1. Write an email to an executive manager of a warehouse suggesting ways to improve teamwork there. Include all necessary details about the company, business and warehouse (150 words).

2. Write an essay including arguments and examples (at least 250 words): Certain businesses rely on materials management to ensure different goods are stored properly.

Role play

Follow the instructions to role play a meeting.

The Battle for Middle-Earth

The dark times came for Middle-earth. Sauron was constantly enlarging his power and the power of 9 Dark Commanders. The Dark forces were rapidly growing: accumulation of plenty of competitive advantages such as quantity and equipment could let them win the final battle and conquer Middle-earth.

The last hope for salvation was the fellowship of the Ring, which meanwhile situated in Rivendell. Under the circumstances of uncertainty some of the most responsible human and other beings bundled to discuss current situation.

One the one hand, possible destruction of the Ring could defeat the Dark lord immediately and establish the victory. However, realization of this plan would take a lot of time and include all available resources, thus you are unable to accomplish other objectives like preparing for the war. Choosing this strategy, you are under the risk of a sudden attack, losing an opportunity to defense. This task is very, very complex.

On the other hand, if you invest all you capacity into defense construction you will be able to control the enemy’s attacks. But in the long-run period you are to die because aggressively based tactic of your opponent slowly exhausts your assets. Thirdly, you are not strong enough to make the first step, i.e. attack the Dark Forces.

Now, the fellowship of the Ring is having a boardroom meeting to make the final decision and choose the optimal strategy. Bear in mind that you are not alone in the Middle-earth, that there are many citizens in these places and under proper motivation they could arise against the evil. Nevertheless, don’t forget that there are a lot of characters who will do their best to interfere into your plans not letting them come true. May be spies of the enemy are already among your board, who knows?

Characters

1. Gandalf. The chairman. You are to control the discussion process and to make a final decision. You haven’t made up your mind what to do yet, so you consider to listen to the solutions generated and to analyse them thoroughly. Like a river flow, guide the discussion into smooth and right path.

2. Gimli. A bully. You like no one except Legolas. Problem avoider. Don’t really understand why dwarfs should protect the humans and elves, when you live pretty well under earth. Although your siblings could be useful for the whole party, you treat it critically.

3. Legolas. You hope for the best. Excellent team-worker, you like to generate ideas and are ready to act. For example, try to persuade the others to destroy the Ring, to involve more human resources, and organize guerilla squads. And don’t forget about Gimli: despite his gloomy character, you are the only one who has influence over him.

4. Aragorn. A natural leader. Problem solver. Outstanding analytical skills and cold-blooded character. You consider Legolas and Gandalf as comrades and support them. However, as a true warrior you desire to fight against the enemy face-to-face instead of hiding in the fortress.

5. Frodo. Problem avoider. You don’t understand what’s going on. You are frightened and can’t make a proper decision. You think that everything will be all right and simply cannot imagine an unhappy end. You would like everything to run smoothly as it used to be. All in all, may be the information about Sauron and his army is a roumor?

6. Sam. A “word-of-mouth” character: he wants to tell everyone to rise against the enemy, not to waste time, act immediately, although he doesn’t know what should be done. His hush makes now good, thus he proposes foolish ideas. He likes Frodo. Unfortunately, he always tries to prove his point of view without listening to others.

7. Boromir. A maverick. Problem seeker. Instead of coming up with new ideas, he tries to sort out those which the board already proposed, finding pros and cons of each. He also wants to suggest complementary things which help to strengthen the fundament of the whole project, for example, where to get resources needed or whom to ask. Naturally, as Aragorn he is for an open fight, but still he is ready for other options.

8. Saruman. It happened so, that he has already met the dark forces long time ago. This experience brought no good, but Saruman is the only person who knows the enemy’s business from interior. His knowledge of corporate relationship, culture and appraisal system is irreplaceable.

9. Pippin. A spy, bribed by Sauron. He never wanted to collaborate with anybody, so Sauron gave him the possibility to run his own agricultural business. To pay the debts back, Pippin has to observe the strategies chosen by the fellowship and tell the Dark lord about them. In addition, he should try as hard as he can not to let the boardroom to decide to destroy the Ring.

10. Merry. He is the best friend of Pippin, but during last days Merry starts to suspects him in committing something illegal. He is strongly for passive war, i.e. obtaining resources and waiting for the enemy behind huge fortress’s walls. All in all, if something really extraordinary is to happen, Merry has got very influential and mature friends – the ents – who would always protect him.

Culture

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. Describe each strange tradition mentioned in the text.

2. What other American traditions and holidays of the kind do you know?

3. What Russian traditions can be called weird and wonderful by foreigners in your opinion? Why?

Strange American Traditions⁵²

Punkin Chunkin

Each year, as corn stalks tower toward the sky and leaves turn yellow, orange and red, folks in the United States often flock to farms in order to attend fall festivals. Most of the goings on at these festivals are pretty tame if a little odd-sounding from an outside perspective. Families often participate in activities like going on hayrides, picking out pumpkins, walking through corn mazes, sampling cider, petting barnyard animals, that sort of thing.

However, what really singles out some of these fall celebrations is the desire harbored by the visitors to witness pumpkins - harmless lumpy gourds - blasted into the air and launched great distances across acres of sprawling farmland. There are several ways this can be accomplished to satisfy a crowd, whether it's through the use of air cannons, catapults, trebuchets or machines using torsion and centrifugal force. Pretty much the only one who does not end up having a good time is the pumpkin.

Presidential Turkey Pardons

Thanksgiving in general seems to mystify those not steeped in American traditions, but perhaps no part of that quirky turkey fest seems more bizarre than the annual ceremony during which modern presidents grant an official pardon to a live turkey presented to them by the National Turkey Federation (NTF). Interestingly, there has also been a great deal of confusion among Americans concerning the actual origins of this strange tradition.

Although the NTF has been gifting presidents with turkeys annually since 1947, the whole idea of "pardoning" them by sparing them from the stove didn't occur until years later, and even then, when it did occasionally happen, it certainly wasn't with anything as grandiose as a declaration of an official presidential pardon. The first bird to receive a formal stay of execution in the mode of an expressly stated "presidential pardon" was not delivered to the Rose Garden until 1989, when then-President George H. W. Bush started this act of official benevolence that has now become an annual American tradition.

Black Friday Shopping Sprees

Just hours after millions of unpardoned turkeys are devoured in the United States on Thanksgiving each year, armies of shoppers head out to get a start on their annual Christmas gift list. Black Friday sales traditionally launch this national weekend shopping bonanza, which wraps up on Cyber Monday, a more recently minted tradition that is grown in popularity with the rise of online shopping.

In 2010, the National Retail Federation conducted a survey, and estimated that more than 200 million shoppers went online and to stores around the nation during the weekend after Thanksgiving, with 106 million Americans planning to make purchases online come the following Monday

Most of those shopping on Black Friday arrive at a civilized time, but many diehards take the tradition a step further and start the day at a gruelingly early hour. In rare cases, riots or deadly stampedes have even broken out among shoppers slavering to get a certain deal or a particular product.

Groundhog Day Prognosticating

Leave it to Americans to make their warm weather travel plans based on the machinations of a reticent rodent. Each year, groundhogs around the country - but most notably Punxsutawney Phil of Punxsutawney, Penn. - are paraded out to predict how many more weeks will transpire before spring is on the way.

It is either six more weeks of winter, or an early spring, depending upon whether the little critter in question sees his shadow or not. This tradition has been going on since the 1800s, despite (ahem) modest advances in weather prediction since that time.