Reading_for_the_Real_World_1_2nd_Ed

U N I T 9 Sports & Fitness 1

Cheating in Sports

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. How do you think professional athletes cheat?
2. Which sports are the most violent?
3. Who is usually to blame for cheating, players or coaches?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. ingenious a. clever

2. loophole b. not earned; not merited

3. opponent c. a rival; an enemy

4. single-mindedly d. with all one’s attention or thought

5. sluggish e. slow; moving like a slug

6. undeserved f. a missing part of a rule allowing people to avoid the rule

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Cheating in Sports Track 33

S ports are about competition. The goal of every athlete, or every team, is
to win. Unfortunately, two factors have been pushing American sports
in an unhealthy direction. One of these factors is the obsession with
winning, no matter what the cost. The other factor is money. These two factors
5 put extreme pressure on both players and coaches to focus single-mindedly on
winning. This has resulted in a problem that is spreading and becoming more
serious. That problem is cheating.

Of course, there are rules in all sports to penalize cheating. So coaches and
players have had to come up with ingenious ways to get around the rules.
10 Getting a competitive edge, even unfairly, is seen as a “strategy” rather than
cheating. Illegal acts are now even being accepted as part of the game. Coaches
encourage players to cheat, or coaches simply look the other way when they
know players commit illegal acts during games. And referees rarely do
anything to discourage cheating, or they impose minimal penalties.
15 A professor of sports and recreation, Dr. James Frey, introduced the term,
“normative cheating” to refer to the methods of cheating commonly used in
sports today. This refers to strategies used to create conditions of some advantage
over an opponent. These strategies do not actually break the
rules. Instead, coaches and players have learned how to use
20 loopholes in the rules to gain a competitive advantage.

There are many forms of normative cheating. In
basketball, for example, it is common for a player to
pretend to be fouled in order to receive an undeserved foul
shot. In football, players are typically coached to use illegal
25 techniques to hold or trip opponents without referees noticing.

2 factors --- things or situations that cause a result
3 obsession --- extreme single-minded focus
8 penalize --- to punish
12 encourage --- to support; to inspire
13 referee --- a judge for a sport
14 discourage --- to prevent by causing others to lose will or desire
14 impose --- to require; to demand

26 doctor --- to change or fix in an illegal way
37 recruit --- to seek new members
47 letter of the law --- the exact wording of the law

And in baseball, home teams often “doctor” their fields to
suit their strengths and minimize the strengths of their
opponents. For example, if a home team knows they will
face a fast team, they will spread water or sand between
30 bases to slow down the runners of the other team. Other
techniques used by home teams to cheat include increasing
the heat in the visitor’s locker room to make the athletes
sluggish. And some schools even use psychological tricks
such as painting the visitor’s locker room pink, a color said to
35 reduce strength and make people less aggressive.

Normative cheating extends to off-the-field areas of sports as
well. Colleges compete to recruit the best high school players in
the country. Although there are rules about when and how often colleges can
contact recruits, coaches are adept at bending these rules. For instance, it is
40 against the rules to send newspaper clippings about a university sports team to
players being recruited. However, if a newspaper clipping is attached to the back
of a letter, it is technically OK, even if the letter has only one sentence.

Normative cheating has even crept into American high school sports. If a
good athlete wants to play for a school far away from where he lives, he may
45 move to the home of a relative or friend that does live near that school. That
way, he technically lives within the school district of his new school. He has
obeyed the letter of the law, but not the spirit.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 537 words

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Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Both coaches and athletes are to blame for widespread cheating in

sports.
2. ____ Pink is a good color for a locker room.
3. ____ Not all forms of cheating break the rules of sports.
4. ____ There are rules against cheating in sports.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is the definition of “normative cheating”?
a. Cheating by changing the rules
b. Cheating normally used to break rules
c. Cheating that gives an edge within the rules
d. Cheating that is easily noticed

2. Which is NOT an example of normative cheating?
a. Acting as if you have been hit by another player
b. Creating a bad atmosphere in another team’s area
c. Hitting another player on purpose to hurt the player
d. Hold or trip opponents without referees noticing

3. Which statement would the writer probably agree with?
a. Athletes who cheat should be banned from participating in sports.
b. Everybody cheats, and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
c. If cheating is not controlled, sports will suffer more and more.
d. Just because an action is technically not cheating doesn’t mean that it is
OK to do.

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What is primarily responsible for the increase in cheating in sports?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. How has normative cheating made its way into high school sports?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the phrases from the list. Use each phrase only once.

normative cheating cheating is illegal loopholes in rules
a team might undeserved foul shot athletes and coaches

Because some 1 __________________ are single-minded and focused on
winning no matter what the cost, cheating has become more common in sports. Of
course, 2 _________________, so players and coaches have come up with
ingenious ways to get around the rules. They have found 3 _________________
that allow them to cheat to get an advantage over opponents. This kind of cheating is
called 4 _________________. One example of this kind of cheating is when a
player pretends to be fouled in order to get a(n) 5 _________________. Or
6 _________________ set the heat very high in the opponent’s locker room to
make players on that team sluggish during the game.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

spectators umpires tactics leagues injured season

1. Baseball has __________, not referees.

2. The baseball __________ starts in early spring.

3. There were over 10,000 __________ at the stadium for the final game
of the World Series.

4. Many sports have amateur and professional __________ that athletes play in.

5. The hockey player __________ his leg in the game.

6. Some teams use unfair __________ to try to win. For example, they try to hurt
the other players so they can’t play as well.

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Supplemental Reading

Drugs in Sports Track 34

T he International Olympics Committee has established special rules
banning drugs to enhance performance. However, some athletes are
experimenting with new drugs that are difficult to detect.
The IOC forbids athletes from using steroids as strength builders. The most

5 popular steroids are man-made forms of testosterone, a hormone already

present in the body.

Another popular performance-enhancer is EPO. EPO, or Erythropoientin,

regulates red blood-cell production. These cells deliver

oxygen throughout the body. The oxygen boost it provides

10 can improve an athlete’s performance in a 20-minute run by

thirty seconds. In a marathon, it could give an athlete a

4-minute advantage. EPO is dangerous because it can make

the blood too thick for the heart to pump.

Human growth hormone, a third commonly used

15 enhancer, is a naturally occurring amino acid which helps

control growth from birth to adulthood. Genetically

engineered HGH became available in 1985. Athletes use

HGH to develop bigger muscles and then take steroids to

strengthen the muscles. The drug is hard to detect because

20 it passes out of the body in less than 45 minutes.

The newest wave of performance enhancement is through a blood substitute

called Hemopure. The effect of using Hemopure is similar to the effect of EPO.

However, there is no current test that can detect Hemopure in the blood.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think athletes should have the freedom of choice to use
performance enhancing drugs? Why or why not?

2. Some say that mandatory drug testing is a violation of a person’s right to privacy.
Do you agree or disagree?

U N I T 9 Sports & Fitness 2

Gi

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. Do you think that each person has a special energy inside them?

Why or why not?
2. How can meditation or acupuncture help people?
3. What do you think gi is?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. build up a. a strong attention or effort

2. circulate b. an uncomfortable feeling

3. concentration c. to do or attempt

4. discomfort d. very deep and quiet thought

5. meditation e. to collect; to be contained

6. undertake f. to move in a continuous way

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Gi Track 35

W hat is gi? Gi means different things to different people. Some say
that it is a force created by practicing breathing exercises. Some
say that it is highly developed concentration. Still others say that it
is an electrical force that circulates within the body of all living creatures. Some
5 even claim that gi is a person’s soul. Where does the idea of gi come from? Most
information about gi comes from Asia. For thousands of years, the people of
India have believed in this type of energy, which they call prana. According to
Indian mystics, or holy men, highly developed prana can allow a man to equal
the physical strength of several men; letting him bend thick metal bars and lift
10 heavy objects. The Chinese call this force chi, the Koreans gi, and the Japanese ki.

Regardless of the name, the traditional thinking in Asia is that this energy can
be used for health, relaxation, and self-defense. Special gi doctors in China, Korea,
and Japan believe that gi travels through our body like cars on a highway. They
believe that some types of pain are caused by gi not being able to flow smoothly,
15 similar to a traffic jam on a road. They use a special system of needle
therapy called acupuncture or a type of massage, reiki, to help
unblock those areas where gi cannot flow freely.

2 force --- power; energy
8 mystic --- a person who practices religious rites
13 self-defense --- the act of protecting oneself when attacked by another
16 therapy --- a treatment

33 sensitive --- responding readily
35 actual --- real; existing
37 brainwaves --- activity of the brain shown through electrical data
38 electromagnetic --- related to electric and magnetic fields
40 practitioner --- a person who regularly does a specific activity
42 observe --- to see

20 Sometimes these doctors are able to direct the gi from their own bodies into the
bodies of their patients. Gi meditation, popular in China, teaches its followers to
send their gi to the muscles of the heart, stomach, face, and neck. These are the
places where stress builds up the most. These people believe that learning how to
direct their gi to these areas will help them relax and live longer, healthier lives.

25 Probably the most well-known examples of gi development can be found in
the area of martial arts. Exercises like hapkido, aikido and tai chi teach people to
develop their gi for self-defense. The Shaolin Monks of Central China are known
for their ability to control their gi and do amazing things with their bodies. They
are able to bend heavy iron bars with their bare hands, touch their tongues to

30 red-hot swords without injury, and endure freezing cold temperatures with no
discomfort.
Can science prove the existence of gi? With modern computer technology and
sensitive recording equipment, maybe it can. Researchers from the University of
Southern California have been performing experiments to see if there are any

35 actual physical changes in the bodies of people who undertake gi meditation, and
they have found interesting results. By attaching special computers that measure
brainwaves to the heads of gi meditation students, scientists have been able to
detect large increases of electromagnetic waves in their brains. Also, computerized
brain scans show that people who do gi exercises use 25 percent more of their

40 brain area than people who do ordinary meditation. Gi-gong practitioners are
also able to direct energy to different parts of their body. This energy can be
observed on special machines used to record body heat.
Is gi meditation helpful? Is gi real? Whether science says it is or not, many
people throughout Asia have no doubt about its existence or its healthy benefits.

45 Maybe the only way to know for sure is to try for yourself!

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 562 words

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Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ People have known about gi for a long time.
2. ____ Most of the information about gi is from North America.
3. ____ Using gi, people may be healthier, more relaxed, or more powerful.
4. ____ Gi is only located in our brain.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is known about gi?
a. Only Asian people have it.
b. It has been completely proven by scientific experiment.
c. Gi can be used for health and self-protection.
d. Not many people believe in it.

2. According to the reading, what is probably true?
a. If gi circulates freely in our body, we feel healthier.
b. Gi is our soul.
c. It takes a long time to develop gi.
d. Gi is unknown in the West.

3. According to this reading, in which country was gi first known?
a. Korea
b. China
c. India
d. Japan

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What ability do Shaolin monks have because of their control of gi?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. What is the scientific evidence for gi?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the phrases from the list. Use each phrase only once.

form of concentration direct the flow give themselves power
endure extreme temperatures prove the existence stress building up

Today, people still use gi in many kinds of activities. Some say gi is a force while
others believe it is a 1 __________________ in many kinds of activities.
Gi doctors in Asia say they 2 __________________ of gi in their patients’
bodies, helping the gi circulate more easily and thus relieve pain. Many people also
practice gi meditation because they believe controlling gi helps prevent
3 __________________ in the muscles of the body. Finally, people in the
martial arts develop their gi in order to 4 __________________. With gi, they
can bend iron bars and 5 __________________ with no discomfort. Presently
scientists are undertaking experiments to try and scientifically
6 __________________ of gi.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

channel fist mental visualize abdomen inhale

1. When you are doing heavy exercise, you should __________ through your nose
and exhale through your mouth.

2. In martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, development of __________ skills
like concentration is just as important as development of physical skills.

3. In order to use your gi, you must be able to __________ it to different places of
your body.

4. To __________ something means to see a picture of it in your mind.
5. You must make a(n) __________ with your hand before punching anything.
6. If you sing from your __________, your singing will be more powerful.

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Supplemental Reading

Gi as a Weapon? Track 36

T hough most people study gi for health reasons, the Russians may have
used it for much more sinister purposes. Some researchers believe that
the Russians have made a machine that uses gi energy as a weapon to
hurt, and sometimes kill, other people. This machine, invented in secret during

5 the 1960s, was discovered by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in

the late 1980s after the fall of communism. “We started getting all of these files

that were once secret,” said one retired Air Force Colonel who helped translate

Russian military documents into English. “We thought that this was a joke. I

mean, who would have taken this stuff seriously, the idea that mind waves could

10 kill a person? But the KGB did a lot of research into the stuff,” he said.

The machine looked like a fighter pilot’s helmet, but with a lot of wires and

computer attachments on its outside. According to some Russian scientists who

worked on this top-secret project, test subjects would put the helmet on their

head, direct their eyes at their target, and concentrate. After a few seconds, the

15 targets would begin to react strangely. “We were able to achieve success (death)

with small animals up to the size of a dog. Larger animals and humans would

just get hot and sweaty,” said a Russian military officer who worked on the

program. Thankfully for the dogs and cats of the

world, this program was stopped in the mid

20 1960s, when Russia decided to focus more on

the space race with the United States to reach

the moon.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Do you believe in gi? Why or why not?
2. If gi does exist, what are some ways that gi could possibly be used as a weapon?

U N I T 10 P e o p l e & O p i n i o n s 1

Barack Obama’s
Keynote Address at the
Democratic National
Convention

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. Do you think America is the land of opportunity? Why or why not?
2. What social issues you are concerned about?
3. What are some ways individuals can help to solve these social

issues?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. affirm a. persisting; not stopping

2. bribe b. accepting of differences

3. perseverance c. to assert positively; to confirm

4. priority d. a tall building

5. skyscraper e. money or a favor given to get something you want

6. tolerant f. the most important thing

114 Track 37

Barack Obama’s Keynote Address at
the Democratic National Convention

T onight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it, my presence
on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born
and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats and
went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a
5 domestic servant to the British. But my grandfather had larger dreams for his
son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in
a magical place, America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to
so many who had come before him.

While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on
10 the other side of the world, in Kansas. My parents shared not only an

improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.
They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a
tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to
the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a
15 generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation not because of the
height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the
size of our economy; our pride is based on a very simple
premise, summed up in a declaration made over two

20 hundred years ago: “We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness.”
25 That is the true genius of America, a faith in

simple dreams, an insistence on small

7 beacon --- a source of light or inspiration
11 abiding --- continuing
19 premise --- something assumed to be true
19 declaration --- a formal announcement
22 endow --- to provide with
22 inalienable --- incapable of being surrendered or transferred

27 tuck in --- to make comfortable in bed
31 retribution --- punishment
34 union --- a workers’ association
38 health benefits --- money paid by employers for health care

miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed
and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we
think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea
30 and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the
political process without fear of retribution; and that our votes will be counted.

And fellow Americans, I say to you, tonight, we have more work to do ---
more work to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their
union jobs at the Maytag plant that’s moving to Mexico, and now they’re having
35 to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour; more
to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back the tears,
wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs
without the health benefits that he counted on; more to do for the young
woman in East St. Louis and thousands more like her who have the grades, have
40 the drive, have the will, but don’t have the money to go to college.

People don’t expect the government to solve all their problems. But they
sense, deep in their bones, that with just a slight change in priorities, we can
make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the
doors of opportunity remain open to all.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 562 words

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Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Obama’s father was a cook.
2. ____ Barak is an African name for “blessed.”
3. ____ He is in favor of cheap foreign labor.
4. ____ Obama’s parents believed in a tolerant America.

B Choose the best answer.

1. How did Obama’s parents meet?
a. In a Maytag plant in Mexico
b. While his father was studying in university
c. While living in the same village in Kenya
d. While working in Galesburg, Illinois

2. Which is NOT a right mentioned in the reading passage?
a. Liberty
b. Petition
c. Life
d. Pursuit of Happiness

3. Which statement would the writer probably agree with?
a. Living in Kenya taught him many valuable life lessons.
b. You don’t have to be rich to achieve your dreams in America.
c. Government programs can solve all social problems.
d. The pride of America’s greatness lies in the strength of its military.

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. According to the reading passage, what are some social causes that Obama

supports?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why does Obama say, “We have more work to do”?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the words from the list. Use each word only once.

priority bribe perseverance
affirm skyscrapers tolerant

Through 1 __________________ and hard work, a person can achieve their
dreams, even if they are not rich. For the greatness of our nation is not our
sophisticated 2 __________________, the health of our economy, or the power
of our military technology. It is that we continue to 3 __________________ to
this very day that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness no matter who they are. In other words, America is a
4 __________________ nation, where people are treated equally. This includes
knowing that we are free to say what we think, and that we can open a business
without having to pay a 5 __________________. That is why it must be our
6 __________________ as a nation to continue working toward keeping the door
of opportunity open for everyone.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in
the reading. Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list.
Use each word or phrase only once.

oval office veto pardon impeach citizen Cabinet

1. If a legislative body determines that the President should be forcibly removed
due to wrongdoings, they vote to __________ him.

2. The President has decided to __________ the new budget bill because it does
not cut enough taxes.

3. When at the White House, the President does most of his work from the
__________.

4. The body of high ranking officials who advise the President is known as the
__________.

5. The President has the power to grant a(n) __________ if he or she feels the
prisoner should be set free from prison.

6. In order to qualify to be President, a person must be a natural born
__________ of the United States.

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Supplemental Reading

Do as We Say, Not as We Do Track 38

A merica was founded on the principle that
all people have the same right to live in

freedom and be happy. Its main law,
the Constitution, states that every person must be

5 treated equally. But for most of the country’s

history, this hasn’t been the case.

After the United States earned independence

from Britain, for example, it continued to allow slavery. After the Civil War,

when slavery was outlawed and slaves were declared free, African-American

10 people did not have the same rights as white people. In fact, until less than fifty

years ago, African-American people were usually separated from white people.

They went to separate schools, slept in separate hotels, and ate in separate

restaurants. They could not vote for the president and could not get the same

jobs as white people.

15 American women, too, have been treated differently than American men.

Until 1920, women did not have the right to vote. Until the mid-1960s, they

could be denied jobs due to their gender. Despite amendments to the

Constitution, many women and people who belong to minority groups still feel

unfairly treated in the US today.

20 US leaders admit the country has made mistakes in the past. However, they

point out that because of the laws written in the Constitution, there is always

hope of change. Other countries don’t have this hope, so America still provides

the fairest opportunity in the world.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.

1. In what ways do you think people are treated unfairly in society today
because of their gender? What can be done to improve their situation?

2. In what ways do you think people are treated unfairly in society today
because of their ethnicity? What can be done to improve their situation?

U N I T 10 P e o p l e & O p i n i o n s 2

Anita Roddick

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. Do you use any cosmetics? If so, which ones?
2. Do you think animal testing is OK? If so, when is it OK?
3. What are some unethical practices businesses do?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. activist a. a woman’s last name before she marries

2. cause b. a product related to beauty

3. charity c. a brother or a sister

4. cosmetic d. someone who supports one side of a controversial issue

5. maiden name e. a principle

6. sibling f. an institution that helps the poor

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Anita Roddick Track 39

A nita Roddick was born in an English bomb shelter on October 23, 1942,
during World War II. Her maiden name was Anita Lucia Perilli. Anita’s
parents and her three siblings had fled from Italy just before the war
began. Her mother ran a café, and Anita helped her after school and on weekends.
5 Her parents divorced when Anita was nine, and she later found out that her
biological father was the cousin of her mother’s husband. After finishing
university, Anita taught briefly at a secondary school. She soon quit, however, and
traveled to places such as Australia, South Africa, and Tahiti. In 1970, she married
a poet named Gordon Roddick. The couple opened a restaurant and then a hotel.
10 They had two daughters together, Justine and Samantha.

In 1976, Gordon wanted to fulfill a dream. He was going to ride a horse
from South America to North America. Anita needed money while he was away.
So, in 1976, she opened a small cosmetics store called The Body Shop. Her first
store offered only fifteen products. In time, this number would grow to more
15 than 300. Roddick used ideas she had learned of in her travels, such as selling
products made from all-natural ingredients. Most cosmetics were tested on
animals, and some animals were killed to produce beauty products. Roddick
refused to sell products that harmed animals, as well as ones that damaged the
natural environment. She also promoted the idea of fair trade with third-world
20 countries. She recycled all her bottles and used recycled items in the store. She
believed that businesses could be run ethically and still make a profit. This idea
was called “ethical consumerism” and was a precursor to the modern green
movement.

The Body Shop was enormously successful. By the time the company was
25 sold to L’Oreal in 2006, it had more than 2,000 stores throughout the world.

Customers voted it the second most-trusted

6 biological --- natural
22 ethical --- moral
22 precursor --- a forerunner
22 green --- environmental

33 discrimination --- prejudicial treatment
34 orphan --- a child whose parents have died
39 anoint --- to choose
40 fortune --- wealth
43 transfusion --- the direct transferring of blood into a blood vessel.
45 hemorrhage --- heavy bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel

brand in Great Britain, and it was the 28th
best-known brand in the world. As The Body
Shop grew, Roddick became an activist for
30 several environmental and social causes. These
included protecting the rain forests, helping poor
farmers, saving whales, and working to end sex
discrimination. In 1990, she founded Children
on the Edge, a charity that helps orphans in
35 Europe and Asia. She also helped establish a
magazine called The Big Issue, which was produced and sold by homeless people.
Her volunteer work earned Roddick many awards and honors. In 1991, she
received the World Vision Award for Development and Initiative. In 2003, the
Queen of England anointed her a Dame of the British Empire.
40 In 2005, Roddick announced that she was going to give away her fortune.
It was estimated to be more than $100 million. In 2007, Roddick told the public
that she had hepatitis C, an incurable disease. She had gotten it from a blood
transfusion in 1971. It was diagnosed in 2004. During the last three years of
her life, she campaigned to raise public awareness of hepatitis C. Roddick died of
45 a brain hemorrhage on September 10, 2007. She was sixty-four. She did not
leave any of her money to her daughters. Instead, she gave it all to charities.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 539 words

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Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Roddick is not the last name Anita was born with.
2. ____ Her husband’s dream was to open an eco-friendly cosmetics store.
3. ____ Roddick was worth over $100 million dollars.
4. ____ When she died, she gave her money to her children and charity

organizations.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main idea of the reading?
a. Anita Roddick was the first woman to sell all-natural cosmetics.
b. Anita Roddick dedicated her life to helping others and the environment.
c. Anita Roddick deserved the many awards and honors she received.
d. Anita Roddick is an example for women to fight for their rights.

2. Which is NOT an ideal mentioned in the reading that Anita believed in?
a. Cosmetics should be made from all-natural ingredients.
b. Profits went to aid assistance for disaster victims.
c. Her products should not be tested on animals.
d. There should be fair trade with third-world countries.

3. What cause did Roddick campaign for in the last three years of her life?
a. Working to end sex discrimination
b. Raising money for orphaned children in Asia and Africa
c. To raise awareness about hepatitis C
d. Saving the whales

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why did Anita open up her first Body Shop cosmetics store?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. What is the meaning of the term “ethical consumerism”?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases from the list. Use each word or
phrase only once.

activist cause siblings
cosmetics maiden name charities

Anita Roddick along with her parents and three 1 __________________ fled
from Italy before the start of World War II. Her 2 __________________ was
Perilli and changed to Roddick after she married Gordon Roddick in 1970. Six years
later, she decided to open up a(n) 3 __________________ shop while her
husband was on a horse riding trip from South America to North America. During
her life, she became a passionate 4 __________________ who worked to raise
awareness about many problems that are effecting people around the world. One
5 __________________ she felt strongly about was the protection of the
environment. In 2007, she was estimated to be worth over $100 million dollars,
which she donated to 6 __________________ when she died.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

lobby civic resolution justice altruistic humanitarian

1. A person is considered __________ if they are concerned for or devoted to the
welfare of others above themselves.

2. The United Nations sends __________ aid to countries that are suffering from
epidemics such as AIDS or malaria.

3. One method for causing social change is to __________ representatives to sup-
port adopting laws or policies that help their cause.

4. It is the __________ duty of every citizen of a country to vote and participate in
the democratic system.

5. It is the responsibility of the court to seek __________ for all people without
prejudice.

6. There needs to be a(n) __________ to this problem before the situation gets
worse.

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124

Supplemental Reading

The Green Myth Track 40

“G reen” has become a popular English phrase. It means that
something is good for the environment. Customers are looking
for products that are “natural,” “pure,” and “made from recycled
material.” They feel good about helping the Earth and

5 about buying food and cosmetics that are healthier for

their bodies. Anita Roddick sensed this when she founded

The Body Shop in 1976. She advertised cosmetics that were

“100 percent pure” and boasted that The Body Shop’s

products were not tested on animals. Also, she said The

10 Body Shop did not take unfair advantage of the workers in

poor countries.

For some people, this sounded too good to be true. In 1994, reporter Jon

Entine wrote a famous magazine article disputing Roddick’s claims. He said that

The Body Shop cosmetics were actually only 1 percent pure. Entine also pointed

15 out that most of the ingredients in The Body Shop’s products were, indeed, tested

on animals. This prompted Roddick to change the phrase on her cosmetic labels.

Instead of “not tested on animals,” it became “against animal testing.” Later, other

critics joined in. The London chapter of Greenpeace accused The Body Shop of

exploiting poor workers.

20 Today many other “green” companies face similar criticism. Are products

marketed as “green” really good for environment, or do producers simply claim

that they are so they can make more money? It’s a tough question. Thanks to

writers such as Entine, however, one thing is certain: They are less likely to trust

the manufacturer’s word.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Do writers such as Jon Entine do more harm than good with their articles

attacking business? Why or why not?
2. Should a company be punished for false advertising? Why or why not?

U N I T 11 C ro s s - C u l t u r a l V i e w p o i n t s 1

Ideas
About Beauty

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What is the first thing you usually notice about another person?

Why is that so?
2. Why do you think that you notice that part of a person first?
3. Do your friends notice this part of other people first also?

If not, what do your friends notice first?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. factor a. alone; apart from all others

2. find out b. to discover

3. influence c. one thing of possible influence

4. isolated d. to put in order from best to worst

5. judge e. to say if something is good or bad / right or wrong

6. rate f. to have some effect on

126

Ideas About Beauty Track 41

R esearchers have collected convincing evidence that people tend to rate
beauty in much the same way. Groups even from different cultures do
not really show that much difference in judging the main factors of
beauty. However, researchers do not agree on whether the factors which influence
5 how most people judge beauty come from genetics (nature) or culture (society).

Devendra Singh, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin,
conducted an experiment in 1993 to find out if different men found different
female body shapes attractive. Dr. Singh gave drawings of different female body
shapes to a variety of men and asked them to choose the most attractive body
10 shape. Even though men came from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, they
all tended to rate the “hourglass” body shape as the most attractive. In fact, Dr.
Singh found that any woman whose waist is 70 percent as wide as her hips is
judged as attractive by most men no matter how big the woman is overall. Body
shape, not weight, seemed to be viewed as the critical factor for attractiveness
15 by men in this survey.

Dr. Singh explained this result from the perspective of
evolution. Women who develop an hourglass shape have a
relatively higher level of estrogen, a female hormone, than
women who do not have this body shape. Because estrogen
20 levels also influence fertility, men may subconsciously view a
woman with an hourglass figure as a good candidate for
producing children. Therefore, according to Dr. Singh, the men who
choose these types of women have the potential for having more
children. Over time, evolution would favor men who have
25 inherited genes from their fathers which influence the
selection of this type of “fertile” woman.

11 hourglass --- an instrument filled with sand to measure time
14 critical --- most necessary
20 fertility --- the ability to have children
20 subconsciously --- without thought
21 candidate --- a person to choose
23 potential --- capable of doing
25 inherit --- to get; to receive

30 exposure to --- experience of
41 reliability --- accuracy; ability to be believed
53 versus --- against

Douglas Yu, a biologist at Imperial College in London,
disagrees with Dr. Singh’s hypothesis. Dr. Yu thinks that
culture, especially culture developed through
30 exposure to mass entertainment and advertising,
has had the largest influence on how men judge
beauty. In order to test his theory, Dr. Yu traveled to
southeast Peru to interview men in an isolated
community far from the reach of modern television,
35 movies, and magazines. Through his own survey, Dr. Yu
found that the men in this isolated community preferred
heavier women with a wider waist than the body shape
preferred by the men in Dr. Singh’s study. Because this
small community has lived apart from western mass communication, their own
40 culture has not been influenced by outside standards of beauty.

In order to check the reliability of his study, Dr. Yu surveyed two other
groups of men from this same community. However, the second and third
groups surveyed by Dr. Yu had more exposure to western entertainment and
advertising. The results of these later surveys showed that as men from this
45 isolated community came into contact with western movies and magazines, their
standards of beauty began to change more toward the western standard of
beauty. Dr. Yu concluded from these findings that even if evolution played a part
in men’s selection of mates, cultural influences are more powerful in the end and
work faster in changing men’s standards.
50 With both satellite communication and the Internet flooding every corner of
the world with images and information from almost every culture, it is becoming
harder and harder to find isolated communities. Soon it may be impossible to
prove which side is correct in the genetics versus culture debate simply because
there will be no uninfluenced groups left to ask.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 578 words

127

128

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Researchers have found that only genetics have shaped men’s

standards of beauty.
2. ____ Both studies in this reading used surveys to collect data.
3. ____ All of the men that Dr. Yu talked to had never watched television.
4. ____ Media has a great influence on men’s perceptions of beauty.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main idea of the reading?
a. Contrasting studies of how people judge beauty
b. Describing the most beautiful body shape
c. Explaining how beauty has changed over time
d. Listing one culture’s ideas of beauty

2. What did the men in Dr. Singh’s survey rate more important than weight?
a. Breast and hip size
b. Breast and waist size
c. Hip and leg size
d. Waist and hip size

3. Where did Dr. Yu find a community of men who had no exposure to mass
entertainment?
a. Africa
b. Australia
c. On an island
d. South America

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What do some people believe the “hourglass” body shape implies about a

woman?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why will Dr. Yu’s study be difficult to do again?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided
below. Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary.

First Sentence: Researchers do not agree as to what factors have a greater influence
on how most people judge beauty.

1. One perspective believes that the hourglass body shape is rated highest by men
because the evolution of the brain associates this body figure with fertility.

2. In modern times, the power of mass media is thought to be a stronger influence
than genetics because it changes a man’s idea of beauty.

3. Conducting a survey is the most reliable to find out how men judge a woman’s
beauty.

4. As the world becomes more globalized, it will become more difficult to prove
which side is correct because there will be no one left who is uninfluenced by the
mass media.

5. If a woman’s waist is 70 percent as wide as her hips, she is judged as attractive by
most men even if she is overweight.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

spouse sterile gorgeous symmetry appealing consensus

1. A __________ is a wife or a husband.
2. She is so beautiful that she is just __________.
3. They can’t have children because they are __________.
4. I don’t care about appearance as much as personality. If someone has

a good personality, that is very __________ to me.
5. “Are you all in agreement?” “Yes, we have reached a __________.”
6. Scientists have found out that if a face is well balanced or has __________,

people think it is more beautiful.

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130

Supplemental Reading

Exporting Beauty Track 42

V enezuela may make most of its money from exporting oil, but this
country is probably more well known for exporting beautiful women.
Ever since 1985, there has always been a woman from Venezuela in the
finals of both the Miss World and Miss Universe contests. In fact, in 1995

5 women from Venezuela held both titles. No other country comes close to

matching Venezuela’s record for sending winners to these contests.

How does a country with only 21 million people do it? The answer is probably

connected to the Miss Venezuela Academy, a special school for any Miss World or

Miss Universe contestant run by Osmel Sousa. With his staff, Sousa chooses

10 women from discos, shopping centers, schools, and off the street to apply for his

school. Other women come to the school on their own. A few of the things that

Sousa and his staff look for are age (only women between the ages of

seventeen and twenty-four are considered), education (the women

must be able to answer difficult contest questions), and height (the

15 women must be at least 1.7 meters/5 feet 7 inches). And one more

thing, the women must look good in a swimsuit.

The finalists for the school are chosen in March so that the

school’s special plastic surgeons will have time to work on the

women because everything must be healed by September, when the

20 contests begin. The surgery is all paid for by the school, so few of the

women complain. After completing the academy, even the women

who don’t win Miss World or Miss Universe end up in modeling,

broadcasting, or acting.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.

1. The reading says that the “hourglass” body shape for women is preferred by men.
What type of body shape for men do you think is preferred by women? Why?

2. Which of the two studies from the first reading do you find more convincing?
Why?

U N I T 11 C ro s s - C u l t u r a l V i e w p o i n t s 2

Bribery or
Business as Usual?

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What are some cultural differences that you know about between

countries?
2. What happens when people don’t understand each other’s cultural

differences?
3. Are there any cultural differences in business?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. crack down a. a slippery material made from oil

2. grease b. to endure; to put up with

3. harassment c. to enforce a law or rule more strongly

4. sensitive d. to add in order to make bigger or better

5. supplement e. aware; careful of

6. tolerate f. an action meant to bother, disturb, or annoy

132

Track 43

Bribery or Business as Usual?

C ross-cultural researchers and trainers often advise those traveling
through or working in another culture to be sensitive to cultural
differences. Implied in this sensitivity is the suggestion to accept
behaviors of the new culture even if they seem strange or wrong. In cross-cultural
5 contact, right and wrong may be understood differently by the two cultures.

According to this view of relativism, ethical behavior may appear very
different from one culture to another. Take, for example, the behavior of bribery.
In most countries, businesses which resort to bribing government officials in
order to receive special favors or special treatment are understood to be acting
10 unethically. However, this behavior may be tolerated or even expected in some
cultures. As reported by a German magazine, one of the ministers in the Thai
government office of land management was quoted as saying, “Bribes are part of
traditional Thai culture.” This minister went on to explain that his employees
were instructed to accept any money offered to them, as long as they did not ask
15 for it. The bribes were considered a supplement to the extremely low pay of this
office’s employees.

Bribes may be required in a variety of business situations. They are most
commonly paid just before a contract is finalized. Bribes may also be paid to
suppliers to ensure prompt delivery, or they may be given to distributors to
20 guarantee delivery of high quality products. When such bribes are meant to
speed up a business transaction or make a deal go smoothly, it may be referred
to as a “grease payment.” Additionally, bribes may be used to buy “protection”
for a business, either against some harmful act or against government
harassment.
25 In an effort to crack down on the payment of bribes to foreign governments,
the United States passed a law in the 1970s called the Foreign Corrupt Practices

6 relativism --- a philosophy which states that good and bad
are relative to culture and groups

6 ethical --- related to right and wrong; moral
7 bribery --- giving or taking money for influence
8 resort to --- to do as a last choice
11 minister --- a high level government official
26 corrupt --- dishonest

44 combating --- fighting
45 transaction --- an agreement
48 induce --- to influence to do
50 rendered --- done; given

Act (FCPA). This law was created after official
investigations revealed how much money US
companies were paying in bribes to governments and
30 officials in other countries. The investigation showed
that more than 400 companies doing business
internationally had paid over $300 million in bribes.
These bribes were hurting the image of the companies within the United States.
Therefore, the American government proposed the FCPA to restore integrity to
35 American business and confidence among American consumers.

According to the FCPA law, any US business caught paying bribes to any
official or agent of another country’s government could be punished by fines or
possible imprisonment. The fines could be up to twice the amount of the bribe,
and imprisonment could be up to five years. But this law actually put US
40 businesses at a disadvantage in the global market. Companies from other
countries were still paying bribes to do business. Therefore, the US government
worked with its major trading partners to establish an international treaty to
crack down on such unethical business practices as bribery. In 1997, thirty-four
countries signed an agreement called the Convention on Combating Bribery of
45 Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

However, there is nothing that clearly distinguishes the difference between
bribes and gifts in either the FCPA or the international Convention. But if a gift,
and especially a gift of money, is given with the intent to induce some favorable
action, then it is probably a bribe. On the other hand, a gift is not considered a
50 bribe when given after the deal is closed or service has been rendered.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 576 words

133

134

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Bribery is bad in all cultures.
2. ____ US companies paid bribes to businesses in other countries.
3. ____ The US passed a law against Americans paying bribes to officials

in other countries.
4. ____ Giving a gift is always bribery.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main idea of this reading concerning bribery?
a. Bribery is not common in Thailand.
b. Bribery is wrong everywhere.
c. Few countries will fight bribery in the future.
d. Some countries disagree that bribery is wrong.

2. What is NOT a bribe?
a. Some money given to prevent a harmful act
b. An expensive bottle of wine given before the contract is signed
c. Some gift given after the deal has been completed
d. An expensive necklace given to guarantee products of high quality

3. Which statement would the writer probably agree with?
a. People should only follow one style of business.
b. People should try to find a compromise between cultural differences.
c. People should not do business internationally without help from a consultant.
d. International business is difficult the first time.

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why was the FCPA created?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. When do people give “grease payments”?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided
below. Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary.

First Sentence: International business practices are a sensitive issue due to cultural
differences between countries.

1. Even though some countries view bribery as illegal, others tolerate it or even view it
as a supplement to their wages, to ensure quick payment and to prevent harassment.

2. Grease payments are bribes that can speed up the completion of a deal and even
ensure the delivery of high quality goods.

3. Recently the US government cracked down on the American businesses that were
taking part in bribery, but it put American companies at a disadvantage.

4. The US government worked with its international trading partners and established
a business treaty to combat bribery.

5. An investigation showed that more than 400 American companies doing business
internationally had paid over $300 million in bribes.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

wholesale retail merchandise contract kickback incentive

1. I buy directly from the company, so I get things at a cheaper __________ price.
2. My boss gave me a(n) __________ of $1,000. I feel motivated to work harder

now.
3. Occasionally I buy running shoes from a Nike store. Then I must pay full

__________ price.
4. He received a(n) __________ of $50,000 from the boss of the ABC company

because he agreed to buy ABC products.
5. “What kind of __________ do you sell in your store?” “Mainly clothing, but we

also sell some accessories, too.”
6. He signed a(n) __________ stating that he would deliver all the goods by next

month.

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136

Supplemental Reading

Promoting Business Ethics Track 44

A surprising number of employees in large companies report feeling
pressure to “do the wrong thing.” One out of eight workers reported
that their co-workers or managers somehow pressured them to do
something against the company’s ethical standards. Such internal corruption has
5 led several large companies into difficulty and even complete failure.

When a large corporation fails due to corruption, a
clear message is sent to the public. That message is
“unethical behavior will get you in trouble.” It appears
more students are getting this message as enrollment in
10 Business Ethics courses is rising. Interestingly, however,
very few MBA programs in North America require
students to take any Business Ethics courses. For this reason, the international
organization called Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is actively working to
train young businesspeople to make ethical business decisions.
15 SIFE works through teams of university students who volunteer their time
to work in training courses and to develop projects. These teams can be found
on more than 1,500 campuses in thirty-seven countries around the world. The
organization is supported by faculty advisors on these campuses, and many
international corporations take part in events organized by SIFE.
20 Each year, the teams from each university write an annual report of their
activities and give a presentation in a competition where the best team is awarded
the SIFE World Cup.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. What kinds of business cultures are there in your country?

Do you think they are positive or negative practices?
2. Do you think that it is possible to be too tolerant or accommodating

of another culture? Why or why not?

U N I T 12 B u s i n e s s & E c o n o m i c s 1

Adventure Tours
for Charity

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What is the most exotic place you have visited?
2. Would you call your visit to that place an “adventure”?

Why or why not?
3. What are some famous charities that you know of?

Who do these charities help?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. adventure a. collecting

2. donation b. an organized vacation or holiday

3. minimum c. to do together or participate

4. raising d. an exciting or strange trip

5. take part in e. a gift given to a cause or charity

6. tour f. the least level or amount

138

Adventure Tours for Charity Track 45

I n almost any magazine or newspaper in England, you can find
advertisements for adventure tours to exotic places. These exciting tours can
be bicycling, hiking, or even motorcycle trips across deserts, over mountains,
and around live volcanoes! Many of these tours are for charity, which makes them
5 more interesting to some people.

One advertisement offers people a “Bike
Ride to Hell and Back,” a 400-kilometer bicycle
tour across the lava fields of Iceland. The
advertisement says that the tour is like a ride
10 across the face of the moon. The organization
that sets up this tour is advertising for people
who can give time and effort to raising money
for a good cause. For their hard work, these
people will also be able to take the holiday of a
15 lifetime.

The first thing that people have to do is sign up for the tour. The number of
people who can go on each tour is limited, and many tours fill up fast. Those
who sign up then have to pay a deposit in order to hold their space on the tour.
People cannot get their deposit back later if they change their mind, so they had
20 better be sure they really want to go. The deposit is usually between £150-250
(US $200-375).

Next, each person must raise a minimum amount of money for the charity.
This money could be anywhere between £1,500-2,500 (US$2,000-3,500). In
order to raise this much money, some people send letters to friends and relatives
25 asking for help. Other people have big parties where all of the guests must pay to
come to the party. One farmer even divided up his field into one meter squares

2 exotic --- unusual
8 lava --- rock, either hot and fluid or solidified, which comes from a volcano
12 raise --- to collect
18 deposit --- money paid to reserve a place
26 divide up --- to separate

30 cow patty --- a pile of cow dung
38 overall --- general; including everything
40 typically --- commonly; usually
43 not for everybody --- not suitable or appealing for all people
46 Namib Desert --- a very dry area in Southwest Africa

to raise money. People could buy one square of the field for £1 each. Then the
farmer let his cow walk across the field. Whoever
bought the square where the cow dropped its first
30 “cow patty” won a prize. Surprisingly, the majority
of people who go on the adventure tours end up
collecting more than the minimum money that the
charity asks for.

Some people see a problem with this system
35 of raising money for charities. They think that it is

wrong for part of the money that people collect to
be used to pay for someone’s holiday. However,
charities try to keep the overall cost of the tours low so that at least 60 or 70
percent of the money which is raised goes to the charity. One charity said, “We
40 expect to make an average profit of £50,000 per trip.” This charity typically
runs between ten to fifteen tours each year.

Do people really want to spend their holiday doing something like bicycling
for 400 kilometers when they could be resting on a beach? These tours are not
for everybody. But the people who sign up for them all agree that it is a great
45 experience.

After hiking across the Namib Desert, a young construction worker from
London cried as he hugged all of the other people who had been on the tour with
him. Everyone cried. Most of them never thought that they could take part in an
adventure like that. They had not only finished a difficult hike, but they had
50 done it for someone else, for the charity.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 554 words

139

140

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ The adventure tours appeal to everyone.
2. ____ Less than half of the money that people raise for the charity is used to

pay for expenses on the trip.
3. ____ The farmer described in the reading sold his cow to raise money for the

charity.
4. ____ The charities set no limit on the number of people who can go on each

tour, so some tours get very crowded.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main idea of the reading?
a. Comparing tours arranged by two charities
b. Describing a dangerous tour set up by a charity
c. Explaining how charities raise money through tours
d. Giving information about interesting places to visit

2. What makes the tours described in the reading interesting for people?
a. They are exciting.
b. They are a great experience.
c. They raise money for charities.
d. All of the above

3. What would probably NOT be an adventure tour for charity?
a. Climbing Mt. Everest
b. Staying on a beach in Thailand
c. Crossing the Sahara desert
d. Sailing across the Pacific Ocean

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why should a person be careful when they pay a deposit for a charity adventure

tour?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why do some people disagree with this method of raising money for charities?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks in the table with the phrases below according to the
category they belong to. Use each phrase only once.

Adventure Tours for Charity

Adventure Activity Fundraising Activity

1. Asking guests for donations to buy a plot of farm land for a “cow patty”
2. Raising the minimum donation after putting down a deposit for the tour
3. Taking part in a bike tour across the lava fields of Iceland
4. Writing letters to friends and relatives to ask for money
5. Hiking across the Namib Desert
6. Taking a motorcycle trip over a mountain

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

risk challenge journey telethon worthy volunteer

1. A long and adventurous trip is sometimes called a(n) __________.

2. The biggest __________ in this trip will be to cross the Sahara Desert during
the day.

3. There’s a(n) __________ of falling when bungee jumping, but some people
think that makes it more exciting.

4. If you have some extra time, you should __________. Although you won’t get
paid, you will feel rewarded in other ways.

5. “What are you watching on TV?” “I’m watching the __________ for the flood
victims. I think that I’ll phone in and donate some money.”

6. “Do you know of any good charities I could donate something to?” “How about
the Women’s Center? Helping out battered women is always a(n) __________
cause.”

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142

Supplemental Reading

Helping Charities Can Help You, Too! Track 46

T here are lots of people in the United States who give donations to
charities just because they believe strongly in what the charity is doing.
However, what some of these people don’t realize is that all of the
donations they make to these charities can help them save money on their taxes
5 each year, too! The average American pays about 33 percent of her or his yearly
income in taxes, so any way to save money on the taxes a person has to pay each
year is a welcomed benefit. And these donations to charities are not limited to
cash only. If a person donates an old stereo or clothes, the estimated value of
these items can help lower a person’s taxes as long as they get a receipt from the
10 charity.

Other than the usual small items that people usually
give to charities, big things can help charities make
money, too. For example, if you have a really old car that
you want to get rid of, a car dealer might only offer you a
15 few hundred dollars for it. A charity might be able to
match what the car dealer would give you, and then the
charity can fix up the car and sell it at an auction. The
charity gets needed funds from selling the car, and you
get a break on your taxes for the value of the car when
20 the charity took it! Other things that people don’t often think of as possible
donations to charities include computers, stocks, and even land.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. In your country, can you save money by donating to charities?
2. Have you ever helped a charity? How?

U N I T 12 B u s i n e s s & E c o n o m i c s 2

Rating Companies

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What company is rated #1 in your country? How do you know?
2. Who do you think rates companies?
3. How do you think companies are rated?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. assign a. a business manager

2. criterion b. a number

3. executive c. the opinion people have about something; the good name

4. figure d. a standard of judgment

5. financial e. to designate

6. reputation f. related to managing of money

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Rating Companies Track 47

P ublications such as Business Week
and Fortune are two of the
several publishers that produce
ratings of different American and international
5 companies. These ratings not only concentrate on public or private
companies, but many other kinds as well. Companies are assigned two
main types of ratings. One of these can be summarized as the company’s actual
performance. The other type of rating pertains to the results of publishers’ surveys.

There are several reasons why publishing companies rate companies. One is
10 for the companies that are ranked to know where they stand in their industry.

Investors and lenders of the rated company also use the ratings to decide the
risk associated with doing business with the company. Consumers also use
ratings to learn about the company’s reputation and to rate companies when
making investment decisions.
15 Companies’ actual financial performance is one of the most important
indications in ranking companies. There are two types of measurements for
companies’ performance. All companies involved in the ratings must publish
financial data and must report part or all of these figures to a government
agency. Ratings are based on yearly reported financial statements. A second
20 type of performance measurement used in ratings is companies’ market
performance. This includes their market value, market share, and number of
employees. Some rankings use only financial performance or market
performance as the basis for their rating of companies, such as the Wall Street
Journal. However, some ratings will use both measurements, such as the
25 Fortune 500 and Business Week’s ratings.

The other major category of ratings relies on the results of surveys sent to

16 indications --- a sign; a criterion
19 financial statement --- a record of how money comes in and goes out
21 market share --- percentage of the market controlled by a company

27 analyst --- a person who studies trends in a particular field
30 revenue --- profit; income
31 securities analyst --- a person who studies stocks and the stock market
34 respondent --- a person giving answers
38 privately held --- owned by one person
45 primarily --- mainly; for the most part
50 crop up --- to appear; to show up

executives, company employees and analysts by the publishers. The publishers’
surveys present detailed statistical and analytical data on the companies that
they rank. For example, in order to rank America’s most admired companies,
30 Fortune magazine started with the ten largest companies by revenue in sixty-
six industries. They surveyed 10,000 executives, directors, and securities
analysts related to those companies, who then rated the various companies in
their own industries based on certain criteria. For the most admired companies,
the survey respondents were asked to select the ten companies in any industry
35 that they admired most. Another popular example is Fortune’s Best Companies
to Work For rating. To determine which companies make it on the list and
where they should rank, the publisher sends surveys to employees of all the
Fortune 1,000 companies, plus the 200 largest privately held US companies.

Among all the ratings, the most trusted and well-known rankings are done
40 by Fortune and Business Week magazines. Fortune magazine publishes many

company rankings every year, including the Fortune 500, Fortune 100 Best
Companies to Work For, Global Most Admired Companies and Fortune Global
500. In Fortune magazine’s Global 500, a few of the companies that regularly
show up on the list include General Electric, Exxon Mobile, IBM, and Bank of
45 America. This list’s ranking is based primarily on financial performance. By
comparison, the Fortune Global Most Admired rankings are based on executives’
surveys. Companies regularly appearing on this list year after year include
General Electric, Wal-Mart, and Microsoft. Finally turning to Business Week
magazine’s Global 1,000 ratings, one will find such companies as General
50 Electric, Exxon Mobile, and Wal-Mart crop up in the top five companies year
after year.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 550 words

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146

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ People use company ratings to make investment decisions.
2. ____ Only public and private companies are rated.
3. ____ One of the most important things used to rank a company is

its financial performance.
4. ____ Wal-Mart is considered one of the top companies in the world.

B Choose the best answer.

1. What is NOT a reason for ranking companies?
a. To help people make investments
b. To let companies know how well they are doing
c. To help companies make business decisions
d. To help companies make marketing decisions

2. Fortune’s Most Admired Company ranking is based on what survey?
a. A survey of entry-level workers
b. A survey of high-ranking business people
c. A survey of marketing analysts
d. A survey of customers

3. In which list is General Electric usually a top company?
a. Fortune’s Global Most Admired
b. Fortune’s Global 500
c. Business Week’s Global 1000
d. All of the above

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. How is a company’s financial performance measured?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. What is probably most important for a company when company rankings are
made?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks in the table with the sentences below according to the
category they belong to. Use each sentence only once.

Rating Companies

Reasons Why Companies are Rated Methods for Rating

1. When a company is rated, it tells them where they stand in their industry.
2. According to a kind of survey, companies can be assigned ratings on their

performance based on the figures in their financial statements.
3. A company can be judged by the opinions of executives and other employees.
4. People use these rankings as an indication of the company’s reputation.
5. Another criterion for determining a company’s performance is to evaluate their

market performance.
6. Investors and lenders want companies to be rated.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

assets profit monopoly bankrupt debt conglomerate

1. Bill Gates almost has a(n) __________ on computer operating systems.
Almost everyone uses Windows on their computer.

2. Even after paying taxes and all expenses, Microsoft still made a huge __________.
3. My cousin’s company is going __________. He can’t pay all the money that

he owes.
4. GE has many buildings, manufactured goods, and other __________ of value.
5. Money you owe is called a(n) __________.
6. GE is a(n) __________; that is, it is one big company that consists of many

smaller companies in different fields.

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Supplemental Reading

Where Are the Asian Companies? Track 48

S ince 1999, the US magazine Forbes has published a special list of the
“best” companies around the world: the A-list of Best Big Companies.
One of the first requirements is that a company must have over US $5
billlion in sales per year. Next, Forbes looks at the company’s history over the past
5 five years. Only companies with stable growth of sales and solid stock prices
remain on the list.

In looking at the list of companies selected by Forbes, it appears businesses
worldwide are not really equally represented. For example, a person might
assume that the number of companies from a country should be related in some
10 way to that country’s economic power. But companies from the United States
and Europe seem overly represented on Forbes’ A-list. Companies from the
United States and Europe represent 85 percent of the companies on the list!
Why are Asian companies underrepresented on this list?

Actually, there are several reasons business analysts have suggested to
15 account for this underrepresentation. Most of these reasons are related to the

“bad” business practices of many Asian companies. For example, companies that
hire relatives or friends as managers typically do not have stable growth. They
usually fail. Both the legal and political systems in some
countries allow businesses to operate in ways considered
20 unethical. Such practices make these
companies poor choices for investors and
thus remove these companies from Forbes’
A-list.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Do you agree with how Fortune and Business Week rank companies?

Why or why not?
2. What do you think is the most important thing to consider in order to

have a successful company?