call or ‘thank you’ card is a good idea. Remember that in Britain you can never say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ too often!
‘Cheers’ is one of the most commonly used words in Britain. It has two uses. One is at the pub, where you will hear it said as a toast over drinks. But you will also hear it said instead of ‘thank you’ or ‘good bye’ or ‘thanks and good bye’ almost everywhere. Similarly, people will sometimes say ‘you all right? ’ instead of ‘How are you? ’
A final point of note is about to how to address your tutors. As elsewhere, the general rule of thumb is to address a tutor as ‘Dr. ’ or ‘Professor Burton’. But don't be surprised if you hear other students referring to their tutor by his/her first name, or if a tutor invites you to address them by their first name (for example, ‘John’). This is not unusual in Oxford. To repeat and to avoid any misunderstanding, the best - and by far the safest - thing for you to do is to address them as ‘Dr. ’ or ‘Professor’, and only if they ask you to do so and you are sure they won't mind, then by their first name.
In general, the British are very polite most of the time. ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are among the most commonly used words in Britain. People also have a tendency to apologize - some would say too much - and so, you will also hear ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ a lot. The popular stereotype of the average British person is more often than not true - they will say sorry to you, even when it is in fact you who has accidentally stepped on their toes or bumped into them! It will not surprise you to know then that queuing, or waiting in line so that someone who arrived first is served first, is another British near-obsession. It is sacrosanct. Seriously! Be it in the pub, at the supermarket or at a bus stop, people in Britain queue for everything. Pushing in or cutting into a queue is considered very impolite and you will be heavily frowned upon for doing it. It is one of the few occasions when the famously reserved British can get visibly annoyed in public, so do bear it in mind. In most cases, queues are easy to spot. They tend to be tidy lines of people waiting. In public places, including shops and restaurants, there will also usually be a sign - such as ‘Please Wait Here to Be Served’ or ‘Please Queue Here’. Where it can be a bit tricky is in pubs, where the lines are neither tidy nor so easy to spot at the bar. The best thing to do is to take note of who was there before you and wait your turn to be served after them. Bar staff are usually very good about keeping track of who should be served next.
Finally, punctuality is important in Britain. As a rule, you should arrive on time for appointments. Similarly, if you've arranged to meet someone at a pub, cafe or elsewhere and find yourself running late or unable to make it, then let the person you are meeting know.
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(Источник: http: //handbook. oxfordisc. com/01b. php)
3. Read the text again and complete the chart below:
| Socializing is necessary in business if… | you want to build a relationship with someone. |
| A good relationship can help you…because a good personal relationship creates… | |
| In some cultures, office colleagues… in other cultures… | |
| Verbal greetings are usually enough…as for women… | |
| If you are invited to dinner or to a party in their room by one of your friends… | |
| If you are invited to someone's family home… | |
| ‘Cheers’ has two uses… | |
| Rules of addressing the tutors… | |
| The most commonly used words in Britain… | |
| British person will say sorry to you even when… | |
| People in Britain queue… | |
| Punctuality in Britain… | |
| If you are late for appointments … |
Essential Vocabulary
| socialize | общаться |
| agenda | программа (работы), план (мероприятий); повестка дня (собрания) |
| mutual | обоюдный, взаимный; общий, совместный |
| acquaintance | знакомство; знакомый |
| occasion | случай, событие; повод, обстоятельство |
| go with the flow | идти с потоком |
| empty-handed | с пустыми руками |
| dissuade | отсоветовать, разговорить, разуверять |
| snack | лёгкая закуска |
| host | хозяин (человек, принимающий гостей) |
| cheer | одобрительное, приветственное восклицание |
| address | обращаться (к кому-л. ), говорить (с кем-л. ) |
| tutor | преподаватель, наставник (в школе); руководитель группы (в университете) |
| apologize | извиняться (за что-л. перед кем-л. ); приносить официальные извинения |
| queue | стоять в очереди, становиться в очередь |
| sacrosanct | священный; неприкосновенный |
| frown upon (at/on) | выражать неодобрение по поводу (ч-л. ), осуждать (ч-л. ) |
| famously | здорово, лихо, отлично, превосходно |
| misunderstanding | неправильное понимание, неверное толкование; недоразумение, разногласие |
| keep track | отслеживать |
| punctuality | пунктуальность, точность |
| appointment | свидание, условленная встреча |
| avoid | избегать, остерегаться, сторониться, уклоняться |
4. Use dictionaries to study the meaning of the following vocabulary items:
thumb, card, appointment.
1. Write out common collocations with them.
2. Find derivatives formed from these vocabulary items.
5. Match the words with their definitions. There are two extra definitions:
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| 1. tutor | a. to try to prevent something from happening |
| 2. acquaintance | b. very holy |
| 3. mutual | c. a teacher in a college or university |
| 4. avoid | d. to spend time with other people socially, for example at a party |
| 5. sacrosanct | e. a special or important time or event |
| 6. keep track | f. to tell someone that you are sorry for doing something wrong or for causing a problem |
| 7. dissuade | g. someone you know a little, who is not a close friend |
| 8. socialize | h. the part at the side of your hand that is like a wide finger |
| 9. occasion | i. a piece of thick stiff paper folded into two equal parts, with a picture and a message on it |
| 10. apologize | j. felt or done in the same way by each of two or more people |
| 11. go with the flow | k. to persuade someone not to do something |
| 12. frown upon | l. to have all the information that you need about something |
| m. to not approve of something | |
| n. to do what seems like the easiest thing in a particular situation |
6. Fill in the blanks with words from the word-box. There is one extra vocabulary item:
| agenda | queue | appointment |
| snack | famously | empty-handed |
1. The city's clubs are _________ glamorous.
2. It would be a pleasure when he came back __________.
3. I ___________ for two hours to get a ticket to see the football game.
4. What's on your ____________ for tomorrow?
5. I bought a sandwich for a late night ___________ and a small flask of brandy.
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