КАРЛТОН ФЬОРИНА СМЕНЯЕТ ПЛАТТА.
Яна Санчес, Дорте Тофт. Служба Новостей IDG, Бостон.
Согласно официальному заявлению руководства Нewlett-Рackard, ее новым президентом и главным исполнительным директором стала 44-летняя Карлтон Фьорина. Кроме того, она войдет в Совет Директоров компании.
Поиск преемника для 58-летнего Льюиса Платта, объявившего о своем желании уйти в отставку в разгар глобальной реструктуризации компании, продолжался почти пять месяцев. "Карли была единственным внешним кандидатом, представленным совету директоров, и мы единодушно поддержали ее," - сказал Льюис Платт на телеконференции, организованной после вступления Фьорины в должность. Фьорина будет руководить отделениями НР, деятельность которых связана с компьютерами и системами формирования изображений. Общий оборот вверенной Фьюрине части НР составил в 1998 году около 39,5 млрд.долл. В соответствии с обнародованным в марте планом реконструкции, испытательно-измерительное отделение НР будет преобразовано в самостоятельную компанию.
До нового назначения Фьорина в течение двух лет занимала пост президента отделения Lucent Technologies по поставкам услуг во всем мире. Кроме того, она руководила выпуском акций компании Lucent (первичным предложением) в 1996 году, а также ее последующим отделением от AT. Фьорина обладает почти 20-летним опытом работы в телекоммуникационных компаниях. Недавно журнал Fortune назвал ее "самой авторитетной женщиной в американскойм бизнесе".
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Первые недели новый руководитель НР планирует посвятить знакомству с деятельностью компании, ее служащими и клиентами. "Я хочу лично разобраться во всех особенностях работы," - говорит Фьорина. Поэтому первое время никаких серьезных решений, касающихся реструктуризации фирмы, приниматься не будет.
В то же время Фьорина подчеркивает необходимость обновления НР. По словам нового президента, компании явно не хватает оперативности. "НР обладает прочным каркасом, но ей все же недостает скорости и соревновательного духа - стремления к победе".
Фьорина хочет вывести НР в лидеры "Интернета следующего поколения". По словам нового руководителя, НР проникла на рынок Интернет гораздо глубже, чем считают сторонние наблюдатели. Одна из задач, стоящих перед компанией, - продемонстрировать истинное положение дел.
Льюис Платт останется в должности председателя совета директоров НР до конца следующего года. К этому времени планируется упрочить разделение компании. Новым председателем совета директоров станет Ричард Хэкборн, который до 1993 года являлся исполнительным вице-президентом НР. В настоящее время он входит в совет директоров НР и занимает один из директорских постов в Microsoft.
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По словам Фьорины, ей пришлось приложить некоторые усилия, чтобы убедить 60-летнего Хэкборна согласиться занять пост председателя совета директоров. "Для этого понадобился весь дар моего убеждения," - отметила она.
Vocabulary.
заявление - statement
руководство - administrtion
исполнительный - executive
Совет Директоров - Board of Directors
поиск search (for)
преемник - successor
объявить - announce
уйти в отставку - retire
в разгар - in full swing
единственный - the only
внешний - outside
единодушно - unanimously
поддержать - зд.: vote for
вступление в должность - inaguration
руководить - run*
отделение - subdivision/branch/subsidiary
изображение - image
оборот - turnover
обнародованный - published
испытательный - testing
преобразовать - transform/turn into
самостоятельный - separate
назначение - appointment
поставки услуг - providing services
выпуск акций - issuing shares
первичное - primary
предложение - proposal
посвятить - devote (to)
знакомство - getting acquainted
служащие - employees (мн.ч.)
особенности - details (мн.ч.)
касающийся - concerning
в то же время - at the same time
подчеркивать - underline, stress
обновление - renovation
не хватать - lack
оперативность - promptitude/efficiency
каркас - framework
соревновательный дух - challenge
стремление (к) - striving (for)
поколение - generation
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сторонний - outside
наблюдатель - observer
должность - position
разделение - separation
приложить усилия - make* efforts
убедить - convince
занять - take*
дар - gift
Text 5
ДЕЛО О ПЕЛИКАНАХ.
A)
В эти поздние утренние чaсы Каллаган наслаждался (to enjoy) своей свободой. Вот уже двадцать лет, как он закончил юридический колледж, и с тех пор большинство его однокашников (college mates) сидели привязанными по семьдесят часов в неделю на своих юридических "фабриках". Он же протянул только два года на частной практике. Фирма - чудовище (monster) с двумя сотнями адвокатов, расположенная в штате Колумбия (Columbia-based), наняла (to employ/hite) его сразу после окончания колледжа в Джорджтауне и на первые шесть месяцев засадила его в тесную клетушку для изложения дел, рассматривавшихся в суде (considered in the court). Затем он был брошен на конвейер ("assembly line") для того, чтобы по двенадцать часов в день отвечать на вопросы деклараций о доходах (income), а требовали (to require) от него ставить в (to bill) отчет шестнадцать оплаченных часов. Ему было сказано, что если в течение следующих десяти лет он будет работать за двоих, то годам к тридцати он может стать компаньоном.
Каллаган хотел пожить еще и после пятидесяти, поэтому он оставил (to quit) частную адвокатскую практику, получил степень магистра права и стал профессором. Он спал допоздна, работал по пять часов в день, время от времени пописывал статьи, а основную часть времени посвящал удовольствиям (to devote to entertainments). При отсутствии расходов (expenditures) на семью, которой у него не было, его зарплата в семьдесят тысяч оказывалась более чем достаточной для того, чтобы иметь двухэтажный коттедж и "порше". Пришлось кое-чeм и пожертвовать (to sacrifice). Многие из его приятелей по юридической школе стали компаньонами в крупных фирмах, занимали солидное положение (hgh position) и имели полумиллионные доходы. Их клиентами являются высшие должностные (top officials) лица из "АйБиЭм", "Тексако" и "Стейт Фарм". Они знаются с сенаторами и имеют конторы в Токио и Лондоне. Но он не завидовал (to envy) им. Одним из его лучших друзей со времени юридической школы был Гэвин Вереек, также расставшийся с частной практикой и перешедший на государственную службу. Вначале он работал в Управлении гражданских прав министерства юстиции (justice), а затем был переведен в ФБР. Теперь он занимал должность специального советника (counsellor) директора. В понедельник Каллагану предстояло участвовать в конференции профессоров права в Вашингтоне. Он и Вереек планировали поужинать в этот день вечером.
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Каллагану нужно было позвонить ему и выяснить, что их ужин состоится, а заодно выведать, что у него на уме (on ones'mind). Он набрал (to dial) номер Вереека по памяти, и через минуту-другую тот (the latter) был у телефона.
Б)
- Почему вам хотелось быть адвокатом (lawyer)?
- - Идеализм и деньги.
- - Но адвокатов уже в избытке (in abundance). Почему же эти вундеркинды так и прут (to strive for) в юридические колледжи?
- - Все очень просто. Они хотят иметь "БМВ" и золотые кредитные карточки. Если попадешь (to enter) в хороший юридический колледж, закончишь его в числе первых десяти процентов и получишь работу (to be employed by) в крупной фирме, то будешь получать шестизначную сумму всего через несколько лет, и это еще не все. Твое будущее гарантировано. В возрасте тридцати пяти лет станешь компаньоном, загребающим не менее двухсот тысяч в год. Некоторые имеют гораздо больше.
- - Как насчет остальных девяноста процентов?
- - Для них сделка ((deal) оказывается не такой выгодной (profitable). Они довольствуются (to be satisfied with) тем, что останется после более удачливых/
- - Большинство адвокатов, которых я знаю, ненавидя (to hate) свое дело (business). Они бы предпочли заниматься чем угодно (whatever), только не юриспруденцией.
- - Но из-за денег они не могут пойти на это. Самый плохонький адвокат в маленькой конторке может зарабатывать сотню тысяч в год после десятилетней практики. Он может ненавидеть ее. Но где еще ему удастся (to manage) иметь
-
- Джон Гришем
Text 6
Кэрол Хиггинс Кларк
- Говорят, талант по наследству не передается (be inherited) . Положим,
это правило. Однако не без исключений (exception). В течение двадцати
лет Мери Хиггинс Кларк ца-рит (reign) в качестве королевы американ-ского
триллера. Одни триллеры Мери получше, другие похуже, но королев-ская
репутация оставалась не поколебленной (unchangeable). И вот - на тебе.
Короле-ва триллера нашла себе соперницу (competitor) в лице собственной
дочери, Кэрол Хиг-гинс Кларк. Правда, дочка пока что известна только в
США, но написан-ные ею три романа уже стали бестсел-лерами с тиражом
более полумилли-она каждый, а от четвертого, который вот-вот выйдет, она
ждет еще больше-го. Работая, как и мать. в детективном жанре, она меньше
матери эксплуатирует (depict) насилие (law violation) и жестокость
(cruelty), пишет улыбчиво, почти шутливо, - так что о зависимости
(dependence) и подражании (imitation) и речи не может быть. Мери без
всякой ревнос-ти (jelousy) относится к выбору дочери. Что же такого? Это
как если бы дочь врача выбрала ту же профессию.
"Мери, интересуется репортер", - "вы когда-нибудь думали, что Кэрол
пойдет по нашим стопам?" Нет. Она больше интересовалась театром, чем
литературой. Занималась на драмати-ческих курсах в Лос-Анджелесе,
не-много играла в телефильмах. Правда, у нее врожденное (in-born)
чувство интриги (intrigue). Учась в массачусетском колледже, она писала
мне презабавные (funny) письма. А на каникулах перепечатывала мои
руко-писи и время от времени делала замечания (remarks), часто весьма
здравые (reasonable).
- A вы, Кэрол, когда-нибудь ду-мали, что займетесь литературой?
- Тоже нет. Я всегда считала, что одной писательницы в семье достаточно.
Но как-то в Лос-Анджелесе некто ска-зал мне: послушай, у тебя
театраль-ное образование, ты работала со сво-ей матерью и у тебя
неплохой слог. Ты должна написать роман о персо-наже, которого сама
могла бы сыг-рать.
- Вы подписываетесь одной фа-милией с матерью. Это не вызывает
недоразумений (cause misunderstanding)?
- По-моему, нет. Од-нажды пришло письмо читательни-цы: мол, купила
роман, думая, что он написан вашей матерью. Я прочла его и пришла в
восторг (be amazed), что ошиблась, - он мне очень понравился. Я стараюсь
писать так, чтобы мою книгу могли спокойно читать, скажем, моя ба-бушка
или девочка 14-ти лет. Если не травмируешь и не шокируешь людей, -
нравишься гораздо более широкому кругу (range, amount) людей.
- В каких условиях вам лучше пи-шется? Мери работает в своем доме, в
одиночестве и тишине. А вы?
- Я живу в Нью-Иорке, в большой квартире, сов-сем одна. Это временами
начинает тяготить (get boring) меня. Тогда я беру свой пор-тативный
компьютер н отправляюсь писать в ресторан, хозяин которого мои друг.
- Теперешний успех как-то изме-нил нашу жизнь?
- Конечно. У меня прекрасная квартира. Я живу очень интересно:
путешествую, читаю лек-ции (deliver lectures). Мне кажется, что успех
помога-ет полнее проявить себя. Быть уважа-емой - это замечательно. Но я
отнюдь не почиваю на лаврах (rest on ones's laurels). Закончив очередную
книгу, сразу начинаю думать о следующей и психовать (get nervous).
- Кажется, вы обе прекрасно по-нимаете друг друга.
- Мы никогда не спорим (quarel), говорит Кэрол,
- Ну разве что о пустяках (over trifles), говорит Мэри. Помнишь. тебе не
нравился цвет ковра в моем доме? В конце концов я заменила (replace)
его.
Ex .7:
Профессор Умберто Эко.
Профессор, романист, семиотик, лингвист, публицист и газетный
хроникер - итальянец Умберто Эко в свои 67 лет - один из наиболее
знаменитых, блестящих и авторитетных европейских интеллектуалов. И хотя
он не устает повторять: "Не доверяйте (believe) упростительству
(simplified versions) массовой печати", сам тем не менее охотно
(willingly) раздает интервью - причем далеко не только качественным
(quality) изданиям [в Эко вообще легко уживаются противоречия -(be full
of contradictions)].
- На протяжении практически всей жизни вы исследуете семиотические коды,
знаки (signs). Изучаете эстетику, язык и т.д. И, кажется, ни разу не
отступили от своей темы.
- Когда я был молод, один из моих университетских профессоров заметил:
"Мы рождаемся с одной-единственной мыслью в голове, и только тем и
занимаемся, что разви-ваем ее всю жизнь". Тогда я, помню, сказал себе:
Выходит, в жизни нет ни-какого развития? Что за реакционерство! Однако
годам к 50 понял, что профессор-то был прав: всю жизнь я работаю с
одной и той же идеей. Во-прос только в том, чтобы знать, что это за
идея.
- А вы знаете?
- Вероятно, теперь я очерчи-ваю ее контур (outline it). В силу моего
интереса к семиотике меня все больше захва-тывает мысль, что мир не
существует (exist), что он всего-навсего продукт языка. И, таким
образом, важнейший для меня вопрос: существует мир или нет?
- И что же, вы нашли ответ на него?
- Видите ли, как сказал один умный человек, настоящий реалист вовсе не
тот, кто уверен, что вещи су-ществуют, а мы их знаем. Настоящий реалист
тот. кто подозревает, что они существуют, даже если их невозмож-но
знать, даже если мы никогда не увидим их иначе, как только и чрезвычайно
неясной перспективе.
- Вы, таким образом, реалист...
- Пожалуй. В противном случае (otherwise) я был бы вынужден считать
прорву (lots of) идиотов, окружающих (surrounding) меня, за плод (fruit)
собственного воображе-ния (imagination) и соответственно (consiquently),
отвечать .за них. Я все же предпочитаю думать, что они существуют сами
по себе (by themselves) - вне сфе-ры моей личной ответственности.
- По типу вы эрудит. И вы суще-ствуете, как можно, по меньшей мере,
подозревать. Откуда идет ваш всепо-глощающий (all-absorbing) интерес к
языку?
- Сочинять я начал ребенком... впрочем, это банально... Лет десяти я
заново пересочинил текст страниц в сорок, попавший мне в руки после
переезда на другую квартиру. Герой, которого я окрестил "календарем",
основал на воображаемом (imaginary) острове новую цивилизацию, а я
подробно (detailly) рассказывал, как он насаждал (introduce) язык,
религию, нравы (habits) на этом острове. А в конце добавил: "Простите
меня, не верьте. Я не бог и не основоположник (founder). Все это
вранье".
- В конечном счете культурные различия сильнее, чем языковые?
- Каждый язык несет собствен-ную картину мира. Поэтому и невоз-можен
универсальный язык. Лучше пытаться переходить с одного языка на другой.
Я всецело за многоязычие (maltilinguism). Различие языков - это
богатство (treaure). "Это не-сомненный факт, вероятно, обуслов-ленный
природой человека. Этим бо-гатством пренебрегали (neglect) веками,
пото-му что всегда был какой-то один до-минирующий язык: греческий,
латин-ский, французский, английский. Я ду-маю, в следующем поколении
правя-щий класс будет как минимум дву-язычным (bylingual).
- Можно ли сказать, что освое-ние (mastering) другого языка - это школа
тер-пимости (tolerance)?
- Незнание языков всегда про-воцирует (provocate) нетерпимость. Это
точно. Но знание еще не гарантия терпимости. На Балканах сербы и хорваты
пони-мали друг друга, однако...
- Ныне английский принят как международный язык. Что вы об этом
думаете? - Французы, кажется, противятся экспансии английского, но их
на-стоящий страх - это немецкий. По-сле падения Берлинской стены
Вос-точная Европа становится сферой германоязычия, и есть шансы, что
не-мецкий возобладает в Европе... А во-обще говоря, никто в этом мире
никогда не мог установить (introduce) общеобяза-тельный доминирующий
язык. Рим-ляне правили миром, но их ученые общались между собой
по-гречески. Латынь стала всевропейским языком лишь после падения
(collapse) Римской импе-рии (empire). Во времена Монтеня вектором
культуры был итальянский. Потом на три столетия французский стал язы-ком
дипломатии (diplomacy). Почему сегодня ан-глийский? Да потому, что
Соединен-ные Штаты выиграли войну, а еще по-тому, что проще плохо
говорить по-английски, чем по-немецки или по-французски.
- Можно ли быть "эрудитом" (erudite) в эпоху Интернета с его избыточной
(surplus, redundant) информацией?
- Да не больше у нас стало ин-формации - меньше! Если я, запро-сив
информацию по данному вопро-су, получаю перечень в 10 000 назва-ний, я
нисколько не прирастаю зна-нием. Интернет провоцирует (provoce)
траги-ческое сокращение (reducing) количества ин-формации. Мы рискуем
сделаться са-моучками (self-educated people).
- А это плохо?
- Самоучки - автодидакты - поглощают (gain) немыслимое (unimaginable)
количество информации, часто большее, чем профессор университета, не
умея ра-зобраться в ней. Ведь память - это и фильтрующий механизм. Мы
станем похожи на персонажей Борхеса, вспоминавших все листья дерева,
ко-торое видели каждый день, и в конце концов спятивших (get mad). В
прошлом году я был в Стамбуле, много разъезжал в такси, но запомнил
только одного таксиста - пытавшегося обсчитать (deceive) меня на миллион
лир. Память селекционирует - иначе моя голова была бы забита турецкими
таксистами!
- И несмотря на это, вы повто-ряете, что письменная цивилизация
восторжествует (win).
- О да! Слушая писателей, гово-рящих, что книга исчезает, я не могу
поддерживать такое заблуждение (delusin). По-чему-то образ будущего
неизменно моделируется по подобию деревен-ского идиота. Т. е. типа,
который вска-кивает в пять часов утра звонить в ко-локол и ничего не
читает. Но боль-шинство людей не таково.
- Вы, значит, пишете не для де-ревенских идиотов. Тогда для кого?
- В поезде "Милан - Болонья", которым я регулярно езжу (Эко живет в
Милане, а преподает в Болонском университете. ≈ Ред.), нет ни одного
контролера (inspector; ticket-collector), который в то же время не был
бы и моим читателем, все рав-но - книг ли, статей. Руководители ТВ и
литературные критики поняли, наконец, что в области духа не быва-ет
никакой революции, кроме повы-шения духовного уровня.
Supplementary Reading
Text 1
ANDREW CARNEGIE (1835—1919)
The American millionaire Andrew Carnegie is known as a great philanthropist because he used his money to do good for other people. He was born in Scotland, where he also went to school. His family was quite poor. At 13 he emigrated to the United States with his parents and worked in a cotton factory in Pittsburgh. Soon afterwards he became a telegraph messenger boy*. When Carnegie was 20, his father died and he alone was left to support his mother and younger brother. He taught himself about telegraphing, became a telegraph operator in the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and then rose to be a superindendent*. He bought shares in the first company set up to run railway sleeping cars and he bought land that had oil in the west of Pennsylvania. The shares and the oil helped him make his first big money. After the American Civil War he became a steel manufacturer and built great metal works* in Pittsburgh. In 1901 he sold all his shares and other business interests to the United States Steel Corporation and retired with a fortune said to be 500,000,000 dollars, most of which he later gave to education and arts in the States, Britain and other English-speaking countries.
*Note:
messenger boy (n) — a boy who is sent on little jobs in the office, like taking or bringing things, and mailing letters
superintendent (n) — a (kind of) manager
works (n) — factory
1. Andrew Carnegie was born in Pittsburgh, wasn't he?
2. When did he start working?
3. What was his first job?
4. What did he do in the telegraph office?
5. Why did he buy land in Pennsylvania?
6. He was a big oil manufacturer, wasn't he?
7. His factory in Pittsburgh made cars for railroads, didn't it?
8. Carnegie retired at sixty, didn't he?
9. He gave his money to American education, didn't he?
10. Andrew Carnegie lived through the War of Independence, didn't he?
Text 2
BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN.
Bill Gates's schoolmates didn't like him much. He was the guy least likely to succeed, "with the emotional maturity of a six-year-old, who spent all his time in the computer room", according to one Seattle stockbroker. "No one would talk to him because we were all too busy hanging around". Now, Gates doesn't answer the phone when they call. Twenty years out of school, Bill Gates has changed: $7 billion dollars makes a difference. Now, Gates is America's richest man. The computer-obsessed kid turned into, well, a computer-obsessed 37-year-old*. Gates is building a house (a modest 520-million dream home) packed with electronic gadgets, including some that do not exist yet. The house is becoming almost as well known as he is. "It won't be finished for almost three years, so it's probably the most famous house in the world that doesn't exist", he says. It is not meant as a prototype for 21st-centure living. "The only thing that's really special is the idea of being surrounded by extremely high-resolution screens, and a very large image database, where you can call up about a million different images, of which 400.000 are works of art. It's art on demand: show me the Rembrandts, show me the Michelangelo, show me Mount Everest, show me Moscow, show me sail-boats, a sunset, the desert, and immediately you'll see these wonderful pictures on the walls. Just click, click, click". The trouble is, with Gates you're not sure if it's the instant art beautiful landscapes he appreciates or the powerful computer technology that makes them possible. He believes that his company's computer products will change our lives: it is the magic of the machines that drives him. Gates loves computers. At school in 1968 (at the age of 12) he and a friend made $4.200 writing a set of programs to sort out class timetables and his school used it. By the time he was in his senior year at high school, he was a programmer for TRW - one of the biggest aerospace electronics concerns in America. That was the last time he had a boss. The empire he's built up in less than two decades (Microsoft) is the world's largest software company. It's overtaken IBM's profits, even though the "Big Blue"* sells $65-billion-worth of products every year, compared with Microsoft's $2.8 billion. Gates always used to say that he wanted Microsoft to become "the IBM of software". But with the Big Blue losing money and business all over the world he has changed his mind. "It's a very challenging industry", - he says. "We moved the computer from being the centre of the organisation to being a tool for the individual. IBM didn't take part in the change. You can see now how smaller, fast machines have replaced the larger computers. IBM didn't move their skills into software and networking and the other things that are important in this new environment. In the future of the computer industry no company will have the powerful position that IBM had in the past". Ironically, it was IBM that started off the irresistible rise of Microsoft, and Gates's empire. In 1980 IBM was building its first personal computers, and needed a crucial piece of software - an operating system. This is computer code at the lowest level: it tells the disparate collection of chips and processors how to become a computer. It controls all the machine's most basic functions. IBM came to Bill Gates. Gates didn't have an operating system, but he knew where to find one. Microsoft paid $100.000 for it, called it MS-DOS (Microsoft Disc Operating System) Microsoft Seeks Domination Over Society, as its competitors are fond of saying) and sold it to IBM. The attractive part was that the deal didn't stop more sales to other computer companies. So once IBM's PC had set a technical standard, and millions of clones had appeared. MS-DOS could be sold to every other PC maker. Soon MS-DOS, not the PC itself, was the standard everyone depended on. The operating system went some way to fulfilling one of Gates's dreams. Twenty years ago his goal was a computer on every desk and in every home. Is that still desirable? I have a clearly defined vision of what kind of tool a computer can be: it's a tool to help people. We can make it easy enough to use that people want it in their homes. I think we've made very good progress. I'd even say we're half-way to achieving it". MS-DOS worked very well for the computer-literate, but even its best friends wouldn't claim that it was particularly user-friendly. To get a computer into every home. Microsoft would have to make them more accessible. "Windows" was the answer. It was an easily understood way of working √ in which, for example, deleting a file is caused by merely clicking on a picture of a folder with a pointing mouse, and dragging it to a bin on the screen. Pointing to other pictorial icons start the computer was processor, database, or even video. Windows may not be enough to persuade everyone to use a computer. Gates's latest enthusiasm is for pen-based computers, which recognise ordinary handwriting instead of relying on keyboard and mouse. "We're still in the very, very early stages. There are a lot of people working on these machines. We need better hardware and software. It's not an easy problem but I think that in the next few years most personal computers will recognise handwriting. We will create those possibilities". Gates has visions well beyond personal computers, though. "The idea is a product that is quite different from a TV or a PC, but combines both". But as the possibilities advance, the complications begin to multiply. "You're faced with too much choice - any movie, any TV show, you want to look at government services, you want to look up information. You need some kind of graphical user interface there, just to help you find what you want. We've been designing new consumer-type products with Windows applications especially developed for that specific purpose. It's called Modular Windows. The aim isn't really a PC, nor a TV: it's something completely new". This new medium ("hyper TV") could seriously upset the television applecart. "Without question", - agrees Gates, "this computer revolution means big changes for the television networks. They thrived on having a limited number of channels, so that they were commanding huge chunks of the viewing audience. But when the viewer technically has the ability to choose any movie ever made (or any number of channels) it obviously changes the whole TV business fundamentally". Microsoft is also making big changes in itself. Instead of being purely a software company, it is becoming, in Gates's words, "an information company". Microsoft has linked up with picture-led UK book publisher Dorling Kindersley to produce multi-media products combining text, pictures, music, speech and animation √ including "Dinosaurs", a prehistoric tour. Gates expects Microsoft's consumer division, which produces these products, to be the biggest in the company within five years, overtaking the programming business. One day, computers may even be able to write better programs than people. "I'm about the most optimistic person you'll meet", comments Gates, "and even I don't think computers will write programs in the next twenty years. But one day, the nature of what it means to write software will have been automated so much as to change our business drastically". Gates himself no longer writes programs. "The last time I sat down and wrote lines of code was about ten years ago. I spend most of my time with groups which do write programs, going through what's going on; what are the changes in the marketplace; what has the product got to be like?" He has spent twenty years, trying to beat the competition. "There isn't any guarantee, you know, looking forward, and we have to fight over and over to stay ahead. But I'm still enjoying it very much, and if there's any fatigue I sort of ignore it. I'm 37 years old, and it's a very advanced age. You know, I used to work for forty hours straight. I can't do that any more".
Notes:
· The article was written in 1992.
· The "Big Blue" is the nickname of IBM.
Vocabulary:
schoolmate - одноклассник
least likely - вряд ли вероятно
succeed - добиться успеха
maturity зрелость
hang* around - разг.: бродить
obsessed - перен.: помешанный(на)
turn into - превратиться в
modest - скромный
gadget - прибор, приспособление
exist - существовать
surround - окружать
extremely - чрезвычайноhigh-resolution - высокое разрешение
screen - экран
call up - вызывать
image - образ
work of art - призведение искусства
art on demand - искусство по вызову
desert - пустыня
click - щелкать, нажимать (на кнопку)
trouble - проблема
instant - мгновенный
appreciate - ценить
set (of) - набор
senior - старший
high school - амер.: старшие классы
software - программное обеспечение
overtake* - догнать, наверстать
profit - выгода, доход
tool - оружие, приборreplace - заменить
environment - здесь: обстановка
irresistible - непреодолимый
crucial - критический, решающий
level - уровень
disparate - разные, отличающиеся друг от друга
seek - искать
competitor - соперник, конкурент
attractive - привлекательный
deal - дело, сделка
depend (on) - зависеть (от)
goal - цель
desirable - желательный
defined - определенный
vision - видение, понимание
half-way to achieving (it) - на полпути к достижению
computer-literate - разбирающийся в компьютерах
claim - утверждать
paricularly - особенно
user-friendly - легкий для пользования
accessible - доступный, достижимый
delete - вычеркивать, уничтожать
folder - папка
merely - просто
point - указывать
drag - таить, тянуть
bin - корзина
persuade - убеждать
recognise - распознавать
handwriting - почерк
rely (оn) полагаться (на)
keyboard - клавиатура
stage - этап
vision - видение, понимание
beyond - сверх, выше, вне
combine - совмещать, объединять
advance - здесь: расти
complication - затруднение
multiply - увеличивать(ся), множиться
face - сталкиваться
design - разрабатывать
consumer - потребитель
completely - полностью, целиком
upset one's applecart - расстраивать чьи-то планы
thrive* - процветать, преуспевать
huge - огромный
chunk - разг.: кусок, ломоть
viewing audience - зрительская аудитория
ever made - когда-либо выпущенный
obviously - очевидно
instead (of) - вместо
purely - чисто, только
animation - мультипликация
drastically - резко, решительно
ahead - заранее
fatigue - уставший
straight - здесь: подряд
Comprehension Check.
Answer the following questions:
1. Why did Bill's classmates dislike him?
2. Is his house meant as a prototype for 21st century living?
3. What is an image database?
4. How did Microsoft revolutionise the computer industry?
5. What are the relationship between Bill Gates and IBM.
6. How does the the "Windows" system work?
7. What is "hyper TV"?
8. What impact would the hyper TV system have on the television industry?
9. Will technology like image bases for the home and hyper TV make the world a better place?
Topis to Discuss.
1. Bill Gates and his schoolmates.
2. Gate's mansion (особняк).
3. Gate's empire.
4. Microsoft and IBM.
5. Hyper TV.
Text 3
JACKSON BREAKS HIS 10-YEAR SILENCE TO "SET RECORD STRAIGHT".
MICHAEL JACKSON, the reclusive pop singer whose private life has become the subject of increasingly wild rumours, has come out into the open to set the record straight. No, he has not had his skin bleached; his lightening colour is due to a skin disorder. Yes, he has had "a very little cosmetic surgery. Yes, he has a girlfriend; he is dating the actress Brooke Shields and hopes to get married one day. And he wants his fans to focus on his music rather than his private life. Jackson, 34, talked of his life, personal problems and unhappy childhood to the broadcaster Oprah Winfrey in his first television interview for almost 10 years. During the 90-minute interview shown live from his Neverland ranch at Santa Inez, California, he dismissed some of the more bizarre rumours about him as "garbage". Recent rumours have him taking baths in Evian water and planning a personal expedition to the moon.He is a thoughtful and somewhat sad young man, at his happiest on stage and still haunted by memories of a tormented childhood during which, he said, he cried almost daily. His apparent frankness belied the gossip magazines that depict him as a strange and lonely eccentric with an increasing love to living in a fantasy world. His advisers deny that he agreed to the interview in an attempt to boost his latest album, Dangerous, which is a commercial and critical disappointment, despite selling four million copies. His 1982 album Thriller sold more than 40 million copies. More than 20 million American households are estimated to have watched the interview. Thirty-second commercial ads were sold for 160 thousand pounds, nearly twice the normal sum. Jackson appeared at ease, giggling occasionally at some of the more personal questions and talking animatedly. A report that he slept in an oxygen chamber, he said, was "completely made up", as was a story that he had attempted to buy the bones of the Elephant Man. "I was impressed with the story of the Elephant Man because I can relate to him, but what would I want with some bones?" he said. He appeared upset when asked about reports that he bleached his skin. "There is no such thing as skin bleaching," he said. "I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I can't help. I am a black Amrican and I am proud of my race. I don't want to go into my medical history because it's something that is private." He said he had had plastic surgery on his nose but few other cosmetic operations - "you can't count them on two fingers," he said,"If all the people in Hollywood who had had plastic surgery went on vacation there wouldn't be a person left in town. "I had my nose done but so did a lot of people I know. I have never had my cheek-bones doesn't or my eyes done. But I try not to look in the mirror because I am never happy with what I see." As for his love life, he said "he had a crash" on Diana Ross and was dating Brooks Shields. He appeared shocked when Miss Winfrey asked: "Are you a virgin? "How can you ask me that question?" he giggles. "I'm a gentleman. It is something that's private. Call me old-fashioned, but to me that is very personal." From the age of eight or nine he cried daily from loneliness. "I didn't have any friends when I was little. It was always work, work, work. I remember when we were going to tour South America I ran away and hid because I didn't want to go. I wanted to play. "He grew up in fear of his father, Joseph Jackson, who beat him. "He was very strict, very hard and very stern." he said. "I was very frightened of him. There were times when he came to see me I would get sick." As a teenager, he had so many pimples he refused to look in mirrors. "I washed my face in the dark. I cried every day," he said. His close friend, Elizabeth Taylor, appeared briefly on the programme to declare that he is "the least weird man I've ever known."
by John Hiscock
Vocabulary.
set the record straight - исправлять неверную информацию
reclusive - замкнутый
wild - дикий
rumour - слух
bleach - отбеливать, осветлять
due to - из-за
surgery - операция
date - встречаться, ходить на свидания
focus - уделять внимание
broadcaster - телеведущий
live - здесь: прямой эфир
dismiss - здесь: отрицать
bizarre - странный (потрясающий)
garbage - мусор
recent - недавний
thoughtful - вдумчивый
stage - сцена
haunt - преследовать(о мыслях)
torment - причинять страдания
apparent - очевидный
frankness - откровенность
bely - разг. Опровергнуть
gossip - слух
depict - описывать
lonely - одиноко
adviser - советник
deny - отрицать
attempt - попытка
boost - создавать шумиху, рекламировать
latest - последний
disappointment - разочарование
despite - несмотря на
household - здесь: семья
estimate - оценивать
ad(vertisement) - реклама
appear - здесь: выглядеть
giggle - хихикать
occasionally - изредка, время от времени
animatedly - оживленно
oxygen - кислород
chamber - здесь: камера
completely - полностью, абсолютно
make up - здесь: придумать
bone - кость
impress - поражать
relate (to) - относиться (к)
upset - расстроенный
detroy - разрушать
skin - кожа
be proud (of) - годиться
count - считать
mirror - зеркало
have a crash on = have romantic feelings
virgin - девственник
old-fashioned - старомодный
loneliness - одиночество
hide* - прятать(ся)
grow* up - вырасти
fear - страх
strict - строгий
stern - суровый, неумолимый
get sick - заболеть
pimple - прищ
refuse - отказываться
dark - темнота
briefly - кратко, вкратце
declare - обявить, заявить
weird - странный, необычный
Comprehension Check.
Answer the following questions:
1. Who has interviewed M.Jackson?
2. How long has he been keeping away from reporters?
3. Did he bleach his skin?
4. Did he have plastic surgery?
5. What does he want of his funs?
6. How many copies of his latest album have been sold?
7. Did M.Jackson answer all the questions asked to him?
8. Was Michael happy in his childhood?
9. Does he often look in the mirror?
10. Who is he sating with?
Topics to Discuss.
1. M.Jackson's childhood.
2. His appearance.
3. His latest achievements.
Text 4
Pablo Picasso's Fortune
Pablo Picasso knew what a scramble there would be among his legal heirs and claimants over his fortune when he died. He even predicted. «It will be worse than anything you can imagine». Thus he didn't even bother to make a will, and died intestate. His lawyer friend Armand Antebi said Picasso died without leaving a will because of his superstition about death. Some say he just wanted to be ornery. In any event, Picasso's prediction came true. He left an estimated $90,000,000 in bank accounts, investments, real estate, art works, etc. Besides all that, there is the incalculable treasure of his own works stored in his many homes, which include a forty-room castle in Vauvenargues, Provence, and his country mansion near Grasse. His biographer Sir Rowland Penrose said Picasso kept hundreds, possibly even thousands of his paintings, drawings, and sculptures. There are two known legal heirs to this vast fortune: his second wife Jacqueline, who married him in 1961, and Paulo Picasso, his fiftyish son by his first marriage to Russian dancer
Olga Kolgova. Francoise Gilet, his former mistress who bore two illegitimate children of Picasso's, Claude and Paloma, and who is now very respectably married to a polio vaccine discoverer Dr. Jonas Salk, let it be known that she expects her children to fight for the share of the estate. Claude and Paloma and an older illegitimate half sister have all been to court seeking to be recognized as Picasso's legitimate offspring. If the suits of all the claimants fail, Picasso's widow Jacqueline is entitled to half of all that her husband acquired since their marriage in 1961, and Paulo, the painter's only legitimate son, will inherit the remainder of the estate.
Vocabulary.
fortune - богатство, состояние
scramble - схватка, борьба
heir - наследник
claimant - лицо, предъявляющее право, претензию или требование
predict - пресказывать
imagine - представлять
bother - беспокоить(ся)
make* a will - составить завещание
interstate - умерший без завещания
superstition - суеверие, предрассудок
ornery - злобный, своенравный, упрямый
in any event - в любом случае
come* true - сбываться
estimate - оценивать
account - (банковский) счет
investment - вклад
real estate - недвижимость
art work - произведение искусства
incalculable - неподдающийся оценке
treasure - богатство, сокровище
store - хранить
include - включать
castle - замок
mansion - особняк
vast - обширный
marriage - брак
former - бывший
mistress - любовница
bore* - родить
illegitimate - незаконнорожденный
polio - полиомиелит
share - доля, часть
seek - стремиться
recognise - признавать
offspring - потомок, потомки
suit = lawsuit - иск, судебное дело/процесс
fail - проваливаться, не удаваться
widow - вдова
acquire - приобретать, получать
the only - единственный
legitimate - законорожденный
inherit - унаследовать
remainder - оставшаяся часть
Ex. Answer the following questions.
1. Why didn't Picasso make a will?
2. How much did he leave?
3. How many legal heirs to his fortune were there?
4. Were there other people who could fight for getting a share of Picasso's fortune?
Topics to discuss.
1. Pablo Picasso's fortune.
2. Pablo Picasso's heirs.
Text 5
THE PRIVATE SIDE.
Playing Brandon on such a popular show has led to the near-total (полный) loss of private life. As Jason said on a recent TV talk show, "I can't go to a shopping mall (универсам) on a Saturday - it's potentially dangerous (опасно)!" Naturally, he's recognized (узнаваем) wherever he goes, and while he's grateful (признателен) for fan support, there is a part of him that is desperately (отчаянно) trying to keep his personal life private.
Jason manages (удаваться) to keep as normal as possible a life. He unwinds with sports, lots of them. He plays golf, tennis, and rugby, loves to snow-ski or go for a spin (прокатиться) on his Yamaha motorcycle. Every Sunday he plays center on a two-division hockey team, alongside (наряду с) Michael J.Fox, and regularly competes (состязаться) against National Hockey League old-timers (бывшие игроки).
His newest off-camera hobby, however, is his favorite. It's called bungee jumpee, which means he leaps off (прыгать с) a bridge while still attached (прикреплен) to it by a bungee cord (веревка, бечевка). Jason loves the whole dare-devil (залихватский) aspect of it - while admitting (признаваясь) to a national magazine: "Every time I jump, I'm thinking, 'Oh, God, I've just willingly committed suicide (совершить самоубийство)!'"
Of course Jason does indulge in (предаваться) several less heart-stopping pursuits (занятия, дела). He's perfected the art of relaxing and in his new condo (квартира) (he won't say where) he loves to just "hang out" (поболтаться) with his friends on the weekends and maybe pop a video from his extensive (богатый) collection into the VCR (видео). Among his favorites: Blue Velvet and A Clockwork Orange. In fact, when he's not playing Brandon, Jason doesn't even look very Brandonish: Most likely he's dressed in tattered (поношенный) jeans and T-shirt, wearing round '60s-style rimless(без ободков) glasses (not contacts, as he does on the show), a day or more's worth of stubble ("щетина") on his chin (подбородок), and - alas (увы) - a cigarette in his hand.
A GOOD GUY - AND A GOOD FRIEND. Jason has claimed(утверждать) that in his real life he's not as perfect as Brandon - but it's a claim nearly all his cast (актеры данной картины) and crewmates (съемочная группа) dispute. "To know Jason Priestleyis to like him and respect him a lot," they agree. He doesn't flaunt (рисоваться, щеголять) being the "star" of the show, though there's no question that he (and Shannen Doherty) are the show-biz pros (разг. "главные специалисты") in the bunch (группа). There isn't a cast member who's not remarked at Jason's acting ability (способность) and grace (изящество) under pressure. "For the rest of us, this show is a learning experience and we sometimes struggle (сражаться) with it. For Jason (and Shannen) it's a walk in the park. They know exactly (точно) what to do and when to do it at any given moment," the others agree. Of course, sometimes that means breaking the tensions (напряжение) on the set (группа, круг лиц). Jason knows just how to do that!
Jason has gotten particularly tight (особенно близок) with Luke Perry (Dylan) and Ian Ziering (Steve). The hunky (первоклассный, отличный) trio get often together, dreaming up new script (сценарий) ideas and scheming about pooling (объединять деньги) their money and opening a restaurant one day. Friendships and loyalty (преданность) are important to Jason: he goesout of his way to maintain (поддерживать) his ties.
Dealing with fame (слава) still feels a little strange to the Jason. His instinctive reaction to most questions from the press is to deflect(отражать) them with humor. When questioned about the deluge (перен.: поток) of fan mail he gets, Jason admitted (допускать) that he reads only a few of the letters that come his way. "I like to see what people are saying, like maybe they're telling me I should get my teeth cleaned or something!"
Joking aside, Jason does have plans for the future. He's dabbled (любительски заниматься) in writing and directing (although the typically modest (скромный) Mr. Priestley says, "I don't think I'm a very good writer") and sees his career going in that direction - eventually (вконечном итоге). "I have to master one craft (овладеть профессией) before going on to another," he once explained. Randy Reisfeld. The Stars of Beverly Hills, 90210: Their Lives and Loves.
(An Unauthorised Biography). New York, 1991.
Comprehension Check.
Ex. Answer the following questions:
1. What is meant by the phrase "near-total loss of private life"?
2. What sports does Jason do?
3. What is his favourite hobby?
4. What are his thoughts like when he is leaping off a bridge?
5. Does he say anyone where his apartment is?
6. What are his favourite video-films?
7. Does Jason look like Brandon (whose role his acts)?
8. Is acting easy for him?
9. What does he wear?
10. Is he as perfect as Brandon?
11. What does the show mean for him and for the cast?
12. Who are his best friends?
13. What are they dreaming about?
14. How does Jason deal with the fame?
15. What are his plans for the future?
Topics to Discuss.
1. Jason's hobbies.
2. Jason in comparison with Brandon.
3. Jason and fame.
4. His plans for the future.
Text 6
ROLE OF TEMPS.
Is the job of your dreams beyond your reach because some
company's computerized screening device doesn't find the right buzzword
on your resume? "If I could just get in the door for an interview," you
groan, "I could knock their socks off." That's where temping comes in.
No longer just a fill-in for vacationing secretaries and recep-tionists,
temps are now brought in for special projects and long-term assignments.
They increas-ingly include white-collar technical and profes-sional
workers - even the occasional executive.
Temping can help you learn new skills or bridge the gap between
jobs. Some people are even making a career of temping - mostly those who
like the independence or need more flexible work schedules, such as
working mothers. All told, companies shelled out $4.9 billion to temps
in 1995, more than double what they paid four years earlier, according
to the National Association of Temporary and Staffing Services. More to
the point, companies are increasingly using tempo-rary assignments to
fill full-time jobs. About 40 percent of those sent out on temp
assignments get offered full-time positions, estimates the associa-tion.
If hiring the right people is so critical, why not test drive the
merchandise first?
Many people who might not otherwise get an interview are getting
permanent jobs through temp work. Once they get the temporary jobs, they
can quickly build experience. For their part, the companies, knowing
they've got a free trial period, are more willing to take a chance on
someone who might not fit exactly their job profile.
When attorney Michael Mayer moved to the lawyer-glutted Washington,
D.C., area last year, he couldn't find a job, despite sending out
count-less resumes. So he signed up with Lawcorps, a temping agency for
lawyers and paralegals. Last June he got a one-week assignment at Weil,
Gotshal, & Manges, a blue-chip firm where he had considered job
prospects so unlikely he hadn't even sent a resume. He reviewed an
article one of the partners was preparing for publication. The firm
liked his work, and asked him to stay beyond the one-week period.
Eventually he was hired full-time as an attorney.
"Lawyers coming out of law school have found that one of the best
things they can do to find a job is to sign up with an agency," says
Brice Arrowood, president of Lawcorps. "You get some real experi-ence;
that's better than just a nice degree." About 25 percent to 30 percent
of Lawcorps' people find full-time employment through the agency, he
esti-mates. Temping can also help you to pursue new career routes,
through the training that many temp agencies now offer and through
assignments that stretch people's skills
After college, Carolyn M. Harper, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania,
wasn't having much luck finding a job in human resources' or corporate
training, logical possibilities for someone with a psychology degree.
But she sent her resume our to some temp agencies and got a message: The
Bradley Burns agency had a "temp-co-perm" job as the database
administrator for Pinpoint Communi-cations, a start-up Internet
advertising company. While she had no high-tech skills, she and the
company decided to give each other a two-week whirl. Six months later,
Ms. Harper, now full-time, is putting together Web'pages for the
company's new Web site.
Brian Altman dropped out of a Ph.D. program in organizational
psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia to seek a career on
Wall Street. But prospective employers didn't take him seriously. They
changed their tune after he accepted a temp assignment as an
administrative assistant for Zurich American Insurance. "It showed I had
a commitment to not going back to school," he says. And the assignment
involved considerable computer work, which also spruced up his resume. A
week ago he landed a job as an analyst of asset portfolios at Merrill
Lynch. "They were interested in finding someone with good computer and
quantitative skills," he says.
To enhance your chances of finding good temp jobs that can lead to
full-time work, talk to your temp agency counselor daily, says Richard
M. Rogers, a veteran temp who wrote "Temping: The Insider's Guide." Also
make sure the counselor knows your skills and the kinds of permanent
jobs you'd like. "You want to become more than a name," he says.
As with everything else involved in careers these days, temping
is no panacea. But, as Mr. Rogers notes, "The question isn't how
insecure temping is, but how secure is full-time employment these days?
The gap between the two is narrowing."
By Hal Lancaster (from The Wall Street journal)
Note:
· temp = temporary - временный.
A temp is a secretary who is imployed by an agency that sends him or
her to work for short periods of time in different offices, replacing
secretaries who are ill or on holiday.
Vocabulary.
temping - временная работа (секретаря)
beyond one's reach - вне достижимости
screening device - прибор с экраном
buzzword - сленг: слова, говорящие о владении ПК
groan - тяжело вздыхать, стонать
knock the socks off = утереть кому-то нос
fill-in - заполнение
long-term - долгосрочный
assignment - задание
increas-ingly - все в большей степени
include - включать
white-collar - перен.: служащий, работник
occasional - приуроченный к опред. времени
executive - руководитель, начальник
skills - навыки, умения
bridge the gap - заполнить пробел (брешь)
independence - независимость
flexible - гибкий
work schedule - рабочий график
shell out - разг.: расколшелиться
temporary - временный
staff - штат (сотрудников)
full-time job - работа с полным рабочим днем
estimate - оценивать
test drive - перен.: пробная поездка, тестирование
merchandise - товары
otherwise -иначе, другим способом
permanent - постоянный
free - бесплатный
trial period - истытательный период
fit exactly - точно подходить.
attorney - адвокат
lawyer - юрист
glutted - заваленный, переполненный
count-less - бесчисленный
sign up - подписать контракт ( о поступлении на работу)
paralegal - вспом. cостав в сфере юриспруденции
assignment - задание
prospect - перспектива
unlikely - маловероятный
beyond - свыше
hire - принимать на работу
full-time - полный рабочий день
employment - занятость, работа
esti-mate - оценивать
pursue - заняться, приступить
route - путь
training - обучение
stretch - расширить
skills - умения; квалификация
message - записка, послание
temp(orary) - временный
perm(anent) - постоянный
trial period - испытательный период
drop out - выпадать, исчезать
seek* - искать; поиск
prospective - потенциальный, возможный
employer - работодатель
accept - принимать
insurance - страхование
commitment - решимость
involve - включать
considerable - значительный
spruce up - разг.: дополнить, обогатить
assets - фин.: актив
portfolio - портфель
quantitative - количественный
enhance - увеличить, усилить
counselor - советник
daily - ежедневно
make* sure - убедиться
insecure - ненадежный
gap - разрыв
narrow - сужаться
Comprehension Check.
Answer the following questions.
1. What is a temp?
2. What can one achieve my means of temping?
3. What are merits of temping?
4. Is it possible to make a career through temping?
5. Is temping a panacea?
Topics to Discuss.
1. Temping.
2. People who found their jobs through temping
(take examples from the text).
Text 7:
TAKING A FLIER ON TNE WEB.
(Executives left Corporate America for the unknown).
Internet start-ups aren't just for kids; executives at the top of their game in established businesses are chucking security for a piece of the Net. Below are a few of the big names that have recently struck out for cyberspace
A. GERALDINE LAYBOURNE. Oxygen Media.
For nearly two decades, Gerry Laybourne was the queen of Kids' TV, building the Nickelodeon brand and later heading up the Disney/ABC Cable Networks. Now she's aiming for the women's market. Oxygen produces Web content on topics ranging from personal finance to child care and will launch a cable network next February. The women's on-line field is crowded, with tenacious competitors like Candice Carpenter of i--village. But Laybourne has powerful partners - Oprah Winfrey and Carsey-Werner's Marcy Carsey. "Oxygen is one of the sites that will still be around in three to five years," says Jupiter Communications' Anya Sacharow.
B. JAY CHIAT. ScreamingMedia.
When he ran the advertising firm Chiat/Day, Jay Chiat was known for his funky office space and brisque business style. He gave up the offices, but Chiat's still in the business of moving fast. His Screaming Media pulls real-time content from sources like AP and The New York Times and delivers it in customized packages to clients like AOL (America On-Line) and Microsoft.
C. C.EVERETT KOOP. drkoop.com
Dr. Koop quit his job as U.S. surgeon general a decade ago, but he's still one of the most recognizable names in medicine. In 1998 he launched a site featuring news and advice on health topics from flu shots to the Ebola virus. The site is a huge hit; more than 1 million people visited it in August. And Koop has joined the ranks of the paper million-aires (his options are worth about $46 million). Koop recently came under fire for receiving a percentage of sales of services and products on the site. But an aide says his contract has been changed to eliminate these fees.
D. RICH FRANK. Food.com
Like Laybourne, Frank is a former Disney executive who wanted a taste of the Net. His site features point-and-click ordering from 10,000 restaurants nationwide. Frank says he loves his youthful staff's enthusiam. But getting people to return calls can be tough. "When I was at Disney, I'd certainly get someone on the phone," he says. "Now it's 'Rich from where?'
E. LOU DOBBS. space.com
After two decades at CNN, the former host of "Moneyline News Hour" and "Business Unusual" struck out for the wilds of the cyberworld. Space.com, a new and entertainment site about outer space, was launched in July, and analysts say it has star potential. "It's well put together and has an easy name," says Datamonitor analyst Robert Shavell. "If we send somebody to Mars or find little critter in thge water of asteroids, everybody's going to go there."
Comprehension check.
Ex. Answer the following questions.
a/ GERALDINE LAYBOURNE
1. What was her former job?
2. How long did she work there?
3. What are her recent activities connected with?
4. 4 Who are her partners nowadays?
b/ JAY CHIAT
1. What firm did he run earlier?
2. What was he famous for?
3. What are the content sources of his current business "Screaming Media"?
4. Who are his customers?
c/ C. EVERETT KOOP
1. What job did he quit?
2. When did he do it?
3. Is he still recognizable in medicine?
4. What site did he launch?
5. What topics does his site feature?
6. Is his site popular?
7. Is Dr. Koop a rich person?
d/ RICH FRANK
1. What was his former position?
2. What topic does his site feature?
3. What does Frank love about his young staff?
4. Is it easy to get a feedback from his audience?
e/ LOU DOBBS
1. What was his former job?
2. What are his current activities?
3. Is his site popular?
4. What is the analyst's opinion like?
Topics to discuss.
Speak about yourself as if you were:
a/ Geraldine;
b/ Jay;
c/ C. Everett;
d/ Rich;
e/ Lou.
QUATATIONS AND JOKES
FAME AND CELEBRITIES.
- One of the drawbacks of Fame is that one can never escape from it. Nellie Melba.
- What a heavy burden is a name that has become too famous.
- Voltaire.
- Fame usually comes to those who are thinking about something else.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
- A celebrity is one who is known to many persons he is glad he doesn't know.
- H.I.Mencken.
HUMAN RELATIONS.
Acquaintance, n.: a person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to.
Ambrose Bierce.
- Only person who has faith in himself is able to be faithful to others.
Erich Fromm.
INTELLECT.
- The job of intellectuals is to come up with ideas, and all we've been producing is footnotes.
- Theodore H.White.
- Will and intellect are one and the same thing.
- Spinoza.
- Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.
- Florence Scovel Shinn.
- An intellectula is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
- Dwight D.Eisenhover.
- The common sense is that which judges the things given to it by other senses.
- Leonardo da Vinci.
LEADERS AND LEADERSHIP.
- It is much safer to obey than to rule.
- Thomas a Kempis.
- Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious. than to be able to decide.
- Napoleon Bonaparte.
- There are two levers for moving men - interest and fear.
- Napoleon Bonaparte.
JOKES
- The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures.
- Sir Humpfrey Davy.
- - Basic research is when I'm doing what I don't know what I'm doing
- . Wernher von Braun.
- - I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I'm right.
- Albert Einstein.
- - In science the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs.
- William Osler.
- - Reason, observation, and experience - the Holy Trinity of Science.
- Robert G.Ingersoll.
- - Science is built odd facts the way a house is built of bricks; but an accumulation of facts is no more science than a pile of bricks in a house.
- Henri Poincare.
- GENIUS.
- - The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
- Anonymous.
- - It takes immense genius to represent, simply and sincerely, what we
- see in front of us.
- Edmond Duranty.
- SCHOLARS AND SCHOLARSHIP.
- *- What is research, but not a blind date with knowledge?
- Will Henry.
UNIT VII
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