American company having problems with their Finnish acquisition
XI. Translate the following text from English into Russian in writing
B)Complete the following sentences with the correct verb, noun, or adjective form of the words in the chart above. Use one form of each word base, and do not repeat any words.
X. a)Often the same word base can be used in verb, noun, and adjective forms. Complete the following chart with the missing forms.
IX. Complete the following sentences with the correct idioms.
Match the idioms with their definitions
| 1. to catch on | a. to be too difficult to understand |
| 2. to be beyond someone | b. to understand |
| 3. to sec | c. to begin to understand |
| 4. to read between the lines | d. to listen to someone and try to understand despite one's own anger |
| 5. to hear someone out | e. to listen carefully and hear what is said and left |
1. Most training programs give the trainees a few months to ___________ to how the business works.
2. That new computer program ___________ him. He just doesn't understand the most basic applications.
3. It is important to ___________ even when you are angry. Many communication problems develop because people just don't try to listen to one another.
4. That is a very well-marketed product. I can ___________ why it is so successful.
5. When negotiating with people from other cultures, it is important to consider everything carefully and to ___________. What someone does not say is often as important as what one says.
| Verb | Noun | Adjective |
| behave | — | |
| collaboration | collaborative | |
| consider | considered | |
| frustration | frustrated | |
| generalize | generalized | |
| prejudge | prejudiced | |
| respond | responsive | |
| tense | tense |
1. They fired her after she yelled at the client. Her ___________ was rude and inappropriate.
2. She stopped smoking last week. It is now impossible to work with her. She is too ___________ to do anything.
3. He listened to her ideas and then said he would ___________ using some of them.
4. Learning how to speak a new language can ___________ even the most patient student!
5. They are quite a team! He has great creativity, she has lots of technical knowledge, and they ___________ well together.
6. She was confused by his question, so she didn't___________
7. Some people see a couple of American movies and then ___________ that all Americans are violent.
8. ___________ prevents people from seeing one another with open minds.
An American company approached us because they were having cultural difficulties with their recent Finnish acquisition, a firm that was only 0.1% the size of the parent, but renowned for their expertise in a highly specialized part of a major new product of the parent. We began by fulfilling the Americans’ request - to train the Finns on how to work with Americans. During training, it became clear that the problem was deeper than this. We then went over to the US to work with the Americans. When we asked them what their experience of Finns was, they replied 'they seem to be unreliable, don't keep promises and cannot keep to deadlines...Oh, and one more thing - they are very bad at reporting back to HQ.' This was such an unusual thing for anyone to say about Finns, that it became clear that culture was unlikely to be the problem - but it might be the solution. Further discussion and questioning, together with what we had learned about the co-operation from the Finns, led them to the conclusion that they had simply been giving the Finns impossible tasks to do. Not surprising, given the huge difference in resources between an enormous company and a very small one. Finns, we told them, are likely to just buckle down and try and do their best, without complaining (Finnish sisu or ‘guts’) and then not report back because of a wish not to lose face and also from a general tendency to get on with things without too much reporting. The Americans agreed to look into offering the Finns more resources.
XII. Give the Russian equivalents for the following words and phrases used in the text:
cultural difficulties; recent Finnish acquisition; for their expertise; in a highly specialized part of a major new product ; seem to be unreliable; don't keep promises; cannot keep to deadlines; are very bad at reporting back to HQ; an unusual thing; culture was unlikely to be the problem; it might be the solution; the conclusion; impossible tasks to do; not surprising; given the huge difference in resources; between an enormous company and a very small one; without complaining; not report back; a wish not to lose face; from a general tendency to get on with things; without too much reporting; agreed to look into offering; more resources.
Focus on Grammar: