II. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the main characters of the story?

2. Where did the author of the story meet Richard?

3. Did they work in one and the same company?

4. What company did they work for?

5. What kind of man was Richard?

6. What was the purpose of their meeting?

7. Who did most of the calculations?

8. How did they meet with the president of the company Mr. Prossert?

9. What did they speak about?

10. Could James (the author) answer all the questions of the president? Why?

11. And what about Richard? Did he seem to know everything?

12. Why was James surprised to hear Richard’s answers to Mr. Prossert’s questions?

13. Why didn’t Mr. Prossert say good-bye to James?

14. Why did the writer call the story “Success Story”?

III. Say what you have learned about:

1. James.

2. Richard.

What do you think of these people?

IV. Think and try to form several the so called “rules of business” that sometimes businessmen use, which you have learned from this story. Say your opinion about them.

Text 2

I. Read and translate the story.

A JOB IN MEXICO¹

It happened² some years ago. Two of my friends lived in a small town near Liverpool. They were out of work and were happy to agree to any job. Their names were Stevenson and Black. Stevenson was a very talented engineer, and as he had a large family and no money to live on, his life was very difficult.

One day when I was coming back from my office I saw Stevenson. He was going along the street with a suitcase in his hand. Stevenson had read an advertisement in a newspaper that a manufacturing plant of chemical equipment wanted an engineer.

“You see, I must get that job. I’ve got a large family.” “Why must you go to Liverpool yourself?” I asked, “it’s better to send the documents by airmail.” “I think”, Stevenson answered, “many people want to get the job and I‘m sure all of them will send letters. If I get there before the manager of the plant receives the letters I think I’ll be able to get the job.”

Stevenson was right. He received the job. My other friend Black had lost three or four jobs though he was a very good clerk. I told him Stevenson’s story. The story impressed him. A few days later I met Black with a suitcase in his hand. “Where are you going?” I asked him. “To Mexico”, was the answer. “A bank there requires a clerk. I have sent my documents by post, but to settle the matter sooner I decided to go there myself. I remember the story you told me the other day about Stevenson.”

So Black went to Mexico City. But his letter had come there three days earlier. When he came to the Bank and spoke to the assistant-manager³, the assistant-manager said, “I’m sorry to say we have already got a man. But I’ll clarify the matter⁴ with the manager.” And he left the office.

“Yes”, the manager said, “I have received a letter from a man who lives near Liverpool. His name is Black. A good young man, he suits us all right. I’ve sent him a telegram to come here immediately and we’ll keep the job for him for 10 days.”

“There is a man outside,” said the assistant-manager, “who wants to get this job.”

“But we’ve got this man Black and we’ll wait for him.” Black had not heard the conversation between the manager and his assistant. He had to go back home. But as he had spent all his money and nobody in Mexico could help him it took him two months to get back to England. There he found the telegram which was waiting for him.

Notes

¹ Mexico – г. Мехико

2. to happen – происходить, случаться

3. an assistant-manager – помощник управляющего

4. to clarify the matter – выяснить вопрос (зд.)