Rescheduling plans and arrangements

I. Write down some words and expressions from the film.

1. To cancel – to arrange that a planned activity or event will not now happen; to abolish, to call off.

2. To postpone – to change an event, action etc to a later time or date; to adjourn, to put off, to suspend.

3. To run behind schedule – not to meet schedule, to make something late.

4. To come up – if a problem or difficulty comes up, it suddenly appears or starts to affect you; to arise, to happen, to occur.

5. A point of sale video – a commercial (advertising film) meant to be used in shops and other sale outlets.

6. To be through with something – to finish something, to be done with something.

7. To be off – to be canceled.

8. To get something straight – to speak about something frankly, without hints and implications.

9. To meet targets – to fulfill the tasks that were scheduled previously.

10. Casual staff – temporary personnel contracted to do a particular piece of work; free-lance employees.

11. To butt in – to interrupt an interlocutor in order to say something.

12. To cut something short – to stop doing something earlier than it was planned; e.g. She had to cut short her vacation when she heard that her mother was ill.

13. Coincidence – a surprising and unexpected situation in which two things that are connected happen at the same time, in the same place, or to the same people.

14. Unlikely – not likely to happen; e.g. It is unlikely that the thieves will be caught.

15. Option – a choice you can make in a particular situation; a variant.

16. To get hold of something – to find or borrow something so that you can use it; e.g. I need to get hold of a car.

17. To bring forward – to change an arrangement in the future so that something happens sooner; e.g. The meeting’s been brought forward from Friday to Thursday.

18. Telephone conference – a meeting held through telephone network in which several people in different places can all talk to each other; e.g. The telephone conference of the Cabinet was broadcast on TV all over the country.

II. Translate the new vocabulary into Russian.

III. Watch the film for the 1^st time.

IV. Give a proper Russian interpretation of the following sentences and phrases from the film.

1. Are we too late for the printer’s deadline? – Уже слишком поздно сдавать в набор?

2. That’s not the point. – Не в этом дело.

3. Are you still there? (on the phone) – Вы меня слышите?

4. Mr. Peters is running a bit behind schedule but he won’t be long. – Г-н Питерс немного опаздывает, но он не сильно задержится.

5. Boardroom – зал заседаний правления.

6. Can you spare a minute? – Вы не можете уделить мне минуту?

7. Not really. – Вообще-то нет.

8. “Do you mind if I butt in?” – “Not at all.” – «Можно, я прерву вас?» – «Пожалуйста».

9. To make time – найти время.

10. It’s Mr. Sakai on the line for you. – Г-н Сакай просит вас к телефону.

11. Can I come to the point very quickly? – Я могу перейти к делу сразу?

V. Watch the film for the 2^nd time.

VI. Answer some questions on the film.

1. What was Mr. Smith’s call about?

2. Did Edward presume the publisher was going to postpone the meeting or to call it off?

3. What kind of catalogues did Mr. Smith deal in? (technological innovations, new developments etc)

4. Did the problem come up for Bibury Systems or the publishing house? What kind of problem arose with them?

5. Mr. Smith let down Bibury Systems, didn’t he?

6. Is it quite common in business when one party lets down another?

7. Why did Mr. Smith make up his mind to substitute Big Boss with Dealer Dan? Was it tied up anyhow with their launch dates?

8. Was Dealer Dan battery or solar powered? Can the above 2 features be combined, in your viewpoint?

9. Dealer Dan said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” It is an allegory, isn’t it? So, please, transform the implication into a direct idea, or rather get it straight^[9].

10. Why was Edward Green eager to see Don Bradley immediately?

11. Who was Don talking to when Edward butted in?

12. In your opinion, what business was Mr. Reiley involved in? Will you mind if I suppose that he worked for an advertising agency? Now guess how I have come to this conclusion. (They were discussing examples of the display materials and a point of sale video.)

13. Was Edward’s interrupting Mr. Bradley and Mr. Reiley justified? Give your reasons.

14. What would you say if you needed to interrupt somebody? (“Sorry to interrupt you.”; “Excuse my interrupting you.”; “Do you mind if I butt in?” etc)

15. What would you say if you needed anyone to have a brief talk with you? (“Can you spare a minute please?”)

16. How did Don perceive Edward’s news? What exactly did he ask about Dealer Dan? What epithets would you use to describe Don’s emotional state? (He was annoyed / irritated.) Do you feel annoyed when you don’t understand your teacher’s English?

17. What problem was Clive Harris discussing with Derek Jones?

18. What alternative did Bibury Systems have to meet the launch deadline?

19. What expression did Geraldine use to comment on Don’s interrupting the meeting with Mr. Reiley? (“He cut the meeting short.”)

20. Both idea and technology of Big Boss were new, weren’t they? So how did Don Bradley explain the appearance of Dealer Dan?

21. Could it be the case of industrial espionage? Does this supposition coincide with what Derek Jones had in mind when he said the coincidence was very unlikely?

22. Who knew about Big Boss’ know-how?

23. What instructions did the Managing Director give to his executives?

24. While talking to Edward on his scheduled meeting with the Marketing Director, Jenny Ross used the word “re-arrange”. This is the most common notion one uses for plans that are going to change. What are 3 possible ways of re-arranging appointments? (A. They can be postponed to a later date or time. B. They can be brought forward to an earlier date or time. C. They can be cancelled.)

25. What decision was taken at last concerning the meeting with Don Bradley?

26. What topic for a small talk did Clive Harris choose when speaking to Mr. Sakai on the phone?

27. What did Mr. Sakai say to stick to the point? (“Can I come to the point very quickly?”) Just remember it for the case you are short of time to exchange civility remarks.

28. What did Mr. Sakai inform the Managing Director about?

29. How did Clive Harris react to the news about Mr. Sakai’s arrival?

30. What was Derek Jones contemplating upon at the end of the film?

VII. Make up a dialogue on the basis of the following assignment.

Person A. Last week you made an appointment with Person B for 10 a.m. on Wednesday. You are to come to his office premises. Suddenly something extraordinary comes up, and you have to go out on business just on Wednesday morning. You phone Person B and do your best to bring your meeting forward or to postpone it. Try several options. Take into consideration that you are interested in this meeting much more than your counterpart is, so the initiative is yours. Eventually offer some decision (it might be a business dinner at a restaurant etc) that turns out to be acceptable for Person B.

Person B. Last week you agreed to meet Person A. Now this person is calling to re-arrange the meeting. You feel irritated because you will have to break your itinerary not only for Wednesday but also for some other day. You are not used to changing your plans. Moreover, you do not care much for this meeting. In the end your interlocutor’s eloquence gains the upper hand, and you accept the compromise decision offered by your partner.