Michael Dell’s Working Day

Michael Dell is chairman of Dell Computer Corporation in the US. For about 30 percent of his time he travels overseas and meets international customers. Each year he makes two or three trips to Europe and two trips to Asia.

When he is in his home in Austin, Texas, he gets up at 5:30 a.m. each day. he lives with his wife, Susan, and their four children, who are all under the age of ten. His wife owns a clothes shop in Austin.

In the morning he does exercises for an hour from 6:00 a.m. and then drives to his office. He arrives at 8:00 a.m. At his office he talks to customers and makes plans for the organisation.

He leaves the office at 6:15 p.m. and has dinner with his family. He reads stories to his children and gets them to bed. He often spends time in the evening writing e-mails. ‘Then I go to sleep. Get up and do it all again’, he says.

In his free time he likes running and biking.

From The Times

What time does Michael Dell:

1. get up?

2. do exercises?

3. arrive at his office?

4. leave the office?

Mark each statement true or false.

1. Michael Dell makes three trips to Asia each year.

2. He lives in Europe.

3. He has four children.

4. His wife has a shop in Austin, Texas.

5. He has dinner with customers.

6. He works on his computer in the evening.

Exercise 10. Learn the following words:

as soon as – как только

to sign – подписывать

to participate – участвовать

to discuss the terms of agreements – обсуждать условия соглашения

to have a lot of things to do – иметь много работы

an employee – служащий

an employer – работодатель

various – разные, разнообразные

abroad – за рубежом, за границей

fortnight – две недели

to learn to speak–учиться говорить

Exercise 11. Read the dialogue and translate it into Russian:

· Donald, you look so tired. You don’t feel well, do you?

· It’s not that. I am really tired. I need a rest.

· Take a holiday.

· I can’t do it now. We’ve got a lot of work to do.

· Excuse my curiosity, what do you usually do at your office?

· You’d better ask me what I don’t do. As soon as I come to my office I have to answer telephone calls, sign documents, participate in the talks, discuss the terms of agreements, send letters and telegrams and do many other things.

· How long does your working day last?

· It depends … I come to my office at a quarter to 9 and at 5 p.m. my office hours are over. But if we’ve got many things to do, we stay there until everything is done.

· I see. I suppose, you’ve got a break for lunch.

· Sure. At 1 p.m. we’ve got a break for lunch which lasts for an hour.

· Do you sometimes go on business trips?

· Our employees go to various cities and towns in the country and abroad.

· Have you been abroad?

· Yes, several times. I have already been to Canada, Australia and Germany.

· Have you ever been to the USA?

· Not yet. I am planning to go there next year. And you?

· Yes, I returned from the USA last month. I spent a fortnight there and visited New York, Washington and Boston.

· Was it a business trip?

· Sure.

Exercise 12. Translate the dialogues:

· Не могли бы Вы мне помочь?

· I would if I could … I’ve got a lot of work to do.

· Чем Вы заняты?

· I have to answer a few business letters and translate two texts from Russian into English.

· Сколько времени Вам понадобиться, чтобы сделать это?

· It’s hard to say. I believe I’ll be busy till the end of the working day.

· Когда Вы освободитесь?

· I’ll be free at 6 p.m.

· Can I give you a lift? (Может Вас подвезти домой?)

· It’ll be very kind of you.

· That’s settled. Till 6 o’clock.

· Good-bye.

· Your colleague has told me you have just returned from a business trip to Turkey. Is it true?

· Да, на прошлой неделе я приехал из Турции. Я пробыл там два месяца.

· Did you learn to speak Turkish?

· Я знаю несколько слов. Очень трудно научиться говорить на иностранном языке за два месяца.

· Do you really think so?

· Да, когда я ехал в Турцию, я не знал ни одного слова по-турецки. У меня был переводчик (an interpreter). Он отлично знает язык.

· That’s a horse of another colour.

· Послушай, Майк, для тебя есть записка.

· Yes, what is it?

· Это записка от мистера Миллера. Он звонил, когда тебя не было.

· Thank you very much. Mr. Miller wants us to help him with the contract.

· Мы можем это сделать?

· I think so. I’ll have to talk it over with our chief. Is he in?

· Да, но он очень занят. В данный момент он принимает представителей одной из иностранных фирм.