WORKBOOK, p. 31; READING TASK 1 Answer these questions. 1 What dangers must foreign investers in America be constantly aware of? = scrutiny of American regulators = public prosecutors (veřejný žalobce, státní zástupce) = trial lawyers 2 American insurance firms began selling policies (= pojistky) for directors to minimize the dangers mentioned above. T/F = T (although they more exploited the investors´ fears people than calming them down) 3 These policies managed to protect most of the companies from being sued. T/F = F: since 1995 according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers, an accounting firm, more than 100 foreign firms in America have been sued in private litigation 4 Foreign firms operating in America and registered with the SEC is more likely to face a lawsuit than an American firm. T/F = T 5 What does the SEC stand for? = Securities and Exchange Commission 6 What do you know about Parmalat? = an Italian food and milk-products company = investigated for falsifying accounts to cover huge losses = raising awareness of such jurisdiction risks TASK 2 In paragraph 4 find the words defined by the following definitions: 1. an agreement by a government or an organization to pay back the money an investor has lent plus a fixed amount of interest on a particular date; a document containing this agreement = bond 2. price that is very high, much higher than is normal or reasonable = inflated price 3. a company that has been bought by another company, an act of doing this = acquisition 4. the people or an organization who have the power to make decisions or who have a particular area of responsibility in a country or region = authorities 5. owned or controlled by another company = subsidiary WORKBOOK, p. 30; READING TASK 1 Create questions to these answers: ( Paragraph 1) 1 PCs and electrical devices are replaced every year. On what assumption is the computer industry built? 2 Only a tenth or so. How much of electronic junk is actually recycled? 3 Mercury and lead. How do you say rtuť and olovo in Czech? 4 In Europe. In which continent does e-waste grow fastest? 5 A type of refuse. What is e-waste? 6 8%. What proportion does e-waste account for in municipal rubbish? TASK 2 Translate into Czech: ( Paragraph 2) Legislation to levy a surcharge on computer sales to defray recycling costs came into effect last month. 1 levy a surcharge = vybírat příplatek / přirážka 2 defray recycling costs = uhradit náklady na recyklaci 3 came into effect = vešli v platnost 4 a European Union directive = směrnice EU 5 to be implemented in national laws = být včleněn / stát se součástí národního práva TASK 3 Answer the following questions (Paragraph 3) 1 Who is eBay? = the world´s leading online auction business 2 What idea has eBay recently come up with and how does this idea work? = idea to encourage people to sell, donate or recycle their old machines over the Internet = there is a web-based program which reads the redundant computer´s components and gives its specifications , in this way owners can ascertain its value and put it up for sale Translate: 1 zjistit hodnotu = to ascertain value 2 dát na prodej = put it up for sale 3 zjednodušit přepravu / expedici = to simplify shipping Glossary – terms, Units 6-7 1. to litigate (verb) = to take a claim or complaint against a person or organisation to a court of law. Angry consumers have announced that they will litigate. 2. settlement (noun) = an agreement to resolve a dispute before it is taken to court. The two companies refused to to disclose the financial details of their out-of-court settlement. 3. fee (noun) = an amount of money paid to a professional person or organisation for their services. 4. damages/compensation (noun) = money that a court orders someone to pay someone else for harming them or their property, or causing them financial losss components. The group is facing claims for damages/compensation due to faulty components. 5. public relations, abbreviation PR = the activity of telling the public about an organisation, person, product, etc. so that people think of them in a good way.