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Nathan - DCG UE 12 - Anglais Appliqué Aux Affaires - Manuel & Applications - 3e Édition 2016 - Corrigés PDF
Nathan - DCG UE 12 - Anglais Appliqué Aux Affaires - Manuel & Applications - 3e Édition 2016 - Corrigés PDF
Anglais appliqué
aux affaires
3e édition
2
Sommaire
Chapitre 1
Oil crises and their consequences 5
Chapitre 2
The characteristics of international trade today 17
Chapitre 3
The place of multinational companies 31
Chapitre 4
The globalization of markets 45
Chapitre 5
The constitution of regional trading areas 57
Chapitre 6
The emergence of Asian economies 72
Chapitre 7
Information and communication technologies 84
Chapitre 8
The organization of working hours 100
Chapitre 9
Changes in social protection 115
Chapitre 10
Competition and the law 127
Chapitre 11
Legal business structures in France 139
Chapitre 12
Company organization 152
Chapitre 13
The main functions of companies 164
Chapitre 14
Companies and their stakeholders 177
3
Chapitre 15
Setting up a company 190
Chapitre 16
Corporate strategy 202
Chapitre 17
Analysis of business performance 216
Chapitre 18
Internal and external company communication 230
4
Chapitre 1
Oil crises
and their consequences
Les chocs pétroliers et leurs conséquences
Background, p. 10
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions with the help of the text.
a. What is OPEC?
OPEC is the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries which makes
decisions for its members’ oil prices and production quotas.
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5
e. Why is oil consumption important in world politics and growth?
Because oil consuming countries are dependent politically and economically
on oil producing ones.
6
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
■ Approfondir
Answer the following questions, using the Internet or other
documents.
d. What is the current price of the barrel of oil, and what is the situation like
today?
There are many different prices and they change all the time. Today (April
6, 2016) crude oil Brent, for example, is at $38.76.
© Nathan
7
Lexical Work, p. 12
■ Use the list
1. Fill in the gaps with words from the list, making the necessary
changes, then translate the sentences.
a. At last, oil prices seem to have become less volatile: this is good news.
Les prix du pétrole semblent être devenus moins volatiles : c’est une bonne
nouvelle.
b. Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth and then injecting a
high pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals.
La fracturation consiste à creuser un trou dans le sol puis à injecter un
mélange à haute pression composé d’eau, de sable et de produits chimiques.
d. Many people do not agree to this new huge offshore wind farm
development, which will cost 2 billion euros and last only 20 years.
Beaucoup de gens ne sont pas d’accord avec cette nouvelle entreprise de
construction gigantesque d’un parc d’éoliennes en mer, qui coûtera 2
milliards d’euros et ne durera que 20 ans.
e. We should negotiate with our suppliers to clinch a better deal in view of all
the recent changes.
Nous devrions négocier avec nos fournisseurs pour conclure un meilleur
accord en raison de tous les changements récents.
f. The world’s proven reserves of oil are still huge, but they have become
more difficult and expensive to exploit, and eventually they will be depleted.
Les réserves prouvées de pétrole sont encore énormes, mais elles sont
devenues plus difficiles et coûteuses à exploiter, et elles finiront par
s’épuiser.
8
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
h. Big oil companies have recently cut their output because of the
competition from American shale oil.
Les grandes compagnies pétrolières ont récemment réduit leur production à
cause de la concurrence du pétrole de schiste américain.
i. Prices have just gone down again on the spot market in Rotterdam.
Les prix viennent encore de baisser sur le marché au comptant de Rotterdam.
2. Choose five other words in the list which you think are
important and write sentences with them, with the help of a
dictionary or the Internet if necessary.
Exercice destiné à stimuler la créativité et le libre choix. La réponse dépend
des mots qui auront été choisis.
Grammar Work, p. 13
■ L’utilisation de the
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. The price of crude oil.
The price of: déterminé – Ø crude oil: indénombrable.
➞ Le prix du brut.
2. The countries that supported Israel.
The countries that: déterminé – Ø Israel: nom propre de pays.
➞ Les pays qui ont soutenu Israël.
3. The world.
World toujours avec the.
➞ Le monde.
4. The economy.
Economy toujours avec the.
➞ L’économie.
5. Oil prices.
Ø + dénombrable au pluriel.
➞ Les prix du pétrole.
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9
6. Climate change
Ø + indénombrable.
➞ Le changement climatique.
7. The environment.
Environment toujours avec the.
➞ L’environnement.
10
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
■ Le présent simple ou le présent avec be-ing
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. They help to reduce oil consumption.
Vérité générale.
➞ Ils permettent de réduire la consommation de pétrole.
2. Other countries are building more of them.
Action en cours au moment où l’on parle, qui ne durera pas.
➞ Actuellement, d’autres pays en construisent davantage.
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11
3. Traduisez les phrases suivantes en anglais.
a. Les prix du gaz et du pétrole ne montent plus, et sont même
actuellement en baisse.
Oil and gas prices are no longer rising, and are even currently going down.
12
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
Exam Work, p. 15
Document 1
1. Comprehension. Summarize this text, justifying its title. (About
100 words.)
This text explains why oil can be “an energy for the future, thanks to innovation”.
In 1996, Shell set up a completely independent program employing a team of 12
experts: “The Game Changer”. So far, the company has invested $250 million in
the creation of about 300 new products out of 3,000 ideas, which can be used in
the oil sector. They vary widely, ranging from concrete objects that can be used
in oil wells to high-tech systems that help understand certain invisible processes
taking place during oil extraction. Both inventions help to make oil
environmentally-friendly, and are therefore good for the future.
103 mots
Document 2
2. Compréhension.
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13
b. Résumez cet article en expliquant le titre. Dégagez les problèmes
complexes actuellement rencontrés par les producteurs de pétrole, dans
quels pays et avec quelles conséquences. (150 mots environ.)
Cet article décrit les bouleversements actuels subis par le secteur pétrolier
dans le monde entier du fait de la forte baisse des tarifs des différents types
de pétrole, dont les prix sont équivalents à ce qu'ils étaient une génération
plus tôt. Cette baisse est liée à une surproduction due au pétrole de schiste
américain, et à la production intense des pays de l’OPEC et surtout hors
OPEC. Les prix continueront de baisser tant que les stocks resteront élevés,
par exemple à Singapour et en Afrique du Sud, et tant que les banques
continueront à financer le secteur pétrolier. Conséquemment, les
compagnies pétrolières réduisent leurs dépenses par centaines de milliards
de dollars et procèdent à des licenciements. Cela continuera tant que les prix
resteront à la baisse et la production à la hausse, c’est-à-dire jusqu’à l’an
prochain au moins. C’est pourquoi les difficultés de ce secteur ne sont pas
près d’être terminées, comme l'indique le titre.
152 mots
Document 3
3. Compréhension.
a. Pick out and translate the words or expressions in the text that are related
to magic.
– “Pulling a rabbit from a hat” = sortir un lapin d’un chapeau ;
– “hey presto” = abracadabra ;
– “deserves applause” = mérite des applaudissements ;
– “to conjure up” = faire apparaître par un tour de passe-passe.
14
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
However, the author ironically implies that these tricks are “magic” because
they cannot be repeated again, although the stock market accepted them
naively and bought Wood Group’s shares again, after selling them: Wood
Group's results were manipulated by the manager acting like a magician.
126 words
Document 4
4. Note de synthèse. À partir de ces quatre documents, vous
rédigerez un rapport en français en montrant l’évolution récente
du secteur pétrolier jusqu’en 2015, ses causes et ses
conséquences. (250 mots environ.)
La couverture de The Economist illustre concrètement la dégringolade des
prix du pétrole qui a eu lieu en 2015, et comment réagir. Les raisons de cette
chute sont expliquées dans le document 2 du dossier : surproduction de
pétrole due d’abord au pétrole de schiste américain, ensuite à la concurrence
entre les pays de l’OPEC et ceux hors OPEC, qui produisent sans freins. En
conséquence, les stocks de pétrole sont beaucoup trop élevés dans le monde
entier. C’est la raison pour laquelle l’image montre un consommateur qui
dévale intrépidement une montagne de barils de pétrole ; le soleil éclatant
derrière lui semble chauffer la situation économique, mais le consommateur
va trop vite et risque la chute.
En effet, cette baisse des prix comporte des inconvénients, comme ceux que
souligne le document 3 : la nécessité pour le secteur pétrolier de licencier, de faire
des économies et de se réorienter en dehors de la production, voire de présenter
sa situation sous un faux jour qui trompe les marchés.
Néanmoins, le titre semble indiquer que cette pente descendante, conjuguée
aux nouvelles technologies, peut entraîner une évolution de la politique
énergétique. De fait, le document 1 montre que des compagnies pétrolières,
telles que Shell, innovent beaucoup grâce à leurs investissements, ce qui
contribuera à assainir le secteur et, entre autres, à rendre le pétrole plus
écologique.
Ce titre encourage ainsi à saisir l’opportunité de la baisse des prix du pétrole
pour innover dans le domaine de l’énergie avec l’aide de la technologie, tout
en restant prudent.
253 mots
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15
5. Expression. Rédigez une lettre en anglais à partir des éléments suivants.
(150 mots environ.)
Société MECAVAL
36, rue de la Cimenterie
57440 Algrange
FRANCE
5 March 20..
Mr Steve Hutchinson
Purchasing Manager
OIL-EQUIP
310 4 Av. SW
Calgary AB T2P 0h7
CANADA
Dear Mr Hutchinson,
Yours faithfully,
16
Chapitre 1 – Oil crises and their consequences
Chapitre 2
The characteristics
of international trade today
Les traits contemporains des échanges internationaux
Background, p. 21
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the questions with the help of the text.
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17
d. What criticisms are made of the WTO and what are the arguments in
favour?
The WTO is accused of having too much power over sovereign states, and
of not taking into consideration the problems of developing countries or the
impact of free trade on basic factors such as workers’ rights, child labour,
the environment and health.
However, as WTO free trade policies bring about prosperity, many contend
that they contribute to raising living standards all over the world. Moreover,
the decision process is regarded as democratic since all member states have
their say
■ Approfondir
a. Why is it urgent to speak out for greater justice in world trade?
It is urgent because the poor countries are still poor with little hope of
improving their situation if the other countries do not reform the rules and
institutions that govern international trade. There are various movements
such as the Trade Justice Movement, a coalition founded in 2000, based in
London, most of whose members are British organisations, which speak out
for greater justice. Its campaign is based on the belief that the performance
and legitimacy of the international trade system must be judged in relation
to its ability to meet poverty, social injustice and environmental
degradation.
b. Is the fact that WTO members are also frequently members of regional
trade agreements (such as NAFTA or the European Union) a problem or an
asset for the WTO?
It is actually both. Regional deals can be an impediment when it comes to
furthering global deals prepared by the WTO. For instance, regulating the
financial industry in the wake of the 2008 crisis has proved difficult because
of the binding terms and specific legal language used in regional
agreements. These prevent their members from signing agreements
emanating from the WTO that would in any way contradict existing
commitments. On the other hand, being a member of a regional trading area
allows member countries to circumvent the long process of WTO
negotiations, and sometimes even offers the possibility to try out new forms
of agreements that – if successful – will be more likely to be adopted by all
members of the WTO. This makes it easier for member countries to get
what they want.
© Nathan
19
Lexical Work, p. 23
■ Use the list
1. Complete the sentences with a word / expression from the list,
making the necessary changes, and translate the sentences.
d. We did not manage to deliver all the goods in time for the fair.
Nous n’avons pas réussi à livrer tous les produits à temps pour le salon.
a. The Manager announced that his company would comply with the
European directive on ethical policy.
Le directeur a déclaré que son entreprise se conformerait à la directive
européenne sur la politique éthique.
b. Our clients buy our goods because they are sure that they are getting
value for money.
Nos clients achètent nos produits parce qu’ils sont sûrs que le rapport
qualité-prix est bon.
Grammar Work, p. 24
■ Le passif et « on »
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants en employant la
construction avec « on » :
1. He was given a very small office.
La forme passive s’utilise quand on veut parler de ce qui est arrivé au sujet
et non de ce que le sujet a fait. Quand l’identité de l’agent est sans
importance ou évidente, on traduira cette forme passive en français par
« on ».
➞ On lui a donné un très petit bureau.
2. Someone left a message for you.
➞ On vous a laissé un message.
3. She was asked to leave.
➞ On lui a demandé de partir.
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21
On leur a demandé de finir le travail pour demain.
d. They have worked out how many cuts they would have to make.
The number of cuts that would have to be made has been worked out.
On a calculé combien de suppressions il faudrait faire.
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e. He speaks two foreign languages very well and he will soon be leaving
the firm to work abroad.
d. Swedish wooden a has sells large opened shop which beautiful just round
tables
A large Swedish shop which sells beautiful round wooden tables has just opened.
Un grand magasin suédois vendant de belles tables rondes en bois vient d’ouvrir.
4. Translate the sentences.
a. Est-ce que l’on change les devises au même taux dans les agences
bancaires et dans les bureaux de change ?
Are foreign currencies exchanged at the same rate in the banks as in the
bureaux de change?
© Nathan
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7. COMPRÉHENSION. En vous appuyant sur les cinq documents de ce
dossier, vous rédigerez, en français, une note de synthèse mettant en
relief les forces et faiblesses d'une organisation comme l'OMC.
(250 mots environ.)
Le dossier à l'étude propose un regard mitigé sur les activités de
l'Organisation Mondiale du Commerce. Les documents 1 et 3, en particulier,
jettent une lumière crue sur les contradictions qui gangrènent l'organisation
et son fonctionnement. Le premier document expose les inégalités criantes
entre les pays membres et pointe du doigt les mécanismes qui permettent
aux plus riches d'asseoir leur domination économique et de préserver leurs
avantages historiques. Le document 3 nous fournit en la matière un exemple
révélateur concernant le secteur des énergies solaires, qui offre des marchés
à conquérir. On y apprend que l'Inde souhaitait développer cette industrie
pour satisfaire ses besoins vitaux en matière d'électricité tout en protégeant
jalousement ses propres entreprises, mais a vu son projet contrarié par
l'OMC suite à une plainte des États-Unis, qui pratiquent pourtant
exactement la même chose. Ces stratégies hypocrites sont bien loin des
ambitions affichées par l'organisation, dont les documents 1, 4 et 5 se font
l'écho. Le document 5 en particulier dénonce l'extrême lenteur des
négociations et l'écart qui existe entre les effets d'annonce et la réalité bien
modeste des résultats, une fois que se sont affrontés tous les intérêts
particuliers défendus par les pays membres. Il est toutefois des avancées
positives qui peuvent susciter l'espoir, comme la contribution des
négociations menées par l'OMC aux économies d'énergie (document 2), ou
encore son aptitude à prendre en compte la situation particulière des pays
pauvres pour les exempter de droits sur la propriété intellectuelle, leur
permettre de produire des médicaments essentiels à moindre coût et peut-
être à terme de garantir la viabilité de leur propre secteur pharmaceutique
(document 4).
269 mots
DATE
NAME
FUNCTION
ADDRESS
Dear Mr Harman
We have received your letter dated 7 April in which you request a credit
extension for two months concerning our invoice n° 1727 because of
temporary financial difficulties.
We have examined your dossier and are pleased to tell you that, thanks to
our previous good business relations and to the regularity of your payments,
we are willing, exceptionally, to reply favourably to your request.
Yours sincerely
Nicolas DURAND
Chief Accountant
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31
Chapitre 3
The place
of multinational companies
La place des firmes multinationales
Background, p. 33
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Using the information above, answer the following questions.
© Nathan
31
d. What may the host countries have to combat sometimes and how do they
set about it?
The host country may find it difficult to enforce national laws especially
when the multinational is very big and tries to impose its power. To limit
this power, the national government may threaten to nationalise the
company and force it to sell its local assets to the government or to local
nationals. The host country can also make changes in local business laws
and regulations which will also limit the multinational’s power.
f. How and why has the attitude of the MNCs to ethical issues changed?
Their attitude has changed because when the general public is informed of
any abuse, it expresses its disapproval by denouncing the company and,
when necessary, by boycotting the company. The MNCs had no choice but
to change their policies and now use advertising to announce their ethical
commitments.
■ Approfondir
Les éléments suivants peuvent être utilisés dans la réponse.
Pour décrire les publicités
a catchphrase: une accroche.
a slogan: un slogan.
the slogan is written in the middle of the page.
Le slogan est écrit au milieu de la page.
a site / pages dedicated to…
un site / des pages consacré(es) à…
Pour analyser les publicités
They appeal to the consumers’ sense of responsibility / humour /
honesty…
Ils font appel au sens des responsabilités / de l’humour / de l’honnêteté…
des consommateurs
They show how they comply with standards.
Ils montrent comment ils respectent les normes.
They claim that they are committed to principles of…
Ils affirment qu’ils s’engagent à respecter des principes de …
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They insist that their products are eco-friendly.
Ils affirment que leurs produits respectent l’environnement.
They publish Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) reports.
Ils publient des rapports de responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise (RSE).
To launch a campaign.
Lancer une campagne.
The colour green reminds us of nature.
La couleur verte fait penser à la nature.
They appeal to consumers by striking an emotional chord.
Ils séduisent les consommateurs en faisant vibrer une corde sensible.
Pour donner son avis
I would say that…
Je dirais que…
This ad appears to be quite convincing / unconvincing.
Cette publicité semble être fort convaincante / fort peu convaincante.
It is very effective.
C’est très efficace.
At first glance, the connection between the photo and CSR may seem
weak.
À première vue, le lien entre la photo et la RSE peut sembler ténu.
Lexical Work, p. 35
■ Use the list
1. Which words in the list mean:
a. an amount of money invested: outlay.
b. to go to a meeting: to attend a meeting.
c. to aim at: to target.
d. to forbid: to ban.
a. To wind up a company.
Liquider une société.
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Grammar Work, p. 36
■ Les auxiliaires de modalité : should, could, would
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. MNCs should contribute to reducing global warming.
Should + V permet de donner un conseil sur quelque chose qui ne va pas de
soi.
➞ Les multinationales devraient contribuer à réduire le réchauffement
climatique.
2. The government should have introduced stricter regulations to tax MNCs.
Should have + participe passé permet d’exprimer au présent un reproche ou
un regret sur une action passée.
➞ Les multinationales auraient dû faire passer une réglementation plus
sévère pour taxer les multinationales.
3. Multinaltionals could do much more to reduce forced labour.
Could + V permet de constater que quelque chose est possible.
➞ Les multinationales pourraient faire davantage pour réduire le travail
forcé.
4. They could have improved working conditions, but they did not.
Could have + participe passé permet de dire au présent que quelque chose
aurait pu être possible dans le passé.
➞ Ils / Elles auraient pu améliorer les conditions de travail mais ne l’ont pas fait.
5. If MNCs paid local taxes, poor countries would fight poverty more
efficiently.
Would + V permet d’exprimer une conséquence probable, qui va de soi.
➞ Si les multinationales payaient des impôts au niveau local, les pays
pauvres pourraient combattre la pauvreté plus efficacement.
6. If they had opened factories in Dhaka, more people would have found
jobs.
Would have + participe passé permet d’exprimer au présent la conséquence
probable d’une action passée.
➞ S’ils avaient ouvert des usines à Dhaka, davantage de personnes auraient
trouvé un emploi.
c. If they had paid their workers a smaller wage, these toys would have cost
less than one dollar a piece.
S’ils avaient donné un plus petit salaire à leurs employés, ces jouets auraient
coûté moins d’un dollar pièce.
Could est possible : aurait pu coûter
f. If some states were not so corrupt, their countries and people would
benefit more from foreign investments.
Si certains états n’étaient pas aussi corrompus, leurs pays et leurs
populations profiteraient davantage des investissements étrangers.
Could est possible : pourraient profiter
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■ L’expression du futur
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. Ikea will invest in renewable energies next year in order to be greener.
➞ Ikea investira dans les énergies renouvelables l’année prochaine afin
d’être plus écologique.
Will permet d’exprimer ce qui est fortement probable et prévisible, selon
toute vraisemblance, donc un futur.
2. McDonalds is to pay workers better wages: this initiative is going to
rebrand its image.
➞ Il est prévu que McDonalds paye de meilleurs salaires à ses employés :
cela va redorer son image de marque.
Be to + V permet de parler d’un événement prévu à l’avance. Il est parfois
traduit par le verbe « devoir ». McDonalds doit payer…
3. Once BP has sold off its old refineries, it will invest in modern oil
facilities.
➞ Une fois que BP aura vendu ses anciennes raffineries, l’entreprise
investira dans des équipements pétroliers modernes.
La première partie de la phrase est une subordonnée de temps à sens futur,
qui ne peut pas comporter « will » en anglais. « Will » n’apparaît que dans la
principale qui exprime la conséquence prévisible et probable de l’action
proposée dans la subordonnée.
4. Due to increasing consumer pressure, Starbucks will have changed its
strategy within a year.
➞ Du fait de pressions accrues de la part des consommateurs, Starbucks
aura changé sa stratégie d’ici un an.
Will have + participe passé correspond à un futur antérieur français, qui
permet d’exprimer une action qui sera accomplie à un moment déterminé du
futur.
5. Our suppliers in Malaysia called – they are sending the goods in two
weeks’ time.
➞ Nos fournisseurs de Malaisie ont appelé: ils nous expédient les
marchandises dans deux semaines.
Le présent be+ing permet d’exprimer une action à venir et de mettre en
valeur l’intention du sujet.
a. Nestlé has announced that it will extend its activities to skin treatments.
Nestlé a annoncé qu’ils vont étendre leurs activités à des traitements
dermatologiques.
b. Exxon Mobil is involved in the fight against climate change now. It will
stop funding climate change denial.
Exxon Mobile est désormais impliqué dans la lutte contre le changement
climatique. Ils vont arrêter de financer les climato-sceptiques.
c. When Toyota Motor has devised an electric car, it will dominate the car
industry.
Quand l'entreprise Toyota Motor aura conçu une voiture électrique, elle
dominera le secteur automobile.
d. Procter and Gamble will have made efforts to improve its products by next
year.
Procter and Gamble auront fait des efforts pour améliorer leurs produits
d’ici l’année prochaine.
f. The court of justice has ruled that MNCs are to pay all the corporate tax
they owe.
Le tribunal a décidé que les multinationales doivent payer tous les impôts
sur les sociétés qu’elles doivent.
g. Intel is going to invest in programmes for girls and women all over the
world because education is a fundamental right.
Intel va investir dans des programmes à destination des fillettes et des
femmes partout dans le monde car l’éducation est un droit fondamental.
© Nathan
39
3. Translate into English.
a. The workers could have an accident with these run-down machines.
b. We should have warned you about the price changes.
c. If the order had arrived in the right department, it would have been
processed earlier on.
d. The goods will be shipped as soon as possible / within the time limit.
e. If pharmaceutical companies devised drugs for rare diseases, they would
make less profit.
f. We are aware of the problems. We are going to put them right as soon as
possible.
g. Multinationals should fight global warming.
h. The warehouses are to be built so that they will conform to standards.
i. We could have solved the problem more quickly.
j. Once you have received the catalogue, you will place your orders
according to your needs.
k. The problem will have been solved within a week.
Exam Work, p. 38
1. COMPREHENSION. Explain the economic and social reasons
why tax avoidance should be dealt with, and the ways in which
this could be done, and by whom. (About 120 words.)
Tax avoidance, which consists in not paying corporate tax where business is
done, should be dealt with because of its drastic social repercussions. Even
though it is financially beneficial for multinationals, it simply deprives
countries of funding for health, culture, education and infrastructure.
Furthermore, it limits access to water and sanitation. That is why tax
avoidance can be seen as a violation of human rights and an impediment to
the future of the younger generations. Basically, it creates and compounds
poverty. The solution consists in taxing the branches of MNCs as if they
were single companies in every country where they operate. Conversely,
states should tax corporations only for operations carried out in their
country. All countries, not just a few, should have a say on the topic.
129 words
Chapitre 3 – The place of multinational companies
40
2. COMPREHENSION
a. Summarize this article and explain the title. (About 120 words.)
Multinationals that produce food need to change their strategy in order to
pursue growth, because tastes are changing. Indeed, net sales have been on
the decrease and the future development of “big food” seems to be
threatened. What is happening is that consumers are turning to fresh and
organic foods, grown locally if possible. They now reject fast food and
processed meals, which contain artificial ingredients and have a high fat,
sugar, and salt content. These new health-minded consumers are wary of
fast food. Multinationals like Nestlé or Kellogg need to adapt to this
growing trend either by producing healthier and more natural products, or
by buying smaller companies that are already specialised in healthy food.
Their future is definitely at stake.
122 words
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41
strong point. Global players in regional contexts need to think out their strategies
in terms of quality, not quantity.
105 words
4. Expliquez pourquoi, d’après cet article, le rôle sociétal des
multinationales est plus important que jamais. (Environ 140 mots.)
Le modèle économique imposé par les multinationales, basé sur la recherche
permanente d’une baisse des coûts de production, a entraîné et entraîne
toujours un fléau social grave : l’exploitation outrancière des travailleurs,
qui va jusqu’à des formes d’esclavage moderne. Tous les secteurs où elles
interviennent sont concernés. L’absence de législation locale en matière de
droits des travailleurs dans certains pays aggrave le problème.
Cela dit, il ne faut pas noircir le tableau non plus. Les multinationales ont
également des effets bénéfiques : elles offrent des salaires décents et des
produits abordables, et créent un tissu économique favorable. Seulement, on
ne peut plus compter uniquement sur les partenaires habituels de l’entreprise
pour combattre ces fléaux. Les multinationales sont concernées au premier
degré. Elles sont conscientes d'avoir un intérêt économique à participer au
bien-être social des pays où elles opèrent.
138 mots
5. EXPRESSION. What are the possible interpretations of the
cartoon on the next page? To what extent do you agree with the
view(s) expressed in this cartoon? (About 150 words.)
In this cartoon, an enormous skyscraper rises up above the rest of the world
and reaches the clouds. Across the façade, huge lettering may be seen:
“mcnikecolasoft”, clearly a made up name for a gigantic multinational. It is
an obvious reference to some of the biggest American corporations which
are McDonald’s, Nike, Coke and Microsoft.
This cartoon is a criticism of the domination of American multinationals in
the world of business. They are criticized for crushing competitors and
dominating the world. It may also mean that when they merge, they become
even more powerful and unbeatable.
This cartoon reminds me of the Tower of Babel which men built to reach God. In
this case the ambition is to conquer the world. I agree with the criticism in the
cartoon when I think of the case against Microsoft which was brought about in
1993 by the European Union for abuse of its dominant position.
153 words
Chapitre 3 – The place of multinational companies
42
6. COMPRÉHENSION. À partir de tous ces documents, rédigez
une synthèse mettant en lumière les divers défis auxquels les
multinationales doivent faire face pour s’adapter au monde
d’aujourd’hui. (Environ 250 mots.)
Tous les documents montrent qu'en raison de leur taille imposante, de leur
influence incontournable et du modèle économique qu’elles imposent, les
multinationales ont un impact social et économique dont elles doivent tenir
compte si elles veulent assurer leur avenir.
La recherche du profit à tout prix, combinée à des pratiques d’optimisation
fiscale, engendre de la pauvreté et prive les pays où les multinationales
interviennent de ressources utiles au développement (document 1). Les
multinationales ne peuvent ignorer leur impact social quand il est délétère et
doivent accepter d’avoir des pratiques fiscales plus justes, en reconnaissant
qu’elles font partie intégrante du tissu socio-économique, dont leur avenir
dépend (document 4). C’est pourquoi le travail forcé, qui concerne
aujourd’hui des millions de travailleurs, voire l’esclavage moderne, doivent
être combattus par les multinationales. Il n’est plus question qu’elles laissent
la gestion de ces problèmes à leurs divers partenaires.
De plus, elles doivent faire face à la concurrence d’entreprises locales, en
particulier dans des pays émergents comme la Chine, l’Inde ou le Brésil.
Toutefois, plutôt que de tenter de copier leurs concurrents locaux, elles
doivent s’appuyer sur leur image de marque pour ne pas se laisser distancer
par la concurrence émergente (document 3). Les consommateurs évoluent
eux aussi et sont en demande de produits locaux, plus sains et plus
écologiques. C’est un défi de plus à relever, qui se fait grâce à des statégies
d’adaptation des produits et des services, ou bien en rachetant de plus petites
entreprises bien placées sur les nouveaux secteurs (document 2). La
pérennité des multinationales doit se fonder sur un cercle vertueux où rôle
sociétal, engagement éthique, stratégies d’adaptation raisonnées et bénéfices
économiques se nourrissent mutuellement.
275 mots
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7. EXPRESSION. Votre société, TipTopSport, souhaite que ses
cadres supérieurs bénéficient d’une formation leur permettant
d’améliorer l’efficacité de leurs projets stratégiques en Chine. Le
directeur de la formation vous a demandé d’envoyer un appel
d’offres à trois cabinets de conseil en management interculturel.
(Environ 150 mots environ.)
TipTopSport
Invitation to tender
The seminar will take place in Paris in September 201x. and at a later date
in China. That date remains to be fixed.
Yours sincerely
Antony Braithwaite
The globalization
of markets
La globalisation des marchés
Background, p. 45
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions with the help of the text.
a. What does globalization represent for the rich countries? The emerging
countries? The poor countries?
In the rich countries, globalization has provided consumers with a bigger
choice of products, many of which are relatively cheap. As for companies,
not only do they operate in a bigger market but they can relocate their
businesses and thereby have access to a lower-paid workforce. This enables
them to make more profit, while shareholders enjoy a better return on their
capital. This also brings job losses for thousands of workers within rich
countries.
Globalization has brought rapid economic growth to emerging countries
thanks to foreign investment, the quality of their telecommunications, the
importance of their scientific and technological standards, and thanks to a
low paid workforce.
Most of the poor countries have remained poor. Many of them still suffer
from famine, water shortage and disease, and have no choice but to rely
upon international aid.
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b. What has financial globalization created for the economy in general?
The free circulation of capital worldwide has made the financing of
companies easier, but at the same time, riskier. Any big financial problems
are likely to affect the economy as a whole which can then lead to a global
economic crisis.
Lexical Work, p. 48
■ Use the list
1. Fill in the gaps with words from the list and translate the
sentences.
a. The world is bigger now because business is carried out on a global scale.
Le monde est plus grand maintenant parce que les affaires se traitent à une
échelle mondiale.
b. Tax havens offer low or zero taxes, secrecy and lax regulation.
Les paradis fiscaux proposent une fiscalité sans ou avec peu de taxes, le
secret et une réglementation laxiste.
N.B. : le sens propre de « haven » est « refuge, havre ».
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c. The consumer can choose between a wider range of products.
Le consommateur a un plus grand choix de produits.
e. The tourist industry brings in some revenue for the poor countries.
L’industrie du tourisme rapporte quelques revenus aux pays pauvres.
g. There is now a big gap between the rich and the poor, both within the rich
countries and between the rich and poor countries.
Il existe actuellement un écart important, non seulement entre les riches et
les pauvres qui vivent dans les pays riches, mais aussi entre les pays riches
et les pays pauvres.
2. Match the following verbs with a complement and translate
the expressions.
a. to hinder trade talks: gêner/entraver les négociations commerciales
b. to swamp the market: inonder le marché
c. to retaliate with trade barriers: riposter en élevant des barrières
douanières
d. to raise funds: lever des capitaux
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e. As Ø technology shrinks the world, we need to understand Ø other
cultures.
f. All the trading partners usually benefit from Ø trade and the wealth it
brings.
g. In some ways the world economy was just as globalized in the past as it is
now.
h. During the Great Depression, the governments imposed Ø trade barriers.
i. At the moment there is Ø global panic as Ø investors take fright at the
spreading recession.
j. Today, Ø communication across Ø time zones stimulates Ø global trade.
k. “I’m all for Ø progress, it’s Ø change I don’t like.” (Mark Twain)
a. These cheap goods from China can / may swamp the market.
Ces marchandises bon marché en provenance de Chine peuvent / risquent
d’inonder le marché.
c. Too many people cannot understand that protectionism can / may threaten
the consumers’ standard of living.
Trop de gens ne peuvent comprendre que le protectionnisme peut / risque de
menacer le niveau de vie des consommateurs.
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e. L’anglais est devenu la langue utilisée mondialement pour communiquer
dans presque tous les domaines.
English has become the language used worldwide to communicate in nearly
every domain.
Exam Work, p. 51
1. COMPREHENSION
a. Explain the following quote from Neil Shen: “today it’s not just copycats...
China will expand, through its own innovations and through acquisitions”.
Neil Shen is referring to the previously well-established model of
development for Chinese companies, which consisted in copying Western
innovations and products before mass-producing them in China at a lower
cost. China's attitude towards intellectual property – which was once
considered the bane of Western manufacturers – is gradually changing and
giving way to a more collaborative approach, which allows Chinese
companies to sometimes buy Western firms rather than simply copy their
products, and to collaborate with them in order to acquire some expertise
and refine their own products and brands. In other words, China's industrial
relationship with the West is improving: it is becoming more gratifying and
even mutually beneficial, to some extent.
b. Answer the question: what does the author criticizes here about the
“global espresso culture”?
The author of this text – who has Italian ancestors and views himself as a
true connoisseur of Italian espressos – is expressing his disapproval of the
way globalization has affected what now passes for Italian coffee in coffee
shops around the world. To him, chain stores like Starbucks, for instance,
are guilty of having changed the very nature of espressos by adding spices
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4. EXPRESSION. Taking into account documents 2 and 3 and
drawing from your own experience as a customer, express your
point of view on the globalization of the food and dining
industry. (About 150 words.)
Exemple de réponse rédigée :
Young adults who have remained immune to globalized brands such as
McDonald's must be truly hard to find. It is not my case, as I have already
treated myself to a few hazel-flavoured ''lattes'' and the occasional burger. I
have also watched helplessly as French cafés and bistrots close down at an
increasingly rapid pace.
On the one hand, I can't deny that I enjoy the mostly cheap, reliable and
instantly-gratifying products I can find at my local McDonald's restaurant,
or when I travel abroad. On the other hand, I hope that I will never lose the
option to embrace more authentic, savoury and diverse offers, especially in
my home country. In that respect, I think the development and promotion of
"made in France" labels and initiatives such as the "week of taste" are steps
in the right direction to help all generations demand more authentic products
and perhaps even save local businesses in the process.
156 words
5. COMPREHENSION. What paradox does this cartoon point
to? (About 60 words.)
This cartoon highlights a paradox which afflicts many young (and not so
young) activists protesting against the ill effects of globalization and
consumer society. They live in a world and culture that is so deeply
structured by globalized modes of consumption that they may not realize the
extent of their reach, especially when they buy clothing or other consumer
goods. The cartoonist is also suggesting that activism sounds hollow when
activists do not live by the gospel they preach.
79 words
6. SYNTHÈSE. En vous appuyant sur les quatre documents
fournis, vous rédigerez en français une note qui répondra à la
question suivante : quels sont les principaux effets de la
mondialisation ? (200 mots environ.)
Les documents qui sont proposés à l'étude témoignent tous des effets
graduels et pourtant radicaux de la mondialisation sur nos économies,
Dear Sir
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55
Consequently, we wish to inform you that we refuse to pay this increase and
that we look forward to a rapid reply confirming that the price of our trip
remains unchanged.
Yours faithfully
Name
Assistant Sales Manager
Enc
161 mots
Background, p. 62
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Répondez aux questions suivantes en français.
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57
d. Tous les pays adhèrent-ils à un espace économique régional ?
Non, mais beaucoup adhèrent à au moins un espace ou traité économique
régional.
■ Approfondir
Les réponses à ces questions dépendent de l’actualité et des recherches
personnelles.
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Lexical Work, p. 64
1. Fill in the gaps with words from the list, making the necessary
changes, then translate the sentences.
a. In the EU, which is a customs union, goods can travel freely without
paying customs duties.
Dans l’UE, qui est une union douanière, les marchandises peuvent circuler
librement sans payer de droits de douane.
g. In spite of NAFTA, there are still borders between its member countries.
Malgré l’ALENA, il existe encore des frontières entre ses États membres.
2. Match the words below, add articles if necessary, and
translate the expressions.
a. to cancel an agreement: annuler un accord
b. to go through customs: passer la douane
c. to break down barriers: faire tomber des barrières
d. to dismantle regulations: démanteler des règlements
e. a customs officer: un douanier
f. to join a union: adhérer à une union
g. retaliatory measures: des mesures de rétorsion
Grammar Work, p. 65
■ La proposition infinitive
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
Les réponses sont données ci-dessous. De nombreux autres verbes sont
indiqués dans l’aide-mémoire. Soulignons la place de not situé juste avant
to.
1. The EU wants the rest of the world to adopt its rules.
Verbe de volonté + nom complément + to + infinitif
➞ L’UE veut que le reste du monde adopte ses règles.
2. The paper calls on the EU to encourage other jurisdictions to follow suit.
Verbe exprimant une invitation à agir + nom complément + to + infinitif
➞ Le document demande à l’UE d’encourager les autres juridictions à faire
de même.
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3. The Trade Minister called for a global movement to pressure
governments.
Verbe exprimant une volonté + nom complément + to + infinitif
➞ Le ministre du Commerce a réclamé qu’un mouvement mondial exerce
des pressions sur les gouvernements.
4. The customs officer asked her to complete the questionnaire.
Verbe exprimant un ordre + pronom complément + to + infinitif
➞ Le douanier lui a demandé de finir de remplir le questionnaire.
5. The WTO urged them not to take retaliatory measures.
Verbe exprimant un ordre + pronom complément + to + infinitif
➞ L’OMC les a vivement incités à ne pas prendre de mesures de rétorsion.
a. The WTO expects all its member countries to dismantle their protectionist
regulations.
L’OMC attend de tous ses États membres qu’ils démantèlent leurs
règlements protectionnistes.
b. The Prime Minister will call on the Interior Minister to strengthen border
safety.
Le Premier ministre réclamera au ministre de l’Intérieur de renforcer la
sécurité des frontières. (Remarque : au Royaume-Uni on dira souvent Home
Secretary et Home Office pour Ministère de l’Intérieur.)
e. Le patron ne veut pas encore que nous approuvions cet accord, pourtant
légal selon la législation de l’Union européenne.
The boss does not want us to approve this agreement yet, although it is legal
according to the EU legislation.
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g. Je n’ai pas voulu qu’on poursuive la société M&N en justice : c’était inutile.
I did not want them to sue M&N / file a suit / a suit to be filed against M&N
Company: it was useless / pointless / there was no point.
a. The treaty was ratified when at last they agreed on its final terms.
The treaty will be ratified when they have agreed at last on its final terms.
Le traité sera ratifié quand ils se seront enfin mis d’accord sur ses
conditions finales.
c. Once the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had decided to ban these
bad products from China, it became impossible to import them to the USA.
It will become impossible to import these bad products from China to the
USA once the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has decided to ban
them.
Il deviendra impossible d’importer ces produits nocifs de Chine aux États-
Unis une fois que la FDA aura décidé de les interdire.
e. The world became a better place when they finally overcame their
divisions.
The world will become a better place when they finally overcome their
divisions.
Le monde deviendra un endroit meilleur quand ils surmonteront enfin leurs
divisions.
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c. Tant qu’il n’y aura pas de conflit, la souveraineté de ces pays ne sera pas
en danger.
As long as there is no conflict, these countries’ sovereignty will not be
threatened / in danger / endangered / in jeopardy / jeopardized.
Exam Work, p. 67
1. Find the equivalents in the text for:
a. To be in someone’s situation: to be in sb’s shoes.
b. Characteristic: feature.
c. To transport: to ship.
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3. COMPRÉHENSION.
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be recent or older. Current negotiations regarding RTAs can be simply
bilateral or involve up to 12 countries. And some RTAs are inactive.
All this illustrates the extraordinary development of international trade
worldwide. However, international trade is not developed haphazardly; it is
channeled along agreements which ensure fair and free trade between
partners, and partners only. In addition, this development is controlled by
the WTO. This means that RTAs both reinforce free trade and restrict it. Is
this good for people or not? Difficult to say, but free trade is certainly less
stifling than protectionism.
149 words
6. EXPRESSION. Taking into account documents 1, 2, 3 and 4,
what can help to explain the boom in regional trade agreements
in the last 20 years? Give your opinion about it. (About
150 words.)
What is most striking about the chart (document 4) is the boom that started
in the 1990s and is still going on today (2015).How can this be explained?
More and more countries are willing to open their borders, to one country
(bilateral agreements) or several (multilateral agreements), because they
know such openings have advantages (e.g. America, document 2) that
outweigh possible disadvantages (job losses, document 3). Document 1
shows the example of a British company taking advantage of the
opportunities and incentives provided by EU agreements to expand by
exporting, in spite of cultural differences with the rest of Europe.
I think that in the long term, these RTAs are very good for the economy of
the countries involved. More and more countries that used to be prejudiced
against free trade are now embracing this trend, which is good for the whole
world.
145 words
16 March 20..
Mr Roy Murphy
Member of Parliament
12 Ormeau Road
Belfast BT7 2EA
Dear Mr Murphy
Many tourists from the rest of Europe are put off by these high prices and
prefer to go to less expensive countries. Need I remind you of the
advantages of attracting tourists not only for the hotel sector, but for many
other sectors of activity: restaurants (where the French VAT rate has just
been reduced), transport, car hire, tourist attractions and even Northern
Ireland’s image? A lower VAT rate for hotels would therefore have a big
impact on the economic activity and jobs of our region.
I do hope that I have convinced you of the importance of this issue. Please
do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you need further information about
the hotel industry and its problems.
Yours sincerely
For John O’Connor
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Chapitre 6
The emergence
of Asian economies
La montée en puissance des pays asiatiques
Background, p. 69
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Find a word or expression which means:
a. croissance : growth
b. augmentation : increase
c. habitant (n) : inhabitant
d. inégalités : inequalities
e. niveau de vie : living standards ou standard of living
f. fournir : to provide
g. santé : health
h. acheter : to purchase
i. espérance de vie : life expectancy
■ Approfondir
Choose one Asian country and draw up a statistical fact sheet on
its characteristics (capital, official language, head of state,
population numbers, birth and death rates, surface area, GDP
par capita, GDP growth, inflation rate, literacy rate, etc.).
La réponse à cette question dépend des recherches personnelles.
Lexical Work, p. 71
■ Use the list
Fill in the gaps with compound adjectives taken from the list. A
definition of each adjective is given to help you.
a. Taiwan has replaced its traditional labour-intensive industries such as
toys and textiles by technology-intensive industries, moving them offshore
to Malaysia or the Philippines. (which requires numerous workers / which
uses or produces new technologies)
b. Taiwan benefited from the arrival of many well-educated Chinese who
fled communism. (who have a university diploma)
c. South Korea has sustained a double-digit growth for decades. (said of a
number of at least two figures)
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d. Seoul’s export-driven development strategy left the rural sector relatively
underdeveloped despite efforts to improve rural living standards. (which is
specialised in exports)
e. For many years, Malaysia has been one of the world’s fast-growing
emerging markets. (rising)
f. Indian call centres rely on an English-speaking workforce. (who speaks
English)
g. China outsources its cheap labour industrial activities to Vietnam but its
capital-intensive businesses remain in China as profit margins are higher.
(using and producing a lot of capital)
h. India is in dire need of groundbreaking reforms for entrepreneurs to
overcome cumbersome bureaucratic hurdles. (using revolutionary methods)
Grammar Work, p. 72
■ Les différents emplois de as
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. Countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines have developed recently.
As est préposition. Such as : tels que.
➞ Des pays tels que / comme la Malaisie et les Philippines se sont
développés récemment.
2. Many countries think of China as a source of cheap products.
As est préposition. As : comme.
➞ De nombreux pays considèrent la Chine comme (étant une) source de
produits bon marché.
3. As India lacks good roads, farmers find it difficult to sell their products.
As est conjonction. As : puisque, étant donné que.
➞ Comme / Étant donné que l’Inde manque / L’Inde manquant de bonnes
routes, les agriculteurs ont du mal à vendre leurs produits.
4. As China becomes richer, so the gap between the poor and the rich is
growing dramatically.
As est conjonction. As : tandis que, alors que.
➞ Tandis que / Comme la Chine s’enrichit, le fossé entre les pauvres et les
riches se creuse de manière spectaculaire.
Chapitre 6 – The emergence of Asian economies
74
1. Complétez les phrases suivantes avec la traduction anglaise de
l’expression entre parenthèses.
a. The advent of China as a global power is a challenge for all countries.
b. As most cities are overcrowded, roads are congested all the time.
c. A sea port such as Singapore can accommodate up to 40 cargo tankers
whereas Mumbai has something like 9 berths to accommodate them.
d. India’s young graduates may work as call centre employees as they speak
English fluently.
e. As Vietnam is developing at great speed, banks are lending more and
more money to its entrepreneurs.
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2. Complétez les phrases suivantes avec la traduction en anglais
des expressions entre parenthèses.
a. Fifty years ago, China was one of the world’s poorest countries. (Il y a
50 ans)
b. Korea’s shipbuilding firms will enjoy a boom for many years still.
(pendant de nombreuses années)
c. Since the 1997 crisis, corporate restructuring has improved the financial
health of Korean companies. (Depuis la crise de 1997)
d. During the next 20 years the population in India will keep rising.
(Pendant les 20 prochaines années)
e. While China was preparing the Olympic games in 2008, there was an
earthquake in Sichuan, killing 90,000 people. (Pendant / Alors que la Chine
préparait)
f. In 2008, during the toxic baby milk scandal in China, at least 300,000
infants were taken ill. (au cours du)
3. Complétez les phrases suivantes en utilisant for, since ou ago,
combiné avec le repère proposé entre parenthèses. Puis, posez
une question sur la phrase commençant par How long ou How
long ago, et traduisez le tout.
a. China has produced inexpensive goods for years and years now.
How long has China been producing inexpensive goods?
La Chine produit des marchandises bon marché depuis des années et des
années.
Depuis combien de temps la Chine produit-elle des marchandises bon
marché ?
b. Tata Motors has been selling its Nano car since 2008.
How long has Tata Motors been selling its Nano car?
La société Tata Motors vend sa voiture, la Nano, depuis 2008.
Depuis combien de temps Tata Motors vend-il sa voiture, la Nano ?
g. Our Asian supplier has been making these toys for six months.
How long has our Asian supplier been making these toys?
Notre fournisseur asiatique fabrique ces jouets depuis six mois.
Depuis combien de temps notre fournisseur asiatique fabrique-t-il ces
jouets ?
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4. Traduisez en anglais les phrases suivantes.
c. Depuis la fin des années 1990, des pays comme le Vietnam connaissent un
essor important.
Since the end of the 1990s, countries like Vietnam have expanded /
developed / grown rapidly.
d. Il n’y a pas très longtemps, comme tous ces pays étaient très pauvres, les
enfants mouraient de faim.
Not very long ago, as all these countries were very poor, children died of
starvation / hunger.
e. Pendant dix ans, notre fournisseur nous a vendu ce riz comme étant le
meilleur.
For ten years, our supplier sold us this rice as being the best.
f. Cela fait combien de temps que Hong Kong est revenu à la Chine ?
How long ago did Hong Kong come back under Chinese rule?
12 March 20..
Managing Director
(name of Chinese company)
(address of company)
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technology to produce tiles in greater quantities at a lower price. You will
find enclosed a brochure with the complete description of our products and
the revolutionary technique we are using.
As you are already well-established in the construction market of your area,
we propose a joint venture in order to produce concrete tiles thanks to our
unique technology, as such tiles are more resistant than the traditional clay
ones.
If you are interested in taking this further, we could set up a meeting when
our Managing Director, Mr Chevalier, is in China next month. Such a
meeting would enable you to discuss arrangements and other legal matters.
Yours faithfully
Jacques DUPUIS
Assistant to the Director of International Relations
Enc : 1
3. COMPREHENSION. Why is consumer spending slowing
down in Southeast Asia? (About 120 words)
With its huge emerging middle class, Southeast Asia was expected to
become a region filled with die-hard consumers, but the prospect of such an
economic miracle has turned sour. This is due to both global and local
factors. The global economic slowdown after the financial crisis, combined
with China’s weakening clout, is hindering household consumption.
Households are often in debt and do not see their wages rise as much as they
might wish. Though consumption levels rose sharply after the crisis, this
was short-lived. Rampant indebtedness has definitely stalled consumption.
Another factor is political instability, which discourages investments.
Eventually, the drop in the price of raw materials such as cotton or rubber
leads to less wealth and compounds the debts of South East Asians.
125 words
4. COMPREHENSION. What is the source of India’s economic
dynamism? (About 150 words.)
Contrary to the other BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia and China), India is
increasingly buoyant, economically-speaking.
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smoke stacks. One of the icebergs lying ahead of the ship is called
“economy”.
All of this is a metaphor for China’s giant economy facing new, unforeseen
challenges which could hinder its success, if not sink it altogether. Just as
the Titanic was thought to be unsinkable because of its size and power,
China is sometimes believed to be eternally buoyant, but this may not be the
case after all. China's economy, which is essentially based on industrial
output, now faces unprecedented challenges because industrial production
no longer boosts growth as much as it did in the past.
146 words
7. COMPRÉHENSION. Vous rédigerez une note de synthèse en
français, expliquant quels sont les défis et les opportunités des
économies asiatiques dont il est question dans les documents 1 à
5. (Environ 200 mots.)
L’ensemble des documents indique que les pays asiatiques connaissent des
problèmes de croissance dus à des crises ou à des mutations économiques,
mais qu’ils sont néanmoins bien placés pour dominer l’économie mondiale.
Pour autant, rien n’est garanti car les défis sont nombreux et complexes
(document 4).
Le document 2 évoque la crise économique qui a ralenti les échanges
commerciaux mondiaux, empêchant certains partenaires de maintenir leur
taux de croissance. Localement, l’essoufflement de la Chine affecte ses
partenaires commerciaux, sauf l’Inde avec son secteur industriel développé
et qui profite de la chute des cours pétroliers (document 3).
Tous ces pays doivent affronter à plus ou moins long terme des mutations
profondes, en particulier le passage à une économie de services, comme la
Chine, qui peine à évoluer pour des raisons de gouvernance mal adaptée
(documents 1 et 4). D’autres pays asiatiques, comme la Thaïlande,
l'Indonésie ou la Malaisie (document 2), ont également du mal à sortir du
piège des revenus intermédiaires stagnants : ils sont ralentis par une
conjoncture défavorable et la chute du cours de nombreuses matières
premières dont ils dépendent pour doper leur taux de croissance.
Pour dominer le XXIe siècle, ces pays doivent passer à un modèle
économique post-industriel tout en corrigeant les inégalités sociales et en
anticipant sur le vieillissement de la population, comme l’indique le
document 4.
221 mots
Chapitre 6 – The emergence of Asian economies
82
8. EXPRESSION. Rédigez un courrier.
Royal Asian Palm
Wisma View
50450 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
25 April 20..
Managing Director
(address of British company)
We can send samples on request so that you can test the oil. We grant
rebates on large orders and a percentage, to be discussed, of our export
revenues.
Yours faithfully
Simon ADAMS
Export Manager
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Chapitre 7
Background, p. 82
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Répondez aux questions suivantes en français.
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■ Résumer le texte en français
Résumez ce texte en 150 mots environ.
Les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TICs) permettent
de diffuser et manipuler les informations oralement ou visuellement, grâce
aux ordinateurs, aux téléphones, à Internet, etc. Elles offrent toujours plus
de services et d’interconnections.
Les téléphones portables ont un impact énorme, surtout pour les personnes
aux revenus modestes et dans les pays émergents (Chine et Inde) où ils
permettent d’améliorer les conditions de vie et de travail des travailleurs,
même pauvres.
Les ordinateurs évoluent rapidement aussi. Grâce à Internet, les entreprises
ont accès à un nombre croissant de services extérieurs, ce qui leur évite
l’achat de machines sophistiquées et coûteuses. Par ailleurs, de nouveaux
réseaux se mettent en place : ils ne relient pas uniquement les ordinateurs
mais également les objets du quotidien, qui s'intègrent à présent dans des
systèmes intelligents.
Il faut toutefois savoir manier ces technologies avec précaution, trier
l'information avec discernement et gérer judicieusement ce que l'on met en
ligne.
154 mots
■ Approfondir
Les réponses à ces questions dépendent de vos goûts et de vos habitudes.
b. For every song which is bought legally, about 20 songs are downloaded
illegally.
Pour chaque chanson achetée légalement, environ 20 autres sont
téléchargées illégalement.
c. But one Californian company compiles and sells statistics about them,
because they can be useful data.
Mais une société californienne établit et vend des statistiques à leur sujet
parce que cela peut constituer des données utiles.
d. More and more customers are buying their food from web grocers because
they are sick of going shopping.
Un nombre croissant de clients achète son alimentation à des épiciers en
ligne, parce qu’ils en ont assez d’aller faire leurs courses.
e. She didn’t manage to get through to the manager directly, so she left a
message on his voice mail box.
Elle n’a pas pu joindre directement le directeur par téléphone, aussi lui a-t-
elle laissé un message sur sa boîte vocale.
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f. We really need to upgrade our marketing software. Do you know a good
program?
Nous avons vraiment besoin de mettre à jour nos logiciels de marketing. En
connaissez-vous un bon ?
2. Choose five words from the list which you think are
important, and write sentences with them, using your dictionary
or the Internet if necessary.
La réponse à cette question dépend de votre imagination.
Grammar Work, p. 85
■ Comparatifs de supériorité, d’infériorité et d’égalité
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. The date is getting closer.
Comparatif de supériorité de l’adjectif court close.
➞ La date se rapproche.
2. There are fewer trees now than there were ten years ago.
Comparatif d’infériorité + nom au pluriel (trees) + than introduisant le
2e terme de la comparaison.
➞ Il y a moins d’arbres qu’il y a 10 ans.
3. They use less ink than in the past.
Comparatif d’infériorité + nom indénombrable ink + than.
➞ Ils utilisent moins d’encre qu’autrefois.
4. This software provides more services than that one.
Comparatif de supériorité irrégulier de many.
➞ Ce logiciel-ci fournit plus de services que celui-là.
5. It can be operated as easily as before.
Comparatif d’égalité de l’adverbe easily, précédé et suivi de as.
➞ On peut le faire marcher aussi facilement qu’avant.
6. My mobile is not as up-to-date as yours.
Comparatif d’égalité négatif, plus fréquent en anglais que le comparatif
d’infériorité.
➞ Mon portable n’est pas aussi moderne / est moins moderne que le tien.
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2. Traduisez en anglais.
a. Mon service téléphonique est plus cher mais plus fiable que le vôtre.
My telephone service is more expensive but more reliable than yours.
b. Notre nouveau logiciel est plus difficile à utiliser que l’ancien, mais il est
plus rapide.
Our new software (program) is more difficult to use than the old / former
one, but it is faster.
c. Je ne suis pas d’accord : je l’utilise aussi facilement que l’ancien, qui était
effectivement bien plus lent.
I do not agree: I find it as easy to use as the old one which was indeed much
slower.
f. Mon téléphone a moins de gadgets que le tien, mais le son est bien
meilleur.
My telephone has fewer gadgets than yours, but the sound is much / far
better.
g. Est-ce que votre fournisseur d’accès à Internet marche aussi bien que le
mien ?
Does your Internet access provider (IAP) work as well as mine? Is your
Internet service provider (ISP) as efficient as mine?
3. Traduisez en anglais.
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c. Même si Bill a un téléphone mobile, il utilise encore son téléphone fixe.
Even if Bill has a mobile / cell phone, he still uses his fixed-line telephone.
Exam Work, p. 87
1. COMPREHENSION.
b. Find the words and phrases in the article that could translate the
following:
1. une unité centrale, un ordinateur central : a mainframe (l.4)
2. la conservation des données : data storage (l.9)
3. la puissance de calcul : computing capacity (l. 22-23)
4. un système d'exploitation : an operating system (l.37)
5. une base de données : a database (l.37)
6. télécharger des données (vers un serveur, un terminal, etc.) : to upload
data (l.41)
7. avoir du mal à récupérer ses données : to have trouble retrieving one's
data (l.51)
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c. Résumez ce texte en français en répondant à la question suivante : quels
sont les avantages et les inconvénients de l'informatique dématérialisée ?
(150 mots environ.)
L'informatique dématérialisée a de nombreux avantages et quelques
inconvénients. Au nombre des avantages, on compte surtout la très grande
flexibilité qu'offrent les fournisseurs de services dématérialisés, et le gain de
temps que cela représente pour les entreprises. Ces dernières peuvent faire
adapter leurs logiciels rapidement en fonction des nouvelles avancées en la
matière, augmenter leur puissance de calcul ou de stockage et permettre à
leurs employés d'accéder facilement à leurs données depuis n'importe quel
type d'appareil connecté. Les entreprises n'ont par ailleurs plus à se soucier
de protéger les données enregistrées contre les hackers, ce service étant
compris dans l'offre des fournisseurs.
Cependant, une fois le choix du fournisseur arrêté, il devient bien souvent
impossible pour les entreprises-clientes de changer de fournisseurs si elles
ne sont pas satisfaites, et ce en raison de l'absence de normes universelles. Il
existe par ailleurs un risque de perdre complètement ses données si le
fournisseur fait faillite. Ces risques pourraient être limités par de nouvelles
réglementations adaptées.
164 mots
After switching to our cloud services, our customers have obtained much
better results in terms of cost efficiency, while being able to share their
services globally and to develop their products faster, which in turn reach
the market much faster. Think of the time, energy and money you could
save too: bring your business into the twenty-first century.
Join Cloud Solutions, join the future! Find out more here.
156 words
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3. COMPRÉHENSION.
b. According to the journalist, what could threaten the sustained use of desk
phones? (Approximately 50 words.)
According to the journalist, what could ultimately cause the demise of desk
phones is the rise of a new generation of workers who aren't used to
landlines and favour mobile modes of communication instead. A survey
shows that they are even afraid of using desk phones, as they prevent them
from switching to multiple forms of communication, which they routinely
do in the course of one given conversation.
68 words
4. COMPREHENSION. According to the author of this article,
is paper set to disappear? (About 150 words.)
The author of this article makes it clear that paper is unlikely to disappear in
the short term. She acknowledges the fact that paper is facing steep
competition from the digital world, but this reality alone cannot eliminate it
altogether. Against all odds and expert predictions, paper still appeals to
people who need to take notes as it is cheap, comfortable and traditional.
The industry of paper, Moleskine in particular, has been marketing these
assets shrewdly, as well as the compatibility of paper with other modes of
communication – Moleskine's partner Evernote, for instance, has come up
with an application that allows its users to easily photograph and store their
paper notes, and thereby get the best of both worlds: digital and paper. Such
adaptability will perhaps be key to the sustained use of paper, even as digital
tools become ever more efficient, affordable and ubiquitous.
145 words
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7. COMPRÉHENSION. Résumez ce texte en faisant ressortir les
principales caractéristiques de l'évolution d'Internet depuis sa
création, ainsi que les conditions requises pour cette évolution.
(150 mots environ.)
Depuis sa création, Internet a évolué de façon spectaculaire. Dès l'ouverture
d'Internet au grand public en 1993, le nombre d'utilisateurs du web a crû de
façon exponentielle pour atteindre aujourd'hui 3 milliards d'utilisateurs. Ce
gigantesque réseau a d'abord mis des êtres humains en relation, leur
permettant de communiquer, de se former et de s'informer ou de faire des
affaires. À présent, le réseau compte de nouveaux entrants : les objets
connectés, dont le nombre a dépassé celui des humains connectés dès 2008.
Pour l'utilisateur de tels objets, l'intérêt est de pouvoir faire des économies
de temps et d'énergie et de programmer des réseaux (comme les systèmes de
gestion du trafic) de façon efficace grâce à la mise à jour en temps réel d'un
nombre illimité de données. Pour que ces réseaux puissent communiquer
entre eux, toutefois, il faudra à terme que les fabricants d'objets connectés se
mettent d'accord pour adopter des normes, des encodages et des langages
universels.
158 mots
8. EXPRESSION. Write a report about the possible
consequences of the following forecast: ''By 2020, 80% of adults
will have a supercomputer in their pocket''. Will these
consequences be good or bad, in your opinion? (About
250 words.)
Mark Zuckerberg – founder of Facebook and Internet enthusiast – has made
it his company's mission to bring Internet to as many people in the world as
possible, calling Internet connectivity ''a basic human right''. Such a
statement will make more sense in a world where 80% of the adult
population will indeed be equipped with devices that are so evolved that
they will have become the equivalent of a pocket-sized supercomputer. The
consequences of such a development, which is a mere couple of years away,
are dizzying: having access to Internet wherever and whenever one wants
will dramatically change and democratize people's experience of the world.
First, it will give everyone access to a wealth of information that has, until
very recently, been available only to the most privileged in the world.
Second, it will give a great boost to business and innovation, providing even
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Chapitre 8
The organization
of working hours
L’aménagement du temps de travail
Background, p. 96
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
a. What has the evolution of working hours been characterized by, from the
19th century to today?
The number of working hours has gradually diminished thanks to union
action and improved productivity. Holiday with pay has been introduced in
most industrialized countries. The organisation of working hours has
undergone changes with more flexible time schedules, and part-time jobs.
With today’s crisis some companies have reduced the number of hours
worked to avoid bankruptcies.
b. What aspects of work have been taken into account by legislation in the
21st century?
Workers today are entitled to all sorts of leave for different reasons whether
they are professional or personal. Moreover, the negative effects of work
(like long hours) are taken into account by legislation which recognizes the
need of workers for rest periods.
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■ Résumer le texte en français
Résumez ce texte en français en 200 mots environ.
La durée légale du travail a été progressivement réduite dans les pays
développés. Tout un arsenal législatif garantit aux employés des congés de
diverses natures, une durée maximum de travail, et le droit à être payé en
heures supplémentaires. Il y a des variations d’un pays ou d’un continent à
l’autre. Les travailleurs bénéficiant le plus de droits sont dans l’Union
européenne. Aux États-Unis, il n’y a pas de congés payés garantis par la
loi : ce sont les entreprises qui en décident.
De nouvelles organisations de la durée du travail, comme le temps partiel ou les
horaires flexibles, sont à la fois issus de la volonté des employés (en particulier
les femmes) de mieux équilibrer leur vie personnelle et professionnelle, mais
aussi des contraintes ou des progrès de la modernité (nouvelles technologies,
société de services et de consommation). Le chômage explique aussi certains
choix, comme la semaine des 35 heures en France.
Le stress est devenu la question majeure liée à la durée et à l’organisation du
travail, du fait d’exigences de productivité qui pèsent sur les travailleurs
pour des raisons culturelles ou économiques. L’Union européenne a mis en
place des directives communes dont le but est de réduire les effets négatifs
du stress sur les travailleurs.
208 mots
■ Approfondir
What are the advantages and drawbacks of telecommuting?
Give your opinion. (About 250 words.)
Teleworking means doing your work at home, away from the company
premises, for a few hours or more during the week.
For companies, less working space is needed to accommodate workers and
this proves valuable when you know that rents are high in office buildings.
Transport companies are not always in favour of teleworking as it means
fewer passengers on trains or buses.
For workers, it means fewer hours in transport, so less stress.
Telecommuters can organize their schedules as they see fit as long as they
do the work they are expected to do. They can juggle the needs of a family,
like looking after children or elderly relatives, with a professional workload.
Lexical Work, p. 98
1. Match the following words and add an article if necessary,
then translate the phrases.
a. to take a day off: prendre un jour de congé
b. to work the night shift: être de l’équipe de nuit
c. to join a trade union: adhérer à un syndicat
d. to have a tea break: faire une pause-café
e. to cope with long hours: faire face à de longues journées
2. Fill in the gaps and translate the text.
A survey made in 2015 revealed that 48% of the employers interviewed
said stress caused by long hours and limited resources was affecting
business performance, but only 5% said they were taking strong action
to lessen this stress.
Une étude / enquête menée en 2007 a révélé que 48 % des employeurs
interrogés ont dit que le stress provoqué par un nombre excessif d’heures de
travail et par le manque de moyens influait sur les résultats de l’entreprise,
mais 5 % seulement ont déclaré qu’ils prenaient des mesures énergiques
pour diminuer ce stress.
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Grammar Work, p. 99
Les auxiliaires modaux : obligation, interdiction, absence
d’obligation, forte probabilité
Analysez et traduisez les exemples
1. The court ruled that companies must pay employee cell phone expenses.
➞ Le tribunal a décidé que les entreprises doivent payer les frais de
téléphone portable des employés.
Must indique une obligation, à laquelle l’énonciateur adhère. Il fait plus que
simplement constater l’obligation. Le caractère obligatoire et incontournable
d’une décision officielle fait que l’énonciateur ne peut que s’y soumettre ou
la reprendre à son compte, d’où l’utilisation fréquente de must dans les
exemples de ce type.
2. But they don’t have to pay for employees’ clothing expenses.
➞ Mais elles n’ont pas à / ne sont pas obligées de payer les frais de
vêtements des employés.
Don’t / Doesn’t have to V indique une absence d’obligation.
Rappel : Have to V et don’t have to V ne sont pas des modaux.
Quand on fait appel aux substituts des modaux (par exemple have to à la
place de must), cela indique que l’énonciateur ne que fait constater ce qui
est exprimé par le modal.
3. Night workers must not work more than an average of 8 hours in a 24-
hour period.
➞ Les travailleurs de nuit ne peuvent pas / ne doivent pas travailler plus de
8 heures sur une période de 24 heures.
Must not V exprime une interdiction, qui est aussi une obligation de ne pas
faire quelque chose.
4. British businesses have to follow the EU working time directive.
➞ Les entreprises britanniques doivent suivre / sont obligées de suivre les
directives de l’Union européenne sur le travail.
Have to V indique une obligation. À la différence de must, ici, l’énonciateur
se contente de constater cette obligation. Il ne cherche ni à imposer son avis,
ni à exprimer le caractère incontournable d’une décision officielle. C’est
pourquoi on peut dire que, parfois, la différence entre have to V et must V
est une question de point de vue de l’énonciateur.
c. He arrived late at the office: he must have been held up by traffic jams.
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Il est arrivé au bureau en retard : il a dû être retardé par les embouteillages.
d. Employees sometimes feel they have to answer all the emails they get.
Parfois les employés se sentent obligés de répondre à tous les emails qu'ils
reçoivent.
e. But he is only 15! He can’t have been hired by a company. It’s illegal.
Mais il a seulement quinze ans ! Impossible qu'il ait été embauché par une
entreprise. C'est illégal.
f. In the 19th century, workers had to take their work home when their work
was badly done.
Au XIXe siècle, les travailleurs devaient compléter leur travail à la maison
quand il était mal exécuté.
g. Regulations stipulate that workers must work more than 4 hours in
succession.
Le règlement stipule que les employés doivent travailler plus de 4 heures de
suite.
h. Stress at work must / has to be tackled by companies to improve
productivity.
Le stress au travail doit être géré par les entreprises afin d'améliorer la
productivité.
i. It must be hard to leave the office before everyone when there is so much
pressure to succeed.
Il doit être difficile de quitter le bureau avant tous les autres quand la
pression de la réussite est si forte.
j. Working hours must comply with national law.
Le temps de travail doit se conformer au droit national.
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ou bien elle est encore vraie. Le moment de parole présent ou les effets dans
le présent importent plus que les actions passées elles mêmes.
C’est pourquoi il est incompatible avec des expressions temporelles telles
que : yesterday, last year, two years ago, etc.
Il correspond à un présent en français quand on mentionne une durée
(introduite par for) ou une origine (introduite par since).
Le present perfect en be+ing permet, en plus, à celui qui s’exprime de faire
un « commentaire » sur le sujet du verbe. Ces commentaires peuvent être
des jugements (positifs ou négatifs), des déductions, des explications, des
réactions à vif, des illustrations de propos généraux les précédant.
Les énoncés mentionnant des durées sont souvent, mais pas forcément, au
present perfect avec be+ing, justement parce que le fait de mentionner la
durée sert à expliquer quelque chose à propos du sujet.
2 Terminez les phrases avec les éléments proposés.
a. He looks tired because he has been sending emails all night long.
b. He thinks he can leave work now, as he has sent all the emails he had to.
c. He has thought of changing jobs, but it probably means he will need to
move.
d. He has been thinking of changing jobs, that’s why he can’t concentrate on
his work.
Dans les phrases a. et d., l’utilisation de be+ing permet à l’énonciateur de
donner des explications sur ce qu’il constate.
Dans les phrases b. et c., l’énonciateur se contente de « poser » des faits,
sans faire de commentaires. C’est le bilan présent qui l’intéresse dans b. : les
emails ont été envoyés. Quant à la phrase c., on peut imaginer qu’elle est
extraite d’un contexte informatif dont le but est de faire un simple bilan sur
l’action.
3. Mettez les phrases suivantes à la forme interrogative, en
opérant les changements nécessaires.
d. Ils attendent le train depuis une demi-heure. Ils doivent être énervés.
They have been waiting for the train for half an hour. They must be irritated.
g. Ils ne sont pas encore partis à la retraite. Ils doivent attendre d’avoir 65
ans.
They have not retired yet. They have to wait until they reach 65.
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h. Il n’est là que depuis deux semaines. Impossible qu’il ait pris des
vacances.
He has only been there for two weeks. He can’t have gone on holiday.
k. Ils n’ont pas encore fait de pause café, mais ils ne sont pas obligés d’en
faire une.
They haven’t had a coffee break yet, but they don’t have to (have one).
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3. EXPRESSION. What happened? Explain Lloyd Blankfein’s
words. Do you agree with him? (About 120 words.)
An intern working in a bank died because he worked 71 hours in a row to
impress his managers. Goldman Sachs has decided to restrict the hours
worked by interns to avoid any further accidents. The CEO, Lloyd
Blankfein, told interns that having activities outside of work makes them
more interesting people.
I totally agree with Goldman Sachs' CEO. Dying from working too hard is
unacceptable. A good work-life balance is no luxury; on the contrary, it is
indispensable if one wishes to be both efficient and creative. These qualities
are not only an asset for companies, they are also crucial to living a happy
and satisfying life. Furthermore, they are what makes a person interesting.
Otherwise, people are merely robots, with little to say.
125 words
4. EXPRESSION. Describe and explain the cartoon: why do
workers need a balance between work and family? (About 150
words.)
The scene takes place in an office. We can guess that an employee has been
asking his manager for flexible hours in order to have a better work-family
balance. The manager does not seem to understand and tells him that the
company is his family anyhow. The company turns a blind eye to its
employee's needs.
Workers need to strike a balance between work and family in order to be
able to look after their children properly. They may also have a family
member in the hospital, or need to skype a child who is studying abroad in a
distant country, like Australia. Today, fathers want to see their children
grow up just as much as mothers do, even though corporate culture often
tells them they can’t have it all.
A work-life balance is also necessary to relax and recharge. Otherwise, one
can end up sick. Stressed, frustrated workers tend to be less productive.
154 words
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6. Has the quality of your work been affected? Explain.
7. How much have flexible schedules (yours or other people’s) affected
relationships with colleagues?
8. Has flexitime increased work satisfaction for you? Explain.
9. Would you say you work more / less due to flexitime arrangements?
10. Do you have any suggestions concerning possible improvements in the
company’s flexitime policy?
159 mots
7. Fill in the gaps with one of the following words and translate
the text.
Hospitals say that managers are needed to ensure compliance with
European legislation which says that, from August next year, no doctors
will be allowed to work more than 48 hours a week in hospitals. At the
moment, junior doctors can work up to 56 hours. Will the hospitals be
able to cope when hours are cut?
Selon les hôpitaux, il faut des responsables qui veilleraient au respect de la
législation européenne qui a décrété qu’à partir du mois d’août de l’année
prochaine, aucun médecin ne pourra travailler plus de 48 heures par semaine
dans les hôpitaux. Actuellement, les jeunes médecins peuvent travailler
jusqu’à 56 heures. Les hôpitaux pourront-ils s’en sortir lorsque les heures
seront réduites ?
Changes in social
protection
L’évolution de la protection sociale
Background, p. 108
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
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115
d. How do unemployed people deal with their plight?
In the UK, there are Job Centres to which the unemployed can go to look for
a full-time job, a temporary or a part-time job or a training course if there
are no jobs available. Unemployment benefits will be granted but the
jobseekers have to make a real effort to find another job to keep the benefits.
In the USA, jobless people get compensation from federal and state
programs.
g. Point out some differences between the European and American welfare
systems.
The European and American welfare systems are fairly different. The
European one is basically organized and funded by the state through taxes;
it is mandatory and universal. It is more or less generous, depending on the
countries. The American one provides more or less the same type of care for
needy people. But it is partly private and partly public, in the hands of the
federal administration, the states, trade unions, employers, private insurance
or charities and therefore variable. In all cases, social protection systems are
increasingly subject to changes.
■ Approfondir
2. Mary says that for old people, things used to be much worse a hundred
years ago.
D'après Mary, les choses étaient bien pires pour les personnes âgées il y un siècle.
3. They did not use to have state pensions, so many of them used to work
until they died.
Autrefois, ils n'avaient pas de pension versée par l'État, aussi beaucoup
d'entre eux travaillaient jusqu'à leur mort.
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2. Complétez les phrases suivantes avec to be used to V-ing ou
bien avec to get used to V-ing, puis traduisez en français.
a. In this hospital, patients are used to getting their prescriptions filled on
Mondays.
Dans cet hôpital, les patients sont habitués à aller chercher les médicaments
qu'on leur a prescrits le lundi.
b. Because of this new reform, doctors will have to get used to filling many
forms.
À cause de cette nouvelle réforme, les médecins devront s'habituer à remplir
de nombreux formulaires.
c. In time, she will get used to working with this physiotherapist.
Avec le temps, elle s'habituera à travailler avec ce kinésithérapeute.
d. Today's patients are used to benefiting from the help of specialists such
as dermatologists or cardiologists.
Les patients d'aujourd'hui sont habitués à bénéficier de l'aide de (médecins)
spécialistes tels que les dermatologues ou les cardiologues.
e. According to David Cameron, Britons are used to receiving so much
welfare that it does not encourage them to work.
D'après David Cameron, les Britanniques ont l'habitude de percevoir tant
d'allocations que cela les décourage de travailler.
c. Avant son licenciement, il se levait tous les matins pour aller au bureau.
Before his dismissal (/ Before he was laid off), he used to get up every
morning to go to the office.
c. Cette vieille dame de 90 ans est habituée à vivre seule, mais elle aimerait
qu'une assistante sociale lui rende visite.
That 90-year-old lady is used to living on her own, but she wishes that a
social worker would come and visit her.
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g. S'est-il habitué à sa chambre en maison de retraite ?
Did he get used to his room in the old people's home?
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country, have resisted implementing some of the law's dispositions, such as
the expansion of the Medicaid programs to low-income families: this is not
surprising, as those states' legislatures are often controlled by Republicans
who have vowed to use every legislative tool at their disposal to delay or
repeal Obamacare.
121 words
Nota Bene: the fringe of people who are too “rich” to benefit from Medicaid
(especially in Southern states) but too poor to qualify for subsidies (tax
credits) in the new “marketplace” are stuck in what is called “the Medicaid
gap”.
4. COMPREHENSION. What problem does this document
highlight? (50 words.)
Rising student debts and rents, as well as the temptation to spend whatever
is left, prevent young workers from saving money for retirement. Worse yet,
the money that is not saved cannot be invested, which translates into much
more substantial losses over a lifetime. Consequently, young people will
have to work much longer to make up for the lost opportunities of their
youth.
63 words
5. COMPREHENSION. According to this blogger, what do
Millennials want in the workplace? Answer the question with
your own words. (About 100 words.)
According to this blogger, Millennials are first and foremost interested in
whatever perks their employers are willing to grant them. Such perks can
range from free access to meals or gym classes, to the right to bring one's
pet to work or to dress casually and even lightly if the temperature requires
it. Such interest in perks and a nurturing corporate culture does not mean
that the new generation does not care for rewarding salaries or opportunities
to move up the corporate ladder, but rather that perks are an efficient way to
gauge an employer's commitment to his employees, and a welcome sign that
the latter are indeed valued.
109 words
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7 EXPRESSION. Rédigez la lettre suivante, adressée à Mr
Trevor Dixon, CEO of Applied Web Systems, 772 Colusa
Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530-2392, USA, dans le cadre de
négociations d’embauche dans sa société. (150 mots environ.)
Mr Trevor Dixon
Chief Executive Officer
Applied Web Systems
772 Colusa Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530-2392
USA
February 2, 20..
Dear Mr Dixon
JOB OFFER
Thank you very much for your job offer and its excellent financial terms. I
find all this very tempting. However, before accepting it for good, I would
like to have more details about your package, since I will have to give up
my present post in France with its generous welfare benefits.
In particular, what insurance plans are provided exactly for healthcare, life,
death, accident-at-work, and at what rates? Concerning your private
retirement plan, how is it managed, and will it pay defined monthly benefits
or a defined capital on retirement?
I would also like to know what vacations I will be entitled to. Do you
provide other services such as a day-care center at the office, a company car,
stock-options, and a housing service?
I look forward to your answer.
Yours sincerely
XXX XXX
158 words
Competition
and the law
La concurrence et le droit
Background, p. 119
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
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and three anti-trust laws in the USA, which are enforced by various anti-
trust authorities.
f. Point out similarities and differences between competition law in the UK,
the EU, and the USA.
The UK, EU and USA have the same aims, which are to guarantee fair
competition. There are few details given here about their differences except
for the wording and the organization of anti-trust authorities. America has
three major anti-trust laws which date back to 1890-1914, whereas the EU
has just two articles in laws which were voted much later (when the EC
Treaty was ratified, in 1957). The UK has articles in laws voted in 1998 and
2002. This shows that protecting competition became a big concern in the
USA much earlier than in Europe and the UK. Another difference is that
comparative advertising is legal in the USA but not in France.
d. Our company has been harmed by unfair competition and will have to
complain to a court of justice.
Notre société a été victime de concurrence déloyale et devra saisir un
tribunal.
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f. Hopefully, we will be able to claim for damages because of a serious loss
of earnings.
Nous espérons pouvoir réclamer des dommages et intérêts en raison d’un
grave manque à gagner.
h. By taking over their only serious competitor, this multinational risks being
charged with trying to monopolize the market.
En rachetant son seul concurrent sérieux, cette multinationale risque d’être
accusée de tentative de monopolisation du marché.
j. In the USA, many people sue businesses for sometimes huge damages.
Aux États-Unis, beaucoup de gens poursuivent des entreprises en justice en
réclamant parfois d’énormes dommages et intérêts.
k. The defendant tried to settle the case out of court by paying compensation
money.
Le défendeur a essayé de régler le litige à l’amiable par le versement d’une
indemnisation.
3. Choose five words from these lists which you think are
important, and write sentences with them.
To compete: Indian companies are competing increasingly with Western
ones.
To sue: We could be sued for making these illegal copies.
Compensation: Mr Johnson had to pay Miss Seaton $5,000 compensation
for plagiarising her book.
To settle a dispute: Their dispute was finally settled after a prolonged
lawsuit.
Conviction: Fortunately, Dr Anderson has no previous convictions.
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Grammar Work, p. 122
■ Les subordonnées de but
Observez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. This law was voted to protect competition.
Construction la plus neutre pour exprimer le but.
➞ Cette loi a été votée pour protéger la concurrence.
2. In order to safeguard our interests, we will have to investigate the case.
En début de phrase on exprime le but généralement avec in order to.
➞ Afin de sauvegarder nos intérêts, nous serons obligés d’enquêter sur
l’affaire.
3. He pleaded guilty so as / in order not to have to undergo a long trial.
Expression du but à la forme négative.
➞ Il a plaidé coupable pour ne pas avoir à subir un long procès.
4. A company must know the law so that all its employees can respect it.
Lorsque le sujet principal est différent du sujet de la subordonnée de but, on
emploie so that + modal + verbe.
➞ Une société doit connaître la loi afin que tous ses employés la respectent.
a. The consumers sued the company because they wanted to get better value
for money.
The consumers sued the company (in order) to get better value for money.
Les consommateurs ont fait un procès à la société afin d’obtenir un meilleur
rapport qualité-prix.
d. If you wish to get a refund, you will have to apply for it.
In order to get a refund, you will have to apply for it.
Pour obtenir un remboursement, vous devrez déposer une demande.
e. The FTC has set an example since it does not want this to happen again.
The FTC has set an example so that this will not happen again.
Le FTC a fait un exemple pour que ceci ne se reproduise pas.
f. We must stop trading with them if we do not want to lose any more money.
We must stop trading with them so as / in order not to lose any more money.
Nous devons cesser de travailler avec eux pour ne plus perdre d’argent.
h. They will also do it as they want companies not to repeat those mistakes.
They will also do it so that companies will not repeat those mistakes.
Ils le feront aussi afin que les sociétés ne répètent pas ces erreurs.
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■ Expression de la quantité
Observez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
1. They spent millions / thousands / hundreds of dollars.
Millions, thousands, hundreds se construisent comme des substantifs
lorsqu’ils ne sont pas précédés d’un chiffre.
➞ Ils ont dépensé des millions / milliers / centaines de dollars.
2. The operation cost them €3bn = three billion euros.
Ces mêmes quantificateurs sont construits comme des adjectifs s’ils sont
précédés d’un chiffre.
➞ L’opération leur a coûté trois milliards d’euros.
3. This will require a lot of capital / effort.
A lot of peut être suivi d’un dénombrable ou indénombrable.
➞ Ceci nécessitera beaucoup de capitaux / d’efforts.
4. How much (money) will they need?
(How) much s’emploie avec un indénombrable.
➞ De combien (d’argent) auront-ils besoin ?
5. How many patent medicines do they make?
(How) many s’emploie avec un dénombrable au pluriel.
➞ Combien de médicaments brevetés fabriquent-ils ?
6. One never has too much money / too many guarantees.
Même différence.
➞ On n’a jamais trop d’argent / de garanties.
e. Le P-DG a tout de suite annoncé la nouvelle afin que les autorités anti-trust
ne poursuivent pas la société en justice.
The CEO immediately broke the news so that the anti-trust authorities
would not sue the company.
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Exam Work, p. 124
1. COMPRÉHENSION.
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137
4. EXPRESSION. Rédaction d’une lettre d’accompagnement
(covering letter) (150 mots environ).
PAPETERIE D’EYMOUTIERS
Route de Nedde
87120 Eymoutiers
FRANCE
The Papeterie d’Eymoutiers, a French paper manufacturer which I represent, exports a big
part of its production of corrugated cardboard to Great Britain. Our company currently has
a share of about 10% of the British market of corrugated cardboard.
In order to achieve economies of scale and try to reduce freight transport, my company
intends to take over UDM, 40 Framewood Road, Slough SL36PJ, a British producer of
corrugated cardboard, and we have started negotiating with the management of UDM.
However, before going any further with this project, we wish to ensure that this acquisition
is in accordance with British competition law. Based on our preliminary analysis, we are
confident that this operation does not contradict British competition law, as it would bring
our total market share only to about 13% of the British market for corrugated cardboard
paper. You will find enclosed herewith the full description of the project together with our
analysis of the competition on the relevant British market.
We would, therefore, like to have confirmation from your services that we can proceed with
this transaction without any further filing or concessions.
Please do not hesitate to contact us, should you need any further clarification.
Legal business
structures in France
Les formes juridiques de l’entreprise (française)
Background, p. 130
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
a. What are the two main legal forms of businesses in France?
The two main legal forms of businesses in France are the unincorporated
ones, which have no legal personality but have a legal status and carry out
activities; and the incorporated ones, which have a legal personality and
have completed extended registration formalities.
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e. How is the company’s capital controlled in a Société anonyme?
The company’s capital of a Société anonyme is controlled either by the
Board of Directors, which elects a Chairperson and appoints a CEO, or by a
Supervisory Board which appoints a Management Board.
f. Why is the SAS legal form used more and more often?
The SAS legal form is used more and more often, especially by small and
medium-sized companies and foreign corporations, because it provides
more freedom in the internal organization of power.
■ Approfondir
Les réponses à ces questions dépendent de l’actualité et des recherches
personnelles.
a. The advantage of merging for companies is that they can then make
economies of scale.
L’avantage de fusionner / des fusions pour les sociétés, c’est de pouvoir
faire des économies d’échelle.
e. Today, it is the small and medium-sized companies that create the most
jobs.
Aujourd’hui, ce sont les PME qui créent le plus d’emplois.
g. A limited partner cannot lose more than the amount of his investment.
Un commanditaire ne peut perdre plus que le montant de son
investissement.
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h. When a shareholder cannot come to the Annual General Meeting, he can
vote by proxy.
Lorsqu’un actionnaire ne peut se rendre à l’assemblée générale annuelle, il
peut voter par procuration.
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– Attention aux changements de temps, ponctuation, pronoms et
déterminants, marqueurs de temps et de lieu, etc., lorsque l’on passe du
discours direct au discours indirect et vice-versa.
1. Indiquez si les phrases ci-dessous sont au discours direct ou
indirect, puis faites-les passer d’un discours à l’autre, en
effectuant les changements nécessaires.
b. He added that he had a new idea to develop and that he needed her help.
Discours indirect.
Discours direct : “I have a new idea to develop and I need your help,” he
added.
c. He told his colleague that they might make a lot of money out of it.
Discours indirect.
Discours direct : “We might make a lot of money out of it,” he said to his
colleague.
f. She asked him what would happen if they did not agree on something.
Discours indirect.
Discours direct : She asked him: “What will happen if we do not agree on
something?”
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➞ Non seulement cette loi n’est pas commode pour les PME, mais elle est
également coûteuse.
■ Remarque
La place de l’adverbe négatif varie selon l’intention du locuteur, et
détermine celle du verbe ou de l’auxiliaire verbal si cet adverbe vient au
début de la proposition.
2. Combinez les deux moitiés de phrases puis traduisez-les.
b. Not only are these investments tax deductible, but they are theoretically
lucrative.
Non seulement ces investissements sont déductibles fiscalement, mais ils
sont théoriquement lucratifs.
c. They had never seen such a big merger in France – and neither/nor had
they in Europe.
Ils n’avaient jamais vu une aussi grosse fusion en France – ni en Europe.
e. Not only are mergers controlled by the authorities, but so are takeovers.
Non seulement les fusions sont contrôlées par les autorités, mais les rachats
(d’entreprises) aussi.
f. Economies of scale are not always possible, nor can they always be
recommended.
Les économies d’échelle ne sont pas toujours possibles, et on ne peut pas
toujours les recommander non plus.
3. Traduisez en anglais.
a. Mon avocat m’a déclaré qu’il pensait que cette loi ne serait jamais votée.
My lawyer told me he thought that this law would never be passed.
c. Le Directeur général m’a dit qu’il avait besoin d’un avocat pour changer les
statuts de son entreprise.
The General Manager / CEO told me that he needed a lawyer to change the
articles of association of his company.
g. Il m’a dit qu’il avait gagné beaucoup d’argent quand sa société est entrée
en Bourse.
He told me (that) he (had) earned a lot of money when his company went
public / was quoted on the stock exchange.
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a. What are the main characteristics of French business structures?
French business structures are rather rigid and hierarchical, and the CEO
plays a very important role.
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5. Expression. To what extent does this illustration apply to
document 3? Do you agree with what the text says about family
businesses? Give your opinion about dynasties and family
businesses. (About 250 words.)
The picture from the Economist shows spiral staircases being used by men
(essentially), which illustrates the title “Dynasties, the enduring power of
families in business and politics”: a hard climb, but the climbers will
undoubtedly reach the top. In a way, this also applies to document 3, about
French family-owned businesses. Indeed, these families are determined to
keep their business in the family, for their children. The article explains why
they are often more successful than other managers: being the owners, they
can and will make rapid decisions, have long term vision, be close to the
local economy, and independent from stock exchanges. Their children and
perhaps grand-children are consequently often sure of inheriting the family
business. Hence, these families can be referred to as “dynasties”.
Not only are there some well-known dynasties with “enduring power” in
France (Peugeot, Bouygues, Michelin, de Wendel, the Bettencourt family,
who owns L’Oréal, the Bénéteau family), but there are also lots of small
family businesses, especially in craft industries and trades: painters,
plumbers, electricians, bakers, butchers, etc. A son (or sometimes daughter)
often takes over from his father, whether it is his skill, his shop, and/or his
clients.
There can be difficulties, however, which explains why these families are
criticized: the heirs may quarrel or be incompetent, ownership of the
business becomes diluted when there are too many heirs, or the environment
changes.
Yet, I agree that families, if not dynasties, are often good for business
stability and even economic development; they should be encouraged in
France, as they are in Germany.
258 words
Name of Company
Address
Date
Name of lawyer
Address
Dear Sir
Our company, XYZ, which is based in …, France, has been developing rapidly for the last
three years, and we need to raise capital in order to expand it internationally. As we are
particularly successful on American markets and would like to expand our American
operations even more, we are thinking of making an IPO on NASDAQ.
We would like to know if you could help us by answering the following questions: What
are the required conditions for an IPO on an American stock market? How should we
change our articles and memorandum of association to adapt our company? What is the
minimum capital required? What impact will this IPO have on the social life of our
company: relations between investors and managers, annual general meetings, organization
of our Board of Directors, etc.
Eventually, of course, if you think this is possible and you can help us, we will have to
meet. Please find enclosed herewith a brochure about our company, its legal set-up, and a
catalogue of the products we make and sell. Our website is www.xxxxx.fr
Yours faithfully
Valérie Michel (Mrs)
Enc.
(195 words)
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Chapitre 12
Company organization
L’organisation de l’entreprise
Background, p. 141
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the questions.
b. What is an organization or flow chart and what are the three main types?
It is a diagram showing who does what in the firm. The three main types are
the hierarchical, the matrix and the linear or flat ones.
■ Approfondir
Les réponses à ces questions dépendent de l’actualité et des recherches
personnelles.
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Lexical Work, p. 143
1. Complete the lists below with the corresponding verb or noun
from the word list.
Verb Noun Verb Noun
a. to acquire acquisition d. to temp temporary worker
b. to appoint appointment e. to train trainee
c. to resign resignation f. to merge merger
2. Complete the sentences below, making the necessary changes,
then translate them.
b. Mrs Watson has just been appointed to the position of Human Resources
Manager.
Mme Watson vient d’être nommée au poste de directrice des ressources
humaines.
g. Temporary workers do not always want permanent jobs because they wish
to remain free.
Les intérimaires ne veulent pas toujours un CDI car ils souhaitent rester
libres.
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3. This chain of shops sells some expensive clothes, and Ø others that are
quite cheap.
Some est ici employé comme article indéfini devant un nom dénombrable au
pluriel.
➞ Cette chaîne de boutiques vend des / quelques vêtements chers, et
d’autres qui sont très bon marché.
4. That company knows how to save Ø time and money.
Article Ø devant des noms indénombrables.
➞ Cette société sait économiser du temps et de l’argent.
5. A firm cannot operate without an accountant.
Article indéfini devant un nom dénombrable au singulier (firm).
➞ Une société ne peut pas fonctionner sans comptable.
6. Can I ask you some questions?
Some est ici employé comme article indéfini devant un nom dénombrable au
pluriel.
➞ Puis-je vous poser des / quelques questions ?
e. Our firm flies some goods to America, and ships Ø others by boat.
Notre entreprise expédie des / certaines / quelques marchandises en
Amérique par avion, et d’autres par bateau.
e. Il y a des gens qui n’ont jamais de monnaie, ni même d’argent sur eux.
There are people who never have change / have never got change or even
money with them.
f. Cette entreprise a des salariés très efficaces, mais certains veulent partir.
This company has very efficient employees, but some (of them) want to
leave / go.
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g. Une cliente est venue sans carte de crédit et sans argent, et n’a
évidemment pas pu acheter les articles qu’elle avait repérés.
A customer came without a credit card and without cash, so naturally she
was unable to buy the articles that she had spotted.
d. Dans les entreprises, les salariés ont bien du mal à être performants sans
esprit d’équipe.
In companies, employees find it difficult to be / have difficulty (in) being
efficient without a team spirit.
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Exam Work, p. 146
1. COMPREHENSION. Summarize the text, explaining why
reorganizing Google will be very difficult and risky. (About 90 words.)
This text published in The Financial Times in 2015 deals with the reorganization
of Google, just after it was split into several subsidiaries under one parent
company, Alphabet. The largest subsidiary is still called Google.
Reorganizing a company is difficult and risky, and requires lots of time and
energy. It is not always a guarantee of improvement, and Alphabet must ensure
that Google retains its qualities. Furthermore, employees may lose their
enthusiasm, be crushed by too much work and responsibilities, and stop
innovating. If they work in different branches, they may no longer communicate.
94 words
2. COMPREHENSION. Answer the following questions:
c. What are its bad effects and what are they due to?
The consequence is that employees not only stop collaborating but may
even refuse to do so; they stop communicating, evolving, innovating and
being creative, as is the case with Sony.
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5. COMPRÉHENSION. En vous référant aux documents 1, 2 3,
4 et 5, vous montrerez en quoi et pourquoi il n’existe pas de
modèle idéal d’organisation de l’entreprise. (250 mots environ.)
La courte bande dessinée du document 5 caricature un chef d’entreprise,
présenté comme un génie visionnaire et admiré, mais instable car il adopte
une suite de politiques contradictoires pour faire sa propre promotion. Assis
d’abord devant un organigramme centralisé, il affirme qu’il faut
décentraliser pour supprimer les goulots d’étranglement. L’année suivante il
déclare l’inverse : la centralisation est nécessaire à l’efficacité.
Les documents 1, 2, 3 et 4 montrent différents types d’organisation avec
leurs avantages et leurs inconvénients : aucun n’est parfait. Ainsi, la division
d’une grosse entreprise en filiales (cf. : Google, document 1, et Sony,
document 2) risque ensuite de gêner la communication interne et
l’innovation. En outre, une réorganisation peut être difficile, risquée et
longue (document 1). Les startups sans hiérarchie ont aussi des problèmes,
dus précisément à l’absence de hiérarchie (document 4). Certes, la
philosophie suédoise d’entreprise Lagom (document 3) promeut une
organisation équilibrée du travail, en planifiant à long terme, en établissant
des priorités pour éviter le surmenage et en encourageant le travail en
équipe, afin de pouvoir innover.
Mais à mon avis, il n’existe pas de modèle idéal : certains conviendront
mieux à des grandes entreprises, d’autres à des petites, certains seront mieux
adaptés à telle région ou pays, à telle époque ou activité. La philosophie
Lagom semble séduisante, mais peut-elle fonctionner dans de grosses
entreprises, face à une forte concurrence et sur le long terme ? Cela reste à
prouver.
En conclusion, l’ensemble de ces documents montre que le modèle idéal
d’organisation de l’entreprise avec un chef génial n’existe probablement
pas.
258 mots
Date
Dear Mr …
My orders n° 1245, 6587, 8574 and 3521 have all arrived late. Four times in a row in two
months, the goods I had ordered arrived more than two weeks after the deadline.
This is the first time your goods are delivered late. As we have been experiencing no
difficulties that could account for these delays, the problem must come from your shipping
or production organization.
As you know, since we use the just-in-time system, we cannot afford to have late deliveries.
We therefore expect you to solve this problem rapidly, as we will not accept another late
delivery from your company.
Yours sincerely
Peter Taylor
Marketing Manager
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Chapitre 13
Background, p. 153
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
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■ Approfondir
Would you prefer to work for a large company or a small one?
Justify your choice by showing the relative advantages and / or
disadvantages of each.
Working for a small company has various advantages. You get to know the
company and your colleagues well, and they know you well in return. You
feel more motivated and loyal to your company because you are not in an
anonymous environment. Your role as an individual will be emphasized and
you may have more responsibilities. However, research shows that you are
more likely to be discriminated against in small structures.
Working for a large company offers greater career opportunities. The company
may also be able to pay for training. Then, there’s the reputation attached to the
company, which can be an asset on your CV if you decide to change jobs. Large
companies often have subsidiaries abroad and thus they may represent
opportunities to travel and do business in various cultural contexts. Of course, it
all depends on your personality. You should analyse your needs before choosing.
Choose one of the six functions mentioned at the beginning of the
Background, p. 00 and say what it consists in. (About 150 words.)
PRODUCTION
Companies produce goods or services. Part of the production can be
outsourced to contractors. Producing does not just imply manufacturing, but
also ordering raw materials, packaging, storing, drawing up inventories,
issuing instructions for use, after sales services and delivery. Production
managers supervise the whole production process from the delivery of raw
materials to the actual production of finished goods. Either they check
quality at the end of the process in a “quality control” approach, or they
make sure production is optimised at every stage in a “lean production”
approach, also called “total quality management”.
It is vital that the production process be cost-effective. Various technologies
and methods are developed to optimize production. These methods take
time, the workforce and other elements into account. The scheduling of
production is also fundamental in order to minimise costs and maximise
efficiency. This helps to satisfy the timing of customer requirements.
147 words
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ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS
A host of administrative tasks are carried out by administrative departments.
Some are compulsory by law, like paying taxes and VAT or publishing
financial statements. Others are simply necessary for the company to run
properly: billing, ordering fuel for the heating of the premises, setting up
security systems like alarms, reception, or sorting out the mail, for instance.
Accounting operations are central and have to be carried out with great
accuracy so that the company does not run into a deficit.
Support tasks are carried out by secretaries, assistants, accountants and
middle managers but may be performed by outside companies when it is
worth it, financially speaking. Personal assistants (PAs) are fundamental in
today’s companies as they play a major role in organising. They sometimes
have to deal with complex situations in their boss’s absence.
Administrative processes need to be revised on a regular basis in order to
assess their relevance and costs.
153 words
HUMAN RESOURCES
Human resources are a company’s most valuable assets. Many tasks carried
out by people cannot be replaced by robots, and when machines fail, men
are needed to repair and overhaul them. Hiring an employee has to be
considered as a form of investment and not just as a series of incurred costs
(for extra space and tools, wages, taxes and training). That is why it is vital
to manage human resources in the most effective manner and try to hire
skilled, motivated and creative staff. As a result, the recruiting process has
to be honed (parfaitement affiné) in order not to hire workers who might be
unproductive.
HR departments carry out other tasks like checking whether recruitment
processes and pay conditions or bonuses are done legally, conducting
assessments and changes in working and management methods, managing
personnel data, managing promotion processes, acting as a conduit in
industrial relations, implementing flexitime, offering training opportunities,
and building up employee loyalty and morale.
160 words
STRATEGY
Strategic planning determines how a company will evolve. Plans constantly
have to be modified in order to adapt to new conditions. That is why
planners need to be on the watch for any signals that changes are afoot (se
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2. Utilisez les mots suivants, dérivés de produce, pour compléter
les énoncés. Certains pourront être utilisés plusieurs fois.
a. Our factory has been producing smart cards for ten years.
b. This toy factory has not produced enough dolls to satisfy demand.
c. China exports more and more consumer products like toys or electronic
goods.
d. Our Polish production sites produce at a higher rate thanks to new
German robots.
e. Finished products come off the assembly line.
f. The latest model will go into production by the end of next year.
b. Les employés qui travaillent dans le secteur des services sont les plus
nombreux.
The employees who work in the service sector are the most numerous.
c. La fusion dont nous avons parlé n’aura pas lieu avant l’année prochaine.
The merger which / Ø we talked about will not take place until next year.
d. Les salariés dont les emplois sont menacés veulent faire grève.
The employees whose jobs are threatened want to go on strike.
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A new function may not be uniformly appreciated by all the departments of a
company, and some employees may not be convinced of its usefulness. The new
situation may take managers away from some departments, or integrate new
managers who do not have the corporate culture to perform well. Employees may
also find that they are not sufficiently trained to work in the new function. When
a new function is introduced, its leader may be under extreme pressure to show
his/her abilities, whereas a host of problems will necessarily crop up at the
beginning. As a result, everyone will have a hard time adapting, all the more so
as new functions create extra work. All these circumstances may create a climate
of distrust and resistance, and cause a company to drop the project and miss out
on potential benefits and profits.
4. COMPREHENSION. Translate the 3rd paragraph into French.
Cependant, dans leur désir de concrétiser un projet, les dirigeants peuvent
omettre de réfléchir précisément aux problèmes auxquels la nouvelle
fonction devra faire face. Cette fonction peut ne pas avoir la même utilité
pour tous les services. La mission qu’elle est censée remplir n’est pas
toujours très claire. Il y a aussi le problème du personnel à fournir. En règle
générale, une nouvelle fonction soustrait des directeurs à d’autres fonctions
de l’entreprise, ou d’autres directeurs sont importés d'entreprises
extérieures. Les employés déjà en place peuvent ne pas avoir les
compétences nécessaires pour cette fonction, ou bien alors le personnel
extérieur peut manquer de connaissances sur l’entreprise et être mal accepté.
Tous sont susceptibles d’avoir des difficultés au début.
5. COMPRÉHENSION. D’après cet article, en quoi les appareils
connectés transforment-ils les entreprises dans leur
fonctionnement ? (150 mots environ.)
Grâce à des processeurs intégrés et grâce à la wifi, les appareils connectés
(voitures, machines industrielles, appareils électroménagers) sont reliés aux
entreprises en continu et sans limites, longtemps après la vente. Ils
transmettent à celles-ci des milliers de données qu’elles peuvent exploiter.
Inversement, les entreprises peuvent transmettre des mises à jour ou même
anticiper des problèmes avant qu’ils ne surgissent, donc faire évoluer les
produits à distance. Les appareils qui sont en réseau peuvent aussi optimiser
leurs performances.
Tout cela a un impact non négligeable sur les fonctions des entreprises, qui
doivent ouvrir de nouveaux départements informatiques pour gérer les
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7. EXPRESSION. Vous êtes Amy/Arthur Winfrey. Vous dirigez
une maison d’édition de livres, logiciels et CD. En anglais,
rédigez un courrier destiné aux actionnaires pour les informer et
convaincre d’investir massivement dans le cloud computing.
Mettez en avant les avantages qu’en tirera l’entreprise (profit,
compétitivité, etc.). (150 mots environ.)
Name of Company
Amy Winfrey – CEO
Address
Great Britain
date
To all shareholders
Dear Sir/ Dear Madam
First of all, good news – our share performance this year has vastly improved, which you
will surely appreciate.
As you know, cloud-based computing is radically transforming products and services in the
publishing industry, with the promise of huge future returns. That is why we intend to use
part of this year’s profits and invest them in cloud computing and breakthrough technology.
We need your full support for this strategic move, which will consist in investing in
customer loyalty programmes and the creation of a new, slick and revolutionary customer
interface, bound to reap huge profits in the years to come.
We trust you will understand the audacity of this move, which seems to be the best way to
build a secure and profitable future for our shareholders in a context where products,
demand, competition and business opportunities are evolving at lightning speed. We
believe that long-term investments and value creation are a safe bet and will enable us to
maintain our leadership in the publishing industry.
We look forward to your full support.
Yours sincerely
Amy Winfrey
CEO
Name of Company
Companies
and their stakeholders
Les partenaires de l’entreprise
Background, p. 165
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
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e. What characterizes today’s workforce?
Workers today work mostly in the service sector. What is more, women are
increasingly present in the labour market. That is why workers today expect
flexible work patterns to help them balance their personal and professional
lives.
b. What is your opinion about the increasing number of loyalty cards that are
issued by retailers and services today?
Customer reward programmes, loyalty cards, vouchers, etc., are ubiquitous
today and perceived differently.
Such cards may be considered as invasive – there are too many of them and
consumers get fed up with having so many in their wallets. They can be
lured into acquiring a loyalty card with the promise that they will save
money, but they eventually realize that the card has not enabled them to
save that much money. Some cards are in fact a disguised way of tracking
their purchasing habits and may more or less encroach on their privacy.
Some consumers resent sharing private information especially as they are
not sure how it will be used or if it will not be sold. Other cards have an
expiry date which incites consumers to use them frequently even though
they might not need to buy anything.
These cards are a boon for consumers – they are practical and easy to use;
they enable consumers to get reductions or special offers that other
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customers do not benefit from. They are also beneficial for the companies
themselves as they can prevent users from switching over to a competitor.
They are a simple way of increasing sales. For instance, a store that has
trouble getting customers on Tuesdays can grant card-holders extra
discounts on that day. Most companies consider them as a cheap and
efficient form of advertising.
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1. Dites si les mots suivants sont indénombrables (I),
dénombrables (D) ou les deux.
Loan : D – trust : I (confiance) ou D (trust financier) – commitment : D –
advice : I – information : I – progress : I – time : D (fois) ou I (temps) –
growth : I (croissance) ou D (pousse, tumeur) – job : D – work : I (travail)
ou D (oeuvre).
2. Utilisez les mots de l’exercice précédent pour compléter les
phrases en effectuant les changements nécessaires. Ensuite
traduisez les phrases.
d. We sent our customer the invoice three times but he didn’t pay us.
Nous avons envoyé trois fois la facture à notre client mais il ne nous a pas
réglés.
h. For people out of work, it is difficult to accept that they have lost their jobs.
Pour les personnes sans emploi, il est difficile d’accepter l’idée d’avoir
perdu son travail.
k. Good bankers provide reliable advice for their customers to make the right
choice.
Les bons banquiers fournissent à leurs clients des renseignements fiables
afin qu’ils fassent le bon choix.
■ L’expression de la quantité
(et les quantificateurs)
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants : (A) little et less sent suivis
de noms indénombrables au singulier, et (a) few ou fewer sont suivis de
noms dénombrables au pluriel.
1. As they had a little money, they were able to buy presents for the whole
family.
Comme ils avaient un peu d’argent, ils ont pu acheter des cadeaux pour
toute la famille.
2. When consumers have very little money, they cannot afford to buy luxury
products.
Lorsque les consommateurs disposent de très peu d’argent, ils n’ont pas les
moyens de s’acheter des produits de luxe.
3. Banks tend to lend less money these days.
De nos jours, les banques ont tendance à prêter moins d’argent.
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4. A few days ago, they launched their marketing campaign.
Ils ont lancé leur campagne de marketing il y a quelques jours.
5. A shop that has too few customers cannot make enough profit.
Un magasin ayant trop peu de clients ne peut pas dégager suffisamment de
bénéfices.
6. They have fewer customers than before because of the crisis.
Ils ont moins de clients qu’avant à cause de la crise.
3. Complétez les phrases suivantes avec less ou fewer.
a. There were fewer customers than usual.
b. There should be less advertising on TV.
c. Ten years ago, there were fewer advertisements at the cinema.
d. They have been exporting less wool from Australia.
e. I was given less advice than I expected.
4. Traduisez les phrases suivantes.
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2. COMPREHENSION.
b. Why does the writer have doubts about this policy? (About 40 words.)
The writer believes this is all for show because Ikea’s products are mainly
made of wood, a raw material that is being squandered globally. For him,
Ikea epitomizes consumer society and its wasteful practices by selling
throwaway stuff, however cheap it may be.
43 words
3. EXPRESSION. Do some research on the web about Ikea and
its strategies to adapt to different cultures around the world.
(About 75 words.)
La réponse à cette question dépendra des recherches effectuées.
Vocabulaire utile :
to attract the middle class; to suit a local market; to adapt to changing needs;
to reflect apartment sizes; to adapt the size of furniture or tableware; to offer
affordable prices; to source raw materials locally; to market across cultures;
to manage cultural differences; to deal with foreign customers; to build a
long-term customer relationship; to customize products to needs; to hire a
culturally diverse workforce; to capitalize on the skills of the local
workforce; to avoid cultural missteps; to take into account local sensitivities,
etc.
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lobby against regulations meant to protect stakeholders, like workers or
even the environment. CSR is seen as virtuous and desirable but stands in
the way of profit-making. In document 1, the impression is that some efforts
are all for show, as the products manufactured end up having a negative
impact in the environment.
These managers ought to read documents 1 and 4 to understand that their
profits and long-term survival depend on a greater sustainability.
155 words
7. EXPRESSION. Rédigez le courrier de réclamation destiné au
service clientèle d’une compagnie de transports aériens.
Mr / Mrs XXX (name of the customer)
(address of the customer)
30 June 20..
On 25 June 20.., I was not allowed to board the flight from Paris to Stockholm (STO
345) on the grounds that it was overbooked, even though I had checked in on time.
Moreover, the employee at the information desk was most unpleasant and unhelpful.
You must understand that I am very dissatisfied and that obviously this incident
requires some explanation. Moreover, I expect to receive the compensation to which I
am entitled by the European Union legislation on air passenger transport.
You will find enclosed an EU passenger complaint form with all the relevant details.
As a regular passenger with your company, I look forward to hearing from you, and do
hope that such an inconvenience will never occur again.
Yours faithfully
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Chapitre 15
Setting up a company
La création d’entreprise
Background, p. 177
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Répondez en français.
c. You must work out the projected cash flow of your first 12 months’ trading.
Vous devez évaluer d’avance votre capacité d’autofinancement pour les
douze premiers mois de votre exercice.
f. Let us hope that this dynamic entrepreneur will not fail in his new venture.
Espérons que ce dynamique entrepreneur n’échouera pas dans sa nouvelle
entreprise.
i. When entrepreneurs are good managers, their failure rate is much lower.
Lorsque les entrepreneurs sont de bons managers, leur taux d’échec est bien
plus bas.
j. This business angel has got a huge stake in his nephews’ start-up.
Cet investisseur providentiel a une grosse participation dans la start-up de
ses neveux.
2. Choose five words in the list that seem important to you and
write sentences with them, using the dictionary or the Internet if
necessary. Mind the context.
La réponse à cette question dépend des recherches personnelles.
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Depuis 2010, la situation de Diego est plutôt bonne (remarquer le présent
en français).
5. He has been holding shares in his company for five years now.
On utilise le present perfect avec for + indication de durée.
➞ Il détient des actions de sa société depuis cinq ans (remarquer le présent
en français).
6. In 2010, he was already developing his Web site.
Prétérit progressif pour marquer une action ayant duré au passé.
➞ En 2010, il développait déjà son site Web (remarquer l’imparfait en
français).
7. He worked hard for years before becoming rich.
Prétérit simple avec for + indication de durée = passé révolu + pendant.
➞ Il a beaucoup travaillé pendant des années avant de devenir riche.
b. The ad for a pre-paid bank card featured only young people, but he did not
like it.
La publicité pour une carte bancaire prépayée ne représentait que des jeunes
mais elle ne lui a pas plu.
d. The recent credit crunch has driven a lot of poor people out of normal
financial services.
La récente crise bancaire a privé beaucoup de personnes modestes de
services financiers normaux.
f. His success (has) brought him a fabulous way of life and several luxurious
homes.
Sa réussite lui a apporté un fabuleux style de vie et plusieurs logements
luxueux.
h. He set up his first company 20 years ago and he was rich by 1999.
Il a créé sa première société il y a 20 ans, et il était devenu riche en 1999.
c. Rita a récemment acheté une boutique en franchise qui achète et vend des
vêtements d’occasion.
Rita recently bought / has just bought a franchised shop which buys and
sells second-hand / used clothes.
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d. Pour cela, elle a vendu des actions qu’elle possédait en Bourse.
To do that, she sold shares which she held on the Stock Exchange.
d. This is not an isolated request for subsidies, as he receives many like this
one.
Ce n’est pas une demande isolée de subventions, puisqu’il en reçoit
beaucoup comme celle-ci.
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Exam Work, p. 182
1. COMPRÉHENSION. Dans quelle mesure peut-on dire,
d’après ce texte, que les entrepreneurs pensent et agissent
différemment ? (120 mots environ.)
Les entrepreneurs sont des gens qui pensent et agissent différemment car ils
ne se satisfont pas du statu quo. Par leur état d’esprit, ils préfèrent la
créativité au conformisme et l’action à l’inaction. Il sont courageux et
s’efforcent de réaliser leurs rêves, ils pensent davantage à leurs clients qu’à
eux-mêmes, ils n’arrêtent jamais d’apprendre, ils ne renoncent jamais, ils
adorent échouer, ils cherchent et trouvent des besoins à combler, ils
améliorent les idées anciennes, et surtout ils agissent. Bref, ce sont des gens
qui vont toujours de l’avant.
88 mots
2. COMPRÉHENSION
b. Use the information in the article to write the speech Mr Khattak could give
about his own early experience as an entrepreneur, as a way of encouraging
students to follow his path. (About 150 words.)
“Hello,
Let me tell you how I became an entrepreneur, when I was a student like
you.
I used to be rather troublesome at school, but very ambitious. I decided to
become rich and very important when I read in a book that the best method
was to find a solution to an everyday problem, which meant devising
something that could be bought by many people.
I first borrowed some money from my father and started importing
headphones and sunglasses from China. I quickly earned £20,000. Then I
dropped out of school.
Afterwards, I discovered that switching lights or an electric appliance on or
off with a telephone or remote control was easier than doing it from the
socket itself. So I designed Den, which anybody can use without moving.
I launched a fundraising campaign on an online platform: I quickly found
investors, many important people wanted to work with me, and I attracted
the media. Easy! So you can do it, too!”
163 words
3. COMPREHENSION. Describe the entrepreneur portrayed
here, his business, his work, and his methods: what is necessary
or not to launch a business, according to him? (About 100
words.)
Diego Orjuela is a middleman who started his business “Orlando’s Cables
and Sensors” with practically nothing, just $100, and not even a good
website. But he had clients who had money and needs. He knew how to
fulfill these needs by providing the right products very quickly. He worked
hard every day, from a garage, and afterwards from an industrial workspace,
buying his products from good suppliers (GE and Philips), and shipping
them immediately.
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In short, what is necessary to be successful is first to have clients, then to be
better than your competitors by being flexible, reliable, and selling good
products, to work hard, and to answer clients’ questions promptly.
111 words
4. COMPRÉHENSION. De quelle manière certaines grandes
sociétés multinationales s’y prennent-elles pour créer des « start-
ups » aujourd’hui, et pourquoi, d’après cet article ? (100 mots
environ.)
D’après ce document, de grandes multinationales comme Coca-Cola ou
IBM créent maintenant des start-ups en interne. S’inspirant des petites start-
ups indépendantes, elles lancent d’abord des concours d’idées qui sont
ensuite sélectionnées par des panels de cadres, lesquels décident d’y investir
de l’argent de l’entreprise, comme le fait le capital-risque. Tout cela afin
d’éviter que leurs jeunes cadres travaillent secrètement sur d’autres projets.
Parfois elles embauchent de jeunes diplômés. Ainsi, elles encouragent la
transformation d’idées en innovations lucratives au sein de nouvelles entités
dans l’entreprise même, tout en insufflant une mentalité d’entrepreneur chez
leurs cadres intermédiaires qui encombrent des secteurs vieillis.
100 mots
5. EXPRESSION. To what extent does this cartoon illustrate the
entrepreneurial spirit? What do you think of it? (About
120 words.)
This cartoon tells the story of Instagram, the popular photo and video-
sharing mobile app. It shows the first founder (Kevin) doing skunkwork by
learning to code at night and inventing a new language prototype, which he
then tested with friends. He bravely quit his job and seeked out investors.
He found a partner and they collaborated to develop new ideas, among
which a quality app for photo sharing. They experienced ups and downs,
and setbacks. Eventually, they thought of a catchy name for their app, and
successfully launched it.
I really admire these two entrepreneurs, especially Kevin, who believed in
his ideas. He worked very hard, took risks when he left his job, proved
resilient in the face of difficulties, and never lost his faith in the future. They
are real heroes.
132 words
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Chapitre 16
Corporate strategy
La stratégie de l’entreprise
Background, p. 189
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Les propositions suivantes sont-elles conformes au texte ?
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■ Approfondir
“The most important people for a company are its clients.” Do
you agree? Why or why not? What about the managers, the
employees and the investors? How can a company’s strategy be
adapted to that objective?
A company’s goal is to make a profit, and its sole source of profit is its
clients. Its strategy therefore must, first and foremost, be customer-oriented.
It is essential for it to gain clients, retain them by making them happy and
expand the company’s market.
Other people play an important role too: the employees. Even if a company
does not aim at creating jobs, it must aim at having a good, competent,
motivated, efficient workforce, whose members are aware that “the
customer is always right”. They must work as a team to respond rapidly to
changing demands from the market, to improve the products or devise new
ones, and to serve the clients effectively. If they are happy they will do it
well. The management must play a leadership role by devising the right
strategy, guiding the team on the right track and communicating well.
The financial aspect is not to be overlooked either, but if the company
thrives, investors will come. They should not be neglected, all the more so
as they are also workers, or former workers, who have invested their
savings, which they got through hard work. Transparency, i.e. informing
them about the company’s performance, is absolutely necessary. All this
means that in business the human factor is crucial.
213 words
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3. How much should we spend?
Conseil, ou ici forte recommandation.
➞ Combien devrions-nous dépenser ? / Combien nous faut-il dépenser ?
4. The employees had to work harder.
Expression d’un besoin ou d’une obligation au passé.
➞ Les employés ont eu besoin/ont été obligés de travailler plus. / Il a fallu
que les employés travaillent davantage.
5. We will have to charge higher prices.
Expression de l’obligation ou du besoin au futur.
➞ Nous serons obligés de faire payer des prix plus élevés.
1. Traduisez en anglais.
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Remarques complémentaires : une traduction littérale est parfois maladroite
ou impossible et peut entraîner le recours à une autre tournure (voir phrases
i. et j. de l’exercice 3).
De nombreuses autres tournures françaises avec faire + vb se traduiront
différemment en anglais :
Elle l’a fait entrer : She showed him in.
Nous leur avons fait visiter nos bureaux : We showed them round our
office/premises.
Je n’arrive pas à faire démarrer l’imprimante : I can’t start the printer.
2. Complétez les phrases avec make, have, ou get + to au temps
approprié, et traduisez-les.
a. I do not know what made her do it, but she did it!
Je ne sais pas ce qui le lui a fait faire / ce qui l’a amenée à le faire, mais elle
l’a fait !
b. The boss made me believe I would get a pay rise, but I did not get one, in
the end.
Le patron m’a fait croire que j’aurais une augmentation de salaire, mais je
n’en ai pas eu, pour finir.
d. The CEO got the investors to put more money in his project.
Le directeur général a obtenu des investisseurs qu’ils / fait en sorte que les
investisseurs mettent plus d’argent dans son projet.
a. Il faudrait que l’on fasse faire le travail par une autre société, c’est-à-dire
qu’on le sous-traite.
We should have the work done / carried out by another company, that is to
say subcontract it.
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i. Est-ce que nous ne devrions pas mieux faire connaître ce produit
révolutionnaire ?
Shouldn’t we make this revolutionary product better known / advertise this
revolutionary product better?
l. Ne faudrait-il pas faire travailler les employés davantage pour être plus
compétitifs ?
Shouldn’t we make / have the employees / get the staff to work harder/more
(in order) to be more competitive?
Remarque : make est plus coercitif que have et que get to (qui implique la
persuasion).
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3. COMPRÉHENSION. Vous avez été chargé de faire un compte
rendu sur la stratégie du PDG de la SNCF présentée ici. Montrez
en quoi celle-ci est novatrice. (150 mots environ.)
Le PDG de la SNCF n'ayant pas la passion des trains, comme l'indique le
titre, il souhaite transformer son entreprise, qui a le monopole du transport
ferroviaire en France, en grande société de transports en général (sauf
aériens), pas seulement dans notre pays, mais également à l’échelle
mondiale. Sa stratégie a fait passer les revenus de la société en provenance
de pays étrangers de 15 à 30 %. Il élargit maintenant les activités à d’autres
moyens de transport (vélo, autopartage, covoiturage) ; il veut même offrir
des services dont les liens avec les transports ferroviaires sont encore moins
évidents, tels que des parcs de stationnement et un service d'achat de billets
de théâtre.
Il ose critiquer ouvertement la « gréviculture » de la SNCF et son système
trop hiérarchique. Il ambitionne de combattre le conservatisme des syndicats
et de donner plus d’autonomie aux employés pour adapter la SNCF au
changement et à la concurrence : du jamais vu !
159 mots
4. COMPREHENSION. Analyse Warren Buffett’s strategy,
showing what makes it both unusual and particularly effective.
(About 150 words.)
Here Warren Buffett is described as the manager (with a 50-year record) of
a particularly successful investment fund, Berkshire Hathaway, which
testifies to his efficient strategy. The latter is unusual because Buffett makes
all his investments with extreme caution, planning for the long term. He
avoids bureaucracy and centralized decision-making processes: he gives
Berkshire’s directors a lot of autonomy because he trusts them and the
companies he has selected. He does not pay them shockingly high salaries
and bonuses or give them stock options and security, which is unusual in the
US and which means they have to be very efficient and believe in
themselves and in their own investments. Unlike many Wall Street fund
managers, he ignores the short-term variations and whims of the stock
exchange. He knows the difference between real value and apparent value.
That is why he is both a model manager and a model investor.
151 words
Trainee’s name
Address
Mr Warren Buffett
Chief Executive Officer
Berkshire Hathaway
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
Dear Mr Buffett
I have never been to the United States and would like to discover your
country and the dynamic ways of doing business there.
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I look forward to your answer. If it is positive, I will have to apply for an
American working visa as soon as possible, so I would like your letter to be
in accordance with the administrative requirements for foreign workers.
187 words
Yours faithfully
Xxxxx
Enc: Résumé
Remarque : en américain on dira internship et résumé. En anglais
britannique (à utiliser si on s’adresse à un Britannique), on dira placement et
CV.
6. EXPRESSION. Rédigez une note de synthèse rendant compte
de tous les documents étudiés, en montrant l’importance et les
caractéristiques d’une bonne stratégie entrepreneuriale. (250
mots environ.)
Les documents 1, 2, 3 et 4 présentent quatre chefs d’entreprises différents,
dont trois semblent avoir une bonne stratégie entrepreneuriale à des degrés
divers, avec certains points communs. En premier, les trois dirigeants, qui
sont de vrais stratèges (documents 1, 3 et 4), soulignent la nécessité d’avoir
(ou d’essayer d’avoir, tel Guillaume Pepy, document 3) des employés de
grande qualité, à qui ils puissent accorder de l’autonomie, car ceux-ci auront
la liberté et l’ambition d’obtenir de bons résultats. En revanche, le dirigeant
caricaturé sur le document 2 semble se méfier de son employé qui a des
idées neuves, ce qui n’est pas signe d’une stratégie efficace.
Une deuxième nécessité consiste à innover, car l'innovation est un facteur de
croissance. Le PDG de Grohe fabrique des robinets qui améliorent la
consommation d’eau, celui de la SNCF intègre des activités totalement
nouvelles, très différentes de l’activité de base de son entreprise. Enfin,
Warren Buffett fonctionne très différemment des autres fonds
d’investissement car il travaille pour le long terme, plutôt que le court
terme, et ne verse pas de salaire mirobolant à ses directeurs : leur
rémunération dépend de leur efficacité. En revanche, le dirigeant du
document 2 a peur de la nouveauté. Il n’ira pas loin.
Enfin, deux des trois dirigeants (ceux de Grohe et de la SNCF) élargissent
leurs marchés à l’extérieur de leur pays pour favoriser la croissance externe.
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Chapitre 17
Background, p. 201
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
b. Why isn’t the balance sheet the only indicator to assess a firm’s
performance?
Financial and quantitative data are just one aspect of the company’s
performance. Qualitative indicators may prove helpful to assess a
company’s health. Among these are staff and customer satisfaction for
instance.
e. Why have computers made company safety all the more risky?
The complexity and speed given by computers and increasingly efficient
software have given rise to a new threat – the possibility of manipulating
figures and concealing shady dealings.
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■ Approfondir
Browse the Internet and find information to answer the
following questions.
a. Using the Internet, find out about a famous whistleblower’s case in the
USA and write a note about it.
La réponse à cette question dépend de l’actualité et des recherches
personnelles.
b. Find out about rogue employees who ruined their company’s performance
and write a note about their story.
La réponse à cette question dépend de l’actualité et des recherches
personnelles.
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b. Internal accountants usually perform this job but auditors from outside the
company can be hired for checking the process. They certify that all
transactions have been honest and legal and state whether the company is
running into a deficit or not.
En général, ce sont les comptables internes qui effectuent ce travail mais des
auditeurs externes peuvent être embauchés pour évaluer les opérations
comptables. Ils garantissent que toutes les transactions ont été honnêtes et
conformes à la loi, et disent si l’entreprise est en déficit ou pas.
Exercice supplémentaire
Find the words in the list that correspond to the following definitions.
a. Keeping record of all transactions and entries: bookkeeping /
accounting
b. The final figure for profit or loss: bottom line
c. On a balance sheet, should be equal to the sum of liabilities and
shareholders’ equity: assets
d. General word for debt: liabilities
e. Assets, like cheques and drafts, which are easily converted into
currency: cash
f. Stock of material, unsold products: inventory
g. Items such as equipment, buildings and property: fixed assets
h. Taxes, dividends and all debts that are still owed by the company:
current liabilities
i. The value of a business after all of its obligations have been met:
shareholders’ equity
j. The company’s reputation or brand: intangible assets / goodwill
a. Long working hours increase the workers’ chances of illness and injury.
De longues heures de travail augmentent les risques pour les travailleurs de
tomber malade ou d’avoir un accident.
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c. Young workers know that there are many job opportunities in
accountancy.
Les jeunes travailleurs savent qu’il y a de nombreuses possibilités d’emploi
dans la comptabilité.
f. With the financial crisis, consumers feared for their savings accounts.
Avec la crise financière, les consommateurs ont craint pour leur(s)
compte(s) d’épargne.
i. The brand image of a company determines the way consumers perceive its
products.
L’image de marque d’une société détermine la façon dont les
consommateurs perçoivent ses produits.
■ Les prépositions
Analysez et traduisez les exemples suivants :
Les verbes et noms ci-dessous sont suivis d’une préposition (introduisant un
nom ou groupe nominal) différente pour l’anglais et le français.
1. Production has increased by 5% this year.
➞ La production a augmenté de 5 % cette année.
2. Prices have dropped by half.
➞ Les prix ont baissé de moitié.
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e. Pour les directeurs d’entreprise, une perte de 2 à 3 % serait acceptable.
For company managers, a loss of between 2% and 3% / a 2 to 3% loss
would be acceptable.
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5. EXPRESSION. Using both cartoons, explain what makes
accounting fraud possible. To what extent is the cartoon far-
fetched? (About 200 words.)
Accountancy fraud is due to economic pressures that are difficult to
withstand for companies and to some weaknesses of human nature.
The survival of companies partly depends on the trust of their shareholders,
who consequently wish to keep an eye on financial statements. This
explains the temptation of accountants to cook the books or make them
somewhat confusing to give off a positive image of a company’s results.
This is what the first cartoon alludes to. Faced with the impossibility of
actually destroying the accounting books when shareholders become
suspicious of double dealing, the CFO bluntly suggests they should make
them even more obscure.
This is exactly what the main character intends to do in the second cartoon.
His colleague appeals to his sense of ethics but he retorts that a corrupt
corporate culture compels him to be deceitful, against his own will
apparently. This is probably an allusion to the fact that corrupt practices
were tolerated for want of (faute de) strict regulations in the United States in
the early 2000s. The character resorts to the arguments of other people’s
crookedness to justify his own, which is a typical weakness of human
nature.
Of course, greed is at the root of many accounting frauds but also the
illusion that masked losses might be compensated for at a later date.
220 words
6. COMPRÉHENSION. En vous appuyant sur les 4 documents,
vous rédigerez en français une note de synthèse qui expliquera
quels sont les avantages et les limites de la mesure chiffrée des
performances. (250 mots environ.)
La mesure chiffrée de la performance des entreprises est un reflet fiable de
la santé d’une entreprise (document 1), à condition que les données ne
soient pas obscurcies dans un souci d’évitement des difficultés
(document 4). La direction a intérêt à avoir une perception exacte de l’état
financier de son entreprise, mais également de toutes les parties prenantes,
des actionnaires aux clients, en passant par les investisseurs et même les
États (document 1). Tous ont besoin de transparence. La mesure chiffrée
18 December 20..
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Dear Mrs Holmes
I am pleased to announce that the process of auditing for which you hired
AudiPerfect has finally been seen through to completion.
I am happy to report that our team’s job has been performed in time and in
good conditions since you gave us access to accurate and clear documents.
We appreciated the cooperation of the internal auditing committee members
who were always willing to provide the necessary details. The rest of the
staff was as compliant and helpful.
You will find enclosed the balance sheet for this year with a full report and
assessment.
I trust that this work will give you complete satisfaction.
I look forward to hearing from you and doing further business with your
company. Yours sincerely
Robin Legard
Chartered Accountant
Enc : 2
Copy to Mr Hawkins
Chief Financial Officer
8. Write out your answers in English and then read them out
loud.
a. How much cash on hand or in the bank has the company got left,
according to this table?
The company has $50,000 left in cash.
b. How much is due from customers who have made purchases from the
business on credit? What name is given to that sum of money?
Customers owe the company $40,000. This sum of money is called
“accounts receivable”.
d. What name is given to the portion of equipment cost used in the process
of operating the business? What does it mean? What is the equipment
valued at?
It is called “accumulated depreciation”. Depreciation means spreading out
the cost of an asset over its useful life. It is not a measure of the economic
loss due to wear and age. In this balance sheet, the equipment has been
estimated at $28,000.
e. How much does the company owe sellers and / or suppliers for purchases
made on credit?
The business owes $50,000.
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Chapitre 18
Background, p. 213
■ Repérer les notions essentielles
Answer the following questions.
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■ Approfondir
What techniques are used by advertisers to catch the attention of
the public?
Advertisers take into account precise knowledge about the desires and
aspirations of people. For instance they rely on tools like Maslow’s
hierarchy of human needs, which range from physiological and safety needs
like food, shelter, health and property to more psychological ones including
love, self-esteem and eventually to more moral aspirations. Of course, many
of these needs are fully justified, but others can be artificially created, which
is the job of advertisers. The modern cycle of production and demand
depends on the creation of such needs. As a result, advertisers appeal to
consumers’ deep motivations in order to make them purchase the goods that
will satisfy these (fundamental or superficial) needs. Social media
advertising will explode within the next few years, replacing banner ads,
which are sometimes posted at random or aimed at users who look up
certain words on their search engines. Social media advertising targets
relevant users before they even begin their search, thanks to conversation
tracking on social networks or mobile location data.
166 words
List of techniques
EMOTIONS – Advertisers play on strong emotions (fear, pity, love, joy,
etc.), on our sense of curiosity or humour and on moral aspirations. They
also use striking images, funny stories, moving pictures, popular music, and
small gifts like samples.
SENSES – They play on our senses (sight, hearing, etc.), making people
react instinctively and quickly in order to stimulate impulse purchases.
Striking logos, easy to remember slogans, shocking or vivid pictures, strong
colour contrasts, as well as pictures of babies, sexy women, and idyllic
landscapes are almost invariably used in advertisements in order to appeal to
basic desires. Images need not even be subliminal to motivate consumers.
CONFUSION – Bombarding consumers with visual information or wafting
savoury aromas in shops is a form of sensory advertising and marketing.
Technical or pseudo-scientific jargon may often be used to impress
consumers. Confusing or mysterious messages are aimed at drawing the
attention of consumers who will then try to figure out the message.
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Lexical Work, p. 215
■ Use the list
1. Match and translate the following words.
a. Blog post: billet de blogue ; article de blog (les 2 orthographes existent).
b. Web banner: bannière publicitaire.
c. Market survey: étude de marché.
d. Spin doctor: expert en relations publiques.
e. Brand image: image de marque.
f. Corporate behaviour: comportement de l’entreprise.
g. Brand building: élaboration d’une image de marque.
h. To gain a foothold: accéder à un marché.
i. Sales forecast: prévision de ventes.
j. To open up a market: créer un marché.
2. Fill in the gaps of the following text with one of the words
from the list, making the necessary changes, and then translate
the whole text.
To ensure that the company survives and prospers, it is necessary to
have a public relations team which adds value to a company by helping
it improve employees’ understanding of what has to be achieved.
Pour être sûr que l’entreprise survive et croisse, il est nécessaire d’avoir une
équipe en charge des relations publiques qui ajoute de la valeur à une
entreprise en l’aidant à améliorer la compréhension des employés de ce qu’il
faut accomplir.
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1. Écrivez une nouvelle phrase en mettant les mots soulignés au
cas possessif.
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2. Mettez les verbes à une forme exprimant l’interdiction ou
l’absence d’obligation, puis traduisez les phrases.
b. Last year, the company did not have to change its strategy, because
business was brisk.
L’année dernière, l’entreprise n’a pas été obligée de changer de stratégie
parce que les affaires marchaient bien. (L’action n’a pas été réalisée.)
c. You must not criticize our managers as it might damage our image.
Vous ne devez pas / Il ne faut pas critiquer nos directeurs car cela pourrait
nuire à notre image.
d. The staff need not have come to the office on Saturday, but they were told
too late about it.
Le personnel n’était pas obligé de venir au bureau samedi, mais on le leur a
dit trop tard. (L’action a été réalisée.)
e. We must not rush to Oslo yet. In fact, the fair does not start until next
Wednesday.
Nous ne devons pas encore nous précipiter à Oslo. En fait, le salon ne
commence pas avant mercredi prochain.
f. We do not need to / do not have to take lots of notes, since the lecture is
being recorded.
Nous n’avons pas besoin de prendre beaucoup de notes puisque la
conférence est enregistrée.
g. They need not have worried about the financial results: they were too
pessimistic, all is well.
Ils n’avaient pas besoin de s’inquiéter des résultats financiers : ces derniers
étaient trop pessimistes, tout va bien.
a. Tous les magazines de mode nous ont déjà contactés, donc vous n’êtes
pas obligé de leur téléphoner.
All the fashion magazines have already contacted us, so you do not need to /
do not have to phone them.
Si l’énonciateur disait : You needn’t call them, ce serait pour faire un
reproche, par exemple.
b. Il faut tenir compte des remarques des clients si on veut les garder.
You must take into account the clients’ remarks if you want to keep them.
e. Je vous ai déjà dit hier que vous n’êtes pas obligé de prendre vos congés
le mois prochain.
I already told you yesterday that you do not have to take your holiday next
month.
Si l’énonciateur disait : you needn’t take… ce serait pour donner un conseil,
par exemple.
f. Vous ne devez pas poser toutes ces questions : ces informations sont
confidentielles.
You must not ask all those questions: that information is confidential.
g. Il ne faut pas lancer cette campagne de publicité trop tôt : elle risque de
nuire à notre image.
We must not launch that advertising campaign too soon: it could harm our
image.
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h. Vous n’avez pas besoin de parler du dernier projet en date du directeur
commercial.
You do not have to / do not need to talk about the Sales Manager’s latest project.
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4. EXPRESSION. Do you think employees should be barred
from saying what they think about their company? (About 150
words.)
Employees can damage a company’s reputation by criticizing it, but I am
not sure that they should be forbidden from doing so for various reasons.
First, freedom of expression is a right. In the United States, it is illegal to
fire an employee for criticizing or even insulting his boss online.
Secondly, unionising is also a right. Workers are allowed to discuss things
like their wages or working conditions. Also, there may be serious reasons
to criticize a company for, say, polluting or evading taxation.
However, workers should be wary of what they post online. It might end up
disfavouring them, because if their company fails, they are bound to lose
their jobs! Most employees know they shouldn’t criticize their boss or
company, at least publicly, because it will eventually have an impact on
their position or career. In 2016, the European Court ruled that employers
were allowed to read staff’s private messages sent on forums during
working hours.
159 words
5. COMPREHENSION.
a. How will advertising evolve over the next few years? (About 40 words.)
Advertising in the years to come will be more than simple information
directed at a target. It will adapt to potential customers’ moods, feelings and
tastes, while giving them experiences of pleasure and gratification. It will be
individualised to the extreme.
40 words
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8. COMPRÉHENSION. Rédigez une note de synthèse sur les
documents 1, 2, 3, 4 et 5, en dégageant et en analysant les moyens
et l’importance d’une bonne communication entre l’entreprise,
ses employés et ses clients, tels qu’ils y sont présentés. (Environ
200 mots.)
L’ensemble du corpus démontre que la communication est un rouage
essentiel du succès commercial d’une entreprise.
Une bonne communication entre l’entreprise et ses clients doit être fondée
sur l’honnêteté, c'est-à-dire dépourvue des mensonges ou des manipulations
typiques de l’écoblanchiment, ou encore de la fabrication de faux avis
positifs (documents 1 et 2). Elle ne doit pas non plus être agressive, mais au
contraire privilégier un dialogue respectueux, où le client se sent entendu et
compris (document 2), voire même chouchouté (document 4).
Une communication fructueuse au sein de l’entreprise passe par une
utilisation mesurée des nouvelles technologies et une gestion plus efficace
des réunions (document 5), qui ne doivent pas devenir des contraintes
stériles. Le tout numérique n’est parfois pas souhaitable, car les contacts
directs entre personnes apportent beaucoup en termes de confiance.
L’entreprise doit aussi veiller à intégrer l’ensemble des employés à la
culture d’entreprise pour que ces derniers ne soient pas tentés par des
opérations de dénigrement, comme dans le document 3. De plus, elle doit
s’assurer que les employés comprennent bien les enjeux de l’image de
l’entreprise, quitte à leur faire signer des chartes de bonne conduite dans
leur contrat d’embauche (document 3).
Une bonne communication ne s’improvise pas.
202 mots
Once a month, the Managing Director will organize a meeting with the
people concerned.
87 words
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