ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS

GRADOS: Ciencia Política y de la Administración, Sociología, Economía y Administración y Dirección de Empresas

UNIT 1. Key to activities

LESSON 1.

PART 1. USE OF LANGUAGE.

1.1. Word order in English. Basic writing skills

 PRACTICE 1

Put these words into the correct order to make sentences:

a) month / we / try / did / not / last / give / up / to / .

Last month we did not try to give up.
b) Japan / ever / you / have/ to / been / ?
Have you ever bee to Japan?
c) I / ever / hardly / come / see / to / my / girlfriend / Fridays /on / .
I hardly ever come to see my girlfriend on Fridays.
d) bought / I / Sally / for / bunch / of / on / her / flowers / birthday / .
I bought Sally a bunch of flowers on her birthday.
e) never /done / he / has / it / .
He has never done it.
f) the / cinema / cannot / tonight / I / to / go / .
I cannot go to the cinema tonight.
g) told / drink / the / wine / not / doctor / me / to / .
The doctor told me not to drink wine.
h) Tom / give / I / bottle / a/ when / cries / he / will / .
I will give Tom a bottle when he cries.
i) is / very / person /she / a / suspicious / .
She is a very suspicious person.
j) please/ you / and / help / come /can / me/ ?
Can you come and help me, please? / Please, can you come and help me?
k) Tomatoes / taste / like / do / not / the / like/ I / of / these / .
I do not like the taste of these tomatoes.

 1.2. Relative clauses

 PRACTICE 1

Read the following sentences and cross out the pronoun if it can be omitted.

a. I gave my boss all the documents that I had written.

b. This is the company whose workers do not accept shifts.

c. What happened to the report that was on the table?

d. This is the worst country that I have ever lived in.

e. I like the people who like working hard.

f. The supplier who comes to this company is normally on time.

g. Have you finished all the homework that the teacher told you to do?

h. People who work here are very professional.

1
ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS
GRADOS: Ciencia Política y de la Administración, Sociología, Economía y Administración y Dirección de Empresas
UNIT 1. Key to activities

 PRACTICE 2

1. Fill the gaps with the right relative pronoun.

1. I talked to the customer WHOSE daughter comes to see me every day.

2. Mr. Richards wants to book the table (THAT) he always books.

3. We often go to the hotel THAT/WHICH is in the square.

4. That´s Peter, the product manager WHO was very impolite to me.

5. The report (THAT) you gave me was full of mistakes.

6. The people WHO are waiting outside are annoying me.

7. This is the table (THAT) I always sit at. It is next to the window.

8. The man WHO you were talking to is a famous sociologist.

 1.3. The use of adjectives and adverbs. Comparatives and superlatives.

 PRACTICE 1.

Look at this graph about populated cities in the world and write five sentences with
superlatives and comparatives. (SUGGESTED ANSWERS)

Million

London

Buenos Aires

New York
Million
Sao Paulo

Mexico

10 20 30 40

1.Tokio is the most populated.

2.Madrid is the least populated.

3. Mexico is more populated than Sao Paulo.

2
ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS
GRADOS: Ciencia Política y de la Administración, Sociología, Economía y Administración y Dirección de Empresas
UNIT 1. Key to activities

4. London is less populated that New York.

5. Buenos Aires is as populated as London.

 PRACTICE 2

Fill the gaps with the right comparative or superlative form.

1. This is the worst student I’ve ever had. (bad)

2. The populations of Portugal and Belgium are similar, but the population of Portugal is
larger. (larger)
3. I used to hate my old job, but I feel much happier in this one. (happy)
4. You are going faster than anyone in the road. (fast)
5. Do you mind driving a bit slowlier? I’m scared. (slowly)
6. It was one of the best companies I have ever worked for. (good)
7. The exercise was easier than I expected. (easy)
8. This is the largest Mobile Company in Europe. (large)
9. Citizens feel more secure here than in other cities. (secure)
10. I do not want to study at Manchester University because it is further than Canterbury
University. (far)

 PRACTICE 3

Choose the correct answer.

1. As chairperson, she’s the person on the committee.

a) strongest b) stronger c) most stronger d) most strong

2. Our sons are , they need new beds.

a) more high b) higher c) taller d) more tall

3. Cats are much than dogs.

a) quieter b) more quietly c) quietier d) quiet

4. This exercise is too easy. I want to try a one.

a) difficulter b) more difficult c) more difficulty d) difficulty

5. She’s than me. We always buy the lottery together but she always wins.

a) luckily b) lucky c) more luckier d) luckier

 1.4. Present simple and continuous tenses.

 PRACTICE 1

Make questions with you. Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Simple or Present
Continuous.

 Are you feeling (feel) tired now?

 Do you usually write (usually write) many emails a day?

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ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL SCIENTISTS
GRADOS: Ciencia Política y de la Administración, Sociología, Economía y Administración y Dirección de Empresas
UNIT 1. Key to activities
 Do you study (study) every day?
 Are you trying (try) to stop working overtime?
 Do you ever use (ever use) this laptop?
 Do you want (want) to learn how to calculate that?
 Are you looking (look) for someone to sell your house?
 Are you doing (do) an evening course at the moment?
 Do you understand (understand) what I’m explaining?
 Do you eat (eat) healthily these days? Remember you were very ill.

 PRACTICE 2

Complete the following job interview filling the gaps with the verbs in brackets.

Interviewer: - “Good morning. Please, take a seat. Is this the first time you are (be)
in this city?”

Candidate: - “I have been here four times but I am planning (plan) to live here. In
fact, I am already (be/already) moving this week. I love (love) this city”.

Interviewer: - “Perfect. I would like to know why you want (want) to work in this
company.”

Candidate: - “I want (want) to work here because I am finishing (finish) my

studies in a couple of weeks and this is (be) the best company in this city.”

Interviewer: - “Do you have (have) any experience in the field?”

Candidate: - “I am collaborating (collaborate) with a big company but they aren't

paying (not/pay) me anything at the moment. It is just to get some experience.”

Interviewer: - “We aren’t hiring (not/hire) people without real experience at the
moment. We need (need) experts because we don't have (not/have) time to train
anyone. I am very sorry.”

Candidate: - “But you don't mention (not /mention) this in the newspaper ad.”

Interviewer: - “Yes, we do. Read the job advertisement carefully.”

 PRACTICE 3

Complete this job advertisement with either the present simple or the present
continuous forms of the verbs in the box.

be want look for offer open provide grow

need

We are one of the largest manufacturing companies in Europe. We are

opening new branches in different countries every year. That is why we need new
workers in order to provide more quality to our clients.
We are looking for reliable and enthusiastic candidates with experience who
want to work hard to expand the company. We offer a competitive salary and long
holidays.

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  1.5. Numbers and measures.

 PRACTICE 1.

Complete the following checks/ cheques (Note British/American English spelling

differences)
Pay to: xxx

€2,555,823

Two million, five hundred and fifty-five thousand, eight hundred and twenty-three euros.

Pay to: xxx

$10,036.26

Ten thousand and thirty-six point twenty-six dollars.

Pay to: xxx

€342.50

Three hundred and forty-two point fifty euros.

PART 2. READING AND WRITING SKILLS.

 READING COMPREHENSION 1.

 Exercises

1. Read the following text.

2. Make a list of all expressions showing a measure of quantity.

3. Underline different expressions used to mark an increase or decrease in quantity.

4. Write two comparative sentences and two superlative sentences related to the content of the
text.

THE MONEY ATTRACTION WAS BETTER IN THE LAST OPERATION THAN IN PREVIOUS ONES.

UBS SHARES ARE MORE VALUABLE NOW.

UBS Earnings Sink, Following a Trend in Europe

By JULIA WERDIGIER

1. Make a list of all expressions showing a measure of quantity.

Sergio P. Ermotti, chief of UBS, which is trying to cut jobs and focus on more lucrative parts of its investment
banking operation.

UBS said on Wednesday that its profit slumped 54 percent in the first three months of the year after
investment banking income dropped and the bank took an accounting charge on the value of its own debt.

The bank might also face a shareholder revolt over executive pay at its annual meeting in Zurich on
Thursday. Some investors have raised concerns about the levels of compensation after a year in which the
bank was hit by a trading scandal and its shares plummeted.

Net profit at UBS fell to 827 million Swiss francs ($911 million) in the first quarter from 1.8 billion francs

in the period a year earlier. Operating income fell 22 percent, to 6.5 billion francs.

“Given challenging market conditions, I am proud of what our employees have achieved,” Sergio P. Ermotti,
the chief executive, said in a statement.

UBS is the latest European bank to report a drop in first-quarter earnings. Like its rival Credit Suisse, UBS is
seeking to cut jobs and focus on the more lucrative parts of its investment banking operation, while
adhering to stricter capital requirements.

The sovereign debt crisis in Europe, broader concerns about the stability of the banking system and
government budget deficit issues in the United States are likely to continue to weigh on client activity in
the second quarter, UBS said. But the bank also said it expected the wealth management unit to continue
to attract net inflows of new money.

Jon Peace, a banking analyst at Nomura, said it “was not a bad result given a tough quarter” and “after the
results from Credit Suisse last week, investors were prepared for a worse margin performance in the private
bank.” UBS shares rose 3.7 percent in Zurich on Wednesday.

Some shareholders remained less impressed with how much UBS was paying senior executives and its
bankers. Like Barclays, Credit Suisse and Citigroup, UBS is facing some opposition from shareholders for its
pay practices.
George Dallas, director of corporate governance at F&C Investments, gave UBS credit for cutting its 2011
bonus pool for the investment banking unit by 60 percent from a year earlier, but he said that “may not
have been enough.”

“It was a year in which profit diminished, it had a major fraud scandal and the market capitalization
dropped,” Mr. Dallas said. “Those facts should be taken more into account.”

UBS uncovered a $2.3 billion loss from unauthorized transactions at its London equity unit in September,
and a trader, Kweku M. Adoboli, was charged with fraud and false accounting. He is in custody awaiting
trial this year. The trading loss led to the resignation of Oswald J. Grübel as chief executive.

UBS shareholders are to vote on the company’s compensation report on Thursday. The vote is nonbinding,
but a rejection of the report would still put pressure on the bank to reconsider its compensation policy.

Thomas C. Naratil, the chief financial officer, said in a conference call that he was “pleased with our
progress” and that the bank was “on track” with its program to reduce costs by 2 billion francs.

The earnings included an accounting charge of 1.2 billion francs on the value of the bank’s own debt and
costs of 126 million francs related to the restructuring effort.

Excluding the credit charge, the investment banking operation had a pretax profit of 730 million francs in
the quarter, down from 965 million francs in the period a year earlier. Total income at the unit fell as an
increase in revenue from capital markets services and products, including equities, was unable to offset a
drop in income from the debt, commodities and currencies business and a decrease in fees from advising
on mergers and acquisitions.

Net new money in the wealth management business was 10.9 billion francs in the first quarter, mainly
because of an increase from clients in the Asia-Pacific region and emerging markets. That was more than in
the previous three months but less than in the first quarter of 2011. The bank also attracted more client
money in its wealth management business in the United States.

May 2, 2012, 3:09 am Investment Banking | Wall Street Earnings

2. Underline different expressions used to mark an increase or decrease in quantity.

Sergio P. Ermotti, chief of UBS, which is trying to cut jobs and focus on more lucrative parts of its investment
banking operation.

UBS said on Wednesday that its profit slumped 54 percent in the first three months of the year after
investment banking income dropped and the bank took an accounting charge on the value of its own debt.

The bank might also face a shareholder revolt over executive pay at its annual meeting in Zurich on
Thursday. Some investors have raised concerns about the levels of compensation after a year in which the
bank was hit by a trading scandal and its shares plummeted.

Net profit at UBS fell to 827 million Swiss francs ($911 million) in the first quarter from 1.8 billion francs in
the period a year earlier. Operating income fell 22 percent, to 6.5 billion francs.

“Given challenging market conditions, I am proud of what our employees have achieved,” Sergio P. Ermotti,
the chief executive, said in a statement.

UBS is the latest European bank to report a drop in first-quarter earnings. Like its rival Credit Suisse, UBS is
seeking to cut jobs and focus on the more lucrative parts of its investment banking operation, while
adhering to stricter capital requirements.
The sovereign debt crisis in Europe, broader concerns about the stability of the banking system and
government budget deficit issues in the United States are likely to continue to weigh on client activity in
the second quarter, UBS said. But the bank also said it expected the wealth management unit to continue
to attract net inflows of new money.

Jon Peace, a banking analyst at Nomura, said it “was not a bad result given a tough quarter” and “after the
results from Credit Suisse last week, investors were prepared for a worse margin performance in the private
bank.” UBS shares rose 3.7 percent in Zurich on Wednesday.

Some shareholders remained less impressed with how much UBS was paying senior executives and its
bankers. Like Barclays, Credit Suisse and Citigroup, UBS is facing some opposition from shareholders for its
pay practices.

George Dallas, director of corporate governance at F&C Investments, gave UBS credit for cutting its 2011
bonus pool for the investment banking unit by 60 percent from a year earlier, but he said that “may not
have been enough.”

“It was a year in which profit diminished, it had a major fraud scandal and the market capitalization
dropped,” Mr. Dallas said. “Those facts should be taken more into account.”

UBS uncovered a $2.3 billion loss from unauthorized transactions at its London equity unit in September,
and a trader, Kweku M. Adoboli, was charged with fraud and false accounting. He is in custody awaiting
trial this year. The trading loss led to the resignation of Oswald J. Grübel as chief executive.

UBS shareholders are to vote on the company’s compensation report on Thursday. The vote is nonbinding,
but a rejection of the report would still put pressure on the bank to reconsider its compensation policy.

Thomas C. Naratil, the chief financial officer, said in a conference call that he was “pleased with our
progress” and that the bank was “on track” with its program to reduce costs by 2 billion francs.

The earnings included an accounting charge of 1.2 billion francs on the value of the bank’s own debt and
costs of 126 million francs related to the restructuring effort.

Excluding the credit charge, the investment banking operation had a pretax profit of 730 million francs in
the quarter, down from 965 million francs in the period a year earlier. Total income at the unit fell as an
increase in revenue from capital markets services and products, including equities, was unable to offset
a drop in income from the debt, commodities and currencies business and a decrease in fees from advising
on mergers and acquisitions.

Net new money in the wealth management business was 10.9 billion francs in the first quarter, mainly
because of an increase from clients in the Asia-Pacific region and emerging markets. That was more than
in the previous three months but less than in the first quarter of 2011. The bank also attracted more client
money in its wealth management business in the United States.

May 2, 2012, 3:09 am Investment Banking | Wall Street Earnings

READING COMPREHENSION 2 + Writing

 Activities
Read the following descriptions or definitions taken from Wikipedia, (www.es.wikipedia.org) and
notice that they are written in present tenses, with adjectives and some comparative sentences. Do
the following exercises.

1. Make a list with all the adjectives and another one with comparative sentences that you have
found in all the texts.
a) minimum, risky, risk-free, guaranteed, desirable, diagrammatical, accurate, viewable,
pleasing, intermediate, deceptive, physiological, great, human, better, worse.
B) or other lower tribunal, the greatest inventions, life for better or worse.
2. Write two similar descriptions of the items that you have in the blank charts. Please, do not copy
the descriptions and try to use your own words.