Unit 1 — “Ill Gotten Gains Never Prosper” › Reading and writing
Reading and writing : Writing a policy statement
- قراءة نصّ عن التدقيق الاجتماعيّ للشركات قراءة سريعة لاستخراج فكرته العامّة (skimming)، وقراءة انتقائيّة لاستخراج معلومات دقيقة (scanning)
- تحديد ما تعود إليه كلمات الإحالة (reference words)، والاستعانة بها لترتيب نصّ مترابط
- استخراج معاني الكلمات من السياق (commission · prosper · scrutiny …)
- كتابة بيان سياسة (a policy statement) لصندوق استثمار أخلاقيّ: جملة افتتاحيّة، ثمّ حجج داعمة بأسبابها، ثمّ خاتمة
- المبني للمجهول في المضارع (it is considered · is done)
- أدوات التمثيل والسبب والنتيجة (for example · because · as a result)
- بنية الفقرة: جملة الفكرة وجمل الدعم (topic sentence · supporting sentences)
1. Before reading — child labour
2. Read
Businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of social and environmental issues for their reputation. That's why some of them are commissioning social audits relating to their social performance; these are social reports that evaluate the effect of their behaviour in relation to their employees and to society as a whole. (§1) Supporters of social audits say that social reporting is as important as financial reporting. They say that it provides important information about whether the activities of companies in areas such as employment and community, the environment, and the way of winning new business are morally right or wrong. Social auditing has emerged as a result of pressure groups concerned about problems of pollution, corruption, consumption and employment, but now it is considered by some company executives as one of the best ways of promoting products and services. They say that ethically responsible companies are more likely to prosper than those which behave unethically. (§2) Critics say that a social audit may just be a public relations exercise, with no real benefits. However, in spite of this criticism many companies now are designating executives to oversee the whole area of corporate social responsibility. Giovani Preston is one of them; he works for a Canadian multinational. This is what he says about his job: 'A lot of our manufacturing is done by suppliers in developing countries. Companies in the clothing industries are particularly open to criticism about sweatshop labour — the use of underpaid people with terrible working conditions, which amounts to labour abuse or labour exploitation. (§3) My job is to travel to these countries and to check labour standards. I go there to check, for example, that our suppliers are paying their workers fairly, and that they work in good health and safety conditions with low levels of illness and accidents. We also ensure that workers are above the legal minimum age to work. Our suppliers must not use child labour. (§4) We are aware that big companies such as ours are likely to be subject to scrutiny — seen and judged by consumer and environment associations from outside. We know that if we are seen to be socially responsible, the company will benefit. Today, we can no longer separate ethics from business.' (§5) Adapted from Bill Mascull, Business Vocabulary in English, p. 90
3. Skimming — the general idea
Task 1 — Skim through the text. Which sentence best summarizes its content? Justify your answer. a. Companies are unconcerned about social auditing and ethics in business. · b. Social auditing is both a social obligation and a necessity in doing business today. · c. Social auditing is just a way of exploiting the concerns of public opinion over environmental and social issues. · d. Social auditing is not necessary at all for doing business.Task 1 — Skim through the text. Which sentence best summarizes its content? Justify your answer. a. Companies are unconcerned about social auditing and ethics in business. · b. Social auditing is both a social obligation and a necessity in doing business today. · c. Social auditing is just a way of exploiting the concerns of public opinion over environmental and social issues. · d. Social auditing is not necessary at all for doing business.اختر الجملة التي تلخّص النصّ، وعلّل اختيارك.
b. Social auditing is both a social obligation and a necessity in doing business today. a is contradicted by §1: businesses are increasingly aware of social issues. c is only the critics' view (§3), and the text answers it at once: « However, in spite of this criticism … ». d is contradicted by the whole text, and by its last sentence: « we can no longer separate ethics from business ».
Task 2 — Give the text a title.Task 2 — Give the text a title.ضع عنوانا للنصّ.
A possible title: Ethics and business — the social audit. Any title is good if it covers the whole text — the audits, their critics, and the executive who checks the suppliers — not just one paragraph.
4. Scanning — the details
Task 3 — Scan the text and answer. A. Why are some companies commissioning social audits? B. Giovani Preston works as a corporate social responsibility executive. What does he really do? C. What are the labour standards that he mentions? Do you know of any other labour standards? D. What conclusion does he draw about ethics and business? Do you share his point of view?Task 3 — Scan the text and answer. A. Why are some companies commissioning social audits? B. Giovani Preston works as a corporate social responsibility executive. What does he really do? C. What are the labour standards that he mentions? Do you know of any other labour standards? D. What conclusion does he draw about ethics and business? Do you share his point of view?أجب عن الأسئلة الأربعة بالمعلومة الدقيقة من النصّ.
- A. Because businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of social and environmental issues for their reputation (§1); some executives also see social auditing as one of the best ways of promoting products and services (§2).
- B. He works for a Canadian multinational. He travels to developing countries to check the labour standards of the company's suppliers (§3-§4).
- C. Workers must be paid fairly; they must work in good health and safety conditions, with low levels of illness and accidents; they must be above the legal minimum age — no child labour (§4). The second question is open: name any other rule that protects workers, for instance about working hours.
- D. « Today, we can no longer separate ethics from business » (§5): big companies are seen and judged by associations from outside, and a company seen to be socially responsible will benefit. Whether you share his view is your own answer — justify it.
Each answer is a detail with its paragraph: scanning finds, it does not copy.
5. Words from the context
A. give the job of doing something to somebody (§1) B. do well (§2) C. shared, common to a group of persons running a business (§3) D. give a position to somebody in a company (§3) E. look after, control (§3) F. a firm, a company providing goods that are useful to another company (§3) G. detailed examination (§5)
Task 4 — the answersTask 4 — the answersالكلمات المطابقة للتعريفات.
| Definition | Word in the text |
|---|---|
| A. give the job of doing something to somebody | commission (commissioning, §1) |
| B. do well | prosper (§2) |
| C. shared, common to a group of persons running a business | corporate (§3) |
| D. give a position to somebody in a company | designate (designating, §3) |
| E. look after, control | oversee (§3) |
| F. a company providing goods useful to another company | supplier (suppliers, §3) |
| G. detailed examination | scrutiny (§5) |
6. Reference words — what do they replace?
Writers use words such as articles (a, the), possessive adjectives (my, your), demonstrative adjectives (this book, those books), pronouns, synonyms and antonyms to refer back to things already mentioned, or to refer forward to things that will be mentioned. These words are called reference words. They help writers avoid repetition and create cohesion between sentences and paragraphs — and paying attention to them helps us understand texts better.
Task 5 — Link the words in bold type in the text with the items they refer to. The first one is done for you: « Businesses are increasingly aware … for their reputation » — their refers to businesses.Task 5 — Link the words in bold type in the text with the items they refer to. The first one is done for you: « Businesses are increasingly aware … for their reputation » — their refers to businesses.إلى أيّ اسم تعود كلّ كلمة مكتوبة بالخطّ الغليظ في النصّ؟
| Word | Paragraph | It refers to |
|---|---|---|
| their | §1 | businesses — the example |
| them | §1 | businesses |
| these | §1 | social audits |
| that | §1 | social reports |
| They | §2 | supporters of social audits |
| it | §2 | social reporting |
The method is always the same: look back to the nearest noun or idea that fits the sentence.
A. Algeria has recently adopted a new model of economic development. B. It has also set high standards of governance including social auditing and public accounts reporting. C. Such tasks are carried out by the National Economic and Social Council and by the Accounts Court. D. This model balances economic growth, social justice and the sustainable use of natural resources. E. Algeria regained its independence in 1962. F. In addition to the setting of standards of governance, it has accorded ethically responsible companies tax reductions so as to encourage them to promote sustainable development and social well-being.
Task 6 — the order, and the words that give itTask 6 — the order, and the words that give itالترتيب، والكلمات التي تدلّ عليه.
A — D — B — C — F. Sentence E is irrelevant. « This model » (D) points back to « a new model of economic development » (A). « It has also set » (B) is Algeria again, and « also » adds a second measure. « Such tasks » (C) are the social auditing and public accounts reporting of B. « In addition to the setting of standards of governance » (F) sums up B and adds a last measure. E speaks of 1962: no reference word links it to the others.
7. Write — a policy statement
Suppose you were the manager of an ethical investment fund, i.e. a fund which invests only in socially responsible businesses. You write a policy statement to inform potential fund contributors about it: what the fund does, and why. Follow the plan of the diagram below. The opening statement is given. Select two to four notes from the checklist and develop them into supporting statements; jot down reasons to explain or illustrate each one; then write a conclusion. Useful language — to illustrate: for example, for instance, such as … · to express cause and result: because, due to, since, as a result, consequently, so + adjective + that …
Opening statement: « The people and organisations who put their money into our fund want us to invest in ethical ways, and we work hard to make their desires a reality. » Expanding notes: ● avoid companies that endanger the environment ● refrain from investing in certain sectors — tobacco, arms manufacturing, nuclear power, or uranium extraction ● not place money in companies that lack ethical labour standards (e.g. using child labour, bad working conditions …) ● choose to invest in well-managed companies (transparent financial accounting) ● invest in companies that balance economic growth with social responsibility ① Write your supporting statements and their reasons in the diagram. ② Write your first draft. ③ Exchange drafts with a partner for error checking, then write the final version.
A model policy statementA model policy statementبيان نموذجيّ : الجملة الافتتاحيّة، ثمّ ثلاث حجج بأسبابها، ثمّ الخاتمة.
Our investment policy The people and organisations who put their money into our fund want us to invest in ethical ways, and we work hard to make their desires a reality. First, we do not place money in companies that lack ethical labour standards. For example, we refuse to invest in any company that uses child labour or keeps its workers in bad working conditions, because no profit can justify labour abuse. Second, we avoid companies that endanger the environment, and we refrain from investing in certain sectors, such as tobacco, arms manufacturing, nuclear power or uranium extraction. Finally, we choose to invest in well-managed companies, with transparent financial accounting, that balance economic growth with social responsibility. As a result, the money you entrust to us works without harming people or the planet. In short, our fund invests only in businesses that are both profitable and responsible: for us, ethics and business go together.
Check the model with the plan: the opening statement; supporting statements in order (first, second, finally), each with a reason or an example (because, for example, such as); a result (as a result); and a conclusion that sums up (in short).
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