Unit 12

1 Progress
Progresstest
test

Working with words Business communication

Complete the missing words in these sentences. Complete the description of the graph with five different
verbs.
1 It’s very en that our profits have risen so
much. 600

2 This company has a re for good management.

500
3 You can’t say you have good workplace di
when all the managers are men! 400
4 Our share price is sa , but it could be a lot

Profit
higher. 300

5 TGG has a good sa record, with only one

accident in two years. 200

6 This firm is going to be the most socially re

100
organization in the country.
7 The CEO said our results were good, but actually I 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
thought they were di .
Month
8 The only way we can ac our targets is by
working extra hard. Profits in January were €350,000 but 21 in the next
9 Environmental pe is increasingly important in months to just over €450,000 in April. They 22
modern business life. stable from April to July, but then 23 sharply
between July and August as the summer holidays hit
10 We have taken various local initiatives to manage
sales. Profits 24 to nearly €500,000 in September
co .
and October, but then 25 through November and
December to reach €250,000 by the end of the year.

Language at work Complete the sentences with a preposition from the list.
A journalist interviews Dr Hai Hong about her new at   ​by   ​
from   ​to   ​to
job at British Biotube. Complete the interview with the a Average salaries rose 26 2.4% last year.
correct form of the verb in brackets (present perfect or
b The salary of a typical office worker in London rose
past simple). 27
£24,000 in January 28 about £24,500
J: Well, Dr Hong, how long 11 (you / w
​ ork) at by the end of the twelve months.
British Biotube now? c The price of a three-bedroomed house finished the year
HH: Just two weeks. I 12 (arrive) in the UK in 29
£475,000.
June. d Shares in TKG Houses fell about 5% 30 475p in
J: Where 13
(you / w
​ ork) before that? December.
HH: Well, I 14 (graduate) from Beijing University
in 2006, and then I 15 (spend) three years in Result __________/ 30 marks
the USA.
J: And why 16 (you / d
​ ecide) to come and
work in the UK?
HH: Well, I 17 (want) to work here all my life!
And my husband 18 (be) here for two years
now. He’s working as a surgeon in York.
J: What’s the biggest problem you 19 (find)
since you came here?
HH: The language. People here speak faster than my
teacher in school in China!
J: How long 20 (you / s​ tudy) English at
school?
HH: Six years. But that was a long time ago …

Business Result Second Edition Pre-intermediate © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE

Unit 12 Speaking test

Role cards
Copy this page and cut out the role cards for the students. Then use the Speaking test results forms to evaluate each
student’s performance. You can then cut out the results and give them to the students.
cut along this line
Student A Student B
You have worked for a house building company for a You have worked for a furniture company for three years
year. Your company is doing really well (see below) and and a month. Your company is doing poorly (see below)
you have just received a large bonus. However, there have and some employees have just lost their jobs. However, the
been several accidents on your company’s projects which company has received a prize as ‘Greenest Company in the
have been in the newspapers, and which have damaged its Region’ which was reported in the newspapers, and which
reputation. has improved its reputation.
• You meet Student B at a conference. You meet Student A at a conference.
• Introduce yourself and your company. Find out how long • Introduce yourself and your company. Find out how long
they have been in the job. they have been in the job.
• Find out how their company is doing in terms of sales, • Find out how their company is doing in terms of sales,
profit, and other aspects of performance. profit, and other aspects of performance.
• Give information about your own company. • Give information about your own company.
Your company this year: Your company this year:
• sales up 57.4% • sales down 0.04%
• profits up 22.309% • profits down 6.5%
• number of employees: 598 • number of employees: 245, down from 300 last year
• accidents: six in last year, three serious • accidents: none

Unit 12 Speaking test results

Use these forms to evaluate the students.
cut along this line

Yes, but Yes, did Yes, but Yes, did

Didn’t do Didn’t do
Student A with some this very Student B with some this very
this this
Can the student …? mistakes well Can the student …? mistakes well
(0 points) (0 points)
(1 point) (2 points) (1 point) (2 points)
ask and talk ask and talk
about how about how
long he/she long he/she
has worked for has worked for
his/her present his/her present
company company
ask about ask about
company company
performance performance

describe company describe company

performance performance

use figures use figures

accurately accurately

use complex use complex

numbers numbers

Result / ​10 marks Result / ​10 marks

cut along this line

Business Result Second Edition Pre-intermediate © Oxford University Press PHOTOCOPIABLE