1, Put the right words in the text!
The UK’s energy 1,………. has been powered for decades by coal and nuclear plants. As these centralised power stations, designed to deliver large quantities of electricity across hundreds of miles of national power networks, are gradually shut down, they are being replaced with smaller, nimbler, decentralised sources of energy. The benefits of decentralisation – drawing power from multiple, localised energy networks – are numerous. Deploying local solar plants, small wind farms, 2……….and combined heat-and-power plants can drive competition up, and power prices down, as the number of energy providers increases. It 3………. greater control in communities over the sources of the energy they consume. Consumers can sell power back to the grid, offering revenue opportunities and a way to provide 4, ………….. power to the national grid. Localised power is often renewable, helping cut carbon emissions, too. However, the UK is a long way from having a decentralised energy grid. Tim Rotheray, director of the Association for Decentralised Energy, says this is because the scale of the change needed is huge. Achieving a decentralised energy grid means turning decades of UK power policy and development on its head, and 5 ………….exactly the opposite approach. “This is the nub: the UK’s electricity system was designed around big bits of kit,” says Dr Rotheray. “In the 1970s and 1980s, the way you drove down the price of energy was by economy of scale. These plants were, and are, all trading huge amounts of electricity.” Times have changed and the economics of small-scale, localised power have vastly improved. Prices for renewable technologies have dropped dramatically over the past decade and last year business services firm Lloyd’s Register said it expects decentralised renewable energy to be cheaper than power from the grid by 2025. To remain ahead of the curve, policymakers and the energy industry need to start bringing their former customers, and new competitors, into their policy conversations. “Policy is still created in the traditional system and that’s an absolutely huge barrier to growth of the decentralisation model,” says Dr Rotheray. Historically, energy policy was developed “by energy experts talking to energy experts, but now power market participants include brewers or bakers or steel fabricators; their participation is vital to achieve the growth and the security of supply the country needs”. Dr Rotheray warns expansion of decentralised energy grids will be further stymied if it causes any inconvenience to the public. “The system is 6………….. from the traditional siloed, centralised system and it has to. But as an energy consumer, you don’t want to experience these [changes]. You’re interested in remaining warm and powered,” he says. For the decision-makers involved in the transition, “it’s about starting to see the energy system from that perspective”. The government also needs to adopt a more holistic, joined-up attitude when it comes to looking at the UK’s energy future in general, he says. New and 7………… green energy auctions, for example, procure future UK power from low-carbon sources such as offshore wind. As the lowest bids win, it is typically big-hitter developers and investors with large-scale projects that are winning these contracts. The auctions replaced subsidies, which Dr Rotheray says were key to the development of localised power. “Those policies were very successful at the local level, on a small scale. They overcame barriers for consumers to participating in the energy system. Instead of asking people to engage in the wholesale power market, they were just paid a set fee for whatever power they put into the grid,” he says. As these subsidies are 8………….. and replaced by auctions, won by international utilities and financiers, “the challenge of the next decade is to unlock local access”. Other countries are already adapting to the challenge 9………. by decentralisation. Dr Rotheray points to the Nordics’ Nord Pool power market, and individual states and energy firms in the United States, as examples of flexible, modern power grids. In America, consumers are increasingly being 10, …………… with rebates for modifying their behaviour, for example switching on air conditioning at times when the grid is less stressed, and are seeing cost-saving benefits more quickly than their UK counterparts, he says. Could the UK eventually have a fully decentralised energy grid? Dr Rotheray says perhaps this is the wrong question to ask. It’s more important that the UK’s electricity ecosystem is fit for purpose. He concludes: “We need to ensure that the power system is low carbon and secure. It should be open to every possible participant. Then the market will find its own level, whether that’s centralised energy, local energy or a mix.”
a,rewarded, b, upcoming c, grid, d, shifting e, enables f, battery storage g, posed h, backup i, phased out j, adopting ,
2, Which could be an adequate reaction to the following sentences?
1.Have you sent the report to Mr Berinsky?
……………………………………………
2.What is the reason for the production hold-up?
………………………………………………
3.Can you spare Tibi during the time of the overhaul?
…………………………………………………….
4.Why do you need extra staff?
…………………………………………………………
5.I am ont he beach in Miami!
………………………………………………………
6.Where is Daniel? Isn’t he suppopsed to be here??
………………………………………………………
7.Just leave it to me, I will arrange it for you
………………………………………………..
8.Have you showed the new training engineer around the shopfloor area?
………………………………………………………………..
9.Why didn’t you get back to me earlier?
……………………………………………………………………..
a.He has come down with a flu
b.I will give you 3 guesses.
c.Very quickly, but I couldn’t brief him ont he production
d.Aren’t you supposed to be at the trade fair?
e.It completely slipped my mind
f.I got held up
g.Thanks, I owe you one
h.I am working flat out here
i.Well, we are short staffed
3, Vocabulary test:
1, Only a handful of worldwide agency networks have the capacity to………………the world’s biggest brands
a, come up with b, take on c, call for d, do up
2, When your payment is ……………..youa are sent a payment reminder
a, overdue b, overtaken c, outdo d, outnumber
3, In which case was the price favourable?
A, it cost the earth b, it cost a fortune c, it was a rip off d, it was a bargain
4, The company operates through American dealers unhindered that is
a, among difficult circumstances b, profitably, c, without any obstacles d, under constant threat
5, People tend to give diamond engagement rings as a(n)……………of marriage
a, symbol b, intention c, reluctance d, hesitation
6, If other producers wanted to ……………their surplus gems onto the world market this would lead to ………………prices
a, advertise/soaring b, get rid of/retail c, dump/ plunging d, sell/ high
7, The Germans want to be …………..that you are as efficient and quality conscious as they are
a, willing b, admired c, convinced d, contributed
8, Spaniards ……..more attention to people and are less ……….by the meticulously organized meeteings.
A, pay – impressed b, take- surprised c, get- tolerant d, have- attracted
9, If you want to save money you had better have a………………..as it …………………..
a, charity organization- doesn’t cost any money b, current account- is suitable for bank transfers c, deposit account-bears interest business venture- will go bankrupt
10,Relationship building is a fundamental part of business life that’s why a lot of money goes on………………….
A, tax evasion b, research and development c, corporate entertainment d, streamlining
11, Business lunches may be real signs of respect or a mere……………………
a, embezzlement b, bribery c, money laundry d, counterfeiting currency
12, Which is out of these is not a dessert?
A, floating islands b, chesnut paste with whipped cream c, pooppy seed rolls d, Serbian carp
13, The Hungarian government is now taking steps to reduce the budget deficit, which are called…………………..
a, tax allowance b, austerity measures c, remittance d, concession
14, The secret of an effective marketing campaign is that the message should be…………
a, saturated b, spendthrift c, straightforward d, obscure
15, It is not enough to tell me that you sold them a product I am also interested in how the deal was ………………
a, done b, gone c, struck d, stuck
4, Wher would you insert the sentences after each text?
1, Emotional intelligence
Intelligent use of emotions is pivotal. It boils down to how you motivate people, so if you want yourself and your team to perform effectively, both you and they need to be in a positive emotional state. This means managing your own emotions in the moment. As a leader, a lot of it is about infl uence. So think about what will galvanise and get the best out of others. Sometimes this means putting a bit of pressure on so your team pulls out the stops for a while and at others it means creating a positive, energised but calm environment. Leaders who are in touch with themselves recognise their blind spots, but they are also aware of what others’ strengths are and bring them on board. So they understand other people. While in the past leaders were promoted on the back of their knowledge and competencies, it is becoming much more important to infl uence others and manage them to do their job well.
To do this requires self-awareness and awareness of others at an emotional level.
2, Humility
A humble leader enables a culture of continual improvement. They understand that it is OK not to know everything, and the importance of continuing to develop and improve. In days gone by, it was about being the all-knowing boss who was strong and formal, and took tough decisions, but that is starting to shift. Enabling others to teach you changes this dynamic as it allows you to learn and build more open relationships with people. People these days are increasingly looking to leaders to give them good questions, rather than answers, and to steer them in the right direction, rather than tell them what to do. So some key habits to develop include asking open questions, respecting individuals and including them in decision-making, watching and learning, and going to where the work is, which means walking the fl oor. That way you will start to understand your team as individuals and also appear more human
Another thing about this approach is that it allows risk-taking to take place and encourages innovation, which in turn leads to improvements in productivity and performance.
3, Communication skills
Leaders with poor communication skills leave employees floundering and teams in disarray. As a result, it is vital to explain your vision with both passion and clarity, making it plain where the organisation is going, why, and what is in it for the team. This is important because now more than ever people want to feel part of something bigger, while at the same time understanding where they fi t in. Although all of us assume we can communicate effectively, it is not always true and in reality there is no one-size-fi ts-all approach. On the one hand, it should be simple and jargon-free, while on the other it should take people on a journey. Just as key on a personal level though is fi tting in with diff erent communication styles, so understanding who requires detail, who needs an overview and who should be given context. But also be sure to remember that communication is a two-way thing. So ask for feedback and, if you can, act on it; if not, explain why
In other words, it is about ensuring the language you use is suitable for your audience.
4, Listening
The ability to listen to everyone’s views is a hugely underrated skill for a leader. But it is important. If you want people to follow your leadership, you have to demonstrate that you understand them and have empathy, and listening is a big part of that. If you fail to listen, it is often damaging for people’s self-esteem and they may not fulfil their potential. Feeling listened to is vital for wellbeing and creates a happier, healthier work environment. Another reason why listening is important is that the best ideas usually come from people other than the chief executive. Some of our most business-defi ning notions have come from our junior team, for example. As a leader, it is also important to listen fi rst and do second. Ultimately, it is up to you to make the decision and not all ideas will be used. But there is still a lot to be gained from listening to a diverse set of opinions and showing people you are interested in their views.
So it is imperative that everyone has the opportunity to speak and feel heard.
5, Resilience
Resilience is about an individual’s ability to grow, adapt and perform, and it is becoming increasingly essential to help navigate these times of change and challenge. As a result, part of a leader’s responsibility is to improve not only their own resilience, but also that of their people, which means developing fi ve core elements. The first is support, which involves building positive relationships.The second is confidence, which entails building belief in our ability to hit our goals by undertaking the right balance of “stretch” activities and being aware of critical self-talk that can hold us back. Striving is about having the grit and determination to achieve our aims combined with an ability to shift direction if circumstances alter, while recovering is the ability to reset and start again if we fall back into negative patterns. Finally, adapting involves continuing to learn and evolve as situations change using a process of reflection. While most leaders focus on a couple of areas, as change and challenge continue to mount, having access to wider resources will become increasingly crucial to ensure that they, and their team, can thrive.
to create a help network for when we experience stress.
KEY:
1.exercise
1/c, 2/f, 3/e, 4/h, 5/j, 6/d, 7/b, 8/i, 9/g, 10/a
2. exercise
1/e, 2/b, 3/i, 4/h, 5/d, 6/a, 7/g, 8/c, 9/f
3. exercise
1/b, 2/a, 3/d, 4/c, 5/b, 6/c, 7/c, 8/a, 9/c, 10/c, 11/b, 12/d, 13/b, 14/c, 15/c
4. exercise
1,….calm environment után
2,….relationship with people után
3, …..one size fits all approach után
4, ……junior team, for example után
5,……building positive relationship után