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012017

Predictions

SPECIAL

Looking aheadIf we could tell the future there would be fortunes to be made, but so far no credible way of doing so has been found. However, we can have some fun trying. p.2

BUSINESS TALK

Omens and predictionsThe start of the new year is always a good time to look ahead … Whatever your viewpoint, we run through the options! p.8

BUSINESS TALK

Making predictionsTalking about the future can seem confusing, especially when using a foreign language. Here are our tips for getting it all right! p.5

BUSINESS WRITING

Planning and forecastingBoth are regularly used in business settings, but what is the difference? And what do you need to know about them? We give you the low-down. p.11

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Schwerpunktthema: Vorhersagen

Contents2 SPECIAL

Looking aheadVorausblicken

5 BUSINESS TALKMaking predictionsVorhersagen treffen

8 BUSINESS TALKOmens and predictionsAnzeichen und Vorhersagen

11 BUSINESS WRITINGPlanning and forecastingPlanen und vorhersagen

14 TRAINING Exercise: talking about

the future

15 Picture, January: predictions

16 Odd one out

17 Sentence matching

18 Savvy investing: Quiz Questions

19 Exercise: word class

20 TAKE FIVE: TIME FOR A BREAKA Short History of England

http://www.business-english.de/#

http://www.business-english.de/daily_mail.html

business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deSPECIAL

Looking aheadVorausblicken

If we could tell the future there would obviously be fortunes to be made and disasters to be avoided. Sadly, so far, no credible way of doing so has been found. But we can have some fun trying.

MEDIUM


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deLooking ahead

THE LANGUAGE LEVELS in business english trainer relate roughly to The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:

Easy = Level A2Medium = Level B1 – B2Difficult = Level C1 – C2

To find out about your level of English download our overview at:▶ www.business-english.de/professional

� VOCABULARYto peek spähen

vast array breite Palette

newt Molch

toe Zeh

shockwave Stoßwelle

to come to pass sich ereignen

How can we try to look ahead?

Over the years, human beings have done their best to see into the future. So many fortune tellers have attempted to peek into what lies ahead, using so many different meth-ods, but few – if any – of these have really had any success. Today, however, we have the help of computers running sophisticated programmes, analyzing huge amounts of data and helping a vast array of analysts (our new fortune tellers) to work out what they think is going to happen. So the most important thing for telling the future today is not ‘eye of newt’ or ‘toe of frog’1 but rather the collection and use of Big Data (meaning in essence lots and lots of it).

1 “eye of newt, and toe of frog” is from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, from a passage describing the ingredients of the witches’ brew.

What can we see?

Despite the collection and manipulation of more and more data, the results are still not always trustworthy and the fu-ture is not always predictable. Last year saw shockwaves around the world as two major events that few analysts had predicted came to pass: Brexit and Trump as Presi-dent-Elect of the USA. The shockwaves from these events have been felt around the world and will continue to have an effect on much of the world’s population for many years to come, but it is difficult for even the best analysts, with the most data and newest data manipulation programmes, to really see what it will all mean. As with many things: only time will tell. Meaning: we really cannot see far into our own future at all.

Tip!

If you are tempted to search on the internet for predictions, you will come across many of them. Anyone can put up a website and post information on their predictions for the future, so be very careful what you believe and try to fact check/research the site before taking any action!


http://www.business-english.de/professional

business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deLooking ahead

� LISTEN AND PRACTISE

What predictions are there for 2017?

As we noted in our tip above, it really depends on where you look. We have come across the following sensational predictions:

– Denmark and Italy will pull out of the EU.

– A sample of bones from Shakespeare’s grave reveals that he was poisoned.

– Britain, India and Australia form an economic alliance.

and even:

– The world is going to end – according to some religions or religious sects, 2017 is the year a giant meteor hits the earth and … or is it that the earth is going to fall into the sun? Either way, it’s the end. As it was last year. And the year before that … and will be again next year no doubt.

Dramatic forecasts are more likely to catch the eye and bring attention to the soothsayer of course. More plausible predictions – using Big Data – have indicated that:

– Donald Trump will become President of the USA.

– Another major earthquake will hit Italy.

– A foldable smartphone will be launched onto the market.

– Police forces will make use of social media to predict crimes before they happen.

– In the UK, inflation will rise sharply leading to higher prices.

– New technology will substantially lengthen, and perhaps even double, smartphone battery life.

and …

– The first head transplant will take place. Yes, really …

Why bother reading predictions?

As we have often noted before, in the English-speaking world, small talk is usually very important. Having ‘interest-ing’ ideas and facts to introduce into conversation can make it run smoothly. Also, more seriously, keeping an eye on business predictions can help you make better deci-sions.

� VOCABULARYforecast Vorhersage

soothsayer Wahrsager

plausible glaubwürdig


http://www.business-english.de/audio_training.html

business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deXXX BUSINESS TALK

EASY

Making predictionsVorhersagen treffen

Talking about the future can seem confusing, especially when thinking about grammar and using a foreign language. Here are our tips for choosing the correct verbs and tenses, selecting vocabulary and getting it all right!


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deMaking predictions


� VOCABULARYto estimate einschätzen

rule of thumb Faustformel

probability Wahrscheinlichkeit

forecast Voraussage

to waive auf etw. verzichten

achievable erreichbar

How does it work?

When we talk about the future, we can never be really sure about what is going to happen. So the amount of belief we have in a future event is usually important to indicate in some way. However, estimating how far a speaker or writer believes in what they are saying/writing can seem one of the hardest things to guess correctly. Each language may have a slightly different way of indicating probability, but once you understand the theory behind it the rest is a little simpler. In English, there is actually a fairly simple rule of thumb:

– Use a realistic tense for something you believe will happen, an ‘unrealistic’ tense for a future event you believe is more unlikely.

Realistic or unrealistic?

What this means that if the probability that something will happen is high, then we show this by using a ‘realistic’ verb, as in the following examples:

– Next month the 13th falls on a Friday. (a fact)

– It’s going to be sunny tomorrow! (I’ve read the weather forecast)

– I will get to that meeting on time, no matter what … (I am so determined, it is bound to happen)

– If you pay in advance they will waive the postage. (You can do this and the result is clear)

As you can see from the examples above, we use the pres-ent simple, ‘going to’ or ‘will’ for the ideas that are future ‘facts’ (as far as anything in the future can be a fact), achiev-able or that we believe will happen. However, if you do not



business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deMaking predictions

believe so strongly that something will happen, or there is very little evidence to point to it, then a more ‘unrealistic’ verb is required. In English, in effect we use modal verbs to indicate this, for example:

– Next month the 13th might be on a Friday. (But I haven’t looked at a calendar so I’m not sure)

– It might / could / should be sunny tomorrow. (I haven’t read the weather forecast or it was not definitive)

– I would like to get to that meeting on time … (but the chances are slim)

– If you paid in advance they would waive the postage. (I know you don’t want to do this …)

Words for the future

We talk about arrangements, plans, predictions and inten-tions. Hopes, dreams and wishes, promises threats and of-fers. They are all set in the future. There are many phrases that are commonly used when we talk about the future, when we make predictions. Some of the many phrases that are commonly used include:

– I’m counting the days until …

– Sooner or later …

– Time will tell …

– In the near future …

– Any day now …

– … when I get around to it.

– It won’t/will happen in our lifetime

– It’s a sign of things to come!

� VOCABULARYchances are slim jds. Aussichten, etw. zu

tun, sind gering

to get around to it zu etw. kommen

� INTERNET TIP!The Tiny TEFL Teacher has a list of words that are commonly used to indicate how sure you are about a prediction Find it here:

▶ http://ow.ly/H8ZR306ass7


http://ow.ly/UaMf302vijF

business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deXXX BUSINESS TALK

MEDIUM

Omens and predictionsAnzeichen und Vorhersagen

The start of the new year is always a good time to look ahead … but are we looking forward with anticipation or trepidation? Whatever your viewpoint, we run through the options: read our transcript!!


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deOMENS AND PREDICTIONS


The scenario

Is 2017 going to be a memorable year for all the right rea-sons? Or is it going to be an ‘annus horribilis’, one that goes down in history as a year most people would prefer not to remember? Tom and Jaz are looking ahead with eager anti-cipation, but Chris has a different feeling about the next 12 months …

The conversation

Jaz: Chris, great to see you! How was your New Year?

Chris: Hi, Jaz, yeah, all ok, thanks. How about you?

Tom: Well, that doesn’t sound too positive, Chris, what did you get up to?

C: Not much, really, nothing much to talk about. But you guys, you had fun?

J: Well, we have some news … Tom, can we tell her?

T: Sure! Go ahead!

J: Chris, look at this …

C: Oh wow, Jaz: you guys got engaged?

T: Yes, we did. Haven’t announced it properly yet, we don’t want to make a big thing of it at work, you understand …

C: Yes, I can see that some people might take it the wrong way, might think there will be some favouritism going on.

J: Well, there won’t be. I’ve already told Tom that I’m going to ask to be transferred to another department. I’ve been here 4 years and I think it’s time I moved on, whereas Tom has only been here for a couple of years.

T: Yes, so I’m not expecting a move or a promotion anytime soon. Jaz is well-overdue one though.

C: How do you think Bill will react, Jaz?

J: He’s going to be just fine. It’s Shay’s reaction I’m not sure about, I think he will be all doom and gloom, you know Tom …

T: Well, he had a bad start to the year. He saw a black cat and one magpie, so according to him the year is off to a ter-rible start and it can all only go downhill from here on in.

C: Yes, he told me about that. And then Toni added that she’d read something about Nostradamus …

J: Oh well, then it must all be true. I’m sure this year is going to be one for the history books, no matter what.

T: True. Look at what we already know is going to happen: Trump is going to be inaugurated as President of the US, the UK intends to trigger Article 50 and start Brexit for real …

C: Not sure that’s all bad, though?

� VOCABULARYannus horribilis Schreckensjahr

to get up to machen

favouritism Bevorzugung

doom and gloom Untergang

magpie Elster

from here on in ab diesem Punkt

one for the history books

von herausragender historischer Bedeutung



business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deOMENS AND PREDICTIONS

J: Seriously? Chris, what planet have you been on? The chances of the US becoming a haven for far right fanatics are now higher than any other time in history, I think. And the UK is on a downward slope.

C: Nah, it might be good for the UK and for Europe in the end. We really don’t know what will happen, it’s all guess-work. We just have to wait and see. Then in the US that’s really nothing to do with us, not our problem. I don’t think it will have any bearing on the rest of the world.

T: That’s where you’re wrong I’m afraid. If racism, misogyny and anti-Muslim sentiment increase, it is going to affect the rest of the world, and mixing business with politics in the way he seems to want to is surely a recipe for disaster …

C: Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree and, as I’ve al-ready said, wait and see what happens! At least you two have something special to look forward to …

J: We do, but we’ll get married next year, not this!

� VOCABULARYhaven Zufluchtshafen

downward slope Abwärtsgefälle

nah (Ugs.) Nein

to have a bearing on sth.

Einfluss auf etwas haben

misogyny Frauenfeindlichkeit


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deBUSINESS WRITING

MEDIUM

Planning and forecastingPlanen und vorhersagen

Both are regularly used in business settings, but what is the difference? And what do you need to know about them? We give you the low-down and tell you what’s up!


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.dePlanning and forecasting


What is planning and forecasting?

These are both common business terms, used frequently across most departments within a company and through-out all branches of business. Basically:

– Forecasting means examining historical data to predict what is expected to happen in the future; it is generally statistics-based and can also make use of any known ‘facts’ about the future to make a more accurate pre-diction.

– Planning means deciding what the company should be doing in the future, often basing this on forecasting data to ensure that the plans are feasible and that goals can be met.

In general business terms, forecasts are often short-term, medium-term or long-term, eg: based on scheduling needs, logistical needs and strategic needs or desires. Plans, on

the other hand, look three, five or ten years into the future (of course, any length of time can be used to base data and plans on) and suggest a way to achieve goals.

Forecasting

This takes into account financial, political and techno- logical forces at play, as well on occasion personal. There are generally three basic steps in forecasting:

– Defining the question that should be answered or the area that is being examined: in many ways this is the most important step as without accurate knowledge of what is being examined it is really impossible to produce a useful forecast.

� INTERNET TIP!Start-up plans are important for all companies in the beginning, but the idea can be used at any time to plan methodi-cally for the future. Help in crafting them is offered to small businesses in many countries, and samples are also available, such as on the UK government site, for example:

▶ http://ow.ly/SoJw306qG7x or on the US Small Business Administration site:

▶ http://ow.ly/dIKz306qGmK

� VOCABULARYfeasible machbar

to base sth. on auf etw. stützen

to craft gestalten





business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.dePlanning and forecasting

– Collecting historical data: once the parameters have been established and clarified, data can be accumulated and analysed.

– Choosing and using a forecasting model: again, the accuracy of the result of any model will depend on the expertise of those involved in collecting and analyzing the data – a good example of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out).

Planning

Once there is a strategy in place, one which outlines where the company, department or even group wants to be within a specified period of time in the future (goals), then the fore-casts based on historical data can be examined in order to come up with realistic plans to achieve these goals. The peo-ple who prepare the forecasts are often not those who pre-pare the plans, as different skills are required for each task.

Plans involve working out exactly how the company can get to the point at which the goals it has set have been achieved. They can be very detailed or just consist of a general outline, depending on how the company functions and what is re-quired. Plans are, of course, crucial in the start-up phase of any company, when a bank or investor will expect to see ex-actly how a new company expects to meet its goals after forming.

Expect the unexpected

As anyone who has ever tried to make plans for the future knows, the only thing that is sure is that things will not go according to plan. Something will throw a spanner in the works and so contingency plans are essential: a backup, a Plan B, whatever you wish to call it. Planning for the unexpected will lead to a greater chance of success, although we all know that the unexpected can never really be planned for!

� VOCABULARYto clarify verdeutlichen

to accumulate ansammeln

garbage Abfall

crucial wesentlich

to go according to plan

genau nach Plan verlaufen

to throw a spanner in the works

Sand ins Getriebe streuen

contingency plan Notfallplan


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deTRAINING

☞ INFOSie können diese Lektion direkt auf dem Bildschirm ausfüllen.

Durch Klicken auf dieses Symbol rechts unten auf dieser Seite werden die Lösungen ein- und ausgeblendet. Sie können diese dann mit Ihren Lösungen vergleichen.

exercise: talking about the futureThe best laid plans… ‘Going to’ and the present progres-sive both express plans where we already know the when and where of an action in the future. Have a go at putting the right form in the right place in the following sentences.

1. Next year I’m _______ to learn Chinese.

2. I’m ____________ the representatives of our main suppliers in the hotel lobby at the airport at 1 pm.

3. They____ going ______ ____ us to run the project as a joint venture as of 2017.

4. She__ ____________ (relocate) to Malaysia in May – she’s _________ (open) a branch office in Kuala Lumpur.

5. The company is _________ __ invest heavily next year in a global marketing strategy.

6. The new manager is __________ (assume) her position in the company at the beginning of the new year. Good luck to her!

7. Our data protection officer ___ _________ ___ (install) that software on the network now. So we may as well go for lunch while she’s busy.

8. He says he’s _____ ___ _______ in his notice at the end of the year.

9. Are you _______ to answer that email this morning?

10. In January I___ ______ on holiday to Gran Canaria. I’m so _________ forward to feeling the sunshine on my face!

If we have our crystal ball handy, we can see what is go-ing to happen. But if, on the other hand, we think or be-lieve something will happen…Complete the following sentences by adding the best future form to the follow-ing sentences.

1. The project ______ no doubt ___ a great success, the team is experienced and knows how to break down projects into small chunks.

2. Due to advances in medical science, life expectancy _________ ________ (continue) to increase even further in the future.

3. Economic predictions for 2017 suggest that people ______ ______ more disposable income in the coming year.

4. My colleague _______ ___ to have a baby in August. I think she ____ take maternity leave for a whole year.

5. How much revenue ______ we _____ (need) to bring in, before management introduces a commission on sales?

6. We___ never _______ our targets! Our sales manager has unrealistic expectations.

� VOCABULARYmain Haupt-

suppliers Zulieferer

joint venture Gemeinschafts-unternehmen

to relocate sich versetzen lassen/umziehen

to assume (hier) übernehmen

to hand in one’s notice

kündigen

to look forward to something

sich freuen auf etwas

prediction Voraussage

crystal ball Glaskugel

chunk Klotz

advance Fortschritt

life expectancy Lebenserwartung

disposable income verfügbares Einkommen

maternity leave Mutterschutz

commission Provision

idioms about time

to call timeWe’re going to call time on the project. It’s draining our resources and still shows no sign of producing the re-sults we hoped.

Do you know what this means?

to stop to allow more time to reschedule

1. going, 2. meeting …, 3. They’re going to ask us …, 4. She’s relocating; she’s opening, 5. going to, 6. The new manager is assuming, 7. Our data protection officer is

going to install, 8. he’s going to hand, 9. going, 10. I’m going on holiday, looking

1. will, be, 2 will continue, 3. will have, 4. is going to, will, 5. will we need, 6. We’ll never meet …

idioms about timeto stop, or abandon

SOLUTIONS



A) A businessman stands holding a crystal ball carefully in both hands.

B) A businessman places his hands close to a glowing crystal ball.

C) A businessman gazes into a glowing crystal ball.

Picture, January: predictions

A) A group of colleagues are having a meeting.

B) A group of colleagues are at a presentation.

C) A group of colleagues are at a conference.

A) Business women are greeting each other.

B) Business women are having lunch.

C) Business women are exchanging business cards.

1) B

2) C

3) A

SOLUTIONS


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.de

1 predict guess prophesy decide expect

2 determine recognise distinguish establish oversee

3 review assess allot appraise revise

4 forthcoming preceding upcoming impending approaching

5 previous current contemporary existing ongoing

6 confirmed conditional provisional qualified draft

7 temporary enduring momentary impermanent transient

8 unending eternal fleeting perpetual permanent

9 seer astrologer oracle soothsayer realist

10 pragmatist stoic realist idealist logician

11 scientist amateur inventor researcher authority

12 knowledge sign omen premonition prophesy

13 crystal glass mirror lens rock

14 sphere ball cube globe orb

15 concept idea thought story invention

16 taste word sound sight smell

TRAINING



Odd one out

From the following groups of synonyms, decide which word does not match the group:1) decide2) oversee3) allot4) preceding5) previous6) confirmed7) enduring8) fleeting9) realist10) idealist11) amateur12) knowledge13) rock14) cube15) story16) word

SOLUTIONS



Sentence matching

Match the two halves of the quotations about predictions:

1. An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why a) especially if it's about the future.

2. This is the first age that's ever paid much attention b) to eat ground glass.

3. I have seen the future and it c) one is prepared for them.

4. My interest is in the future because I d) the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today.

5. Some things are so unexpected that no e) am going to spend the rest of my life there.

6. One can't predict the f) better to prophesy after the event has already taken place.

7. Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive g) to raise people's hopes. down a country road at night with

8. Prediction is very difficult, h) to the future, which is a little ironic since we may not have one.

9. The purpose of thinking about the future is not i) with the future. to predict it but

10. I never think of the future, it comes j) thoroughly modern intellect.

11. It is said that the present is pregnant k) weather more than a few days in advance.

12. I always avoid prophesying beforehand because it is much l) but it is full of risks.

13. To expect the unexpected shows a m) out of the last five recessions!

14. He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns n) soon enough.

15. Wall Street indices predicted nine o) no lights while looking out the back window.

16. Prophesy is a good line of business, p) is very much like the present, only longer.

d

h

p

e

c

k

o

a

g

n

i

f

j

b

m

l

SOLUTIONS





Savvy investing: Quiz Questions

1. What is P/E ratio?

a) Profit-to-earnings ratio b) Price-to-earnings ratio

2. EPS stands for

a) Equity per share b) Earnings per share

3. ROE is an abbreviation for:

a) Return on equity b) Rational operations equity

4. CAGR stands for

a) Compound annual growth rate b) Conglomerate aggregation gradual reserve

5. What is leverage?

a) Leverage means a special premium on a stock b) Leverage is simply the use of borrowed money to complete a transaction

6. What is a stop-loss order?

a) A limit placed on the loss a stockholder is willing to absorb

b) A legal ban on losses made on the stock market

1. b)

2. b)

3. a)

4. a)

5. b)

6. a)

SOLUTIONS





Exercise: word class

A Few Pieces of Good Advice about Sales ForecastingYour task: Complete the hints for accurate forecasting by filling in the correct word in the correct word class. (You should find the words you need in the table at right.)

1. To ensure accuracy in __________, it is necessary to calculate multiple _____________.

2. Make sure you _____________ sales forecasts on a regular basis: your forecast should not just reflect sales history but should be adjusted to take into _____________ changing conditions, too.

3. _____________ time every month to review the forecasts.

4. The usual way to draw up a forecast is to match this year’s sales to last year’s sales. This method _____________ people on the operational level.

5. Don’t make things too complicated. Implement simple _______________ that set an _________ trail history of forecast. For the best results, ___________ the data with customer management.

6. ___________ operational staff early on in the process! After all, they are the people who have to meet the targets next year.

7. Notice exceptions in sales patterns and ___________ and refine ______________ accordingly.

8. _____________: at the end of the day, sales forecasts are nothing more than educated guesses!

English German

forecast Vorhersage

to predict voraussagen

to ensure sicherstellen

condition (hier) Gegebenheit

to review überprüfen

Word Class Challenge: Mind the Gap Complete the following table with the correct word class.

Verb Noun

1. to forecast

2. target

3. to predict

4. projection

5. to audit

6. budget

7. to allocate

8. to achieve

9. return

10. to advise

11. fund

12. to commit

13. conservation

14. to empower

15. update

16. account/accountant

17. to apply

18. alignment

19. involvement

20. alignment

21. adjustment

22. memory

English German

to match übereinstimmen

trail Spur

pattern Muster

guess Schätzung

toolbox: the words you need

Hints on Sales Forecasting:1) forecasting; forecasts2) review, account 3) Allocate 4) empowers 5) applications, audit, align 6) Involve 7) adjust, forecasting (forecasts) 8) Remember

Word Class:1) forecast2) target3) prediction4) project5) audit6) budget7) allocation8) achievement9) return10) advice11) fund12) commitment13) conserve14) empowerment15) update16) account (for)17) application18) align19) involve20) align21) adjust22) remember

SOLUTIONS


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deTAKE FIVE: time for a break

+ + O V E R H E A R D + + O V E R H E A R D + + O V E R H E A R D + + O V E R H E A R D + +

Brain stimulation

If you think of stimulating your brain you may think of puzzles, crossword or Sudoku, for example, or perhaps phys-ical challenges such as an Ironman competition, which would require a lot of mental fortitude. But do you think of electric stimulation? The US govern-ment has recently announced that it has used electric brain stimulation to improve staff concentration. Military scientists have determined that elec-trical pulses sent directly to the brain via electrodes placed on to the skull help to improve alertness and concen-tration in a safer way than any artificial stimulants such as caffeine, or performance-enhancing drugs such as amphetamines and off-label prescrip-tion drugs. tDCS as it is called (trans-cranial Direct Current Stimula-tion) may one day be approved for us-age by those in high stress positions – it is already used in some treatments of neuro-psychiatric conditions, such as Parkinson’s and depression, and various devices are already available to purchase online for those who wish to try it for themselves …

Read more here: http://ow.ly/naR7306rKC5

Misinformation

2016 was rather a big year for news: at least two major political events that few seem to have expected, as well as many natural events/disasters and other man-made mishaps. But did you get the news you wanted? Was your newsfeed full of kittens or tech alerts, or was it focused on how crazy the US elections were? And if the lat-ter, then did you get stories that told you how Trump was being misrepresented by the media or those that told you how he didn’t have a chance? Unless you made a conscious effort to search out stories from all sides of a story, it is likely that you may have only heard one side. Social media is particularly guilty of this, as we tend to see stories posted or com-mented on by our colleagues and friends first – and our colleagues and friends are more likely to match our own opinions than to differ. Over the past year, there has also been the phe-nomenon of ‘fake news’ stories: those that seem genuine but in fact peddle untruths. There is now a lot of infor-mation available on fake news: read more and learn how to spot it here:

http://ow.ly/SF4a306rLKC

M I N D T H E G A P !New word of the month:

‘lifehack’Something you can do to make your life easier and/or better: many websites offer lifehacks that claim to improve aspects of your life.

“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

Yogi Berra (US baseball player, 1925-2015)

� VOCABULARYfortitude innere Kraft

pulse Puls

skull Schädel

alertness Wachsamkeit

performance- enhancing drugs

leistungssteigernde Substanzen

off-label zulassungs-überschreitend

device Gerät

misrepresented falsch dargestellt

to make a conscious effort

sich bewusst anstrengen

to peddle verbreiten

untruth Unwahrheit


business english trainerIssue 01.2017 · www.business-english.deTAKE FIVE: time for a break

IMPRESSUMHerausgeber: WEKA MEDIA GmbH & Co. KG, Römerstraße 4, 86438 Kissing Tel: 0 82 33 23 40 00, Fax: 0 82 33 23 74 00 E-Mail: [email protected], Internet: www.weka.de

Persönlich haftende Gesellschafterin: WEKA MEDIA Beteiligungs-GmbH, Sitz in Kissing

Geschäftsführung: Stephan Behrens, Michael Bruns, Werner Pehland

Produktmanagement/Marketing: Oxana Biketova

Layout/Satz: POPP MEDIEN, Augsburg

Autoren: Anita Gera, Joanna Rowe

Erscheinungsweise monatlich

Bestell-Nr.: 01121-1000

Alle Angaben im business-english trainer wurden mit äußerster Sorgfalt ermittelt und überprüft. Sie basieren jedoch auf der Richtigkeit uns erteilter Auskünfte und unterliegen Veränderungen. Eine Gewähr kann deshalb nicht übernommen werden, auch nicht für telefonisch erteilte Auskünfte. Wiedergabe, auch auszugsweise, nur mit schriftlicher Einwilligung des Herausgebers

Bildnachweise S. #??? – Fotolia,

+ + B O O K R E V I E W + + B O O K R E V I E W + +

A Short History of England(Profile Books, 2011) by Simon Jenkins

What is it

It is exactly what it says on the cover: a brief account of English history from the 'Saxon Dawn' in 410 to the present day (or close enough as the final chapter focuses on 'Thatcher's Children 1990-2011'). It is not a history of the United Kingdom or of Great Britain, though: as the author explicitly states, Scotland, Wales and Ireland all have their own histories, so this one concentrates just on England – you won't find anything about the Loch Ness Monster in here!

Why it’s good

England has a complex and colourful history: anyone who has ever wondered about any aspect of its history will no doubt find an answer in this book which blends academic fact with humanising anecdotes to produce a surprisingly readable account.

Who it’s for

Readers who are interested in what has brought England to the point she is at now, who are curious to learn more about the country behind the language and to work out what real-ly happened … A good reading ability is required in order to get the most out of this book.

Almost everyone travels somewhere at some point. Explor-ing new places, even if you only need to get from the airport to a business meeting and find a quick place to grab a cof-fee on the way, can be fun or frustrating depending on how you approach the trip and on how much information you have available. Google, building on its apparent desire to be part of every aspect of your life, now offers Google Trips, for iPhone and Android. This app works together with Goog-le Maps, synchs info found in Gmail so that you have access to confirmation numbers and so on within Trips, and even allows you to access all this information off line if you are not able to access the internet on arrival at your destina-tion. In addition, for over 200 cities (and counting) the app offers tips on places to see, where to eat, what to do if you have, for example, half a day free, or two days to look around … Trips also gives you the option of customising de-tails and looking for additional options, bringing all of Google's formidable data to bear on helping you to plan an enjoyable and trouble-free visit. Is this the perfect trip com-panion? As Google says: 'See more, plan less!'

Find more infor mation here: www.google.com/trips

+ + A P P W O R L D + + A P P W O R L D + + A P P W O R L D + + � VOCABULARYto grab a coffee einen Kaffee mitnehmen


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