Course Overview

Welcome to the Introduction to Business English course!  We hope the following materials will be helpful.  This course was designed for students in the 10-11 forms. 

Course Structure

The 17 lessons of the course fall into three units.  We have ordered the lessons in the way that seemed most practical, but teachers may reorder lessons as they see fit.  There are, however, a few groups of lessons that will work best if kept together.  Lessons 3, 4, and 5 all deal with the documents students need in order to apply for a job.  The two lessons on interviewing should be kept together, as should the two lessons on business plans.

Accompanying each lesson is a Teacher’s Guide with objectives for the lesson and answers to the exercises. Also included in the Teacher’s Guides are notes to the teacher providing additional suggestions/direction for some specific exercises.  There are three guides for the two lessons on interviews: one for each lesson with objectives and exercise keys as well as a more comprehensive overview of interview etiquette, procedure and questions.

Unit 1: Getting Started & Applying

1. Introduction to business
2. Want Ads
3. Resume
4. Curriculum Vitae
5. Cover letter
6. Job Interviews I
7. Job Interviews II
    

Unit 2: How Businesses Work

8. Stock Market
9. Business Structure
10. Banking and Accounting
11. Business Plans I
12. Business Plans II
13. Sales and Marketing

Unit 3: Life in Business

14. Daily Life in Business
15. Business Communications: Phone and Email
16. Business Jargon
17. Office or Sports Field?

General Tips and Practical Notes

• Answer keys generally include short answers.  Students, however, should be strongly encouraged to write/speak answers in full sentences.
• Teachers may select which vocabulary they want to use for each lesson.  They may choose to skip some words.
• Work in pairs and groups should be encouraged.  Working in business involves teamwork. 
• Encourage students to think creatively and analytically.  These skills are just as important, if not more important than English skills in a business setting.
• Teachers should use their knowledge of and experience in the Ukrainian workplace to emphasize where cultural or practical differences exist, for example with resume/CV styles, body language in interviews, or a tendency towards more informal conversation and emails in American business, where the culture is less hierarchical.

Additional Resources

• http://eolf.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?page=business-english
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/
• http://www.englishclub.com/business-english/vocabulary.htm

Teacher’s Guide: Introduction to Careers

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Identify ~20 new vocabulary
2. Understand how skills, personality and interests influence a person’s career choice
3. Think critically about their own skills, personality and interests when discussing their career hopes
4. Understand the different requirements needed to qualify for different jobs.

Note on vocabulary: It’s not necessary that students memorize all possible jobs.  They should learn the main words as well as the names of a few jobs of interest to them.

Teacher’s Guide: Want Ads

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

5. Identify new vocabulary words.
6. Read and comprehend want ads.
7. Understand the different requirements needed to qualify for different jobs.

Exercise 1:

1. Tom sent his                          to companies who were looking for a website manager.
   1. Answer: resume
2. Sarah                          for the job she was qualified for.
   1. Answer: applied
3. Mary got the job because she was the most                         person who applied.
   1. Answer: qualified
4. Jim didn’t have a lot of time for work because he was a student at the university, so he was looking for a                         job.
   1. Answer: part-time
5. Mark looked through the                          to see who was hiring.
   1. Answer: want ads
6. Kim filled out the                         at the cd store because she wanted to work there.
   1. Answer: application

Exercise 2:

Note: Use the included newspaper for this activity.  The questions refer to the ads in it.

1. Under what number can you find jobs related to the “medical” field?
   1. Answer: 1460
2. Under what number can you find jobs related to “restaurants”?
   1. Answer: 1540
3. What skills are needed in order to qualify for the job “LOCAL PIPE, valve & fitting” under “Drivers”?
   1. Answer: Class A CDL, TWIC card, clean driving record and forklift experience required.
4. What skills are needed in order to qualify for the job “F/T BOOKKEEPER” under “Financial/Accounting”?
   1. Answer: Word and Excel experience
5. Where can you send your resume if you want to apply for “BLUE BAYOU DIXIE LANDIN’” under “industrial tech. skills”?
   1. Answer: Email it to jobbrla@gmail.com, or you can apply online at www.bluebayou.com
6. What skills are needed in order to qualify for the job “PHYSICIAN” under “medical”? How much does it pay?
   1. Answer: Must be board certified. It pays up to $175/hour.
7. What skills are needed in order to qualify for the job “FULL TIME GRILL position” under “Restaurants/Hotels/Clubs”? What is required in order to get the job?
   1. Answer: You must have good customer service and communication skills. In order to get the job you must take a pre-employment drug and background screening.
8. Where can you send your resume if you want to apply for “FULL TIME RETAIL COUNTER SALES PERSON” under “Sales/Marketing”?
   1. Answer: redstickjob@gmail.com

Teacher’s Guide: Resume

Objectives

1. Students will understand the purpose of a Resume
2. Students will understand resume vocabulary (resume, reverse chronological, functional, hybrid)
3. Students will understand the structure of a resume
4. Students will be able to construct their own resume

Model Resume

Note: Teacher should present format of resume and explain sections.

Exercise 1: Listing Skills

Teacher should make sure model resume is visible and point out the sections discussed earlier in the lesson.

Teacher’s Guide: Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)

Objectives

1. Students will understand the purpose of a C.V.
2. Students will understand the definition of the structure of a C.V.
3. Students will understand the vocabulary (profile, curriculum vitae, skills, interests).
4. Students will be able to create their own model C.V.

Presentation

Note: Teacher should present format. Point out each section (header, profile, education, work experience, skills, and interests). 

Exercise 2: Sample C.V.
Look at the sample C.V.  Can you locate all of the sections?

1. What is the person’s profile?
   1. young career minded undergraduate with an aptitude for creative problem solving and analysis with attention to detail; excellent team skills and strong communication abilities.
2. Where did this person study? 
   1. University of Reading, Petrovsky Secondary School
3. What was this person first job?
   1. Employee at Jerry’s Bait and Tackle
4. What does this person like to do?
   1. He is interested in environmental activism, playing guitar, and reading
5. What skills does this person have?
   1. Fluent in Arabic and Spanish
   2. Able to communicate efficiently with people
   3. Works well in groups and able to take and give constructive criticism.

Exercise 4:

Note: Teacher should keep up sample C.V. for students to see.  Review sections.  Brainstorm with students what information they could put in each section.

Teacher’s Guide: Cover Letter

Objectives

1. Students will understand the purpose of a cover letter
2. Students will understand the vocabulary in a cover letter (header, introduction, the body, closing).
3. Students will understand the structure of a cover letter
4. Students will be able to create their own cover letter

Exercise 1: Sample Cover Letter

Note: Teacher should show sample cover letter (with handouts or big enough so everyone can see, e.g. maybe on a computer and projector).  Teacher should Show the structure and vocabulary inserted in the cover letter.  Teacher should emphasize the importance of customization.  In a cover letter the applicant should specifically address the requirements of the job he/she is applying for and demonstrate a knowledge of the company and/or position.

Read the sample cover letter.  Answer the following questions:

1. Which address is put in the top right corner?
   1. Home address
2. What is a header?
   1.  
3. What comes after the header?
4. What job is this person applying for? 
   1. Fellowship Reporter at St. Paul Newsroom
5. Where did this person work before?
   1. Head editor at school newspaper
6. When will this person call to hear back?
   1. In two weeks

Exercise 2:

-Scrambled information activity

• Students are given many different bits of a cover letter
• Students must individually put the pieces on the board making the cover letter

Exercise 3

Students create their own cover letter (give sample job offer)

• Leave up sample cover letter
• Show where each piece of information is located
• They put their own information in each spot.
  • 3 sentences in each section (intro, body, conclusion).

Teacher’s Guide to Interview Lessons

Objectives:

Teachers will be able to

1. Understand that preparation and body language are the most important part of a business interview.
2. Simulate the behaviors of employers and interviewers.
3. Aid students in improving their body language by observing them.
4. Prepare students for interviews

What an Interview Is Really About

Interviews are not about qualifications and experience; they are about attitude and communication skills. An employer already knows the candidate's qualifications from their resume. An interview is looking at how the candidate holds him/herself. It is impossible to teach students how to answer every question in every interview. Each interview is different. Interviewers are looking for different things depending on what the job is. Teachers can give the students the ability to anticipate these questions and give excellent answers.

The first lesson is designed to help students know what a business is looking for in a candidate by learning about the business. Background information can tell what a business wants and by writing about their own strengths and weaknesses they will be able to tell a company why they are the best candidate for the job.

The second lesson is designed to teach students how to act in each interview. All interviews pay attention to body language. The right body language always improves a candidate’s chances at getting a job. Students are often unaware of bad body language. By observing them and grading them, a teacher can teach them to stop bad behavior and encourage good body language. A thank you letter is a very important part of an interview even though it is done after the interview. A thank you letter shows an interviewer that a candidate is polite.

Acting Like An Interviewer

1. Teachers already command the respect of their students, which is the first step in simulating and interview. Interviewers hold a place of authority over candidates. A candidate should be a little nervous in the interview because they want to do well, just as a student wants to perform well in front of a teacher.
2. Evaluate the students’ clothes and appearance. Are they dressed appropriately for an interview? They should not be dressed to play football or to go to the disco.
3. Greet the student by maintaining eye contact and extending your hand. In the business world, men and women all shake hands. Offer the student a seat, the student should not sit until a seat is offered. A student who sits down too soon should be marked down.
4. During the interview, students should maintain eye contact, especially when answering questions.  It is okay for them to look away when thinking of answer.
5. The student should speak more than the interviewer. Ask questions that require long answers. Students should answer in complete sentences. Mark them down for answering just "yes" or "no." Use list of suggested questions to help. These questions are commonly asked, and it will help students to get used to answering them.
6. Mark students down if they move too much during an interview or if they lean forward. They should not be constantly moving and should sit straight up.
7. Use the attached sheet to grade the students on their performance and help them get better in weak areas.
8. An interview should be 5-10 minutes long.

Extra Materials:

1. The list of suggested questions can help teachers know what to ask.
2. The grade form can tell a student what they did right and what they did wrong.

Mock Interview Evaluation

INTERVIEWER: _____________________________ 

STUDENT: _____________________________ 

DATE OF INTERVIEW: _____________________________

Rate the student interviewee on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) in the following areas of interviewing skill.

Interview Questions to Think About

Questions Often Asked By Employers

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What are your short-range and long-range career goals, and how are you preparing to achieve them?
3. Why did you choose this career?
4. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
5. How would you describe yourself? How would a friend or professor describe you?
6. How has your college experience prepared you for your career?
7. Why should I hire you?
8. How do you determine or evaluate success?
9. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company?
10. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him/her.
11. Describe your most rewarding high school/college experience.
12. If you were hiring for this position, what qualities would you look for?
13. What led you to choose your field or major?
14. What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?
15. How do you work under pressure?
16. Describe the ideal job/college.
17. Why did you decide to seek a position with this organization and what do you know about us?
18. What major problems have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
19. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company/college for which you hope to work/attend?
20. What salary do you want?

Questions Often Asked By Applicants

1. What are the strengths of the organization or department?
2. What are the career opportunities for someone entering this position?
3. What kind of orientation and training is available to new employees?
4. How large is the company/college? How large is this particular department/major?
5. To whom would I be reporting and what kind of communication channels are there?
6. What are the long-range plans for this organization?
7. How long was my predecessor in this position? Why did he/she leave?
8. How will I be evaluated? How often?
9. Is there an opportunity to transfer from one division to another?
10. What are the prospects for promotion in the future? What are some of the qualities or accomplishments you would consider important for promotion?
11. What is the management philosophy of this organization? What is the general philosophy?
12. In what areas of the organization do you expect growth?
13. Is continuing education encouraged? Is tuition reimbursement offered?
14. Can you tell me about the history of this position, and changes anticipated?
15. What are your expectations of the person in this position?
16. Is overtime the norm in this office?
17. What kind of support staff is available? What is the ratio of support staff to professionals, and how is work distributed?
18. Generally, what percentage of time will be devoted to each of my responsibilities?
19. Do you work with daily, weekly, monthly, or annual deadlines?
20. Does the organization have a process for sharing creative ideas?

Teacher’s Guide: Job Interviews (Part I)

Objectives:
Students will be able to....

1. To prepare for common interview questions
2. Identify several different types of interviews
3. Understand the purpose of an interview

Exercise 2: Matching type of Interview.

Match the vocabulary word with the definition.

1. One employer, many candidates.
2. Some employers will want to meet you again.
3. The most common type of interview.
4. Not done in person.
5. People looking for jobs.
6. Brief conversation to see if they would like to meet you
7. People looking to hire a person.

Answers:

1. Group interview
2. Second interview
3. First interview
4. Phone interview
5. Candidates
6. Screening interview
7. Employer

Exercise 5:

Note: This can be a class activity.  Use these models and have the students plug their skills in.  Have the students read their statements out loud. Ask them individually,

-What are you good at?

-What are your strengths?

Teacher’s Guide: Job Interviews (Part II)

Objectives:

Students will be able to...

1. Gain experience for interviewing by conducting a mock interview
2. Use appropriate body language for an interview.
3. Respond appropriately to commonly asked interview questions
4. Ask questions of interviewer to demonstrate appropriate attitude.

Exercise 2:  Practicing body language.

-          Demonstrate the proper introduction with a volunteer. All behaviors.

-          Students will stand up and practice introducing themselves to everyone else in the room.

-          Walk around the room and make sure to meet with all the students.

Exercise 3: Mock Interviews

Mock interview

-          Interview a student in front of the class.

-          Ask simple questions. The most important thing is body language.

ex. "What are your strengths?"

"What are you good at?"

"Where do you live?"

"What school do you go to?"

"What is your weakness?"

-          "Do you work well with others?"

-          Allow the student to use the list of strengths and weaknesses they wrote in the last class.

-          Make sure the student asks you at least one question.

Exercise 4: Writing a Thank you letter. 

- Have the students write a thank you letter about 5-7 sentences

Teacher’s Guide: Stock Market and Finance

Objectives:

Students will be able to

1. Understand how a stockmarket functions.
2. Understand how people make money from buying and selling stock.
3. Know common terms associated with stock markets.
4. Understand how companies make money from stock markets.

Exercise 2: Reading Comprehension Questions

(True or False)

1. Traders want to buy shares when the price is high and sell when the price is low.  (F)
2. More shareholders selling their shares means that supply is high.  (T)
3. The more traders who want to buy a share, the higher the demand.  (T)
4. The law of supply and demand sets the finance of the share. (F – it sets the price of the share)
5. The Market Index is the summary of all the buying and selling that occurred that day. (T)
6. Businesses do not want people to own shares of their stock. (F)
7. Dividends are what people pay to own a share of a business. (F)
8. If a business is publicly traded any person can buy a share. (T)
9. The supply of tomatoes in the winter is high. (F)

Exercise 3: Vocabulary Matching

1. People who buy and sell stock – Traders
2. Money paid to a shareholder  – Dividends
3. Making money by selling part of a business  –  Finance
4. Single piece of a company  – Share
5. Summary of all the buys and sales  – Market Index
6. The direction a stock's price goes most often  – trend
7. Any person can buy a share  – publicly traded
8. What a person wants to pay for a share  – bid
9. Number of people willing to buy a share  – demand
10. Pieces of a company  – stock
11. Sets the price of a share  – law of supply and demand
12. Number of people willing to sell a share  – supply
13. Person who owns part of a business  – shareholder
14. A place to sell stock  – stock market

Teacher’s Guide: Business Structure

Objectives
Students will be able to

1. Learn 17 vocabulary words to describe sections of a business and individual roles of people in the business
2. Read an organization chart
3. Understand the functions of different departments within a business

Exercise 2:

Look at the organization chart below.  Answer the questions.

1. Who are the executives at Arbor Business Company, Inc?
2. Who is in charge of production?  Who is his/her boss?
3. Which three people work in sales?

Answers:

1. John Smith, president; Susan Jones, VP Marketing; Rachel Parker, VP Sales; Tom Allen, VP Production
2. Tom Allen.  His boss is John Smith.
3. Rachel Parker, Michael Gross, Kim Dole

Exercise 4:

Which department does which type of work?

1. Help an employee who wants extra vacation days.  Human Resources
2. Making a new product. Production
3. Paying for water in the office.  Accounting
4. Deciding what color the package of a product should be so that people will want to buy it. Marketing
5. Installing a new program on your computer.  Information Technology

Exercise 5:

Note:  (Each student can present 1 or 2 departments so that all are involved.)

Teacher’s Guide: Banking and Accounting

Objectives:
Students will be able to...

1. Learn basic terms in personal and commercial banking
2. Understand how a bank functions
3. Know the services a bank provides its customers.
4. Know how banks fit into the economy as a whole

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blank

1. I do not want to carry around this much money, I should make a deposit. 

2. Banks offer loans to people and businesses who need money.

3. A balance shows how much money I have in my account.

4. A bank will pay me interest to keep money in my savings account.

5. Instead of carrying around a lot of money to buy a TV, I can just write a check.

6. My account is below the minimum balance. I will be charged a fee

7. I need money. I should make a withdrawal  to take money from my account.

8. I bought a car with a loan. Now I have to make a payment every month.

9. The amount of my principal was the price of my car.

10. I don't need all this money right now, maybe I should open a savings account.

Teacher’s Guide: Business Plans I

Objectives

1. Learn 27 new vocabulary used for discussing business strategy
2. Understand the questions a business plan must answer
3. Read and understand a business plan
4. Think critically to Identify problems that a business/product/service could solve

Exercise 3: Reading Comprehension

1. Why do you think the name of the store is Nine Lives?  How is the name related to the way Jim will get the products?
   1. “Nine Lives” comes from a saying that “cats have nine lives” because cats can fall from high places without dying.  In the business plan, Nine Lives refers to the fact that the store will sell equipment that has already been used.
2. What did the two other stores tell Jim about the market opportunity in his town of Eugene?
   1. The success of the other stores tells him he has a good opportunity to also be successful.
3. Why will Nine Lives be different from the competition in Eugene?
   1. It will have lower prices than regular outdoor and sports stores, such as R.E.I. and Nike. It will also have more products than most general secondhand stores don’t have very much sports clothing and equipment.
4. Do you think a store like this would be successful in your town?  Why or why not?  Discuss with the class.

Exercise 5: Planning your own business

Work in groups of 3-5 students.  Each group should think of a business idea (can be from list developed in previous exercise).  Imagine you are starting a small company with a product or service to solve the problem.

Teacher should approve general idea of each group’s business before end of class (e.g. to ensure that groups have different ideas and do not copy example).  Work on this project will continue in next lesson and students will present their plans.  Students may also work on it as a home task.

Teacher’s Guide: Business Plans II

Objectives:

Students will be able to

1. Work collaboratively to draft business plan
2. Make a mock pitch to investors/partners on business plan
3. Think critically about business presentations made by peers

Exercise 4: Comprehension and Analysis

Classmates should listen carefully to each presentation.  At the end of each, students should give feedback on the business plan.

-          Is there a need?

-          Do you think this business idea is better than the competition?  Can you think of any other competitors?

-          Did the group consider the costs to start the business?

Students should think of their own ideas about the business plan.  At the end of all the presentations, the class may vote on the best business plan.

Note: Teacher should ask students in audience additional questions to get them to form an opinion and analyze their peers’ presentations.

Teacher’s Guide: Sales and Marketing

Objectives:

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of Sales and Marketing within the business world
2. Identify key components of Sales and Marketing
3. Write and participate in dialogues between customer and sales agent
4. Write and participate in dialogues between marketing employees

Exercise 3:

What are the “Four P’s” of the Marketing Mix?

1. P __ __ __ __ __ __
2. P __ __ __ __
3. P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
4. P __ __ __ __

1. Product,  2. Price or Place, 3.  Promotion, 4. Price or Place

Exercise 4:

Using the words from Exercise 3 to complete the sentences below.

1. The ________ is the cost to the buyer for the goods or services they want or need.
2.  ___________ informs consumers about the products a company offers and persuades consumers to buy those products.
3. A ________ is where goods or services are available for people to buy them.
4.  ___________ is the actual good or service that is sold to the consumer.

Key: 1) price 2) promotion 3) place 4) product

Exercise 6:

Key: 1) contains 2) filled or full 3) to 4) economists 5) point

Exercise 6: Compound Adjectives

1. IBM manufactures ______-tech computer products.
2. Timberland makes a range of _________-wearing footwear.
3. Ferrari produces __________-quality sports cars.
4. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo both developed ________-selling soft drinks.
5. Duracell sells _________-lasting alkaline batteries.
6. Levi jeans are a ___________-made clothing product.

Key: 1) high 2) hard 3) high 4) best 5) long 6) well

Exercise 7: Marketing Verbs

Key: 1) c 2) e 3) g 4) b 5) d 6) a 7) f 8) h

Teacher’s Guide: Daily Life

Objectives:

Students will be able to

1. Have a general understanding of the daily life of working Americans
2. Describe their ideal working day
3. Understand the importance of keeping employees motivated
4. Compare the life of a business person in the US to that of a business person in Ukraine
5. Participate in mock business meetings

Exercise 3: Comprehension Questions

Questions:

1. Why are meetings important for international business? ________________________
   1. they are necessary in establishing relationships for future business, and in negotiating deals. You need to meet and get to know the people you will be doing business with, especially to observe foreign customs, attitudes, and behaviors. If you are in sales, meetings are often the most productive way to make those sales, or at least to get your foot in the door (make some progress.)
2. What reasons are meetings organized for? ________________________
   1. Answers will vary.  Examples include: planning, reviewing performance, executive meetings, department meetings, sales meetings, meetings with clients, etc.
3. What language do we use to run a meeting? ________________________
   1. Functional language

Exercise 5: What’s Your Opinion?

Note: Students’ answers can be used to start discussion.

Teacher’s Guide: Business Communications – Phone and Email

Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Learn 13 new vocabulary words/phrases for business communications via phone/email
2. Use appropriate English phrases for various situations that arise when using the phone
3. Understand differences between formal and informal e-mail communications
4. Write a business email

Exercise 3: Matching

1. E
2. I
3. G
4. D
5. A
6. H
7. C
8. J
9. F
10. B

Exercise 4: Phone Conversations

When should you use which phrases?  Fill out the table by putting the following phrases in the correct section.

1. One moment, please.
   1. Section C
2. Hello, this is John Block from ABC. I’m calling regarding the upcoming conference in Miami. I’ll try you again later today.
   1. Section J
3. Please ask him to call Susan when he gets in. He already has my number.
   1. Section H
4. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you just said.
   1. Section E
5. John has left for the day. Would you like to be put through to his voice mail?
   1. Section G
6. Good afternoon, XYZ firm. How may I help you?
   1. Section B
7. Thanks for calling. I’ll speak with you again soon.
   1. Section I
8. Let me repeat your information to make sure I got it right.
   1. Section F

Teacher’s Guide: Business Jargon

Objectives:

By the end of the lesson Students will be able to:

1. Identify business idiom/jargon and use them appropriately in context
2. Participate in mock dialogues using idioms/jargon
3. Hold a discussion about the value of business jargon

Exercise 1: Dialogues

Work in pairs.  Write dialogues using jargon.  Student A should be the authority figure (boss, manager etc.) and Student B will play the role of the employee.  Choose one of the following situations. Note: Teacher may assign situation and/or roles to students.

Exercise 6: Comprehension Questions

1. What does the survey cited suggest?
   1. Workers don’t like jargon
2. True or false:  The survey of Scottish workers said that they loved using jargon.
   1. F
3. True or False: The article suggests that jargon can be an impediment to understanding.
   1. T

Exercise 9

Ex. A Key:

1. H
2. J
3. k
4. N
5. L
6. M
7. B
8. G
9. C
10. E
11. D
12. I
13. O
14. F
15. A

Teacher’s Guide: Office or Sports Field?

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Identify and understand 20 sports idioms frequently used in business
2. Understand a dialogue filled with sports idioms
3. Use sports idioms appropriately in a dialogue they create

Exercise 1: Vocabulary

Exercise 3: Comprehension Questions

1. Does John think the company’s performance has been good or bad recently?
   1. John thinks it has been bad.  He says “performance has been below par.”
2. Does Mary agree with John?  How do you know?
   1. No.  She thinks he’s “off base” or incorrect.
3. Who is taking on more responsibility?
   1. Scott.  He has “stepped up to the plate.”
4. Who made a big mistake?
   1. Bob.  He “dropped the ball.”
5. What does Mary mean when she says they need “a new game plan”?
   1. They need a new strategy or action plan.

Exercise 4

Read the text below.  Substitute a sports phrase for the each group of underlined words.

I traveled to New York city last week to (1)give a presentation on our business plan to some investors.  I was very nervous because I’d (2)been unsuccessful in similar meetings in the past.  As a result, the other investors I spoke to previously didn’t give us any money.  I didn’t want to (3)make a serious mistake this time.  I did a lot of work to prepare, and when I went into the room for the meeting I just took a deep breath.  All I could do was (4)try my hardest.  Well, it went great!  The investors loved our business plan.  They said it was (5)better than average and decided to give us $2 million.  My boss was extremely happy.  He said I had really (6)taken on extra responsibility, and that I had (7)done a great job.

1. Make a pitch
2. Struck out
3. Drop the ball
4. Give it my best shot
5. Above par
6. Stepped up to the plate
7. Hit a home run / hit it out of the park / knocked it out of the park