Topic 58 Can business do anything they want to make a profit?

It is claimed that the only aim of business is to make a profit (Утверждается, что единственной целью бизнеса является получение прибыли). Moreover, it is thought that running a business without making benefits makes no sense (не имеет смысла). Actually, from an economic point of view, the statement "businesses should do anything they can to make a profit" is thoroughly true (~неприложная истинна - полностью, вполне, совершенно). However, from a moralistic and legal point of view that statement seems not quite well sustained.

 

I consider that to make a profit means that a person deals with business to be as flexible as possible. It means to put new technologies in application or to explore new scientific areas. Furthermore, to invest in individual improvement of the employees' professional skills and to be awake of (находиться в курсе) the global market tendencies are things absolutely necessary for the modern management of business.

 

Unfortunately, business is not a quite fair game. It is well-known that sometimes businesses have their own "dark" sides such as tax evading (уклонение от налогов), illicit trade or disloyal competition (Незаконная торговля или нечестная конкуренция). In addition to this, many employers make their employees get overworked without any extra payment.

 

Another point worth mentioning is that (Еще один момент который стоит отметить) businesses do not care enough about the environment and they frequently pollute it. Laws in most countries prosecute these actions (преследовать в судебном порядке такие действия), although some businesses keep breaking it without any punishment (без наказания).

 

I consider that businessmen sometimes forget about utter limits (верхнем пределе, издавать звук, произносить) in their ambitions to make a profit. Generally speaking, I do agree that businesses should do anything they can to make a profit but do not forget that anything does not mean everything.

 

If I ran my own business I would do it in a way that would neither ruin (разрушить) my name nor corrupt my conscience (повредить моей совести).

 

Topic 59 What's your hurry?

Life is short. Haste makes waste. What's your hurry? These three sayings

characterize the way I manage my day-to-day chores. I don't want to rush

through things; I prefer to take my time.

 

Life is short. You never know what may happen tomorrow so it is important to

enjoy today. Of course, some people will say that's why it is important to cram

a lot into a day. But then, how would you possibly have time to enjoy all of

those experiences. By doing a few things slowly and doing them well, you can

savor the experience.

 

Haste makes waste. We are not machines. We can't rush through things

mechanically. If we do, we might forget something; we might take shortcuts.

By taking our time, we can do a chore carefully, completely, and correctly.

 

What's your hurry? Where's the fire? I don't see any need to rush to the next

experience. There's still a lot to see and learn from the chores around you.

Taking care of your baby brother for instance can be very rewarding. You could

simply keep him near you while you watch TV and write a letter and talk on the

phone. Or you could devote your whole attention to him and observe his

reactions to his environment. You can observe carefully, if you are trying to do

four things at the same time.

 

To twist a common saying, "Don't just do something, sit there!" Take life easy

and savor each minute. Life is shorter than you think.

 

Topic 59 Get things done

People are different in many aspects. Some people are always in a hurry to go

places and get things done as fast as they can, while others prefer to take their

time and live a life at a slower pace. Either way is good, but I choose the first

style due to two reasons: extra time and more chances to do other things.

 

In the first place, my personality makes me do things fast and go to places in a

hurry. I always keep one thing in mind: if I save some time, I could do more

things. From my experiences, I used to finish all my homework after classes in

order to have more of my own time at home. I will read novels or I will do

extra exercise for Math or English. I find it is better to my study, and my life

will be more interesting. This is the major reason that I prefer to get things done

fast.

 

In the second place, I have many experiences that let me understand that the

faster pace, the better effects. For a long time, I feel secure at a faster pace,

since it will leave me a chance to go over my work and correct my mistakes. I

think it is useful in many cases especially when writing a test. And even when I

am going to see a movie, I prefer to get there earlier for a better seat. There are

many examples in daily life that show the advantages of getting things done

fast.

 

Of course, for those who prefer to take their time, they will have some good

reasons too. But I like to live life at a faster pace. It is not only because of my

personality, but it also because of my experiences.

 

Topic 60 Are games important to adults?

Some people think that games should play an important role in the life of

everyone including adults; others think that games should be left for children.

There are many arguments for and against both positions, but in my opinion

everyone should have a hobby and playing games is good.

 

One of the most cited reasons against playing games in adulthood is the lack of

time. Most games are very time-consuming, and to play games most adults

have to sacrifice time they spend with their family. I have a friend who was

fascinated by recreating great historical events especially battles. He spent all

his free time on studying old uniforms and rules of conduct. Even on work he

searched for information about ancient wars on the Internet. His productivity

declined sharply. As soon as his boss found out about his passion, he was fired.

 

On the other hand, many games are good for entertainment in spare time. For

example, it's much better to play in role-playing game, than spend time

watching numerous soap operas on TV. Some games are very good for people's

health, for example followers of Tolkien spend a lot of time learning how to use

swords and bows.

 

Some games are very good at improving brainpower. For example many

experts agree that chess, reversi and other intellectual games enhance thinking

and concentration. Also a person who actively play chess stand less chance to

get Alzheimer's disease comparing to average people.

 

Also it is easy to bridge a generation gap by playing games. Games help to

bring people together. Many families I know that like to play games are very

well-knit families. Parents spend much more time together with children if they

have similar interests.

Adults should not spend all their time thinking of and playing games, they

should balance time they spend at work and with their families. If they have

children, sharing their interest with their children is extremely recommended.

In conclusion, I want to say that playing games is a very good hobby for adults.

 

Topic 60 Are games important to adults?

Playing games has always been thought to be important to the development of

well-balanced and creative children; however, what part, if any, it should play

in the lives of adults has never been researched that deeply. I believe that

playing games is every bit as important for adults as for children. Not only is

taking time out to play games with our children and other adults valuable to

building interpersonal relationships but is also a wonderful way to release built

up tension.

 

There's nothing my husband enjoys more after a hard day of work than to come

home and play a game of Chess with someone. This enables him to unwind

from the day's activities and to discuss the highs and lows of the day in a nonthreatening,

kick back environment. A close friend received one of my most

memorable wedding gifts, a Backgammon set. I asked him why in the world he

had given us such a gift. He replied that he felt that an important aspect of

marriage was for a couple to never quit playing games together. Over the years,

as I have come to purchase and play, with other couples & coworkers, many

games like: Monopoly, Chutes & Ladders, Mastermind, Dweebs, Geeks, &

Weirdos, etc. I can reflect on the integral part they have played in our weekends

and our "shut-off the T V. and do something more stimulating" weeks. They

have enriched my life and made it more interesting. Sadly, many adults forget

that games even exist and have put them away in the cupboards, forgotten until

the grandchildren come over.

A person takes work with him to home and is engage in work during weekends and vacation.

to harness the computer's potential — использовать потенциал компьютера

I am convinced that engaged people are more productive, but not only in a quantitative way. Engaged people are more willing to learn, to change things, to be flexible,... They think along, are proactive and contribute to the organization because they feel like they co-own the place.

keep up with the Joneses - to try to be as rich, successful etc as your neighbours

All too often (Слишком часто), adults get so caught up in working to pay the bills and keeping up with the "Joneses'" that they neglect to harness the fun in life; the fun that can be the reward of enjoying a relaxing game with another person. It has been said that "man is that he might have joy" but all too often we skate through life (мы катимся по жизни) without much of it. Playing games allows us to: relax, learn something new and stimulating, interact with people on a different more comfortable level, and to enjoy non-threatening competition. For these reasons, adults should place a higher priority on playing games in their lives.